Genovese crime family New Jersey faction

Early members of the New Jersey faction were under the control of New York City's Masseria family boss Joe Masseria. In January 1920, Prohibition began and the United States government prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. With large illegal profits to gain many members became bootleggers and were involved in smuggling large amounts of alcohol into New York's speakeasies.[3] At the peak of Prohibition in 1930, violence erupted between the two rival New York City families. The violence became known as the Castellammarese War, Joe Masseria with his Mafia family battled with Salvatore Maranzano, who was the boss of the Brooklyn-based Castellammarese clan, for control over all Italian gangs in the U.S.[4] On April 15, 1931 Masseria was murdered and replaced as boss by Charles "Lucky" Luciano who ended the war with Maranzano. The members of the Masseria New Jersey faction continued working for Luciano as bootleggers. After a few months on September 10, 1931 Salvatore Maranzano murdered and Luciano became the most powerful mobster in American. Luciano decided to restructure all the American Mafia families by establishing The Commission instead of having a Capo dei capi or "boss of all bosses".[4]

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the Luciano family's New Jersey faction expanded into other crimes. The most powerful caporegime in the faction was Guarino "Willie" Moretti who controlled numerous illegal gambling operations in New Jersey. Moretti formed an alliance with Jewish mobster Abner "Longie" Zwillman, who the media refer as the "Al Capone of New Jersey" because Zwillman had once controlled the majority of the illegal alcohol in Newark. The alliance between Moretti and Zwillman dominated illegal gambling in New Jersey.[5]

In early 1937, Newark family boss Gaspare D’Amico fled the U.S. after a foiled hit ordered by Joseph Profaci. The Mafia Commission divided up D'Amico's territory among the Luciano (Boiardo crew), Gagliano (Jersey crew), Mangano, Bonanno, Badami family, Profaci and Philadelphia (North Jersey crew) families.[5]

In 1937, family boss Luciano was arrested leaving Frank "the Prime Minister" Costello as the new acting boss of the family. Moretti, a cousin to Costello, was promoted to underboss. Zwillman continued to align with the Luciano family, while Moretti was replaced by Newark capo Ruggiero "Richie the Boot" Boiardo.[5] Zwillman and Boiardo were previously enemies fighting for control of territory in Newark but the two men put there differences aside and focused on controlling illegal gambling throughout Newark. The alliance between Moretti, Zwillman and Boiardo continued to operated peacefully together for years until Moretti became mentally ill in the early 1950s. A contract hit was put on Moretti and he was executed while eating lunch on October 4, 1951.[6][7] The New Jersey alliance was weakened but continued to operate between Zwillman and Boiardo.

The murder of Moretti became a key factor in weakening Frank Costello's leadership position within the Luciano family, as his only major remaining supporter was Mangano family boss Albert Anastasia. A few years earlier in 1946, Costello's strongest ally and powerful mobster Lucky Luciano was deported in to Italy. Costello promoted Vito Genovese to underboss, but Genovese believed the family belonged to him and plotted to take control from Costello. After his promotion to Underboss Genovese gained the support of Lucchese boss Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese and Mangano underboss Carlo Gambino. In May 1957, Genovese and his allies ordered the assassination of Costello but failed and only wounded him. The attack made Costello aware that Genovese would never stop and Costello retired leaving Genovese as the new boss.[4]

Gerardo Catena

Under Genovese's leadership, Gerardo "Jerry" Catena was promoted to underboss of the family and also oversaw the New Jersey faction. Catena, an ally of Genovese, depended on Boiardo and Angelo DeCarlo to help run the faction as his capos. In 1957, Genovese gathered the bosses of the top Mafia families for his Apalachin conference, which ended in the arrest of several bosses and the realization of a nationwide network of organized criminals. After the failed conference, Genovese was closely monitored by the government, and arrested in 1959 on a heroin conviction.[4] Zwillman hanged himself on February 27, 1959, upon being summonsed to appear at the Valachi hearings.[8][9] Most of Zwillman's illegal gambling rackets were taken over by members of the Jersey faction.

