Oct. 6, 1997

WANNABE MOBSTER BUSTED AT WEDDING REHEARSAL

By Jerry Capeci

CALL it a case of being married to the mob.

A swat team of cops and FBI agents nabbed a gun-toting mobster wannabe the other day at a wedding rehearsal in Staten Island and charged him with the murder of the groom's brother three years ago.

Instead of being an usher at the wedding of Salvatore Sparacino, Jonathan Pappa was jailed without bail to await trial for the brutal gangland-style slaying of John Sparacino in 1994.

Pappa, 22, was busted on Friday, Sept. 26, when cops and FBI agents chased him into St. Ann's Church and nabbed him as shocked members of the wedding party screamed from the altar.

Lawmen were waiting for Pappa when he arrived at the church at 7:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the rehearsal began. When Pappa spotted the cops and agents, he darted into the church, pulling his gun as he ran, said one investigator.

"Don't shoot. Give it up," yelled an agent.

"Oh my God, he's got a gun," screamed a young woman at the altar.

As agents and cops closed in with their guns drawn, Pappa tossed his loaded 9-mm. handgun into a pew just before he was arrested a few feet from the altar. No shots were fired.

The son of a slain Genovese mobster, Pappa, allegedly began plotting with several others to kill John Sparacino in late 1993 after Sparacino "fled the scene" of a planned murder, leaving Pappa to shift for himself.

Pappa and cohorts had allegedly plotted to kill John Sparacino, who had survived a stabbing and two shootings, for several months before he was finally lured to the home of Colombo associate Calvin Hennigar.

Hennigar, currently jailed on unrelated charges, allegedly shot him in the head before Pappa and other plotters got there, according to a federal complaint by FBI agent Matthew Tormey.

Pappa was so "angry that Hennigar had already shot Sparacino" that he mutilated and gutted his body before setting it on fire in a stolen car on Aug. 15, 1994, Tormey said.

According to the complaint, Pappa was also the triggerman in the June 1994 killing of another associate, Rolando Rivera.

Pappa, a Colombo associate since 1993, allegedly committed both murders in an effort to enhance his reputation and position with the Colombo family, according to the complaint. He faces life without parole if convicted.

Pappa's father, Genovese mobster Gerard Pappa, was fatally shot in 1980 in Brooklyn after he reportedly took part in a gangland-style slaying that was not sanctioned by his mob superiors.

Genovese boss Vincent (Chin) Gigante (right) was acquitted at his recent trial of charges that he had ordered the elder Pappa's murder.

 The wedding went on without Pappa, who isn't expected out of the Metropolitan Detention Center anytime soon.

At his bail hearing last week, assistant U.S. attorney Elizabeth Lesser charged that the baby-faced Pappa had been involved in as many as six murders in 1993 and 1994, including the thrill-killing of a stranger on a dare.

Lesser said Pappa is a member of a "very violent crew" associated with the Colombo family. Brooklyn Federal Magistrate Judge Joan Azrack denied bail, saying Pappa is a danger to the community and could be a flight risk.

ASK ANDY

THIS week, Andy answers several queries from Gang Land followers with his report about the New England La Cosa Nostra family, whose membership currently numbers about 65 made men, according to the FBI.

"Like most Cosa Nostra Families on the eastern seaboard," says Andy, "New England's Patriarca organization traces it's roots back to the turn of the century. Among the tens of thousands of honest immigrants from Italy came a small number of criminals steeped in the aura of various Italian criminal groups. These outlaws quickly began preying on their fellow Italians rather than earning their way. Gambling, loan sharking, extortion and hijacking were some of the many rackets the gangsters used. In Boston, Italian immigrants, including their criminal element, were basically hemmed into the North End by earlier arriving Irish immigrants, whose criminal element formed gangs and gained a powerful headstart on their Italian rivals through political and police corruption. Enmity between these two sets of ethnic criminals would lead to violence.

"Phil Buccola is the first New England Mafia leader that much is known about. Buccola arrived from Sicily just before 1920 and became boss within a few years. His organization was constantly challenged by the larger Irish gang but was able to hold it's own especially within Boston's North End.. According to O'Neil and Lehr, in their book, "The Underboss" (not the Gravano book), a key event happened in 1931 that preserved the independence of the Cosa Nostra Family. A large Irish gang, led by Frank Wallace, was attempting to intimidating the Italians in order to establish Irish dominance. Wallace and some subordinates were ambushed and killed at a clarification meeting. This, the authors claim, preserved the independence of the Cosa Nostra gang, which then could go on, over the ensuing decades, to achieve their own exalted position.

