Bufalino crime family

The Bufalino crime family,[1] also known as the Pittston crime family,[2] Scranton Wilkes-Barre family,[2] Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family,[3] Northeastern Pennsylvania Mafia,[4][5] or Scranton Mafia,[6] is an Italian-American Mafia crime family active in Northeastern Pennsylvania, primarily in the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittston.[7][8]

Bufalino crime family

Founded by	Stefano LaTorre
Named after	Russell Bufalino
Founding location	Pittston, Pennsylvania
Years active	c. 1900 – present
Territory	Northeastern Pennsylvania Counties of Lackawanna and Luzerne, in Northwestern New Jersey, Southwestern New York and Southern Florida.
Ethnicity	Italian, Italian-American made men and other ethnicities as "associates"
Membership (est.)	30+ Made Members Unknown number of associates
Criminal activities	Racketeering, counterfeiting, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, cartage theft, fraud, Bid rigging, Narcotics, automobile theft and murder.
Allies	Buffalo, Genovese and Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Patriarca crime families.
Rivals	other various gangs

History

Barbara and the Apalachin meeting

In November 1957, Joseph Barbara held a national Cosa Nostra meeting at his Apalachin, New York estate. The meeting preceded the assassination of Albert Anastasia by a few weeks, as well as a smaller meeting at the New Jersey estate of Ruggiero Boiardo. The Apalachin meeting was attended by about 100 Mafia heads from the U.S., Italy and Cuba. A raid by New York State Police caught many heads of families or their deputies. Many other family heads and their deputies were suspected of being present by law enforcement but evaded detection and capture. All those apprehended were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years, however, all the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960.[9][10][11]

Bufalino era

With Barbara's death in June 1959, the Mafia Commission recognized Russell Bufalino as the official family boss.[12] Bufalino maintained a close alliance with the New York Genovese family. After Bufalino was imprisoned in the late 1970s on extortion charges related to the collection of a debt, his underboss, Edward Sciandra, became the acting boss of the family. Sciandra was aided in running the family by captains Anthony Guarnieri, James David Osticco, and Phillip Medico, Consiglieri Remo Allio, as well as soldiers William D'Elia, Angelo Bufalino, John Rizzo, Angelo Son, and Joseph Sperrazza.[13] Bufalino was released from prison in 1980 briefly after serving his sentence for extortion. Towards the end of 1981 Bufalino was again imprisoned after being found guilty of conspiring to kill Jack Napoli, a witness in his 1978 extortion trial. Bufalino learned the whereabouts of Napoli, then in the Witness Protection Program, and conspired with Los Angeles mobster Jimmy Fratianno and another man he met in prison to murder Napoli. Fratianno turned government informant and testified against Bufalino at trial.[14] He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and released in 1989. Russell Bufalino died on February 25, 1994 of natural causes near Pittston, Pennsylvania.

D'Elia's leadership

William "Big Billy" D'Elia, became the new boss of the Bufalino crime family after the death of boss Russell Bufalino in 1994 and later, the retirement of Acting Boss Edward Sciandra. D'Elia, started his criminal career in the Bufalino family in the late 1960s as Bufalino's driver after his late sister married the only son of capo James David Osticco. According to the Pennsylvania Crime Commission D'Elia was placed in the crew of Caporegime Phillip Medico. D'Elia advanced through the ranks of the organization rather quickly due to the natural attrition of members and indictments in the 1980s and 1990s. He took over the crime family's solid waste rackets and oversaw the traditional Mafia rackets run by the members and associates of the family. D'Elia also attempted to replenish the aging ranks of the family with limited success. As boss D'Elia worked with other crime families in New York City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Florida, and Los Angeles. In the 1990s, D'Elia was linked to a money laundering scheme involving numerous Northeastern Pennsylvania Bookmakers, Escort Services, corrupt politicians, and associates of Russian Organized Crime. D'Elia was closely aligned with the Philadelphia crime family.[15] When Philadelphia crime family boss John Stanfa was imprisoned D'Elia was one of Stanfa's choices as interim caretaker of the family.[16]

On May 31, 2001, agents from the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, US Postal Inspectors, and Pennsylvania State Police executed search warrants at the homes of D'Elia, his mistress Jeanie Stanton, Thomas Joseph, and former Pennsylvania Crime Commission informant Samuel "Cooch" Marranca, seizing records in an ongoing investigation. Marranca has been identified as an informant working for the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police. Marranca also testified on behalf of authorities against Louis DeNaples in front of the Fourth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury in regards to Mr. DeNaple's mob ties and his ownership of the Mount Airy Casino. Samuel "Cooch" Marranca also aided the Crime Commission in its investigation of Bufalino family member Joseph "Detroit" Sciandra and his involvement in the distribution of counterfeit designer clothing and sports wagering.[17] On February 26, 2003, D'Elia was banned from entering any Atlantic City, New Jersey casinos by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement,[18] based on information shared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Crime Commission.[19]

On May 31, 2006, D'Elia was indicted on federal charges of laundering $600,000 in illegal drug proceeds obtained from a Florida-based associate of the Bufalino crime family among others including Lucchese family associate Phillip "Fipper" Forgione. While D'Elia was free on bail, he solicited a U.S. Customs Agency informant to murder a witness in the case and was remanded to prison until his eventual guilty plea and sentencing.[20][21] In March 2008, D'Elia pleaded guilty to witness tampering and money laundering.[20] He was sentenced to nine years in prison.[20] D'Elia cooperated with the government and testified against Louis DeNaples, the owner of Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos. In 2010, D'Elia got two years dropped from his sentence for his assisting the government's investigation against DeNaples.[22]

