Tuesday, November 14, marks the 60th anniversary of when police busted in on a mafia "barbecue" in Apalachin, which would forever change the way the United States viewed organized crime.

"When a bunch of cars, great big limos, and fancy cars started to pull up near McFall Road, people began to wonder what was going on," said Emma Sedore, Tioga County Historian.

After being tipped off that members of the Sicilian Mafia could be gathering for a secret meeting at the home of mob boss Joseph "The Barber" Barbara on McFall Road, New York State Police Sergeant Edward Crosswell decided to investigate. While writing down license plate numbers, barbecue guests spotted the officers and immediately began to flee. 

"They ran through the woods and wherever else they could run, you know because they didn't want to talk to anybody, they didn't want to admit that they knew anything," said Sedore.

Many members of the Mafia did get away and 86-year-old Apalachin resident, May Braman recalls when she ran into a pair of them.

"I had just left the house and turned the corner and when I did there were two men over at the end of this McFall Road with suits on and fancy shoes," said Braman. According to Braman, she is the oldest person who currently lives on her road and has been in the area for 72 years, since 1945.

"Now that I think of it, here I had a car that they could've what they call carjacking today," said Braman. "They could've done that and taken my car and I had little kids."

She says the Mafia members ran through the woods, across Apalachin Creek, and onto what is now the backyards of the homes on Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Later that day, May's husband, Maurice was driving a school bus and had to drop kids off at McFall Road. Police had the entire area blocked off but allowed him to finish his route. It wasn't until the story began to spread to major news outlets did the couple realize what had happened.

"They never stopped him at the other end to tell him what was going on," said Braman.

Not only was Braman shocked to find out about the gang activity just over the hill from where she lived, but she was surprised because of how fondly she remembers the Barbara family.

"The family was very good to the neighbors and they never caused any trouble in town but to find out that they were involved in this huge Italian Mafia things from New York City, Buffalo, and all of these other places, well we had no idea," said Braman.

Records show that around 60 members did get arrested by police including Regional Crime Family Head Russell Buffalino, Crime Boss Carlo Gambino, and Vito Genovese.

According to records, 24 men appeared in court beginning on January 14, 1958, in front of Judge Francis Clohessy and a Grand Jury made up of 23 local people at the Tioga County Courthouse.

Sedore says the Grand Jury was referred to as the "Farmer's Jury" because they were made up of 12 farmers, six general laborers, and five merchants. Records show that the Mafia members "pleaded the 5th" during the trial or claimed they were visiting Barbara who recently suffered a heart attack.

"If they could've pleaded sick they would've all sat in a wheelchair to make it look bad," said Sedore. 

According to Sedore, several men received minor sentences but no one was formally charged with anything related to the events at the barbecue.

Result of Trial

  • Seven served civil jail sentences
  • Eight lost their NYS Liquor License
  • One was sent to prison for violating probation

Despite avoiding a conviction, the discovery of an active Mafia gathering changed the way the United States approached organized crime. Before the raid, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director, J. Edgar Hoover denied the existence of a Mafia in America. Following the raid, the FBI created the "Top Hoodlum Program," which according to the FBI asked all offices to gather information on mobsters in their territories and to report it regularly. 

Croswell's discovery in Apalachin eventually led to the passage of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statue that led the FBI to take down entire mob families in the 1970's.

As for the house on McFall Road, it was first sold to Russel Terry, a Vestal Realtor who wanted to turn it into a museum in 1959,

"The neighbors didn't like that at all because they referred to it as a 'Shrine of Crime' and they didn't want any of that around here," said Sedore.

That project didn't last long due to community protests and the home was once again sold, this time to the Burt family in1970. The Burt's, who used to own the now-closed Burt's Department Store in Endicott, eventually sold the Mafia home to the current owner.

In 2002, the home and some items inside were auctioned off. For many people, this was their first and only time inside the infamous building.

"It was a very nice home, it's lovely on the outside but when you went in, it was really just old and tired looking," said Sedore who attended the auction but didn't purchase anything.

Six decades after the incident, the effects can still be felt in the small Apalachin community.

One neighbor on McFall Road said visitors still come back, "especially during the summer," to get a peek at the home through the trees that cover up most of the view from the street. A Librarian at the Apalachin Library said people "stop by here all the time and ask how they can get to the location." Even Braman acknowledged that whenever she mentions where she lives, people always think of the Mafia first.

"If I say Apalachin, they would say, 'oh that's where the raid was," said Braman.

No matter how much time passes, it's fair to bet that no one will ever forget the Mafia home on the hill that forever intertwined organized crime to the Southern Tier of New York State.