The Genovese Crime Family

The Genovese Crime Family is one of the Five Families of organized crime in America. Originating in Italy, it became, and still is, the most powerful crime family in the American Mafia.

History

Genovese Crime Family - Lucky Luciano - Frank Costello - Vito Genovese - Vincent GiganteAs it developed into the strongest borgata, the Genovese Family had origins in several different towns in Sicily and later mainland Italy, making it the most diversified of the Five Families of New York City. Giuseppe (The Clutch Hand) Morello and Ignazio (Lupo the Wolf) Saietta were two early powers of what would eventually morph into the Genovese Family. Emigrating from Corleone and Palermo, Sicily, one settled in East Harlem’s “Little Italy” and the other settled in the Lower East Side in the Mulberry Street section of “Little Italy” in Manhattan. They ran a gang active in extortion, strong-arming, the Italian lottery, and a huge counterfeiting operation for its time.

Soon, a Sicilian strongman would come to power named Giuseppe Masseria who would look to dominate the Italian underworld. This would lead to the so-called “Castellammarese War,” pitting Masseria’s forces and allies against those of Salvatore Maranzano and his allies. The war raged for over a year and a half with Maranzano and his allies claiming victory with Masseria’s assassination in a Coney Island restaurant in 1931. Within months, Maranzano would also be killed in a purging of several old-guard Sicilians, making way for the formulation of the Five Families as we know it today and the formation of The Commission, a regulatory body of the strongest bosses across the country.

Salvatore (Charlie Lucky) Luciano would rise to be a first among equals with Vito Genovese serving as underboss and Francesco (Frank Costello) Castiglia as consigliere. This Family welcomed many men of Neapolitan and Calabrian heritage as well as Jewish hoodlums setting the stage for what would become the most diversified, pervasive, and powerful Cosa Nostra Family in America to this very day.

With a roster topping 225 formally inducted members and over 2000 associates, The Genovese Crime Family boasted a powerhouse lineup of top mafiosi such as (Joe Adonis) Doto, (Little Augie Pisano) Carfano, (Trigger Mike) Coppola, Jerry Catena, and (Richie the Boot) Boiardo, among many other of the mob’s glitterati. With power bases in the Fulton Fish Market, the garment district, the New York-New Jersey waterfront through the (ILA) International Longshoreman’s Union, trucking, slot machine and jukebox vending, and hidden ownership in several Las Vegas casinos. The Family had satellite regimes in Massachusetts, Florida, and California and worked in tandem with Families in Chicago, Pittsburgh, New England, and elsewhere representing some of them before the Commission.

With Luciano’s jailing and eventual deportation back to Sicily in the 1940s, the leadership reins fell to Costello. And with Genovese returning from a self-imposed exile to Italy, he looked to seize the Family throne for himself which led to Costello’s attempted assassination in 1957 and a purging of several Costello loyalists. Vito’s view from the top was short-lived with his arrest and imprisonment for 15 years in 1959 for a huge heroin smuggling conspiracy.

And although the current road is not paved with gold for Cosa Nostra, the venerable Genovese Crime Family has held its own against law enforcement’s best efforts to crack its mafioso egg. The Genovese Crime Family now operates, more than ever, in a surreptitious manner allowing for their continued success!

Below is a listing of bios and snapshots on Genovese Family members and associates. They are generally listed in alphabetical order. New and updated bios will be highlighted under the Genovese Family Spotlight tab in the sidebar column.

frank costello featured

Frank Costello

Frank Costello was one of the classiest, reserved, richest, and most influential, mafioso in history. He wasn't called "The Prime Minister" for nothing!

chin gigante featured image

Vincent (Chin) Gigante

He started out as just another seemingly dime-a-dozen young Greenwich Village street thug, but The Chin was so much more than what he looked like.

jerry catena featured

Gerardo (Jerry) Catena

Genovese Family Acting Boss Jerry Catena set the record for serving the most time in prison for contempt of court convictions.

funzi tieri featured image

Frank (Funzi) Tieri

One of the quietest, yet most capable and successful mafiosi to have operated in NYC back during the mob’s “golden era” was Funzi Tieri.

jimmy blue eyes alo featured image

Vincent (Jimmy Blue Eyes) Alo

Vincent Alo was an influential member of the Genovese Family who worked closely with Meyer Lansky in the casino business in Florida.

charles albero featured

Charles (Charlie Bullets) Albero

Charlie (Charlie Bullets) Albero was a dyed-in-the-wool hoodlum who started racking up arrests at the tender age of nine years old.

Buster Ardito featured

John (Buster) Ardito

John (Buster) Ardito was a top hoodlum for many decades and one of the most active and respected mafiosi in the New York City area.

james battaglia featured-

James (Jimmy Bates) Battaglia

James Battaglia was a little-known Genovese Family member who was active in gambling and criminally receiving stolen goods.

andrew biondo featured

Andrew Biondo

Andrew Biondo was a Genovese Family member who worked closely with Vincent Napoli and his multi-million dollar gambling ring.

vincent bivona featured

Vincent (Jimmy Blink) Bivona

Vincent (Jimmy Blink) Bivona was a soldier in the Genovese Family primarily active in gambling and narcotics.

tony carillo featured

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo

Antonio Carillo was believed to have been active since the 1920s and was a longtime, highly-respected capo and confidante of Mike Miranda.

joseph cataldo featured

Joseph (Joe the Wop) Cataldo

Although little known outside Cosa Nostra, Joseph (Joe the Wop) Cataldo was one of the most accomplished of Tony Bender’s soldiers.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?