The New Jersey faction of the

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family (), also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and Ne ...

is a group of

Italian-American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

mobster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...

s who control

organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...

activities within the state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The New Jersey faction is divided into multiple crews each led by a different ''

caporegime A ''caporegime'' or ''capodecina'', usually shortened to ''capo'' or informally referred to as "captain", "skipper" or "lieutenant", is a leadership position in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia). A ''capo'' is a "made m ...

'' who oversees illegal criminal activities in labor

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercion, coercive, fraud, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. ...

illegal gambling Gambling law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law ...

loansharking A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high or illegal interest rates, has strict terms of collection, and generally operates outside the law, often using the threat of violence or other illegal, aggressive, and extortionate ...

and

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...

.Rudolph, Robert ''The Boys from New Jersey: How the Mob Beat the Feds'' 1992

/ref> The Genovese crime family's New Jersey faction has maintained a strong presence in the North Jersey, Northern Jersey area since the early

prohibition era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...

. A number of powerful mobsters within the New Jersey faction such as Guarino "Willie" Moretti, Gerardo "Jerry" Catena and Louis "Bobby" Manna have each held positions within the Genovese family's administration. From the 1990s until his death in 2010, Tino "the Greek" Fiumara was one of the most powerful caporegimes in the New Jersey faction.

History

Prohibition era

Early members of the New Jersey faction were under the control of

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 ...

's Masseria family boss

Joe Masseria Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria (; January 17, 1886April 15, 1931) was an Italian-American Mafia boss in New York City. He was boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York City Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to ...

. In January 1920,

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

began and the United States government prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. With large illegal profits to gain many members became bootleggers and were involved in smuggling large amounts of

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

into New York's

speakeasies A speakeasy, also called a beer flat or blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. In the United State ...

. At the peak of Prohibition in 1930, violence erupted between the two rival New York City families. The violence became known as the

Castellammarese War The Castellammarese War () was a bloody power struggle for control of the American Mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano that took place in New York City from February 26, 1930, until April 15, 1931. The feu ...

, Joe Masseria with his Mafia family battled with

Salvatore Maranzano Salvatore Maranzano (; July 31, 1886 – September 10, 1931), nicknamed Little Caesar, was an Italian-American mobster from the town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, and an early Cosa Nostra boss who led what later would become the Bonanno cr ...

, who was the boss of the

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

-based Castellammarese clan, for control over all Italian gangs in the U.S.Raab, Selwyn. ''The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire''. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005. On April 15, 1931, Masseria was murdered and replaced as boss by Charles "Lucky" Luciano who ended the war with Maranzano. The members of the Masseria New Jersey faction continued working for Luciano as bootleggers. After a few months on September 10, 1931, Salvatore Maranzano was murdered and Luciano became the most powerful mobster in America. Luciano decided to restructure all the American Mafia families by establishing The Commission instead of having a

Capo dei capi ''Capo dei capi'' (; "boss of hebosses"), ''capo di tutti i capi'' (; "boss of all hebosses") or Godfather () are terms used mainly by the media, public, fiction writers and law enforcement community to indicate a supremely powerful crime boss ...

or "boss of all bosses".

Moretti and Zwillman

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the Luciano family's New Jersey faction expanded into other crimes. The most powerful ''

'' in the faction was Guarino "Willie" Moretti who controlled numerous illegal gambling operations in New Jersey. Moretti formed an alliance with Jewish mobster Abner "Longie" Zwillman, who the media refer as the "

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

of New Jersey" because Zwillman had once controlled the majority of the illegal alcohol in Newark. The alliance between Moretti and Zwillman dominated illegal gambling in New Jersey.DeVico, Peter J. ''The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra''. Tate Publishing, 2007. In early 1937, Newark family boss Gaspare D'Amico fled the U.S. after a foiled hit ordered by Joseph Profaci. The Mafia Commission divided up D'Amico's territory among the Luciano (Boiardo crew), Gagliano ( Jersey crew), Mangano, Bonanno, Badami family, Profaci and

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 ...

