The 1956 Commission meeting
Examining the details and asking how reliable was Bill Bonnano?
The 1957 Apalachin meeting (and aftermath) is well known for being one of the most seminal events in LCN history. Less is known of the events surrounding the 1956 meeting that was set in the same sleepy upstate New York town.
There is evidence that prior to November 1957, Joseph Barbara held several meetings at his McFall Road estate. An employee of Barbara, stated that “during the Summer of 1955 a group of about 35-40 men…gathered at the residence for a barbeque.” The informant continued to say, “in the Summer of 1956 another get-together was held at the Barbara estate involving about the same number of men…present on the occasion were numerous Cadillacs and Lincolns, some of which bore out-of-town state plates.” Whilst this informant doesn’t confirm these meeting as ones involving members of LCN, Gambino member Alfredo Santantonio went one step further reporting that “meetings were usually held at Joseph Barbara’s place after some trouble had risen.” Whilst the November 1957 meeting clearly followed ‘trouble that had risen,’ little has been examined of other meetings held at Barbara’s home.
The 1956 Commision meeting was held at Joseph Babara’s estate, as reported by Joe Bonanno, in his book, A Man of Honor. He names it a “national convention” and without revealing many details, states the meeting “went very well.”
Joe Bonanno’s son, Salvatore ‘Bill’ Bonnano shed’s further light on the scheduled 1956 commission meeting at Apalachin.
There are some discrepancies between some of Bill’s details from The Last Testament of Bill Bonnano and information found in law enforcement files. This article looks to examine and compare the two sources of information.
Information from The Last Testament of Bill Bonnano (and other sources):
Bill does give valuable insight. He writes, “In October 1956, two cars left for Apalachin. I drove one car, with my father and Johnny Morales [Capodecina]…Carmine Galante [Capodecina] drove the second car, carrying Frank Garofalo [Underboss] and my Uncle Giovanni “John” Bonventre [Capodecina].” Bill names the group the “travelling crew.” This would leave Consiglieri John Tartamella as the only member of the administration not to travel.
In Man of Honor, Joe Bonanno writes that his Underboss Frank Garofalo retired to Sicily “not long after Salvatore’s wedding [in August 1956].” Therefore, Garofalo must have either left for his homeland after the October 1956 meet or returned for it.
Capodecina Giovanni Bonventre had recently been to Sicily; records show he left Palermo September 22nd 1956, arriving back in NYC October 2nd/3rd just a couple of weeks before the 1956 meeting.
Bill Bonanno writes, “We decamped for the night in the Arlington Hotel in Binghamton, where Joseph Barbara had made reservations for us. The next morning, we had something to eat at the coffee shop and then left for the meeting.” He continues, “Not far from the house [Joseph Barbara’s Apalachin estate, c.29 miles away from incident], a New York state trooper stopped the car driven by Carmine Galante for speeding.”
Later in the The Last Testament of Bill Bonnano, Bill writes, “As we pulled up to the estate, Joe Barbara came out of his main house, smiling from ear to ear and welcoming us to his home”… “we arrived at the meeting before the other Commission members, even though Carmine’s interlude with the law had caused some delay.”
Bill’s account of the events that lead up to the 1956, should be questioned when compared with information from Law Enforcement (LE) files.
A timeline of events using information from LE files:
Retrospective investigation by law enforcement revealed that Joseph Barbara had made reservations for five men at the Hotel Arlington, Binghamton on October 17th. The hotel records showed that the following men registered for the reservations:
Arlington Hotel registrations – October 17th:
20:12 – Louis Volte (Carmine Galante), 1522 Blake Avenue, Long Island City
20:12 – Frank Garofalo, 339 East 58th Street, NYC
20:12 – John Bonventre, 277 Central Avenue, Brooklyn
20:48 – Joe Bonanno, 9 Badger Avenue, Endicott [Barbara’s Canada Dry Bottling address]
20:48 – Joseph Barbara, 9 Badger Avenue, Endicott [Barbara’s Canada Dry Bottling address]
When thinking back to Bill Bonanno’s car passengers, there is a notable absence of Bill Bonanno and Johnny Morales. Though Bill Bonanno does write in The Last Testament that he would have to “be available to shuttle some of the men who were coming in for the meeting,” he also states that “we decamped for the night at the Arlington Hotel.”
