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Chicago Outfit

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 208.66.184.134 (talk) at 18:45, 10 October 2007 (→‎Bosses of the Chicago Outfit: Corrected the "Tony Accardo" entry.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Chicago Outfit is a crime syndicate that has a long and extensive history dating back to long before Prohibition and part of the U.S. phenomenon known as the Mafia. However, the Chicago Outfit is distinct from its cousins, the "Five Families" of New York's La Cosa Nostra.

It is the only criminal organization that has a monopoly of traditional organized crime in their home city of Chicago, whereas the Five Families compete with each other for control of racketeering activities in New York. The Outfit's control reportedly reaches throughout the central U.S. to places as far away as Las Vegas and parts of Florida.

Impact of the Chicago Outfit

  • The Outfit controlled casinos in Las Vegas and embezzled millions of dollars over the course of years.

History of the Chicago Outfit

Pre-Prohibition

The early years of organized crime in Chicago were marked by the division of various street gangs controlling the South Side and North Side as well as the Black Hand organizations of “Little Italy” before James "Big Jim" Colosimo centralized control in the early 20th century.

"Big Jim" was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1877, emigrating to Chicago in 1895, where he became a criminal. By 1909 he was successful enough that he was encroaching on the criminal activity of the Black Hand.

This required the procurement of extra muscle, which came in the form of Colosimo's nephew John "The Fox" Torrio from New York. In 1919, Torrio brought in Al Capone, thus providing Capone's entrance to Chicago. In time Colosimo and Torrio had a falling out over Torrio's insistence that they expand into bootlegging, which Colosimo staunchly opposed. In 1920, Torrio arranged for Frankie Yale to kill Colosimo, ending the argument.

"Big Jim" Colosimo brought together the different parts of Chicago criminal activity, with a lasting effect on Chicago in general, and Chicago crime in particular.

Torrio-Capone and the birth of the Chicago Outfit

Severely injured in an assassination attempt by the North Side Mob in January 1925, the shaken Torrio returned to Italy and handed over control of the business to Capone. Capone was notorious during Prohibition for his control of the Chicago underworld and his bitter rivalries with gangsters such as George "Bugs" Moran and Earl "Hymie" Weiss. Raking in vast amounts of money (some estimates were that between 1925 and 1930 Capone was making $100 million a year), the Chicago kingpin was largely immune to prosecution due to witness intimidation and the bribing of city officials.

While Eliot Ness of the Bureau of Prohibition concentrated on trying to dry up the flow of liquor to Chicago, the U.S. Treasury Department was devising a strategy of using the Supreme Court's 1927 decision on the bootlegger Manny Sullivan to bring down Capone. Sullivan had argued that the Fifth Amendment prevented him from reporting how much income tax evasion he had engaged in. Ralph "Bottles" Capone and a number of the other Outfit members were soon indicted, but Capone went unscathed until June 1931, when he was indicted for concealing more than $165,000 from the IRS.

From Accardo to Giancana

After Capone was jailed, Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti moved the Outfit into labor racketeering, gambling, and other things like exploitative loan sharking. Geographically, this was the period when the Outfit extended its tendrils to Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin, Kansas City, and especially Hollywood and other Californian cities, where the Outfit's control of labor unions gave it leverage over movie production.

In 1962, the Outfit reached its apogee under Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo. With the aid of Meyer Lansky he used the Teamsters pension fund to engage in massive money laundering through the Outfit's casinos, aided by the likes of Sydney Korshak and Jimmy Hoffa. The '70s and '80s were a bad time for the Outfit, as law enforcement continued to penetrate the organization (spurred by poll-watching politicians), off-track betting reduced bookmaking profits, and illicit casinos withered under competition from legitimate casinos. Replacement activities like auto theft and professional sport betting did not replace the lost profits.

21st century

As the result of an investigation dubbed Operation Family Secrets, mobsters James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, Nicholas Ferriola, Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo, Michael "Mickey" Marcello, Frank "The German" Schweihs, Frank "Gumba" Saladino, Frank Calabrese, Sr., Paul "the Indian" Schiro, former CPD officers Anthony "Twan" Doyle, and Michael Ricci, Thomas Johnson, Joseph Venezia, and Dennis Johnson are under indictment as of April 25, 2005 in connection with eighteen murders as well as two attempted bombings of the known mob hang outs Tom's Steakhouse in Melrose Park and Horwath's in Elmwood Park stretching back four decades. Another successful bombing still unsolved of the electronic store Polk Brothers in Melrose Park had been added in the indictment, however no evidence exisisted in that case and the states star wittness Nick Calabrese had no knowledge of the incident so the charge has subsequently been dropped.

Two among the indicted have died. Frank "Gumba" Saladino was found dead in a hotel in Hampshire, Illinois. FBI agent Robert Grant said there was no indication of foul play, and he did not believe Saladino, 59, had killed himself. Grant said $25,000 in cash and $70,000 in checks were recovered at the scene. Michael Ricci has also died.

