Gerlando Sciascia

Gerlando Sciascia
FBI surveillance photograph of Gerlando Sciascia and Joseph Massino
Born	February 14, 1934 Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, Italy
Died	March 18, 1999 (aged 65) The Bronx, New York, USA

Gerlando "George from Canada" Sciascia (Italian pronunciation: [dʒer'lando ˈʃaʃʃa]; 1934 – March 18, 1999), was a New York City mobster and a caporegime of the Bonanno crime family, who was also the Sixth Family's representative from New York and was a major narcotics trafficker in Canada and the United States.

Sciascia was born in Cattolica Eraclea in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, the same area as Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto. In 1958, the 24-year-old Sciascia immigrated to the United States and moved to New York City.

Sciascia was a stylish dresser with thick gray hair worn in a pompadour style. He had a wife, daughter, son, and grandson. His business headquarters was a small jewelry store in the Bronx. Gregarious and charming, Sciascia epitomized traditional Cosa Nostra values. However, Sciascia was very willing to give his opinion on anything, for he really had no superiors.

By the mid 1970s, Sciascia was established in New York with the Sicilian, or "zip" faction, of the Bonanno family. However, due to his Sicilian upbringing, Sciascia also had close ties to the Bonanno crew in Montreal, which included Rizzuto. At this time, the Bonanno leadership considered the Rizzutos and the Bonanno crew in Canada to be under their firm direction and control.

On May 5, 1981, Sciascia participated in the murders of dissident Bonanno capos Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera, Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, and Philip "Lucky" Giaccone at a Gambino crime family social club in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Rizzuto came from Montreal with two Sicilian hitmen to join Joseph Massino, Salvatore Vitale, and Sciascia. Sciascia escorted the three rebellion capos into the club. Once the men were inside, Sciascia signalled the attack by slowly running his fingers through his hair. At that point, the men burst from a closet and started shooting. During the massacre, Salvatore Vitale observed Sciascia shooting Indelicato in the head. When the three capos were dead, Sciascia and his Sicilians quickly left the building, leaving the cleanup to Vitale and the others.