The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an
Italian-American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, w ...
organized crime syndicate
Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
or
crime family
A crime family is a unit of an organized crime syndicate, particularly in Italian organized crime and especially in the Sicilian Mafia and Italian American Mafia, often operating within a specific geographic territory or a specific set of activ ...
based in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, that originated in the city's
South Side in the early 1910s. It is part of the larger
Italian-American Mafia
The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group. The organization is often referred to by its mem ...
.
The Outfit rose to power in the 1920s under the control of
Johnny Torrio
John Donato Torrio (born Donato Torrio, ; January 20, 1882 – April 16, 1957) was an Italian born-American mobster who helped build the Chicago Outfit in the 1920s later inherited by his protégé Al Capone. Torrio proposed a National Crime Sy ...
and
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
and the period was marked by bloody gang wars for control of the distribution of illegal alcohol during
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
. Since then, the Outfit has been involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including
loansharking
A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law.
Description
Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
,
illegal gambling
Gaming law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law, ...
,
prostitution
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
,
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
,
political corruption
Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain.
Forms of corruption vary, but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, in ...
and murder. Capone was convicted of income tax evasion in 1931 and the Outfit was next run by
Paul Ricca
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
* Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
. He shared power with
Tony Accardo
Anthony Joseph Accardo (; born Antonino Leonardo Accardo, ; April 28, 1906 – May 22, 1992), also known as "Joe Batters" and "Big Tuna", was an American longtime mobster. In a criminal career that spanned eight decades, he rose from small-time ho ...
from 1943 until his death in 1972; Accardo became the sole power in the Outfit upon Ricca's death and was one of the longest sitting bosses of all time upon his death in 1992.
Though it has never had a complete monopoly on
organized crime in Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, has a long history of organized crime and was famously home to the American mafia figure Al Capone. This article contains a list of major events related to organized crime.
Events – timeline
1830s
*1837 – Chicago became i ...
, the Outfit has long been the most powerful, violent and largest criminal organization in Chicago and the Midwest in general. Unlike other mafia factions such as the
Five Families
The Five Families refers to five major New York City organized crime families of the Italian American Mafia formed in 1931 by Salvatore Maranzano following his victory in the Castellammarese War.
Maranzano reorganized the Italian American gangs ...
of New York City, the Outfit has been a unified faction since its conception.
Its influence at its peak stretched as far as
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
and it continues to operate throughout the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
and
Southern Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
, as well as
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and other parts of the
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
. Heightened law enforcement attention and general attrition have led to its gradual decline since the late 20th century, though it continues to be one of the major and most active organized crime groups in the
Chicago metropolitan area
The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hi ...
and the Midwestern region.
History
Origins
The early years of organized crime in Chicago, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were marked by the division of various
street gangs controlling the South Side and North Side, as well as the
Black Hand
Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to:
Extortionists and underground groups
* Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s
* Black Hand (e ...
organizations of
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are ...
. In later years, the Outfit consisted of various street crews controlling different territories around Chicago including Elmwood Park, Melrose Park, Chicago Heights, Rush Street, Grand Avenue and Chinatown.
Big Jim Colosimo
Vincenzo Colosimo (; February 16, 1878 – May 11, 1920), known as James "Big Jim" Colosimo or as "Diamond Jim", was an Italian-American Mafia crime boss who emigrated from Calabria, Italy, in 1895 and built a criminal empire in Chicago based on ...
centralized control in the early 20th century. Colosimo was born in
Calabria
, population_note =
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, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
, Italy, in 1878, immigrated to Chicago in 1895, where he established himself as a criminal. By 1909, with the help of bringing
Johnny Torrio
John Donato Torrio (born Donato Torrio, ; January 20, 1882 – April 16, 1957) was an Italian born-American mobster who helped build the Chicago Outfit in the 1920s later inherited by his protégé Al Capone. Torrio proposed a National Crime Sy ...
from New York to Chicago, he was successful enough that he was encroaching on the
criminal activity
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
of the Black Hand organization.
Colosimo, also “cultivated deep political connections
'' after “serving as a precinct captain in the organization of First Ward Alderman Couglin and Kenna, and later
ecamethe bagman (collector of illegal profits and dispenser of bribes) in the vice-laden Levee District, which afforded him with blanket political protection”.
Prohibition and Al Capone
In 1919, Capone also left New York for Chicago at the invitation of Torrio. Capone began in Chicago as a bouncer in a brothel, where he contracted
syphilis
Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
. Timely use of
Salvarsan
Arsphenamine, also known as Salvarsan or compound 606, is a drug that was introduced at the beginning of the 1910s as the first effective treatment for syphilis, relapsing fever, and African trypanosomiasis.
This organoarsenic compound was the fi ...
probably could have cured the infection, but he apparently never sought treatment.
When
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
went into effect in 1920, Torrio pushed for the gang to enter into
bootlegging, but Colosimo stubbornly refused. In March 1920, Colosimo secured an uncontested divorce from his wife, and Torrio's cousin, Victoria Moresco.
A month later, he and singer Dale Winter eloped to
West Baden Springs, Indiana
West Baden Springs is a town in French Lick Township, Orange County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 574 at the 2010 census. It is well known for its West Baden Springs Hotel and for being the birthplace of Larry Bird.
Histor ...
. Upon their return, he bought a home on the South Side.
[ On May 11, 1920, Torrio called and told Colosimo that a shipment was about to arrive at his restaurant. Colosimo drove there to await it, but instead, he was ambushed and shot to death.
With the start of Prohibition in the United States, new Outfit boss Torrio and his ]underboss
Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The under ...
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
saw an opportunity for the Outfit in Chicago to make money and to further expand their criminal empire by racketeering small businesses. With Capone taking the role of an actual businessman and partner of the owner, the Outfit had a legitimate way to source their money, which prevented incrimination and unnecessary attention from law enforcement.
Torrio headed an essentially Italian organized crime group that was the biggest in the city, with Capone as his right-hand man. He was wary of being drawn into gang wars and tried to negotiate agreements over territory between rival crime groups. The smaller North Side Gang
The North Side Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was an Irish-Polish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early 1920s to the mid-1930s. It was the principal rival of the South Side Gang, also ...
led by Dean O'Banion
Charles Dean O'Banion (July 8, 1892 – November 10, 1924) was an American mobster who was the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone during the brutal Chicago bootlegging wars of the 1920s. The newspapers of his day made him better known ...
