{"id":192,"date":"2012-03-17T13:06:01","date_gmt":"2012-03-17T13:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newyorkcitygangs.com\/?page_id=192"},"modified":"2019-03-07T23:04:22","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T04:04:22","slug":"1954-red-wings-fordham-baldies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/newyorkcitygangs.com\/?page_id=192","title":{"rendered":"1954 Red Wings & Fordham Baldies"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Red Wings were a well-known and powerful Italian gang situated in East Harlem.\u00a0 Their turf was around Jefferson Park, 116th Avenue and Pleasant Ave.\u00a0 Some Red Wings attended near-by Benjamin Franklin High School.\u00a0 Originating in the late 1940s, the Red Wings appeared on the record until at least 1959.<\/p>\n

There was a lot of acrimony between the Red Wings and Puerto Rican gangs from East Harlem like the Dragons and Viceroys.\u00a0 Puerto Ricans were moving into East Harlem at greater rates as the 1950s progressed.\u00a0 Because of this\u00a0 gang fights between the two groups became the norm.\u00a0 However, in this case below, the violence was actually with another white gang called the Fordham Baldies.\u00a0 And to make it more interesting, this gang fight happened far from East Harlem — it happened in the Bronx in Baldies turf at 189th Street and Belmont Ave.<\/p>\n

Even today, in 2012, the Fordham Baldies still bring memories to many people I have talked to.\u00a0 The memories are all roughly the same, or close to it.\u00a0 It goes something like this: While at school, a rumour makes the rounds that the “Baldies are coming to the school (insert school name here).”\u00a0 Students are in an uproar and are on pins and needles, waiting for a Baldy invasion.\u00a0 But the thing is, there never is an invasion.\u00a0 The reputation of the Baldies name had preceded them and the mere mention of “Baldies,” was good enough to get everyone worried about an impending gang attack.\u00a0 For more information on the Baldies, please visit James Hannon’s website, Lantern-Media where he shares some of his research on the Fordham Baldies as well as another period gang called the “Ducky’s.”<\/a>\u00a0 In the case I am talking about here, there are no school rumours about a Baldie invasion.\u00a0 This time it was a Red Wings invasion.\u00a0 It happened on a fateful late spring day in 1954.\u00a0 The ending was tragic and if one were keeping score on such a grim topic, the Red Wings came out on top.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, June 1, 1954 at around noon hour, six Red Wings arrived at Orchard Beach, the Bronx in a dark-coloured ’41 Cadillac, driven by Frank Giampetruzzi who was AWOL from Camp Dix.\u00a0 Everyone was ready to enjoy the wind, sun and surf.\u00a0 The Red Wings with Frank that June 1 were John Hall, Louis DePetris, Philip Bonnano, Jerry Santaniello and a girl only known as Bella.\u00a0 They parked the Caddy and settled in at Section 17 of Orchard Beach which at the time was divided into 27 sections (now it is divided into 13 sections).<\/p>\n

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However, when they got there, the Fordham Baldies who had been frequenting Orchard Beach on a regular basis, found out the Red Wings were hanging out on Section 17 of the beach.\u00a0 On that day the Baldies happened to be in Section 11 and when someone asked “for help,” they proceeded to Section 17 to inform the Red Wings that this was their area.\u00a0 For about ten minutes the two groups faced off against each other, calling each other names, threatening each other, and in the Baldies case, jeering Bella.\u00a0 The Baldies, who outnumbered the Red Wings eventually chased them off the beach.<\/p>\n

Giampetruzzi, Bonano, Santanielli and the rest of the Red Wings high tailed it out of the Bronx back to East Harlem, seething over the insults and plotting revenge.\u00a0 When they got back to East Harlem, they dropped off Hall, Bella and DePetris, but picked up two new Red Wings, Frank Ciappetta and Vincent Gugliemelli.\u00a0 Both Frank and Vincent were packing fully loaded automatic pistols.\u00a0 They were going back to the Bronx to pay the Baldies a visit they would never forget.\u00a0 Jumping back in Giampettruzzi’s Cadillac, the five Red Wings headed back to Orchard Beach.\u00a0 By the time they got there, however, the Baldies had left for their regular hangout on Belmont Ave — a candy store called “Piggy’s,” hanging out and lolling about on the stoop.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Piggy’s Candy Store<\/strong><\/p>\n

At about 4:55 p.m. after asking around where the Baldies hung out, the Red Wings rolled up on Piggy’s Candy store, double parking in front.\u00a0 Bernard Caleo and Angelo DiVincenzo were seated on the stoop in front of the candy store, unaware of what was about to happen.\u00a0 Inside, sipping a soda, was Ernest Montuoro.\u00a0 One of the Red Wings yelled out, “Are you the Fordham Baldies?”\u00a0 At hearing this, Bernard, Angelo and Ernest approached the vehicle, standing about seven feet from the curb.\u00a0 Someone from the car said, “you called us punks.”\u00a0 Both pistols were then brought out and six shots rang out from both guns, brandished by Ciappetta and Gugliemelli.\u00a0 One of the bullets hit Montuoro, hitting him in the aorta, killing him.\u00a0 DiVincenzo’s elbow took another bullet, which passed through his arm.\u00a0 Caleo took another bullet just about the left buttock, near his belt line.\u00a0 The bullet penetrated his abodmen wall and because of the injury his leg became gangrenous and he had to have his right leg amputated several inches above the knee.\u00a0 DiVincenzo and Caleo were both members of the Baldies but had no criminal record.\u00a0 Montuoro, who was 25, was not in the Baldies but did have a criminal record for assault and robbery in 1947 and possession of a firearm in 1949.\u00a0 He left behind a wife and child.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Ballistics work being done on Piggy’s Candy Store<\/strong><\/p>\n

The police were able to trace the car to Giamppetruzzi and a week later had arrested all the defendants in the case.\u00a0 Everyone pleaded not-guilty and a trial proceeded the following year in April 1955.\u00a0 Ciappetta and Gugliemelli were charged with 2nd Degree Murder and the others with 1st Degree Manslaughter.\u00a0 All the defendants were found guilty and the shooters — Ciappetta and Gugliemelli — were sent to prison for twenty years.<\/p>\n

This was not the end of the Red Wings gang, however.\u00a0 As mentioned above, they were a powerful gang and continued to make their presence known up to at least 1959, which by that time had killed two more times.\u00a0 I am currently researching these two killings — one in 1958 and the other in 1959 — and hope to write about them in more detail in the future.<\/p>\n

Here is what Piggy’s Candy Store looks like today — now it appears to be an Islamic school.\u00a0 Gone is the cluttered window offerings of the candy store.\u00a0 I doubt anyone walking down the street knew that in 1954 Ernest was killed and Bernard and Angelo were severely injured in a gang war.<\/p>\n

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Trial Minutes (Two Parts – 380 pages)<\/strong><\/p>\n

*Click on Fullscreen to see the full trial minutes*<\/p>\n

Trial Minutes Part 1<\/p>\n