GREAT LUCK GENTLEMEN, TY MEN FOR GIVING US YOUR COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE ON A PART OF HISTORY THAT HAS LEFT A MARK IN THIS COUNTRY AND ABROAD.FOR BRINGING ALL OF US BACK IN TIME TO A PLACE SO LITTLE TRUTH IS KNOWN ABOUT . KEEP DIGGING THOSE BONES OF THRUTH UP
Thank you for your support and for your own collective knowledge. We may describe the roller coaster but you, yourself, rode it. You can provide insight into this like no other.
@@erics7763 You are more than welcome Eric. I've always been a big fan of David Critchley's work on the and I love the deep dive that you guys are doing in those early years of Cosa Nostra in the US. Brilliant stuff guys.
Thanks for the comment of appreciation man. My aim is to understand the mafia phenomenon which was such an important element of the history of our hometown as best as I can.
I love your videos, they are so informative. I don’t know if you guys will ever do a deep dive with Detroit but I’ve always been fascinated by that family. Also, I’m trying to find Nick Calabrese’s testimony online if you can point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it.
So I was a meter reader for CE & Joeys building was my route. When he got home, I actually met him a few times. Back then we marked cards with a pencil I have the card with his name & such. I also got to meet a couple times Roland Libonati! I have his pic, I spoke with him, his wife, and I also still have that meter card. I would love to talk to Tony. I grew up & lived in Berwyn & Cicero I was the manager at a bar in Cicero restaurant back in the day.
Love the channel. Being from Indiana and spending time in the northwest suburbs I am def looking for more info on The outfit. This much detail is awesome. Great content!
Mannheim Road Native here (1960 to 1978), what do you know? FYI, my stepfather grew up in the Little Sicily neighborhood, then the Patch from 1920 on. His "best friends" during that time were mostly 42 Gang members: Jackie Cerone, Milwaukee Phil, Chuckie Nicoletti, "New York Pete" DiPietto, and later the DiFronzo Brothers in Stone Park, Melrose Park, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Northlake area. Would love to talk....
@@Primo109 A member CI stated that as of 1969, Giancana had been demoted to soldier due to being absent from the country and unable to perform his duties as boss; the Family was being administered by Ricca and Accardo, who had stepped out of retirement as acting bosses in order to manage affairs with Chicago’s ruling council (Consiglio) until a new boss could be appointed (Battaglia had previously served as acting boss when Giancana fled the country in ‘65, but then was himself sentenced to prison, of course). From around ‘73-‘75, Aiuppa was the boss (not front boss) and Cerone the underboss (sottocapo). Accardo was identified by confidential informants in the 70s as the “chairman” of the Family’s ruling council but was semi-retired and mainly served to advise the administration in setting policy. Aiuppa was clearly identified as the boss, meaning the formal head and executive.
@@Oneleven1 Cammeratta is a Profaci cousin? Never new that! Makes me think more that Profaci was proactive in Brooklyn when Yale was dusted, through Mineo. Another question: how does Houston fit...lots of Sicilians, maybe others. Lots of questions and theories, I have. Waiting for 20 years for these ancient history lessons on The Big 3 from Italy.
He most certainly is. I- Ange- could never get into Chicago or understand it until he was able to articulate it. We hope to do more shows on Chicago, I have nothing to add but I look forward to listening and asking questions. Glad you enjoyed.
At the FS trial, Nick testified that him and lil Jimmy had a hellnof a time killing Dandrea and how strong he was. I seen his son in court glaring at Marcello
Another great discussion! You guys really hit on the issues I hear most surrounding the Chicago family. Constantly you'll hear online that Al Capone was never a made man, the Outfit wasn't an LCN family, the Outfit never had initiation ceremonies, Sam Giancana was just a "front boss". Upon reading "The Last Mafioso" and Frank Calabrese Jr's book. It really appears like and (would obviously make sense) that the Chicago family was no different than any other Cosa Nostra family at all. Boss, Underboss, Consigliere, Capo's, and Soldier's. I guess my question is did Chicago maybe use their Consigliere a bit differently than other families did? You often read and hear about Accardo being the "real boss" in Chicago because he had the final say and was consulted on all major issues, but we know that Giancana had a seat on the Commission and made decisions for the family. You'll often hear that every Boss in Chicago was just a front for Ricca and Accardo. Roselli mentions how Aiuppa was the Boss, Cerone the underboss and again Accardo the Consigliere, which is a textbook LCN administration. If Accardo WAS the real boss and Aiuppa was just a front, who was Chicago's consigliere?
