Michele John Pecoraro (1897 - 1967)

Born 14 Oct 1897 in San Cipirello, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Ancestors

Died 20 Dec 1967 at age 70 in San Bernardino, California, United States

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Biography

Michael Pecoraro, aka "Skinny Mike," a Los Angeles gangster, is born in San Cipirello, Sicily, the son of Giovanni Pecoraro, a broker originally from Piana dei Greci, and Vincenza Galati, a housewife originally from Partinico. His parents marry in San Cipirello in 1893.

On 15 October 1897 in San Cipirello, Giovanni Pecoraro, age 28 (b. 1869), sensale (broker), resident of San Cipirello, reports the birth on 14 October in via Laurino to Vincenza Galati, his wife, a housewife, with whom he lives, a baby boy who is presented and named Michele.^[1]

Michele's father is engaged in organized crime in San Cipirello. He emigrates to New York City, where he becomes a close associate of the Morello-Terranova crime family based in East Harlem, in the northern part of Manhattan.

Michele, his sister, and mother join Giovanni in New York City, arriving on the Spartan Prince on 22 July 1902. Possibly Marianna's age has been transcribed incorrectly. She is 7-8 years old.

21. Vincenza Galati, 32 (b. 1870), married, connected to lines 22-23 with a bracket.

22. Marianna Pecoraro, 1 (b. 1901)

23. Michele Pecoraro, 4 (b. 1898)

All three born in San Cipirello. They are joining Vincenza’s husband, the father of the children, John Pecoraro at 289 Washington St on the corner of Horatio St, in New York City.^[2]

In the 1905 New York state census taken 1 June, John Pecoraro heads a household at 317 East 60th St. He is 37 (b. 1868). His wife, Jennie, 34 (b. 1871), daughter Mary, 10 (b. 1895), and son Michael, 7 (b. 1898), were all born in Italy and have been in the country for three years. John is a wine importer, working on his own account.^[3]

Michael's criminal record begins in 1917 and includes theft, larceny, conspiracy, fraud, bootlegging, and forgery.^[4]

Michael Pecoraro registers for the draft for WWI on 12 September 1918. He lives at 1122 First Av, New York. He is 20, born on 11 October 1898. He is a citizen by his father’s naturalization. He owns his own trucking business at 420 East 64th St., NYC. Nearest relative is Vincenzo Pecoraro at the same address. He is of medium height and build with brown eyes and hair.^[5]

Michael's father is killed in March 1923 in the dry goods store in his apartment building.^[6]

Michael leaves New York City at an unknown date, fleeing arrest. He hides in California with his LiMandri relatives.^[4]

Death of Michael

Michael dies on either 15 or 20 December 1967 in San Bernardino: the US Social Security Death Index and the California Death Index provide different dates. He last resided in Ontario, San Bernardino, CA 91762.^[7][8] He is buried in Bellevue Memorial Park, Ontario, San Bernardino, CA.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Atto di nascita, Michele Pecoraro. (1897, October 15). Record no. 139. "Italia, Palermo, Palermo, Stato Civile (Tribunale), 1866-1910," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997B-FKH7?cc=2051639&wc=MCTM-538%3A351055601%2C353384901%2C353409001 : 22 May 2014), Palermo > San Cipirello > Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, cittadinanze, morti 1894-1902 > image 444 of 862; Tribunale di Cagliari (Cagliari Court, Cagliari).
2. ↑ Year: 1902; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 0290; Line: 1; Page Number: 192
3. ↑ New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1905; Election District: A.D. 24 E.D. 19; City: Manhattan; County: New York; Page: 53
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Feather, B. (2016, February 12). Bios. of early Gambino members [1930-50's.] Mafia Membership Charts [Website]. http://mafiamembershipcharts.blogspot.com/2016/02/bios-of-early-gambino-members-1930-50s.html
5. ↑ Registration State: New York; Registration County: New York; Roll: 1766333; Draft Board: 131
6. ↑ Death of John Pecoraro. (1923, March 6). Cert. no. 7349. Manhattan. DORIS. https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/5605596
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.
8. ↑ Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 April 2020), memorial page for Michael J. Pecoraro (1898–1967), Find a Grave Memorial no. 170652413, citing Bellevue Memorial Park, Ontario, San Bernardino County, California, USA ; Maintained by Sadie May (contributor 46586805) .