Diveto Crime Family

Photo of the Walker County courthouse, c. 2012

The Diveto crime family is a criminal organization based in north central Alabama. Their primary areas of activity include Jefferson and Walker counties. The crime family makes its money through blackmail, assassination, scamming, and money laundering.

The Diveto crime family is currently led by Thomas Diveto.

Sensitive information about the Diveto family and its associates were leaked to the Daily Mountaineer on October 7, 2021. The leaker remains unknown.

## History

The Diveto crime family was formed circa 1985 by Thomas Diveto, an associate of the New Orleans crime family. As to whether or not the criminal element of the family existed prior to 1985, it was officially confirmed by the Daily Mountaineer in 1990 through several then-anonymous sources, including Richard Manuel of Carbon Hill.

According to Manuel, the Diveto family had infiltrated the Alabama 14th Judicial Circuit and Walker County Sheriff's Office, as well as the Jasper police department. The Diveto family would use their influence over law enforcement to circumvent penalties for crimes, including murder. Initially written off as rumors and speculation, several more sources prompted a federal investigation led by Michael Drew of the Birmingham branch of the FBI.

Over the course of the early 1990s, investigations turned up several associates of the Diveto family, most of whom were murdered or coerced into suicide. In 1995, the brunt of the investigation ceased due to lack of evidence to prove there was an organized criminal element in Walker County. Some have speculated that the FBI could have been bribed, though no internal investigation has ever been executed.

According to witnesses, the Diveto family expanded rapidly in the late 1990s, eventually partnering with The Knights in Winfield, and the Gulf Cartel. The family also expanded into Jefferson County, and began to influence elections and elect specific Coalition members to appease Cosa Nostra benefactors from Illinois, including the Nation of Islam. Along with this, the Diveto family was supposedly responsible for creating an organized contract killing network, which had been responsible for at least 120 homicides by 2002, including James McAnany, a Diveto associate and federal informant. By the mid 2000s, the Diveto crime family gained control of the Birmingham Water Works, and initiated an embezzlement ring that, at present, has not been investigated by the FBI.

In the early 2010s, the Diveto crime family rapidly grew in its influence over the government of Walker County, eventually becoming exempt from police interference. Information about the family's activities in illegal gambling, bootlegging, and meth production emerged in 2016, following the raid of Diveto gambling front Club Pizza in Carbon Hill by Sheriff Paul Eastwood, allegedly in retaliation to a rude comment made by Thomas Diveto. Sheriff Eastwood was later replaced by Jim Fitz. Later that same year, two Mexican men were found murdered near Eldridge, who were later revealed to be drug smugglers for the Gulf Cartel. According to witnesses, the cartel flies planes from Miami to the Bird Nest airport near Guin, dropping bulk loads of heroin and cocaine in the wilderness between Kansas and Eldridge.

Infighting broke out within the Diveto family in 2017, allegedly beginning with hitman and auto mechanic John Davis, who torched a Diveto controlled auto shop in 2014 over a gambling dispute. The fighting escalated as more businesses belonging to the family were torched. Eventually, John Davis went missing in October and hasn't been heard from since. Many think he was murdered, and his body dumped in the forest along Interstate 22, which is a popular dumping spot for Walker County hitmen. Associates of Davis went into hiding following his murder.

The Diveto family is also responsible for an embezzlement scheme at the Cullman County Board of Education that has been ongoing since 2011. According to informants, a considerable amount of budget money supposed to go towards construction projects is being embezzled every fiscal year by corrupt members of the board. It began in 2011, when board members began to shave grant money from the state meant for the reconstruction of the Hanceville High School gymnasium following the 2011 Super Outbreak of tornadoes. This activity was reported to an associate of the Diveto family, who then demanded a piece of the embezzlement money. They threatened to expose the operation unless their demands were met.

According to insiders, in mid 2013, Hanceville Elementary School principal Lorraine Jones gained knowledge of these actions, and supposedly threatened to take them to federal authorities. However, she was placed on administrative leave and banished from the board of education. It is unknown if her knowledge was ever revealed to authorities. She was replaced by Patricia White.

The Diveto family also has ties to Twenty-One Gifts, a notorious multi-level marketing company and pyramid scheme operated by Laura Akin, who supposedly laundered money through fundraisers for her math class at Hanceville High School.

## Leadership

* Thomas Diveto - Boss
* Salvatore Chiarella - Consiglieri
* John Verzino - Underboss
* Michael Tombrello - Captain (South Jefferson)
* Tony Spano - Captain (North Jefferson)
* Vince Manasco - Captain (Walker)
* John "Butch" Alva - Captain (Cullman)
* Carmine Ponte - Captain (Madison-Jackson)
* John Cannizzaro - Captain (The Shoals)
* James Carbone - Captain (Tuscaloosa)

## Membership

### Tombrello Crew

* Frank Cantavespere
* Mike Passantino
* Jimmy Tortorigi
* Danny Alfano
* Adam Vizzina
* Bruno Diliberto
* Daniel Schillaci
* Frankie "Skywalker" D'Amico
* Luca "Downer" Angelo

### Spano Crew

* Tom "Little Tommy" Spano, Jr.
* Vito "Gigi" Romano
* Luigi "Little Gigi" Serio
* Leon "Hector" Mareno
* Jackie Schefano
* Jimmy "Skip" Vizzina
* Rudolf Cusimano

### Manasco Crew

* Steve Manasco
* Rudy Troncale
* John "Two-Bit" DiChiara
* Michael "Cadillac" Bozzelli
* Tony Manzella
* Danny Chiarella
* Jared "Pussy" Globetti
* Patrick Campanotta

### Alva Crew

* Alberto Campisi
* Richie Tombrello
* David "Fat Man" Salamone
* Marco Gagliano
* Scott Arnone

### Ponte Crew

* Frank Virciglio
* Bruno Culotta
* Johnny DiSerio
* Adrian Mangina

### Cannizzaro Crew

* Jack "Turk" Costa
* Phillip "Philly" Falletta
* Frank Graffeo
* Vito "Sledge" Tortorici

### Carbone Crew

* Paulie Zito
* Leon Russo
* Tony "Fash" Distasio
* Robert Lorino
* Nicolas "Nicky" Accardi
* Albert Pilato
* Sammy Ragusa
* Paul Vetrano

## Associates

* Vincent Pocopanni - Mechanic (Trussville)
* Anthony DiPiazza - Lawyer (Birmingham)
* Michael Nicosa - Lawyer (Birmingham)
* Pete Tombrello - Lawyer (Birmingham)
* Frank Amaro - Accountant (Birmingham)
* Bruce Trapolino - Accountant (Hoover)
* Vittorio Giardina - Stock Broker (Hoover)
* John Pardo - Court Bailiff (Walker County)
* Jimmy Calico - Realtor (Walker County)
* Tom Bivona - Realtor (Walker County)