Frank Scalice

Frank Scalice[lower-alpha 1] (/skɑːliˈsi/; Italian: [skaˈliːtʃe]; born Francesco Scalisi; Italian: [franˈtʃesko skaˈlisi]; September 23, 1893 – June 17, 1957), also known as "Don Ciccio" and "Wacky", was an Italian-American mobster active in New York City, who led the future Gambino crime family from 1930 to 1931. He was underboss from 1951 until his murder on June 17, 1957.

This article is about the Italian-American mobster. For other surnames with a similar spelling, see Scalise.

Frank Scalice
Scalice in 1948
Born	Francesco Scalisi (1893-09-23)September 23, 1893 Palermo, Sicily, Kingdom of Italy
Died	June 17, 1957(1957-06-17) (aged 63) New York City, U.S.
Cause of death	Gunshots
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York, U.S.
Nationality	Italian
Other names	Don Ciccio Wacky Don Cheech
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Mobster, rum runner, racketeer
Children	6
Relatives	Anthony Gaggi (second cousin) Dominick Montiglio (third cousin)
Allegiance	Anastasia crime family

Early life

Scalice was born Francesco Scalisi in Palermo, Sicily, Italy on September 23, 1893, to Vincenzo Scalisi and Emanuela Privetera.[1] He was a cousin of Anthony Gaggi's father,[2] and third cousin of Dominick Montiglio, Gaggi's nephew. In 1910s, with his brothers Thomas, Philip, Jack,[3] Joseph and Giovanni, Frank emigrated to the United States, settling in The Bronx. He was married to Joan, and he had five daughters and one step-son.[3] He operated his business from the Little Italy area in the Bronx. He also lived and raised his family in the City Island section of the Bronx. He was involved in many crimes and became Capo in the Brooklyn-based gang of Salvatore D'Aquila. After the murder of D'Aquila on October 10, 1928, the power in New York shifted to Joe Masseria's Manhattan-based gang.[4][5] The successor of D'Aquila, Manfredi Mineo, connected Masseria with the alliance and came into conflict with Scalice as a result.

Career

On November 5, 1930, Mineo and his underboss, Stefano "Steve" Ferrigno, were murdered by Castellammarese Sicilians, led by Salvatore Maranzano.[6] Scalice became the new boss of the family and a strong ally and supporter of Maranzano in the Castellammarese War.

The Castellammarese War ended on April 15, 1931, when Masseria was killed.[7] Maranzano met with the New York bosses in May 1931 to work out a peace plan and organize the Five Families. Scalice was recognized as the Don of one of the families. However, after the murder of Maranzano on September 10, 1931,[8] new boss Lucky Luciano forced Scalice to resign as family boss. He was replaced with Vincent Mangano.[9]

On September 8, 1945, Scalice helped mobster Bugsy Siegel open the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Scalice later became involved in the casino business.

During the Mangano era, Mangano had resented Albert Anastasia's close ties to Luciano and Frank Costello, particularly the fact that they had obtained Anastasia's services without first seeking Mangano's permission. This and other disputes led to heated fights.[10]

Mangano's brother Philip was found dead near Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn on April 19, 1951.[11] Vincent Mangano disappeared, he was never found and was declared dead ten years later. It was widely assumed that Anastasia had them killed.[12]

After the deaths of the Manganos, Anastasia became the boss of the family, promoting Scalice as underboss.

Death

On June 17, 1957, Scalice was assassinated by two gunmen at a vegetable market in the Bronx,[13][14] for selling memberships in the family to the high bidder. Scalice's funeral was held at the Scocozza Funeral Home in the Bronx. Police and federal agents attended the funeral and the Bronx District Attorney subpoenaed all the visitor records.[15] Scalice is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

After his death, Carlo Gambino became Anastasia's underboss.

On September 7 of that year, Scalice's brother Joseph was murdered and declared missing on September 10.[16] According to Joseph Valachi, he was killed by James Squillante, after he threats to avenge Frank, and his murder, like that of his brother, was ordered by Anastasia.[17]

On April 27, 1959, Scalice's brother Giovanni, who had been held as a witness in his brother's murder, was discharged, and took a plane to Paris.[18]

In popular culture

The murder of Scalice inspired the assassination attempt on Vito Corleone in The Godfather, who was shot and critically wounded while buying fruit at a fruit stand.[19]

