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The West Coast Contingent


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The West Coast Contingent


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia image.png?width=457&height=550

 

The Martorano Crime Family was an Italian-American criminal organization with majority control over the West Coast as part of the American mafia and now presumed defunct. The family was founded by Philip Martorano after the merger between two splinter groups of the Philadelphia and Colombo crime families. Since 2023, due to the arrests and internal strife, the Borgata is presumed extinct with a smaller breakaway entity of remaining members still involved in criminal activities within Los Santos

 

The source for much of the current information on the history of the Los Santos Cosa Nostra family is the courtroom testimony of Ernest “Ernie” Savona, who in the 2000s became the first member - and the first inducted member in Los Santos - in West Coast, American mafia history to testify against its members. 

 

Throughout the late-2000s, the Martorano Crime Family entered several internal and external wars over control of the city. Without the strong concentration of Italian-Americans in the region meant the Borgata had to contend with the many street gangs of other ethnicities in the city which would lead to many arrests, wars, and the future destruction of the organization. 

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History


The Colombo and Philadelphia Connection

 

A connection between the Philadelphia Crime Family and the Los Santos area was apparent after the arrival of captain Joseph Campo and inducted soldier Phillip Martorano. According to Conti turncoat, Lawrence Zampa,image.png although the region was under the jurisdiction of the Conti Crime Family both were permitted to operate in the area, away from the north of Los Santos, and conduct their enterprises. However, after the arrests for illicit firearms trafficking Campo was incarcerated and the Philadelphia Connection disappeared into obscurity. 

 

Dominic “Donnie Shacks” Montemanaro, a long-time Colombo captain, relocated to the West Coast during the 1990s. Montemanaro desired to semi-retire but keep his interests in the movie industry, gambling, and pornography. A minor faction within Montemarano’s Bayside crew was transferred to East Los Santos, including two key figures Angelo Sisca and Paul Longo who began operating out of Sisca’s brother-in-law’s social club, Sabella’s, near Mirror Park.

 

In light of an increase in Cosa Nostra activity within the San Andreas state, a Philiadephia-Colombo partnership was created to protect and align the interests of the core families in the north. After the passing of Montemanaro in 2021, a merger was proposed by a semi-retired Colombo captain, Carmine Lupo, who orchestrated the new Borgata. Together with Philip Martorano, Sisca, and Longo a new West Coast crime family was founded. Sisca’s responsibilities involved labor racketeering in construction and longshore unions, most notably Labour 66, while Longo continued operating the reminiscence of Montemarano’s activities and giving birth to the Downtown crew

 

The Martorano Golden Era

 

After the Colombo and Philadelphia factions merger, Philip Martorano became boss and appointed Nathaniel Agro as underboss and Angelo Sisca as his consigliere. While the family operated two crews out of key areas, one spearheaded in Vespucci by Michael Ciofalo and the continuation of Dominic Montemanaro’s crew in Downtown by Paul Longo. Longo also expanded the family rackets into prostitution through Golden Girls, later renamed Sweet Passion, under Ronald “Moe Chameleon” Ganisa

 

This period is often referred to as the Golden Era of Martorano, boasting a West Coast record of over twenty active made members and an estimated hundred associates. In the testimony of Ernest Savona, he claimed that through the Lucky Goose bar, Longo’s Downtown crew was involved in several white-collimage.pngar schemesillicit gamblingprostitution, and weekly hijackings of imported dock items through Sisca’s connections to the union. Savona’s testimony also alludes to the crew being involved in murder-for-hire operations through Russell Gagliano. While the Bay Avenue crew primarily focused on card skimming and a gasoline racket, as well as having their hands in many legitimate entertainment businesses. 

 

 In October 2021, Sabella’s was raided by law enforcement officers after a wiretap caught Ernest Savona murdering a young associate, Anthony Limone. Both Robert Bonfigilio and Ronald Ganisa were caught at the scene by Miles Morgan, a detective within the Los Santos police department. Longo and Savona were later arrested after being picked up in a Sandy Shores motel. 

