Michael La Rosa (Lucchese)

 

M. La Rosa

 

Michael 'Mike the Baker' La Rosa was a member of the Lucchese family.

Born June 2, 1915 in NYC to Gioacchino La Rosa (25y) and Ninfa DiPeri (19y). Father born in Palermo, Sicily and mother born in the Marineo commune of Palermo province.

During childhood family resided at 202 Mott St in Manhattan. Future Genovese Family Soldier Salvatore "Pete Ricco" DiPietro (1922-1973) also resided there.

In 1915 parents founded G. La Rosa & Sons Bakery at 202 Elisabeth St in Manhattan. The bakery would stay in business well into the 1980s.

In 1940 resided at 899 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn.

In 1950 resided at 181 Highland Boulevard in Brooklyn.

By the 1960s owned G. La Rosa & Sons Bakery.

The time frame of LaRosa's induction into the Lucchese Family is not known. Included in the 1988 Senate Charts of Lucchese Family membership. LaRosa likley part of the late 1970s inductions. By the late 1970s La Rosa was a close associate of Lucchese Family Boss Anthony Corallo and involved in the Lucchese Family's racketeering in the construction industry.

In November of 1978 FBI surveillance observered La Rosa entering Orlando's Resturant in Huntington, Long Island. Orlando's was as a meeting place for Corallo's associates. 

On August 8, 1980 an FBI CI advised: "MIKE LA ROSA" is a member of the LUCHESE Family in the crew of JOSEPH DI PALERMO. Source advised that LA ROSA owns La Rosa Bakery on Elisabeth Street in New York City and has a lucerative shylocking operation in that area."

A FBI report from 2/4/81 summaries:

"LA ROSA is the owner of G. La Rosa and Sons Bakery, 202-209 Elizabeth Street, Manhattan, New York. Informant information indicates that LA ROSA is an underboss to LUCHESE boss ANTONIO "TONY DUCKS" CORALLO. LA ROSA is a major loanshark and did loan a substantial sum to [redacted] Telephone toll records reflect large volume of calls made from LA ROSA's residence to CORALLO, [redacted]. Little is known of the control LA ROSA may have over the baking industry in New York City.

As a co-conspirator, LA ROSA allegedly received a portion of all kickback monies paid by victim general contractors, including [redacted] JOE BELLANTONI, deceased, paid LA ROSA his cut of the payoff monies. LA ROSA, according to BELLANTONI, is the underboss of "TONY DUCKS" CORALLO."

Reference to La Rosa as a 'underboss' may indicate that La Rosa reported directly to Corallo and not to a Capodecina. 

Corallo had a long-standing influence over the bakery industry through Lucchese Family associate Daniel Motto (1910-1973), a loan-shark and long-standing president of Local 350 of Bakery Workers union. Corallo, Motto and city water commissioner James L. Marcus sentenced to prison in 1968 in a city contract kickback scheme to refurbish the Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx. A Little Italy native, Daniel Motto resided at 310 Mott Street in Manhattan in 1920.

Corallo early 1980s.

An FBI report from 3/4/81 states:

"[redacted] said that the rehabilitation rate of bricklayer rate pay at that time was approximately $13.10 [redacted] also stated that he has no idea what the non-union bricklaver at the 405 Hudson Street job received in salary. at this time advised that the bricklayer locals in NYC have suffered extreme economic hardship in the past due to the fact that 1500 bricklayers have dropped out of the various city bricklayer local unions since 1975.

[redacted] was then asked to comment as to his knowledge of organized crime infiltration into the bricklayers in the NYC denies any knowledge of organized crime infiltration in the pricklayer or any other trade local in the NYC area [redacted], and denied ever having been affiliated with any persons known to exert great influence in the labor industry in NY. [redacted] stated that he has never been involved in construction kickbacks and emphatically denied knowing these following individuals; SONNY PETRILLO, MIKE LA ROSA, TONY "DUCKS" CORALLO, PETE DE FEO, and "CHIN" GIGANTE [redacted] did state that he knows [redacted] as Local 59 of the Laborers Union delegate."

