Friday, October 16, 2015

October 2015 Issue of Informer

October 2015 Issue Contents
Editorial


Smothered by law enforcement surveillance and infiltration in their home territory and wary of reprisals by deposed boss Stefano Magaddino, a rebel group of Buffalo, New York, Mafiosi in 1969 explored racket opportunities in what they thought were greener pastures in Florida. 
The move quickly caught the attention of the FBI. Rather than provide security for the breakaway organized crime faction, the lost time and resources in Florida led to the collapse of the Pieri-DiCarlo regime in the Buffalo underworld. In this issue, Thomas Hunt and Michael A. Tona tell the story of Buffalo’s attempts to establish a rackets colony in Florida (Preview).

Plenty has been written over the years about Lucky Luciano. Some accounts have been factual, some fictional, at least one fictional pretending to be factual. In C. Joseph Greaves’ latest novel, we find a fictional account built on a foundation of historical research. Greaves tells readers about his book, his approach and the cache of previously overlooked documents that provided him a fresh window into the subject (Preview).

What is the oldest U.S. federal law enforcement agency? The little known postal inspection service, formed under Benjamin Franklin in the Colonial Era, has a claim to that designation. Author and retired postal inspector H.K. Petschel provides a brief history of “the Silent Service” (Preview).

Also in this issue:
  • The U.S. Postal Service delivery of the Hope Diamond.
  • Patrick Downey runs through the underworld’s greatest “hits” of the month of October (Preview).
  • Richard N. Warner reviews two recently released books, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and The Two Mafias (Preview).

Fifty-four pages, including covers and eight pages of advertisements.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.

Buffalo mob moves into Florida

October 2015 issue contents
Feature article 

Following the disintegration of the Magaddino Crime Family, 
Western New York’s Pieri-DiCarlo faction needed cash 

Rebel Buffalo mobsters eyed 
rackets colony in Florida 

By Thomas Hunt and Michael A. Tona 

"After breaking away from the Magaddino Crime Family in 1969, mobsters from Buffalo, New York, explored racketeering options in Volusia County, Florida, and entered into negotiations with the Tampa-based Santo Trafficante organization and other Mafia groups before law enforcement pressure triggered their retreat. The failed effort to establish an organized crime colony in Florida left the once powerful Buffalo Mafia struggling for revenue and relevance in the post-Valachi Era. A decade and a half of decline followed. By 1984, the organization effectively ceased to exist..."

Twelve pages with twenty-two photographs and one map.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.

Fresh look at Luciano vice trial

October 2015 issue contents
Feature article

A glimpse behind the curtain
of ‘People v. Luciano’ 

By C. Joseph Greaves 

"Talk about an offer I couldn't refuse. The year was 1999, and the setting was a sun-drenched patio in Southern California. Elise 'CeCe' Levy, the daughter of a prominent New York criminal defense attorney named George Morton Levy, casually mentioned that, following her father’s death in 1977, all of his office files had been moved into storage in upstate New York. Knowing as I did that CeCe’s father had defended Charles 'Lucky' Luciano in the colorful and controversial vice trial that had effectively ended Lucky’s criminal reign and catapulted special prosecutor Thomas Dewey into the New York governor’s mansion, I asked if I might have a peek at those files..."

Sixteen pages with fourteen photographs.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.

'Silent Service' law enforcement agency

October 2015 issue contents
Feature article

Little-known enforcement agency
works within the Postal Service

By H. K. Petschel 

"Since the earliest days of the American republic, the argument has raged over whether the Postal Inspection Service or the United States Marshals Service deserves to be regarded as the oldest federal law enforcement agency. (The U.S. Customs Service, securing borders and enforcing import duties beginning in July 1789, also has a claim to this designation. In March 2003, that service was merged into U.S. Customs and Border Protection.)..."

Five pages with seven photographs.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.

Warner: Reviews of "Bugsy Siegel,' 'Two Mafias'

October 2015 Issue Contents
Columns

The Warner Files
New books: ‘Bugsy Siegel’ and ‘The Two Mafias’
By Richard N. Warner 

 "...Gragg starts out by dismantling the Hollywoodization of Siegel through movies such as the 1991 film Bugsy, starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. (Bening, Beatty’s soon-to-be real-life wife, played Siegel’s volatile paramour, Virginia Hill.) While most viewers found the film entertaining, organized crime buffs, historians and researchers found it frustrating and vexing with its erroneous depictions of Siegel as a 'kill-crazy' psychopath and the founder of the Las Vegas casino industry, among many other historical falsifications..."

Seven pages.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.