(North Jersey crew) families. In 1937, family boss Luciano was arrested leaving Frank "the Prime Minister" Costello as the new acting boss of the family. Moretti, a cousin to Costello, was promoted to underboss. Zwillman continued to align with the Luciano family, while Moretti was replaced by Newark ''capo'' Ruggiero "Richie the Boot" Boiardo. Zwillman and Boiardo were previously enemies fighting for control of territory in Newark but the two men put there differences aside and focused on controlling illegal gambling throughout Newark. The alliance between Moretti, Zwillman and Boiardo continued to operate peacefully together for years until Moretti became

mentally ill A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

in the early 1950s. A contract hit was put on Moretti and he was executed while eating lunch on October 4, 1951. The New Jersey alliance was weakened but continued to operate between Zwillman and Boiardo. The murder of Moretti became a key factor in weakening Frank Costello's leadership position within the Luciano family, as his only major remaining supporter was Mangano family boss

Albert Anastasia Umberto "Albert" Anastasia (, ; né Anastasio ; September 26, 1902 – October 25, 1957) was an Italian-American mobster, hitman and crime boss. One of the founders of the modern American Mafia, and a co-founder and later boss of the Murder, In ...

. A few years earlier in 1946, Costello's strongest ally and powerful mobster Lucky Luciano was

deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its Sovereignty, sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or ...

in to Italy. Costello promoted

Vito Genovese Vito Genovese (; November 21, 1897 – February 14, 1969) was an Italian-born American ''American Mafia, mafioso'' and the leader of the Genovese crime family in New York City. A childhood friend and criminal associate of Lucky Luciano, Genovese ...

to underboss, but Genovese believed the family belonged to him and plotted to take control from Costello. After his promotion to Underboss Genovese gained the support of Lucchese boss Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese and Mangano underboss Carlo Gambino. In May 1957, Genovese and his allies ordered the assassination of Costello but failed and only wounded him. The attack made Costello aware that Genovese would never stop and Costello retired leaving Genovese as the new boss.

Catena's command

Under Genovese's leadership, Gerardo "Jerry" Catena was promoted to underboss of the family and also oversaw the New Jersey faction. Catena, an ally of Genovese, depended on Boiardo and Angelo DeCarlo to help run the faction as his ''capos''. In 1957, Genovese gathered the bosses of the top Mafia families for his Apalachin conference, which ended in the arrest of several bosses and the realization of a nationwide network of organized criminals. After the failed conference, Genovese was closely monitored by the government, and arrested in 1959 on a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

conviction. Zwillman hanged himself on February 27, 1959, upon being summonsed to appear at the

Valachi hearings The Valachi hearings, also known as the McClellan hearings, investigated organized crime activities across the United States. The hearings were initiated by Arkansas Senator John L. McClellan in 1963. Named after the major government witness again ...

.Joseph F. Sullivan. "Jersey Man in Abscam Case Is Experienced With Inquiries; Conspiracy Charges Dismissed Two Other Directors From Jersey Started as Tire Salesman Need for Advice Questioned Bid-Rigging Indictment Message Termed Death Threat". ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. March 9, 1980

/ref> Most of Zwillman's illegal gambling rackets were taken over by members of the Jersey faction. According to the Valachi hearings, the upper administration of the Genovese family included acting boss Thomas Eboli, Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli, Underboss Jerry Catena and ''

consigliere Consigliere ( , ; plural is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel ''The Godfather'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a c ...

'' Michele "Mike" Miranda. Throughout the 1960s, Catena continued to work with the upper administration. In 1970, he was

subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...

ed to testify in Newark, but refused to answer any questions and was held in

contempt In colloquial usage, contempt usually refers to either the act of despising, or having a general lack of respect for something. This set of emotions generally produces maladaptive behaviour. Other authors define contempt as a negative emotio ...

