Nicholas Santora - Biography

Biography

Nicholas Santora was born on June 21, 1942, and became known in his teens as a tough mobster from New York City. He was the son of Modesto Santora, a sidewalk soldier for the Colombo crime family under boss Joseph Magliocco. Originally a member of a youth gang, Santora became a made man along with mobsters Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero and Joseph "Big Joey" Massino in the mid 1970s.

When Santora became involved with the Bonanno family, the boss was the imprisoned Philip "Rusty" Rastelli. Rastelli's reign was threatened by Carmine "Lilo" Galante, who felt he was the rightful boss because he had been underboss and consigliere under boss Joe Bonanno. Santora started out in a crew led by Galante-supporter Michael "Mikey" Sabella, and became heavily involved with extortion, loansharking, labor racketeering, illegal gambling, truck hijacking, and murder for hire.

By 1978, Rastelli had heard rumors of Carmine Galante being the new boss of the Bonannos, but wouldn't tolerate it. Another caporegime, Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, would be approached by Rastelli to organize the murder of Carmine Galante. Indelicato approached Santora, whose job was to deliver the message to mobsters Dominick Napolitano and Cesare Bonventre and report back to Indelicato. Since Sabella was loyal to Galante, it had to happen without Sabella knowing it.

On July 12, 1979, Carmine Galante was murdered just as he finished eating lunch at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant at in Bushwick, Brooklyn along with friend Leonard Coppola and restaurant owner/cousin Giuseppe Turano. He was murdered by Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato, Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera, Dominic "Sonny Black" Napolitano and Louis "Louie Gaeta" Giongetti, who were all hired by Alphonse Indelicato.

After the Galante execution, several Galante supporters, including Michael Sabella, were demoted, as Trinchera, Napolitano and Bonventre were all promoted to captains of the Bonanno crime family. It is suspected his death was arranged by the heads of the other major Five Families in New York, who had decided Galante's greed and ambition over the control of the multimillion-dollar heroin business were a threat to all their interests. Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli was also involved and remained boss of the Bonannos.

With Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano as capo, The Motion Lounge crew would receive massive income as one of the most profitable crews in the Bonanno family. With soldiers Nicholas Santora, John Cersani, John Zancocchio, Edward Barberra, Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero, Michael Sabella, Joseph Puma, Steven Maruca, Salvatore Farrugia, Antonio Tomasulo, Anthony "Fat Tony" Rabito, Frank DiStefano, Salvatore D'Ottavio, James Episcopa, and infamous Mafia associate Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone, who was an FBI agent working undercover.

Napolitano, after three years of work in Brooklyn, moved operations to Florida in 1980, where he and Donnie Brasco set up loansharking, illegal gambling, extortion, and racketeering operations with the permission of longtime Florida Boss Santo Trafficante, Jr.. It was around this time that Santora would be put in charge of the entire Florida operation, along with Brasco. Back in New York, the leadership of Philip Rastelli wasn't so popular anymore, as Alphonse Indelicato was seen as a more prominent figure as boss of the Bonanno family, which is why Napolitano moved operations into Florida, in hope of squeezing the rival faction out financially. Indelicato and two other captains, Trinchera and Philip "Phil Lucky" Giaccone began planning on taking over the family.