(also known as Dion O'Banion) was of mixed ethnicity, and it came under pressure from the Genna brothers who were allied with Torrio. O'Banion found that Torrio was unhelpful with the encroachment of the Gennas into the North Side, despite his pretensions to be a settler of disputes. The "Terrible" Genna brothers, as they were known, consisted of Peter, James, Angelo, Tony, Sam and Mike "The Devil" Genna. They were known for their ruthlessness and intemperate disposition. In a fateful step, Torrio either arranged for or acquiesced to the murder of O'Banion at his flower shop on November 10, 1924. This placed Hymie Weiss
Earl J. "Hymie" Weiss (born Henryk Wojciechowski; January 25, 1898 – October 11, 1926), was a Polish-American mob boss who became a leader of the Prohibition-era North Side Gang and a bitter rival of Al Capone. He was known as "the only ma ...
at the head of the gang, backed by Vincent Drucci
Vincent Drucci (born Ludovico D'Ambrosio; January 1, 1898 – April 4, 1927), also known as "The Schemer", was an American mobster during Chicago's Prohibition era who was a member of the North Side Gang, Al Capone's best known rivals. A frien ...
and Bugs Moran
George Clarence "Bugs" Moran (; Adelard Leo Cunin; August 21, 1893 – February 25, 1957) was an American Chicago Prohibition-era gangster. He was incarcerated three times before his 21st birthday. Seven members of his gang were gunned dow ...
. Weiss had been a close friend of O'Banion and the North Siders made it a priority to get revenge on his killers.
At the end of 1924, the Torrio-Capone gang had between 300-400 members, while the North Side gang could count on around 200 soldiers.
In January 1925, Capone was ambushed, leaving him shaken but unhurt. Twelve days later, on January 24, Torrio was returning from a shopping trip with his wife Anna, when he was shot several times. After recovering, he effectively resigned and handed control to Capone, age 26, who became the new boss of an organization that took in illegal breweries and a transportation network that reached to Canada, with political and law-enforcement protection.[Paul Sann, ''The Lawless Decade: Bullets, Broads and Bathtub Gin'', Courier Corporation, 2012, p.111] Torrio greatly influenced modern organized crime, he retired to New York and acted as an advisor to the New York Mafia in helping form the "Commission". In turn, Capone was able to use more violence to increase revenue. An establishment that refused to purchase liquor from him often got blown up and as many as 100 people were killed in such bombings during the 1920s. 1925-1926 were the most violent years of Chicago's "Beer Wars" in which 133 gangsters were murdered. Rivals saw Capone as responsible for the proliferation of brothels in the city.
Capone was widely assumed to have been responsible for ordering the 1929 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang that occurred on Saint Valentine's Day 1929. The men were gathered at a Lincoln Park, Chicago garage on the morning of February 14, ...
in an attempt to eliminate Bugs Moran
George Clarence "Bugs" Moran (; Adelard Leo Cunin; August 21, 1893 – February 25, 1957) was an American Chicago Prohibition-era gangster. He was incarcerated three times before his 21st birthday. Seven members of his gang were gunned dow ...
, head of the North Side Gang
The North Side Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was an Irish-Polish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early 1920s to the mid-1930s. It was the principal rival of the South Side Gang, also ...
. On that fateful and cold February morning, 4 Capone henchmen (two dressed as Chicago policemen) entered the S.M.C Cartage Company garage located at 2122 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL to find 7 men, which included 5 of Moran's soldiers, an auto mechanic and a friend of the gangsters, awaiting a shipment of highjacked booze. All 7 men were lined up against the wall in a mock police raid and shot to death. Moran escaped his fate narrowly by accidentally arriving late to the meeting. Moran was the last survivor of the North Side gunmen; his succession had come about because his similarly aggressive predecessors Vincent Drucci
Vincent Drucci (born Ludovico D'Ambrosio; January 1, 1898 – April 4, 1927), also known as "The Schemer", was an American mobster during Chicago's Prohibition era who was a member of the North Side Gang, Al Capone's best known rivals. A frien ...
and Hymie Weiss
Earl J. "Hymie" Weiss (born Henryk Wojciechowski; January 25, 1898 – October 11, 1926), was a Polish-American mob boss who became a leader of the Prohibition-era North Side Gang and a bitter rival of Al Capone. He was known as "the only ma ...
had been killed in the violence that followed the murder of original leader Dean O'Banion
Charles Dean O'Banion (July 8, 1892 – November 10, 1924) was an American mobster who was the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone during the brutal Chicago bootlegging wars of the 1920s. The newspapers of his day made him better known ...
.
Capone was convicted on three counts of income tax evasion on October 17, 1931 and was sentenced a week later to 11 years in federal prison, fined $50,000 plus $7,692 for court costs, and was held liable for $215,000 plus interest due on his back taxes. Capone later died of heart failure as a result of apoplexy
Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...
on January 25, 1947.
From Nitti to Accardo
1930s–1950s
In 1931, Nitti was also convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison; however, Nitti received an 18-month sentence.[Eghigian, Mars. ''After Capone: The Life and World of Chicago Mob Boss Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti.'' Naperville, Ill.: Cumberland House Publishing, 2006. ] When Nitti was released on March 25, 1932, he took his place as the new boss of the Capone Gang. Some revisionist historians claim that Nitti was a mere "front boss" while Paul "The Waiter" Ricca was the actual boss of the Chicago Outfit.
Over the next decade, The Outfit moved into labor racketeering
Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit.
Originally and of ...
, gambling, and loan sharking
A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law.
Description
Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
. Geographically, this was the period when Outfit muscle extended to Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
and Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, Kansas City, and especially to Hollywood and other California cities, where The Outfit's extortion of labor unions gave it leverage over the motion picture industry
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post pr ...
.
In the early 1940s, a handful of top Outfit leaders went to prison because they were found to be extorting Hollywood by controlling the unions that compose Hollywood's movie industry, and manipulating and misusing the Teamsters Central States Pension fund.
In 1943, the Outfit was caught red-handed shaking down the Hollywood movie industry. Ricca wanted Nitti to take the fall. However, Nitti had found that he was claustrophobic
Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with ...
, years earlier while in jail for 18 months (for tax evasion
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax ...
), and he decided to end his life rather than face more imprisonment for extorting Hollywood. Ricca then became the boss in name as well as in fact, with enforcement chief Tony Accardo
Anthony Joseph Accardo (; born Antonino Leonardo Accardo, ; April 28, 1906 – May 22, 1992), also known as "Joe Batters" and "Big Tuna", was an American longtime mobster. In a criminal career that spanned eight decades, he rose from small-time ho ...
as underboss—the start of a partnership that lasted for almost 30 years. Around this time, the Outfit began bringing in members of the Forty-Two Gang
The Forty-Two Gang is a teenage street gang in Chicago that started during Prohibition. Like Brooklyn's Italian and Jewish street gangs of Brownsville and Ocean Hill, the Forty-Two Gang serves as a "farm team" for future members of the Chicago O ...
