Salvatore D'Aquila

(Redirected from Salvatore D'Aquilla)

Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila (Italian pronunciation: [salvaˈtoːre ˈdaːkwila]; November 7, 1873 – October 10, 1928) was an early Italian-American Mafia boss in New York City of the D'Aquila crime family, what would later become known as the Gambino crime family.[1][2]

Salvatore D'Aquila
Born(1873-11-07)November 7, 1873
DiedOctober 10, 1928(1928-10-10) (aged 54)
Cause of deathGunshot
Resting placeSt. John Cemetery, Queens, New York, U.S.
NationalityItalian
Other names"Toto"
Occupation(s)Crime boss, mobster
PredecessorIgnazio Lupo
SuccessorManfredi Mineo
AllegianceD'Aquila crime family

Early life and career

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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 capo dei capi.[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, Manfredi 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

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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 Manfredi Mineo.[7][8]

See also

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References

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Citations

  1. ^ Capeci, Jerry (2004). The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. New York: Penguin. ISBN 9781440625824.
  2. ^ H. Thomas Milhorn (December 2004). Crime: Computer Viruses to Twin Towers. Universal-Publishers. p. 218. ISBN 9781581124897.
  3. ^ Warner, Santino & Van't Reit 2014, pp. 39–40.
  4. ^ a b c Critchley 2009, pp. 156–157.
  5. ^ a b c d D'Aquila, Salvatore "Toto" (1873–1928) The American "Mafia"
  6. ^ a b c d Mike Dash (2009). The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 265. ISBN 9781588368638.
  7. ^ Ferrara, E.; Nash, A. (2011). Manhattan Mafia Guide: Hits, Homes & Headquarters. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-61423-351-0. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  8. ^ Varese, F. (2013). Mafias on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories. Princeton University Press. pp. 118 ff. ISBN 978-0-691-15801-3. Retrieved 17 September 2018.

Sources

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American Mafia
New title
Crime family established by D'Aquila
Gambino crime family
Boss

1910–1928
Succeeded by
Preceded by Capo dei capi
Boss of bosses

1912–1928
Succeeded by