Giovanni (John) LaMela

Giovanni (John) LaMela was an “old line” mafioso and a very trusted member of the DeCavalcante Family who was utilized from time to time over the years to receive and dispose of murder victims for the Family.

John LaMela was born on November 15, 1908, in Tampa. Eventually, he migrated to the sleepy Upstate New York community of Marlboro. He was married to a named Mildred, whose family came from Ribera, Sicily, where many DeCavalcante Family members hailed from.

John LaMela

LaMela was identified by the FBI as a “soldier” in the DeCavalcante Family. He had owned and operated LaMela Sanitation Services of Marlboro for many years. He was listed a driver for the company while his wife was listed as treasurer-secretary. As he got older, LaMela bought his son into both the carting firm and the DeCavalcante Family.

His activities included liquor bootlegging, garbage rackets, gambling, and narcotics. His criminal associates included Sam DeCavalcante , Lou Larasso, Gaetano Vastola, and Joseph Sferra.

FBI # 904110

In 1973, LaMela and his wife were indicted with seven others for tax evasion. The indictment charged that the LaMelas understated the corporate income of the sanitation company by $44,578. John and his wife were also charged with failing to report $50,000 in personal income from 1966 through 1969.

Charged along with LaMela were Gambino Family former acting boss and underboss, Arnold (Zeke) Squitieri, and his wife, Marie. He and his wife were charged with failing to file tax returns from 1967 through 1969, hiding almost $200,000 under false names. At the time Squitieri was awaiting trial for the 1970 murder of a garment cutter by the name of Desiderio Caban.

Others named included Ambrose Cates, Hubert Mack Thaxton, Raymond Colbert, and Aaron Balsam and his wife, Adele.

No disposition could be found regarding the outcome of the LaMelas indictment.

An “old line” mafioso, LaMela was a very trusted member, who was allegedly utilized from time to time over the years to receive and dispose of murder victims for the Family. When former DeCavalcante acting boss Vincent Palermo began cooperating, he claimed many bodies were buried on LaMela's properties. Whether he buried mob victims in his garbage landfill or ground them up in an electric garbage disposal, LaMela would bury them where they’d never be found. When cops investigated Palermo's claims, they didn't find anything.

John LaMela served the family for many decades and kept a virtually invisible “ghost-like” profile for his entire underworld “career!"

Giovanni (John) LaMela died in April 1987. He was 79 years old.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Giovanni (John) LaMela

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Giovanni (John) LaMela

Often Imitated. Never Duplicated. Button Guys of The New York Mafia...There's Only One!

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