Peter Morello
Shot dead in his office at 362 East 116th Street on August 15, 1930, according to the New York police record read into the 1963 Senate hearings. Valachi testified, from what he was told, that the Maranzano group killed him.
- Died
- 1930-08-15
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 15 August 1930 — New York police record, read into the hearing by Sgt. Ralph Salerno on 1 October 1963 (printed p. 174): "Peter Morello was killed at about 3:30 p.m. on August 15, 1930. He was 50 years of age. ... He was shot and killed in his office at 362 East 116th Street by persons unknown." A visitor, Giuseppe Piranio, was also killed. Police record, read aloud.
- 1 October 1963 — Valachi testified (printed p. 167) that Morello "was killed by the Castellemarese group, put it this way, by the Maranzano group," and that the gunman was a man he knew as "Buster" of Chicago, who told him so. Testimony, from hearsay.
- 1 October 1963 — Valachi asked staff counsel Duffy (printed p. 164), "Wasn't Peter Morello the first one?" Duffy answered "No"; the police record dates Reina's killing first. Counsel and testimony.
The police record gives his age as 50 in August 1930, which would put his birth about 1880; no record opened gives a birth date, so the birth field is empty. The record also prints a New Jersey home address, which is not repeated here.
No role or family is set. In questioning Salerno the chairman said “He is the boss” (printed p. 174), but that is a senator’s question, not a statement by a witness or a record. No record filed here ties this Peter Morello to the Morello of the 1910 counterfeiting case.
Records
itemHearing of October 1, 1963, pp. 174–179: Sgt. Ralph Salerno reads the police records of the 1930 killings of Reina, Morello, Pinzolo, Ferrigno and MineoA New York police sergeant read into the record the department's entries on five killings of 1930, with the time and street of each: Reina at 1522 Sheridan Avenue, Morello at 362 East 116th Street, Pinzolo in the Brokaw Building, and Ferrigno and Mineo on Pelham Parkway. Every case was still open in 1963.
itemHearing of October 1, 1963, pp. 166–168: "All the Castellemarese were sentenced to death"; the Morello and Pinzolo killings as Valachi told themValachi testified that Masseria had condemned "all the Castellemarese" to death, that Peter Morello was killed "by the Maranzano group," and that the Maranzano and Gagliano sides then joined forces. Counsel put the dates of August 15 and September 9, 1930 from police records. Testimony, much of it hearsay.
itemHearing of October 1, 1963, pp. 163–165: the killing of Tom Reina, the "undeclared war" and Joseph PinzoloStaff counsel LaVern Duffy named the death of Tom Reina as the first significant date of the 1930–31 war, and Valachi explained why the war was at first "undeclared" and what he was told of the killing of Joseph Pinzolo. Counsel's statements and testimony, not findings.