.
New Jersey Organized Crime Report: "Singular Accomplishments"
' Catena was sentenced to five years in prison; after his 1975 release, he retired to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Provenzano and the Teamsters

Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano became one of the most powerful ''capos'' in New Jersey with his connection to Teamsters Union (IBT) leader

Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (; born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975, declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 to 1971. He i ...

. Provenzano served as vice president of the IBT's Union City branch during the 1950s. In that office, Provenzano was able to embezzle money from the union's

pension fund A pension fund, also known as a superannuation fund in some countries, is any program, fund, or scheme which provides pension, retirement income. The U.S. Government's Social Security Trust Fund, which oversees $2.57 trillion in assets, is the ...

, receive kickbacks from construction companies to work on sites, and use his title as a legitimate source of income. Both Provenzano and Hoffa were imprisoned in the mid-1960s for their part in the corruption of the union. In the early 1970s, both men were out from prison. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa disappeared after setting off for a secret meeting with Provenzano and Detroit's Anthony Giacalone. In 1978, Provenzano was convicted of embezzling from the union. He eventually died in prison in 1988.

Manna and the dispute over Atlantic City

In the early 1980s, Vincent "the Chin" Gigante became the Genovese family's new boss and promoted powerful New Jersey mobster Louis "Bobby" Manna to consigliere. Manna would oversee the New Jersey factions with help from his top aid Lawrence "Larry Fab" Dentico. Months later, on March 21, 1980, Philadelphia boss Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno was murdered. The killing prompted discussions and plans by the Genovese and Gambino families to take over Bruno's criminal operations.''State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation: 21st Annual Report''. 1989. (pg 6-9

/ref> The negotiations proceeded without incident until the murder of Gambino boss Paul Castellano, Paul "Big Paul" Castellano in late 1985. Manna was displeased over

John Gotti John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 ( , ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American '' mafioso'' and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambin ...

's unsanctioned hit of Castellano and his accession as new boss, but he continued discussing the takeover of Bruno's operations. By 1987, the relationship between the two families had deteriorated. Gotti had sent word to Manna that the Genovese family should take over Bruno's North Jersey territory and leave more profitable South Jersey operations in

and

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

to the Gambinos. Manna, enraged and insulted over the offer, began planning John and Gene Gotti's assassinations. Making matters worse was, following the murder of Genovese Jersey ''capo'' John DiGilio in May 1988, the Gambinos took over the International Longshoremen's Association. The Gambinos placed Anthony Pimpinella of Brooklyn as the new head of the union, allowing them control over the waterfront rackets at the Newark-Elizabeth port. Federal agents received information on Manna's plan to have Gotti killed and informed him on the emerging danger. In 1989, Manna and soldier Richard (Bocci) DeSciscio were indicted for racketeering and conspiring to murder John and Gene Gotti. It was revealed during the trail that between August 1987 and January 1988, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recorded 12 conversations in which Manna and other Genovese mobsters discussed murdering John Gotti, Gene Gotti, and New York contractor

Irwin Schiff Irwin Allen Schiff (; February 23, 1928 – October 16, 2015) was an American libertarian and tax resistance advocate known for writing and promoting literature in which he argued that the way in which the income tax in the United States is enfo ...

. On August 8, 1987, Schiff was shot in the head while dining in a Manhattan restaurant. During one of the recorded conversations the FBI overheard Manna discussing murder plot for John Gotti, which Manna advised the hitman to wear a disguise as the target area was fairly open. On June 26, 1989, Manna convicted of conspiring to murder the John Gotti, Gene Gotti and Irwin Schiff to murder in aid of

. On September 26, 1989 Judge Trump-Barry sentenced Manna to eighty years imprisonment. Manna is currently imprisoned in the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, with a projected release date of February 20, 2056. In December 2020, Manna requested a

compassionate release Compassionate release is a process by which inmates in criminal justice systems may be eligible for immediate early release on grounds of "particularly extraordinary or compelling circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen by t ...