References

1. "immagine 316". Antenati (in Italian). Retrieved June 6, 2020.
2. Mustain, Gene; Capeci, Jerry (1993). Murder Machine: A True Story of Murder, Madness, and the Mafia. p. 9. Not to his parents' surprise or particular alarm, he turned to his father's connected cousin, Frank Scalise,
3. "Pal of Luciano Slain in Ambush". New York Daily News. June 18, 1957. Retrieved June 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Two brothers, Thomas and Philip, arrived in a short time and sought to reach the slain man's body. [...] Another brother, Jack, [...] Police said that Scalise lived with his wife, Joan, a step-son and one married daughter. He has five married daughters.
4. Varese, Federico (February 1, 2013). Mafias on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories. Princeton University Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-691-15801-3.
5. Ferrara, Eric (June 26, 2008). Gangsters, Murderers and Weirdos of the Lower East Side. Lulu.com. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-4357-2507-2.
6. Nash, Jay Robert (1995). Bloodletters and badmen: a narrative encyclopedia of American criminals from the Pilgrims to the present. M. Evans and Company. p. 424. ISBN 978-0-87131-777-3.
7. Mayo, Mike (February 1, 2008). American Murder: Criminals, Crimes and the Media. Visible Ink Press. p. 220. ISBN 978-1-57859-256-2.
8. New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. July 10, 1972. p. 38. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
9. Ehrlich, Paul R.; Ornstein, Robert E. (December 16, 2010). Humanity on a Tightrope: Thoughts on Empathy, Family, and Big Changes for a Viable Future. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-4422-0650-2.
10. Davis, John H. (1993). Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. pp. 62–64. ISBN 978-0061091841.
11. "AIDE OF JOE ADONIS IS FOUND SHOT DEAD; Waterfront Racketeer 'Taken for a Ride, Then Dumped Out in a Brooklyn Marsh Glasses Spattered With Blood". The New York Times. April 20, 1951. Retrieved June 6, 2020. The body of Philip Mangano, described by the police as a waterfront racketeer, who had been shot three times in the head, was found yesterday near Jamaica Bay in the Bergen Beach section of Brooklyn.
12. Gage, Nicholas (October 16, 1976). "Carlo Gambino, a Mafia Leader, Dies in His Long Island Home at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Mr. Gambino and his cousins became “soldiers” in the family headed by Philip and Vincent Mangano. The two men were murdered in 1951 on orders of Albert Anastasia, who succeeded them as family boss.
13. "SUBSCRIBE NOW LOG IN Underworld Figure Murdered in Bronx; Underworld Figure Assassinated By 2 Gunmen at Bronx Fruit Shop Never Questioned on Costello Was Called as Witness". The New York Times. June 18, 1957. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Frank Scalise, 55-year-old underworld figure and reputed associate of Frank Costello, was slain yesterday afternoon by two gunmen as he left a Bronx fruit and vegetable store.
14. "Scalise Inquiry Begins" (PDF). The New York Times. April 7, 1959. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
15. "POLICE PHOTOGRAPH FUNERAL OF SCALISE". The New York Times. June 23, 1957. p. 58. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
16. "Slain Hood Scalise's Brother Is Missing". New York Daily News. September 11, 1957. p. 279. Retrieved June 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. A citywide missing persons alarm went out last afternoon for Joseph Scalice, 52, brother of slain hood Frank Scalise [...] police said, was last seen at 6:30 A. M. last Saturday by his wife Bella, 47, as he left in the family car on a shopping trip.
17. Maas, Peter (1968). The Valachi Papers. pp. 205–206. ISBN 978-0-671-63173-4.
18. "SCALISE FREED, LEAVES; Had Been Held as Witness in Murder of Brother Frank". The New York Times. April 28, 1959. p. 59. Retrieved June 6, 2020. Giovanni Scalise, who had been held as a material witness in the murder of his brother Frank in June, 1957, was discharged yesterday. He was escorted by immigration officials to a plane that departed for Paris from New York International Airport, at Idlewild Queens.
19. Cowie, Peter (1997). The Godfather Book. Faber & Faber. p. 18. ISBN 978-0399108327.

Sources

• Mustain, Gene; Capeci, Jerry (1993). Murder Machine: A True Story of Murder, Madness, and the Mafia.
• Varese, Federico (February 1, 2013). Mafias on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15801-3. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
• Ferrara, Eric (June 26, 2008). Gangsters, Murderers and Weirdos of the Lower East Side. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-4357-2507-2. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
• Nash, Jay Robert (1995). Bloodletters and badmen: a narrative encyclopedia of American criminals from the Pilgrims to the present. M. Evans and Company. ISBN 978-0-87131-777-3. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
• Davis, John H. (1993). Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. ISBN 978-0061091841.
• Mayo, Mike (February 1, 2008). American Murder: Criminals, Crimes and the Media. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978-1-57859-256-2. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
• Ehrlich, Paul R.; Ornstein, Robert E. (December 16, 2010). Humanity on a Tightrope: Thoughts on Empathy, Family, and Big Changes for a Viable Future. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-0650-2. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
• Maas, Peter (1968). The Valachi Papers. ISBN 978-0-671-63173-4.
• Cowie, Peter (1997). The Godfather Book. Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0399108327.

Notes

1. Also spelled Scalise.

External links

• "Frank Scalice". Find a Grave. July 9, 1999. Retrieved June 6, 2020.

American Mafia
Preceded by Manfredi Mineo	Gambino crime family Boss 1930–1931	Succeeded by Vincent Mangano
Preceded by Albert Anastasia	Gambino crime family Underboss 1951–1957	Succeeded by Carlo Gambino