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Printed page 198 of the 1963 hearings, Part 1 (NCJRS PDF page 213): Valachi says Masseria "offered himself to be a plain soldier" and "Maranzano refused."
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Hearing of October 1, 1963, pp. 198–199: Masseria's offer of peace, Maranzano's refusal, and the men Valachi said "set him up"

Valachi testified that Masseria "offered himself to be a plain soldier" and that Maranzano refused, that Maranzano's side had grown to about 600, and that Masseria's own men set him up at a Coney Island restaurant. Testimony from hearsay; Valachi was not there.

Date
1963-10-01
Kind
hearing
Source
National Criminal Justice Reference Service, scan of the printed hearings (NCJ 119303)
Retrieved
2026-10-12
Rights
A work of the United States Senate, printed by the Government Printing Office. Public domain in the United States. 17 U.S.C. § 105. The NCJRS cover sheet records reproduction permission as "Public Domain / U.S. Senate."

Printed pages 198 and 199 of Part 1 (NCJRS PDF pages 213 and 214), the end of the October 1, 1963 session. The chairman asked whether there was an effort to make peace after the Chicago killing and “after Baker’s killing.” Valachi said Masseria tried: “Yes, he offered himself to be a plain soldier. He will give up anything he had if they leave him alone. Maranzano refused.”

Asked how many men each side then had, Valachi said: “I think Maranzano by this time had about 600, Senator. They were coming over,” and agreed that those coming over were “Castellemarese.” Of Masseria he said, “he had Charley, he had Vito, he had not too many. He had about five or six, Senator.” He named Lucky Luciano, Genovese, “Joe Strasse or Joe Stretch” and Ciro Terranova. The figures are his estimates.

He testified: “They finally, after Joe Baker, sometime after Joe Baker, finally got him to come out at Coney Island, in a restaurant.” Asked who of Masseria’s own men set him up, he answered: “Charley, Lucky, and Vito,” and agreed it was “with the pretense that they were going to get Maranzano.” The subcommittee recessed at 3:30 p.m. and resumed the account the next morning (pp. 210–213).

Valachi said he was not at Coney Island; what he says of the setup is what he was told. These are a witness’s sworn answers, not findings. Nobody named here was charged with Masseria’s killing in this record.

Page images: printed p. 198 (stored above) and p. 199.

itemHearing of October 2, 1963, pp. 210–213: Valachi's account of the killing of Joseph Masseria, and the police record of April 15, 1931 at 2715 West 15th Street, Coney IslandValachi testified from hearsay that Masseria's own men took him to a Coney Island restaurant and killed him. Sgt. Ralph Salerno read the police record: at 3:30 p.m. on April 15, 1931, "Giuseppi Massaria, alias Joe the Boss," was shot in the back and head in a restaurant at 2715 West 15th Street by unknown persons who escaped.itemHearing of October 1, 1963, pp. 188–192: the "contract" on Joseph Catania ("Joe Baker") and the police record of his killing on February 3, 1931Valachi testified that Maranzano would not make peace until Joe Baker was killed, and described the watch from an apartment in the Bronx. Sgt. Ralph Salerno read the police record: Joseph Catania, alias Joe Baker, 29, shot six times 15 feet west of 647 Crescent Avenue on February 3, 1931, died in Fordham Hospital.itemTestimony of Joseph Valachi, October 1, 1963: the initiation ceremonyValachi described the ceremony at which he said he was made a member, with Salvatore Maranzano speaking. The same day, staff presented Exhibit 8, the Masseria-Maranzano war chart.