JACKSON, NJ – You might have heard stories of the mafia dumping bodies in the Pine Barrens back in the 1960s and 1970s, but did Soprano’s style burials and executions really happen?
According to the FBI, yes, but not at the rate or volume local lore suggests.
The discovery of a Mafia burial ground on Cook Road in Jackson Township, NJ, has unearthed a chilling chapter in the area’s history. In 1967, the FBI, under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover, revealed a grim discovery at an unassuming farm on Cook Road. Beneath a chicken coop, agents found two bodies, including the body of Angelo Sonnessa, a known Mafioso from New York.
This finding confirmed suspicions that the farm served as a disposal site for the Mafia, with another victim found in an oil drum filled with hydrochloric acid. Despite extensive searches, no additional bodies were uncovered, but the farm’s history remains a dark footnote to the local community.
The excavation, which unearthed the bodies on a farm northwest of Lakewood, has drawn significant attention due to the notorious background of the victims and the grim methods of disposal employed by their killers.
Mrs. Rose Celso, whose husband owns the farm, has been detained at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson, officially for her protection, with bail set at $100,000. The discovery includes one victim submerged in acid and another bound with electrical wire, highlighting the brutal tactics of organized crime. The FBI’s investigation suggests the possibility of more bodies buried on the site, a scenic area known for its fresh-air breezes and healthful climate, now marred by these grisly findings.
The victims, missing for up to six years, were located mere feet from each other. Angelo Sonnessa of Nutley, NJ, was found in a makeshift underground tunnel, part of an illicit still operation dismantled years prior. His body was grotesquely staged with a plastic bag over his head, and his neck and ankles were bound with wire. Across the road, the body of Kenneth Later of New York City, missing since April of the previous year, was discovered in a rusted oil drum filled with hydrochloric acid.
Following the discoveries, Joseph Celso, 41, a convicted bootlegger, and his wife, Rose, were held as material witnesses on a $100,000 bond each and taken away under heavy security.
The backyard of the Celso property on Cook Road, where Sonnessa’s remains were found, was identified as a key location in the investigation. Sonnessa had been a business partner of the late Joseph Vecchio in the All State Asphalt Company of Nutley, with Vecchio indicted in May 1960 among 29 other defendants as part of a heroin distribution network in the United States.
The remains had been sent to New York City for further examination by Dr. Milton Helpem, Chief New York City Medical Examiner after they were exhumed.
The narrative of the Mafia’s burial grounds extends beyond Jackson Township, intertwining with the broader history of organized crime’s presence in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
This area, recognized for its sandy soil, provided an ideal location for mobsters from New York and Philadelphia to conceal the bodies of their victims. The Pine Barrens’ infamy as a Mafia disposal site was highlighted in various cases over the years, including the high-profile investigation that led to the discovery of Emanuel Gambino’s body in Colts Neck Township, a revelation that underscored the region’s sinister use by mob figures.
Jackson Township’s Cook Road farm, now surrounded by newer homes and developments, stands as a quiet reminder of the area’s macabre past. While the neighborhood has grown and changed, the legacy of what lies beneath the surface continues to intrigue and unsettle residents and historians alike. The Mafia burial ground on Cook Road serves as a stark reminder of the dark deeds that have occurred within the seemingly tranquil landscapes of New Jersey.