The main gangs in New York around 1915 were the Sicilian Morello gang in Harlem, the Neapolitan Navy St gang headed by Leopoldo Lauritano and Allesandro Vollero, and the Neapolitan Coney Island gang headed by Pelligrino Morano from his Santa Lucia restaurant. The gangs worked alongside each other respectfully, this is shown in the fact the that Andrea Ricci, who headed the Camorra, would hold a 'smoker' each year in Brooklyn and the Morello brothers would travel down from Harlem to patronize Ricci.
The Neapolitan Del Gaudio brothers were involved in gambling in East Harlem, but also had connections with the Brooklyn based Navy St gang. Nicolo Del Gaudio, brother to Gaetano and owner of a barber shop on E104th, was killed in October 1914. He had been lured down to the East River and 114th St. As he passed an empty lot he was killed with a shotgun fired from behind a fence. Following the killing, Gaetano Del Gaudio, alerted by his brothers murder, acquired a bodyguard named George Esposito. Esposito had been a bodyguard to Giosue Gallucci, but he defected to work for Del Gaudio.
Joseph DeMarco, another known gambling operator, left the dangerous world of Harlem after battling with the Morello gang, on one occasion DeMarco had attempted to shoot kill Nick Morello. After two separate attempts were made on his own life, DeMarco moved downtown and opened a restaurant at 163 W49th. He opened several gambling joints in Mulberry St, before opening one located at 54 James Street.
Giuseppe Masseria was released from prison during 1916, he had been jailed in 1913 for comitting burglary at a Bowery pawnshop.
On June 24th 1916 a meeting took place at Coney Island between the Sicilian Morello gang, the Neapolitan Navy Street gang and the Neapolitan Coney Island gang. The idea of the meeting was to discuss the consolidation of the gangs to control illegal activities in New York, including gambling, drugs and extortion. Pelligrino Morano, from Coney Island, began talking about the lucrative Italian Zaconette card games. Nick Morello and Steve LaSalle explained that Joe DeMarco would have to be killed before they could control all the gambling lower Manhattan. Lauritano from the Navy Street gang explained that they should meet at his Cafe to discuss the DeMarco matter further.
Around three weeks later Nick Morello, Steve LaSalle, Ciro Terranova and Giuseppe Verizzano travelled to Navy St to discuss the plan to kill Joe DeMarco. Verizzano worked with DeMarco and was introduced as the man who would be able to help kill him. The Morellos were too well known by Demarco for them to use their own gunmen. So together they created a plan where Verizzano would get the Navy St gunmen in to the James St gambling den, where he would then secretly identify DeMarco to the gunmen as the man to be shot.
John 'The Painter' Fetto was originally chosen as the gunman for the job, but he was slow to arrive at James St at the correct time, Demarco had already left the building. The gangs planned to attempt the killing for a second time.
On the morning of July 20th 1916, Louis the Wop, Nick Sassi, Steve LaSalle and Ciro Terranova all travelled from Harlem to the Navy St cafe. They were worried that a friend of DeMarco, called Joe 'Chuck' Nazzaro, might be present at James St which would cause more of a problem for the gunmen. So Leopoldo Lauritano arranged for Lefty Esposito, another Navy St gunman, to go along on the job.
That afternoon, the Navy St gunmen, Pagano, Esposito and Fetto, made their way to a saloon on Elizabeth St to await their signal to move. At around five O'clock Verizzano arrived at the saloon and notified the waiting gunmen that Demarco had arrived at James St, they left and made their way to the entrance of the gambling house. Nick Sassi, an employee of Demarco's but also friend of the Navy St gang, got the gunmen inside past the doorman. They made their way through a kitchen and in to a back bedroom. Inside Joe DeMarco and Charles Lombardi were sat next to each other playing cards with several other men, with numerous spectators sat around watching the card game. Verizzano sat down opposite DeMarco to help identify him to the gunmen who were now standing watching the game. Nick Sassi and Rocco Valente from Navy St waited outside to help the gunmen escape. Esposito and Pagano misread the signals from Verizzano and shot and killed Charles Lombardi by mistake, Verizzano managed to kill DeMarco. The gunmen made their escape through the bedroom window into Oliver St.
