Sixty years ago, Mafia meeting put Apalachin on the map

Sixty years ago, Mafia meeting put Apalachin on the mapPictured is part of the property at 625 McFall Rd. in Apalachin, N.Y., the former residence of Joseph Barbara, who became well known for hosting a Mafia meeting in 1957. The property, now known as Hidden Farm, has been transitioned into a full service horse boarding and lesson facility. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
Sixty years ago, Mafia meeting put Apalachin on the map

Pictured is part of the property at 625 McFall Rd. in Apalachin, N.Y., the former residence of Joseph Barbara, who became well known for hosting a Mafia meeting in 1957. The property, now known as Hidden Farm, has been transitioned into a full service horse boarding and lesson facility. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)

A chapter of Tioga County history, the Mafia raid of Nov. 14, 1957, put Apalachin, N.Y. on the map 60 years ago. Often referred to as the “Apalachin Meeting,” the event made Joseph “Joe the Barber” Barbara a household name, along with several other crime figures.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had dismissed organized crime as a significant issue, until the Apalachin event cast the subject onto center stage. Shortly after the raid, Hoover acknowledged the seriousness of organized crime in the U.S. 

For some time after the raid, Apalachin got a bad rap. In an article from the July 24, 1958 issue of the Geneva Times out of Geneva, N.Y., and a story published in multiple upstate newspapers, a headline announced, “Gangland Meeting Place – Apalachin Revisited,” with the subheading, “People say community doesn’t deserve reputation.”

The article, written eight months after the Mafia mobsters gathered at Barbara’s residence, made mention of Apalachin as a “sinister gangster hideout,” which some interpreted as degrading. 

Residents offered comments, such as Morris Cape, who was principal of the then new Apalachin Elementary School. Cape was quoted, “We know that the meeting didn’t happen because Apalachin is a bad community. Mr. Barbara just happened to live here.”

The pastor of the Apalachin Methodist Church at the time, Rev. J.G. Burt Eastman, was quoted as saying, “We’ve kept our sense of humor about it, but you don’t become ashamed of a community just because of an individual.”

Since then, the Apalachin mafia story has resurfaced many times and still holds a certain level of curiosity with people near and far, although Apalachin resident Susan Deakin would rather close the chapter entirely.

Eleven years ago, Deakin, owner of Hidden Farm, located at 625 McFall Rd. in Apalachin, moved to Tioga County from Connecticut. She transitioned the former Barbara property into a full service horse boarding and lesson facility.

Deakin shared by phone that when she first considered purchasing the property she knew it had a distinct history associated with it, but didn’t realize the scope of the fascination still attached to it.

“We get visitors about once every two weeks, and at times it’s disturbing,” Deakin said, and further explained it is extremely bothersome when individuals roam around the grounds like it is a tourist attraction, many who stop by from all over the country.  

Most people, Deakin said, drive by slowly, take a quick look and then leave. She is wary of visitors who enter the property on foot without permission. Deakin understands that every time the story is shared it stirs up new or renewed interest, but personally prefers not to even talk about it.  

Born in Sicily in 1905, Joseph Barbara immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 16. Back and forth between Pennsylvania and upstate New York, the renowned member of the Bufalino crime family was arrested for suspicion of murder, yet never prosecuted due to lack of evidence. Barbara bought the McFall Road property in 1944, and with bootlegging attached to his lengthy resume, he was convicted once of illegally buying 300,000 pounds of sugar for bootleg alcohol. He was also a well-known owner of a Canada Dry bottling plant where he became successful in the region’s beverage market.

The story goes that nearly 100 men, including Mafiosi from all over the U.S., Canada and abroad, such as Bonanno, Luciano, Genovese and Gambino, just to name a few, came to Apalachin for a barbecue and to visit their ill friend, Barbara, who had suffered a heart attack. But, the real agenda was to discuss Mafia affairs.

Before the raid, two local state troopers, Edgar Croswell and Vincent Vasisko, were tipped off while investigating an issue at a Vestal motel when they learned that Barbara’s son, Joseph Jr., was looking for a large number of rooms for a so-called beverage meeting. This aroused suspicions, and since Croswell had been keeping tabs on Barbara’s activities just before the raid, all eyes watched over Barbara until the Nov. 14, 1957 police surprise by Croswell, Vasisko and treasury and federal agents. A check of flashy automobile license plates confirmed that vehicles were registered to several known criminals.

