The Bufalino crime family in Northeastern Pennsylvania was once a power in U.S. mafia circles but by the 1980s was on its last legs in terms of strength and influence. Russell Bufalino, the borgata’s longtime boss, was closely aligned with the Genovese crime family out of New York. When Bufalino died of natural causes in February 1994 at the ripe old age of 90, his organization’s glory days of controlling all vice in Scranton, Pittson and Wilks-Barre were in the distant past. Actor Joe Pesci was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Bufalino in the 2019 Netflix film, The Irishman.
The Last Days Of The Bufalino Mob Timeline (1980-1990)
December 1980 – Pennsylvania Godfather Russell Bufalino indicted for the attempted murder of Jack Napoli, who was in the Witness Protection Program after testifying against Bufalino at a 1977 extortion trial and sending him to prison for three years.
December 1980 – Bufalino crime family enforcer Frank (The Irishman) Sheeran is indicted for labor racketeering and bribery. Sheeran is Bufalino’s bodyguard and right-hand man and is president of the Delaware Teamsters.
*In the months before he died in 2004, Sheeran admitted to killing Detroit Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa, the basis for the 2019 movie The Irishman, starring Joe Pesci as Bufalino, Robert DeNiro as Sheeran and Al Pacino as Hoffa.
June 13, 1981 – Buffalino crime family soldier Angelo Son dies of natural causes.
November 1981 – Bufalino crime family consigliere Eddie (The Conductor) Sciandra is busted for for tax fraud.
November 1981 – Russell Buffalino is found guilty of trying to kill Jack Napoli and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
December 1981 – Frank Sheeran is found guilty of labor racketeering and bribery and sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
October 1982 – Bufalino crime family underboss Dave Ostico is indicted on conspiracy charges and for obstruction of justice.
December 27, 1982 – Bufalino crime family hit man Gioacchino (Dandy Jack) Parisi died of natural causes. Parisi was a member of the Murder, Inc. wing of the New York mafia in the 1930s and 40s.
February 11, 1983 – Bufalino crime family capo Phil Medico dies of natural causes.
March 1983 – Bufalino crime family associate Ellis Klepfer is indicted for aiding and abetting racketeering.
July 29, 1983 – Bufalino crime family soldier Louis (Las Vegas Lou) Marconi dies of natural causes. Marconi oversaw Las Vegas casino travel junkets from his base of operations in Binghamton, New York and dabbled in the garment center rackets.
December 1983 – Dave Osticco is sentenced to 8 years in prison in his conspiracy and obstruction case.
March 17, 1984 – Bufalino crime family soldier Aldo Magnelli dies of natural causes.
July 5, 1984 – Bufalino crime family elder statesman Steve La Torre dies of natural causes. La Torre and his brothers had brought the Italian mafia to Northeastern Pennsylvania from Montedoro, Sicily at the turn of the 20th Century.
September 1984 – Ellis Klepfer pleads guilty and is sentenced to 2 years in prison.
December 1984 – Bufalino crime family solider Charles (Charlie Lips) Fratello is arrested in Florida and charged with murder.
August 1985 – Charlie Fratello is found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
March 4, 1987 – Bufalino crime family soldier Casper (Cappy) Guimento dies of natural causes. Guimento was Russell Bufalino’s driver.
April 29, 1987 – Bufalino crime family soldier Angelo Sciandra dies of natural causes.
May 1987 – Bufalino crime family capo Anthony (Guv) Guarnieri is indicted by the feds for drugs, weapons and counterfeiting. Guarnieri ran the Bufalino’s Binghamton, New York rackets.
August 11, 1988 – Dave Osticco is released from prison.
May 5, 1989 – Russell Buffalino is released from prison.
October 1989 – “Guv” Guarnieri and Bufalino button man Anthony Mosco indicted for labor racketeering.
April 20, 1990 – Bufalino crime family capo Dominic (Nick Rags) Alaimo dies of natural causes. Alaimo ran the Bufalino’s garment industry rackets.
June 15, 1990 – David Ostico dies of natural causes.
August 12, 1990 – “Guv” Guarnieri dies of natural causes at 80, two weeks after being smacked with a 30-year prison sentence for the labor racketeering pinch he took the year before.
The post The Final Countdown: Last Days Of The Bufalino Crime Family Timeline (1980-1990) appeared first on The Gangster Report.