The Inzerillo Mafia clan () is a
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 ...
clan, formerly among the most powerful 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. ...
, that was considered the "aristocracy of
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
's mafia" for at least half a century .
The Inzerillo family was associated with the former American Mafia boss
Carlo Gambino and
his family. In the modern era, the Inzerillo clan had been associated with
John Gambino through heroin trafficking, and also has links to the deceased former Gambino family boss,
Frank Cali.
History
Founded in the 1960s, by
Salvatore "Totuccio" Inzerillo, the Inzerillo Mafia clan was a historical ally of
Stefano Bontade, and were organizers of large trafficking of morphine from the
Far East
The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...
.
The Inzerillos were overwhelmed in the Mafia war that exploded between 1981 and 1983 in the streets of Palermo.
Salvatore died machine-gunned by a
Kalashnikov on 11 May 1981 in
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
.
After that, the
Corleonesi under
Salvatore Riina killed his brothers Santo (who died in Palermo) and Pietro (found dead in
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 ...
in the trunk of a car with $5 in his mouth and two dollars on his genitals), an uncle and the eldest son, Giuseppe.
Related to the Spatola, Mannino,
Castellano
Castellano may refer to:
* Castilian (disambiguation) (Spanish: ''castellano'')
** Castile (historical region)
* Spanish language, or Castilian (Spanish: ''castellano'')
**Castilian Spanish
* Castellano (surname), including a list of people with ...
,
Gambino, and Di Maggio families, they first landed in the US in 1956, settling in Cherry Hill.
Their protector in the US was the boss
Carlo Gambino, Inzerillo's cousin.
The whole family fled to the United States except Filippa Spatola, Inzerillo's wife, and son
Giovanni.
[ Subsequently, the Sicilian Mafia Commission, under pressure from the American Cosa Nostra, decided to grant a pardon to the rest of the Inzerillo family on the condition that none of them nor their descendants would ever return to Sicily.][ The first of the family to reappear was Franco, who had been thrown out of the US.][
Giovanni Inzerillo, Salvatore's son, was later indicted and arrested on 7 February 2008, in Operation Old Bridge against the Gambinos in New York and their connections in Palermo, involved in drug trafficking.][Dozens Arrested in Italy and US in Major Mafia-busting Operation]
''La Repubblica'', February 7, 2008
''La Repubblica'', February 7, 2008
References
{{American Mafia
1960s establishments in Italy
Sicilian Mafia clans