The Leone crime family is an Italian-American Mafia family that opreates in New York City and Las Vegas, once led by the powerful mob boss Salvatore "Sal" Leone, who was the founder of the Caligula's Palace casino in 1992. The casino itself proved to be the catalyst for the Caligula's Palace War between the Leones and the rival Sindacco and Forelli families. After Salvatore's assassination in 2001, the family has been considerably weakened, but still hold up in Manhattan with a seat on The Commission. They have held alliances, some lasting longer than others, with a number of gangs such as the Forellis, the Sindaccos, the Sicilian Mafia, the Southside Hoods, and the Uptown Yardies. Even so, the Leones have made many more enemies, including but not limited to the New York City and San Francisco Triads, the Vercetti Gang, the Diablos, the Colombian Cartel, the Yakuza, the Grove Street Families, the Varrios Los Aztecas, the Ballas, the Vagos, the Rifa, and the Russian Mafia and their allies.
History[]
The Leone Family were founded in 1948 by John Leone, an immigrant from , Sicily. The Leones established themselves in Downtown Brooklyn, but they also had connections with casinos in Las Vegas, where John's son Salvatore founded Caligula's Palace in 1992. Indeed, the casino and hotel were the one factor influencing the brief cooperation of the Three Families: the Leones, Sindaccos, and Forellis. This alliance was not to last. When Johnny Sindacco suffered a heart attack after being scared by the Triads in a reckless driving rampage, the Forellis attempted to kill him to take over his share, but the Leones killed the hitmen and shot Marco in retaliation. This caused the Caligula's Palace War, resulting in the weakening of the Forellis and Sindaccos, and the Leones were left in control of the casino. Unfortunately, it was robbed by the Triads shortly afterwards, and embarrassing Leone, who increased the security in response.
In 1998, the Leones were weakened by infighting between Caporegime Vincenzo "Lucky" Cilli and associate Toni Cipriani, who shot the former after a series of suicidal tasks ordered by Cilli culminated in an attempt on Cipriani's life with a chainsaw.
The family fought the Sindaccos and Forellis later that year, with the arrest of Salvatore and the murder of Don Paulie "the Invisible Don" Sindacco and Franco Forelli; the first after a boat chase, and the second after an explosion of the Fort Staunton construction site.
The Leones maintained their strength in New York until 2001, when they fought the Yakuza following the assassination of Salvatore by Kasen crime family associate Claude Speed, who was betrayed by the Mafia. This war continued until the deaths of their leaders, Kenji and Asuka Kasen, at the hands of the Colombian Cartel weakened the Yakuza.
After Salvatore's death, the family was reduced to controlling Carroll Gardens, Bushwick, and Prospect Heights, with Toni Cipriani in charge; the Underboss Joey Leone preferred to engineer cars and was not fit to lead a family.
Members[]
Don: Salvatore Leone
Consigliere: Ken Rosenberg
Underboss: Joey Leone
Caporegimes: Vincenzo Cilli, Mikey Sergio, Benito Capano, and Toni Cipriani
Soldati: Mickey Hamfists, Luigi Goterelli, Oscar Altobello, and Mike Leone