That evening Nick and Vincent Morello, Steve LaSalle, Ciro Terranova and Verizzano all travelled to Navy St. They congratulated Lauritano on the news that DeMarco had been shot and gave him $50 to pass on to the gunmen.
After the removal of DeMarco, the Camorra moved in lower Manhattan, Morano opened a gambling house at 167 Hester St. Some members of the Navy St gang travelled to Philadelphia to meet Andrea Ricci and to discuss the removal of the Morello gang to gain complete control of Manhattan. Even though the two gangs had worked alongside each other for sometime, the killing of DeMarco had angered Allesandro Vollero and he now wanted the Morellos dead. They hatched a plan where they would try and lure the entire Morello leadership down to Brooklyn and ambush them.
On September 7th 1916, Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco travelled downtown to meet with the Navy St gang. Ralph Daniello served the men drinks before Pagano arrived to take them to a coffee house where Lauritano and Morano were waiting. The men walked together towards Myrtle Avenue when they were ambushed at the junction of Johnson St and Hudson Avenue. Nicholas Morello was shot dead by Tom Pagano, and Ubriaco was slain by Thomas carillo and Lefty Esposito. After the police arrived they searched Morello, and found a bank book for NY Produce Exchange Bank, Harlem. It showed a balance of $1,865. Detectives from the Sixth Branch bureau arrived, including Michael Mealli, who had been under the pay of the Navy Street gang. Mealli arrested Rocco Valente, after he had been found in a local pool hall with a loaded pistol. Later that evening Ciro Terranova was called to identify his brothers body.
Allesandro Vollero was arrested the following day and put in police lineup. Witnesses to the murder were asked to identify him but he was released nineteen days later.
Verrazano, who already had his own card games in Kenmare St, began to contemplate opening a new gambling house, this news did not sit well with the Navy St gang who began to plot his death. One day Verizzano spotted Lorenzo Liccari, from the Coney Island gang, sitting inside Frank Ferrara's cafe on Grand Street. He began to sneak around the side of the cafe to kill Liccari, but he was spotted before he managed to shoot.
On October 5th, 1916, Andrea Ricci surrendered himself to the police for questioning, but this was also to provide himself with an alibi for the events about to occur the following day.
On October 6th, 1916, Charles Giordano from Staten Island, a policy man, saloon owner and friend of the Camorra made plans for the killing of Verizzano. Alphonso Sgroia, Mike Notaro, Ralph Daniello and John Mancini travelled to Manhattan where Giordano checked a saloon before locating Verizzano in the Italian Gardens restaurant in the Occidental Hotel, Broome street. Sgroia and Notaro stood by the door shooting into the establishment. Verizzano was hit and killed. The gunmen escaped, one into the Bowery and one into Broome Street.
Salvatore DeMarco, brother to the slain Joseph DeMarco, was found dead in a clump of weeds in a lot in Washington Avenue, near William St, Astoria. His body was discovered on Friday 13th October 1916. His skull had been smashed sometime before the body was dropped, and his throat was cut once he had been dumped. Salvatore had been living above his dead brothers restaurant at 163 W49th, however he sold the restaurant at auction on October 11th a few days before his murder.
The Morello gang and the Brooklyn Camorra were at all out war. They were travelling the city in cars hunting each other, Ciro was the owner of a very modern, black, open body Packard, and his brother Vincent had a red Hudson. The Camorra hatched various plans to wipe out the rest of the Morello leadership, but they were either foiled or were never completed, however four associates of the Morello gang were murdered by the Camorra in Philadelphia.
The Navy Street gang prospered by taking over the Morello businesses for a short period. This was proved later in 1918 by a Harlem gambler, who testified that for a short period he had to travel to Brooklyn each week to have his books checked. The Camorra tried to move in on the artichoke business, but the wholesale dealers refused to give in to any threats, eventually a deal was struck where a 'tax' of twenty five dollars was paid on every car load of artichokes that were delivered. Coal and ice merchants also proved hard to threaten, and the Camorra's business gains were not as they had expected.
