Sciandra was born on April 10, 1899, in Montedoro, Sicily, to Angelo and Leonarda La Porta Sciandra.[1] With his parents and siblings, Andrew, James and Pasqualina, he immigrated to the United States in April 1908,[2] settling in Buffalo, New York.[3] In 1921, he moved in Pittston, Pennsylvania,[3] working as a coal miner; Sciandra became an enforcer and bootlegger for Bufalino crime family boss Santo Volpe. In 1928, Sciandra's cousin, Carolyn, married Russell Bufalino, future crime boss of the family.[a]
Sciandra married Josephine Mancino, and had three sons, Joseph, John Jr. and Angelo, and one daughter.[3]
Criminal career
Like so many crime families, they are built upon blood ties, long standing friendships and various powerful arms. The Bufalino crime family would have four very powerful members who pulled all the strings. These included Santo "King of the Night" Volpe, Angelo Polizzi, Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara and Sciandra. In 1933, after being questioned about his possible involvement in the murder of Samuel Wichner, Santo Volpe appointed John Sciandra as boss and quietly worked behind the scenes within the family while also devoting more attention to legitimate business. Polizzi became consigliere, maintaining this role before moving to Detroit and getting involved in organized crime in that city.
^In The Quiet Don: The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino, by Matt Birkbeck, has been erroneously reported that Sciandra was the brother-in-law of Russell Bufalino.[4] References to John Sciandra as the brother of Carolyn Bufalino are to a different John Sciandra.[5]
^There is a common misconception Sciandra was murdered in 1940, but newspaper articles confirm he died of natural causes in 1949.
References
^"Immagine 39". Antenati (in Italian). Retrieved July 1, 2020. L'anno milleottocentonovantanove, addì tredici di Aprile [...] è comparso Sciandra Andrea fu Carmelo, [...] il quale mi ha dichiarato che alle ore [...] del dì dieci del corrente mese [...] da La Porta Leonarda fu Giovanni [...], moglie di Sciandra Angelo di Andrea, [...] è nato un bambino di sesso maschile che egli mi presenta, e a cui dà il nome di Giovanni.
^Passenger Manifest for the S.S. Nord America, April 24, 1908, available at Ellis Island: The Statue of Liberty.
^ abcd"John Sciandra, Mine Official, Dies". Times Leader. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. September 12, 1949. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Mr. Sciandra was born in Italy, and came to this country 42 years ago with his parents. He attended public schools in Buffalo and in 1921 moved with the family to Pittston. [...] He is survived by his widow, Josephine Mancino; children, Mrs. Dino Malacco and Joseph, of Exter; John Jr., at home; Angelo, Wyoming; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Angelo Sciandra, Pittston; brothers Andrew, Buffalo; James, Exter; one sister; Mrs. Nicholas Costanzo, Pittston; [...] Interment will be in Dennison Cemetery, Forty Fort.
^Birkbeck, Matt (2013). The Quiet Don. New York: Berkley Books. p. 55. ISBN978-0425266854. In 1928, Bufalino married Caroline Sciandra. [...] Her brother, John, was a miner whose real work was involved extortion, loan sharking and murder under the direction of Santo Volpe.
^"Carolyn Bufalino". Legacy.com. December 31, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2020. Carolyn (Carrie) Bufalino of Kingston [...] She was preceded in death by her husband, Russell, in 1994; brothers, John, Charles, Samuel, Joseph and Angelo; sister, Mary Piccillo.
