The family is part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia. The DeCavalcante family operates on the opposite side of the Hudson River from the Five Families of New York City , and maintains strong relations with each of the New York families, especially the Gambino family , as well as with the Philadelphia crime family and the Patriarca crime family of New England.
In the city of Newark, New Jersey , the Italian criminals were divided into two ethnic factions; the " Sicilians " and the " Neapolitans ". In , Prohibition began in the United States and it presented many gangs with the opportunity to make a lot of money through bootlegging , the selling and transportations of illegal alcohol. With large amounts of money to be earned, violence erupted throughout cities and towns in New Jersey as criminals fought for territory and dominance to control illegal bootlegging rackets, but the two most powerful bosses in Newark were Neapolitan faction boss Richard Boiardo and Jewish gangster Abner "Longie" Zwillman.
The Neapolitan boss Boiardo secured control of the First Ward , which was known as Newark's Little Italy and operated a large bootlegging operation in Newark and throughout New Jersey, [ 10 ] while Jewish gangster Zwillman was based out of the Third Ward, where he controlled one of the largest bootlegging operations in New Jersey. Maranzano appointed Badami the boss and Sam Monaco the underboss of the Newark family.
Days later on September 13, , Badami's underboss Sam Monaco and top member Louis Russo were discovered dead after their bodies were found floating in Newark Bay. D'Amico had moved to Newark during the early s, settling in the Northeastern neighborhood of Woodside.
The Commission decided to disband the Newark family, while declaring Newark an open city and dividing the family's territory among the Five Families of New York. While the Mangano family's Newark crew was controlled by Antonio Paterno, a former member of the Newark family and the Profaci family's New Jersey crew was led by Salvatore Lombardino, the man behind the attempted murder of Newark boss D'Amico. The Bonanno family's Newark crew was led by Antonio Riela. Badami was unsuccessful in taking over the Elizabeth Ribera Mafia faction because he was born in Corleone, Sicily and they didn't trust him.