Downey: October's Greatest 'Hits'

October 2015 Issue Contents
Columns

Dead Guys in Suits:
October’s biggest ‘hits’
By Patrick Downey

"October is my favorite month for many reasons. The weather is generally very comfortable, the autumn colors are a feast for the eyes, there’s cider and donuts and my favorite holiday, Halloween. October also happens to be a very interesting month in terms of 'Dead Guys in Suits.' A number of big gangland hits took place in the tenth month of our calendar..."

Two pages.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.

SITE INDEX

100 Years Ago (2) 1891 (1) 1909 (3) 1928 (3) 1929 (2) 1931 (2) 1932 (1) 1937 (1) 1957 (2) 1964 (1) 2008 (1) 2009 (1) 2009 April issue (1) 2009 January issue (1) 2009 July issue (1) 2009 October issue (2) 2010 January issue (1) 2011 April issue (9) 2011 January issue (7) 2011 July issue (10) 2011 October issue (10) 2012 April issue (9) 2012 January issue (10) 2012 July issue (9) 2012 October Issue (6) 2013 April issue (10) 2013 July issue (8) 2013 October issue (8) 2014 January Issue (7) 2014 May Issue (4) 2014 November issue (8) 2015 June issue (16) 2015 October issue (9) 2016 October Issue (8) 2016 September issue (1) 2017 August issue (11) 2018 November issue (10) 2019 August Issue (22) 2020 October issue (36) 2021 October issue (18) 2022 November issue (30) 2023 October issue (21) 2024 November Issue (1) a look back (9) Accardo (3) ad rates (2) Address Book (1) Addresses (1) adobe (1) advertisers (12) advertising (4) agnello (2) Aiuppa (1) Al Capone and His American Boys (1) Albany (2) aleman (1) alfano (1) Allen (1) alo (1) Altamura (1) Amazon (8) Analysis (1) anarchists (4) anastasia (6) anastasio (2) andolino (1) Angelo Carbone (1) Angelo DiCarlo (1) Angersola (1) angiulo (3) Anna Antonio (2) apalachin (5) apparel (1) April (1) ardizzone (3) ardonia (1) Arrigo (1) articles (32) artis (3) Asbury (4) ask the informer (7) Assassination (1) atlanta federal prison (3) atlantic city (2) audiobook (4) authors (4) avena (1) Baby Face Nelson (2) Back issues (1) Bad Seeds in the Big Apple (1) Baff (2) balsamo (1) Banana War (1) bandits roost (1) bangor maine (2) bank robber (1) bank robbery (2) barbara (1) Barber brothers (2) Barre (2) barrel murder (4) Barricade (1) batista (2) bazzano (5) beck (1) Behind the Murder Curtain (1) Benevento (1) Benld (1) berrien county (2) bettini (1) bilek (3) Bill the Butcher (2) bingham (1) binion (1) Biographies (2) Biography (1) Biondillo (1) Biondo (1) Birmingham (1) Black (1) black hand (6) blade (1) Blasi (2) blog (1) Blurb (2) Bo Weinberg (1) boardwalk empire (1) Bobby Doyle (1) Boccia (3) bolton (1) bombtown (1) Bommarito (1) bonanno (19) Bonomo (2) Book (1) books (55) books. (1) Bootlegging (2) Boss of Bosses (6) boston (9) brady gang (2) Brod (1) Brogno (1) brooklyn (11) brouillette (1) Bruce Sackman (1) bruno (1) buccellato (2) buccola (2) buchalter (3) bufalino (3) buffalo (13) Bugsy Siegel (1) bulger (3) Bureau of Investigation (1) burke (2) bushwick (2) buster from chicago (2) Butch Cassidy (1) Butsey (1) C. Joseph Greaves (1) Cain (1) calabrese (4) calabria (7) Calamia (1) calendar (1) calicchio (1) california (7) Cammarata (1) campagna (1) Campbell (3) campisi (1) canada (4) Capital Punishment (2) Capitano (1) capodecina (1) capone (14) Car-bombs (1) caracappa (1) carbondale (2) carbone (2) carfano (1) Carlino (5) Carlisi (1) carneglia (3) Carollo (1) Carressi (1) Carroll (2) Cascio (2) Cascio Ferro (1) cascioferro (1) casinos (2) Castellammare del Golfo (5) castellammarese war (18) castro (2) Catanzaro (1) Cavallaro (1) cecala (1) Cheese (1) Cheese War (1) chepesiuk (3) chiappetta (2) chicago (27) chicago heights (3) Chicago Outfit (1) Chilanti (1) chinatown (1) Christian Cipollini (2) CIA (1) Ciaramello (1) cina (1) cipolla (1) Cipollini (5) circulation (12) civello (2) Clark (1) classified ads (1) cleveland (14) Cocchiara (1) cocozza (1) cohen (5) Cokey Flo (1) colacurcio (1) Coll (1) colombo (10) Colorado (6) colosimo (2) coluccio (1) columnist (1) columns (44) comito (2) communism (1) congress (1) connecticut (6) connolly (1) Conti (2) contributors (3) Corallo (1) corleone (9) coronavirus (1) corozzo (2) costantino (1) costello (4) counterfeiting (10) COVID-19 (1) crescent city lynchings (1) Crime History (1) crimetown (1) critchley (19) Crooked Brooklyn (1) cuba (6) Cuccia (1) Culotta (1) cumberland house (1) cuntrera (1) Customs (1) Cutrone (1) d'alessandro (1) d'andrea (2) d'aquila (4) d'elia (1) dallas (6) danbury (6) dane (1) danny greene (1) Dara (1) Dark History and Horror Convention (1) dash (4) David Critchley (1) Daytona Beach (1) dead guys in suits (5) dead rabbits (1) deadlines (9) deaths (5) decavalcante (1) deep water (7) Deirdre Marie Capone (2) deitche (4) DeJohn (1) delancey street (1) deleo (1) DelGaudio (1) delivery (2) DeLosa (1) deluna (1) DeMarco (1) DeNiro (1) Denver (2) depalma (1) desimone (2) Detroit (11) devecchio (2) dewey (1) DiCarlo (8) dicola (1) DiDato (1) DiFranchi (1) DiFronzo (1) Digest Format (1) digiorgio (2) digiovanni (1) Dillinger (4) DiLucia (1) dinunzio (3) dioguardi (1) DiPalma (1) discount (5) dispenza (2) display ads (43) distribution (15) Ditte (1) Dixie Davis (1) dmoz (1) Dock Boss (3) Dom DeLuise (1) domingo (1) downey (15) download (1) Doyle (1) dragna (4) drugs (1) dugard (4) Dunn (1) Dusseldorf (1) Dutch Schultz (1) Dutchess County (2) E-book (7) East Harlem (1) eastern state (2) ebook (1) Eddie McGrath (1) Editorial (5) Edmond Valin (3) Electric Chair (2) electronic edition (12) Elia Corti (2) Ellen Poulsen (1) Emmino (3) Engel (1) eppolito (1) EPUB (3) Erra (1) Esperia Film (1) Esperti (1) esposito (4) Ethics (1) evola (1) facebook (2) Falcone (1) family secrets (2) Farah (1) Faranzano (1) Father Cerruti (1) fbi (25) FBN (3) feather (30) features (9) federal bureau of narcotics (1) federal hill (2) ferrara (1) Filasto (1) five points (1) florida (5) Florino (1) Floyd (2) flynn (4) Fond du Lac (2) fontana (1) foxit (1) frank lanza (1) Frank Romeo (1) Frank Zito (1) frankie rio (1) Fratuzzi (2) free (1) Freemasonry (1) Fusco (1) Galleani (2) gambino (7) gambliing (1) gambling (4) gangster (1) Gangster City (1) Gangsters (1) gangsters incorporated (3) gangsters of miami (1) gatto (1) Genealogy (4) genna (1) genovese (12) gentile (31) George Morton Levy (1) Geraci (1) Germany (1) Ghost (1) Giancana (1) Giannola (1) gift (1) giunta (1) Giuseppe Morello (1) Gizzeria (1) Google Play Books (2) Gorilla Convict Publications (1) Gosch (2) gotti (7) Government (1) grand street (1) Grande Cheese (1) Greaves (3) greene (1) Guardalabene (2) gustin (1) H.K. Petschel (1) H.L. Mencken (1) Haggerty (1) hamer (1) Hamilton (1) Hammer (2) hardcover (1) harmon (8) Haseltine (1) Hatrack (1) havana (2) hawkins (1) hayde (1) helmer (5) hennessy (2) Henry Hill (2) henze (4) Hillsville (1) Hillsville PA (3) hoffa (2) holiday (2) Hollywood (1) hoover (10) hortis (3) hotel statler (3) Houk (1) houston (1) howard prison (1) hudson (1) humble (1) hunt (38) iaconi (1) Ignazio Lupo (1) Illinois (2) Impastato (1) in the news (8) index (4) Informant (2) Informants (7) informer (8) innocenti (1) interview (3) introduction (2) ipad (1) Issues to date (2) italian squad (1) Italy (1) Jacob Stoops (1) James Howell (1) Jeffery S. King (6) Jerry Schmetterer (1) Joe the Boss (3) john mcgurk (1) johnny spanish (1) Jones (2) Joseph Petrosino (2) Jungle Inn (1) Just One More Thing (9) Justin Cascio (2) kansas city (5) kaplan (1) karpis (1) KDP (1) Keeler (1) kefauver (2) kennedy (8) Kill-Crazy Gang (1) Kindle (8) King (1) knockbacks (4) knokaround (4) kovacic (1) Krist (1) la cosa nostra (7) Labor Racketeering (1) labriola (1) LaGaipa (1) lansky (3) lanza (3) larocca (2) las vegas (4) LaSala (1) LaTempa (1) latorre (2) law enforcement (1) Leggio (1) Legs Diamond (6) Lennert Van`t Riet (1) leo (1) LePore (1) letters (1) Levy (2) Licavoli (1) limone (1) lindbergh (1) lockwood (2) lolordo (1) lombardo (2) Lombardozzi (2) lonardo (2) Lopresto (2) los angeles (11) louisiana (5) Lower East Side (6) Lucania (9) lucchese (5) luciano (23) Lucky Luciano: Mysterious Tales of a Gangland Legend (4) lucky luciano: the real and the fake gangster (1) lupo (7) Lynching (1) lyon (1) macheca (4) madonia (1) mafia (61) mafia denials (2) mafia monograph (1) mafia son (1) Mafia Summit (1) Mafia: Inside the Dark Heart (1) Mafia's demise (2) Mafiahistory.us (1) mafiosi (1) magaddino (11) Magazine (1) magcloud (15) magliocco (1) Mahoning Valley (2) Maisano (1) Mallamo (1) mangano (4) manhattan (1) manocchio (1) maranzano (27) marcello (4) Marion OH (1) marlow (1) masseria (10) massullo (1) Matranga (2) mattix (6) mcclellan (4) McGrath (2) McKeever (4) McNeiley (2) membership chart (24) Memorandum Book (1) men of montedoro (2) messina (4) meyer lansky (1) Miami (2) Michael R. McGowan (1) Michael Vecchione (1) michigan (1) milano (1) Milwaukee (7) Minore (1) Minutolo (2) Miracle of Brooklyn (1) Miranda (1) Miriam Davis (1) Missouri (1) mistretta (1) Mob Corner (1) mob tours (1) mock duck (1) Monaco (1) monk eastman (1) montagna (1) montreal (3) moran (4) morelli (3) morello (15) moretti (2) morgenthau (1) morici (1) Movies (1) mr. new orleans (4) mulberry bend (1) murder (6) Murder Incorporated (2) murdered brothers (2) murders (2) murdertown (1) museum of the american gangster (1) Musolino (1) Mussolini (1) Naples (2) Narcotics (2) nardi (1) Naturalization (1) Neil G. Clark (1) Nelson (1) New Castle PA (4) new england (12) new jersey (4) new orleans (8) new york (43) New York City (6) newark (4) Niagara Falls (2) nicolo schiro (1) nicolosi (2) nitti (1) northeastern Pennsylvania (4) novel (1) novels (1) nucky johnson (2) O'Connell (1) O'Connell Machine (1) O'Haire (1) o'malley (1) obituary (1) oct 2010 (8) oddo (1) office (1) ohio (3) oldfield (1) on the rock (1) on the spot (4) onewal.com (1) Ontario (2) open city (1) Organized Crime (1) Origin of Organized Crime in America (2) Oscar Goodman (2) Oswald (3) otway (1) ouseley (2) outfit (3) Palermo (4) palizzolo (2) Palmer (1) palmer raids (2) palumbo (1) Panto (1) Paperback (5) Paretti (1) Park Avenue (2) parke (1) patriarca (2) Patrick Downey (2) paul kelly (1) pdf (4) peduto (2) pennachio (1) Pennsylvania (5) pennsylvania crime commission (1) penology (1) Perri (1) persico (5) Peter Kurten (1) Petrelli (2) petrosino (7) Petschel (3) Petto (1) philadelphia (8) Photograph (3) photographs (2) Picco (1) Piccola (2) Pierce (1) Pieri (3) Pinsky (1) piranio (2) pittsburgh (12) pittston (2) pizza connection (1) Podcast (1) police (1) policy (2) Politics (1) pollaccia (2) pollina (1) porrello (4) post office (1) postal inspection service (2) Postal Inspector (2) Postal Inspectors (1) Poughkeepsie (1) poulsen (5) Prato (1) Pre-Order (3) preorder (1) Press Releases (1) Pretty Boy