George Esposito, bodyguard to Gaetano Del Gaudio was killed whilst he walked down E108th on 8th November, 1916. Later that month, at 3am November 30th Gaetano Del Gaudio was shot and killed. He had been serving coffee to two men in his restaurant at 2031 1st Av, when he was blasted by a shotgun that been placed against the his restaurant window. He was taken to the Flower Hospital where he claimed to know the identity of his killer, but refused to name him.
Anthony 'The Shoemaker' Paretti told the Navy St gang that he had seen DeMarco's old friend Joe Nazzaro talking to the Morello gang. On March 16th 1917, Joseph 'Chuck' Nazzaro was shot and killed in Yonkers NY. Fevrola, Sgroia, and the Paretti brothers, all from the Navy St gang, lured Nazzaro out to Yonkers under the pretence of killing Fevrola for giving the police information about the gang. The men then shot Nazzaro and left his body on the trolley tracks.
In May 1917, a very important event took place that would begin the breakdown and unraveling of the long feud between the Sicilians and the Camorra. Ralph 'The Barber' Daniello, a member of the Brooklyn Navy Street gang, had been in court charged with robbery and abduction, he was released before eloping to Reno with his new love, Ms Amelia Valve from Prospect Street, South Brooklyn. He sent letters to his former Camorra gang asking for money to be sent to him, but his requests were ignored. The police eventually tracked Daniello down in Reno and brought him back to Brooklyn. When the indictments were brought against Daniello on the charge of murder, grand larceny and perjury he began to tell the police everything he knew about the Navy Street crew and the recent murders. When the police realised the extent of Daniello's confessions he was sent to the office of Edward Swann the DA. For the next ten days Daniello told his story of the murders spanning the last ten years. On November 27th Daniello was arraigned with John Esposito, Allesandro Vollero and Alphonso Sgroia, and other members of the Navy Street gang who had been arrested on Daniello's confessions. Also arraigned as material witnesses were Ciro Terranova, Vincent Terranova and Nicholas Arra, all were held on $15,000 bail.
According to the testimony by Daniello, Sicilians and Neapolitans were formed loosely in three main bands and controlled the rackets across New York. The bands were based in Harlem, downtown Mulberry bend and the last band covering Brooklyn and Coney Island. He went on to confess to his gangs involvement in the killings of both the DeMarco brothers, Nicholas Morello with Charles Ubriaco and the 'Chuck' Nazzaro killing in Yonkers.
On November 30th 1917, the Grand Jury under Judge Nott handed out twelve indictments against the killing of Joseph DeMarco and Charles Lombardi. Five indictments had already been handed out against the murder of Salvatore DeMarco, and another four in the case of 'Chuck' Nazzaro. Since the beginning of Daniello's confessions the police had been watching New York's ports to make sure no gang members escaped conviction. Edward Swann sent Henry Renaud, head of homicide, off to Chicago to arrest some of the indicted. Swann also began working with Harry Lewis, the Kings County DA, to secure further convictions in Brooklyn. The 1918 trials that followed completely smashed the Navy Street gang, the protection that they enjoyed was demolished from the testimonies of their own men. It was the end of the Camorra in New York and the sway of power fell back to the Mafia.
The Trials
-----------
Rocco Valenti was arrested on January 26th 1918, in Troy NY, for complicity in the DeMarco / Lombardi killing. He was jailed for ten months, before being discharged in November 1918. He later appeared in court to testify in the appeal of Charles Giordano in March 1919.
Allesandro Vollero, was tried for first degree murder in on February 15th, 1918, in the case of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco. Ralph Daniello testified against Vollero, and stated that the gang paid money to a Detective named Michael Mealli. Mealli was reduced in rank and assigned to patrol duty. Following this revelation, Judge Kapper was taken ill on February 18th, causing a mistrial to be declared. Vollero was retried on March 4th and was sentenced to life at Sing Sing.
Pelligrino Morano, leader of the Coney Island faction, was convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to Sing Sing from twenty years to life.