"Things were different in Providence, Rhode Island, which later became the headquarters of the New England Family. In contrast to Boston, Providence was predominately Italian. Unhindered by competition, the Italian gangsters quickly established their authority and most importantly, began influencing politicians and corrupting police. These were, and still are, the keys to any long term strength of a criminal organization.

"But in Boston, Buccola was the top mobster. And when The Commission was formed in 1931 following the Castellammarese War among mob families in New York, The Commission formally recognized Bucola as boss of all New England. With the backing of more than 20 other Cosa Nostra Families across the United States, Bucola becamse a much more formidable leader than he had been.

"Buccola, however, gradually became tired of the constant strife in the life of a Mafia boss and by the mid 1950's, when Senator Estes Kefauver began making noise and establishing committees to investigate organized crime, Buccola had returned to Sicily where he lived quietly for decades.

"The 1950's would see a number of events unfold within New England's Cosa Nostra that would seriously increase it's power. The unambitious Buccola was replaced by Raymond Patriarca, a very intimidating man from Providence, who was backed by the New York bosses. Patriarca's clout was enhanced when Boston mob leaders, spooked by Senator Kefauver, closed down syndicate gambling in Boston until the heat had passed. This opening was seized by mob associate, Jerry Angiulo, who had long been involved in gambling. Most accounts have Angiulo convincing consigliere Joe Lombardo and Patriarca to let him run these rackets. Angiulo would take the heat and be responsible for kicking a significant sum up the ladder. When the expected arrival in Boston of the Kefauver Committee did not take place, Angiulo was in a position to move up in the organization, if an opening arose.

"Patriarca's first underboss, Henry Tameleo, provided that opportunity when he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death row. He was found guilty when a ferocious mob associate, Joe (The Animal) Barboza, became a cooperating witness and detailed the many hits he had performed on behalf of La Cosa Nostra. Barboza also took down Patriarca on conspiracy charges in 1968. Angiulo, also fingered by Barboza, but proved to be lucky again, and acquitted at trial. As for the violent Barboza, he went into hiding on the west coast but reverted to form and was convicted of second degree murder. Soon after his release in 1975, he was gunned down in the street. Years later a bug would overhear Capo Larry Zannino telling how soldier J. R. Russo accomplished the hit.

"Frank Sinatra, long linked to mob figures but never charged with committing a crime with them, had a partial ownership in the Berkshire Downs race track in 1963. It became a problem for him with disclosures that Patriarca and New York Mafia boss Tommy Lucchese also held secret interests in the place. FBI supervisor Jules Bonavolonta, certainly no fan of the mob or mob associates, after carefully reviewing Sinatra's FBI file, recently concluded that all Sinatra was guilty of was occasionally "hanging out" with mobsters. There was no evidence he did anything wrong. At the time, however, the Berkshire story was not something that either Sinatra or Patriarca were happy about.

"Patriarca also received unwanted attention when famous mob informer Joe Valachi began to publicly detail his life in Cosa Nostra in the same year. Patriarca was named as Boss of New England and his picture appeared across the nation in Life magazine. That same publication shone a light on his organization and caused a mini scandal, in 1967, when it revealed that mobsters and pro athletes both frequented a low cost market where stolen merchandise was allegedly sold.

"More unwanted publicity occurred in a tax trial of a gangster named Louie Taglianetti. The FBI had successfully bugged Patriarca's headquarters from March, 1962 to July, 1965. The recordings could not be used in court because of the questionably legality of the bugging. After being tipped off about their existence, Taglianetti's lawyer demanded the tapes, expecting that the prosecution would drop the charges rather than turn them over. To Patriarca's fury, Prosecutors released the tapes and the resultant media attention was a disaster for him. It also became obvious to the public that corrupt politicians and police officers were a serious problem in New England.

"From the transcripts , it was disclosed that Patriarca had played a small role in the Joey Gallo rebellion against Joe Profaci, his New York Boss, in the early 1960's . One member of the Gallo gang, Nicky Bianco, was originally from New England. When Profaci died and was replaced by Joe Magliocco, Bianco was made (formally inducted into La Cosa Nostra) by Patriarca so he could take part in the peace "sitdown." The tapes also revealed that Patriarca believed that Joe Bonanno, a New York Boss, had faked his own kidnapping during Bonanno's battle with the Commission.