Thank you! Stay tuned because we'll be covering your exact question on a future episode. We've recently found some great info that sheds light on Chicago's use of the consigliere position.
I had always heard from people that would know that Ricca and Giancana were the Bosses, Accardo would step in from time to time but he was consigliere for 50 years.
There has been a ton of misinformation about Chicago over the years, which has been woven into a whole set of myths that have completely distorted popular perceptions as to the nature of the Chicago “outfit”. These myths are not supported by accounts from insider sources, but have proliferated over the years and become assumed as truths due to a lack of insider information in the past about Chicago. You are correct that Chicago was no different in any meaningful way from other LCN Families. As Eric has already hinted, we’ve been able to identify and analyze insider accounts that shed light on how the role of consiglieri played out in Chicago. The way that the organization was set up and functioned was parallel to how many other LCN Families were organized back in the day (meaning that the way in which the Chicago Family was administered was not at all unique to Chicago), and this is a question that we will definitely be exploring in detail in future episodes, so please stay tuned.
@@Oneleven1 Awesome! Thank you for the response, I'd love to have a whole timeline breakdown of the Chicago administration starting from Al Capone in 1931 until now, this shit gets really confusing the more I research it.
I’m biased of course, but 100%. Also has a hell of a history to it, in terms of Italian immigration and influence in Chicago. Original packaged Chicago-style giardiniera was first marketed by Vincenzo Formusa, one of a number of highly influential businessmen from Tèrmini Imerese, Palermo, who settled around the Grand Ave “Patch”. First Italian elected official in Chicago, going back to the 1890s, was attorney Stefano Malato, also from Tèrmini Imerese and based around Grand Ave (Vincenzo Formusa was also very likely a relative of Chicago member Johnny Formusa, who may have been a captain of the Gary crew after that Family was merged into Chicago and before Tony Pinelli). The neighborhood today also has a tradition of mafia activity now going back around 130 years. Close interactions between Sicilians and Baresi and other mainlanders in that neighborhood (as occurred also on Taylor St and in Chinatown, Melrose Park, and the Chicago Heights area) shaped the local character of how the mafia evolved in context in Chicago. These neighborhood-level dynamics and how Italian/Sicilian immigrants forged new communities and identities had a huge influence on the different local characters of mafia Families in the US, which is why “outfits” like Detroit or Milwaukee looked different in terms of patterns of membership recruitment than those based in places like Chicago, Pittsburgh, or New England.
Great video! I heard there was an infamous crew in Melrose Park directly affiliated with Marco The Mover D’Amico. The Outfit is underrated, thanks for talking about them at length.
@@maximus3160 Do you know when he moved? I only met him a few times, once with Joey D and once with a friend who worked for him at one of their gambling houses.
@@Primo109 Marco grew up on Taylor St and moved to Cicero, I believe, in the early ‘60s. So he was plugged into that crew for the first several decades of his life heavily, hence him being affiliated with old Survivors Club. My impression is that sometime in the 60s-70s his affiliation transferred to Elmwood Park, as I believe that he was an associate direct with Johnny DiFronzo. Allegedly, by the ‘80s Marco was in charge of the Elmwood Park Social Club.
@@Primo109 This is a good example of why “guilt by association” doesn’t always correspond to actual crew affiliation, as over time there were multiple crews operating in Melrose Park and neighboring towns (the Aiuppa/Carlisi crew, the Battaglia/Lombardo crew, the Cerone/Gagliano crew, the Daddono/Amato crew, whatever crew Nicoletti was affiliated with). Guys from different crews socialized with each other and had joint operations and partnerships, and based on this it would be easy for someone from the outside looking in to confuse interaction with formal affiliation. Given the scant member sources for Chicago, however, some of these formal details are still uncertain.
Merry Christmas boys. I don’t know if anybody brought this up but another sleeper was Al “the pizza man” Tornabene… no one knew about him till Nick Calabrese testified.
