Family Business

Family Business: Zizzo Law and the Old Barn

Of the five independent organized crime families in the north-eastern, New York-New Jersey region, the Zizzo family had the reputation of being the most nefarious of all Cosa Nostra syndicates.

Influenced largely by their boss “Don” Giuseppe Zizzo, this organizations Caporegimes and Soldiers alike not only would “take care of business”, but consistently relish the very gruesome ways in which they would carry it out.

Most often their methods would involve an accelerated level of brutality, assuring it be known that if you cross Don Zizzo, you not only risk your own imminent death, but you also subject yourself to such a torturous demise that ultimately will have you begging for your own termination. If such threat alone were not enough, there was never hesitation to include the distinct possibility that family members close to you may be in jeopardy as well. Fear was this family’s signature calling card, and the perpetuation of such is what set the Zizzo clan apart from the other organized crime families.

Get a Job on the Farm

The State of New York is home to over thirty-thousand farms located primarily in the upstate areas. Boasting incredibly beautiful and peaceful countryside, these farms consistently produce vast arrays of vegetables and fruit.

About sixty miles north of Manhattan, there is one farm of note, a family operation originally started by Italian immigrant Augustine Palmisano that is currently enjoying a third generation of family farmers having been passed from father to son and now grandson.

The rich fertile soil combines with a climate perfectly suited for growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and its primary crop of Red Jacket and Yukon Gold variety potatoes.

From the beginning, this quiet and tranquil land has enabled the Palmisano’s to achieve the epitome of the American dream.

Like most modern farms in the region, the Palmisano land is situated on acres of slightly rolling hills that allow perfect drainage conducive to potato production. It includes a four bedroom home originally built by Augustine himself that features all the comforts and amenities of country living. Of course, no farm would be complete without a sizeable, old barn.

Barns typically house livestock, farm machinery, equipment, and various tools essential to operations. The Palmisano barn is used in similar fashion, housing the tractor, mowers, backhoe, cultivator, combine harvester and irrigation equipment. A significant, two-story structure, the ground level has a primary use of storing such machinery.

On the upper level is full workshop complete with a ten-thousand-pound capacity freight elevator for equipment ease of access. It is this barn that makes the Palmisano farm unlike anything else.

The plight of the American potato farmer still allows for farmers to earn a fair living providing a hard work ethic is involved in the mix. Typically, vast riches are not associated with a farming lifestyle. However, this is no typical family farm, and the Palmisano's are no paupers. What takes place in this barn is what brings us back to Don Zizzo and his family business.

Suffice to say, when the Don determines it is time someone “gets a job on the farm” the Capos and Soldiers all understand such meaning. The job is a permanent one, and the job application is completed when you have achieved enemy status with the Zizzo family.

Crime and Punishment

Like many Sicilian immigrants, history connects these families. Years earlier, it was Giuseppe’s great uncle Luigi who sponsored Augustine Palmisano coming to the United States. The elder Zizzo also provided the initial funding required for Augustine to purchase the land he would build his farm upon.

The Cosa Nostra or “Honored Society” to which they belonged, had roots in Sicily far before Luigi or Augustine ever set foot on American soil.

Through the years the farm would provide an additional avenue to funnel cash from the Zizzo family criminal enterprises, but it was not until Giuseppe Zizzo became Don that the farm would serve another unique purpose.

Don Zizzo envisioned the farm as the ideal place to carry out certain disciplinary measures required to effectively operate his business. The barn ground floor would function the same as every other farmland structure, but Zizzo had the upper level configured to serve as courthouse and “justice” facility for those not adhering to his brand of Cosa Nostra rules.

Knowing who is Boss

There was a hierarchy to the Zizzo form of justice in place. The family business had specific structure so each member would understand his position and place, where there would be no question as to the chain of command or authority.

It started at the top with the Don and then trickled downward to the Consigliere, the Caporegimes, and followed by the Soldiers. At the bottom were the Associates.

Order In This Court

When FBI operatives were tracking the Zizzo family in 1972, the crime syndicate hierarchy structure was found to be as follows:

Giuseppe Zizzo. The Don or Godfather.

Francesco Zizzo. The Consigliere (Advisor to the Don), Underboss, and younger brother of Giuseppe.