"New England mob turncoat Vinnie Teresa had a lot to say about the New England mob. His story, "My Life in the Mafia," was a sensation at the time of it's publication in 1973. Teresa, who despite all the hype about him being the third ranking New England mobster, was really only a well connected associate, who was tolerated because he was an "earner." Later, when Teresa'a mob protector went to jail, the huge 400 pound gangster was vulnerable and quickly became an informer when he found himself under legal pressure, and consequently in danger of execution from the mob.

"Teresa was a public relations genius. He knew how to embellish stories and give the public and police officials what they wanted to hear. His most famous testimony concerns his tactics in collecting overdue loan payments. He enthralled a Congressional committee and made headlines when he said he keep a piranha, a "man eating fish" in a tank in his office. If the borrower wouldn't pay up, Teresa would threaten to shove his hand into the tank. Teresa did know a tough mobster when he met one. While serving time in Lewisburg federal prison, Teresa became friendly with Carmine Galante, underboss to New York leader, Joe Bonanno. Galante had been convicted in a heroin conspiracy but jail time had not dampened his ferocity. In his book, Teresa predicted that Galante, once he was released, would not be intimidated by powerful Mafia boss Carlo Gambino, and would take over as Bonanno's successor. Future events proved Teresa correct, although Galante would be blown away in 1979.

"From 1968 till 1975, while Patriarca served his murder conspiracy sentence, Patriarca had the backing of The Commission and was able to exercise influence from behind bars and the family continued to operate smoothly. Patriarca was released early but this caused a mini scandal when it was revealed that a functionary in the Governor's office had written him a reference letter. The New England boss continued to rule for another nine years and died a natural death in 1984. In the meantime, in Boston, the FBI finally had begun planning an all out assault of Angiulo. They succeeded in bugging his headquarters and were able to obtain a conviction on a RICO charge. Angiulo was finished. With the death of his brother, Consiglieri, Nicky Angiulo, the three top positions in the family were vacant.

"With the support of the Commission, Raymond Patriarca Jr. moved into his father's spot. It was not to be a pleasant experience. Amongst his many problems was a festering sore over who would control the Boston rackets now that Angiulo was permanently jailed. New underboss Billy Grasso was shot in the back of the head by soldier Gaetano Milano and dumped in the river. On the same day, Frank (Cadillac Frank) Salemme was gunned down but lived. It was obvious that the long time unity of the Patriarca Sr. years was over.

"J. R. Russo, who had apparently killed informer Barboza, became consigliere, after the brief reign of Larry Zannino. Russo participated in an attempt at peace which was to include the induction of four new members. Unbeknownst to Russo, and all those at the ceremony, however, the FBI had bugged the meeting. Captured on tape was the actual administration of the Cosa Nostra oath, ending for all time any doubt that the Mafia exists. These startling events had severe consequences for the Family.

"Eventually, Patriarca Jr., Russo, and a number of capos and soldiers were convicted and received serious jail time. Bianco, who replaced Patriarca as boss was also convicted and died in jail in 1994. Soon after, Salemme, recovered from his wounds, was now boss of the weakened organization. However, Salemme was indicted in January of 1995 and was on the run in Florida until his capture later that year.

Salemme's brother, John (Jackie) Salemme was recently indicted on gambling charges and while preparing for trial, managed to obtain files on mob turncoats that had been made available to his brother, but not supposed to be released to others. Some of the files were discovered in the jail cell of convicted mob killer Freddie Simone. The government suspects that Jackie Salemme pilfered the files from the office of his lawyer, who also represents Frank Salemme, and is trying to have him held without bail pending his trial.

In September of 1997, Frank Salemme and others were challenging the evidence gathered against them in their racketeering case, claiming that the FBI, when applying for a series of court ordered bugs, had not disclosed their use of mob informants to the judge. This, claims Salemme's lawyer, makes the bug evidence unusable against his client. If this tactic works, there will be a series of challenges from other mobsters convicted on similar evidence.

"Despite this fall, it would be a serious mistake to think that gambling, loan sharking, extortion, drug trafficking and the like died with the weakening of the New England Cosa Nostra. Whether the remnants of the Patriarca Family, or another group, will be able to tie all these rackets together again remains to be seen."