Ignazio Lupo (1877 - 1947)

Born 21 Mar 1877 in Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Husband of Salvatrice Terranova — married 23 Dec 1903 in New York, New York, United States

Died 13 Jan 1947 at age 69 in Queens, New York, United States

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Biography

Ignazio Lupo, son of Rocco Lupo and Onofria Saitta, is born 21 March 1877 in the first official district of the city of Palermo.^[1]

Ignazio's father is a successful merchant connected with the Pagliarelli mafia family of Palermo. His mother's family are successful importers. His father sets him up with a store of his own when he is eighteen (around 1895).^[2]

In 1898 Ignazio shoots and kills a business rival, supposedly in self defense. On his parents' advice, he flees the country and settles in New York. He is convicted in absentia.

Ignazio opens a business with a cousin, then moves to Brooklyn after a disagreement. Ignazio begins to extort his fellow Italian immigrants.

In 1902, Ignazio and Giuseppe Morello have interests in adjoining saloons. Ignazio becomes a close associate of the Morello criminal enterprise. By the beginning of 1903, they are involved in a counterfeiting operation together. Theorists disagree as to who is the senior partner between Morello and Lupo.^[3][2]

His mother, Onofria, dies in New York on 30 September 1903. A note may be her last address: 433 W. 40th St.^[4]

On 7 December 1903, Ignazio stands as witness when Giuseppe marries Lena Salemi.

Two weeks later, Ignazio marries Giuseppe's half-sister, Salvatrice Terranova, on 23 December 1903 in Manhattan, New York.^[5]

Ignazio and Salvatrice have four children: Onofria (1905), Angelina (1908), Rocco (1910), and Josephine (1921).

Ignazio is suspected of at least sixty murders. He is imprisoned for counterfeiting in 1910^[6], sentenced to 30 years, but paroled in ten.

In the 1910 Census, Angela Morello, age 60, lives in Manhattan, Ward 12, with her daughter, Dora (Salvatrice), 28, son-in-law Nazzio Lupo, 31, granddaughters Nufria, 4, and Angelina, 2, Rocco Lupo, her grandson, born that year, her son Joe Morello, age 42, daughter in law Lena Morello, 26, grandson Charles, 15, born in Texas, granddaughters Angelina, 5, and Carmela, 1, son Vincent Terranova, 23, and daughter Rose Terranova, 17. Nufria, Angelina, and Rocco Lupo, and Angelina and Carmela Morello, were all born in New York. Angelina and her children and in-laws were all born in Italy.^[7]

Although Ignazio appears in the 1910 federal census with his wife's family, he is in the federal penitentiary in South Bend, Georgia at this time. He appears in this census:

Ignatio Lupo, age 32 (b. 1878), married for twelve years (m. 1898). He immigrated in 1898. He works as a helper in the tailor shop of the prison.

Right above Ignazio in the 1910 census is Giuseppe Callucchio, one of his co-defendants in the counterfeiting case. He works as a tailor in the tailor shop.

On the same page is another co-defendant, Nicholas Sylvester, who is also a tailor.^[8]

Antonio Cecala and Salvatore Cina, two of Lupo's co-defendants, and Leoluca Vasi, in whose home the majority of the counterfeit money was found, appear in the same federal census as prisoners in South Bend. They work as stone cutters in the prison stone shop. ^[9]

Ignazio's World War I draft registration card, received while he was a prisoner at the US Penitentiary in Atlanta, dated 12 September 1918, lists his permanent home address as 423 Jefferson, Hoboken, NJ, while his wife's address is listed as 350 E 16th St, New York, NY.^[10] Ignazio's given address is that of his brothers, John and Michael.

In the 1920 federal census of the US penitentiary in South Bend, Fulton County, Georgia, several of the counterfeiters appear in sequence:

61. Giuseppe Calucchio (“Calicohio”), 68 (b. 1852), works as a nurse

62. Giuseppe Morello, 53 (b. 1867), tailor.

63. Ignacio Lupo, 52 (b. 1868) (called “Sopo”), married, immigrated in 1900. Cook.

64. Giuseppe Palermo, 58 (b. 1862) and single, a tailor.

65. Antonio Cecala, 45 (b. 1875). He has no occupation.^[11]

Ignazio's sentence is conditionally commuted by Pres. Harding in June 1920. He lives with his wife Salvatrice and the Terranovas at 338 E 116th St in New York until 1927, when they move to Brooklyn. Ciro and Tessie Terranova give them a lot there in May 1926, on which the couple builds an "elaborate" home.

