Joseph Fanaro

Giuseppe Fanaro (? - 1913) was a known member of the Morello crime family. On the night of the Barrel [...] in 1903, Fanaro was arrested, he had been involved in an argument inside the saloon at 8 Prince St, he tried to shoot Peter Acritelli, son of an Italian banker from 248 Elizabeth St, but was stopped outside the saloon by the police. He produced a firearms license to explain the pistol he was carrying, and was arrested on disorderly conduct. AbOUT fifteen minutes after Fanaro was locked up he was bailed out. He was fined $10 the following morning in the Tombs police court.

On Monday 20th April, Fanaro was dismissed from the Barrel trial due to lack of evidence, then called as a witness. He was dismissed from court and arrested again for perjury. He had claimed in court to not know Madonia, but the Secret Service had been trailing him and had records of him with Madonia on the days leading up to the [...]. He was given bail at three thousand dollars.

On 20th February, 1908, a body was discovered in Brooklyn. Salvatore Marchinne was found with his nose removed, tongue cut out and his body covered in stab wounds. In his pocket was found a note addressed to Antonio Ganci saying “Times are hard here now in Palermo. Give my regards to Fanaro. And remember one thing - caution !” - the note was from a man named Cantaldo in Sicily.

Antonio Ganci, a counterfeiter, was arrested when he presented himself to Hamilton Avenue police station on Saturday 22nd February. He explained the presence of his letter in the dead mans pocket by saying he was unable to read, and often called on Marchinne to read his mail. The police also arrested Fanaro, Ganci's brother in law, at 158 Ninth Street. Fanaro described himself as a longshoreman working in Brooklyn for a fruit importing company.

In 1913, Fanaro was walking home early one morning when he was shot by four men. He was taken to hospital where he later died.