, a notoriously violent youth gang. Among them were Sam "Momo" Giancana, Sam "Mad Sam" DeStefano, Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio, and Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri.
Ricca was sent to prison later in 1943 for his part in The Outfit plot to control Hollywood. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, along with a number of other mobsters. Through the "magic" of political connections, the whole group of Outfit mobsters was released after three years, largely due to the efforts of Outfit "fixer" Murray "The Camel" Humphreys. Ricca could not associate with mobsters as a condition of his parole. Accardo nominally took power as boss, but actually shared power with Ricca, who continued behind the scenes as a senior consultant—one of the few instances of shared power in organized crime.
Accardo joined Ricca in semi-retirement in 1957 due to some "heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
" that he was getting from the IRS. From then on, Ricca and Accardo allowed several others to nominally serve as boss, such as Giancana, Alderisio, Joey Aiuppa
Joseph John Aiuppa (December 1, 1907 – February 22, 1997), also known as "Joey O'Brien" and "Joey Doves", was a Chicago mobster who became a leader of the Chicago Outfit from 1971 until his Skimming (casinos), skimming conviction in 1986.
Ear ...
, William "Willie Potatoes" Daddano, and Jackie "the Lackey" Cerone. Most of the front bosses originated from the Forty-Two Gang. However, no major business transactions took place without Ricca and Accardo's knowledge and approval, and certainly no " hits". By staying behind the scenes, Ricca and Accardo lasted far longer than Capone. Ricca died in 1972, leaving Accardo as the sole power behind the scenes.
1960s–1990s
During the 1960 presidential election, many claim that the Mafia, and in particular, the Chicago Outfit, boosted candidate and president John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
. The strategy for boosting votes for Kennedy essentially ran through the mafia-controlled unions, physically threatening those who did not vote for Kennedy. It was even said that Joseph Kennedy
Joseph Patrick Kennedy (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He is known for his own political prominence as well as that of his children and was the patriarch of the Irish-American Ken ...
held a meeting with mob boss Sam Giancana
Salvatore Mooney Giancana (; born Gilormo Giangana; ; May 24, 1908 – June 19, 1975) was an American mobster who was boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966.
Giancana was born in Chicago to Italian immigrant parents. He joined the 42 ...
before the election. Supposedly the Kennedys and the Mafia agreed that if John were elected president, he would lighten the pursuit of authorities on the mob group. However, after the election, President Kennedy turned on Giancana. Theories say this is what led to his and Robert Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
’s assassination. Further, many believe the Outfit was involved in a Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
–Mafia collusion
Collusion is a deceitful agreement or secret cooperation between two or more parties to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading or defrauding others of their legal right. Collusion is not always considered illegal. It can be used to att ...
during Castro's overthrow of the Cuban government. In exchange for its help, the Outfit was to be given access to its former casinos if it helped overthrow Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
in Operation Mongoose
The Cuban Project, also known as Operation Mongoose, was an extensive campaign of terrorist attacks against civilians and covert operations carried out by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in Cuba. It was officially authorized on November ...
or Operation Family Jewels. The Outfit failed in that endeavor and faced increasing indictments under the administration of President John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
(JFK).
The Outfit reached the height of its power in the early 1960s. Accardo used the Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the ...
pension fund, with the aid of Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky (born Maier Suchowljansky; July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), known as the "Mob's Accountant", was an American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the ...
, Sidney Korshak
Sidney Roy Korshak (June 6, 1907 – January 20, 1996) was a lawyer and " fixer" for businessmen in the upper echelons of power and the Chicago Outfit in the United States. His reputation as the Chicago mob's man in Los Angeles made him one ...
, and Jimmy Hoffa, to engage in massive money laundering
Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
through the Outfit's casinos. The 1970s and 1980s were a hard time for the Outfit, as law enforcement continued to penetrate the organization, spurred by poll-watching politicians. Off-track betting
Off-track betting (or OTB; in British English, off-course betting) is sanctioned gambling on horse racing outside a race track.
U.S. history
Before the 1970s, only the state of Nevada allowed off-track betting. Off-track betting in New York was ...
reduced bookmaking
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds.
History
The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795.
Range of events
Bookm ...
profits, and illicit casinos withered under competition from legitimate casinos. Activities such as auto theft and professional sports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. The frequency of sports bet upon varies by culture, with the vast majority of bets being placed on association football, American football, basket ...
did not replace the lost profits.
The Outfit controlled casinos in Las Vegas and " skimmed" millions of dollars over the course of several decades. Most recently, top mob figures have been found guilty of crimes dating back to as early as the mid-1960s. It has been rumored that the $2 million skimmed from the casinos in the Court case of 1986 was used to build the Old Neighborhood Italian American Club, the founder of which was Angelo J. "The Hook" LaPietra.
Allen Dorfman
Allen Melnick Dorfman (January 6, 1923 – January 20, 1983) was an American insurance agency owner and a consultant to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Central States Pension Fund. He was a close associate of longtime IBT Presid ...
, a key figure in the Outfit's money embezzlement operations, was investigated by the Department of Justice. In 1982, the FBI wire-tapped Dorfman's personal and company phone lines and was able to gather the evidence needed to convict Dorfman and several of his associates on attempts to bribe a state senator to get rid of the trucking industry rates. If Dorfman succeeded, the Outfit would have seen a huge gain of profit. This was known as Operation Pendorf and was a huge blow to the Chicago crime syndicate.
Operation GAMBAT (GAMBling ATtorney) proved to be a crippling blow to the Outfit's tight grip on the Chicago political machine. Pat Marcy, a made man in the Outfit, ran the city's First Ward, which represented most of downtown Chicago. Marcy and company controlled the circuit courts from the 1950s until the late 1980s with the help of Alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
Fred Roti
Fred Bruno Roti (December 18, 1920 – September 20, 1999) was an American Democratic politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was a state senator for six years, and an alderman for 24 years. He was a loyal member of the " Machine" established by Ma ...
and Democratic Committeeman John D'Arco Sr. Together, the First Ward fixed cases involving everything from minor traffic violations to murder.
Attorney and First Ward associate Robert Cooley was one of the lawyers who represented many mafiosi and associates in which cases were fixed. As a trusted man within the First Ward, Cooley was asked to "take out" a city police officer. Cooley was also an addicted gambler and in debt, so he approached the U.S. Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force The United States Organized Crime Strike Force was created in the late 1960s for the purpose of finding and prosecuting illegal racketeering. It was formed in a congressional effort led by Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Specifically, the Strike Forces ...
, declaring that he wanted to "destroy Marcy and the First Ward".
