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My grandfather was Big Joe Truglio out of Wheeling
Pat Truglio was an associate of the Colombo family. Wheeling today it is run out of Pittsburgh where Mafiosi have meetings. Colombo and Genovese of New Yorks five have a backround in that area. Marasco family has mobile contacts with Mafiosi currently in eastern Ohio. Pennsylvania to NY with Amato family.Joe Truglio... the only thing I could find is an actor and comedian. Search the history of Robert Marasco during Vietnam and you will find a Mafioso style hit on a double agent. Jersey casinos are the major meeting grounds beside the New York five; mainly Little Italy and Long Island. I am a "made" member by Andrew Marasco and his two other Mafiosi who did the ceremonial cutting of the hand/burning of a saint. Later me and my friends heard fire alarms. Found out there has been an arson to the old shut down Budget Lodge motel where we held the ceremony.The place is now demolished. You think that owning a cement truck in New York their aren't a few sleeping with the fishes. Arson at Former Belpre Budget Lodge that is all I am allowed to tell. Omerta .
Last edited by Cosa Nostra CO1821; 04-13-2013 at 03:33 AM..
Reason: Language.
My great grandfather who came over from Italy around 1910 made moonshine up in the hills, so he was probably involved with the mafia in some way. Another thing...he owned a bakery...which exploded and killed him...the news said "too much natural gas in the oven". It just sounds suspicious to me. I guess the world will never know the life of Rafaele Musilli.
To the original post: I have facts.I was there for many meetings between Paul Hankish and Ted Tsoras. I was followed many times by the Feds because I was just a son's girlfriend. However,I am also a great niece to the Bill Blias Crew. My late great uncles worked for "Big Bill in East Wheeling."
I have a question for most of you with older knowledge from the early days of mafia ties in Wheeling, WV.(30's, 40's and 50's mostly) First, I know Bill Blias was "the king pin "then around the era and later.However, does anyone know who else was the "Boss" in Wheeling, WV especially from East Wheeling or possible a under boss or someone that came down from Pittsburgh especially during a funeral? Can anyone give me insight on the families that were involved or the other boss that most Italians kissed his ring when he entered the room.I know this because my family was one of those older families that did just that.But we ( as kids were told never mind) never knew his name? All of the men I am related to that worked for Bill Blias are deceased now.Any information as to what roles they played and their surnames. One of my great uncles of that family was murdered in New Orleans. More more thing. Can anyone define what a "Black Hand" was?
As for the Hankish Clan. Tsoras was also included as a "Booky", and Jimmy Griffth was their hit man.Who died in prison for hits as well.
Never a family, but in its day places like Huntington and Wheeling had money and where there was money to be spent there was "activity". I'm sure boys from Steubenville, Pittsburgh and Youngstown had a few things going on, probably no made guys though.
I'm a great Niece of those men who operated from east Wheeling back in the 30-50's. My ancestry is from Naples and Palermo.I kind of beg to differ. If you have more information, I would love to hear it.Of course these men are all deceased and I am trying to tie which clan they ran for. I know some was with the Blias Crew and ,I am trying to find out if another Crew was active at that time and if you know any members.
Did you know or heard of the Cerra Brothers? My great uncle was Tony Cerra. Had a hit put out on him in New Orleans in the 50's.Of course they were successful
The situation in Wheeling was far more complex than meets the eye in the 50s. First of all, the Mafia had very limited influence in Wheeling in those days. It did, however, have massive influence in Steubenville and Weirton. By agreement with local Wheeling bosses, the territories went by county lines... Jefferson to the Mafia and Belmont to local interests on the Ohio Side... Brooke to the Mafia and Ohio/Marshall to local interests on the WV Side. That agreement held true right through the 50s.
As to what went on in Wheeling itself, it was complex and really depended on which vices you were talking about. Gambling was headed up by Bill Lias (Greek ethnicity), and he was allied with, but not controlled by, Pittsburgh Mafiosi. The names commonly associated with gambling in Wheeling included only one Italian family (Zambito), although there were others of Italian extraction who worked as underlings for the other families, and the Sparachanes were involved in Marshall County. There were also significant Jewish and Lebanese family connections involved (the Lebanese group was also heavily involved in fencing stolen property), and one German family (Glessner), but everyone who operated in gambling had to have the Lias blessing.
Prostitution was controlled by families I will not mention here, but they were closely tied in with the political operations of the city and the actual origins of that group came from Marion County/Fairmont on the operational side, and longtime Wheeling interests on the political side. The families involved were of German, Irish, and English ethnicity. This group operated totally under the radar and involved some of the more prestigious new money families in town. They also operated with impunity because the police were in their hip pocket. The Wheeling side of the operation included major land holders in the area. When this group died off, around the end of the 50s, their descendants decided they wanted nothing to do with the prostitution business so the land holdings were sold off as "Urban Renewal" and most of Wheeling's prostitution business went out with it.
Drugs were never an issue in Wheeling in the 50s. None of the local criminal people wanted anything to do with it, and they never permitted it to take place on any significant scale. Violent crime was also not permitted in Wheeling, which was one of America's safest cities throughout the era. The criminals kept the streets safe. It was better for business.
Last edited by CTMountaineer; 01-01-2014 at 11:47 AM..
Be happy Charleston hasn't yanked WVU out Motown - it would be a 2 horse hick town if they did.
It's more likely the Capitol would be yanked out of Charleston. That city would be a smelly chemical cesspool if that were to happen instead of the politically corrupt smelly cesspool we find there today.
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Mafia in Wheeling ,WV 30-50's