Yes, which goes to further underscore how in the dark the FBI could be. They also hadn’t realized that Nicky Slim himself was a member, and he was a killer who had participated in a bunch of well-known hits. Tornabene was a very interesting guy, as the Carlisi-Tornabene family I believe came from a long mafia lineage going back to Canicattì, Agrigento, Sicily, as multiple relatives were ranking members in US Families. Al was apparently acting boss in Chicago after Johnny Apes died. His first cousin Sam Carlisi was of course Chicago boss, and Sam’s brother Roy was a powerful capo in the Buffalo Family (he was allegedly made in Chicago under Capone and then transferred to Buffalo). Sam and Roy’s father Giuseppe Carlisi was probably a member also, initially of the Buffalo Family and then transferring to Chicago after he was a suspect in a Buffalo murder; Giuseppe ran a major bootlegging operation in Cicero during Prohibition. Additionally, Al Tornabene’s cousin from his father’s side was “Al Tornabe” (Tornabene), captain in Gambino Family. It was clearly a very heavy family.
I haven’t done any genealogy on Bill Cutolo’s family, so I’m not personally aware of any connection to Raffaele Cutolo. I can tell you, however, that the Nuova Camorra Organizzata was connected to Chicago, as was its rival the “Nuova Famiglia”.
Your right on The two factions, he lead one of these factions. They were cousins from what i understand..... The Camorra is everywhere Europe, South America you name it
See my grand parents grew up in a neighborhood that’s not even there anymore. They were by Bridgeport but a little East. They built the Dan Ryan right where their neighborhood used to be.
Yeah that area of the near Southside had an old Italian colony (mainly Sicilian and Calabrese, with some people from Salerno province also) going back to the 19th century. Most of them moved into the adjoining Chinatown/Bridgeport/Armour Square community. Important area for the old mafia, and the earliest possible potential mafia murder in Chicago took place there on 18th St in the 1870s (linked to a counterfeiting operation under NOLA mafioso Gaetano Russo).
You mentioned that somebody couldn't be made in the Chicago Mafia because he wasn't full blooded Italian, but if I am not mistaken Marcello was half Irish.
It was called "the outfit", wasn't it? Leo "The Mouse" Rugendorf and Francis Leroy Hohimer worked together. Hohimer was a diamond thief. I read his book. Any word on whatever happened to him?
Older sources stated that the Chicago organization was called “the mafia”, “the outfit”, “the family”, “the life”, and a couple of other names. “Outfit” as a euphemism for the mafia wasn’t at all unique to Chicago, however. It has been well documented in use to refer to mafia Families all around the country.
@@johnplaid648 Hohimer was one of thousands of crooks who worked on the periphery of the mob, just better known than most because of his book and the Mike Mann film “Thief”. Hohimer died in 2005 in Fox River Grove.
@@Oneleven1 It was a fascinating book. The movie was not meant to follow the book. I paid $5 for a first print edition and some want $1000 for theirs. I've always wondered what the propane torch was for.
People also need to remember that what drew immigrants from NY to Chicago from 1870’s Great Fire, Chicago was rebuilding for many many years and that drew in workers, especially brick layers, a lot of stone masons/brick layers are Italian/Sicilian and drew them here. Think of all the jobs, the money to be made!!!! Plus a total Open city with a quench for there vices.
Not that I’ve ever heard. Always possible that some guy could’ve been his illegitimate son, and no one would know, of course, but I’ve never heard of it. Do you have a particular name? One of Accardo’s legit sons was at least “involved” to the extent that he ran the Nitti Travel Agency with Nick Nitti, who was never identified as made but was responsible for arranging travel and hotel bookings related to mob activities.
Love your guys content its very detailed and I like when you tell people when your not sure about something. One thing I can’t understand is how booby luisi gets mentioned in the same breath as the others that guy was a literal nobody. He was made by philly in the back of a barbershop and it was a joke. Booby didnt know anything about the life and he shouldnt lie to people
It my understanding that Chicago didn’t have “made men” until the late 70s. They were always known as a “mustache” when referring to a gangster that was in the inner circle aka “made man”
Thanks for your comment. Chicago always had made guys as Chicago was always a mafia Family. There are older accounts that are very clear about this. So far as I’m aware, the “mustache” thing goes back to Frank Cullotta, who was not himself a member. I can’t recall ever seeing an older account from Chicago stating that “mustache” was used; I suspect that Frank’s use reflected the way that associates talked about made guys. Sources from the 60s/70s use terms like “made” guys and “mafia members” when describing Chicago members.