Cooley was soon in touch with the FBI and began cooperating as a federal informant. Through the years, he maintained close ties to Marcy and the big shots of the First Ward. He wore an electronic surveillance device, recording valuable conversations at the notorious "First Ward Table", located at "Counselor's Row" across the street from Chicago City Hall
Chicago City Hall is a 10-story building that houses the official seat of government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center and the James R. Thompson Center, the building that includes Chicago City Hall ho ...
. The results in Operation Gambat (Gambling Attorney) were convictions of 24 corrupt judges, lawyers, and cops.
Accardo died in 1992. In a measure of how successfully he had managed to stay out of the limelight, he never spent a day in jail (or only spent one day, depending on the source) despite an arrest record dating to 1922. Chicago's transition from Accardo to the next generation of Outfit bosses has been more of an administrative change than a power struggle, distinct from the way that organized crime leadership transitions take place in New York City.
21st century
Higher law enforcement investigations and general attrition led to the Outfit's gradual decline since the late 20th century. The Old Neighborhood Italian American Club is considered to be the hangout of Old Timers as they live out their golden years. The club's founder was Angelo J. LaPietra "The Hook", who was the main Council at the time of his death in 1999.
On April 25, 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
launched Operation Family Secrets
Operation Family Secrets was an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into mob-related crimes in Chicago. The FBI called it one of the most successful investigations of organized crime that it had ever conducted.[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was en ...]
(RICO), including Joseph Lombardo
Joseph Patrick Lombardo (born Giuseppe Lombardi; January 1, 1929 – October 19, 2019), also known as "Joey the Clown", was an American mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He was alleged to be the ''Consi ...
, Nicholas Calabrese
Nicholas W. Calabrese (born November 30, 1942) is an American former mob hitman, best known for being the second made man ever to testify against the Chicago Outfit. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 ...
, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James Marcello. U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel
James Block Zagel (born March 4, 1941) is an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and a novelist.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish ...
presided over the Family Secrets trial. The federal prosecutors were Mitchell A. Mars, T. Markus Funk
T. Markus Funk is an Americans, American attorney, law professor, and author known for the prosecution of several high-profile mob figures during his career at the United States Department of Justice, his role in co-leading the internal investig ...
, and John Scully. Nicholas Calabrese
Nicholas W. Calabrese (born November 30, 1942) is an American former mob hitman, best known for being the second made man ever to testify against the Chicago Outfit. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 ...
, facing a life sentence, became the first "made" member of the Chicago Outfit to become a witness for the federal government. Calabrese gave information on 14 murders he was personally involved with and knowledge of 22 killings during the past 30 years.
As of 2007, the Outfit's size is estimated to be 28 official members (composing its core group) and more than 100 associates.
From 1996 to 2018, the Chicago Outfit was believed to be led by John DiFronzo. As of 2021, the Chicago Outfit is believed to be led by Salvatore "Solly D" DeLaurentis.
List of Chicago Outfit related murders
Historical leadership
Bosses (Official And Acting)
Street boss
The street boss is a high-ranking member appointed to run the outfit's daily activities for the boss. The position was created to protect the boss from federal investigations.
* 1996–2007: James "Jimmy the Man" Marcello – sentenced in 2007, imprisoned for life in 2009.
* 2007–2012: Michael "Fat Mike" Sarno – sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012.
* 2012–2016: Louis "Louie Tomatoes" Marino
* 2016–present: Albert "Albie the Falcon" Vena
Underboss
* 1910–1920: John "Papa Johnny" Torrio – became boss in 1920.
* 1920–1925: Alphonse "Scarface Al" Capone – became boss in 1925.
* 1925–1931: Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti – became boss in 1931.
* 1931–1943: Louis "Little New York" Campagna – arrested in 1943, deceased in 1955.
* 1943–1947: Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo – became boss in 1947.
* 1947–1957: Salvatore "Mooney Sam" Giancana – became boss in 1957, murdered in 1975.
* 1957–1964: Frank "Strongy" Ferraro – died in 1964.
* 1964–1966: Samuel "Teets" Battaglia – became boss in 1966, deceased in 1973.
* 1967–1986: John "Jackie the Lackey" Cerone – imprisoned in 1986, deceased in 1996.
* 1986–1992: John "No Nose" DiFronzo – became boss in 1992.
* 1992–1996: James "Jimmy the Man" Marcello – became street boss in 1996.
* 1996–2006: Anthony "Little Tony" Zizzo – disappeared and probably murdered in 2006.
* 2006–2009: Joseph "Joe the Builder" Andriacchi – retired briefly due to illness.
* 2009–present: Salvatore "Sammy Cards" Cataudella
Consigliere
* 1925–1928: Antonio "Tony the Scourge" Lombardo – murdered in 1928.
* 1928–1947: Charles "Trigger Happy" Fischetti – retired in 1947, deceased in 1951.
* 1947–1957: Paul "The Waiter" Ricca – retired in 1957, deceased in 1972.
* 1957–1992: Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo – deceased from natural causes in 1992.
* 1992–1999: Angelo J. LaPietra – deceased from natural causes in 1999.
* 1999–2007: Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo – sentenced in 2007 and imprisoned in 2009; died on October 19, 2019, at the age of 90.
* 2007–2009: Alfonso "Al the Pizza Man" Tornabene – deceased in 2009.
* 2009–2016: Marco "The Mover" D'Amico – asked to step down so that Andriacchi could help advise the power shift from DiFronzo to DeLaurentis.
** Acting 2012–2016: Joseph "Joe the Builder" Andriacchi – retired in 2016.
* 2016–2020: Marco D'Amico – deceased from natural causes in 2020.
Current family members
Administration
* Boss – Salvatore "Solly D" DeLaurentis. Born in 1939. Inducted in either 1988 or 1989 and put in charge of Lake County, Illinois. He was indicted in 1993 along with Ernest "Rocky" Infelice, Louis "Louie Tomatoes" Marino, Robert "Bobby The Gabeet" Bellavia, Harry Aleman
Harry "The Hook" Aleman (January 19, 1939 – May 15, 2010) was a Chicago mobster who was one of the most feared enforcers for the Chicago Outfit during the 1970s. Aleman got the nickname "Hook" from his boxing career in high school. He is also ...
, Marco "The Mover" D'Amico, and several others, in the Good Ship Lollipop Case, which centered on mob murders by the Cicero Street Crew and sent to prison for 17 years. He was released in 2007. His role in the Outfit between 2007 and 2014 when he became boss is unclear, though it is theorized that he was a co-capo of the Cicero Crew.
