Salvatore D'Aquila
| Salvatore D'Aquila | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 7, 1873 Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Died |
October 10, 1928 (aged 54) Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Nationality | Italian, American |
| Other names | "Toto" |
| Occupation | Crime Boss, mobster |
| Allegiance | D'Aquila Crime Family |
Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila (November 7, 1873 – October 10, 1928) was an early New York City Mafia Boss of what would later become known as the Gambino crime family.[1][2]
Early life and career
Salvatore D'Aquila was born on November 7, 1873 in Palermo, Sicily to Salvatore D'Aquila and his wife Provvidenza Gagliardo.[3] D'Aquila emigrated to the United States in 1906[4] and became an early captain within the Morello crime family in East Harlem.[4] D'Aquila was arrested in 1906 and in 1909; both times the charges were dropped.[5] In 1910, boss of bosses Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello was imprisoned and Salvatore D'Aquila separated from the Morello family.[6] D'Aquila formed his own crime family and was appointed the new boss of bosses.[6] His crime family operated from East Harlem and the Bronx, where he rivaled the Morellos'.[6]
D'Aquila expanded his crime family's power into Brooklyn and southern Manhattan's Lower East Side/Little Italy neighborhoods.[5] The most prominent members of the D'Aquila family were Umberto Valenti, Alfred Mineo, Giuseppe Traina, and Frank Scalise.[4] In 1920, after Giuseppe Morello was released from prison, D'Aquila tried to have him and his closest allies murdered.[5][6] In 1925, D'Aquila moved back into the Bronx.[5]
Death
On October 10, 1928, D'Aquila was shot dead on Avenue A in Manhattan, aged 54. After his murder, D'Aquila's family was taken over by Alfred Mineo.[4]
References
Citations
- ↑ Capeci, Jerry (2004). The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. New York: Penguin.
- ↑ H. Thomas Milhorn. Crime: Computer Viruses to Twin Towers. p. 218.
- ↑ Warner, Santino & Van't Reit 2014, pp. 39-40.
- 1 2 3 4 Critchley 2009, pp. 156-157.
- 1 2 3 4 D'Aquila, Salvatore "Toto" (1873-1928) The American "Mafia"
- 1 2 3 4 Mike Dash (2009). The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 265.
Sources
- Critchley, David (2009). The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931. New York: Routledge.
- Warner, Richard; Santino, Angelo; Van't Reit, Lennert (May 2014). "Early New York Mafia: An Alternative Theory". Informer: The History of American Crime and Law Enforcement. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
External links
- D'Aquila biography on The American Mafia website
- La Cosa Nostra Database "Salvatore D'Aquila"
- Salvatore D'Aquila at Find a Grave
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title Crime family established by D'Aquila |
Gambino crime family Boss 1910–1928 |
Succeeded by Alfred Mineo |
| Preceded by Giuseppe Morello |
Capo di tutti capi Boss of bosses 1910–1928 |
Succeeded by Joe Masseria |