@@Oneleven1 Mustache Pete was always a name for old timers, whether outfit guys or not. The term was still used in the Taylor Street neighborhood before I left in the early 2000's.
@@maximus3160 Sure, in the sense of an old timer, not unique to Chicago either of course. The use in Chicago was recorded by a CI in the 1960s who used mustache to refer to the old time Sicilian mafiosi. But in the sense that Frank Culotta claimed, that made guys in Chicago were specifically called “mustaches”, I’ve never seen any account that used mustache in that particular way. Member and associate CIs referred to members as “made guys” and/or “mafia members” in all of the accounts that I’ve seen.
Aiuppa was the official boss until he died in 97. I truly believe Marcello became official boss at that point according to things Nick told the FBI about when they were cellies together in Pekin. I think Difronzo was captain at one point.but stepped back. I believe Joey Andriacchi was the underboss and Al Tornabene was the consigliere. Talking about in the 90s and early 2000s. Supposedly Solly D claimed to be the acting underboss in the early 90s according to wiseguys that flipped. Think Carlisi was acting boss until December of 92 then Johnny Apes took over.Think Rocky was underboss until 1990 then Jimmy Marcello was Underboss until December of 92 then Andriacchi became Underboss. Think Accardo was consigliere until about a year or so before he died and Al Tornabene became Consigliere also think he was acting Consigliere from time to time before that.
Yeah, I was there in the old neighborhood when Fiore’s Deli was just about to close. Was able to buy a jar of their hot giardinier’ for old time’s sake. Sad and nostalgic. Remember getting their peppers and eggs subs on fridays when I was a kid. Very little left that would ever tell someone today what the real history of that area was.
Nick C. doesn't know shit anyway. What could he write a book about? Information about Chicago between 1931 and 1992 is a black hole. I studied Chicago as thoroughly as I could right up until after the Accardo book. We in Chicago have been arguing over the most basic stuff for years. To this day nobody really knows if giancana was a powerful mob boss who actually made decisions or was he just a loudmouth Street Punk spacone who was being humored by Ricca and Accardo. We are learning more and more as we go through the FBI Files but they are heavily redacted and the information we do get is very scant. I don't think you can underestimate how sophisticated this group in Chicago was or how powerful. I think a lot of the confidential informants at least some of them were planted as part of a disinformation campaign to keep the feds confused. I was reading in Murray Humphries file about an informant who told the Feds that Joey ayupa was a nothing a nobody. He also claimed he could not find out any of the names of the employees who worked on the strip in Cicero. OC recommends this show and I think you guys did a great job. I was hoping that there would be more about the Grand Avenue crew from the time that it was given to Tony Accardo and the time that Joey Lombardo took over. That's like 30 years. Three powerful leaders in the Chicago mob who were there at the beginning were Louie compania Tony capizzio and John Moore. They all died relatively young in the 1950s. If you really want to find out about the Chicago mob you need to look into those three. The Northside insurrection in 1943 when the big guys went to prison is a fascinating story. I'd love to know more about those old timers because my grandfather was Joe batters best friend and lifetime partner in crime. He was mentor to many famous Mobsters in Chicago including Angelo LA Pietra black Joe Amato Jack Cerone and Gus Alex. He along with Tony Accardo and Joey Aiuppa took over the projectionist Union and many other unions during the 1930's. But there just isn't very much credible information about who did what in Chicago so I will be interested to see if you can come up with anything new. Call it a challenge.
We have access to far more info on the history of the Chicago mafia (from the 19th century until today) than what was discussed in this video. This was a sliver and an intro to the topic. We have plenty to say about the questions that you raised here. All in good time, stay tuned. The 1940s internal war within the outfit will definitely get some detailed attention from us as it was a very important series of events. BTW, who was your grandfather?
@@charlesandrews2360 since you mentioned Johnny Moore (aka Claude Maddox) above, I’d assume that your grandfather was close to him as well, given that Moore was close to Joey Aiuppa and Ansani was closely associated with Aiuppa.
