The West Coast Delegation, better known as the nearly defunct D'Aquila crime family, is an Italian-American crime organization with origins tracing back to the board of directors in New York known as the Commission. Coined after Lino D'Aquila, a former Bonanno captain, the remnants of the organization became scattered and disorganized since their demise during the San Andreas mob trial of 2016.
Today, the family's current status remains neutral as previous members were either incarcerated, or operate within the shadows of the Los Santos underworld that plagues the streets.
Origins
During the early summer of 2014, the Bonanno crime family spearheaded a delegation of New York gangsters to apprehend all things San Andreas. One such figure, Lino D'Aquila, a reputable Bonanno captain and idealistic leader with strong family ties, served as a formidable candidate. What once started off as 'The Charlie Rodgers Nightmare Gang', a phenomena in D'Aquila's youth, became one of the most gruesome crews to ever emerge from within the Bonanno family administration.
Notorious for it's cunning tactics and gritty street credit, the D'Aquila crew would later become known as the D'Aquila crime family following its transition to Los Santos. Among the group was Joseph "The Barber" Uttaro, also a Bonanno captain and the late uncle to Nicholas "The Apache" Diopare.
D'Aquila's rise to power and influence
The D'Aquila crime family became a thriving force in organized crime centered in the heart of Los Santos. Lino D'Aquila's expedition proved to be a beneficial factor to the Bonannos as he assembled an allegiant circle of loyalists. By 2015, the family itself was recognized to be involved in a plethora of crimes such as yet not limited to; money laundering, counterfeiting, racketeering, loansharking, murder-for-hire, extortion, illegal gambling, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, and fraud.
"If there's royalty in the mob, Lino D'Aquila isn't a prince. He's not a king. He's Julius Caesar. People who were his enemies? Are now some of his most dedicated courtiers in New York. They silence people who don't see it his way. These are guys who were his enemies I'm talking about," noted Capeci during an interview with 60 Minutes.
Along with the family's stirling reputation on the streets came a bloody rivalry between opposing Cosa Nostra groups. By mid 2015, the D'Aquila family saw many of its members killed in the streets when the war with the Detroit originated mob ensued. With substantial growth in influence and numbers, along with the backing of the New York families, the D'Aquila family decimated a vast majority of the Detroit mob's members. Subsequently, a meeting was held between the ruling panels of both groups and all bloodshed ended.
The Uttaro era
In early 2016, D'Aquila's supervision over the newly-anointed regime was limited as he took back and forth to New York. It marked Joseph Uttaro, a veteran Bonanno captain and second-in-command under D'Aquila, to lead the family.
Under Joseph Uttaro's tenure, many first generation D'Aquila regime members swiftly occupied the administration and continued to reach its peak in both power and influence. Michael Renna, a longtime soldier of the D'Aquila crew in New York, was placed as Uttaro's second-in-command. Well-known Bonanno inductees grew in power under the newly appointed boss as Daniel Cardini was appointed as the consigliere, John Maggio the streetboss, and faithful soldiers Donald "Donnie Blue" Scarpa and Samuel "The Wolf" Lupo as the family's captains.
According to law enforcement officials investigating organized crime plaguing San Andreas, it was noted that primarily at the behest of the newly anointed caporegimes, the family was dominant in arms trafficking and extortion. Based out of the popular Marina neighborhood bar known as "Fabio's", the clan was exclusive in becoming silent partners in a majority of illegal trades.
The 2016 San Andreas Mob Trials
Law enforcement officials have been active in their efforts against La Cosa Nostra since the 80s through their investigative procedures known as RICO (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act). In October 2016, it proved to be a viable tool used by the OCVD (Organized Crime & Vice Division) as a crippling number of D'Aquila loyalists fell victim to indictments.
Across the channels, the public bared witness as underboss Michael Renna, captains Donald Scarpa and Samuel Lupo, and soldiers Nathan Tempesta, James Alessi, Rudolf Gelfuso, and John Mangano were indicted. The Supreme Court of San Andreas and Chief Justice convicted the members of the D'Aquila family with a plethora of charges ranging from extortion, money laundering, murder-for-hire, and loansharking.
In an effort to retain the image of a powerful Mafia boss, Uttaro eluded the limelight of officials and triumphed as the victor in his court trial. Despite his 2015 indictment for witness intimidation, his defense counsel was able to provide evidence of police misconduct in the case.
"Mr. Uttaro has never been, and will never aspire to be a so-called Mafia boss," Thomas Laury said to the press. "He is an elderly man who only wants to live a safe retired life in the comfort of his own home, along with his lovely wife."
The aftermath of the family
The San Andreas mob trial left the D'Aquila family destabilized and weak with its members behind bars, or hiding behind the scenes. In early 2017, however, the family began to see many of its members released from prison after serving a minimum prison time due to the misconduct brought to light by defense counsels.
While many of the family's oldest members fled to New York, two prominent D'Aquila caporegimes Donald Scarpa and Samuel Lupo were back on the streets. Through liaisons, it was Uttaro's order to appoint Samuel Lupo as the new boss of the D'Aquila regime. Donald Scarpa was later appointed as Lupo's second-in-command, with Francis Corrao and Rudolf "Jilly" Gelfuso as captains.
During the indictments and the family's long absence from the streets, many other opposing LCN groups sought to take control of what was left of the family's reign. Mafia experts speculate the origins of the other prominent mob being that of the Valentis.
The reign of Samuel Lupo was a prosperous gain of influence for the Bonannos. However, during the war that ensued, tensions within the new administration, predominately between Lupo's subordinates, gradually grew. Internal fighting, as well as jail sentences carried out on the group lead to the family's abrupt demise.
Scarpa's resurrection and current position of the family
Ending in 2017, the left-over D'Aquila group under Lupo's tenure lost many of its members to a series of charges and excessive internal struggles. Most noticeably, similar to Lino D'Aquila, Samuel Lupo's limited supervision over the family because of his back and forth meetings to New York left the organization weak in leadership.
According to mafia experts, Donald "Donnie Blue" Scarpa, a former D'Aquila captain and second-in-command to Samuel Lupo, was appointed the new boss of the D'Aquila family. Outside of criminal circles, Scarpa's involvement with the New York based crime family is both attributable to his role as an enforcer in Lino D'Aquila's crew and the reputation in which his father assumed as a Bonanno soldier.
"He's always been that kind of guy," Ferris Cottone said, a mafia expert. "It's in his blood. He was groomed for this lifestyle by his old man, ever since he was a kid. If anything, compared to his old man, I think he's killed the same amount of people as his father. If not, more."
The D'Aquila family remains the dominant Cosa Nostra group directly connected to the five families in New York.
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