Gaspar DiGregorio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gaspar or Gaspare DiGregorio (c. 1905-June 11, 1970) was a New York mobster and a high ranking member of the Bonanno crime family who attempted to seize control of the organization following the disappearance of founder Joe Bonanno in 1964. A gang war soon erupted when appointed successor Salvatore Bonanno, son of Joe Bonanno, attempted to resist the DiGregorio faction resulting in the Bananna War lasting until Bonanno's return in 1966.
Although initally supported by members of the Mafia Commission such as Carlo Gambino, Tommy Lucchese, Joe Colombo and Stefano Magaddino, the Commission quickly withdrew its support following Bonanno's return.
Without the backing of the Commission, DiGregorio's claims to the family leadership lost credibility and, after suffering a heart attack, his faction was briefly headed by Paul Sciacca before slowly disappearing from New York's underworld. He spent his final year living with his family in Long Island before his death from lung cancer at St. John's Hospital on June 11, 1970.
[edit] Further reading
- Bernstein, Lee. The Greatest Menace: Organized Crime in Cold War America. Boston: UMass Press, 2002. ISBN 1-55849-345-X
- Bonanno, Bill. Bound by Honor: A Mafioso's Story. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. ISBN 0-312-97147-8
- Bonanno, Joseph. A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003. ISBN 0312979231
- Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