@@Oneleven1 Alice was my grandmother's best friend, his daughter, Pat was my mothers best friend, and his son Terry was my Godfather. My grandfather's best friend from childhood was Joe Batters. They came up together under John Moore. My grandmother was very close to Clarice Accardo and Aunt Angie, Joey's wife, was always at my grandparents house. I loved her so much but Joey made me nervous. My grandparents were best man and maid of honor at Joey and Angie's wedding. My grandfather kept a very low profile but he was a hardcore vicious outfit gangster. He ran Cicero with an iron grip. His guys loved him but they knew to avoid him when he was drinking.
The families from Grand Avenue all knew from a young age to keep their mouths shut. No other neighborhood could match their discipline for keeping quiet.
People also need to remember that what drew immigrants from NY to Chicago from 1870’s Great Fire, Chicago was rebuilding for many many years and that drew in workers, especially brick layers, a lot of stone masons/brick layers are Italian/Sicilian and drew them here. Think of all the jobs, the money to be made!!!! Plus a total Open city with a quench for there vices.
Lived in the patch for 45 years. Great episode. I even learned a few things
GREAT LUCK GENTLEMEN, TY MEN FOR GIVING US YOUR COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE ON A PART OF HISTORY THAT HAS LEFT A MARK IN THIS COUNTRY AND ABROAD.FOR BRINGING ALL OF US BACK IN TIME TO A PLACE SO LITTLE TRUTH IS KNOWN ABOUT . KEEP DIGGING THOSE BONES OF THRUTH UP
Thank you for your support, Michael. Appreciated, as always.
Thank you for your support and for your own collective knowledge. We may describe the roller coaster but you, yourself, rode it. You can provide insight into this like no other.
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Love this conversation. Great stuff guys.
me too ! OG SHORTZ IN THE HOUSE :]
Thanks, OC!
@@erics7763 You are more than welcome Eric. I've always been a big fan of David Critchley's work on the and I love the deep dive that you guys are doing in those early years of Cosa Nostra in the US. Brilliant stuff guys.
@@erics7763 Informer is a superb magazine. The Maranzano issue is the most comprehensive account of his life that I have read.
@@OCSHORTZ RICK HELPED HIM WITH THAT BOOK .O.C HOW IS EVERYTHING ,NICE OF YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE GUYS
Spot On Good Stories
Found this watching Mikey Scars, I’m a Chicago native, love how you do you’re research ! Thank you
Thanks for the comment of appreciation man. My aim is to understand the mafia phenomenon which was such an important element of the history of our hometown as best as I can.
@@Oneleven1 ME TOO ! love how you "GUYS' Do you’re research !
The Mob Archeologists i suspect bringing some new "flavor" to mafia history table: (
I love your videos, they are so informative. I don’t know if you guys will ever do a deep dive with Detroit but I’ve always been fascinated by that family. Also, I’m trying to find Nick Calabrese’s testimony online if you can point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it.
Came over after watching Black hand Mafia. Thanks from Bolton Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
Hi, Im here and have subbed on Mikey Scars and his mates suggestion.
The knowledge you guys have is amazing. This channel will blow up big time for sure. Would love to hear some more about the Irish mob
So I was a meter reader for CE & Joeys building was my route. When he got home, I actually met him a few times. Back then we marked cards with a pencil I have the card with his name & such. I also got to meet a couple times Roland Libonati! I have his pic, I spoke with him, his wife, and I also still have that meter card. I would love to talk to Tony. I grew up & lived in Berwyn & Cicero I was the manager at a bar in Cicero restaurant back in the day.
Great channel !
Love the channel. Being from Indiana and spending time in the northwest suburbs I am def looking for more info on The outfit. This much detail is awesome. Great content!
You guys are the best. Keep it up!
Tell ya what when it comes to knowledge on cosa nostra you guys are the real deal fascinating listen thank you very much
Thanks!
Mannheim Road Native here (1960 to 1978), what do you know? FYI, my stepfather grew up in the Little Sicily neighborhood, then the Patch from 1920 on. His "best friends" during that time were mostly 42 Gang members: Jackie Cerone, Milwaukee Phil, Chuckie Nicoletti, "New York Pete" DiPietto, and later the DiFronzo Brothers in Stone Park, Melrose Park, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Northlake area. Would love to talk....
