Back Bufalino-Familie German Familia criminal Bufalino Spanish Famille Bufalino French Bufalino (famiglia) Italian Bufalino Dutch Семья Буфалино Russian Bufalino crime family SIMPLE Familjen Bufalino Swedish
| Founded | c. 1900 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Stefano LaTorre |
| Named after | Russell Bufalino |
| Founding location | Pittston, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Years active | c. 1900–2008 |
| Territory | Primarily Northeastern Pennsylvania (especially the counties of Lackawanna and Luzerne), with additional territory in the Southern Tier of New York, Central New York, New York City, Northern New Jersey and South Florida[1] |
| Ethnicity | Italians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates |
| Membership (est.) | 30–40 made members (1960s)[2] |
| Activities | Racketeering, counterfeiting, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, cartage theft, jewel theft, fraud, bid rigging, labor racketeering, narcotics trafficking, automobile theft, fencing of solen goods, pornography and murder[3] |
| Allies | |
| Rivals | Various gangs in Northeastern Pennsylvania |
The Bufalino crime family,[5] also known as the Pittston crime family,[6] the Pittston–Scranton crime family,[7] the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre crime family,[6] the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family,[8] the Northeastern Pennsylvania Mafia,[9][10] or the Scranton Mafia,[11] was an Italian-American Mafia crime family active in Northeastern Pennsylvania, primarily in the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittston.[12][13]
Based in Pennsylvania's Coal Region, the family's power originated in labor racketeering within the coal industry, as well as the garment industry in Pittston and New York City, where the Bufalino family colluded with the Five Families of New York.[14][15][16] The family's namesake and longest-serving boss, Russell Bufalino, led the organization until his death in 1994.[15]
- ^
- Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Change p. 137 (March 30, 1991) Archived June 7, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Tale of botched mob execution unfolds at Springfield trial Hartford Courant (May 17, 1993) Archived January 8, 2025, at the Wayback Machine
- Federal judge in Albany took on 'Irishman' mob — and won Robert Gavin, CT Insider (December 30, 2019) Archived January 8, 2025, at archive.today
- The Pittston-Scranton Family Button Guys of the New York Mafia
- ^ The Irishman: Real Life Gangsters From Philly and New York Tony Sokol, Den of Geek (November 29, 2019) Archived November 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- ^
- 1981 Annual Report p. 15-17 Pennsylvania Crime Commission (April 1982) Archived August 10, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Change p. 137 (March 30, 1991) Archived June 7, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs USA Overview p. 13 United States Department of Justice (May 1991) Archived May 26, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: Traditional and Non-Traditional. Pennsylvania Crime Concession. April 15, 1988. (The Nevada Observer. August 16, 2006) Archived November 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Devico, Peter J. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra pp. 188–189
- ^ The Pittston-Scranton Family Button Guys of the New York Mafia
- ^ Abadinsky, Howard (2016). Organized Crime. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781305633711.
- ^ Birkbeck, Matt (2013). The Quiet Don: The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino. Penguin. ISBN 9781101618264.
- ^ Ecenbarger, William (2012). Kids for Cash: Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.6 Million Kickback Scheme. New Press. ISBN 9781595587978.
- ^ Martinelli, Patricia A. (2008). True Crime: Pennsylvania: The State's Most Notorious Criminal Cases. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811741699.
- ^ "The American Mafia.com "Scranton crime Bosses"". Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- ^ 26 Family Cities "Northeast PA" Archived December 14, 2004, at the Wayback Machine by Mario Machi Rick Porrello's AmericanMafia.com
- ^ Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Change p. 137 (March 30, 1991) Archived June 7, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Profiling the low-profile godfather, Russell Bufalino Times Leader (July 31, 2019) Archived January 20, 2025, at archive.today
- ^ The Barbara-Bufalino Family Leadership Chart Lisa Babick and The Other Guy, Button Guys of the New York Mafia