Leopoldo Lauritano, received a twenty one year sentence for manslaughter in 1918. On 12th January, 1926, after serving only seven and a half years, Lauritano was paroled from Sing Sing. He was immediately rearrested under an indictment that had been served in 1918 in connection with the murder of Verizzano. On Thursday 14th, Judge Selah B. Strong, discharged Lauritano on a writ of habeas corpus. This action caused an open argument between the Kings County DA, Charles Dodd, and Judge Strong. Lauritano returned to court in February 1927, he was tried at the Brooklyn Supreme Court under Judge James Cropsey. He was charged with perjury during the trial of Anthony Paretti, where Lauritano had stated he did not know the defendant or his associates. The ADA, James Cuff, had managed to produce a photo of Lauritano in the Navy Street cafe with fellow gang members,thus proving his testimony false. Lauritano received five years in Sing Sing.
Charles Giordano, the saloon keeper from Tompkinsville S.I. was put on trial on April 27th, 1918. He was charged with plotting the killing of Giuseppe Verrazano in October, 1916. Antonio Notaro and Ralph Daniello, from the Navy Street gang, testified against Giordano. Notaro was quoted as saying "Giordano told us that Verizzano had to be killed that night. When I said that I did not want to kill a man without orders from my boss, Giordano said he would do the job himself but that I would die the next day for refusing, then I changed my mind". Notaro claimed that Giordano led him to the restaurant on Broome Street and pointed out Verizzano to be shot.
Alphonso Sgroia, from the Navy Street gang, was sentenced on June 17th 1918, he received twelve years in Dannemora for manslaughter in the case of Nicholas Morello. Sgroia went on to testify against his fellow gunmen Paretti and Fevrola, he was rewarded with a shorter sentence and deportation to Italy.
John Esposito and Antonio Notaro were sentenced in June 1918, from 6 to 10 years each in the case of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco.
Ciro Terranova was tried for complicity in June 1918, in connection with the DeMarco/Lombardi killing. Johnny Esposito, the killer of Lombardi, had turned state evidence the same Daniello, and testified against Terranova. Ciro was acquitted due to lack of corroboration when it was tenuously proved that Esposito and Terranova were part of the same gang.
Ralph Daniello, of 1926 Pacific St, Brooklyn, was given a suspended sentence in view of the testimony he had given. His freedom was short lived when he was later arrested for assault in Coney Island. He was sentenced to five years in prison. In 1925, after his release he was found shot on the Lincoln Highway, near Metuchen. New Jersey.
Frank Fevrola, on April 18th 1921, was tried for the murder of Joe 'Chuck' Nazzaro in 1917. Judge Tompkins found Fevrola guilty and sentenced him to the death house at Sing Sing. His conviction was largely due to his wife's testimony against him. On April 14th, 1922, a notice was served on DA Weeks, that a motion would be made to grant a retrial on the case of Fevrola. Fevrola's wife had withdrawn all her previous statements made against her husband, saying she had been threatened and bribed by the police. DA Weeks tried to oppose the retrial by rubbishing Tessie Fevrola's new affidavit. On May 23rd, 1922, Justice Tompkins denied any motion for a retrial of Fevrola. On May 29th, 1923, lawyer Thomas O'Neil made a last minute attempt to save Fevrola from execution. His request for a retrial was again put before Supreme Court Justice Tompkins. On Thursday 28th June, 1923, with seven hours left until his execution and in a state of collapse, Fevrola received a reprieve, sparing his life until October 7th. The death sentence was eventually commuted.
Aniellio Paretti of 23 Sherman Av, Brooklyn, was tried for the murder of Joe 'Chuck' Nazzaro in 1917. In November 1921, Aniellio was sentenced to the death house in Sing Sing. His lawyer immediately appealed against the decision, and on January 3rd 1923 the Court of Appeals ordered a retrial. DA Weeks then had the indictment dropped, and Paretti was a free man. He was released from Sing Sing in July 1923.
Anthony Paretti, of 23 Skillman Av, Brooklyn, was sentenced to Sing Sing death house for his part in the slaying of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco. Paretti originally fled to Italy to escape capture. He returned to New York in March, 1926, thinking that most of the witnesses against him would be gone. However, he was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. His brother Aniellio Paretti, who had been released from Sing Sing in July 1923, came to visit several times. On the six weeks leading up to his execution, Warden Lawes ordered the prison and river front guarded 24 hours a day, rather than the usual 16 hours. On February 9th, 1927 Paretti was examined, declared sane and fit for execution. He was reported to be exerting powerful pressure upon politicians to get his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. On the day of execution, the usual electrocardiogram was not given due to lack of arrangements. He was electrocuted under the jurisdiction of the state of New York on 17th February, 1927 at the age of 35. One of the last men to visit Paretti before his death was a young Vito Genovese.