* Street Boss – Albert "Albie the Falcon" Vena – born in 1948. Part of the new administration following the retirement of John DiFronzo. Vena was once a powerful capo of the Grand Avenue crew and replaced Joseph Lombardo
Joseph Patrick Lombardo (born Giuseppe Lombardi; January 1, 1929 – October 19, 2019), also known as "Joey the Clown", was an American mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He was alleged to be the ''Consi ...
after his 2007 conviction of a 1974 murder. FBI investigators from the August 2006 disappearance case of Anthony Zizzo considered him a suspect. In 1993, Vena was acquitted of the November 4, 1992 murder of Samuel Taglia who was shot twice in the head and had his throat cut with a knife, his body was dumped in the trunk of his 1983 Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
car. His most trusted confidants were reported to be Joseph Andriacchi
Joseph Andriacchi (born October 20, 1932) is a Chicago area resident and convicted criminal, considered by that city's Crime Commission to be a high-ranking member of the Outfit, the city's LCN organization.
Chicago Outfit career
In 1989, the ' ...
and James Inendino.
* Underboss
Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The under ...
– Salvatore "Sammy Cards" Cataudella – convicted of racketeering related to a prostitution scheme in 1990.
Capos
* James Inendino – Cicero Crew. According to sources, Inendino has operated as Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain" or "skipper", is a rank used in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia) for a '' made member'' of an Italian crime family who he ...
of the Cicero crew since 2010.
* Rudolph "Rudy" Fratto – Elmwood Park Crew; Peter DiFronzo was the captain before his death in December 2020. Rudy Fratto became Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain" or "skipper", is a rank used in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia) for a '' made member'' of an Italian crime family who he ...
by 2021. Fratto was born in 1943. He was first identified as a member of the Chicago Outfit in 1997. In October 2009, he pleaded guilty to tax evasion. In September 2012, he was sentenced to 1-year imprisonment for bid-rigging $2 million in forklift contracts for a pair of trade shows at McCormick Place. Theories have arisen that he and Michael "Mags" Magnafichi have been running the crew jointly as co-capos, though sources dispute this as Magnafichi has reportedly not been active in years.
* Frank "Toots" Caruso – 26th Street/Chinatown Crew
* Albert "Albie the Falcon" Vena – Grand Avenue Crew. By 2000, Vena had been acquitted of 2 murders. It is thought that he assumed Acting Capo status after Joey Lombardo went on the run in 2005, officially taking over sometime in 2009.
* John "Pudgy" Matassa Jr. - Rush Street Crew. Possibly took over whatever was left of the Rush Street Crew.
* Nicholas "Jumbo" Guzzino - Chicago Heights Crew. According to Nick Calabrese
Nicholas W. Calabrese (born November 30, 1942) is an American former mob hitman, best known for being the second made man ever to testify against the Chicago Outfit. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 ...
he became a made man in 1983 and was sponsored by Dominick Palermo, a powerful underboss in the Chicago Heights Crew under Albert Tocco
Albert "Caesar" Tocco (August 9, 1929 – September 21, 2005), was a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the mob boss of Chicago Heights, the south suburbs, and parts of Northern Indiana.
Tocco was describ ...
. Took over whatever remained of the old Chicago Heights Crew. It is possible and highly likely that he is retired.
Soldiers
* Anthony "Tony" Dote: In November 1994, he was indicted on charges of racketeering and illegal gambling. He pleaded guilty to the charges in 1996 and was sentenced to 4-years imprisonment.
* Joseph "Joe Kong" Cullotta: Grand Avenue crew soldier and younger brother of Frank Cullotta
Frank John Cullotta (December 14, 1938 – August 20, 2020) was an American mobster in the Chicago Outfit and a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang burglary ring in Las Vegas with friend and mobster Tony Spilotro. After his arrest in 1982, he b ...
.
* Gary "Gags" Gagliano: Gagliano is the nephew of Joseph Gagliano, a close associate of Jackie Cerone
John Philip Cerone (July 7, 1914 – July 26, 1996), nicknamed Jackie the Lackey, was an American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit during the late 1960s. He was the younger brother of mobster Frank "Skippy" Cerone, father of lawyer Joh ...
. Gagliano is an "Outfit killer" per Joseph Fosco.
* Rocco "Rocky" Lombardo: Lombardo is the brother of Joseph Lombardo
Joseph Patrick Lombardo (born Giuseppe Lombardi; January 1, 1929 – October 19, 2019), also known as "Joey the Clown", was an American mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He was alleged to be the ''Consi ...
, former Chicago Outfit Consigliere
Consigliere ( , ; plural ) is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel '' The Godfather'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a ...
. In 2007, he was sentenced to 5-years probation for tax fraud.
* Michael Carioscia: born 1933. In December 1950, he was arrested on charges of armed robbery and was sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment, he was released in 1954. He was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment in October 1961 on narcotics charges after he and Armando Pennacchio made three sales of a large quantity of heroin to an undercover FBN officer. He has a brother named Frank.
* Robert "Bobby the Boxer" Salerno: Salerno was a former boxing trainer who knew Ernie Terrell
Ernie is a masculine given name, frequently a short form (hypocorism) of Ernest, Ernald, Ernesto, or Verner. It may refer to:
People
* Ernie Accorsi (born 1941), American football executive
* Ernie Adams (disambiguation)
* Ernie Afaganis (born c ...
. In 1995, he was sentenced to life in prison for murder.
* Paulie Carparelli high-ranking member of the 12th Street Players and possibly inducted into the Outfit's Cicero Crew
* Robert Bellavia: former member of the Ferriola crew. He was involved in the February 7, 1985 murder of bookmaker Hal C. Smith, the body was recovered 3 days later in the trunk of his car. In 1990, he was indicted and later convicted in the Good Ship Lollipop case, a large-scale racketeering and murder indictment alongside Ernest Infelice, Solly DeLaurentis, Harry Aleman, James Nicholas and William DiDomenico. He was released in 2016 after serving 25 years in prison.
* Michael "Jaws" Giorango: former associate of the Chicago Heights crew. He pleaded guilty to operating a bookmaking ring in the suburbs of South Chicago in 1989 and used threats of violence to collect unpaid debts including threats of beatings, bombings and robbery. In 1990, he was sentenced to prison and served 4 years. In 2010, reports linked him and Alexi Giannoulias Alexi is a given name that is a variant or nickname of Alexander or Alexandra. Notable people with the name include:
Men
* Alexi Laiho (1979–2020), full name Markku Uula Aleksi Laiho, Finnish singer, composer, and guitarist of the death metal b ...
, the 72nd Democratic Illinois treasurer, to a $11–20 million loan. In 2004, he was sentenced to six months of intermittent confinement and three years of probation for prostitution charges in Miami. He was granted early release from probation in 2008. In 2010, he filed for bankruptcy protection and listed assets and liabilities between $500,000 and $1 million. His case was dismissed in 2013.
