On This Day in History: Mafia meeting at Apalachin, New York

November 14, 1957: A meeting takes place at Joe’s house in Apalachin, New York. Joseph “Joe the Barber” Barbara was the boss of the Bufalino crime family based out of Pennsylvania. The family was part of an organization collectively called Cosa Nostra or familiarly known as the Mafia. Cosa Nostra, the secret Sicilian society, was joined by other crime syndicates in the 1930s. Charlie “Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky, along with other ethnic crime bosses formed the National Crime Syndicate.

As with any organization, rivalries and in-fighting can cause difficulties for the whole. The reason for the Apalachin Meeting was to resolve issues surrounding gambling, casinos, and narcotics distribution country-wide but especially in the New York City area. There were about 100 people present to discuss these matters and the recent Scalise and Anastasia murders. With a possible gang war ready to break on the streets of NYC, all the nation’s bosses along with representatives from Italy, met to forestall a war of attrition as well as to divide up the lucrative markets among the families.

Bosses, advisors, and bodyguards gathered at the 53-acre estate about 200 miles west of NYC and close to the Pennsylvania border. A local state trooper had stopped Carmine Galante as he drove away from the mansion the year before. The trooper had been keeping a close eye on the estate since that time. Joe’s son had been busy making reservations for out of town guests at the local hotels and a number of luxury cars were seen going to the estate. As license plates were run, it was noted that many cars were registered to known criminals. Roadblocks were set up. Even though no crime was being committed, when the gangsters heard of the roadblocks, they panicked and tried to flee.

Up to 50 men escaped. However, 58 were apprehended. All the men taken into custody claimed they had heard Joe was sick and were just in town to visit a sick friend. They were all released, since no crime had been committed. La Cosa Nostra and the FBI were both embarrassed by the raid. One because they had been so easily found and the other because J. Edgar Hoover had long denied any National Crime Syndicate existed. With this evidence, Hoover set up a “Top Hoodlum Program” which led to greater scrutiny of many of the top crime bosses. They also were served with more indictments and grand jury subpoenas.

Source: examiner

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