[ PRINTER VERSION]
The Neapolitan Del Gaudio brothers were involved in gambling in East Harlem, but also had connections with the Brooklyn based Navy St gang. Nicolo Del Gaudio, brother to Gaetano and owner of a barber shop on E104th, was killed in October 1914. He had been lured down to the East River and 114th St. As he passed an empty lot he was killed with a shotgun fired from behind a fence. Following the killing, Gaetano Del Gaudio, alerted by his brothers murder, acquired a bodyguard named George Esposito. Esposito had been a bodyguard to Giosue Gallucci, but he defected to work for Del Gaudio.
Joseph DeMarco, another known gambling operator, left the dangerous world of Harlem after battling with the Morello gang, on one occasion DeMarco had attempted to shoot kill Nick Morello. After two separate attempts were made on his own life, DeMarco moved downtown and opened a restaurant at 163 W49th. He opened several gambling joints in Mulberry St, before opening one located at 54 James Street.
Giuseppe Masseria was released from prison during 1916, he had been jailed in 1913 for comitting burglary at a Bowery pawnshop.
On June 24th 1916 a meeting took place at Coney Island between the Sicilian Morello gang, the Neapolitan Navy Street gang and the Neapolitan Coney Island gang. The idea of the meeting was to discuss the consolidation of the gangs to control illegal activities in New York, including gambling, drugs and extortion. Pelligrino Morano, from Coney Island, began talking about the lucrative Italian Zaconette card games. Nick Morello and Steve LaSalle explained that Joe DeMarco would have to be killed before they could control all the gambling lower Manhattan. Lauritano from the Navy Street gang explained that they should meet at his Cafe to discuss the DeMarco matter further.
Around three weeks later Nick Morello, Steve LaSalle, Ciro Terranova and Giuseppe Verizzano travelled to Navy St to discuss the plan to kill Joe DeMarco. Verizzano worked with DeMarco and was introduced as the man who would be able to help kill him. The Morellos were too well known by Demarco for them to use their own gunmen. So together they created a plan where Verizzano would get the Navy St gunmen in to the James St gambling den, where he would then secretly identify DeMarco to the gunmen as the man to be shot.
John 'The Painter' Fetto was originally chosen as the gunman for the job, but he was slow to arrive at James St at the correct time, Demarco had already left the building. The gangs planned to attempt the killing for a second time.
On the morning of July 20th 1916, Louis the Wop, Nick Sassi, Steve LaSalle and Ciro Terranova all travelled from Harlem to the Navy St cafe. They were worried that a friend of DeMarco, called Joe 'Chuck' Nazzaro, might be present at James St which would cause more of a problem for the gunmen. So Leopoldo Lauritano arranged for Lefty Esposito, another Navy St gunman, to go along on the job.
That afternoon, the Navy St gunmen, Pagano, Esposito and Fetto, made their way to a saloon on Elizabeth St to await their signal to move. At around five O'clock Verizzano arrived at the saloon and notified the waiting gunmen that Demarco had arrived at James St, they left and made their way to the entrance of the gambling house. Nick Sassi, an employee of Demarco's but also friend of the Navy St gang, got the gunmen inside past the doorman. They made their way through a kitchen and in to a back bedroom. Inside Joe DeMarco and Charles Lombardi were sat next to each other playing cards with several other men, with numerous spectators sat around watching the card game. Verizzano sat down opposite DeMarco to help identify him to the gunmen who were now standing watching the game. Nick Sassi and Rocco Valente from Navy St waited outside to help the gunmen escape. Esposito and Pagano misread the signals from Verizzano and shot and killed Charles Lombardi by mistake, Verizzano managed to kill DeMarco. The gunmen made their escape through the bedroom window into Oliver St.
That evening Nick and Vincent Morello, Steve LaSalle, Ciro Terranova and Verizzano all travelled to Navy St. They congratulated Lauritano on the news that DeMarco had been shot and gave him $50 to pass on to the gunmen.
