Mafia-Camorra War
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The Mafia-Camorra War was a war fought between of course the mafia which was the Sicilian Morello crime family and the Camorra, the Neapolitan Navy Street gang and Coney Island gang. The war was from 1914 all the way to 1917 and the trials of 1918.
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[edit] Pre Mafia-Camorra War
The Morello gang controlled Harlem and mostly all of northern Manhattan. Both Neapolitan gangs were based in Brooklyn. Nicholas Morello headed the Morellos, Leopoldo Lauritano and Allesandro Vollero, headed the Navy street, and Pelligrino Morano was head of Coney Island. All the gangs used to get along fine though, Andrea Ricci, who headed the Camorra, would hold a 'smoker' each year in Brooklyn and the Morello brothers would travel down from Harlem to patronize Ricci.
[edit] Morello's Gain Power
The Del Gaudio brothers controlled gambling in East Harlem which the Morellos wanted. They had ties to the Navy Street gang though. Even that wouldn't stop Nicholas from controlling it. Nicolo Del Gaudio owned a barber shop on E104th, he would be lured down to the East River when he walked past an empty lot were he was blown away with a shotgun behind a fence. Gaetano, his brother then hired a bodyguard by the name of George Esposito, for fear of his life. Esposito had previously been a body guard for Giosue Gallucci. Another gambling operator Joseph DeMarco had been driven out after he tried to battle the Morello gang. He tried to kill Nicholas but his plans were always unachieved as he was almost killed twice. He moved to southern Manhattan were he opened restaurant and a few gambling joints on Mulberry Street. During all this Joe Masseria was released from jail who would later control the territory, the Morellos controlled through numerous hits, but that’s not until later.
[edit] Sicilian and Neapolitan Alliance
On June 24th 1916 a meeting took place at Coney Island between the Morello gang, the Navy Street gang and the Coney Island gang. The reason for the meeting was to discuss who would control illegal activities in New York, including gambling, drugs and extortion. Joe DeMarco would have to be killed first before all the gambling in Manhattan could be controlled. Nick Morello and Steve LaSalle explained that Joe DeMarco must be killed before they could control all the gambling lower Manhattan. Lauritano from the Navy Street gang decided that they should meet at his Cafe to discuss what should be done with DeMarco. About three weeks later a meeting was taking place. Nick Morello, Steve LaSalle, Ciro Terranova and Giuseppe Verizzano traveled to Navy St to discuss the plan to kill Joe DeMarco. Verizzano was a close friend to DeMarco who would get the killers in position for the hit. Since The Morellos were known they wouldn’t be able to get close to him. Verizzano was to get them in the gambling den and identify DeMarco to the assassins who would then kill him. The first attempted hit went wrong when the hitman who was chose first John Fetto arrived late and DeMarco had left the building. There was a feel of nervousness that a friend of DeMarco, called Joe "Chuck" Nazzaro would be alongside DeMarco and that would be troublesome to the shooters. John Esposito was chosen to join the hit because of the problem. That afternoon, the Navy St gunmen, Esposito and Fetto, made their way to a saloon on Elizabeth St to await the signal to move. At around five O'clock Verizzano arrived and notified the gunmen that Demarco had arrived at his gambling house and they left and made their way to the entrance of the gambling operation. Nick Sassi got the gunmen inside past the doorman; he was an employee of Demarco's but also friend of the Navy St gang. They made their way to the back bedroom where the card games were going on, that’s where DeMarco was.
[edit] NYC Gambling Control
That afternoon, the Navy St gunmen, Esposito and Fetto, made their way to a saloon on Elizabeth St to await the signal to move. At around five O'clock Verizzano arrived and notified the gunmen that Demarco had arrived at his gambling house and they left and made their way to the entrance of the gambling operation. Nick Sassi got the gunmen inside past the doorman; he was an employee of Demarco's but also friend of the Navy St gang. They made their way to the back bedroom where the card games were going on, that’s where DeMarco was. Inside Joe DeMarco and Charles Lombardi and other men, with numerous spectators sat around watching the card game.To help the gunmen who were now looking over the card game, identify the target, Verizzano sat down opposite DeMarco. To help the gunmen escape Nick Sassi and Rocco Valente from Navy St waited outside the door making sure the coast was clear before running out. Esposito mistakenly misread the signals from Verizzano and shot and killed Charles Lombardi by mistake, Verizzano managed to kill DeMarco though. The gunmen made their escape through the bedroom window into Oliver St. That evening Nick and Vincent Morello, LaSalle, Terranova and Verizzano all traveled to Navy St. They told Lauritano the news that DeMarco had been shot and handed him $50 to pass on to the gunmen.
[edit] The Camorra Move In
After DeMarco was taken care of the Camorra moved into south Manhattan and opened a couple gambling houses. Now some of the Navy St. guys traveled Philadelphia to discuss the complete removal of the Morello gang to gain complete control of Manhattan. They talked it over with Andrea Ricci and it was decided, they would. Even though the two gangs were getting along fine, the killing of DeMarco angred Allessandro Vollero, a Camorra leader. They would try to come up with a plan to lure the leaders of the Morello gang down to Brooklyn and ambush them. On September 7, 1916 Nick Morello and Charles Ubriaco traveled down to downtown to meet Navy St. They were served drinks first then were told to meet others at a coffee house where the killers were waiting. On their way they were ambushed and Nick Morello was shot by Tom Pagano, and Ubriaco was killed by Thomas Carillo and Lefty Esposito. When the police arrived they searched Morello, finding a bank book for NY Produce Exchange Bank, Harlem. With a balance of $1,865. Ciro Terranova was later asked to come in and identify his brother’s body. Allesandro Vollero was arrested and put in a line up, but with lacking evidence he was released 19 days later. Guiseppe Verrazano, who was with the Morellos wanted to open up another gambling house, this was not liked by the Navy St. so a plot to kill him was began. Verrazano spotted a Navy St. member and tried to kill him, perhaps to get the hit off of him, but he was spotted and was forced to flee.
