Cuneo crest
Cuneo's coat of arms.
The Cuneo crime family is a crime syndicate of the Italian Mafia. It controlled the cities of Hell's Kitchen and The Bronx in New York City and Kansas City, running the Kansas City-New York City Railroad lines. They were founded in 1920 by Carmine Cuneo, a Sicilian immigrant, who became a milk truck fleet owner, as well as a businessman who built up his base in NYC after eliminating the Westies gang. The Cuneos are among the Five Families of New York organized crime, and are allied to the Corleone crime family and Stracci crime family, and are enemies of the Irish Mob.
History[]
Geremia Pizzano(Left) and Federico Pagalo(Right)
The Cuneo crime family were based out of Hell's Kitchen, starting out as the 44th Street Gang, led by Carmine Cuneo. However, in 1927, with aid from his close friends Luciano Fabbri, his son and Mario DeBellis, he exterminated the Westies Irish Mob and took over the neighborhood, founding the Cuneo Family with Fabbri as Consigliere, his son as Underboss and DeBellis as Capo. The family were mainly legitimate, running milk trucks, and Carmine Cuneo was never suspected of illegal activities. But his Soldati were vicious in their methods and ran the black market operations, and took over lots of land from the Barzini crime family and Corleone crime family. They became one of the Five Families due to their power in NYC. However, they managed to form alliances with all of the other families and maintained peace for many years until the Five Families War of 1946.
Their Soldato Bobby Marcolini was the first to fall, literally, being thrown off of the West Side Highway overpass while extorting a debtor. In 1947, the Caporegimes Ronnie Tosca, and Mario DeBellis were all killed, and in the Third Cuneo War of 1948, their rackets were cut off and they lost Dino de Martini, and Artie Manzanero paid the Corleones protection money instead after Sonny Corleone's takeover of power. The Cuneos then participated in his murder, leading to the end of the war, with Vito Corleone promising that he would not break the truce that ended the war. However, Vito retired and let his son Michael Corleone become Don, and Michael was not obliged to follow his father's commitments. Michael waged war on the Cuneos, and in 1955 Don Carmine Cuneo was whacked by the Corleones. To keep the Cuneos off the streets, Corleone capo Peter Clemenza sent Aldo Trapani to assassinate Consigliere Luciano Fabbri and Underboss Marco Cuneo, which led to a brief mob war that was solved by FBI interference.
Carmine Cuneo's successor Ottilio "Leo" Cuneo was friendlier to the Corleones and the Cuneos became allies with them once more, sharing their casinos in Las Vegas. The Cuneos became millionaires due to their investment in Michael Corleone's casino business, and their business continued despite the loss of their New York territories. However, in 1979, Don Cuneo and eleven other Dons on The Commission were killed in the Atlantic City Massacre, orchestrated by boss Joey Zasa of the Clemenza crime family, which was survived by Osvaldo Altobello, Michael Corleone, and ten seriously-wounded Dons. The Cuneos are currently based in The Bronx, Hell's Kitchen, and Upstate New York.
Family[]
1945-1955[]
- Don- Carmine Cuneo
Carmine Cuneo in 1955
- Underbosses- Marco Cuneo and Leo Cuneo
- Consigliere-Luciano Fabbri
- Caporegimes-Ronnie Tosca, Mikey Perroni, Artie Manzanero, Geremia Pizzano, Dino de Martini, Bernardo Picardi and Mario DeBellis
- Soldiers-Bobby Marcolini, Enzo Cuneo, Federico Pagalo, Masimo Pizzano, Fausto Cuneo, Sr. and Alberto Cuneo, Sr.
- Associates-Dario Cicco, Jerry O'Halligan, Lorenzo Allegro, Antonio Trapani, Bobby Baretta, Bob Boswell, Bobbie Cappalinni, Carlo Collini, Nicky Caruso, Fausto Cuneo, Jr., Dario Cicco, Alberto Cuneo, Jr., Enrico Grosser, Ralph Finkerelli, Joe Elegante, Mack McNulty, Manny Calamari, Umberto Raffini, Noodles Rizzoni, Cristo Stonelli, and Tom Wilson
1955-1979[]
- Don-Leo Cuneo
- Consigliere-Luciano Fabbri
- Underboss-Marco Cuneo
- Caporegimes-Bartolomeo Perricone
- Soldati-Alfredo Arpino