Cosca di Castellammare del Golfo: Trapani Province, Sicily (2021)

The mafia Family of Castellammare del Golfo, in Trapani province, Sicily, has been at the forefront of the Sicilian ‘Brotherhood’ since the very formation of Cosa Nostra, dating back hundreds of years.

It’s now 2021. And this underworld network, this Mafia ‘cosca,’ is still as vibrant as it ever was!

Let’s take a look at their current lineup of ‘Men of Honor’ shall we?

The following list of names I’ve created documents those men who make up the current known membership and their closest associates of the ‘cosca’ based in the town of Castellammare del Golfo, in the Trapani province of western Sicily.

A few of those named may actually be soldiers of the nearby Alcamo Family formerly headed by Ignazio Melodia, but because of the close amalgamation of the two groups they often work together as one entity.

In fact, the three cities/towns of Castellammare, Alcamo, and Calatafimi, operate in unison under one ‘mandamento,’ which is the term used to connote a single grouping of regional Families in a given territory.

Throughout Trapani province there are four such mandamentos, comprising 17 separate Families. On the island of Sicily there are many such grouping who interact with one another, and who are all subject to the dictates of their governing ‘Commission,’ which is based in the City of Palermo.

As of late 2020, the recognized ‘Capo-Famiglia’ of Castellammare was Francesco (Don Ciccio) Domingo. After a thorough investigation by Sicilian authorities, who worked in tandem with their U.S. counterparts in the FBI, Domingo is said to be the most current leader.

The Carabiniere conducted an extensive wiretapping probe dating back to at least 2019, where they were able to listen in on many conversations Domingo had with his brother Camillo, and other subordinates, about the state of affairs and day to day conduct of their cosca.

Francesco Domingo

Investigators heard him barking orders, conducting sit-downs, and complaining about certain members ‘lack of respect’ shown to him, such as ‘soldato’ Gaspare Mule, who took it upon himself to conduct the shakedown (extortion) of two local businessmen brothers named Sottile, without first seeking permission from Domingo.

Another discovery by the Carabiniere during this most current investigation, was the fact that the Mayor of Castellammare del Golfo, Nicola Rizzo, had at least one high level, face to face, surreptitious meeting with the Mafia boss of Castellammare to better organize Cosa Nostra’s hold over the entire municipality.

This included Don Ciccio instructing Mayor Rizzo on how to go about passing local legislation through the city council to control several outreach programs, transfer ownership a government owned building, and discussing similar funded projects.

Their conversations were designed to allow the local cosca to ‘eat’ off these public programs. It was typical of their mode of operation, and ‘just another day’ in the life of Castellammare del Golfo, which is an area that has been dominated by the Brotherhood for hundreds of years.

By June of last year (2020), Domingo and several dozen of his men were arrested, indicted, and detained by the Sicilian Carabiniere in a major indictment handed down against their Mafia faction.

During the course of the investigation that led to these arrests, authorities also discovered that there was a constant communication and steady dialogue between the Castellammarese in Sicily, and their affiliates in the United States.

Specifically named and recorded were several members of New York’s Bonanno Family, who actually traveled back and forth to Sicily making sure to touch base with Ciccio Domingo and his proxies during these travels.

This proved to investigators once again that there is a ‘brotherhood’ of cooperation between the Sicilian Mafia and their cousins in the United States.

And although there are other ‘coscas’ on the island who maintain a steady relationship with various ‘friends’ in America such as several Palermo-based Families, who have been known to operate in partnership with factions of New York’s Carlo Gambino Family, the Castellammare del Golfo cosca works particularly close to the ‘Americans,’ often having their soldiers absorbed within the Bonanno Family when they move to New York and its outer territories, and vice versa.

The reverse also holds true when Bonanno members need to either visit, or relocate back to Sicily. It’s been documented that the mafiosi bring messages back and forth by word of mouth rather than telephone. Former Bonanno Family acting boss Salvatore (Sal the Iron Worker) Montagna’s relatives, Franco and Antonino Montagna, are prime examples of the reciprocal ongoing relationship between the two Cosa Nostra entities.

I have been able to trace 83 known and suspected members, who are thought to be presently active within this Mafia network. As stated above, they most often operate within the town of Castellammare itself, and the neighboring towns and villages of San Vito lo Capo, Alcamo, and Calatafimi.

I have also taken the liberty to list next to each name their current age (where known).

Another interesting facet for the list is that in reviewing the surnames listed, many names correlate with notorious early Bonanno members who had the very same last names. A fast comparison matches many known mafia members who made up the early Bonanno membership dating back to the 1920s and 1930s in New York, such as Maranzano, Magaddino, Minore, Evola, Di Benedetto, Buccellato, Domingo, Stabile, Mule, and Asaro, to name but a few.

Over one hundred years have passed, yet it seems that familial branches of the very same families are still at play within this cosca. Interesting to say the least. It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same….at least in Trapani province.

Side Note: Those men I’ve placed in a hierarchy post are my personal opinions based on their known activities on behalf of the borgata. They could just as easily be influential soldiers who are more active than the average, and therefore have a higher profile. Also, several of those listed below may only be associates, rather than inducted ‘Men of Honor’ per se. Those suspected of being associates I noted with an asterisk next to their name.

CAPO

Francesco (Don Ciccio) Domingo aka “Tempesta”

FORMER CAPO

Ignazio (U Dutturi) Melodia

[Suspected ‘capo di decina’ or high-ranked members]

Mariano Asaro Camillo Domingo Mariano Saracino Diego Rugeri Antonino Bonura Vito Turriciano Michele Mercadante Michele Sottile

SOLDATI

Diego Angileri Felice Buccellato Vito Di Benedetto Rosario Di Stefano Lilla Di Bartolo Nicola Di Bartolo Francesco Di Bono Michele Domingo Francesco Fodera Salvatore Labita Daniele La Sala Salvatore Mercadante Gaspare Mule Nicolo Rizzo 59 (Mayor of Castellammare) * Francesco Ancona* Antonino Sabella Sebastiano Stabile Francesco Stabile Francesco Virga Fausto Pennolino Antonino Montagna Gaetano Camarda Stefano Turriciano Franco Montagna Giuseppe Pisciotta Salvatore Farina Ambroglio Farina Natale Farina Antonino Melodia Vito Badalucco Vincenzo Artale 68 * Giuseppe Buccellato Vincenzo Asaro Girolamo Genna Sebastiano Cusenza * Antonino Stella Salvatore Bosco Vincenzo Bosco Antonino (Nino) Bosco Giovanni Bosco Giuseppe Bosco Vito Sorrentino * Sebastiano Bussa Martino Magaddino Nicolo Coppola Leonardo Coppola Giovanni Mancuso Antonello Nicosia Carlo Valenti Nino Valenti Leonardo Badalamenti Paolo Liga Ambroglio Longo Rosario Leo Salvatore Giacalone Mariano Maranzano Giovanni Carollo Giuseppe Vultaggio Benedetto Sottile Girolamo Minore Natale Evola Giuseppe Evola Salvatore Giordano Nicolo Pidone Giuseppe Sansone Gino Calabro Giuseppe Sanfilippo Vincenzo Campo Antonino Palmeri Filippo Cracchiolo Giuseppe Di Giovanni Gaetano Manno Antonino Mistretta Diego Agro * Ignazio Agro *

Cosca di Castellammare del Golfo: Trapani Province, Sicily (2021)

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