Samuel Monaco
Reported missing in New Jersey on September 10, 1931, the day of Maranzano's killing; his body was found in Newark Bay at Bayonne on September 13, according to the 1963 testimony of New Jersey's assistant attorney general. Valachi called him "Sam Monica."
- Aliases
- Sam Monica, Sam Monaco
- Role
- Underboss of a Newark family under "Don Steven," in Valachi's words (testimony, 1963)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 10 September 1931 — John J. Bergin, New Jersey assistant attorney general, testified on 9 October 1963 (printed p. 332): "A missing person on Samuel Monaco was sent out by the East Orange Police Department on September 10, 1931." Testimony of a state official from records.
- 13 September 1931 — Bergin (printed p. 332): "On September 13, 1931, two bodies were floating in what is Newark Bay. ... One body washed ashore or was pulled ashore to Bayonne, N.J., and was identified as Samuel Monaco." Both men "had their heads crushed, their throats cut" and were weighted with sash weights; "Sam Monaco's car was discovered on 46th Street in New York." Testimony of a state official from records.
- 2 October 1963 — Valachi testified (printed p. 232) that a man he called Nick told him "Jim Marino got hit and a couple more in Jersey," that "The one they found in Passaic, his name was Sam Monica," and that "Don Steven was the boss and Sam Monica was the underboss" of a family in Newark. Testimony, from hearsay.
- 2 October 1963 — Sgt. Ralph Salerno (printed p. 236): police records show "Don Steven's closest associates were Joseph and Sam Acardi and Sam Monica"; he had no record of Monica's killing. Police testimony.
The record gives no date of death; Monaco was reported missing on September 10 and found on September 13, 1931, so the died field is empty. Valachi said the body was found in the Passaic River; Bergin said Newark Bay, into which the Passaic and Hackensack rivers flow. Bergin does not say who killed him, and no charge appears in the record. In 1955, Bergin said, a Frank Monaco described Samuel as his brother. “Sam Monaco” is Bergin’s form; “Sam Monica” is Valachi’s.
The role line is Valachi’s testimony and is not a finding. No record opened gives his birth date.
Records
itemHearing of October 9, 1963, pp. 332–333: New Jersey Assistant Attorney General John J. Bergin on the bodies of Samuel Monaco and Louis Russo, found September 13, 1931John J. Bergin testified from New Jersey records that Samuel Monaco was reported missing on September 10, 1931, and that on September 13 his body and that of Louis Russo were found in Newark Bay, one ashore at Bayonne and the other at Kearny, their heads crushed and throats cut. Monaco's car was found on 46th Street in New York.
itemHearing of October 2, 1963, pp. 227–233: Valachi's account of the killing of Salvatore Maranzano, and the police records of September 10, 1931 (Maranzano at 230 Park Avenue; James Le Pore at 2400 Arthur Avenue)Sgt. Ralph Salerno read the police record: at 3:50 p.m. on September 10, 1931, Salvatore Maranzano was shot and stabbed to death in the office of the Eagle Building Corp., rooms 925 and 926, 230 Park Avenue at 46th Street, by "four unknown men posing as police officers." The same day at 5:45 p.m. James Le Pore was shot dead at 2400 Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Valachi gave a hearsay account of the killing.
itemHearing of October 2, 1963, pp. 236–239: the "boss of bosses" abolished, the Chicago meeting, and the membership "books" closed in about 1931Valachi testified that after Maranzano's death Luciano took over as boss, that the "boss of bosses" system "was abolished" and a group of six consiglieri was set up, that Luciano and Genovese had to justify the killing before the bosses at a meeting in Chicago, and that "the books were closed in about 1931." One witness's account, not a finding.