DON’S
BOSS—”Capo di Tutti Capi” The head of the family, usually reigning as a dictator, sometimes called the don or “godfather”. The Boss receives a cut of every operation taken on by every member of his family. Depending on the Family, the Boss may be chosen by a vote from the Caporegimes of the family. In the event of a tie, the Underboss must vote. In the past, all the members of a Family voted on the Boss, but by the late 1950s, any gathering such as that attracted too much attention.[26]
UNDERBOSS—”Capo di Capi Re” The Underboss, usually appointed by the Boss, is the second in command of the family. The Underboss is in charge of all of the Capos, who are controlled by the Boss. The Underboss is usually first in line to become Acting Boss if the Boss is imprisoned or dies.
CONSIGLIERE—The Consigliere is an advisor to the family and sometimes seen as the Boss’s “right hand man”. They are often low profile gangsters that can be trusted. They are used as a mediator of disputes or representatives or aides in meetings with other Families. They often keep the Family looking as legitimate as possible, and are, themselves, legitimate apart from some minor gambling or loan sharking. Often Consiglieres are lawyers or stock brokers, are trusted and have a close friendship or relationship with the Boss. They usually do not have crews of their own, but still wield great power in the Family. They are also often the liaison between the Don and important ‘bought’ figures, such as politicians or Judges.
CAPOREGIME (or Capo)—A Capo (sometimes called a Captain) is in charge of a crew. There are usually four to six crews in each family, possibly even seven to nine crews, each one consisting of up to ten Soldiers. Capos run their own small family, but must follow the limitations and guidelines created by the Boss, as well as pay him his cut of their profits. Capos are nominated by the Underboss, but typically chosen by the Boss himself.
SOLDIER—Soldiers are members of the family, and can only be of Italian background. Soldiers start as Associates that have proven themselves. When the books are open, meaning that there is an open spot in the family, a Capo (or several Capos) may recommend an up-and-coming Associate to be a new member. In the case that there is only one slot and multiple recommendations, the Boss will decide. The new member usually becomes part of the Capo’s crew that recommended him. Some soldiers work by themselves, earning money for the Family alone though most are part of crews. Sometimes a soldier will be called a button man, because, in theory, when a capo presses a button, someone dies. They are also called made men, who have made their bones, by committing a murder in front of Mafia witnesses or committed a murder by orders from a high member of the Family. This ensures the soldier’s reliability: he will never testify against a man who could testify against him. Being made is the beginning but not the end of a Mafia career. (The definitions of made man and making one’s bones are inferred: Most books on the Mafia—fiction or nonfiction—assume these terms but never define them.)
DON VITO CORLEONE (1945-1955)
| Don Vito Corleone |
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DON MICHAEL CORLEONE (1955-1959)
| Don Michael Corleone |
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DON VINCENT MANCINI CORLEONE (1980)
Don Vincent Mancini
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TATTAGLIA Crime Family
- 1931-1955 — Phillip Tattaglia
- 1955-1962 — Rico Tattaglia
- 1962-1980 — Osvaldo Altobello
The Tattaglia family was founded by Phillip Tattaglia in the 1920s. Like many of their contemporaries, the Tattaglias were bootleggers duringProhibition. With the repeal of the Prohibition, their main business became prostitution, earning Don Tattaglia a reputation as a pimp, and causing the family to be held in low regard. They controlled most of the nightclubs in the United States and they also began working with narcotics sometime in the 1930s.
Tattaglia’s womanizing would occasionally distract him from matters of business, but he compensated for this by surrounding himself with other strong leaders, such as his sons, Bruno and John.
In 1945, the Tattaglias began to gain power after being supported by drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo, even managing to gain a vital toehold into Little Italy, crippling the Corleone family’s empire. They also managed to take Don Vito Corleone out of the picture by shooting and wounding him and sending him to the hospital.
Their luck would not last for long however, as Bruno Tattaglia was gunned down by Salvatore Tessio’s men. This act made Don Tattaglia declare a state of mob war against Don Vito Corleone, having been secretly backed up by Don Emilio Barzini.
After being forced into a stalemate, Tattaglia and his allies set up Sonny Corleone for assassination, avenging Bruno’s death. Vito, having recovered, called a meeting of the Commission and swore that he would not fight the Tattaglias anymore.