Current status

In 2012, author Dave Janoski interviewed former Pennsylvania Crime Commission investigator James Kanavy and according to Kanavy there is not a standalone family in Northeastern Pennsylvania anymore.[23] Kanavy also said any remnants of the Mafia family would be aligned with the New York families.[23]

Historical leadership

Boss (official and acting)

• 1900-1903: Tommaso Petto — killed[7]
• 1903–1908: Stefano LaTorre — stepped down[7]
• 1908–1933: Santo Volpe[2] — retired in 1933[7][8]
• 1933–1949: Giovanni "John" Sciandra[2] — died of natural causes in 1949. There is a common misconception he was murdered in 1940, but newspaper articles confirm he died of natural causes in 1949.[2][7][8]
• 1949–1959: Giuseppe "Joe the Barber" Barbara, Sr.[2] — had a heart attack in 1956 and died in 1959.[2][7][8]
  • Acting 1956–1959: Rosario Alberto "Russell" Bufalino[7][8] — became boss
• 1959–1994: Rosario Alberto "Russell" Bufalino[12][7][8] — imprisoned from 1978–1989; retired, he died on February 25, 1994[1]
  • Acting 1975-1989: Edward "Eddie The Conductor" Sciandra[7][8] — imprisoned 1981-1982; he received help from Anthony Guarnieri and William D'Elia[1]
  • Acting 1990–1994: William "Big Billy" D'Elia[1] — became boss
• 1994–2008: William "Big Billy" D'Elia[7][8] — in 2006 he was indicted on money laundering, in 2008 he pleaded guilty and testified in front of a grand jury for leniency.[20][24][25]

Former members

• James Osticco: served as underboss to Russell Bufalino.[1] Died in 1990.
• Edward "Eddie the Conductor" Sciandra: served as consigliere to Russell Bufalino.[1] Died in 2003.
• Angelo Polizzi: served as consigliere to Giacomo Sciandra.[2] He moved to Detroit and started the Polizzi line of L.C.N. figures in the Detroit area.
• Anthony F. Guarnieri: former caporegime,[1] died in 1992
• Frank Cannone: former soldier, deceased, he ran a bookmaking operation in Binghamton, New York.[1]
• Anthony J. Mosco: former soldier, he was active in Binghamton, New York[1] Mosco served 17 years in federal prison for racketeering along with capo Anthony "Guv" Guarnieri and other family members and associates. He currently resides in Arizona and Florida and has been seen visiting with family members and associates in the Pittston area in recent years.
• Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran: former associate[26]

References

1. Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: Traditional and Non-Traditional. Pennsylvania Crime Concession. April 15, 1988. (The Nevada Observer. August 16, 2006) Archived November 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
2. Devico, Peter J. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra pp. 188–189
3. Abadinsky, Howard (2016). Organized Crime. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781305633711.
4. Birkbeck, Matt (2013). The Quiet Don: The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino. Penguin. ISBN 9781101618264.
5. Ecenbarger, William (2012). Kids for Cash: Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.6 Million Kickback Scheme. New Press. ISBN 9781595587978.
6. Martinelli, Patricia A. (2008). True Crime: Pennsylvania: The State's Most Notorious Criminal Cases. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811741699.
7. "The American Mafia.com "Scranton crime Bosses"". Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
8. 26 Family Cities "Northeast PA" Archived December 14, 2004, at the Wayback Machine by Mario Machi Rick Porrello's AmericanMafia.com
9. "20 Apalachin Convictions Ruled Invalid On Appeal". Toledo Blade. November 29, 1960. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
10. United States of America, Appellee v. Russell Bufalino et..
11. Tully, Andrew (September 2, 1958). "Mafia Raid Confirms 20-year Undercover Findings by T-Men". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
12. Investigations, United States Congress Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on (November 30, 1983). "Profile of Organized Crime, Mid-Atlantic Region: Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, First Session, February 15, 23, and 24, 1983". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
13. 1980 Report: A Decade of Organized Crime. Pennsylvania Crime Commission
14. Laborers local 1058 (Pittsburgh) Order and Memorandum imposing supervision in lieu of trusteeship
15. Mafia kingpin William D'Elia gets nine years by Michael Rubinkam (November 25, 2008) Pocono Record
16. Taking Care Of Family Business. With Stanfa Behind Bars, Who Will Take Over The Mob?
17. "1985 Report" Pennsylvania Crime Commission
18. William D'Elia – N.J. Excluded Person "William D'Elia" Archived October 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine New Jersey Excluded Person
19. William D'Elia pleads guilty in Scranton (March 28, 2008) Pennlive.com
20. "Reputed mobster gets 9 years in prison" Archived 2013-01-28 at Archive.today (November 24, 2008) MafiaToday.com
21. "Reputed mobster gets 9 years in prison" The Daily Item November 24, 2008
22. Reputed Pa. mobster wins sentence reduction of nearly 2 years for cooperating with government (June 30, 2010) Fox News and Associated Press
23. Janoski, Dave (July 17, 2011). "The rise and fall of a mob power". Citizenvoice.com. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
24. Reputed mob boss gets prison term shortened by Matt Birkbeck. The Morning Call. June 30, 2010
25. Reputed Bufalino family boss D’Elia sentence reduced Mafia News Report.com
26. Lin Devecchio and Charles Brandt We're Going to Win This Thing: The Shocking Frame-Up of a Mafia Crime Buster see

Further reading

• George Anastasia. The Goodfella Tapes (Avon, 1998). ISBN 0-380-79637-6.
• Charles Brandt .I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, and the Final Ride of Jimmy Hoffa (Steerforth, 2004). ISBN 1-58642-077-1.