Gaspar Milazzo is without question one of the hardest underworld figures to trace. Though his death was a feature story in Detroit's print media, his life remains shrouded in mystery. Milazzo's name turns up in a mystical mob war involving the leaders of the Castellammarese clan from Brooklyn and the Bucellato family from the same town. The source of this story is Joe Bonanno who's recollections of this occurance can only be discounted as flawed as they occured 3 to 4 years before he arrived in this country.
What can be told as fact as the record reflects is the following tale. The story of Gaspar Milazzo begins in the home of the Americain Mafia Castellammare Del Golfo Sicily on April 25, 1887. The product of the union between Vincenzo Milazzo and Camilla Pizzo, not much remains regarding Milazzo's up bringing or formative years other than the fact that he was considered to be highly educated upon his arrival in the states in 1911. Milazzo settled amoung a growing Sicilian population dominated by the rule of the Gianolla brothers rulers of Michigan's Italian underworld. Milazzo's involvement with the Gianolla brothers brought him in contact with Salvatore Catalanotte a man 7 years his junior yet years ahead of him in terms of responsibility in the underworld.
Through the years, Milazzo and Catalanotte gained reputations as men of great diplomatic skill. Unhampered by the curse of impatience and greed the duo served as peace keepers during Detroit's first great mafia war between the Gianolla brothers and a former confederate of their's John Vitale. In a battle which lasted less than 2 full years yet claimed the lives of numerous men on both sides including the principles, Catalanotte emerged as the voice of reason and proceeded to enforce an uneasy truce while creating a combine which called for all of Detroit's criminal gangs to work together. Sam Catalanotte ascended to the top of Detroit's criminal world with Gaspar Milazzo reigning as his closest aide and confidant.
Milazzo and Catalanotte arbitrated all of the disputes between criminal groupings without playing favorites. For there services the pair was compensated very well with both going to their deaths prematurely but as millionaires none the less.
Milazzo's Influence Outside of Detroit
The fact that Bonanno knew enough about Milazzo to include him in his tale of blood and honor is a testament to the standing Milazzo held in the criminal brotherhood. It is a known fact that Milazzo's stature was such that upon the death of Buffalo's reigning don Joe DiCarlo Sr, in 1922 of natural causes, news men knew enough about him to point out that he had sent a beautiful floral arrangement to mark DiCarlo's passing. Milazzo was also a popular figure with Sicilian members of the Chicago and St.Louis underworld as we shall see a little later. With peace enforced in Detroit and the dollars rolling in from their illicit activities Milazzo lived the good life purchasing a sprawling home at 2511 Lemay in Detroit while driving a new custom made touring car every so often. With all of the good luck and success of the dynamic duo, no one could have forseen the shocking end of these two peaceful men as the 21st century turned 30.
Sam Catalanotte's death
The shocking death of Salvatore Catalanotte on the eve of his 36th birthday "February 15, 1931," rocked Detroit's underworld and left Milazzo the senior advisor to the criminal gangs of Detroit. While the news media wrote stories on the cost of Catalanotte's funeral "$20,000" and the brillance of his coffin, Milazzo quietly paid his respects managing to escape without mention in the next days papers. Milazzo continued to advise both the East and Westside Mobs as the two played a dangerous game of cat and mouse constantly encroaching on each others territory. This battle was as much about ego as it was about controll of a multi-million dollar smuggling operation.
This battle would escalate into the worst outbreak of gangland violence in more than a decade claiming the lives of 15 men including the peacekeeper Gapar Milazzo.