, but was denied.

Fiumara and Coppola

FBI image of Tino Fiumara and Joe Doto Jr

In the mid-1970s, Tino "the Greek" Fiumara began representing many of the Genovese family's interests in the New Jersey waterfront, after years of working under caporegime Peter LaPlaca. Fiumara worked closely with Genovese family street boss Frank "Funzi" Tieri, who controlled all of the family's Northern New Jersey waterfront rackets. He also maintained a working relationship with Lucchese Jersey capo Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo. Fiumara gained control of the ILA by paying off Thomas Buzzanca, the president of ILA local members in Brooklyn and New Jersey. The connection to Buzzanca, allowed Fiumara to control Anthony Scotto, the ILA boss of Brooklyn docks. Fiumara's power continued to grow in New Jersey waterfront with the help of Michael Coppola, Michael Borelli and Joseph Doto Jr. One of Fiumara's biggest rival for control of the waterfront rackets was Genovese family capo John DiGilio. Fiumara was convicted in 1979 of labor

and federal extortion in Newark and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He continued to hold power by promoting soldier Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola as acting capo. Coppola received orders from Fiumara throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Manna was imprisoned for planning the murder of John Gotti, and ordering the murder of John DiGilio.Robert Rudolph and Guy Sterling. "Jersey mob soon to get infusion of old blood: Lawmen are wary as jail terms end". (April 10, 2002) ''Star-Ledger''

/ref> When Fiumara was released from prison in 1994, he was one of the most powerful capos in New Jersey. In 1996, his close ally Mike Coppola was arrested on murder charges and fled becoming a fugitive. Fiumara began taking over of all the most lucrative rackets in New Jersey, including the New Jersey docks. However, in 2000, he was imprisoned for violating his

parole Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...

. He promoted Lawrence Ricci and Michael A. Borelli as co-acting capos to secure his rackets and protect his power. Ricci oversaw the crew's waste removal,

trucking Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations ...

and waterfront rackets while Borelli controlled the illegal gambling, Teamster's Union and construction rackets. After Fiumara was released from prison he moved to

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. In 2005, Ricci was indicted on labor racketeering charges along with two other members of the International Longshoremen's Association.Bennett Baumer "Taking on the Mob: Jersey Dockworkers tell corrupt union bosses to take long walk on short pier". April 5, 2007. '' The Indypendent''

/ref> Ricci went missing October 2005, and his body was found inside the trunk of a car outside a New Jersey diner the following month.William K. Rashbaum. "Body found in car is said to be mob figures". December 1, 2005. ''The New York Times''

/ref> On March 9, 2007, Coppola was arrested after eleven years on the run as a fugitive. The FBI offered him a deal to become an

informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a "snitch", "rat", "canary", "stool pigeon", "stoolie", "tout" or "grass", among other terms) is a person who provides privileged information, or (usually damaging) information inten ...

in their case against Fiumara for Ricci's murder.John Marzulli. "Federal prosecutors eye N.J. capo from Genovese family in 2005 trial rubout". ''Daily News''. December 10, 2008

/ref> Coppola refused to testify and was sentenced on December 18, 2009, to 16 years.Janon Fisher. "Jail for Merry Mikey Cigars". ''New York Post''. December 23, 200

/ref> On September 16, 2010, Fiumara died of natural causes."New Jersey mobster with Hudson County roots dies of natural causes"
Michaelangelo Conte. September 20, 2010. ''The Jersey Journal''