Lupo is released from prison in 1921. He asks President Woodrow Wilson for permission to travel to Italy to settle an estate. He and Morello are targets of D'Aquila in New York City.^[12] Secret Service reports that Lupo and Morello go to Sicily on a short trip to appeal for aid early this year.

Ignazio, a trader, appears on the passenger manifest of the SS Conte Verde arriving in New York on 21 August 1925 from Naples. His "nearest relative or friend in country from whence alien came" is listed as his sister, Ignazia, at 44 Via Cupa, Palermo. He was previously in the United States from 1921-25.^[13]

His power in the Mafia is reduced when he returns, and is further weakened after he serves more of the original counterfeiting sentence in Atlanta.

Death of Ignazio

Ignazio dies of natural causes at the age of 69 on 13 January 1947 in Queens, New York. His address at the time of his death is listed as 120-11 222 Street. His occupation is retired baker prop. (probably proprietor). According to the municipal death record, he is buried on 16 January 1947 in St. John's Cemetery. His wife Salvatrice survives him.^[14] Ignazio's burial is recorded in Cavalry Cemetery in Queens, on FindAGrave.com.^{[15] [16]}

Salvatrice dies in 1869 and is buried with Ignazio.^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ Uff. 1. v. 115. n. 595. 1876-1885 Palermo ten-year index of births. https://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/detail-registry/?s_id=877233 Img 58 of 389.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Warner, R., Santino, A., and Van 't Riet, L. (2014, May). The early New York mafia: an alternative theory. Informer Journal. Pp. 4+.
3. ↑ Critchley, D. (2009). The origin of organized crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931. Routledge: New York.
4. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WXV-L9M : 3 June 2020), Onofria Lupo Saitta, 30 Sep 1903; citing Death, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,323,030.
5. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:243W-8JC : accessed 16 February 2016), Ignazio Lupo and Salvatrice Terranova, 22 Dec 1903; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,570,991.
6. ↑ "Whole Barrel Murder Gang." The Sun. 11 January 1910. Accessed at FultonHistory.com 16 March 2016.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5ZC-TD4 : 29 October 2015), Rocco Lupo in household of Angela Morello, Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 345, sheet 5A, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,028.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLG4-LHQ : accessed 18 April 2017), Ignatio Lupo, South Bend, Fulton, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 131, sheet 2A, family , NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 193; FHL microfilm 1,374,206.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRVD-8PC?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-D7R%3A133641201%2C137083101%2C134274801%2C1589089083 : 11 November 2015), Georgia > Fulton > South Bend > image 12 of 18; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
10. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YRT-76Q6?cc=1968530&wc=9FWM-6TP%3A928311801%2C928311202 : 24 August 2019), New Jersey > Indians, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, Late Registrants; A-Z > image 1285 of 2438; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR63-KYJ?cc=1488411&wc=QZJG-LF5%3A1036472801%2C1037476301%2C1036917901%2C1589332533 : 14 December 2015), Georgia > Fulton > South Bend > image 2 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
12. ↑ Critchley, p. 155, citing Gentile.
13. ↑ "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9P1W-BW3?cc=1923888&wc=MFVT-H29%3A1029835001 : 2 October 2015), 3709 - vol 8455-8456, Aug 30, 1925 > image 467 of 850; citing NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
14. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WGG-PXD : accessed 16 February 2016), Ignazio Lupo, 13 Jan 1947; citing Death, New York City, Queens, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,194,493.
15. ↑ Ignatius “Lupo the Wolf” Lupo Find A Grave: Memorial #7033 accessed 27 Nov 2018.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89M1-4V1K?cc=2000219&wc=QZXB-MVG%3A790105601%2C792277201%2C795803301%2C795816001 : accessed 2 June 2020), Georgia > Fulton > Militia District 1348 > 60-62 Militia District 1348 South Bend, U.S. Penitentiary (Tract FC-20 - part), Penitentiary Hospital > image 1 of 76; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
17. ↑ Salvatrice Terranova Lupo Find A Grave: Memorial #35407776 accessed 27 Nov 2018.