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#valachi

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Thomas Hunt
Joseph Catania, widely known as "Joe Baker," was shot and fatally wounded on a #Bronx street #OTD (Feb. 3) in 1931. He died of his wounds the following morning at Fordham Hospital.
The shooting occurred at the height of the #Mafia #CastellammareseWar. Catania, a nephew of Ciro "Artichoke King" Terranova, was an important member of the underworld faction led by Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" #Masseria. His assassins worked for Masseria rival Salvatore #Maranzano. Joseph #Valachi later admitted to being part of the team assembled by Maranzano.
#MafiaHistory
Death certificate of Joseph Catania.
#mafiahistory
Public
Thomas Hunt
By early 1966, news leaked that the federal government was preparing to allow publication of a book written by imprisoned turncoat mafioso Joseph #Valachi. The plan drew widespread opposition, as it was feared the book would "slur all Italian Americans" (Quote from Il Progresso editorial of Jan. 9, 1966). Many complaint letters were sent to officials and legislators.

#OTD (Feb. 1) in 1966, a delegation of Italian Americans, including four U.S. members of Congress, met with Attorney General Katzenbach and two aides to oppose publication of the unseen Valachi manuscript. The Lyndon Johnson Administration soon reversed itself and decided to block publication.

Journalist Peter Maas, initially brought into the project as Valachi's editor, was informed on Feb. 8 that publication would not be permitted. The government attempted to reach a cash settlement with #Maas, but he refused. Maas decided to work around the government's obstacles and publish his own book based on Valachi's information.

Much more about Joseph Valachi is contained in The Treacherous World of Joseph Valachi (Informer, 2024), available as a hardcover, paperback and electronic book, and as a printed and electronic magazine. See: https://informer-journal.blogspot.com/

#MafiaHistory #ValachiPapers
Joseph Valachi writes in his prison cell. (Thibaut Maïquès collection)
#valachipapers
Public
Tom Hunt

Approximately #OTD - Nov. 21 - in 1924, Joseph Valachi suffered a bullet wound to the head during the attempted burglary of a #Bronx warehouse. (At first leaving him for dead in #EastHarlem, associates eventually got him medical attention.)

Much more on #Valachi and "friends" in the 2024 issue of Informer.
magcloud.com/browse/issue/2899

MagCloudInformer - Nov 2024A rare primary source into Castellammarese War-era Mafia history, Joseph Valachi described early gangland of East Harlem and the Bronx, and provided a unique soldier-level view of New York-area organized crime from Prohibition to Apalachin. An early FBI informant, he was the focus of a best-selling book, a popular movie, televised Senate testimony and a lengthy autobiography. Yet, a great deal of his true story has remained untold. Now, 60 years after Valachi put pen to paper to tell his story, a team of historians is revealing long hidden aspects of his life and investigating the individuals who influenced him. This Informer issue features articles on various phases of Valachi's existence in and out of "cosa nostra," bios of many who were important in his life and background of his time and place. It is illustrated with photos, documents, maps. In addition to print and electronic magazine formats, it is available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats. For more info, visit informer-journal.blogspot.com
#MafiaHistory#Histodons
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