 

Several news sources, most notably the Los Santos News Network, reported on the murder which became a constant in the news cycle within San Andreas. Longo, Bonfigilio, and Ganisa were all released with charges of conspiracy to murder, much lighter than the original charges of first-degree. This was likely due to mounting public pressure on the DA through Victoria Miller who published articles supporting the trio. A public protest with over one hundred attendees stormed the courts for the later release of Savona. An investigation by Morgan would reveal that Miller was on Longo’s payroll.

 

Sisca grew increasingly frustrated at being the third-in-command to Agro over his supposed incompetence. Sisca regarded Agro to Longo as a “clueless ape” and wiretaps indicated Agro was commonly referred to as The Ape by Martorano soldiers within the Downtown crew. A prominent reason for his distaste was due to Agro’s desire to eliminate Longo because he accepted the plea deal without Martorano’s approval. Sisca’s boundless greediness may also have been the cause of his desire to ascend the hierarchy. After Agro’s disappearance, Agro-loyalist and captain Michael Ciofalo would flee San Andreas leaving Anthony “Tony Suits” Trupiano to lead the Bay Avenue crew who also had troubles with Agro. 

 

With Trupiano’s promotion, notable Bay Ave figures such as James ProvenzanoDominick Garfaci, and Frank “Fingers” Ida were inducted into the organization. However, Trupiano’s leadership was short-lived due to his withering health and the pressure of investigations across the Borgata. He was replaced by Daniel “The Arab” Bechara who would oversee the rise of the crew to greater prominence within the family with Garfaci managing most day-to-day operations. 

 

The Chinese War and Leading Indictments

 

Martorano became locked into an underworld conflict with a Chinese organized crime group led by Wuying “Raymond” Meng. The reason behind the escalations was due to the evergrowing influence of Longo’s crew over the Mission Row area and the exertion of Sisca’s control over the Port of Los SantosSeveral other escalations led to the full-scale war, notably an encounter after Chinese thugs stormed Robert Bonfigilo’s bar on Sinner Street. Further, another incident includes Longo passing a debt to Meng owed by one of his members who ran Longo’s Cypress Hills bar, the Long Haul.

 

These escalations came to a boiling point when months later, Sisca was having coffee at a teahouse in Chinatown. Meng and his accomplice opened fire on Sisca from behind, nearly killing the newly promoted underboss. Sisca was hit once in the arm. This triggered a response from the Longo crew who put the teahouse to the torch and murdered many members of the Chinese group. No murders were recorded from the Martoranos and at the height of the war, Savona’s testimony would refer to Ronald Ganisa as “Ronnie Two Guns” as he and Jimmy “Chin” Bazzoli would carry two guns with them everywhere they went. 

 

The battle between the opposing factions came to a halt on March 20th, 2021 when Ernest Savona was arrested in a black car close to the Red Piano, a mob hangout for the Bay Avenue crew, together with Martin “Magic Marty” Pisano and Joseph “JC” Calarco. Savona was arrested and charged with attempted murder and later cooperated with the authorities, leading to the Martorano indictments. 

 

Unbeknownst to the Martorano family, detectives had been building a case around the Mission Row contingent. Several key figureheads were arrested such as Angelo SiscaRonald GanisaWilliam IovinoRussell GaglianoJoseph CalarcoJames Provenzano, Jimmy Bazzoli, and Ralph Sciandra, a figurehead for the Bay Ave crew with close ties to Longo. After the arrests, Paul Longo fled Los Santos to avoid incarceration. 