Arlington Hotel Check-outs – October 18th:
10:18 – Joseph Barbara
10:18 – Joe Bonanno
The Arlington Hotel in Binghamton was familiar to hosting LCN figures. In July 1956, Joseph Barbara had used his bottling company’s address to register himself, Joe Bonnano, Joseph Profaci, a Lilo Gelonte (almost certainly Carmine Galante) and a Joseph/John Culciacco/Caluccia/Cuboicca (?) at the hotel. This gathering could have been a meeting of minds following, or preceding another larger meeting held at Barbara’s home. As previously mentioned, an informant said Barbara had a meeting of 35-40 men in the Summer of 1956. This could have been similar to the events of October 1956.
At 22:00, October 18th, Trooper LW Liebe stopped a car for speeding in the town of Windsor, Broome County, New York. The car was travelling 70mph in a 50-mile zone, in an Easterly direction towards New York City (away from Apalachin) and was occupied by three men. The driver of this car was asked for his registration and operator’s license; he exhibited a licence issued to a Joseph DiPalermo of 246 Elizabeth Street, NYC. Trooper Liebe asked the driver for his DOB and as his answer did not match the license, the driver was placed in the trooper’s car and the other men were asked to follow Liebe to the Binghamton substation. On arrival at the substation, Liebe observed that the car had not followed him. Sgt Croswell (of 1957 Apalachin fame) was stationed at this substation.
At the Binghamton substation, the driver identified himself as Carmine Galante, 247 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn. He stated he owned the Rosina Costume company, Brooklyn and was also a partner in the Bonfire Restaurant in Montreal with Harry Ship and Louis Greco (Montreal-based Bonanno member). Galante refused to name the passengers of the car he was driving, and stated he did not know their names. However, he did say the three men had come to this area on the morning of October 18th to see a man named “Joe,” a friend of one of the others. They had spent the day with Joe and were on their way home when stopped. He stated he had borrowed the car, a white 1956 Oldsmobile holiday 98 coupe from one Anthony Calendrillo, of Lodi, New Jersey.
As well as the car registration and the operator’s license of Joseph DiPalermo, a search of Galante revealed a card bearing the name Joseph Falcone of Utica (Buffalo Family member) and $1,815 in cash.
At 23:30 October 18th, Henry Cerasaro (an associate of Joseph Barbara), a partner in the Community Coffee Shop and Lounge Bar, Binghamton (a known hangout for Joseph Barbara and associates) called Sergeant Croswell and advised that the two men who did not follow Trooper Liebe were at his restaurant and that he would bring them to the Binghamton substation.
At 00:30, October 19th, Frank Garofalo appeared at the substation with the 1956 Oldsmobile. He was accompanied by Remo Allio (b. 1922, Volosca). Allio was an attorney for many LCN members and associates in the Binghamton area, and was named in the 1980, 1983 and 1984 Pennsylvania Crime Commission reports as the Bufalino Family Consiglieri, and as a member in subsequent reports. There is some confusion about this position as William D’Elia states in his book The Life We Chose, that Edward Sciandra was the Bufalino Consiglieri at around this time.
At the substation, Allio and Garafalo stated the third man in the car was John Bonventre, and that while they were at the Community Coffee Shop, Bonventre had “taken a walk and was not able to come with them.” Garofalo, like Galante was very evasive but did state that the men came to the area of Binghamton on October 17th, rather than the 18th as said by Galante (another conflicting report states Galante was in Binghamton as early as the 16th). Garofalo’s reason for visiting the area was to see “the great IBM factories.”
Remo Allio demanded that Galante and Garofalo either be charged or released. A search of the car revealed no evidence and Garofalo was released and Galante was charged with the violations of speeding, unlicenced operator of a vehicle and unauthorized use of another’s license. Galante was arraigned before Town of Windsor Justice of the Peace Richard Klausner; he pled not guilty to all charges and was released on $600 bail. The case was adjourned until 25th October at 19:00 hours.
Arlington Hotel Check outs - October 19th:
03:57 – John Bonventre.
This would fit with law enforcement’s timeline as the check-out time is c.6 hours after the original speeding offence, giving Bonventre sufficient time to travel from Windsor to Binghamton, meet Remo Allio and ‘take a walk,’ before checking out of the hotel.
