The Five Families, also known as the Cosa Nostra and the Mafia, is a Sicilian crime syndicate operating in Gotham City.
History
Though they operate in Gotham, most of their actions were orchestrated by Stefano Mandragora in Sicily.
The Sicilian mafia had long had a presence in the city, but didn't rise to prominence until the leadership of Giuseppe Bertinelli, who made a fortune during the Prohibition and united the five families - Bertinelli, Beretti, Cassamento, Inzerillo and Galante. Not all families loved each other; the Cassamentos were sold out by the Inzerillos, which caused them to dispise both them and the Bertinellis.
Bertinelli was named capo di tutti capi, and reigned until 1949. During his son Alfredo's rule, a new family, the Panessas, came to Gotham. Tomasso Panessa demanded an extra seat, but got nothing; even after his sister Maria married Franco, the Panessas would still fall under the Bertinellis.[1]
The families were long overshadowed by their mainland Italian rivals, the Falcones and Maronis. After their dons were killed, Franco Bertinelli could vastly improve his empire.[2] They had their hands in many dealings, though the Cassamentos and Panessas were especially big in heroin trafficking.
Eventually, Mandragora called for the murder of the Bertinellis. Santo Cassamento organized the hit, but wanted to spare Maria, with whom he had an affair. The hitman Omerta misunderstood the order, and spared their daughter Helena instead.
With the Bertinellis dead, the leadership passed to Junior Galante. With the climate changing, the group's power waned. Enrico Inzerillo gave up,[3] and Tomasso Panessa and Santo Cassamento were arrested due to the Huntress' efforts. Galante's rule eventually came to an end during the gang war, where he was killed.[4]
Members
- Beretti Family
- Angelo Beretti
- Antony Beretti
- Michael Beretti
- Bertinelli Family
- Alfredo Bertinelli
- Franco Bertinelli
- Giuseppe Bertinelli
- Maria Bertinelli
- Pino Bertinelli
- Cassamento Family
- Mario Cassamento
- Santo Cassamento
- Galante Family
- Henry Aquista
- "Junior" Galante
- Pasquale Galante, Sr.
- Vincenzo Galante
- Inzerillo Family
- Enrico Inzerillo
- Jack Inzerillo
- Panessa Family
- Claudio Panessa
- Grace Panessa
- Monica Panessa
- Tomaso Panessa
See Also
- 25 Appearances of Five Families
- 2 Images that include Five Families
- Organization Gallery: Five Families
Links
- None.