New Jersey Commission report of May 2004

According to the 2004, New Jersey organized crime report, the Genovese family maintained five crews headquartered in New Jersey, each overseen by a ''Capo'' and at least four New York-based crews with operations in New Jersey. The family had approximately 40 ranked soldiers and more than 400 criminal associates who were active in New Jersey. It was also reported that the family operated in the northern New Jersey counties of Hudson, Essex, Union, Bergen, and Passaic counties and in the earlier years gained strength in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The crime report stated that the Genovese family controlled the largest bookmaking and loan sharking rings in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area and the family maintained strong influence on the Port Newark/Elizabeth and Hudson County waterfronts. The report identified family consigliere Lawrence Dentico, Lawrence "Little Larry" Dentico as a person with extensive familiarity of the family's New Jersey operations, having served as the top aid to former consigliere and New Jersey operations chief Louis A. "Bobby" Manna. The 2004, New Jersey report identified the five ''Capos'' headquartered in New Jersey, who were Tino Fiumara (died in 2010 ), Angelo Prisco (died in 2017), Joseph Gatto (died in 2010), Silvio DeVita, and Ludwig Bruschi (died in 2020).

The Fiumara/Coppola crew

Tino "the Greek" Fiumara was the capo and the most powerful mobster in the New Jersey faction. He controlled unions from Newark-Elizabeth port and had been involved in loansharking, extortion, gambling, union and labor racketeering throughout New Jersey counties of Union,

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

and

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

. During early 2005, Fiumara began using Stephen Depiro to help control and handle all of the illegal operations in the New Jersey piers and docks.Jerry Capeci
''Tino looks for ''
April 12, 2010. The Huffington Post. On September 16, 2010, Fiumara died of natural causes. On March 21, 2020, longtime crew member Michael "Tona" Borelli died.

The Prisco/LaScala crew

Angelo "The Horn" Prisco was a capo from Yonkers, N.Y. who held influence in northern New Jersey. When John DiGilio was murdered Prisco took over much of the crew's operations in Hudson County's

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

and

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

waterfronts, while he also expanded operations into Monmouth County and

. Members of the Prisco crew were charged with shaking down International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) dockworkers at various Hudson County waterfront shipping terminals. In the early 1990s, he was ordered by Gigante to murder his cousin, Angelo Sangiuolo, after he was caught robbing from the family's gambling operations in

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. In 1994, Prisco was charged with racketeering and DiGilio's murder. He pleaded guilty only to a 1998

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

charge and sentenced to 12 years in prison. While Prisco was in prison, Joseph LaScala supervised the crew. In 2002, Prisco was released from prison after his

appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...

was denied because the

State Attorney General The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the District of Columbia, federal district, or of any of the Territories of the United States, territories is the chief legal advisor to the State governments of the United States, sta ...

's office requested his early release.John Sullivan. "Briefings: Law; Parole Questioned". ''The New York Times''. March 9, 2003

/ref> In 2008, Prisco was tried and convicted for the Sangiuolo murder and received life sentence.Michael Rispoli. "Angelo Prisco, reputed N.J. mobster, convicted in cousin's murder". ''The Star-Ledger''. April 27, 2009

/ref> In May 2012, Joseph LaScala was arrested and charged with illegal gambling. On June 21, 2017, Angelo Prisco died in prison while serving a life sentence at the

United States Penitentiary The Federal Bureau of Prisons classifies prisons into seven categories: * United States penitentiaries * Federal correctional institutions * Private correctional institutions * Federal prison camps * Administrative facilities * Federal correcti ...

in Coleman, Florida. On February 3, 2019, LaScala died.

