The Morello crime family () was one of the earliest crime families to be established in the United States and New York City. The Morellos were based in Manhattan's Italian Harlem and eventually gained dominance in the Italian underworld by defeating the rival Neapolitan Camorra of Brooklyn. They were the predecessors of what eventually became known as the Genovese crime family.

History

From Corleone to America

The Morello family traces back to Corleone, Sicily. In 1865, Calogero Morello married Angelina Piazza who gave birth to two children: Giuseppe Morello (born May 2, 1867) and Maria Morello-Lima (née Morello, born ). Calogero Morello died in 1872, and one year later Piazza remarried to Bernardo Terranova. The new marriage produced five children: three sons, Vincenzo (born 1886), Ciro (born 1888) and Nicolo (born 1890), and two daughters, Lucia (born 1877) and Salvatrice (born 1880). On March 8, 1893, Giuseppe's family arrived in New York: his wife Maria Rosa Marvalisi, his mother Angelina Piazza, his stepfather Bernardo Terranova, his half-brothers Ciro, Nicolo, and Vincenzo, and his half-sister Rosalia. While the loss of the Morello family's senior leader was a blow to the Mafia, Morano was quickly charged with Nick Morello's murder after two members of the Camorra group, Tony Notoro and Ralph Daniello, contacted New York police and implicated Morano and Alessandro Vollero, revealing the war between the Sicilian and Neapolitan gangs. Both Morano and Vollero, after being denied help from New York detective Michael Mealli, along with the remaining leaders of the camorristi were convicted of murder and imprisoned, effectively ending the Mafia-Camorra War.

Morello family war

The Mafia–Camorra war ended in 1917, and Terranova brothers Vincenzo and Ciro kept control of the family. Many former Brooklyn Camorra members joined the Morello family; Umberto Valenti was one of new members. One year earlier in 1916, Giuseppe Masseria was released from prison after serving three years for burglary of a Bowery pawnshop and became a top member in the family. In 1918, Ciro Terranova was tried for the murders of gambling bosses Charles Lombardi and Joe DiMarco; the case was later dismissed. In 1920, both Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo were released from prison so their former captain, now Manhattan Mafia boss, Salvatore D'Aquila, sensing his power to be threatened by their return, ordered their murders.

One of D'Aquila's men, Umberto Valenti, had also run afoul of his boss and was under threat of death. To re-ingratiate himself with D'Aquila, Valenti would take out the rising power, the former captain and current ally of the Morello's, Giuseppe Masseria. First attempts failed and a war was on. On December 29, 1921, Masseria's men murdered Valenti's ally Salvatore Muaro on Chrystie Street. Then Valenti had Vincent Terranova murdered, effectively taking out the head of the Morello family. On May 8, 1922, while Terranova was in front of his home at 116th Street and 2nd Avenue, he was shot by a gunman from a moving car. Masseria ordered his men to murder Valenti and his bodyguard Silva Tagliagamba; they ambushed Valenti and Tagliabamba at Grande and Mulberry Streets in Manhattan shooting Tagliabamba but Valenti escaped. On August 11, 1922, Masseria's men (supposedly including a young Charlie Luciano) murdered Valenti ending the conflict. Masseria became the boss of the Morello family, and Giuseppe Morello became his underboss.

Historical leadership

Boss

  • 1890s–1909 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — founded the 107th Street Mob; imprisoned 1909
  • 1909–1916 — Nicholas "Nick Morello" Terranova — killed during Mafia–Camorra war on September 7, 1916
  • 1916–1920 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — stepped down becoming underboss
  • 1920–1922 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — stepped down becoming underboss
  • 1922–1931 — Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria — paroled in 1920, became boss in 1922

Underboss

  • 1903–1909 — Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Lupo — imprisoned 1910
  • 1909–1916 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — became boss
  • 1916–1920 — Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova — stepped down
  • 1920–1922 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — murdered on May 8, 1922
  • 1922–1930 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — murdered on August 15, 1930

Former members

  • Giuseppe Fanaro – a member of the Morello family who was involved in the Barrel murder of 1903. In November 1913, Fanaro was murdered by members of the Lomonte and Alfred Mineo's gangs.
  • Eugene "Charles" Ubriaco – a member of the Morello family, he lived on East 114th Street.
  • Tomasso "The Ox" Petto

Notes

References

  • Critchley, David. The Origin of Organized Crime in America:the New York City Mafia, 1891-1931. London: Routledge, 2008.
  • Dash, Mike. The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia. London, Simon & Schuster, 2009.
  • Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928.
  • Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005.
  • GangRule.com - The Morello Gang: Early Years (1900-1910)