In April 2005, federal indictments for racketeering and murder were brought upon many top mobsters for gangland slayings including Michael Albergo, Dan Seifert, Paul Haggerty, Henry Consentino, John Mendell, Donald Renno, Vincent Moretti, William and Charlotte Dauber, William "Butch" Petrocelli, Michael Cagnoni, Nicholas D'Andrea, Richard D. Ortiz, Arthur Morawski, Emil Vaci, Anthony Spilotro, Michael Spilotro and John Fecarotta [1].

On January 11, 2007, Deputy US Marshal John Thomas Ambrose, 38, a former supervisory inspector of the U.S. Marshals Service's Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, was charged with revealing information concerning the cooperation and travel plans of Nicholas Calabrese, expected to be a key witness in the government's Operation Family Secrets murder conspiracy case, to an associate of reputed outfit boss John DiFronzo. The current operations are said to be controlled now by Sam "Wings" Carlisi's grandson Carlo Capinelli (Carlos B) who spends most of his time in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On September 10, 2007, the federal trial based on Operation Family Secrets concluded in Chicago. On trial were Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo, James Marcello, Frank Calabrese, Sr., Paul "The Indian" Shiro, and former Chicago police officer Anthony Doyle. The men were accused of a racketeering conspiracy which includes 18 counts of murder, many of which have gone unsolved for decades, although many people have speculated for years some hits were carried out by the younger "connected" associates. An anonymous jury heard the case. All men have been found guilty on racketeering conspiracy, bribery, illegal gambling and tax fraud.[2]

On September 21, 2007, a federal jury in Chicago, in a second round of deliberations, found Frank Calabrese, Sr. committed seven murders, James "Little Jimmy" Marcello two murders and Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo one murder. As a result, the men face up to life in prison because the slayings were committed in the course of the racketeering conspiracy. The jury, however, was unable to reach a decision on the one murder attributed to defendant Paul "the Indian" Schiro. [3]

Bosses of the Chicago Outfit

It has been alleged by law enforcement authorities that John "No Nose" DiFronzo, age 77, James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, age 62 and Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo, age 77, run the Outfit in tandem since 2003. Joseph Lombardo was indicted April 26, 2005, absconded, but was arrested January 13, 2006 in Elmwood Park, Chicago. 71-year-old Outfit lieutenant Anthony "Little Tony" Zizzo disappeared en route to a Northside, Rush St. area meeting on August 31, 2006. Zizzo, whose SUV was found abandoned in a Division St., Westside suburban parking lot, had been mislabeled as the Outfit's #2 man or Underboss by the media.

As of late it has been of interest to local law enforcement and the F.B.I. that before his disappearance, top Outfit member, Anthony "Little Tony" Zizzo was seen meeting with a known Outfit member of importance, an 84 year old former suburban pizza parlor owner named Al "The Pizza Man" Tornabene. Tornabene is allegedly a longtime and influential Chicago mafia member who has been declared by recent mafia informers to have presided over a Chicago mafia induction ceremony in 1983 and is a top Outfit leader.

It has been speculated by law enforcement and the media that Tornabene may be the Outfit's "Acting Boss", at the very least if Tony Zizzo, a known Outfit Lieutenant formerly in charge of the Outfit's very lucrative video poker machine rackets reported directly to Al Tornabene or was if Zizzo was the influential gangster's underling then it is most likely Tornabene is not only an Outfit member with great seniority, but possibly a top Boss, at the very least he could be an "Area Boss" who may have taken over the West Side or South Side rackets from the former Area Bosses, Anthony Centracchio and Johnny "Apes" Monteleone who died in 2001.

Al Tornabene had been seen meeting with Tony Zizzo in the N. Rush St. area, a known Outfit territory that has long been under the leadership of top Outfit member, Joe "The Builder" Andriacchi, recently giving rise to speculation that Tornabene is a high level Outfit leader and possibly more than an Area Boss may being that he has been seen in various well known Chicago Outfit territories.

Note

  • This is not official. The Chicago Crime Commission identified John "No Nose" DiFronzo as "Official Boss" in 1997. It is speculated that either, John DiFronzo, James "Little Jimmy" Marcello or Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo may be the current Outfit Boss, but out of these 3 Chicago underworld leaders DiFronzo and Lombardo have carried more seniority and authority in the Outfit than Marcello throughout the years so they are the top candidates for the "Official Boss" position. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has claimed that James Marcello is Boss of the Outfit, but if so Marcello is more than likely the most recent successor in a long line of Chicago Outfit "Front Bosses" or a secretive system of leadership that the Chicago Outfit has quite possibly maintained since the Frank Nitti era.

It is also speculated that the Outfit is led by a triumvirate of John DiFronzo, Joseph Lombardo and Joseph "The Builder" Andriacchi, with James Marcello as front boss, this seems to be a very plausible scenario being that these 3 Outfit leaders hold the most seniority and authority in the Chicago mafia. In recent recordings made by law enforcement concerning the Family Secrets Case Outfit members have identified John DiFronzo as Boss, Marcello as Underboss & Lombardo as Consigliere, allegedly this was instituted in 1999 after the death of top level leader and alleged consigliere, Angelo "The Hook" La Pietra while Marcello was still in prison.