Gatto crew

This crew was led by capo Peter LaPlaca until the mid-1970s, until Louis "Streaky" Gatto took over the crew. Gatto became the boss of Bergen county with the help of his son Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto, and son in law and top enforcer Alan "Little Al" Grecco controlling a large illegal gambling, loansharking and

bookmaking A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds. History The first bookmaker, Harry Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795, although similar a ...

operations in Bergen and

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 16th-most-populous municipality, In 1991, both Louis Gatto Sr. and Alan Grecco were sentenced 65 years, while Joseph Gatto was indicted on racketeering charges and received 30 months. Joseph Gatto was released in 1993 and assumed control of his father's crew. He expanded the crew's gambling operations by introducing the use of

pager A pager, also known as a beeper or bleeper, is a Wireless communication, wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays Alphanumericals, alphanumeric or voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response p ...

s and

cell phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

s. By 1999, he was convicted on illegal gambling charges and took a plea deal where he admitted that he was a ''capo'' with the Genovese family. Joseph Gatto was released in 2003, but he was indicted again in December 2004 for running Catalina Sports, an offshore wire room in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. The sports bar allegedly grossed $300,000-$500,000 in profit per week. The conviction was overturned in 2005, but prosecutors tried again in 2008.Eric Strauss. "Suprema CEO says mob evidence is basis for retrial". April 16, 2008. ''New Jersey.com'

/ref> Joseph Gatto died in April 2010 of natural causes, without being jailed.Justo Bautista. April 16, 2010. North Jersey.co
"Joseph Gatto, reputed captain in Genovese crime family, dies"
/ref>April 19, 2010. Mafia Today.co
"Genovese NJ Capo Joseph Gatto dies"

The DeVita crew

After capo Andrew Gerardo retired in the 1990s, this crew was taken over by Sicily, Sicilian-born Silvio P. DeVita. The crew operates mainly in Essex County, where DeVita runs illegal operations such as gambling, loansharking,

insurance fraud Insurance fraud is any intentional act committed to deceive or mislead an insurance company during the application or claims process, or the wrongful denial of a legitimate claim by an insurance company. It occurs when a claimant knowingly attem ...

extorting Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded t ...

construction sites and union racketeering. DeVita keeps strong family and criminal ties to Sicily. The crew may increase in size by recruiting more Sicilians ("

zips Zips (also ''Siggies'' or ''Geeps'') is a slang term in the United States that was especially in use in the mid-20th century. It was often used as a derogatory slur by Italian-American mobsters in reference to newer immigrant Sicilian mafiosi. ...

") who share blood and marriage ties with him. DeVita was placed on the New Jersey State Casino Control Commission Exclusion List, which bars him from any

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

in that state. In December 2004, New Jersey law enforcement identified Silvio DeVita as the capo controlling the Newark area for the Genovese family.

The Bruschi crew

Ludwig "Ninni" Bruschi was first identified by law enforcement as a bookmaker in the 1970s. He continued to operate gambling operations and, by the 1990s, had risen to the ranks of ''capo'' operating in both South and North Jersey. He rose to power with the New Jersey faction with the absence of Fiumara, who had been imprisoned. After Prisco was jailed from 1994 until 2002, Bruschi gained more power within the faction. In June 2003, he was indicted for running a racketeering enterprise engaged in illegal gambling, loansharking and drug distribution.Gabriel H. Gluck. "Garwood's quiet image rocked by mob arrests". ''The Star-Ledger''. June 12, 2003

/ref> Bruschi was paroled in April 2010 from New Jersey State prison. On April 19, 2020, Bruschi died.

Current position

In December 2004, Bergen County Prosecutor arrested dozens of mobsters including Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto for operating illegal sports betting with ties to offshore wire rooms in Costa Rica. The indictment identified Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto as a soldier in the Genovese family, who was in control of father Louis "Streaky" Gatto's old number rackets. According to the New Jersey authorities the Genovese crime family operates in New Jersey with three captains. Authorities identified the three captains who operated from Northern and Central Jersey as Angelo M. Prisco, Ludwig Bruschi and Silvio Devita. It was also stated by New Jersey authorities that the Genovese family was the most powerful and most active Mafia family in the State. Since the 2004 report, the Genovese NJ faction has had numerous important members die, including Prisco crew capo Joseph LaScala, who died in 2019, as well as capo Ludwig Bruschi and acting capo Michael "Tona" Borelli, who both died in 2020. In 2009, acting capo Anthony "Tony D." Palumbo was arrested charged with murder, racketeering in Brooklyn and New Jersey along with associate Felice Masullo and soldier Rocco Petrozza. The murder charge dated back to 1992, for the murder of Angelo Sangiuolo, an associate of the Genovese, information revealed that Palumbo complained to family boss Vincent Gigante about Sangiuolo and captain Angelo Prisco arranged the murder. In August 2010, Palumbo pled guilty to conspiracy murder charges and was sentenced on May 5, 2011, to 10 years in prison. In 2024, Palumbo was identified as a member of Genovese family boss Liborio Bellomo, Bellomo's inner circle and a powerful capo with operation in New Jersey and Staten Island with significant influence on the waterfront.