Three Caporegimes followed in the hierarchy, with each having four Soldiers under their command, much rivaling a military chain of command. The Capo crew breakdowns looked like this:

Caporegimes

Antonio Ingrilli Angelo Palmisano Giovanni Di Prima

Soldiers

Carmine Battaglia Dominic Varrone Nicolo La Scala

Luca Sciortino Antonio Jacaruso Carlo Salata

Michael Infante Roberto Conforti Augusto Di Bennedto

Mario Jennaro Paolo Gaspari Salvatore Tommisino

Under the Soldiers, there would also be non-family Associates who participated in the business operations when needed. These men reported directly to the respective Soldier sponsoring them. When an Associate proved himself and became worthy for consideration, he might then be given opportunity to become part of the family and make Soldier status.

Making Soldier is most easily understood relative to a Catholic Priest being elevated to Monsignor. Making Caporegime on the other hand, might be closer related to an Archbishop being named Cardinal. Achieving status of Don in this simple parallel, would best be understood as becoming Pope, a title and status both hold for life.

Justice Granted or Denied

In this unique justice system, the Don would take on the role of acting judge and jury.

The Consigliere would act as counsel to the accused.

One Caporegime would act as prosecutor, with the other Capos made available to provide testimony for the prosecution if first deemed admissible by the Don.

In the Don Zizzo system of justice, Soldiers would regularly attend proceedings as galley witnesses. A policy likely engaged to provide first-hand observation of disciplinary consequences for those not adhering to his Cosa Nostra guidelines.

Associates were never permitted to attend any of these type proceedings, but news of the events and outcomes would almost always quickly be discovered.

Actions have Consequences.

As a member of this “Honored Society”, if charges are brought the accused is quickly remanded to custody beginning with upper-level accommodations at the barn.

If the accused is a Caporegime, Soldier, or Associate family member, the chances of a positive outcome historically are extremely limited. The possible outcome is much brighter however, than say that of an outsider or known enemy of the family whose odds of a positive judicial outcome plummets drastically. Facing accusations in this court rarely bodes well for the accused.

Tools, Techniques, Procedures, Conviction and Sentencing.

The floor plan of the upper barn is divided into two primary areas. The courtroom consists of a judge’s bench, the prosecutors table, the table for the accused, a witness stand and a galley seating area.

Beyond is a dividing wall that separates an interrogation room, secured animal cages suitable for perhaps a large dog or small calf, and the execution chamber where various methods of lethal demise may be exacted.

Opposite those areas is the workshop where normal farm equipment repair can take place. The significance in knowing that is this area is full of a vast array of tools and farm implements should interrogation methods come to require such; those are all readily available for use.

Don Zizzo has always pride himself on his own sense of fairness and justice. He created his “justice facility” and specifically designed it to enable the proper discipline deserving of each case-by-case infraction.

In seeing, it is obvious he has always been immensely proud of his accomplishment here.

A believer in due process, Zizzo demanded each case be heard with representation for all sides. After all, he concluded… this is America.

Cases begin with pre-trial examination or interrogations conducted by Capos and in some instances the Don as well. On occasion a pre-trial agreement may be reached, or the accused expires prior to establishing a set court date. Should this not occur, moments are provided for prosecutor and counsel to formulate their arguments and the trial time is determined.

The parties involved then adjourn the interrogation area and resume to the courtroom. The trial begins with the Lord’s Prayer and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. The trial phase is then set to begin.

Opening statements are heard by the prosecution, then rebuttal statements may be permitted in defense of the accused.

Once all arguments have concluded, the judge considers the evidence provided and makes a final and binding determination. He then quickly determines proper corrective action and delivers his verdict to the court.

The punishment when found guilty is immediately acted upon and full sentence is carried out.

This court system does not believe in incarceration as punishment or in the effectiveness of rehabilitation of any kind. Penalties are physical in nature, adopting a biblical “eye for an eye” standard of sentencing justice.

For those who may be subject to loss of limb, extremity, or other like deserving disability, medical bandaging and dressing are readily available and provided at no cost by the court.

In cases where lethal determinations are ruled (approximately 89% of all cases heard), the execution actions take place immediately upon the reading of such verdict.

Once the execution process is concluded, remains of the guilty party are either then cremated on premise or eviscerated via the available farm wood chipping implement, at which time they are contained and eventually scattered amongst the fields where the guilty is then considered to be fulfilling his obligatory job service to the farm.

To learn more detail of the case studies and reports of this unique justice system, look for additional upcoming posts in this Family Business series.

About the author:

Thomas Doyle is a career professional chef, entrepreneur, restaurant consultant, storyteller, humorist, and writer for the food industry. A Green Bay resident, avid Green Bay Packer fan and lifelong season ticket holder, Doyle now can be found as a feature writer for Packerstalk.com.