Detroit Partnership - The Short Reign of The Peacemaker: 1930

The Short Reign of The Peacemaker: 1930

Milazzo controlled the Detroit Mafia as the undisputed boss for a very short period of time, only two months. Milazzo took over as head of the Detroit Mafia upon Catalanotte's death, an event that threw the Detroit Mafia into chaos once again. Catalanotte and Milazzo were both respected Mafia advisers and had managed to maintain an uneasy peace between the various Mafia factions within the Detroit underworld for roughly a decade, but at the time of Catalanotte's death Milazzo found himself in a precarious position as various events within the American Mafia would directly play a role in Milazzo's downfall. Milazzo had been recognized as one of the Detroit Mafia's top bosses since the early 1920s and relative stability had reigned within the local underworld throughout this time, but by 1930 continuing Mafia rivalries based in New York and Chicago concerning his Castellammarese allies directly involved Milazzo. At the heart of the volatile situation within New York City's Mafia lay Milazzo's fellow Castellamarese mafiosi who found themselves being opposed by powerful boss Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. The ongoing feud had reached a boiling point and supporters on both sides in New York, as well as Chicago were preparing for war.

Gaspar Milazzo and his longtime ally, Buffalo Mafia boss Stefano Magaddino had secretly, but willingly supported their allies in New York and Chicago as they opposed Joe Masseria and his supporters. By 1930 the situation had changed and both men now openly supported their allies, including Chicago Mafia boss Giuseppe Aiello, who was being opposed by a powerful Masseria ally in Chicago, Al Capone. Joe Masseria, the recognized "Boss of Bosses" was incensed by the disrespect Milazzo and Magaddino where showing him by supporting his enemies and soon Masseria decided Milazzo and Magaddino, both powerful and influential mafiosi must be eliminated. Masseria would accomplished this in Detroit by supporting a Milazzo adversary, Cesare "Chester" La Mare, the boss of the Hamtramck, Michigan area. La Mare was born in Chicago in 1884, but his parents were allegedly of Castellamarese descent, so he was believed to be a close associate of Milazzo, in fact some Mafia historians claim Milazzo was La Mare's mentor during the 1920s. While Milazzo was an ally of the Eastside gang, La Mare and his Westside gang had been become rivals of the Eastside gang as La Mare's ambition and list for power grew, bit it was kept in check while the influential Sam Catalanotte was alive, nobody dare break the peace and cause an all out war. Eventually with the support of Joe Masseria in New York, La Mare began to make plans to eliminate the leaders of the Eastside gang which included Angelo Meli, William Tocco and Joseph Zerilli. There had been an ongoing rivalry and a great deal of animosity between the two groups and now La Mare used this as an excuse to set up an assassination attempt disguised as a peace meeting.

Eastside gang leader Meli was uneasy about the meeting and felt the treacherous La Mare could be setting him and his associates up to die. Meli contacted Milazzo who was recognized as the new boss and a trusted mediator within the Italian underworld and asked him to represent the Eastside gang and mediate the dispute believing that La Mare would never attempt to murder such as highly respected and feared Detroit Mafia leader knowing it would instantly start a war. Around noon on May 31, 1930, Detroit Mafia leader Gaspar Milazzo and his driver and right-hand-man, Sam "Sassa" Parrino arrived at the Vernor Highway Fish Market, at the time a known meeting place of local mafiosi. While they awaited in a private area for La Mare and his associates to arrive they began to eat lunch. Without comment two gunmen leaped out from a back room and unleashed a barrage of shotgun blasts at both men. Milazzo was hit in the head and died instantly, while Parrino was shot in the chest, abdomen and arm and soon died. Milazzo was 43 years of age and his murder would start a new round of killings within the Detroit Mafia, but this next round of killings would finally allow the alignment of the Detroit Mafia under a new regime and a national criminal organization under the leadership of The Commission.