Vittorio "Vito" Scaletta was the boss of the Scaletta Gang in New Orleans and a made member of the Falcone crime family in New York City. Scaletta, a former US Army soldier and an associate of several other criminal organizations, killed Don Carlo Falcone in 1951 in exchange for being forgiven for his starting of a deadly war with the New York Triads, and he was later exiled to New Orleans to work for the Marcano crime family. Scaletta led the Scaletta Gang in River Row, and he took over the district from Michael Grecco in 1968 with the help of Lincoln Clay. Scaletta profited from the destruction of the Marcano family, taking over a slice of the city for his own organization.
Biography[]
Scaletta in US Army uniform
Vittoria Scaletta, the son of Federico and Maria Scaletta, was born in San Martino, Sicily, Italy in May 1925. His family moved to New York City in the United States in 1932 when Vito was just seven years old, but his father would work himself into an early grave as a dockworker, being drowned by Derek Pappalardo's enforcer Steve Coyne after he fell into the debt of the Vinci crime family. Scaletta befriended Joe Barbaro at a young age, engaging in petty crimes to make money. In 1943, Scaletta was forced to serve in the US Army to avoid a prison sentence, and he served in the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II.
Rise to power[]
Scaletta's 1945 mugshot
On 11 July 1943, he took part in the assault on San Celeste in Sicily, joining forces with the local partisans to liberate the town from the Royal Italian Army. In February 1945, he was sent home on leave after he was wounded, and he found work with local American Mafia organizations. From 1945 to 1951, he did a six-year stint in prison for theft and illegal distribution of federal rations after stealing rationed gas stamps from the Office of Price Administration and selling the stamps to local gas stations. In April 1951, after being involved with Leo Galante's prison gang, he was released from prison, and he became a made man in the Falcone crime family under Eddie Scarpa. Scaletta took part in hits against the Vinci family, the Irish Mob, and the Triads, avenging the death of his friend Henry Tomasino by killing several Triads. This action led to the Triads going to war with all the American Mafia families in the city, and he was told by Vinci consigliere Leo Galante that his only chance of redemption was to kill Falcone don Carlo Falcone. Scaletta and Joe Barbaro did so, but Galante told Scaletta that the redemption deal only covered Scaletta, and Barbaro was supposedly driven away to his death.
New Orleans[]
Scaletta in 1968
Scaletta was not trusted by Marcano don Sal Marcano, who saw him as a "spy" for The Commission and a "carpetbagger". Scaletta was given control of the River Row district, leading the small Scaletta Gang, but he was forced to work under Marcano's nephew Michael Grecco, who attempted to have him killed in 1968. Scaletta was locked up in a freezer and tortured, but Marcano family enemy Lincoln Clay freed him from the freezer and killed the guards holding him there. Scaletta reluctantly agreed to work with Clay, as Scaletta was slightly arrogant. Clay assisted Scaletta in taking over River Row, and Scaletta himself would execute Grecco. He became one of Clay's underbosses, providing him with several assets to help him with taking down Marcano and his associates; in exchange, Clay gave Scaletta control of several districts and allowed for him to profit from their rackets. Clay would come to rule over the city with Scaletta as one of his right-hand men, and Scaletta prospered with the other underbosses, Thomas Burke and Cassandra.
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