 

The Los Santos Police Department was enabled to add a plethora of extra charges because of Ernest Savona’s additional testimony. The bulk of the indictment was around accusations of racketeering, and bribery of police officials primarily due to Longo’s relationship with Alan Aplin of whom he was paid by Ganisa-prostitutes and several charges of first-degree murder. Across the indictees, the majority were represented by a team of mob lawyers spearheaded by Omar Ortiz. The court had dropped the bulk of murder charges due to insufficient evidence. The court was only able to establish Ganisa’s involvement in pandering and being the leader of a prostitution ring. However, the evidence of an organized crime family was established by detectives due to Calarco taking a plea deal on racketeering which was sufficient enough to charge the group. Calarco was pressured by his lawyer to take the plea as he was not represented by Ortiz. The case was seen as a failure for law enforcement and a win for organized crime as the majority, bar Ganisa and Bazzoli, were released after 1-year of incarceration. 

 

The Eurasian Organized Crime War

 

The Eurasian Organized Crime War started over ever-increasing tension between the Serbian conglomerate and the overarching crime group led by Armenians. Their conflict began after several shootings were reported in East VinewoodPhilip Martorano had close ties and relations with the Serbian organized crime group and rallied in their support which in turn led to Meng’s Chinese faction joining in an attempt to take back control of Downtown in opposition against the Martoranos. These events would lead to the biggest underground warimage.pngin San Andreas history with a reported two hundred criminal members taking arms and over fifty deaths.

 

Martorano entered the conflict after the storming of Armenian Power street members in Vinewood’s notorious strip club, Hornbills. Call recordings and CCTV show Ronald Ganisa calling the police and fleeing the scene in which three Armenians were shot down by law enforcement. Ganisa was shot twice in the arm and omitted to Los Santos General Hospital and meet his fate when a masked, Chinese gunman would later enter the premises in the early hours of the morning and shoot down Ganisa.

 

After months of shootings and chaos, escalations reached their height after a team of Jewish hitmen, spearheaded by David Mizhari met a squad of Martorano members in Pacific Bluffs. Eleven people were recorded dead on the scene including notable Martorano inductees Frank IdaRalph Sciandra, and Dominick GarfaciJames Provenzano was seen fleeing the scene with gun wounds and was later assassinated days later. Two Mizhari brothers were found dead as well as the remaining Jewish party of six.

 

Wuying Meng was recorded as fleeing the country after a coup attempt on his life by a long-time loyalist, Wu Yau. Law enforcement believe that the attempted murder was orchestrated by Martin Pisano after call recordings alluded to the murder, but there was not enough evidence to charge Pisano. Pisano was later arrested on unrelated charges. This attempted murder was seen as a pivotal part of the Martorano-ETOC war as the Chinese were left without their leader and pivoted away from the conflict. The war shortly concluded with Martoranos being seen as the victors, though with consequences. Many Martorano-made members were killed and arrested which would be one of the catalysts for Philip Martorano’s retirement and the installation of Angelo Sisca as the new figurehead of the Borgata. 

 

The Era of Lazy Eye

 

Angelo Sisca, who reportedly wore sunglasses during the day to mask his lazy eye, took over leadership of the Martorano Crime Family after the ill health of Philip Martorano. Sisca’s administration was built off new school members with Harvey Apa as Underboss, John Artese as captain of the Bay Avimage.pnge crew, and long-serving inductee Joseph Calarco as leader of the Downtown crew. Sisca took the Martoranos into a new era focusing the organization’s activity on legitimate enterprises such as construction, labor unions, and residential property development. 

 

Sisca notably added an additional crew into the Martoranos who historically only operated with two. Joseph Tarano, a New Jersey Crime Family captain, merged with Sisca’s regime which brought the Borgata back to the forefront of Los Santos organized crime. 

 

The Tarano crew would often butt heads with other Martorano members at the disdain of Sisca who would grow increasingly tired of his antics. The situation would take a turn for the worse as Tarano conspired behind Sisca’s back to topple his new regime with Calarco. Unbeknownst to Tarano, Calarco alerted Sisca who ordered the deaths of the Tarano crew. On the eve of May 22nd, 2022, Martorano associates murdered Tarano in a parking lot in Vespucci. Tarano loyalists gathered together in a backroom apartment and were ambushed by Martorano members, sixteen Taranos were killed and Artese was found dead in an alleyway nearby. 