Death In A Fish Market
Things between the East and Westside Mobs headed by Angelo Meli and Chester LaMare got so bad that a peace conference was arranged to try and put an end to the endless shootings, bombings and kidnappings which were increasing steadily. Chester LaMare sent out an invitation to Angelo Meli that read more like an order to appear along with Joe Zerilli and Black Bill Tocco for a peace meeting at noon May 31, 1930 at the Vernor Highway Fish Market. This location was a well known gang meeting place and was suspected of being a landing point for narcotics shipped into Detroit in tubs of frozen fish. Meli, "completely distrusting Chester LaMare" asked Milazzo to attend in his place fearing a setup by LaMare. Meli reasoned that Milazzo status as an impartial participant in the dispute would ease the negotiation process and his relationship with LaMare guaranteed his safety.
Unfortunately for all involved this would prove to be falty logic as the events turned tragic. Milazzo arrived shortly before the scheduled noon meeting time accompanied by his driver and bodyguard Joe Parino. Milazzo emerged from his brand new touring dressed in an expensive suite high lighted by his choice of sparkling diamond cuff links, a diamond stick pin and belt buckle topped off by two large brilliant diamond rings. Both Miazzo and Parino were escourted to the rear of the Fish Market by Phillip Guastello "the market's owner," to the living quarters set up in the rear.
Milazzo and Parino were seated and had begun eating lunch when two hiddent gunmen leaped out and without comment unleashed a barrage from two shotguns striking Milazzo in the head killing him instantly. Parino was also seriously wounded by slugs which tore threw his chest, abdomen and right arm. Inspite of his wounds, Parino remained alert long enough to give the police a vague acount of their prescence at the market although he refused to state the purpose of their meeting and denied knowing who the gunmen were. While investigators poured over the murder scene taking notes on the contents of Milazzo's wallet "which included $430 in cash and was inscripted with the letters E. Cattalanotte on it's side." One investigator noted the close proximity to Sam Catalanotte's near bear salon located just a few blocks away.
In death Gaspar Milazzo remained a mysterious figure as 3 alias last names emerged complicating the matter of which one was his real name. During his criminal career. Milazzo had been booked under the names of Gaspar Milazzo, Gaspari Scbilia and Gaspare Lombardo. His arrest record contained just 3 entries for investigation, robbery and grand larceny. Milazzo was survived by his wife and former partner in a grocery store Mrs. Rosaria Sciblia. The couple had 4 children ranging in age from 7 to 14 years.
Reprisal for Milazzo's Murder
The reaction to the shocking murder of Gaspar Milazzo was one of shock and outrage. This murder invoked the murderous nature of the men Milazzo associated with during the course of conducting business. Milazzo's immediately began plotting a retaliatory strike against Chester LaMare the man held responsible for this attack. LaMare had himself been helped out on several occassions by friends of Milazzo's in neighboring cities when his enemies began to close in.
LaMare on more than one occassion to refuge in the Sicilian communities of New York and Chicago where a phone call from Gaspar was good enough to assure that no harm would come to LaMare in that territory as long as he played by the rules. When LaMare ordered the killing of Milazzo he had broken the rules and thus had to pay for his crime with his own life. LaMare was forced to watch from his exile as his gangs membership was decimated in an unprecedented onslaught from local and visiting racketeers. In one particularly telling case, LaMare gangsters Joe and Sam Gaglio were gunned down shortly after the Milazzo murder.
This in itself was an unremarkable happening "as 14 other murders also occurred during this time period," with the exception that the murder weapon wound be found in the home of LaMare's friend and supporter Joe Catalanotte in a raid conducted July 27, 1930. The real surprised came when a list of suspects in this case was released and nestled amoung the list of regulars like Joe Bommarito, Pete Licavoli and Joe Massei was the name Joe Aielo the head of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Sicilione who would meet his demise in a violent episode in that city before Detroit police could catch up with him. Milazzo's death would be avenged 8 months later when a plan hatched by Angelo Meli and Leo Cellura a former member of LaMare's gang was excecuted in the kitchen of the Westside Mob leaders Detroit home.
For a more detailed account of Milazzo's murder please refer to the bio of Chester LaMare "The Vice King of Hamtramck"or click here or refer to the bio of Sam Parrino by clicking here.
