Operating from the Triple Cities Region in Upstate New York, what later became known as the “Binghamton Crew” was the Upstate New York membership of the original Santo Volpe Family of Pittston-Scranton, Pennsylvania.
By the mid-1940s, the leadership baton had passed from Volpe to Giovanni (John) Sciandra who reportedly headed the borgata from that point until his death in 1949. Thereafter, a top “capo di decina” of the borgata named Giuseppe (Joe the Barber) Barbara Sr. ascended to the top spot until his death from natural causes a decade later in 1959, at which time underboss Rosario (Russ) Bufalino took over control of the family for the next four decades.
It was during Barbara’s tenure as boss that he first elevated a highly trusted soldier named Anthony (The Governor) Guarnieri to serve as his eyes and ears over their large Upstate New York membership. A fellow native of Binghamton himself, “Guv” Guarnieri held this position as the top “capo di decina” for the next thirty years, serving under the regimes of both Barbara and Bufalino.
Guarnieri oversaw a deceptively large network of soldiers and associates spread out across New York State and later expanded their interests to South Florida after he moved there and helped the Bufalino Family extend their territory to the Sunshine State.
