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The beaufiful Southern California city of San Diego is the west coast center of operations for the Detroit partners. The partners gained a foothold in this area in the late '40s when Tony Mirabile moved out west from Detroit establishing a string of sucessful bars and nightspots in conjunction with Papa John Priziola. Tony maintained established a close working relationship with members of Los Angeles's Dragna family, the Chicago Oufit as well as New Yorks Bonanno family. Mirabile remained the dominant figure in this coastal community untill his murder in 1959. Following his murder other families would move into the area but the partners continued to influence the rackets with the presence of the Matranga brothers. Joseph, Frank, Gaspare and Leo Matranga garnered their power through their impeccable underworld connections being related by marriage to both Salvatore Vitale and the Papa John Priziola. Both Vitale and Priziola were heavilly into the importation of heroin and other narcotics during the '40s, '50s and ''60s used the Matranga brothers to watch over many of their shipments which landed in southern California. As a front the Matranga's like their predecessor Tony Mirabile owned and operated several restaurants, nighclubs, bars and a bowling alley. The Matranga's continue to act as Detroit's most important west coast contact. Joseph Matranga the clans senior member was mentioned as a lieutenant in the Detroit outfit in the mid '80s by law enforcement officials looking into the gambling operations of the partners. Josph L. Matranga passed away in October of 1999 but the Matranga's remain a prominent family in San Diego owning the popular Patrick's II, a bar located in the historic gas lamp district. On the criminal front second generation Matranga family member Isodore "Teddy" Matranga has been convicted of loan fraud in connection with a loan company which charged up front loan fees to desperate borrowers. Teddy Matranga was also for a short time associated with a local Indian casino before his legal troubles forced him out of this operation.
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