Which “Patch”, Grand Ave or Taylor St? Your pops had quite the set of friends haha.
@@Oneleven1 It was actually Chicago Ave. which would be your Grand Ave. Yes, he was also their bartender at many of the hotels and social clubs too.
@@Oneleven1 After Giancana, I would postulate that Cerone & Aiuppa were "co-front bosses" until they both went to jail in 1986...your thoughts?
@@Primo109 A member CI stated that as of 1969, Giancana had been demoted to soldier due to being absent from the country and unable to perform his duties as boss; the Family was being administered by Ricca and Accardo, who had stepped out of retirement as acting bosses in order to manage affairs with Chicago’s ruling council (Consiglio) until a new boss could be appointed (Battaglia had previously served as acting boss when Giancana fled the country in ‘65, but then was himself sentenced to prison, of course). From around ‘73-‘75, Aiuppa was the boss (not front boss) and Cerone the underboss (sottocapo). Accardo was identified by confidential informants in the 70s as the “chairman” of the Family’s ruling council but was semi-retired and mainly served to advise the administration in setting policy. Aiuppa was clearly identified as the boss, meaning the formal head and executive.
Why is Erics camera view stuck in the 80's?
Great channel and content tho
Too much 80s heavy metal haha. I've since switched to computer, as I was using my phone for these early episodes. Thanks for checking it out!
Chicago Tony is an authority on OC
Thanks for kind words J. I wouldn’t go that far, just lucky enough to have learned some things and met a few people along the way.
@@Oneleven1 Cammeratta is a Profaci cousin? Never new that! Makes me think more that Profaci was proactive in Brooklyn when Yale was dusted, through Mineo. Another question: how does Houston fit...lots of Sicilians, maybe others. Lots of questions and theories, I have. Waiting for 20 years for these ancient history lessons on The Big 3 from Italy.
He most certainly is. I- Ange- could never get into Chicago or understand it until he was able to articulate it. We hope to do more shows on Chicago, I have nothing to add but I look forward to listening and asking questions. Glad you enjoyed.
O.C shortz sent me your way.
At the FS trial, Nick testified that him and lil Jimmy had a hellnof a time killing Dandrea and how strong he was. I seen his son in court glaring at Marcello
Another great discussion!
You guys really hit on the issues I hear most surrounding the Chicago family. Constantly you'll hear online that Al Capone was never a made man, the Outfit wasn't an LCN family, the Outfit never had initiation ceremonies, Sam Giancana was just a "front boss".
Upon reading "The Last Mafioso" and Frank Calabrese Jr's book. It really appears like and (would obviously make sense) that the Chicago family was no different than any other Cosa Nostra family at all. Boss, Underboss, Consigliere, Capo's, and Soldier's.
I guess my question is did Chicago maybe use their Consigliere a bit differently than other families did? You often read and hear about Accardo being the "real boss" in Chicago because he had the final say and was consulted on all major issues, but we know that Giancana had a seat on the Commission and made decisions for the family. You'll often hear that every Boss in Chicago was just a front for Ricca and Accardo. Roselli mentions how Aiuppa was the Boss, Cerone the underboss and again Accardo the Consigliere, which is a textbook LCN administration. If Accardo WAS the real boss and Aiuppa was just a front, who was Chicago's consigliere?
Thank you! Stay tuned because we'll be covering your exact question on a future episode. We've recently found some great info that sheds light on Chicago's use of the consigliere position.
I had always heard from people that would know that Ricca and Giancana were the Bosses, Accardo would step in from time to time but he was consigliere for 50 years.
Accardo tried to retire many many times
There has been a ton of misinformation about Chicago over the years, which has been woven into a whole set of myths that have completely distorted popular perceptions as to the nature of the Chicago “outfit”. These myths are not supported by accounts from insider sources, but have proliferated over the years and become assumed as truths due to a lack of insider information in the past about Chicago. You are correct that Chicago was no different in any meaningful way from other LCN Families. As Eric has already hinted, we’ve been able to identify and analyze insider accounts that shed light on how the role of consiglieri played out in Chicago. The way that the organization was set up and functioned was parallel to how many other LCN Families were organized back in the day (meaning that the way in which the Chicago Family was administered was not at all unique to Chicago), and this is a question that we will definitely be exploring in detail in future episodes, so please stay tuned.
