Mafia Violence (murders, inner family fighting, and wars)

Bonanno- Giuseppe "Joe the boss" Masseria was murdered on April 15, 1931 ending the Castellammarese war. Salvatore "Boss of bosses" Maranzano was murdered on September 10, 1931 at the request of Lucky Luciano who then created the Commission and became chairman of it. A war broke out in 1963 when Bonanno and Joe Magliocco, Profaci's successor, planned to wipe out many other mob leaders, including Magaddino, Carlo Gambino, Tommy Lucchese, and Frank Desimone. Magliocco was given the task of taking out Gambino and Lucchese, so he gave the contract to his top hit men, Joe Colombo. Instead of killing them Colombo alerted Gambino and Luchese. The bosses quickly realized that Magliocco couldn't have planned this by himself. They then remembered how close Magliocco was to Bonanno, and that Bonanno was the real mastermind. Magliocco was forced to give up his family to Colombo. Joseph Bonanno retired in 1968 and capo Gaspar DiGergorio was named the new boss. Philip Giaccone, Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato and Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera were murdered at the request of Philip "Rusty" Rastelli, and the hit was carried out by Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano and future boss Joseph "Big Joe" Massino. On August 17, 1981, Napolitano was shot and killed in a basement by Ronald Filocomo and Frank "Curly" Lino as a punishment for admitting undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone to his crew. Anthony Mirra, the man who had brought Pistone into the family, was also killed.

Colombo-The first war took place in the late 1950s when capo Frank "Frankie Shots" Abbatemarco was murdered as a result of refusing to pay Profaci's unpopular demand of a $25 tribute from every soldier in his family. Joe Gallo carried out the hit with help from Joseph Gioielli. Gallo then revolted against Porfaci soon after. The war continued on resulting in 9 murders, 3 disappearances, and multiple attempted murders and finally ended in the early 1960s. The second war broke out in 1971, after Gallo's release from prison and the shooting of Colombo. Colombo's consigliere Joseph Yacovelli, family acting boss, directed a new campaign to murder Joe Gallo and his crew. On April 7, 1972 four gun killed Joe Gallo while he was dining with his family. Carmine Persico, the new family boss, led Colombo supporters and won the war after Gallo's crew was exiled to the Genovese family in 1975. The third and bloodest was erupted in 1991, when acting boss Victor Orena, tried to seize power from Persico while he was imprisoned. The family split into two factions, members loyal to Orena and Persico. In November of 1991, Greg " The Grim Reaper" Scarpa, a Persico loyalist, pulled out of his driveway with his daughter and grandchild in a car behind, several Orena gunmen ambushed them, Scarpa and his family were able to escape. Over two years of mayhem ensued, but finally in 1993 with twelve family members dead, three innocent bystanders kiled, and Orena jailed, Persico won the war. Carmine Persico was left to pick up the pieces of a family decimated by war. Persico's son, Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" ordered a hit in 1999, on underboss William "Wild Bill" Cutolo a Orena supporter during the third war.

(Five Families NYC)

More to come...