Nicholas Morello
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Nicholas Morello (1866-September 7, 1916) was one of the first New York organized crime figures founding the Morello crime family and was later one of the participants in the Mafia-Camorra War of 1915-17.
Born Nicolo Morello in Corleone, Sicily in 1866, Morello immigrated with his family, including his brothers Antonio Morello and Giuseppe Morello and half brothers Ciro and Vincenzo Terranova from Sicily arriving in New York in 1892 eventually joining Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Saietta's Black Hand organization during the late 1890s. In 1910 when Saietta and Giuseppe, were arrested for counterfeiting, Morello, with half brothers Ciro and Vincent, became leader of the organization.
When rival Brooklyn Camorra leader, Don Pellegrino Morano began moving in on Morello's Manhattan territory of East Harlem and Greenwich Village in 1915 after a Neapolitan ally of the Morello family, Goisue Gallucci was killed in East Harlem, then in 1916 members of Morello's Black Hand Gang killed Camorra member Nick Del Guido. Soon after a peace conference was called between the two warring groups, however Morano refused Morello's offer and open warfare continued. The war between New York's the Sicilian mafia and Neapolitan Camorra lasted for over 2 years, the event that caused the wars eventual end was when Nick Morello was killed by Morano's men on September 7, 1916 with Lieutenant and bodyguard, Charles Ubriaco outside Vollero's Cafe, a local Navy Street restaurant, while meeting Morano for a truce. However, Morano and Vollero, along with several underlings were soon arrested and in 1917 they were all convicted of Morello's murder despite payoffs to New York detective Michael Meali who refused to help. With Morano and top members of the Camorra sentenced to life imprisonment the gang war ended soon after and the Neapolitan Camorra were assimilated into the Sicilian Mafia by 1919.
