AMustache Pete is a member of theSicilian Mafia who came to theUnited States (particularlyNew York City) as an adult in the early 20th century.
Unlike the younger Sicilian-Americans, known as the "Young Turks," the old-guard Mustache Petes were seasoned criminals who began their careers inItaly. Their most prominent members wereJoe "the Boss" Masseria (1886–1931) andSalvatore Maranzano (1886–1931). Many of them maintained connections with theSicilian Mafia. The Mustache Petes wanted to maintainSicilian criminal traditions in their new country and were more interested in working with and exploiting their fellowItalians than the public at large. To that end, they opposed their younger members' desire to work with the powerfulJewish andIrish gangs, and to sell illegal drugs.
This annoyed youngercaporegimes, such asLucky Luciano (1897–1962) andVito Genovese (1897–1969).Luciano and other "Young Turks" in the New York Mafia concluded that the Mustache Petes were too set in their ways to see the millions of dollars that working with non-Italian gangsters could bring. During theCastellammarese War (1930–31), Luciano built a network of younger mafiosi in both the Masseria and Maranzano camps who secretly intended toassassinate one of the older bosses, then bide their time before killing the other.[1]
They decided to kill Masseria and feigned loyalty to Maranzano until they had a chance to eliminate him as well.[1] Following the death of Maranzano on September 10, 1931, the newer generation of Italian mobsters reorganized theNational Crime Syndicate and foundedThe Commission, becoming closer to the modernAmerican Mafia.[2]
Journalists marked this day as apurge of older mafiosi, known as the "Night of theSicilian Vespers."[3] Several days later, on September 13, the corpses of two other Maranzano allies, Samuel Monaco and Louis Russo, were retrieved from Newark Bay, showing evidence of torture. Meanwhile, Joseph Siragusa, leader of thePittsburgh crime family, was shot to death in his home. The October 15 disappearance ofJoseph Ardizzone, head of theLos Angeles family, was later regarded as part of this alleged plan to quickly eliminate the old-world Sicilian bosses.[4] However, the idea of an organized mass purge, directed by Luciano, has been debunked as a fable.[5]
