At least two of the old Mafia Dons were beginning to make offers to Luciano to throw in with their Families. The warfare between these Dons and the involvement of Luciano would bring about a complete change in organized crime throughout the entire country. Luciano wanting to remain his own boss devised a plan by which both Dons could be eliminated and this new organization could arise. The time needed to gather the strength needed to confront the old guard was the key to the plan. To gain this time and gather his resources, Luciano carried out a policy that kept the two bosses at arm-length yet did not totally alienate them. It would be much easier to deal with only one of the bosses, if one were able to eliminate the other without an involvement of his own organization.
The two Dons at war with each other and courting the Luciano organization were Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. Both had the ambition to become the "Capo di tutti capi", the boss of bosses or supreme ruler of all the Mafia Families in America. Both had rose up through the traditions of the old guard placing honor and respect above all other aspects of business enterprises. And both felt that the use of violence was the approach to be followed in dealing with your enemies. Luciano was not bound with any of these preconceived notions and pursued a course of action that could exploit these traits of both Dons.
While Masseria and Maranzano had many beliefs in common, the two men were opposites in their demeanor. One was unpleasant in presentation and communication, the other seemed more like a banker in the way he presented himself and dealt with others. The personalities of both suggested a belief in common goals but differing approaches as to how to obtain these goals. An examination of both of these men provides the insight required to understand Luciano's plan of action.
Giuseppe "Joe" Masseria had arrived in New York following involvement in Mafia activities in Sicily. He had gained a respected position as a "Triggerman" and quickly adapted to his new surroundings in America. When his superior was jailed for counterfeiting, Masseria appointed himself the new Don and began removing any rivals that stood against him. A review of his treatment of one of his rivals, Umberto Valenti, paints a clear picture of Masseria's methods of operation. Open warfare raged between these two men with close successes for each to murder the other. With the body count rising and the heat coming down from the police Masseria approached Valenti with the offer to end the vendetta and bring both organizations together to cooperate for common interests. To cement the alliance Masseria met with Valenti over dinner to celebrate the end of the violence. The two departed with Masseria placing his arm around his newfound friend and extolling the depths of their brotherhood. Then Masseria quickly removed his arm and stepped away so that the bullets from his men could end the rivalry once and for all. Masseria then began to tighten his control over all enterprises in the area of Little Italy in New York. Forces were strengthened and new alliances were formed allowing Masseria to watch for any new rivals that might arise.