By 1981 resided at 82 Ripplewater Avenue, Massapequa, NY.

On March 9, 1981 among twelve defendants indicted on labor racketeering charges relating to extortion of construction companies. Part of the evidence came from a FBI bug placed in the 12 East 86th Street apartment of Genovese Family Soldier Vincent DiNapoli. One defendant, Theodore Maritas, president of the 25,000-member New York City District Council of Carpenters, disappeared before sentencing and is presumed murdered. La Rosa served 8 months in federal prison.

In the early 1980s La Rosa made three cash contributions to Geraldine Ferraro's congressional campaign. Ferraro would be the Democratic vice presidential nominee in the 1984 election. La Rosa had a long-standing business relationship with Ferraro's husband John Zaccaro and Zaccaro had managed Manhattan property owned by La Rosa and had helped refinance mortgages on several of La Rosa's properties.

Michael La Rosa died November 1988. 

Frank Magistro (Lucchese)

 

1960

Frank Magistro was a member of the Lucchese Family.

Born July 25, 1901 in Messina, Sicily to Salvatore (29y) and Carmella G. Lisi (24y). Immigrated to the US in 1909. Became a citizen in 1921. Father worked in construction.

By the late 1920s associated with Tom Gagliano, who became Boss of the Lucchese Family in 1930. Magistro was likely a made member by the 1930s. The time frame of Magistro's induction into the Lucchese Family is not known. Included in the 1983 and 1988 Senate Charts of Lucchese Family membership.

By May 1929 resided at 2550 Colden Avenue in the Bronx.

On June 32, 1932 sentenced to four months in federal house of detention the for tax evasion during the years 1927 to 1929. The charges steamed from Magistro's involvment in the construction industry. Family Boss Tom Gagliano was also sentenced to prison for tax evasion and suspected Lucchese Family member Antonio Monforte was sentenced to seven years for extorion in 1929 and to two years in for tax evasion in 1932.

Magistro's nephew Salvatore "Sam" Rizzo (1916-1986) married the daughter of Monforte, and Magistro's niece married the son of Monforte. Nunziata Monforte's, wife of Antonio, maiden name was Magistro. Sam Rizzo was included in the 1983 Senate Charts of Lucchese Family membership.

By July 1942 Magistro resided at 768 South Oak Drive in the Bronx.

By 1942 Magistro operated Metro Lathing Co. in the Bronx. Tom Gagliano was employed at Metro Lathing Co, as was Joseph Gagliano (1911-1979), son of suspected Lucchese Family member Angelo Gagliano (1878-1954). Angelo's nephew Joseph 'Pip the Blind' Gagliano (1903-1947) was a member of the Genovese Family.

By April 1950 Magistro resided at 638 East 227th Street in the Bronx.

In April 1951 Anthony 'Chick' D'Amore, a Mount Vernon gambler, incoperated Ace Lathing Co. A year later he had two equal partners, August Carfano and Carrie Magistro. August Carfano was the brother of Genovese Family Capodecina Anthony 'Little Augie' Carfano and Carrie Magistro was the daughter of Frank Magistro. Later Magistro became part owner of Ace Lathing.

Ace Lathing shared office with Westchester Lathing Co, now operated by Joseph Gagliano. Stockholders included Lucchese Family Consigliere Vincent Rao, his brother Lucchese Family member Charles Rao and Frank Carfano, son of Anthony Carfano. Westchester Lathing Co had been formed in the 1920s by Tom Gagliano and Antonio Monforte.

Testimony from 1960 concluded that Westchester Lathing Co had been formed by a group of lathing contractors as a joint enterprise to facilitate operation of jobs and prevent competition among themselves.

When Anthony Carfano was murderd in 1959, Frank Magistro was among those questioned by detectives.

In the 1980s his son Salvatore Magistro (1930-2013), a Lucchese Family associate, operated Gun Hill Building supplies and Star Lathing at 1015 East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. The premesis was a known meeting place for members and associates of the Lucchese Family, among them Family members Mariano Macaluso and Michael Salerno.

He died February 26, 1993.