[edit] Destruction of the Camorra
Many assassinations and attempts would happen after this making neither side a safe place to be. Since the Camorra couldn't kill the new leaders they would have to do it indirectly. The Camorra would try to take over the artichoke business (that's the business that Ciro controlled). Their threats didn't work not only against artichokes, but coal and ice too, just to name a couple. Many members would be killed in this war like Salvatore DeMarco, George Esposito, Gaetano Del Gaudio, Anthony 'The Shoemaker' Paretti, Joseph 'Chuck' Nazzaro. They were caught up in the war, proving no matter what side you were on, you could die at any second. One man would play the biggest part in the victory of the mafia. That man would be Ralph 'The Barber' Daniello who would testify against Navy St. after his requests to help him and his family when he went to jail. He told everything he knew from murders to the rackets. Convictions and indictments were pouring in from Navy St. from past crimes like the murder of DeMarco. The top was showing only the mafia now.
[edit] Trials
The war was over and that meant changes were going to take place. The biggest change, not having the camorra around.
Rocco Valenti was arrested in January for relations in the DeMarco / Lombardi killing. He was jailed for ten months, before being discharged in November 1918. He appeared later in court to testify against Charles Giordano in March 1919.Allesandro Vollero, was tried for first degree murder in the case of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco. Ralph Daniello testified against Vollero, and stated the gang paid money to a Detective named Michael Mealli. Mealli was reduced in rank getting assigned to patrol duty. Following this, Judge Kapper was taken ill on February 18th, causing a mistrial to be declared. Vollero was retried on March 4th and was sentenced to life at Sing Sing.Pelligrino Morano, leader of the Coney Island faction, was convicted of murder in the second degree. He was sentenced 20 to life at Sing Sing. Alphonso Sgroia, a Navy Street gang member, was sentenced on June 17th 1918, he received twelve years in Dannemora for the Ncik Morello case.Sgroia would testify against his fellow assailants, he would receive a shorter prison sentence and deportation to Italy.Justice for Morello's and Ubriaco's death didn’t stop there. John Esposito and Antonio Notaro were sentenced in June 1918, from 6 to 10 years each for their participation in the murder.Ciro Terranova was tried for Complicity in June 1918, in connection with the DeMarco/Lombardi killing. Johnny Esposito, the killer of Lombardi tried to testify against Terranova, but once it was proved that they were in the same gang, Ciro was acquitted due to lack of corroboration. Ralph Daniello's sentence was suspended due to the testimony he had given. An assault which cost him 5 years in Coney Island cut short his freedom. After his release in 1925 he was found shot near Metuchen, New Jersey. Frank Fevrola was found guilty by Judge Tompkins for the murder of "Chuck" Nazzaro in 1917. Fevrola was sentenced to the death house at Sing Sing, the testimony was given by someone who may have been closer to him than anyone, his wife.However on April 14th, 1922, a notice was served on DA Weeks, that a motion would be made to grant a retrial on the case of Fevrola. All previous statements were withdrawn by his wife, her explanation was that the police had threatened and bribed her to testify. The retrial was opposed by mocking the affidavit of Tessie Fevrola. Tompkins denied any form of retrial for Fevrola. A last minute attempt to save Fevrola was made by lawyer Thomas O'Neil on May 29, 1923. With seven hours till execution Tompkins was granted a retrial, sparing him until October 7th. His death sentence was commuted eventually, meaning his sentence became less severe. Aniellio Paretti was lucky because all charges, which was the death of Nazzaro, against him were dropped. He was released from Sing Sing in 1923, after he was retrialed.Nick Morello's death still wasn't done being avenged by the law.Anthony Paretti was sentenced to Sing Sing death house for his part in the slaying. Paretti originally fled to Italy to escape capture. He returned to New York in March, 1926, thinking that most of the witnesses against him would be gone. Anthony wouldn't be as lucky as his brother, Aniellio, he was convicted for first degree murder. Leading up to the execution security was enhanced from 16 hours a day to 24 hours a day. He was pressuring politicians to throw out the death penalty but, wasn't granted. He was electracuted on February 17, 1927 at the age of 35. One of his last visitors was future mafia boss, Vito Genovese.
[edit] Members of each faction
Mafia- Nicholas Morello, Ciro Terranova, Ignazio Saietta, Vincent Terranova, Charles Ubriaco, Thomas Lomonte, Fortunato Lomonte.
Camorra- Leopoldo Lauritano, Allesandro Vollero, Pelligrino Morano, Alphonso Sgroia, Frank Fevrola, Antonio Paretti, Aniellio Paretti, Raffaele Daniello, Johnny Esposito.
Other- Giuseppe DeMarco, Generosi Nazzaro.
