The Daily Sketch presents here for the mob aficionado a Who's Who of known, alleged and purported members and associates of Colorado's "La Cosa Nostra" - from Flip-Flop to Fat Paulie to The Ram and Black Jim.
This motley roll call - it's partial for sure - covers the 20th Century, including known years of activity for some crooks, gleaned from bulletin board posts, books, newspaper accounts and law enforcement archives.
Early Colorado mafioso - criminal "homesteaders" so to speak - traveled West for bootlegging and branched out into gambling and assorted enterprises. Many went to prison. Some repeatedly.
They were believed to have maintained diplomatic ties with St. Louis and New York mob families and other outsiders.
They were:
Giuseppe "Little Caesar" Roma (1931-1933). Reputed iron-fist boss No. 1 of Colorado La Cosa Nostra. A grocer. Murdered in his living room chair wearing his slippers in Denver in 1933. Pictured to right of photo. Ambitious and violent. Played mandolin. Denver's notorious Smaldone Brothers may have bumped him off. They said they didn't know anything.
Charles "Charlie" Blanda (1933-1953). Elevated to boss after Roma's murder. Vincenzo James "Black Jim" Colletti (1931-1972). Elevated to boss when Blanda was sentenced to prison. Born in Sicily. Operated cheese business in Pueblo. Attended embarrassing Apalachin summit of U.S. mob leaders raided by police.
The Smaldone Brothers. Major gambling figures. Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone (1947-1992). Clyde "Flip Flop" Smaldone (1942-1998). Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone (1960s-2006), Denver's last known capo. Owned Gaetano's Restaurant at 38th and Tejon in North Denver. Tied to a number of slayings. As with Roma's murder, didn't know anything - though Eugene and Clyde got wrapped up in federal jury rigging.
Harold "Murph" Cohen, gambler, went missing after dining at Gaetano's in 1949. Body found in chains in lake in Jefferson County in 1950. Autopsy suggested he never made it past his salad before he was abducted and/or whacked. No pasta. Cohen's friend Mike Falbo was murdered in Adams County in 1948 near gambling den. Again, the Smaldone Brothers didn't know anything.
Former University of Colorado football lineman, gambler and reputed Smaldone associate John "Skip" LaGuardia murdered outside his Lakewood home in 1973. Body sprawled on front lawn. LaGuardia sidekick Ralph "Ralphie Pizzazz" Pizzalato murdered in Denver in 1974. Shot in car in tavern parking lot.
Robin "Walkie Talkie" Roberts, police informant, found dead in ditch in Applewood in Jefferson County in 1963.
Eugene "Young Gene" Smaldone Jr. (1975-1996). Soldier, son of Checkers.
Rosario Dionisio (1931-1955). Caporegime. Ran gambling in Trinidad. Co-owner of Colorado Cheese Company. Born in Sicily. Robert Dionisio (1947-1971). Caporegime, son of Rosario, member of Trinidad Crew.
Joseph "The Ram" Salardino (1931-1967). Caporegime, Pueblo Crew. Gus Salardino (1931-1971. Brother of Joseph. Owned Paradise Club in Pueblo. Member, Pueblo Crew.
Joseph James "Scotty" Spinuzzi (1931-1975). Elevated to state boss after James Colletti stepped down in 1972. Anthony "Turk" Spinuzzi (1931-1978) Soldier. brother of Joseph. Member, Pueblo Crew.
Thomas "Whiskers" Incerto (1931-1983). Consigliere. Louis Brindisi (1931-1942). Soldier, Pueblo Crew. John Pacello (1931-1933). Soldier, murdered in 1933.
August "Augie" Marino (1931-1933). Soldier, murdered in 1933. Frank "Blackie" Mazza (1935-1969). Soldier, Denver Crew. Paul "Fat Paulie" Villano (1968-2003). Soldier, Denver Crew. John Pricco (1940s-1963) Soldier, Pueblo Crew. Michael "M.T." Tomeo (1968-1992) Soldier, Denver Crew. Gerald LoSasso (1950s-1977) Soldier, Denver Crew.
Paul "The Harp" Enrichi (1933-1993). Soldier, Pueblo Crew. James Spinelli (1931-1950s). Soldier, Denver Crew. Owner of the Circus Bar in Denver. Born in Calabria. Michael "Mike Parker" Pauldino. (1940s-1977). Soldier, Denver Crew.
[Photos: Public Domain]
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