04:12 – Louis Volte (Carmine Galante)
04:12 – Frank Garofalo
The above times suggest Galante and Garofalo were released from the Binghamton substation sometime after 00:30 on October 19th, before heading to the Arlington hotel to check out.
This leads to the questions, was the hotel meeting before, or after the commission meeting and how reliable is Bill Bonnano? Also, why when Galante and Co were stopped for speeding had they not checked out of the hotel? Were they not heading home to NYC?
At 19:05, October 19th, Anthony Calendrillo appeared at the Binghamton substation to claim his car. Calendrillo was in the trucking business and had a brother (Genaro) who was a New Jersey councilman. He later claimed that he didn’t know Galante’s last name, and that he met him at the ABCO Vending company whilst solicitating business. Calendrillo testified that he lent Galante his car “for a few days” and this “wasn’t unusual [to loan a car to someone he didn’t know]”
Calendrillo later stated “one of his friends” drove him to Binghamton, but when asked to elaborate, he answered, “I don’t remember his name.”
On, or about November 6th, Sgt Croswell was contacted by Chief of Detectives, Chris Gleitsman and Sgt Peter Policastro of the West New York, NJ Police Dept. LE reports state Gleitsman had been sent by Police Commissioner Ernest Modarelli and was seeking leniency for Galante. However, a 1958 newspaper reports state Gleitsman told the Law Enforcement Council that he “had gone to Binghamton as a personal favor to Joseph Lanzino of Jersey City, who is or was connected with the ABCO Vending service.” Regardless of who sent them, Gleitsman offered Croswell £1000 dollars if he “would intercede and allow Galante to be given a suspended sentence.” Croswell refused the bribe.
Peter Policastro would later be connected to Galante as well as Bonnano member Joseph Zicarelli. Joseph Valachi would identify Zicarelli and Policastro (falsely) as members of Galente’s decina, whilst newspapers in 1970 reported Zicarelli (another stakeholder in ABCO) was allegedly involved with Policastro’s private detective agency.
Whilst some reports sensationalized that ABCO had a direct line to the West New York Police Headquarters, the details were later downgraded to a burglar alarm from ABCO to the teletype room of the Police. The line transmitted signals, but not conversation.
Other attempts were made to sway LE. The majority leader of the New York Assembly, Joseph Carlino contacted the Assemblyman for the Binghamton area, Daniel Dickinson and attempted to have him intercede. Justice Klausner of Windsor was contacted by two local Justices of the peace and also asked to give Galante a suspended sentence.
On November 9th, Galante was sentenced to 30 days in prison and $150 in fines. He was represented in court by Binghamton Mayor, Donald Kramer. Galante started his sentence November 19th and was released after 25 days for good behaviour.
Concluding comments:
As mentioned earlier, Bill Bonanno wrote that the travelling crew headed from NYC to Binghamton, stayed the night in the Arlington hotel, and then headed for the Commision meeting in the morning. The Bonanno contingent “arrived at the meeting before the other commission members, even though Carmine’s interlude with the law had caused some delay.”
He writes that the speeding incident happened before the meeting at Apalachin. This cannot be true as according to hotel records, the day before the speeding incident, Bill (and Johnny Morales) were not staying with his father Joe Bonanno.
Another discrepancy with what Bill Bonanno writes is, according to LE files, Galante’s speeding car was stopped in Windsor, NY, East of Apalachin and the Arlington hotel, and was travelling East, away from Apalachin, therefore away from the meeting, not on the way to the meeting as Bill suggests.
It seems that Bill Bonanno has his timings and details muddled up. What is more likely is that after the scheduled commission meeting, a smaller meeting/get-together existed at the Arlington Hotel involving just a handful of people. This then raises the question, was Bill at the 1956 commission meeting? Or is he telling a second-hand story made from a mixture of his father’s tales and news reports? It seems strange that Bill would record major inaccuracies about what he calls his “first formal commission meeting.”
In The Last Testament, Bill details further content of the commission meeting held at Barbara’s estate including ‘the insult,’ and how the commission decided to add two further members, John LaRocca and Joseph Zerilli.
Splendid work! I have always been intrigued by this meeting in Binghamton, which I first heard about while looking at Joe Bonanno's FBN profile (I read Bill's book later). I never noticed these little inconsistencies