The Mariposa crime family was one of the first Mafia families in New York City, and headed by Giuseppe Mariposa in the 1920s to the early 1930s.
History
Mariposa gained power and influence by uniting many of the street gangs under his banner, including Emilio Barzini, his brother Ettore, Domenico Mazza and the Rosato Brothers. During Prohibition the family became a dominant force in New York and established an alliance with the Chicago Outfit of Al Capone.
In 1934, after dismantling the LaConti organization, Mariposa declared himself capo di tutti capi during a meeting that he had set up with the other New York dons, including Vito Corleone. However, not long after this meeting a war broke out between Mariposa and Corleone. Mariposa outnumbered the Corleone family, but was eventually outgeneralized by Vito Corleone and betrayed by his own lieutenants. During a meeting with Salvatore Tessio in Brooklyn, Mariposa was murdered by Tessio and Tomasino Cinquemani.
The Barzini family was formed from the remnants of the Mariposa organization. Even though Barzini had betrayed Mariposa to Corleone, he still held a grudge against the Corleones and this would eventually lead to the Five Families War a decade later.
Mariposa family structure (1920s-1934)
Don Giuseppe Mariposa |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||