Current members

Caporegimes

*Capo – Silvio P. DeVita – capo controlling the Newark area for the Genovese family. DeVita is Sicilian born mobster operating in Essex County. In 1951, DeVita was convicted of first-degree murder during and robbery, he received a death sentence, until his conviction was reversed on appeal. At DeVita's new trail in 1958, he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison and released on parole in the 1970s. Members of DeVita's crew include soldiers Salvatore Cetrulo and Joseph Cetrulo who have many family relatives working in the New Jersey docks. *Capo – Anthony "Tony D." Palumbo – capo operating from New Jersey and Staten Island with significant influence on the waterfront. As of 2024, Palumbo is a member of family boss Bellomo's inner circle. Palumbo's uncle is retired Genovese family capo Andrew Gerardo. In December 1992, capo Jimmy "Nap" Napoli died, and Palumbo became the acting capo of Napoli's Brooklyn based crew which controlled a large numbers and sports bookmaking operation. The crew included soldier James Tenaglia, who operated a highly profitable loansharking, gambling, and numbers business in Brooklyn, and associate Felice Masullo, who was one of Tenaglia right-hand men. Palumbo also replaced Napoli's position for the Genovese family in taxing and extorting millions of dollars from Russian mobsters in Brooklyn who were participating in an illegal gasoline scam. In 2009, Palumbo was indicted and identified as an acting capo operating crews in Brooklyn and New Jersey. He was arrested and charged with racketeering and murder along with his driver an associate Felice Masullo, soldier Rocco Petrozza, and others. The murder charge dated back to 1992, for the homicide of Angelo Sangiuolo, an associate of the Genovese, it was proven in the trail that Palumbo had complained to family boss Vincent Gigante about Sangiuolo and it was decided that captain Angelo Prisco would arrange Sangiuolo's murder. In August 2010, Palumbo pled guilty to conspiracy murder charges. On May 5, 2011, Palumbo was sentenced to the maximum 10 years in federal prison. Palumbo was released on September 13, 2019 from prison. In 2024, Palumbo was identified as a member of family boss Bellomo's inner circle and a powerful capo with operation in New Jersey and Staten Island with significant influence on the waterfront. *Capo – Stephen "Beach" Depiro – capo of the "Fiumara crew" controlling illegal operations from the New Jersey Newark/Elizabeth Seaport. In 2005, Depiro began leading the crew with Tino Fiumara controlling illegal operations in the New Jersey piers and docks. During 2010, Depiro was overseeing the illegal operations in the New Jersey Newark/Elizabeth Seaport before Fiumara's death. In 2017, Depiro was identified a soldier in the Genovese family during the investigation of Mark Caruso, Jr.'s ALJ waterfront application.

Soldiers

* Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola – during the 1980s served as ''acting capo'' for Tino Fiumara. In 2009, he was imprisoned and sentenced to 16 years. He was released from federal custody on October 20, 2022. *Michael Crincoli – soldier; released from prison on July 12, 2010 * Lawrence Dentico, Lawrence "Little Larry" Dentico – soldier and former consigliere; released from prison on May 12, 2009 *Ralph Esposito – reputed member of family; soldier; was a shop steward for the International

Longshoreman A dockworker (also called a longshoreman, stevedore, docker, wharfman, lumper or wharfie) is a waterfront manual laborer who loads and unloads ships. As a result of the intermodal shipping container revolution, the required number of dockworke ...

