Celeste A. Morello is an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and

criminologist Criminology (from Latin , 'accusation', and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'', 'word, reason') is the interdisciplinary study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is a multidisciplinary field in both the behaviou ...

specializing in the studies of the Mafia in the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

area. Recognized along with her prolific record as a nominator of buildings and artwork with the Philadelphia Historical Commission, to date, she has nominated the most

Pennsylvania historical markers File:Pennsylvania counties map.png, 320px, Clickable map of Pennsylvania counties poly 453 491 516 491 516 472 522 467 522 465 517 460 521 457 519 452 514 439 506 437 503 432 497 430 491 436 463 443 453 451 454 491 Adams County poly 94 319 15 ...

approved by the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania's heritage. The commission cares for hist ...

. Morello has been called one of "the most active preservationists in the city".

Background

Born in Norristown Pa; resides in Philadelphia. Morello's ''Before Bruno: The History of the Philadelphia Mafia'' (Published by Jefferies and Manz, Philadelphia) is the history of the Mafia in the Philadelphia area from 1880 to 1959 when

Angelo Bruno Angelo Bruno (born Angelo Annaloro, ; May 21, 1910 – March 21, 1980) was a Sicilian-American mobster who was boss of the Philadelphia crime family for two decades until his assassination. Bruno was known as "The Docile Don" due to his prefere ...

became boss of the

Philadelphia crime family The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Bruno–Scarfo crime family,< ...

. Morello spent 15 years in research, during which time she personally interviewed over a dozen members of the American Mafia. Morello is "The only historian and criminologist in the United States specializing in Mafia history who is the descendant of the first Mafiosi in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and suburban Philadelphia." She is also known for her work successfully applying for the placement of

historical markers A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

in Philadelphia. In 1978, as a student at Loyola University, in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy Morello visited with relatives in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, where she became acquainted with the

Sicilian Mafia The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a secret society, criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of ...

in her family's history. From this, Morello posited the "Medieval Origins" of the Mafia. Morello's books have been used in university courses about organized crime. Her research was referenced in the Montgomery County Commission's decision about the Schuylkill County Prison.

Education

Honors program,

Chestnut Hill College Chestnut Hill College is a private Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The college was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally named Mount S ...

(Philadelphia): art history (''magna cum laude'') and classical civilizations (''cum laude'') 1980; master's in sociology/criminology at St Joseph's University (Phila.) 1994; master's in history at

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

, 2000. Certification, Paralegal studies, Villanova University. Licensed Realtor, 1982 to 1985. Morello also learned much from the Organized Crime Strikes Force of the U.S. Attorney's Office under Deputy Chief Prosecutor Albert C. Wicks.

Historical markers

As of 2022, Morello had submitted around fifty historical markers that had been voted on by the Philadelphia Historical Commission, and over forty more than had not yet received a vote.

nominations and approved: 1.

St. Augustine Church (Philadelphia) St. Augustine Catholic Church, also called Olde St. Augustine's, is a historic Catholic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Consecrated in 1848, the Palladian-style church was designed by Napoleon LeBrun. It is listed on the Na ...

2. St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Church 3. Gianinni family 4.

Frank Gasparro Frank Gasparro (August 26, 1909 – September 29, 2001) was the tenth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, holding this position from February 23, 1965, to January 16, 1981. Before that, he was Assistant Engraver. He designed both sides of t ...

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza ( , ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer a ...

Eddie Lang Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro; October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) was an American musician who is credited as the father of jazz guitar. During the 1920s, he gave the guitar a prominence it previously lacked as a solo instrument, as p ...

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lan ...

Tommy Loughran Thomas Patrick Loughran (November 29, 1902 – July 7, 1982) was an American professional boxer and the former World Light Heavyweight Champion. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Loughran as the #7 ranked light heavyweight of all tim ...

Eddie Gottlieb Edward Gottlieb (born Isadore Gottlieb; September 15, 1898 – December 7, 1979) was a Jewish-Ukrainian professional basketball coach and executive. Nicknamed "Mr. Basketball" and "the Mogul", he was the first coach and manager of the Philadelph ...

10.

