Nicholas Morello
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Nicholas Morello (1866-September 7, 1916) was one of the first New York organized crime figures founding the Morello crime family and was later one of the participants in the Mafia-Camorra War of 1916.
Born Nicolo Morello in Corleone, Sicily in 1866, Morello immigrated with his family, including his brothers Antonio Morello and Giuseppe Morello and half brothers Ciro and Vincenzo Terranova from Sicily arriving in New York in 1892 eventually joining Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Saietta's Black Hand organization during the late 1890s. In 1910 when Saietta and Giuseppe, were arrested for counterfeiting, Morello, with half brothers Ciro and Vincent, became leader of the organization.
When rival Brooklyn leader Don Pelligrino Morano began moving in on Morello's Manhattan territory of East Harlem and Greenwich Village in 1916, members of Morello's Black Hand killed Morano member Nick Del Guido. Soon after a peace conference was called between the two however Morano refused Morello's offer and a brief but violent gang war began. The war continued for over six months until Morello was killed by Morano's men on September 7, 1916 with underboss Charles Ubriaco outside Vollero's Cafe, a local Navy Street restaurant, while meeting Morano for a truce. Morano however, was later arrested and convicted of Morello's murder despite payoffs to New York detective Michael Meali who refused to help. With Morano and top members of the Camorra sentenced to life imprisonment the gang war ended weeks later.