So allegedly in 1999 Jimmy Marcello was named official Underboss or second in command to Boss John DiFronzo, but since the Ricca-Accardo era and possibly even sooner, the Consigliere or #3 position has also held a great deal of authority and power within the Outfit, in actuality the true Boss of the Chicago mafia from the mid 1950's up to the early 1990s was the Consigliere of the organization, Tony Accardo and since 1999 Joey Lombardo has been labeled the official Consigliere and may be the real Boss! All that is known for certain is that the Outfit controls 3 territories divided by the major highways, the territories of "West Side; Dupage County", "South Side; S. of Eisenhower" and "NW Indiana & North Side; Elmwood Park, Lake County", which are overseen by area bosses who control street bosses or Lt.s who run crews of soldiers that control all the street level criminal activities.

Consigliere

The status of Chicago Outfit consigliere has been unique, and unlike other La Cosa Nostra Families in the U.S. Starting with Tony Accardo, who followed the advice of Paul Ricca to lower his profile and appoint Sam Giancana as Boss, the position shifted in importance. While far from being an inadequate Boss, Accardo was a retired or senior member in a way, mainly advising, but with first recommendation and final say on all major business deals, assassinations, and so on, in other words Accardo was the top Boss. Tony Accardo held power, but the limelight was off him and his successors being that Accardo had continued a system of using "Acting" or "Front" Bosses that may have begun with the imprisonment of former Boss Al "Scarface" Capone and the placement of Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti as leaders of the Outfit in 1932 so that law enforcement and media scrutiny would not be directed at the true leaders of the Outfit. The Outfit has had fewer consiglieres than Bosses in regards to the other LCN crime families mostly because of Accardo's long reign in the position, and the inability of the authorities to incarcerate him. The system of secretive leadership that Tony Accardo and his fellow Bosses instituted more than 5 decades ago has apparently been maintained by their successors, including the current Outfit leadership.

  1. Antonio Lombardo (1925-28) (killed)
  2. Charles "Charlie the Gentleman" Fischetti (1929-47, retired, died 1951)
  3. Paul "The Waiter" Ricca (1947-57, died)
  4. Antonino "The Big Tuna" Accardo (1957-92, died)
  5. Joseph "Joey Doves" Aiuppa (1992-97, died)
  6. Angelo "the Hook" LaPietra (1997-99, died)
  7. Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo (1999-Present)
  • sidenote - Paul Ricca was considered a top adviser and co-leader of the Outfit along with Tony Accardo from 1956 until he died in 1972.

Members

Connected

Areas or Territories

Territories controlled by the Outfit are divided by the major highways

  • Westside, Dupage County
  • Southside, S. of Eisenhower, NW Indiana
  • Northside, Elmwood Park, Lake County

Area Bosses (former)

Anthony Centracchio "Tony" - Westside Area Boss from 1990 until he died on August 6, 2001, age 78. a highly feared and respected Outfit enforcer, gambling kingpin and loanshark

John Monteleone "Johnny Apes" - Southside Area Boss from 1994 until he died in January 2001, age 82. A known Outfit enforcer who reigned over his gambling and loansharking rackets with an iron fist.

Joseph Andriacchi "Joe the Builder" - Northside Area Boss since 1992 and currently holds the position. A highly respected Outfit member who is said to have been a top Chicago mafia leader since the early 1990s and now possibly one of the top 3 Bosses, at the very least he is one of the top 5 Chicago Outfit leaders.

  • sidenote - Law enforcement authorities, local and federal have not named the current Westside and Southside Area Bosses .

Current Crew or Street Bosses

  • Westside
  1. Cicero Street Crew Of Gambling/Gill Valerio (56)(1986-1992)Til He Was Indicted on Dec. 16th. 1992 whit Sam(Wings) Carlisi and ( Little) Jimmy Marcello)
  2. Cicero/Melrose Park Crew - Michael "Mickey" Marcello (56) (indicted and jailed April 26, 2005, in family secrets case with brother , Jimmy).
  3. Grand Ave. Crew - Vincent "Jimmy" Cozzo (70)
  • Southside
  1. Chinatown/26th St./Chicago Heights/Southside Crew - Frank "Toots" Caruso Jr. (60)
  • Northside
  1. Rush St./Northside Crew - John "Pudge" Matassa Jr. (55) (known associate of Jimmy Marcello)
  2. Elmwood Park Crew - Rudolph "Rudy" Fratto Jr. (nephew of "Lew Ferrell" or "Cockeyed Lou" Fratto) ( And the Cousin Of Gill Valerio Who Was Part Of Sam Wings Carlisi Street Crew" Gill Valerio Run The Street Crew In Cicero" The Gambling End)

See also

References

  • Binder, John. The Chicago Outfit. Arcadia Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7385-2326-7
  • Russo, Gus. The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America, Bloomsbury USA, 2002.
  • Mark Lombardi: Global Networks. Mark Lombardi, Robert Carleton Hobbs, Judith Richards; Independent Curators, 2003. (published for the travelling exhibition of his work, "Mark Lombardi Global Networks"). ISBN 0-916365-67-0
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