A Quarter Century Of Murder In The Magaddino Crime Family: Buffalo Mob Hit Timeline (1974-1999)

The Buffalo mafia was treacherous terrain in the late-20th Century, from the time surrounding the 1974 passing of crime family namesake Stefano (The Undertaker) Magaddino until the start of the New Millennium, the Italian mob in western New York averaged roughly one gangland murder per year, with the 1970s and 80s being particularly brutal on the streets of Buffalo.

May 8, 1974 – Magaddino crime family powerhouse and labor-union captain John Cammillieri is gunned down in front of his favorite restaurant, Roseland’s, as he went to join his crew and girlfriend for his birthday party after attending a wake for Buffalo mobster Frank (Frankie Blaze) Lo Tempio, a soldier from the syndicate’s Utica, New York wing. The 63-year old Cammillieri allegedly feuded with his bosses in the mafia over union affairs and argued loudly with several Magaddino mob administrators at a cigar store hangout in the hours leading up to his high-profile slaying.

September 19, 1974 – Buffalo mob prince, Albert (Little Babe) Billiteri, Jr., the drug-dealing son of Magaddino crime family captain Albert (Babe) Billiteri, is found shot six times in Cheektowaga as unsanctioned payback for ripping off another western New York wiseguy in a narcotics transaction and robbing the wiseguy’s mom’s house.

October 5, 1974 – Buffalo area burglar and bookie Frank (Frankie D) D’Angelo is riddled with bullets as he left Mulligan’s nightclub for failing to deliver tribute to the Magaddino mob family from a big jewelry heist he pulled.

February 17, 1976 – Buffalo area thief and aspiring Goodfella William (Butch) Esposito is found strangled to death, dumped in a mud-soaked field in the back of his apartment complex. Esposito, 29, had recently been paroled from a prison stint for running a robbery ring and allegedly angered the Magaddino hierarchy by getting into a bar fight with a local mafia button man.

May 31, 1976 – Magaddino crime family associate Robert Reingold, a convicted counterfeiter and drug peddler, is found strangled to death and hogtied in the trunk of his car after shooting the brother of a Buffalo mob power.

October 5, 1977 – Buffalo mafia soldier Sam Rizzo is allegedly forced to hang himself at his business’ warehouse in Depew, New York following engaging in a beef with a fellow mobster in Florida.

November 3, 1977 – Buffalo area bartender and bookie Joseph (Handsome Joey) Vara is killed for a love affair he was having with Magaddino mobster Joe San Fratello’s wife while San Fratello was away in prison.

November 14, 1977 – Magaddino crime family associate John Certo is bludgeoned to death and his body discovered in a burned-down shed at a garbage dump in Lewiston, New York. Word on the street was that Certo had slapped around the niece of Niagara Falls capo and future underboss Benjamin (Sonny) Nicoletti.

April 19, 1979 – Buffalo area drug dealer and mob associate Peter (Pixie Stix Pete) Piccolo, a 32 year old hair salon owner and beauty school operator, is found shot in the back of his head behind the desk in his Allentown, New York office. The reportedly-homosexual Piccolo double-crossed his partners in the mob in a large cocaine deal, per police records.

September 29, 1979 – Buffalo mob enforcer Ray Townsend is found shot in the face and head behind the wheel of his car, which was parked idling outside a local watering hole. The 37-year old Townsend was allegedly blamed by local Magaddino organization brass for a bungled drug deal.

March 6, 1980 – Magaddino crime family captain Carlo Rizzo disappears on his way home for dinner and isn’t found for another five weeks when his body is discovered stuffed in the trunk of his car on April 10. Rizzo was deeply involved in the Buffalo mafia’s insurance scams run through mobbed-up labor unions that had come under investigation by the feds.

March 7, 1980 – Buffalo mob soldier and reputed hit man William (Billy the Kid) Sciolino is killed in his office at construction site by a shot-gun wielding team of assassins. Sciolino’s mentor in the mob, Daniel (Danny Boots) Sansanese had died four years prior and rumors were circulating that Billy the Kid was secretly cooperating with the FBI in building a case against Magaddino-infested Local 210 of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) where he held the job as steward.

February 8, 1981 – East coast mafia associate Bobby Warner is shot to death inside a suite in the McKinley Park Inn hotel allegedly by Luciano (Dilly) Spataro for the belief Warner was a rat.

November 13, 1983 – The Buffalo mob’s representative in Toronto, Paul (The Fox) Volpe, is found shot to death in the trunk of his car at the Toronto International Airport. Volpe allegedly fell out with his mob superiors over a casino deal in Atlantic City.

April 3, 1984 – Magaddino crime family loan shark, Albert (Big Al) Monaco is shot in the back of the head at the home of legendary Buffalo mob hit man Luciano (Dilly) Spataro by Spataro’s son-in-law Johnny Pinelli after it’s uncovered that Monaco was skimming from his collections.

February 2, 1985 – Buffalo mobster and drug lieutenant Joe San Fratello is shot death as he departs a local tavern, reportedly the victim of an internal Magaddino spat over narcotics territory.

April 17, 1985 – Buffalo mob enforcer and hired security to the stars Robert (Bobby the Body) DiGiulio is ambushed as he left his home, gunned down for sleeping with a mobster’s girlfriend on contract initiated by his scorned wife and given to Dilly Spataro.

September 19, 1986 – Buffalo mob associate Alan (Tuxedo Al) Levine is found shot to death sprawled out on the street. The 33-year old Tuxedo Al managed a series of prostitute-infested motels and pushed drugs for the Magaddinos. He was killed after he ripped off mobsters in a drug deal

September 29, 1986 – Magaddino crime family hit man Johnny Pinelli is shot in the back of the head and left in a ditch for beating up his wife, Dilly Spataro’s daughter.

August 9, 1989 – Buffalo mob associate and drug dealer Michael Ress vanishes on his way to an evening meeting with Magaddino clan narcotics chief John (Fat Johnny) Sacco, his partner in a cocaine and marijuana distribution network. Ress’ remains have never been unearthed. Both he and Sacco were informing for the FBI.

October 1992 – Buffalo mob associate Paul Gembella is slain over a gambling debt.

July 8, 1993 – Buffalo mob associate Michael Baldi is shot in the head behind wheel of his car after a business deal he was in with Magaddino members went belly up.

May 31, 1997 – Heavily-feared Magaddino crime family captain and the clan’s king of Canada, John (Johnny Pops) Papalia, is shot to death in front of his home in a power play launched by members of his own Hamilton, Ontario crew.

July 23, 1997 – Niagara Falls mobster and Johnny Pops’ top lieutenant and right-hand man Carmen Barillaro is shot dead less than two months after his gangland mentor’s slaying as he answers a knock at his front door.