Gaetano Reina The Murder That Started The Castellammarese War

Gaetano Reina's murder on February 26, 1930 led to gang warfare that pitted thugs loyal to Salvatore Maranzano and those who backed Giuseppe Masseria. Reina was a wealthy Bronx ice dealer who was a material witness in the 1915 murder of chicken dealer Barnett Baff. It took a year and a half to find Baff's killer. Gaetano Reina was Sicilian, born in Corleone. According to Mafia informer Joseph Valachi, Reina's murder, by killers who were loyal to Masseria, touched off the Castallammarese War among New York City mobsters.