* Frank Orlando: born in 1968. It was alleged he made threatening demands towards an unpaid debt of $200–500,000. At his trial, the FBI alleged Orlando introduced printing firm owner Mark Dziuban to Paul Carparelli to discuss extortion attempts. In 2014, he was sentenced to almost 4 years in prison on extortion charges.
* Nicholas "Nick" Ferriola: born in 1977. He is the son of Joseph Ferriola. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Zagel
James Block Zagel (born March 4, 1941) is an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and a novelist.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish ...
in 2008 to 3 years in federal prison for his role in the Family Secrets case, he was accused of extortion and illegal sports gambling charges over an 8-year period, Ferriola admitted to earning over $150,000 per month. He served as a trusted confidant to Frank Calabrese Sr. during the operation including after Calabrese's life imprisonment sentence in 2009.
* Tony Saviano: Saviano was involved in an Outfit gambling operation during the 1980s. Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
placed bets with his organization when in Chicago. Authorities speculate that his nephew Tony Saviano out of West Chicago had great influence in the operation.
* Sam Sei: Sei and his nephew Keith had great influence in Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 24,796. Melrose Park had long been home to a large Italian-American population.
The suburb was the home o ...
and controlled the town during the 1990's.
* Robert Panozzo: Panozzo is a former member of the C-Notes street gang and soldier of the Grand Avenue crew. He was sentenced to 18 years on state racketeering charges on January 8, 2019.
* Anthony Ferro: Ferro is a former member of the C-Notes street gang and soldier of the Grand Avenue Street crew. He was sentenced to 6 years on state racketeering charges on January 8, 2001.
* John "Pudgy" Matassa: former captain and former secretary-treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711 and outfit soldier.
* Frank Caruso Jr.: son of 26th Street crew Capo Frank "Toots" Caruso was arrested for beating a black boy in 1998.
* Rick Rizzolo: Strip Club owner and Outfit soldier in Las Vegas.
* Gino "Mean Gene" Cassano: Elmwood Park soldier and brother of Dominick "Mennie" Cassano and Angelo "The Angel" Cassano (deceased). He and his brothers were convicted of attempted murder in 1993.
* Dominick "Mennie" Cassano: Elmwood Park soldier and brother of Gino "Mean Gene" Cassano and Angelo "The Angel" Cassano (deceased). He and his brothers were convicted of attempted murder in 1993.
* Dominic Buttitta: Outfit soldier, Strip Club owner and father of fellow mobster Anthony Buttitta. They both where arrested by the FBI for an illegal internet gambling business.
* Anthony Buttitta: Outfit soldier and son of fellow mobster Dominic Buttitta. They both where arrested by the FBI for an illegal internet gambling business.
* Joseph Jerome "Jerry" Scalise: Outfit soldier, best known for stealing the Marlborough diamond. Currently incarcerated.
* Ricardo "Rick the Enforcer" Lentini: Outfit soldier and former right-hand man of Marco D’Amico.
* Paulie Carparelli: Cicero crew, debt collector and high-ranking member of Twelfth Street Players gang.
* Dino Marino: Son of Louis "Louie Tomatoes" Marino and driver of Solly D. He was arrested for a no show job as Health Department inspector for the Town of Cicero.
* Michael "A1 Mike" Zitello: Cicero soldier and bookmaker. He is a former protege of Louis "Louie Tomatoes" Marino.
* Carlo "The Fat Man/Carl D" Dote: Elmwood Park soldier, cafe owner and bookmaker.
* Andy Rovito: Outfit soldier was sentenced 5 years imprisonment for credit card fraud.
* Robert "The Gabeet" Bellavia: He and Rocco Infelice were indicted for the murder of bookie Hal C. Smith.
* Christopher "Christy the Nose" Spina: Spina is a member of the Grand Avenue Crew and a close associate of Albert Vena. He was also the driver Joey Lombardo and at one time he worked for Chicago's Bureau of Signs and Markings.
Associates
* Emil "Nick The Badge" Schullo: Former Cicero Police chief. He was convicted in 2002 in a federal racketeering case alongside Chicago Mafioso Michael (Big Mike) Spano and then-Cicero Mayor Betty Loren-Maltese. He awarded a contract to a security company owned by Spano.
* Michael "Mickey" Davis: Close associate of Salvatore DeLaurentis. In June 2015, he was found guilty of extortion and was sentenced to 4-years imprisonment.
Government informants and witnesses
* Frank Cullotta
Frank John Cullotta (December 14, 1938 – August 20, 2020) was an American mobster in the Chicago Outfit and a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang burglary ring in Las Vegas with friend and mobster Tony Spilotro. After his arrest in 1982, he b ...
– born in December 1938. He was a former associate and friend of Tony Spilotro
Anthony John Spilotro (May 19, 1938 – June 14, 1986), nicknamed "Tony the Ant", was an American mobster and high ranking member for the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas during the 1970s and '80s.
Spilotro managed the Outfit's illegal casino profits ...
, and was involved in his Hole in the Wall gang based in Las Vegas. In 1982, Cullotta was imprisoned and was approached by the FBI with a wiretap of Spilotro talking with someone about "having to clean our dirty laundry", which Cullotta took as an insinuated contract on his life. Due to this, in July 1982, Cullotta finalized an agreement with the prosecutors, sentenced to eight years in prison, but paroled in 1984 to the witness protection program. Cullotta died on August 20, 2020.
* Leonard Patrick
Leonard "Lenny" Patrick (October 6, 1913 – March 1, 2006) was Jewish-American organized crime figure affiliated with the Italian-American Chicago Outfit. Patrick was involved in bookmaking and extortion and later a government informant.
Emigra ...
– born in October 1913. Former associate heavily involved in illegal gambling rackets active in the North Side of Chicago. In June 1933, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing a bank in Culver, Indiana. He came to the attention of the U.S. Attorney in 1958 as a Chicago Outfit affiliate. In 1975, Patrick was convicted for contempt
Contempt is a pattern of attitudes and behaviour, often towards an individual or a group, but sometimes towards an ideology, which has the characteristics of disgust and anger.
The word originated in 1393 in Old French contempt, contemps, ...
after he refused to testify under immunity against Chicago police lieutenant Ronald O'Hara and admitted to payoffs of $500 per month to O'Hara. Patrick was released in July 1978. He pleaded guilty to criminal charges in April 1992. It is alleged the Outfit ordered the bombing of Sharon Patrick's car outside her home in Rogers Park, Chicago
Rogers Park is the first of Chicago's 77 community areas. Located from the Loop, it is on the city's far north side on the shore of Lake Michigan. The neighborhood is commonly known for its cultural diversity, lush green public spaces, early ...
in May 1992, as a result of his guilty plea. In September 1992, he testified against the Chicago Outfit. He is believed to have been involved, if not ordered, the 1965 assassination of 24th Ward Alderman Ben Lewis, the city's first black alderman and Democrat committeeman. He died in 2006.