Harvey Pollack Herbert Harvey Pollack (March 9, 1922June 23, 2015) was an American sports statistician, a journalist of sports and entertainment, a publicist, and long term director of statistical information for the Philadelphia 76ers. At the time of his death ...

11. Rabbi Israel Goldstein 12. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 13. Old St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church 14.

Old St. Joseph's Church Old St. Joseph's Church is a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was the first Catholic Church, Roman Catholic church in the city. The church was founded in 1733; the current building was dedicated in 1839. History Old St. Joseph's Chu ...

15. Commodore John Barry 16.

Philadelphia Zoo The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. It was the first true zoo in the United States; it was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859 ...

17. ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...

'' 18.

John Wanamaker John Wanamaker (July 11, 1838December 12, 1922) was an American merchant and religious, civic and political figure, considered by some to be a proponent of advertising and a "pioneer in marketing". He served as United States Postmaster General ...

19.

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Mar ...

20.

Nicola Monachesi Nicola Monachesi (1795–1851) was an Italian painter believed to have painted the earliest frescos in the United States. He was born in Tolentino in the Marche region of Italy and was considered a citizen of Rome. He died in Philadelphia a natural ...

21.

Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

22. Christian Street Hospital 23. South 9th Street Market 24.

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was an American revolutionary, a Founding Father of the United States and signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social refor ...

25.

Mathew Carey Mathew Carey (January 28, 1760 – September 16, 1839) was an Irish-born American publisher and economist who lived and worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Dublin, he had engaged in the cause of parliamentary reform, and in America, attract ...

26.

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and ga ...

27. The Barrymore Family 28.

Shibe Park Shibe Park ( , rhymes with "vibe"), known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark located in Philadelphia. It was the home of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL) from 1909 to 1954 and the Philadelphia Phillies of the Natio ...

29. African American Baseball 30.

Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American professional baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering ...

31.

Moyamensing Prison Moyamensing Prison was a prison in the South Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Thomas Ustick Walter. Its cornerstone was laid on April 2, 1832; it opened on October 19, 1835, was in use until 1963, and w ...

32.

Eastern State Penitentiary The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Fairmount, Philadelphia, Fairmount section of the city, and was operational from 1829 until 1971. The penitentiary refined the r ...

33.

Maxfield Parrish Maxfield Parrish (July 25, 1870 – March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustration, illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. His works featured distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery. The ...

34. W.C. Fields 35.

Haym Solomon Haym Salomon (also Solomon; April 7, 1740 – January 6, 1785) was a Polish-born American merchant best known for his actions during the American Revolution, where he was the prime financier to the Continental Congress. Born in Leszno, Polish– ...

36. House of Industry 37.

Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own work ...

38. The Mischianza 39.

Palumbo's Palumbo's was a popular 20th century restaurant with nightclub entertainment located near the Italian Market section of South Philadelphia. Palumbo's included a banquet hall and Nostalgia's Restaurant. The basic format of the restaurant was a ...

40. Philadelphia Italian Market 41. Pat's Steaks 42. Samuel V. Merrick 43. Jewish Hospital of Philadelphia 44. The Trial of Hester Vaughan A historic designation for Angelo Bruno's home was not approved.

Books By Morello

*Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook *Beyond History -The Times and Peoples of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 1843 to 1993. ASIN: B0006EZ4VA *''Before Bruno: The History of the Mafia in Philadelphia''. Publication date: 4/28/2000, *''Before Bruno: The History of the Philadelphia Mafia, 1931-1946''. Publication date: 11/28/2001, *''Before Bruno and How He Became Boss: The History of the Philadelphia Mafia, Book 3--1946-1959''. Publication date: 8/28/2005, *''Philadelphia's Italian Foods'' (Buchanan, 2006) *''Philadelphia Cooks Italian'' (Buchanan, 2010
Villanova University Digital Library
("Celeste Morello Collection") Also refer to nominations at Philadelphia Historical Commission.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morello, Celeste Anne American non-fiction writers Writers from Philadelphia Saint Joseph's University alumni Villanova University alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American women non-fiction writers 21st-century American women writers