rdfs:comment
| - Gentile was born in Siculiana, a small village on the south coast of Sicily in the province of Agrigento. He immigrated to the United States arriving in New York at age 18, in 1903. He quickly associated with the Black Hand during the early 20th century, Gentile would become a leader in America's early mafia and would later serve as a confidant for New York mobsters throughout the early part of the 20th century up until the Castellammarese War and the subsequent formation of New York's Five Families under Lucky Luciano in 1931. Gentile traveled the country as a troubleshooter and negotiator, known as the messaggero or substituto, relaying messages between crime families and mediating disputes and became part of a New York Mafia Family led by Vincent Mangano and Joseph Biondo, which later b
|
abstract
| - Gentile was born in Siculiana, a small village on the south coast of Sicily in the province of Agrigento. He immigrated to the United States arriving in New York at age 18, in 1903. He quickly associated with the Black Hand during the early 20th century, Gentile would become a leader in America's early mafia and would later serve as a confidant for New York mobsters throughout the early part of the 20th century up until the Castellammarese War and the subsequent formation of New York's Five Families under Lucky Luciano in 1931. Gentile traveled the country as a troubleshooter and negotiator, known as the messaggero or substituto, relaying messages between crime families and mediating disputes and became part of a New York Mafia Family led by Vincent Mangano and Joseph Biondo, which later became known as the Gambino crime family. During Prohibition, Gentile was briefly involved in bootlegging with criminal syndicates in Kansas City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. In 1920, there was an attempt made on his life by his rival of Cleveland crime family, mafia boss Joseph Lonardo. Gentile left for Sicily, but not before he met with his New York allies. He decided to align himself with New York mafia bosses Rocco Valenti and Salvatore Mauro against Salvatore D'Aquila and Joe Lonardo, who backed mafia boss, Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria in his bid to gain control of the Morello crime family in which Rocco Valenti and Joe Masseria were both high level members. Gentile returned to the United States after several months in Sicily. His allies Mauro and Valenti were gunned down by Masseria forces in 1920 and 1922 ending the conflict and making Joe Masseria one of the top mafia bosses in New York. Gentile continued his criminal career in New York now aligning himself with the group of Lucky Luciano. Gentile became involved with Luciano's narcotics operations. He was arrested in New Orleans in 1937 on drug charges. Soon after his arrest Gentile fled the country while out on US$ 15,000 bail and returned to Sicily.
|