Carmelo Nicolosi (abt. 1884 - 1921)

Born about 1884 in Corleone, Palermo, Sicilia, Italy

Ancestors

Husband of Marianna (Di Miceli) Nicolosi — married 24 Oct 1909 in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

Died 11 Apr 1921 at about age 37 in New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

Carmelo Nicolosi is born around 1884 in Corleone, the son of Giuseppe Nicolosi and Giacinta Milone.

On the SS Italia, sailing from Palermo on 22 October 1905 and arriving in the port of New York on 8 November:

2. Carmelo Nicolosi, 22 (b. 1883), single, farmhand, joining his cousin Vincenzo Milone at 1841 3rd Ave., NYC^[1]

"Farmhand" is only one of several professions Carmelo claims in documents. In the 1910 census he is a house plasterer. (Vincenzo Milone, who dies in 1913, is called a plasterer at his death.) In 1918, Carmelo is called the proprietor of a barber shop, in the WWI draft registration of narcotics smuggler and Lucchese soldier Mariano Marsalisi. At the time of his death, in 1921, Carmelo is called a baker and a grocer.

In March 1909, Carmelo is living at 318 E 106th St., New York, with Giovanni Milone. Carmelo's sister, Calogera, who has likely been recently widowed, joins him in New York, accompanied by her two young sons. She travels with two of Giovanni's daughters, who are teenagers.^[2]

Carmelo marries Marianna di Miceli in New York on 24 October 1909.^[3]

In the 1910 census of Manhattan taken 29 April, Carmelo Nicolosi (“Nicholas”), 25 (b. 1885), heads a household at 168 E 106th St with his wife of six months (m. Nov 1909), Mary, 19 (b. 1891); his mother in law, Ninfa Milone (“Nina Maloney”), 50 (she is actually 60, b. 7 Nov 1849), a widow; his sister, Calogera Nicolosi, 19 (b. 1891), single (actually, widowed); nephew, illegible, whose age is a match for Giovanni, 5 (b. 1905), and cousin Annie Rigricomi?, 33 (b. 1877). Mary has not had any children and her mother has had four, of whom two are living. All members of the household were born in Italy and immigrated in 1905 except for Mary, who came in 1904, and Calogera, in 1909. Carmelo is a house plasterer. His sister is an operator in a waist (waistcoat?) factory. Carmelo’s neighbor, James Murphy, is also a house plasterer. Calogera's younger son, Vincenzo, who emigrated with them, does not appear in this census.^[4]

In 1918, international narcotics smuggler Mariano Marsalisi, a soldier in the Lucchese family, claims to be employed as a barber by Carmelo Nicolosi at 2069 2nd Ave.^[5]

On 11 April 1921, Carmelo, a 36 year old (b. 1885) baker from Corleone, is shot twice in the back. At the time of the shooting, Carmelo lives at 1974 2nd Av.^[6] The shooting takes place at 106th St and 2nd Av.^[7], a couple blocks from his home.

He tells the police officer who interviews him that he has no enemies and doesn't know who shot him.^[6]

Carmelo dies the same day. The late grocer/baker is buried in St. Raymond Cemetery on 14 April.^[8][9]

Two months after the shooting, no one has been arrested in connection with Carmelo's murder.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Manifest accessed on EllisIsland via SteveMorse on 17 November 2018.
2. ↑ San Giovanni manifest, 4 March 1909, accessed via SteveMorse.org on 10 April 2017.
3. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24CJ-1TR : accessed 26 February 2016), Giacinto Milone in entry for Carmelo Nicolosi and Marianna Dimiceli, 24 Oct 1909; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,493,203.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJ6-9SXB?cc=1727033&wc=QZZ7-MMV%3A133641301%2C133751301%2C143128001%2C1589124908 : 24 June 2017), New York > New York > Manhattan Ward 12 > ED 404 > image 28 of 30; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-91N9-QJJ?cc=1968530&wc=9FZB-2NY%3A928312401%2C929062201 : 14 May 2014), New York > New York City no 160; Bellario, Concito-Z > image 3447 of 6043; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Richard Wagner, Angelo Santino, and Lennert Van 't Riet. "The Early New York Mafia: An Alternative Theory." The Informer: May 2014. Accessed online 11 January 2016.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} “109 Murders in N.Y. In 1921; 59 Unsolved.” New York Tribune. 13 June 1921. P. 1.
8. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W1B-P87 : 10 February 2018), Carmelo Nicolosi, 11 Apr 1921; citing Death, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,027,374.
9. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVG1-M4S2 : 13 December 2015), Carmelo Nicolosi, 1921; Burial, Bronx, Bronx, New York, United States of America, Old Saint Raymonds Cemetery; citing record ID 133136911, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.