Buffalo Crime Family - Pieri and Frangiamore Era

Pieri and Frangiamore Era

After the death of Stefano Magaddino in the summer of 1974 the Commission officially sanctioned longtime crime family member Samuel "Sam the Farmer" Frangiamore as the new official Acting Boss of the Buffalo crime family for a one-year term as is customary in most LCN crime families to see if he has the full support and loyalty of the crime family. It has been debated for the last three decades as to whether or not Frangiamore was only an Acting or Front Boss for former Acting Boss and powerful crime family member Sam Pieri, as the local Buffalo law enforcement and the FBI have stated that sometime in 1975 after Sam Frangiamore's year term was up he stepped down for Sam Pieri; what is known is that by 1975 longtime crime family member and official Consigliere Joseph "Joe the Wolf" DiCarlo Sr., who was also the brother-in-law of Sam Pieri, stepped down and retired. He was replaced by Joe Pieri Sr., brother of Sam. It is hard to determine the facts and to come to a credible conclusion regarding the leadership of the Buffalo crime family in the mid to late 1970s, but what can be definitely determined is that Sam Frangiamore and Sam Pieri were the two top Bosses in the Buffalo crime family from 1974–78; On November 20, 1978 Sam Pieri was once again sentenced to prison for five years. So once again by late 1978 Sam Frangiamore became the real Boss of the Buffalo crime family and Sam Pieri's criminal interest and his leadership position was taken over by Joe Pieri Sr. who was promoted to Acting Underboss while Vincent Scro was named Acting Consigliere. Sammy was never the boss of the family.

The Frangiamore faction continued to lead the Buffalo crime family while throughout the 1970s Capo Joseph "Lead Pipe Joe" Todaro Sr. was not only growing in power and influence, but in popularity among the younger, up and coming crime family members. The Buffalo crime family was divided and weakened throughout the 1970s, but maintained a dominant presence within Western New York's underworld at all times. In early 1981 Sam Pieri was paroled from prison on humanitarian grounds due to his ill health, he returned to Buffalo and died soon later on July 24, 1981 at the age of 70. Sam Frangiamore was definitely the official Boss and Joe Pieri Sr. is the official Underboss while Vincent Scro is promoted to official Consigliere. As the Buffalo crime family enters the 1980s the old guard leadership of Sam Frangaimore and Joe Pieri Sr. are being rivaled by the Todaro faction which is supported by many of the younger and ambitious crime family members and the support for Joe Todaro Sr. has grown to a level of power and influence within the Western New York underworld and the national Mafia that he will most definitely be the next successor to the throne. It is most likely that Underboss to Sam Frangiamore, Joe Pieri Sr. may have been another hopeful for the Bosses crown once Frangiamore retired and what is known is that on October 8, 1984 Joe Pieri Sr. and former Buffalo area resident and Cleveland crime family Acting Boss, John "Peanuts" Tronolone traveled to New York and met with Genovese crime family Acting/Front Boss, Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno in regards to internal conflicts and the issue of leadership within the Buffalo crime family that were becoming very explosive and could possibly end up in an internal war.

The late 1984 meeting in New York shows that the leadership of the Buffalo crime family had most likely been officially chosen by then and that there seemed to be serious conflict within new regime that could keep the crime family divided and weakened if the conflict was not resolved. Two high-ranking mafiosi from Buffalo and Cleveland met with powerful New York Mafia Boss Tony Salerno at his "Palma Boys Social Club". The headquarters of Salerno and his Palma Boys Crew was located at 416 East 115th St., East Harlem in Manhattan, New York. What the three Mafia leaders didn't know was that the East Harlem social club was bugged and the FBI had been recently recording Boss, Tony Salerno and his closest associates, picking up very damaging conversations and information concerning the New York Mafia and other crime families nationwide. Joe Pieri Sr. was apparently the Consigliere of the Buffalo crime family at this time and he spoke with the Genovese crime family front Boss, Tony Salerno about the Buffalo crime family's current situation and addressed some growing concerns he had over the leadership succession in Buffalo. "The Commission wants it straightened out", Salerno states, Joseph Pieri Sr. who was clearly bitter towards his Boss states, "I killed a few guys who were against him and he got to be Boss, now he starts neglecting me" Supporting Joe Pieri Sr. was a former Buffalo native and the present Cleveland crime family Acting Boss, John "Peanuts" Tronolone, "They're walking around with machine guns, these guys, suppose we walk around with machine guns", Tronolone adds to the conversation. "No, I'll send word to Junior to straighten this thing out", Salerno is referring to Colombo crime family Boss, Carmine "Junior" Persico who along with several members of his crime family has had a long standing association with members of the Buffalo crime family and being that Persico is a Commission member it is a good idea that he makes any overtures towards the Buffalo crime family leadership concerning any Buffalo Mafia affairs the Commission choses to be involved in. Salerno chimes in, "As for the Buffalo Boss, give him the word from the Commission", Pieri is quick to please the powerful Mafia Boss, Salerno, "I'll send word!" Salerno is not finished and is eager too show his guests the level of authority the New York Commission carries, "Tell him", meaning the Buffalo Boss, "It's the Commission from New York, tell him he's dealing with the big boys now."