Many meeting attendees fled into the woods surrounding the property, and those who attempted to escape by car were met by roadblocks. As many as 60 or more were apprehended and detained. In January 1959, 20 were charged with conspiring to obstruct justice (by lying about the reason for the meeting) along with fines and prison sentences, yet the convictions never stuck. 

Barbara eventually moved back to Endicott. He died in June 1959 after a subsequent heart attack, and never appeared before a State Investigation Commission.

Perhaps one final bullet item of interest, Barbara is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Johnson City, N.Y.

And today, the events that happened in Apalachin, N.Y., known as the Mafia Summit, remains a topic of conversation, and has inspired others to continue tracking the activity of other crime organizations.

Sixty years ago, Mafia meeting put Apalachin on the map

Pictured, is Blair Kenny with his book, “The Rochester Mob Wars”. (Provided)

Blair Kenny, from Rochester, N.Y. and currently living near Daytona Beach, Fla., began his own research into the history of the Rochester Teamsters several years ago; but then quickly turned his focus towards the Rochester Mafia instead when its influence on organized labor was revealed.

Earlier this year, Kenny published “The Rochester Mob Wars”, and even participated in a book signing at Riverow Bookshop in Owego and during his travels to Rochester, N.Y. to promote his book. Copies of “The Rochester Mob Wars” are available at Riverow Bookshop, and you can learn more by visiting www.therochestermobwars.com.

Another book, “Mafia Summit” by Gil Reveal, offers the true story of how a small-town lawman in upstate New York busted a Cosa Nostra conference in 1957, exposing the Mafia to America. This book can also be found, when available, at Riverow Bookshop on the corner of Lake and Front Street in Owego.

Wendy Post contributed to this story.

10 Comments on "Sixty years ago, Mafia meeting put Apalachin on the map"

  1. There’s a small display about the “Apalachin meeting” at the FBI Museum in DC. It also gets brief mention in the movie “Goodfellas” only they mispronounced “Apalachin”.

  2. I was too little to understand what happened but I remember my parents talking about it. We took a ride to see it. I just knew something bad happened there.

  3. I’m from Apalachin. The locals have more of the actual true story. Apalachin is not a town, nor was ever. My dad and grandfather knew Joe. When the mob was busted, most ran from the meeting in the woods along Apalachin Creek. My grandmother was taking down laundry afternoon and saw many running south to Rhodes road. Our home is on Penn. ave a good ways from McFall road, maybe 4 miles.
    Apalachin was never a big hamlet. Ive read that “hotel” reservations were made but there were no hotels! Only a few motels. I hope that the new movie is more accurate. And Apalachin is pronounced correctly.

  4. I grew up directly across the river from Apalachin so when I first learned of the infamous meeting, it caught my attention. I’ve read that some of the mobsters ran into the woods behind the house throwing wads of cash as they went. Hence, the lore for possible treasure hunters.

  5. Eye for a eye tooth for a tooth

  6. In my youth we lived in Apalachin from 1964+- to 1973. We use ride our mini bikes up through the woods and past the Barbara house. Not sure who owned the house during the late 60’s early 70’s but they would have dogs loose that would chase us on our minibikes!!

  7. At one point in time the family that owned l believe it was Burt’s Dept. on Wash.Ave. in Endicott owned the property. A clambake was held for the Rotary Club and wives were invited. Well Papa Butt took shine to me and gave me a personal your inside the house. So.as you came in he explained that this was designed to look like the inside of the house of the Ponderosa. I was flabbergasted as it did. Then he should me this enormous round table; put together with individual pieces that were tipped at one end and 3″ wide at the other. I can still picture that table today. Incredible. Then he lead me to the master bedroom. All filled with French designed furniture. I was pretty much speechless. As it was gorgeous. I mean what else could he show me.
    Well back outside we went to see the new litter of yellow lab puppies that were about 6:wks. old. and then up to the barn to see the horse’s. It was spectacular. I had do much fun with old Mr. Burt. That place was amazing.

  8. Christopher Platt | July 3, 2023 at 4:49 pm | Reply

    I first learned about this fascinating story from the 2019 theatrical film Mob Town.

  9. The Sixty Years ago lends me to mention the South Owego Mafia namesake is requested to have clerical documentation here as an official sickening upon the region

  10. What’s an “official sickening?”

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