 

The Borgata went into a period of quietness to avoid mounting law enforcement scrutiny after the Tarano war. Now without an administration, Sisca absorbed the last reminiscence of Conti Crime Family buttons and would later take a step back from day-to-day operations leaving a ruling panel led by Frank Palma and Roy Falazarano.

 

Current Position and Leadership


 

Sisca’s retirement, the death of Philip Martorano due to heart conditions and waning recruitment within the Martorano Crime Family meant that most operations are now defunct and the Los Santos Police Department considers the organization dissolved. As recent of 2023, John “Apples” Aparo, the supposed leader of the Martorano splinter group was murdered in Rockford Hills. Shortly after Paul Longo, alongside long-term loyalists such as Martin PisanoRussell Gagliano, Robert Bonfiglio and historic Bay Ave soldier Vincent DeFuria have all returned to Los Santos. Longo has been seen at Goldie’s (renamed from the Lucky Goose) with Robert “Doc” Satriano, a Philip Martorano loyalist. 

 

 

References


 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/53748-ap-los-santos-pacific-bluffs-shootout-leaves-11-dead/

 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/42136-lsnn-italian-american-stands-accused-of-first-degree-murder-in-limone-trial-coworkers-allege-da-discimination/page/3/#comment-398543

 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/42207-lscdao-press-release-07-district-attorney-response-to-discrimination-allegations

 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/41819-lsnn-limones-murder-three-men-convicted-of-second-degree-murder-conspiracy-through-a-plea-deal/#comment-394510

 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/42898-lsnn-lifestyle-news-sala-the-maestro-bolo-42-wins-fight-night-at-the-sweathouse-gym/#comment-408238

 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/49660-lsnn-ronald-g-released-on-parole-ive-been-framed-typical-anti-italian-discrimination-says-ronald-g-outrageous-attempt-to-associate-him-with-lcn-says-his-attorney/#comment-501547

 

https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/55570-lsnn-another-successful-lssd-operation-major-crimes-bureau-interrupts-lsnn-live-program-and-arrests-martin-pisano-sheriff-washington-due-to-his-dangerous-and-violent-nature-we-were-forced-to-take-action/#comment-576109

 

Edited by The Borgata
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This faction is a continuation of the The Martorano Crime Family, as documented in the history above, and aims to provide a realistic, immersive Cosa Nostra (LCN) experience to the West Coast. Although a continuation, the West Coast Contingent is a smaller subsection of the Martoranos who have picked up the remaining pieces with the aim to return the organization to prominence, akin to the Golden Era alluded to in the thread.

 

Dysfunctional and smaller than its predecessor, we want to warn those interested in joining the faction that affiliation process maybe even more time-consuming and difficult than in the past. To become affiliated within LCN it takes time, effort and can require multiple vouches for anybody to be trusted. An understanding of LCN prior to attempts of affiliation is recommended, however not necessary; the West Coast Contingent is also a place to learn and educate new members wanting to begin roleplay around the American mafia.

 

Recruitment is handled strictly in-character. We use a Discord, however invites are only granted upon successful affiliation within the faction. Upon joining the faction, your character is subject to the faction CK clause - the administration of the faction reserve the right to kill your character for any reason they deem necessary. 

 

All screenshots must be approved by the upper echelons of the faction.

 

If you have any queries or questions feel free to direct to @Jimenez or @Alexion.

 

(OOC Disclaimer: The Wikipedia-style thread above is a true and accurate representation of the preceding events of the current faction. Although some of the information is public knowledge as per the referenced footnotes, the Wikipedia is not to be taken as in-character knowledge)

Edited by The Borgata
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