's Association Local 1588. He was indicted in 2003 on charges related to union corruption at several waterfront shipping terminals in

. *Peter "Lodi Pete" Leconte – reputed member of the family's NJ faction. In 2013, Leconte pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering and extortion in a bid to control the waste-hauling industry in NJ and NYC. * Louis "Bobby" Manna – former consigliere 1981–1989; imprisoned received a life sentence in 1990.

Past members

* Guarino "Willie" Moretti – former underboss in the family 1937–1951, murdered in 1951 * Gerardo "Jerry" Catena former underboss in the family underboss 1957–72; imprisoned 1969–1976, retired and died in 2000 * Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano – imprisoned 1978 * Tino R. "the Greek" Fiumara – capo, imprisoned 1999-2003 died in 2010 *Michael A. "Tona" Borelli - was a New Jersey mobster and former acting co-capo of Tino Fiumara's crew, along with Lawrence Ricci. Borelli controlled construction and illegal gambling rackets in NJ, and formerly oversaw the Teamster's Union. On March 21, 2020, Borelli died. *Ludwig "Ninni" Bruschi – former capo died April 2020 * Ruggiero "Richie the Boot" Boiardo – capo from the 1920s until his death in 1984 * John "Johnny D." DiGilio – capo from the 1970s up until his murder in 1988 *Louis "Streaky" Gatto – capo from the 1970s, he was imprisoned in 1989 and received a 65-year sentence; died in 2002 *Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto – capo 1990s, until he died April 2010; he was the son of Louis Gatto *Andrew N. Gerardo – capo from the early 1980s up until his retirement to Florida in the 1990s *Peter LaPlaca – capos from the 1950s, until he retired in the mid-1970s * Lawrence A. Ricci – a former ''acting capo''. In 1979, Ricci and Tino Fiumara were convicted of trying to extort a Parsippany, New Jersey, restaurant owner. In February 2005, Ricci was charged with extorting thousands of dollars from the International Longshoremen's Association. On October 7, 2005, Ricci failed to show up in court. On November 7, 2005, the absent Ricci his two co-defendants were acquitted on all counts. On November 30, 2005, the police discovered Ricci's body; he had been shot twice in the back and left in the trunk of a car parked in Union, New Jersey. * Anthony "Little Pussy" Russo – murdered on April 26, 1979 * Angelo "The Horn" Prisco – former faction boss and caporegime. Prisco controlled operations in Hudson County waterfronts cities of Bayonne and Jersey City; Monmouth County and Florida. On August 18, 2009, Prisco was sentenced to life and was imprisoned in Florida. He died in 2017. *Joseph Michael Doto Jr. – born March 25, 1933, known as "Joe Adonis Jr." was a soldier in Genovese family and the son of mobster

Joe Adonis Joseph Anthony Doto (born Giuseppe Antonio Doto, ; November 22, 1902 – November 26, 1971), known as Joe Adonis, was an Italian-American mobster who was an important participant in the formation of the modern Cosa Nostra crime families in New Y ...

. Doto Jr. went on to control illegal gambling, loansharking and hijacking activities in Bergen County, New Jersey. In 1975, Doto Jr. was charged with bribery after Gambino family soldier Anthony Carminati was arrested. Doto Jr. worked alongside a New Jersey subgroup led by Tino Fiumara, Michael Borelli and Michael Coppola.

References

{{Organized crime groups in Atlantic City Organizations established in the 1920s 1920s establishments in New Jersey Organizations based in Newark, New Jersey New Jersey faction American Mafia crews Gangs in New Jersey Italian-American culture in New Jersey