According to the Valachi hearings, the upper administration of the Genovese family included acting boss Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli, Underboss Jerry Catena and consigliere Michele "Mike" Miranda.[10] Throughout the 1960s, Catena continued to work with the upper administration. In 1970, he was subpoenaed to testify in Newark, but refused to answer any questions and was held in contempt.[11] Catena was sentenced to five years in prison; after his 1975 release, he retired to Florida.[11]

Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano became one of the most powerful capos in New Jersey with his connection to Teamsters Union (IBT) leader Jimmy Hoffa.[12] Provenzano served as vice president of the IBT's Union City branch during the 1950s.[13] In that office, Provenzano was able to embezzle money from the union's pension fund, receive kickbacks from construction companies to work on sites, and use his title as a legitimate source of income. Both Provenzano and Hoffa were imprisoned in the mid-1960s for their part in the corruption of the union. In the early 1970s, both men were out from prison.[12] On July 30, 1975, Hoffa disappeared after setting off for a secret meeting with Provenzano and Detroit's Anthony Giacalone. In 1978, Provenzano was convicted of embezzling from the union. He eventually died in prison in 1988.[12]

Louis Manna in a May 23, 1984 New York Police Department mugshot

In the early 1980s, Vincent "the Chin" Gigante became the Genovese family's new boss and promoted powerful New Jersey mobster Louis "Bobby" Manna to consigliere. Manna would oversee the New Jersey factions members and their illegal activities. Months later, on March 21, 1980, Philadelphia boss Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno was murdered. The killing prompted discussions and plans by the Genovese and Gambino families to take over Bruno's criminal operations.[14] The negotiations proceeded without incident until the murder of Gambino boss Paul "Big Paul" Castellano in late 1985. Manna was displeased over John Gotti's unsanctioned hit of Castellano and his accession as new boss, but he continued discussing the takeover of Bruno's operations.[14]

By 1987, the relationship between the two families had deteriorated. Gotti had sent word to Manna that the Genovese family should take over Bruno's North Jersey territory and leave more profitable South Jersey operations in Philadelphia and Atlantic City to the Gambinos.[14] Manna, enraged and insulted over the offer, began planning John and Gene Gotti's assassinations. Making matters worse was, following the murder of Genovese Jersey capo John DiGilio in May 1988, the Gambinos took over the International Longshoremen's Association.[14] The Gambinos placed Anthony Pimpinella of Brooklyn as the new head of the union, allowing them control over the waterfront rackets at the Newark-Elizabeth port. Federal agents received information on Manna's plan to have Gotti killed and informed him on the emerging danger.[14]

In 1990, Manna was indicted for racketeering and conspiring to murder John and Gene Gotti. He received a life sentence and is currently imprisoned in the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, with a projected release date of February 20, 2056.[15]

Tino Fiumara

In the mid-1970s, Tino "the Greek" Fiumara began representing many of the Genovese family's interests in New Jersey waterfront rackets and maintained a working relationship with Lucchese Jersey capo Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo. One of Fiumara's biggest rival for control of the waterfront rackets was Genovese family capo John DiGilio.[1] Fiumara was convicted in 1979 of labor racketeering and federal extortion in Newark and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He continued to hold power by promoting soldier Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola as acting capo.[1] Coppola received orders from Fiumara throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Manna was imprisoned for planning the murder of John Gotti, and ordering the murder of John DiGilio.[16]

When Fiumara was released from prison in 1994, he was one of the most powerful capos in New Jersey. In 1996, his close ally Mike Coppola was arrested on murder charges and fled becoming a fugitive. Fiumara began taking over of all the most lucrative rackets in New Jersey, including the New Jersey docks. However, in 2000, he was imprisoned for violating his parole. He promoted Lawrence Ricci and Michael A. Borelli as co-acting capos to secure his rackets and protect his power. Ricci oversaw the crew's waste removal, trucking and waterfront rackets while Borelli controlled the illegal gambling, Teamster's Union and construction rackets.[1] After Fiumara was released from prison he moved to Long Island. In 2005, Ricci was indicted on labor racketeering charges along with two other members of the International Longshoremen’s Association.[17] Ricci went missing October 2005, and his body was found inside the trunk of a car outside a New Jersey diner the following month.[18]