Floyd (3) price increase (1) Pricing (3) print edition (10) print version (11) profaci (12) Prohibition (21) prostitution (3) Protheroe (1) Provenzano (1) providence (7) Publishing (1) Pueblo (2) purchase (1) Purge (4) purpose (1) quakers (1) Queens (3) Racco (2) racism (3) racketeeers (1) Ralph Pezzullo (1) randazzo (1) rannelli (1) rastelli (1) Ray (1) Raymond Street Jail (3) readership (2) Reavill (1) Red-Nose Mike (1) Regina Pacis (3) Reina (2) Reles (2) Religion (5) restivo (1) rfk (2) rhode island (3) riccobene (1) Richard Warner (4) Richetti (1) rio (1) Rizzotto (2) rizzuto (4) robbery (1) Rochester (1) romano (3) Romeo (3) Romero (1) roosevelt (1) Rosato (1) rosenthal (1) rossetti (1) ruby (3) Ruffino (2) Russo (1) sabella (2) sacco and vanzetti (2) sack murders (1) safari (1) sai wing mock (1) salemi (1) Saltfleet Township (1) Sam Giancana (1) sammartino (1) San Francisco (5) San Giuseppe Jato (1) San Jose (2) San Pedro (1) sanfilippo (1) Santa Rosa (1) Santantonio (2) Santino (2) Santuccio (2) Sberna (1) Scaglia (2) scala (1) scalise (1) Scandifia (2) scarpa (4) Scarpato (1) schedule (2) Schmitt (1) schweihs (1) sciandra (2) scranton (3) scribd (6) seattle (1) second avenue (1) secret service (3) secret societies (1) Sewickley PA (1) shaw (2) sheldon (5) Shenango Valley (2) shillitani (2) sica (1) Sicilian Vespers (1) Siciliano (2) Sicily (8) Siegel (1) Siragusa (1) skelly (1) Smario (1) social clubs (1) Socialists (2) Society of Honor (1) society of the banana (2) sources (1) spatafora (1) Special Issue (6) spero (1) Sporting Goods (1) springfield (4) st. laurent (1) St. Louis (2) St. Petersburg (2) St. Rosalia (2) st. valentine's day massacre (3) Stamp Counterfeiting (2) stamps (1) Stephan Talty (1) stevens (2) Strange (1) Street Gangs (2) Streva (1) Strollo (2) submissions (1) subscription (3) suicide hall (1) superthief (1) sylvester (1) Syracuse (1) T-shirts (1) tampa (4) Tape Bandits (1) Taranto (2) television (1) Tenora (1) terranova (4) Terrorism (1) texas (3) The Axeman of New Orleans (1) The Black Hand (1) the case against lucky luciano (3) the first vice lord (1) The Gangs of New York (4) The History of Street Gangs (1) the mafia and the machine (1) the man (1) The Members Only Podcast (1) The Milwaukee Mafia (3) The Mob and the City (3) The Writers of Wrongs (1) Thomas Dewey (1) Thomas Hunt (3) timelime (1) timeline (4) todaro (1) Tom & Lucky and George & Cokey Flo (1) tom lee (1) tona (9) tongs (1) top 10 (1) top hoodlum program (1) tornabene (2) Toronto (2) torrio (2) trafficante (4) traina (1) Trapani (2) Travels (1) Troia (2) true crime books (10) true crime websites (6) true-crime books (2) Turner (8) twitter (2) Two Mafias (1) u.s. postage (1) uk (1) Unabomber (1) Uncle Al Capone (4) unione siciliana (1) USPS (1) VA (1) vaccarelli (1) valachi (15) valente (2) valenti (1) Valin (8) van meter (1) Van Tress (1) van`t Reit (11) Vermont (2) vice trial (2) villabate (2) Villano (1) Vita di Capomafia (3) Vitale (1) Voelker (1) vol 1 no 1 (21) vol 2 no 1 (13) vol 2 no 2 (12) vol 2 no 3 (16) vol 2 no 4 (15) vol 3 no 1 (13) vol 3 no 2 (9) vol 3 no 3 (8) Vollero (1) volpe (3) Wappingers Falls (1) warner (26) warner files (16) Warren Commission (3) Warren Ohio (1) Washington D.C. (1) Waterfront (1) Waugh (1) welcome (1) White League (1) White Slave traffic (1) white slavery (1) whyos (1) William Dara (2) Willie the Tile Maker (1) winkeler (2) Wiser Guy (1) worcester (1) world war i (1) Wrongly Executed? (1) yale (4) Yanowsky (1) Yonkers (1) young (1) young al capone (1) Youngstown (24) zagona (1) zanghi (1) zarcone (8) Zito (1)