Joseph Saraceno
Pittston LCN Teacher
Members of La Cosa Nostra have historically had a wide variety of legitimate jobs. But why did Pittston Teacher Joseph Saraceno join the Pittston LCN Family?
Born in 1924 in NYC, Joseph Saraceno, according to his obituary was “a sickly child” and moved away from the city and to Endicott in circa 1930 to live with an Aunt and Uncle. At this time the Saraceno name was common in New York’s Little Italy, but it was also present in Endicott, N.Y., both being homes of people born in Castellammare del Golfo.
After serving his country in the 1940s, Saraceno completed a business degree and in 1948 he got engaged to Alfonsina Volpe, daughter of former Pittston Boss, Santo Volpe. They were married in 1949. Newspaper reports reveal persons involved in the ceremony. Bridesmaids included Mrs Santo Volpe Jr, Miss Josephine Gelso (daughter of Pittston LCN member Charles Gelso) and Miss Toni Meli (daughter of Detroit LCN member Frank Meli, and future wife of Bill Bufalino), The flower girl was the daughter of Joseph Barbara.
By 1950, Saraceno and his wife were neighbours to Santo Volpe. Whilst not quite the Corleone Mall, Volpe did surround himself with friends and family at his residence on Wyoming Avenue, Pittston.
The residents of the above map (L-R) were:
225 Wyoming Ave - Angelo Falzone, Pittston LCN member
221 Wyoming Ave - Charles Bufalino, son of Salvatore Bufalino, and son-in-law of Santo Volpe
215 Wyoming Ave - Santo Volpe, Former Pittston LCN Boss
213 Wyoming Ave - Joseph Saraceno, Pittston LCN member, son-in-law of Santo Volpe
211 Wyoming Ave - Santo Volpe Jr, Santo’s son, and son-in-law of Pittston LCN member William Medico
Sarceno is named as a member of the ‘Upstate Pennsylvania LCN Group’ in a 1968 FBI file. This same year, Saraceno was teaching at Wyoming High School and by 1971, was Head of the Social Studies Department for the Wyoming Area School District.
In 1984, Saraceno, a member of the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, was charged with theft for the illegal receipt of travel reimbursements; the amount of money totalling $1,375. According to the affidavit, on one trip to Detroit, Saraceno flew tourist class and charged the Sanitary Authority for first class travel, pocketing the $54. His Defense Attorney was his brother-in-law, Ettore Agolino. Joseph Saraceno applied to retire from his post of Teacher in November of this year. In January of 1985, due to the theft charges, Saraceno was placed on six months probation. The following month he retired from his position within the Sanitary Authority due to “poor health.”
The question remains, why was he made? What connections did he have?
To understand the reasons why Saraceno was not only made a LCN member, but accepted by former Boss Santo Volpe as son-in-law material, requires further digging.
Born in 1924 to Leonardo Saraceno (1898-1977) and Maria Cannone (1896-1974), Joseph, as mentioned earlier, moved away from the city to live in Endicott, upstate New York circa 1930 to live with a sister of his mother. The only Aunt living in Endicott at this time was Frances Cannone and her husband Matteo Vivona. Vivona had recently been made President of the Sociata Concordia Castellammare del Golfo, succeeding an Ignazio Saraceno (Ignazio Saraceno immigrated in 1906, destined for Girolamo Ciaravino of 243 Elizabeth Street, NYC. Ciaravino was married to Antonia DiSalvo whose brother-in-laws included several Bonventres, including Vito Bonventre (1875-1930), and Asaros).
Matteo Vivona was a witness to Joseph Barbara’s naturalisation as well as being his brother-in-law. As of 1934, Barbara was managing the Vivona Brothers Restuarant, Endicott, and stayed with the Vivonas when in Endicott.
Joseph Saraceno’s Aunt, Frances was widowed prior to marring Matteo Vivona having previously been married to Leonardo Saraceno’s brother, Giuseppe, whilst living in NYC.
In 1910, Joseph Saraceno’s father, Leonardo immigrated with his widowed mother Maria Navarra and his cousin Maria Minore, heading for his sister Giacoma and her husband Francesco Minore at 234 Elizabeth Street, NYC. Leonardo’s father was Antonino, who was a brother to Salvatore Saraceno, a man Joseph Bonanno described in his autobiography A Man of Honor, as, (with Salvatore Bonanno, Joseph’s Father) “two of Castellammare’s most important men of Tradition in the New World.”
Pittston LCN member Joseph Saraceno’s Great Uncle, was Salvatore Saraceno. This family lineage could have been a contributing factor to why Joseph, a Teacher, was brought into the blood and LCN family. Not because of ability to make money, or to commit crime, but because of his heritage.
Bonanno Family Consiglieri, Stefano Cannone was an uncle of Joseph. Pittston LCN members Ignazio and Frank Cannone were cousins.
Joseph Sarceno died in 2018.
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For further information on Salvatore Saraceno aka Giuseppe Palermo, the May 2014 edition of Informer, (Issue list here - https://mafiahistory.us/informer/) and Jon Black’s articles on Giuseppe Palermo and The Morello and Lupo Trial should be read.