On March 9, 2007, Coppola was arrested after eleven years on the run as a fugitive. The FBI offered him a deal to become an informant in their case against Fiumara for Ricci's murder.[19] Coppola refused to testify and was sentenced on December 18, 2009 to 16 years.[20] On September 16, 2010, Fiumara died of natural causes.[21]

Tino Fiumara was the capo and the most powerful mobster in the New Jersey faction. He controlled unions from Newark-Elizabeth port and had been involved in loansharking, extortion, gambling, union and labor racketeering throughout New Jersey counties of Union, Essex and Bergen.[1] During early 2005, Fiumara began using Stephen Depiro to help control and handle all of the illegal operations in the New Jersey piers and docks.[22] On September 16, 2010, Fiumara died of natural causes.[21] On March 21, 2020 longtime crew member Michael "Tona" Borelli died.[23]

Angelo "The Horn" Prisco became a capo in the New Jersey faction in the late 1980s after the murder of capo John DiGilio. Prisco took control of the crew operating from Hudson County's Bayonne and Jersey City waterfronts, and maintained operations in Monmouth County and Florida.[1] In early 1990s, he was ordered by Gigante to murder his cousin, Angelo Sangiuolo, after he was caught robbing from the family's gambling operations in the Bronx. In 1994, Prisco was charged with racketeering and DiGilio's murder. He pleaded guilty only to a 1998 arson charge and sentenced to 12 years in prison. While Prisco was in prison, Joseph LaScala supervised the crew.[1] In 2002, Prisco was released after his appeal was denied because the State Attorney General's office requested his early release.[24] In 2008, Prisco was tried and convicted for the Sangiuolo murder and received life sentence,[25] and is currently located at the United States Penitentiary I in Coleman, Florida.[26] In May 2012, LaScala was arrested and charged with illegal gambling.[27][28] On February 3, 2019, LaScala died.[29] It is unknown who leads this crew today.

This crew was led by capo Peter LaPlaca until the mid-1970s, when Louis "Streaky" Gatto took over. Louis and his son, Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto Jr., led the crew, operating in the counties of Bergen and Passaic in North Jersey.[1] They controlled large illegal gambling, loansharking and bookmaking rackets. The father-and-son duo used violence and fear to collect on these rackets, ensuring rivals would not take advantage of their activities. In 1989, Gatto Sr. was indicted on two murder counts and received 65 years, while Gatto Jr. was indicted on racketeering charges and received 30 months.[1]

Gatto Jr. was released in 1993 and assumed control of his father's crew. He expanded the crew's gambling operations by introducing the use of pagers and cell phones. By 1999, he was convicted on illegal gambling charges and took a plea deal where he admitted that he was a capo with the Genovese family. Gatto Jr. was released in 2003, but he was indicted again in 2004 for running Catalina Sports, an offshore wire room in Costa Rica. The sports bar allegedly grossed $300,000-$500,000 in profit per week. The conviction was overturned in 2005, but prosecutors tried again in 2008.[30] Gatto Jr. died in April 2010 of natural causes, without being jailed.[31][32] It is unknown who has taken over leading crew today.

After capo Andrew Gerardo retired in the 1990s, this crew was taken over by Sicilian-born Silvio P. DeVita.[1] The crew operates mainly in Essex County, where DeVita runs illegal operations such as gambling, loansharking, insurance fraud, extorting construction sites and union racketeering. DeVita keeps strong family and criminal ties to Sicily. The crew may increase in size by recruiting more Sicilians ("zips") who share blood and marriage ties with him. DeVita was placed on the New Jersey State Casino Control Commission Exclusion List, which bars him from any casino in that state.[1]

Ludwig "Ninni" Bruschi was first identified by law enforcement as a bookmaker in the 1970s. He continued to operate gambling operations and, by the 1990s, had risen to the ranks of capo operating in both South and North Jersey.[1] He rose to power with the New Jersey faction with the absence of Fiumara, who had been imprisoned. After Prisco was jailed from 1994 until 2002, Bruschi gained more power within the faction. In June 2003, he was indicted for running a racketeering enterprise engaged in illegal gambling, loansharking and drug distribution.[33] Bruschi was paroled in April 2010 from New Jersey State prison. On April 19, 2020 Bruschi died.[34]