After the removal of DeMarco, the Camorra moved in lower Manhattan, Morano opened a gambling house at 167 Hester St. Some members of the Navy St gang travelled to Philadelphia to meet Andrea Ricci and to discuss the removal of the Morello gang to gain complete control of Manhattan. Even though the two gangs had worked alongside each other for sometime, the killing of DeMarco had angered Allesandro Vollero and he now wanted the Morellos dead. They hatched a plan where they would try and lure the entire Morello leadership down to Brooklyn and ambush them.
On September 7th 1916, Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco travelled downtown to meet with the Navy St gang. Ralph Daniello served the men drinks before Pagano arrived to take them to a coffee house where Lauritano and Morano were waiting. The men walked together towards Myrtle Avenue when they were ambushed at the junction of Johnson St and Hudson Avenue. Nicholas Morello was shot dead by Tom Pagano, and Ubriaco was slain by Thomas carillo and Lefty Esposito. After the police arrived they searched Morello, and found a bank book for NY Produce Exchange Bank, Harlem. It showed a balance of $1,865. Detectives from the Sixth Branch bureau arrived, including Michael Mealli, who had been under the pay of the Navy Street gang. Mealli arrested Rocco Valente, after he had been found in a local pool hall with a loaded pistol. Later that evening Ciro Terranova was called to identify his brothers body.
Allesandro Vollero was arrested the following day and put in police lineup. Witnesses to the murder were asked to identify him but he was released nineteen days later.
Verrazano, who already had his own card games in Kenmare St, began to contemplate opening a new gambling house, this news did not sit well with the Navy St gang who began to plot his death. One day Verizzano spotted Lorenzo Liccari, from the Coney Island gang, sitting inside Frank Ferrara's cafe on Grand Street. He began to sneak around the side of the cafe to kill Liccari, but he was spotted before he managed to shoot.
On October 5th, 1916, Andrea Ricci surrendered himself to the police for questioning, but this was also to provide himself with an alibi for the events about to occur the following day.
On October 6th, 1916, Charles Giordano from Staten Island, a policy man, saloon owner and friend of the Camorra made plans for the killing of Verizzano. Alphonso Sgroia, Mike Notaro, Ralph Daniello and John Mancini travelled to Manhattan where Giordano checked a saloon before locating Verizzano in the Italian Gardens restaurant in the Occidental Hotel, Broome street. Sgroia and Notaro stood by the door shooting into the establishment. Verizzano was hit and killed. The gunmen escaped, one into the Bowery and one into Broome Street.
Salvatore DeMarco, brother to the slain Joseph DeMarco, was found dead in a clump of weeds in a lot in Washington Avenue, near William St, Astoria. His body was discovered on Friday 13th October 1916. His skull had been smashed sometime before the body was dropped, and his throat was cut once he had been dumped. Salvatore had been living above his dead brothers restaurant at 163 W49th, however he sold the restaurant at auction on October 11th a few days before his murder.
The Morello gang and the Brooklyn Camorra were at all out war. They were travelling the city in cars hunting each other, Ciro was the owner of a very modern, black, open body Packard, and his brother Vincent had a red Hudson. The Camorra hatched various plans to wipe out the rest of the Morello leadership, but they were either foiled or were never completed, however four associates of the Morello gang were murdered by the Camorra in Philadelphia.
The Navy Street gang prospered by taking over the Morello businesses for a short period. This was proved later in 1918 by a Harlem gambler, who testified that for a short period he had to travel to Brooklyn each week to have his books checked. The Camorra tried to move in on the artichoke business, but the wholesale dealers refused to give in to any threats, eventually a deal was struck where a 'tax' of twenty five dollars was paid on every car load of artichokes that were delivered. Coal and ice merchants also proved hard to threaten, and the Camorra's business gains were not as they had expected.
George Esposito, bodyguard to Gaetano Del Gaudio was killed whilst he walked down E108th on 8th November, 1916. Later that month, at 3am November 30th Gaetano Del Gaudio was shot and killed. He had been serving coffee to two men in his restaurant at 2031 1st Av, when he was blasted by a shotgun that been placed against the his restaurant window. He was taken to the Flower Hospital where he claimed to know the identity of his killer, but refused to name him.
