Nicholas Morello
Born: 1855
Died: 1916
In 1892 Nicholas Morello arrived in New York from Corleone with his family including his mother, step-father, four sisters, and step-brothers Ciro and Vincent. They were joining their brother Giuseppe who had arrived six months earlier. The family stayed in New York for around a year, but suffered from the lack of available work. They travelled to Louisiana, the father and Giuseppe worked for about a year planting sugar cane before moving on to Bryan, Texas. They family worked in Texas as cotton pickers, but left after two years when the family was hit with Malaria. In 1896 they arrived back in New York.
Whilst Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo were in jail on counterfeiting charges, their brothers Vincenzo, Ciro and Nicholas, were seen as very wealthy and powerful criminals in East Harlem. The family owned several cars, a two seater sports car, a black, touring body Packard and a red Hudson. They kept the cars at a garage on W144th St, the cars were available for public rental.
On June 24th 1916 a meeting took place at Coney Island between the Sicilian Morello gang, the Neapolitan Navy Street gang and the Neapolitan Coney Island gang. The idea of the meeting was to discuss the consolidation of the gangs to control illegal activities in New York, including gambling, drugs and extortion. The deal eventually broke down, which led to the Navy Street gang plotting Nick Morello’s death.
On September 7th 1916, Nicholas Morello and Charles Ubriaco travelled downtown to meet with the Navy St gang. Ralph Daniello served the men drinks before Pagano arrived to take them to a coffee house where Lauritano and Morano were waiting. The men walked together towards Myrtle Avenue when they were ambushed at the junction of Johnson St and Hudson Avenue. Nicholas Morello was shot dead by Tom Pagano, and Ubriaco was slain by Thomas Carillo and Lefty Esposito. After the police arrived they searched Morello, and found a bank book for NY Produce Exchange Bank, Harlem. It showed a balance of $1,865. Later that evening Ciro Terranova was called to identify his brothers body.