Salvatore D'Aquila
Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila (November 1877 – October 10, 1928[1]) was a New York City mobster from the Mustache Pete-era and the first boss of the Gambino crime family.[2][3]
Early life and career
Salvatore D'Aquila was born on November 1877 in Palermo, Sicily, and emigrated to America in 1906.[1] He worked alongside the Morello crime family in East Harlem.[1] D'Aquila was arrested in 1906 and in 1909; both times the charges were dropped.[4] In 1910, boss of bosses Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello was imprisoned and Salvatore D'Aquila separated from the Morello family.[5] D'Aquila formed his own crime family and appointed himself the new boss of bosses.[5] His crime family operated from East Harlem and the Bronx, where he rivaled the Morellos'.[5]
D'Aquila expanded his crime family's power into Brooklyn.[4] The top members were Alfred Mineo, Giuseppe Traina, and Frank Scalise.[1] In 1920, when Joseph Morello was released from prison, D'Aquila tried to have him and his closest allies murdered.[4][5] In 1925, D'Aquila moved back into the Bronx.[4]
Death
On October 10, 1928, D'Aquila was shot to death on Avenue A in Manhattan, aged 50.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Critchley, David. 'Aquila&hl=en&ei=LpYMTt3nLaLv0gGZm8j_DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Salvatore%20%22Toto%22%20D'Aquila&f=false The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931. p. 156-157.
- ↑ Jerry Capeci. 's+guide+mafia&hl=en&ei=igEBTvSxNcnEgQeu-NDGDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=D'aquila&f=false (read) The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia.
- ↑ H. Thomas Milhorn. 'aquila&hl=en&ei=wQEBTuztAYLTgQfTuIjZDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFIQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=salvatore%20d'aquila&f=false Crime: Computer Viruses to Twin Towers. p. 218.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 D'Aquila, Salvatore "Toto" (1873-1928) The American "Mafia"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Mike Dash (2009). 'Aquila&hl=en&ei=U5cMTuGkHceugQeVm5z9DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Salvatore%20%20D'Aquila&f=false The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 24.
External links
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title Crime family established by D'Aquila |
Gambino crime family Boss 1910-1928 |
Succeeded by Alfred Mineo |
| Preceded by Giuseppe Morello |
Capo di tutti capi 1910-1928 |
Succeeded by Joe Masseria |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||