Anthony 'The Shoemaker' Paretti told the Navy St gang that he had seen DeMarco's old friend Joe Nazzaro talking to the Morello gang. On March 16th 1917, Joseph 'Chuck' Nazzaro was shot and killed in Yonkers NY. Fevrola, Sgroia, and the Paretti brothers, all from the Navy St gang, lured Nazzaro out to Yonkers under the pretence of killing Fevrola for giving the police information about the gang. The men then shot Nazzaro and left his body on the trolley tracks.
In May 1917, a very important event took place that would begin the breakdown and unraveling of the long feud between the Sicilians and the Camorra. Ralph 'The Barber' Daniello, a member of the Brooklyn Navy Street gang, had been in court charged with robbery and abduction, he was released before eloping to Reno with his new love, Ms Amelia Valve from Prospect Street, South Brooklyn. He sent letters to his former Camorra gang asking for money to be sent to him, but his requests were ignored. The police eventually tracked Daniello down in Reno and brought him back to Brooklyn. When the indictments were brought against Daniello on the charge of murder, grand larceny and perjury he began to tell the police everything he knew about the Navy Street crew and the recent murders. When the police realised the extent of Daniello's confessions he was sent to the office of Edward Swann the DA. For the next ten days Daniello told his story of the murders spanning the last ten years. On November 27th Daniello was arraigned with John Esposito, Allesandro Vollero and Alphonso Sgroia, and other members of the Navy Street gang who had been arrested on Daniello's confessions. Also arraigned as material witnesses were Ciro Terranova, Vincent Terranova and Nicholas Arra, all were held on $15,000 bail.
According to the testimony by Daniello, Sicilians and Neapolitans were formed loosely in three main bands and controlled the rackets across New York. The bands were based in Harlem, downtown Mulberry bend and the last band covering Brooklyn and Coney Island. He went on to confess to his gangs involvement in the killings of both the DeMarco brothers, Nicholas Morello with Charles Ubriaco and the 'Chuck' Nazzaro killing in Yonkers.
On November 30th 1917, the Grand Jury under Judge Nott handed out twelve indictments against the killing of Joseph DeMarco and Charles Lombardi. Five indictments had already been handed out against the murder of Salvatore DeMarco, and another four in the case of 'Chuck' Nazzaro. Since the beginning of Daniello's confessions the police had been watching New York's ports to make sure no gang members escaped conviction. Edward Swann sent Henry Renaud, head of homicide, off to Chicago to arrest some of the indicted. Swann also began working with Harry Lewis, the Kings County DA, to secure further convictions in Brooklyn. The 1918 trials that followed completely smashed the Navy Street gang, the protection that they enjoyed was demolished from the testimonies of their own men. It was the end of the Camorra in New York and the sway of power fell back to the Mafia.
The Trials
-----------
Rocco Valenti was arrested on January 26th 1918, in Troy NY, for complicity in the DeMarco / Lombardi killing. He was jailed for ten months, before being discharged in November 1918. He later appeared in court to testify in the appeal of Charles Giordano in March 1919.
Allesandro Vollero, was tried for first degree murder in on February 15th, 1918, in the case of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco. Ralph Daniello testified against Vollero, and stated that the gang paid money to a Detective named Michael Mealli. Mealli was reduced in rank and assigned to patrol duty. Following this revelation, Judge Kapper was taken ill on February 18th, causing a mistrial to be declared. Vollero was retried on March 4th and was sentenced to life at Sing Sing.
Pelligrino Morano, leader of the Coney Island faction, was convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to Sing Sing from twenty years to life.
Leopoldo Lauritano, received a twenty one year sentence for manslaughter in 1918. On 12th January, 1926, after serving only seven and a half years, Lauritano was paroled from Sing Sing. He was immediately rearrested under an indictment that had been served in 1918 in connection with the murder of Verizzano. On Thursday 14th, Judge Selah B. Strong, discharged Lauritano on a writ of habeas corpus. This action caused an open argument between the Kings County DA, Charles Dodd, and Judge Strong. Lauritano returned to court in February 1927, he was tried at the Brooklyn Supreme Court under Judge James Cropsey. He was charged with perjury during the trial of Anthony Paretti, where Lauritano had stated he did not know the defendant or his associates. The ADA, James Cuff, had managed to produce a photo of Lauritano in the Navy Street cafe with fellow gang members,thus proving his testimony false. Lauritano received five years in Sing Sing.