* Ken Eto – born in 1919. He was a former Japanese-American Chicago Outfit associate. He arrived in Chicago from Washington in 1949. Eto's criminal record dates back to 1942 for violating a wartime curfew. In February 1983, Eto survived an assassination attempt on his life by Outfit hitmen Jasper Campise and John Gattuso after 3 bullets ricocheted off of his skull, he immediately joined protective custody and turned informant against the Outfit, Outfit captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Vincent Solano ordered the attempt. The assassination attempt is believed to be revolved around paranoia towards Eto following his guilty plea on illegal gambling charges, which provoked the Chicago Outfit to believe the possibility of Eto being easily persuaded to cooperate with the government against the Outfit. The hitmen, 68-year-old Jasper Campise and 47-year-old John Gattuso were offered government protection and declined, they were both found strangled and stabbed in July 1983 inside of the trunk of a 1981 Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
registered to Campise. The FBI estimated his criminal earnings of between "$150,000 to $200,000" per week and bribe payoffs of $12,000 per month to Chicago policemen. He died in January 2004 at the age of 84 from natural causes.
* Louis Bombacino – born in 1923. He was a former bookmaker. Between 1965 and 1967, Bombacino contacted the FBI while in prison awaiting trial on a robbery charge. He admitted to involvement in a large-scale bookmaking operation under the control of Jackie Cerone
John Philip Cerone (July 7, 1914 – July 26, 1996), nicknamed Jackie the Lackey, was an American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit during the late 1960s. He was the younger brother of mobster Frank "Skippy" Cerone, father of lawyer Joh ...
and Fiore Buccieri
Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri (December 16, 1907 – August 17, 1973) was a Chicago mobster and member of the Chicago Outfit who specialized in loansharking.
Early years
As a youth he was a member of the Chicago 42 Gang with future Outfit boss Sam "Mom ...
. He was murdered in Tempe, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Vale of Tempe
, image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg
, imagesize = 260px
, image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...
on the morning of October 6/7, 1975 by the Chicago Outfit while hiding under the alias "Joe Nardi", Paul Schiro and Tony Amadio were suspected in the car bombing. His testimony against Cerone resulted in 5 years' imprisonment in May 1970 and he relocated to Arizona and secured a warehouse job before his murder.
* Richard Cain
Richard Cain (October 4, 1931 – December 20, 1973), also known as Richard Scalzitti, was a notoriously corrupt Chicago police officer and a close associate of Mafia boss Sam Giancana.
Early life
Richard Cain was born to John and Lydia ( n ...
– born in October 1931. He served as Chief Investigator for the Cook County Police Department. Cain joined the Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind t ...
(Vice Squad) in 1956 until 1960. In June 1961, Cain was allegedly met by a CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
staffer in Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, he was deported from Mexico in 1962 for carrying a loaded gun and brass knuckles, violating his tourist permit by working and impersonating a Mexican government official. He was released from prison in October 1971. On December 20, 1971, he was shot and killed on orders of the Chicago Outfit. Harry Aleman
Harry "The Hook" Aleman (January 19, 1939 – May 15, 2010) was a Chicago mobster who was one of the most feared enforcers for the Chicago Outfit during the 1970s. Aleman got the nickname "Hook" from his boxing career in high school. He is also ...
, Joey Lombardo and Frank Schweihs were suspected of killing him.
* Gerald Scarpelli – soldier (1988)
* William "B.J." Jahoda – former associate. He operated a sports bookmaking ring with Sam Sammarco between 1976 and 1979. Jahoda later began a partnership with Rocco Infelise in 1979 through to 1988, the operation allegedly earned over $8 million in profits. He operated an illegal parlay card business with Michael Sarno, James Damopoulos, Salvatore DeLaurentis and Infelise from 1979 to 1983 in Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is situated in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Illinois, along the shores of Lake Michigan. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 714,342, making it the third-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat ...
and other parts of Chicago. He also operated the Rouse House casino in suburban Libertyville, Illinois in 1982 which generated approximately $500,000 in profits, during this time he paid Infelise $1500 monthly payments to bribe the Lake County Sheriff to get advance notice of law enforcement raids. By the fall of 1988, Infelise told Jahoda that he was paying $10,000 to the Cook County Police Department Sheriff for protection and that he used undersheriff
An undersheriff (or under-sheriff) is an office derived from ancient English custom that remains in, among other places, England and Wales and the United States, though performing different functions.
United States
In American law enforcement, ...
and former Cook County Republican Party chairman James Dvorak as the intermediate, Dvorak was sentenced to 3½ years in prison in April 1994 for accepting bribes. In September 1989, Infelise confirmed that he was paying $35,000 altogether to incarcerated Outfit members and Chicago police officers. In early 1990, the government alleged Infelise and Jahoda gave out a $50,000 loan to an undercover IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...
agent under the identity of "Larry Weeks" who Infelise instructed to bribe a Wisconsin zoning official to gain favourable selection in their efforts to get commercial/industrial property near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin as residential property. He died in 2004.
* Nicholas Calabrese
Nicholas W. Calabrese (born November 30, 1942) is an American former mob hitman, best known for being the second made man ever to testify against the Chicago Outfit. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 ...
– born in November 1942. He is a former soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
in the Chicago Outfit. He was the brother of Frank Calabrese Sr. and uncle of Frank Calabrese Jr. and the star witness of the Family Secrets case. Calabrese was convicted for his involvement in 14 murders and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment by District Judge James Zagel
James Block Zagel (born March 4, 1941) is an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and a novelist.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish ...
.
* Frank Calabrese Jr. – associate (2005)
* Jeff Hollingshead – associate (2014): Hollingshead was an associate of the Grand Avenue Crew and a member of the P-K street crew named after the leaders Robert Panozzo Sr. and Paul Koroluk. The P-K crew posed as police officers to rob drug houses on Chicago's south and west side.
The Outfit is notable for having had other ethnic groups besides Italians as high-ranking associates since the family's earliest days. A prime example of this was Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik, who was the top "bagman" and "accountant" for decades until his death. He was a Polish Jew. Others were Murray Humphreys
Murray Humphreys (born Llewellyn Morris Humphreys; April 20, 1899 – November 23, 1965) (also known as The Camel or The Hump), was a Chicago mobster of Welsh descent who was the chief political fixer and labor racketeer, beginning during t ...
, who was of Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
descent, and Ken Eto (aka Tokyo Joe), who was Japanese-American.