This peace came just in time, as the Tattaglia family had been massively crippled by the war. However, after Don Vito Corleone died of a heart attack, Michael sent Rocco Lampone to Tattaglia’s motel, where he murdered Don Tattaglia and the prostitute he was with
Phillip Tattaglia was succeeded by his brother Rico, who was unused to his brother’s business and nearly brought the family into bankrupcy before he died, although of natural causes in 1962, after he had stepped down the previous year. The family then became property of consigliere Osvaldo Altobello, who became a strong ally to the Corleone family.
In 1980, the Tattaglias were dealt a severe blow after Altobello betrayedMichael Corleone to Licio Lucchesi and the corrupt members of the VaticanBank. Michael Corleone poisoned Altobello with a packet of cannoli that Connie Corleone had given him for his birthday.
STRACCI Crime Family
1930s-1955 — Victor Stracci
The Stracci family was founded by Victor Stracci, shortly before thePacification of New York. He set up a legitimate business front in New Jersey, all the while pulling the strings and gradually gaining influence in New York City.
Business wise, the Stracci family had a fleet of freight hauling trucks. They also had enough political influence to allow their trucks to travel overloaded, which damaged the highways. However, the Straccis also owned road repair businesses which had exclusive government contracts, leading one business to create work for another. Due to Don Stracci’s old fashioned nature, they had little involvement in prostitution, but due to their control of the docks in New Jersey andManhattan, they had an important role in the distribution of narcotics.
The Stracci family ran the gambling in New Jersey and had illegal casino’s in the Jersey Palisades. They also controlled the Democratic political machine in the Jersey state and the linen service and waste removal inAtlantic City. As the Stracci family’s powerbase was in New Jersey, which was less prestigious and lucrative, they were considered the least powerful of the New York families, but the most well disposed.
In 1955, Victor Stracci was executed by Peter Clemenza while he was on the way to a negotiation. After Victor Stracci’s death, the new Don sued for peace with the Corleone family, a peace which was to last until his death in the Atlantic City helicopter attack orchestrated by Joey Zasa and Don Altobello.
BARZINI Crime Family
- 1931-1955 — Emilio Barzini
- 1955-19?? — Paul Fortunato
The Barzini family was founded by Emilio Barzini and operated mainly in Manhattan and Staten Island. They had business interests in Sicily,Cleveland, Miami, Cuba, Las Vegas and Hollywood. In New York, the Barzini family ran some of the gambling in Brooklyn and Queens. They also had some of the sports betting in the Bronx and Westchester and they completely controlled Staten Island. They were even rumored to have a toehold in Wall Street.
In 1945, Barzini plotted with rival Don Phillip Tattaglia to destroy theCorleone family and gain dominance in New York. Barzini almost succeeded, pushing Vito Corleone to call for peace after the death of his eldest son, Sonny. From the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s the Barzini family was at the height of its power and became the most powerful family in New York. They began moving in on Corleone territories, which forced Salvatore Tessio, Vito’s most savvy capo, to made a secret deal with Barzini.
However, the wily Don Vito discovered Barzini’s plot and his son Michael took revenge, having Al Neri kill Barzini, who was replaced by Paul Fortunato. Under Fortunato’s leadership the family expanded its narcotics operation and became heavily involved in Manhattan’s garment sector. Fortunato resented the Corleone family’s hypocrisy by getting into the drug business, but defended Michael Corleone against Carlo Tramonti’s accusations at aCommission meeting.
CUNEO Crime Family
- 1931-1955 — Carmine Cuneo
- 1955-1979 — Leo Cuneo
The Cuneo family started as a small operation ran out of the Bronxand upstate New York. Their front company was a fleet of milk trucks that delivered across the city, which earned their Don, the nickname of ‘The Milkman’.
The Cuneo family had some business in New York City, mostly inManhattan and the Bronx, but it ran upstate New York. The family also arranged smuggling of Italian immigrants from Canada, all upstate gambling and exercised veto power on state licensing of racing tracks.
In 1946, the Cuneo family became involved with the Tattaglia familyagainst the Corleone family in the Five Families War. The war claimed several of their key members, before Vito Corleone called a hasty peace after the death of his son, Sonny.
In 1955, Don Cuneo himself was visiting one of his hotels. However, as he was leaving the building, Cuneo was trapped in the revolving door and killed by Corleone soldato Willie Cicci.
Cuneo was replaced as head of the family by Leo Cuneo, who negotiated peace with the Corleones until his death at the hands of Joey Zasa’s assassins in 1979.