Charles Giordano, the saloon keeper from Tompkinsville S.I. was put on trial on April 27th, 1918. He was charged with plotting the killing of Giuseppe Verrazano in October, 1916. Antonio Notaro and Ralph Daniello, from the Navy Street gang, testified against Giordano. Notaro was quoted as saying "Giordano told us that Verizzano had to be killed that night. When I said that I did not want to kill a man without orders from my boss, Giordano said he would do the job himself but that I would die the next day for refusing, then I changed my mind". Notaro claimed that Giordano led him to the restaurant on Broome Street and pointed out Verizzano to be shot.
Alphonso Sgroia, from the Navy Street gang, was sentenced on June 17th 1918, he received twelve years in Dannemora for manslaughter in the case of Nicholas Morello. Sgroia went on to testify against his fellow gunmen Paretti and Fevrola, he was rewarded with a shorter sentence and deportation to Italy.
John Esposito and Antonio Notaro were sentenced in June 1918, from 6 to 10 years each in the case of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco.
Ciro Terranova was tried for complicity in June 1918, in connection with the DeMarco/Lombardi killing. Johnny Esposito, the killer of Lombardi, had turned state evidence the same Daniello, and testified against Terranova. Ciro was acquitted due to lack of corroboration when it was tenuously proved that Esposito and Terranova were part of the same gang.
Ralph Daniello, of 1926 Pacific St, Brooklyn, was given a suspended sentence in view of the testimony he had given. His freedom was short lived when he was later arrested for assault in Coney Island. He was sentenced to five years in prison. In 1925, after his release he was found shot on the Lincoln Highway, near Metuchen. New Jersey.
Frank Fevrola, on April 18th 1921, was tried for the murder of Joe 'Chuck' Nazzaro in 1917. Judge Tompkins found Fevrola guilty and sentenced him to the death house at Sing Sing. His conviction was largely due to his wife's testimony against him. On April 14th, 1922, a notice was served on DA Weeks, that a motion would be made to grant a retrial on the case of Fevrola. Fevrola's wife had withdrawn all her previous statements made against her husband, saying she had been threatened and bribed by the police. DA Weeks tried to oppose the retrial by rubbishing Tessie Fevrola's new affidavit. On May 23rd, 1922, Justice Tompkins denied any motion for a retrial of Fevrola. On May 29th, 1923, lawyer Thomas O'Neil made a last minute attempt to save Fevrola from execution. His request for a retrial was again put before Supreme Court Justice Tompkins. On Thursday 28th June, 1923, with seven hours left until his execution and in a state of collapse, Fevrola received a reprieve, sparing his life until October 7th. The death sentence was eventually commuted.
Aniellio Paretti of 23 Sherman Av, Brooklyn, was tried for the murder of Joe 'Chuck' Nazzaro in 1917. In November 1921, Aniellio was sentenced to the death house in Sing Sing. His lawyer immediately appealed against the decision, and on January 3rd 1923 the Court of Appeals ordered a retrial. DA Weeks then had the indictment dropped, and Paretti was a free man. He was released from Sing Sing in July 1923.
Anthony Paretti, of 23 Skillman Av, Brooklyn, was sentenced to Sing Sing death house for his part in the slaying of Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco. Paretti originally fled to Italy to escape capture. He returned to New York in March, 1926, thinking that most of the witnesses against him would be gone. However, he was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. His brother Aniellio Paretti, who had been released from Sing Sing in July 1923, came to visit several times. On the six weeks leading up to his execution, Warden Lawes ordered the prison and river front guarded 24 hours a day, rather than the usual 16 hours. On February 9th, 1927 Paretti was examined, declared sane and fit for execution. He was reported to be exerting powerful pressure upon politicians to get his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. On the day of execution, the usual electrocardiogram was not given due to lack of arrangements. He was electrocuted under the jurisdiction of the state of New York on 17th February, 1927 at the age of 35. One of the last men to visit Paretti before his death was a young Vito Genovese.
[ PRINTER VERSION]