Another well-known associate of the Outfit is Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
New York City mobster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
Benjamin Siegel. Siegel was a childhood friend of Capone. Siegel's organization in Las Vegas and Los Angeles was an ally of the Outfit from 1933 to 1961 when the family boss, Mickey Cohen
Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (September 4, 1913 – July 29, 1976) was an American gangster, boxer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles during the mid-20th century.
Early life
Mickey Cohen was born on September 4, 1913, in New York City to Je ...
, was imprisoned and the family was decimated.
In popular culture
The Chicago Outfit has a long history of portrayal in Hollywood as the subject of film and television.
Film
* '' Little Caesar'' (1931)
* '' Scarface'' (1932)
* '' Chicago Syndicate'' (1955)
* ''The Scarface Mob
''The Scarface Mob'' is an American feature film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Robert Stack. It consists of the pilot episodes for the TV series ''The Untouchables'' (1959) that originally screened as a two-part installment of ''Westingho ...
'' (television film, 1959)
* ''Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
'' (1959)
* '' The St. Valentine's Day Massacre'' (1967)
* ''Point Blank
Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...
'' (1967)
* ''Bullitt
''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Philip D'Antoni. The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. The screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleine ...
'' (1968)
* '' The Outfit'' (1973)
* '' Capone'' (1975)
* ''Thief
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
'' (1981)
* '' Raw Deal'' (1986)
* ''The Untouchables
Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to:
American history
* Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness
* ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
* ''The U ...
'' (1987)
* ''Midnight Run
''Midnight Run'' is a 1988 American road action comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, and Philip Baker Hall play supporting roles.
At the 4 ...
'' (1988)
* '' Next of Kin'' (1989)
* '' The Firm'' (1993)
* ''Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
'' (1995)
* ''Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
'' (1999)
* ''Road to Perdition
''Road to Perdition'' is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was adapted by David Self from the graphic novel of the same name written by Max Allan Collins and illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner. The film ...
'' (2002)
* '' Public Enemies'' (2009)
* ''Chicago Overcoat
''Chicago Overcoat'' is a 2009 American gangster film. The script was written by Brian Caunter, John W. Bosher, Josh Staman, and Andrew Alex Dowd; Caunter also directed. The production filmed in Chicago and wrapped principal photography November ...
'' (2009)
* ''Gangster Land
''Gangster Land'' (also titled ''In the Absence of Good Men'') is a 2017 American action crime drama film directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. and starring Sean Faris, Milo Gibson, Jason Patric, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Peter Facinelli.
Plot
The film t ...
'' (2017)
* '' Capone'' (2020)
* '' The Outfit '' (2022)
Television
* ''The Untouchables
Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to:
American history
* Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness
* ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
* ''The U ...
'' (1959–1963)
* ''The F.B.I.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
'' (1965–1974)
* '' Crime Story'' (1986–1988)
* ''The Untouchables
Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to:
American history
* Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness
* ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
* ''The U ...
'' (1993–1994)
* ''Sugartime
"Sugartime" is a popular song written by Charlie Phillips and Odis Echols, and published in 1957. The biggest hit version was by the McGuire Sisters, whose recording of it topped the Most Played chart in February 1958. It was also the second ...
'' (TV film) (1995)
* ''The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...
'' (1998)
* ''Prison Break
''Prison Break'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial drama television show, television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purce ...
'' (2005–2009)
* ''The Chicago Code
''The Chicago Code'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan that aired on Fox in the United States. The series was filmed in Chicago, Illinois, originally airing from February 7 to May 23, 2011, with Fox announcing ...
'' (2011)
* '' The Firm'' (2012)
* '' Mob Wives: Chicago'' (2012)
* ''The Mob Doctor
''The Mob Doctor'' is an American television drama that aired on Fox from September 17, 2012, to January 7, 2013, as a part of the 2012–13 network television season. The series was created by Josh Berman and Rob Wright and is based on the boo ...
'' (2012–2013)
* ''Boardwalk Empire
''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and ...
'' (2010–2014)
* '' The Making of the Mob: Chicago'' (2016)
Anime
* ''91 Days
''91 Days'' is a Japanese anime television series. Set during the United States Prohibition era, the series follows Angelo Lagusa and his quest to seek revenge against the Vanetti Family. The series aired from July 9, 2016 to October 1, 2016.
...
'' (since 2016)
* ''baccano!
is a Japanese light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita and illustrated by Katsumi Enami. The series, often told from multiple points of view, is mostly set within a fictional United States during various time periods, most notably the ...
'' (2007)
Books
* Scott, Sabrina Austen. ''The Lemon Tree Girl: A Mafia Story.'' Amazon, 2022. ISBN 979-8985541403
See also
* Joe Aiello – rival to Al Capone during Prohibition; was also allied to Salvatore Maranzano
Salvatore Maranzano (; July 31, 1886 – September 10, 1931) was an Italian-American mobster from the town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, and an early Cosa Nostra boss who led what later would become the Bonanno crime family in New York City. ...
during the Castellammarese War
* Grand Rapids Hotel
The Grand Rapids Hotel also known as The Grand Rapids Resort, was a hotel that existed outside of Mount Carmel, Illinois, in Wabash County, Illinois, United States in Southern Illinois from 1922 to 1929. The hotel was located on the Wabash River ...
* Hired Truck Program
The Hired Truck Program was a scandal-plagued program in the city of Chicago that involved hiring private trucks to do city work. It was overhauled in 2004 (and phased out beginning in 2005) after an investigation by the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' rev ...
scandal
* North Side Gang
The North Side Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was an Irish-Polish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early 1920s to the mid-1930s. It was the principal rival of the South Side Gang, also ...
– a rival gang to Al Capone
* Timeline of organized crime in Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, has a long history of organized crime and was famously home to the American mafia figure Al Capone. This article contains a list of major events related to organized crime.
Events – timeline
1830s
*1837 – Chicago became ...
* George "Babe" Tuffanelli
* Unione Siciliana
The Italian-American National Union (formerly known as Unione Siciliana) was a Sicilian-American organization, which controlled much of the Italian vote within the United States during the early twentieth century. It was based in Chicago, Illinois ...
* Rocco Pranno
References
Citations
General references
*
*
* Cooley, Will (2017). "Jim Crow Organized Crime: Black Chicago's Underground Economy in the Twentieth Century", in ''Building the Black Metropolis: African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago'', Robert Weems and Jason Chambers, eds. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 147–170. .
* (Published for the traveling exhibition of Lombardi's work, ''Mark Lombardi Global Networks'').
*
*
*
External links
* (Mob news archive)
* (Historical archives)
{{authority control
Organizations established in 1910
1910 establishments in Illinois
Organizations based in Chicago
Italian-American crime families
Gangs in Chicago
Italian-American culture in Chicago
Al Capone
The Untouchables