@@Oneleven1 Awesome! Thank you for the response, I'd love to have a whole timeline breakdown of the Chicago administration starting from Al Capone in 1931 until now, this shit gets really confusing the more I research it.
love the channel! did you record the video on 90a equipment?😛
One of the best neighborhoods in the city!
I’m biased of course, but 100%. Also has a hell of a history to it, in terms of Italian immigration and influence in Chicago. Original packaged Chicago-style giardiniera was first marketed by Vincenzo Formusa, one of a number of highly influential businessmen from Tèrmini Imerese, Palermo, who settled around the Grand Ave “Patch”. First Italian elected official in Chicago, going back to the 1890s, was attorney Stefano Malato, also from Tèrmini Imerese and based around Grand Ave (Vincenzo Formusa was also very likely a relative of Chicago member Johnny Formusa, who may have been a captain of the Gary crew after that Family was merged into Chicago and before Tony Pinelli). The neighborhood today also has a tradition of mafia activity now going back around 130 years. Close interactions between Sicilians and Baresi and other mainlanders in that neighborhood (as occurred also on Taylor St and in Chinatown, Melrose Park, and the Chicago Heights area) shaped the local character of how the mafia evolved in context in Chicago. These neighborhood-level dynamics and how Italian/Sicilian immigrants forged new communities and identities had a huge influence on the different local characters of mafia Families in the US, which is why “outfits” like Detroit or Milwaukee looked different in terms of patterns of membership recruitment than those based in places like Chicago, Pittsburgh, or New England.
Great video! I heard there was an infamous crew in Melrose Park directly affiliated with Marco The Mover D’Amico. The Outfit is underrated, thanks for talking about them at length.
Marco, the DiFronzo brothers, Eboli, Cimino, Tornabene, etc...all ran together in Melrose, Elmwood, Stone Park, Franklin Park & Schiller Park areas.
@@Primo109 Marco was originally a Cicero guy. He didn't move to EP until later on.
@@maximus3160 Do you know when he moved? I only met him a few times, once with Joey D and once with a friend who worked for him at one of their gambling houses.
@@Primo109 Marco grew up on Taylor St and moved to Cicero, I believe, in the early ‘60s. So he was plugged into that crew for the first several decades of his life heavily, hence him being affiliated with old Survivors Club. My impression is that sometime in the 60s-70s his affiliation transferred to Elmwood Park, as I believe that he was an associate direct with Johnny DiFronzo. Allegedly, by the ‘80s Marco was in charge of the Elmwood Park Social Club.
@@Primo109 This is a good example of why “guilt by association” doesn’t always correspond to actual crew affiliation, as over time there were multiple crews operating in Melrose Park and neighboring towns (the Aiuppa/Carlisi crew, the Battaglia/Lombardo crew, the Cerone/Gagliano crew, the Daddono/Amato crew, whatever crew Nicoletti was affiliated with). Guys from different crews socialized with each other and had joint operations and partnerships, and based on this it would be easy for someone from the outside looking in to confuse interaction with formal affiliation. Given the scant member sources for Chicago, however, some of these formal details are still uncertain.
The story about the Milwaukee outfit not understanding the phrase 'cosa nostra' was hilarious!! "I don't get it" LOL i never knew that.
RJ and Michael sent me.
Merry Christmas boys. I don’t know if anybody brought this up but another sleeper was Al “the pizza man” Tornabene… no one knew about him till Nick Calabrese testified.
Yes, which goes to further underscore how in the dark the FBI could be. They also hadn’t realized that Nicky Slim himself was a member, and he was a killer who had participated in a bunch of well-known hits. Tornabene was a very interesting guy, as the Carlisi-Tornabene family I believe came from a long mafia lineage going back to Canicattì, Agrigento, Sicily, as multiple relatives were ranking members in US Families. Al was apparently acting boss in Chicago after Johnny Apes died. His first cousin Sam Carlisi was of course Chicago boss, and Sam’s brother Roy was a powerful capo in the Buffalo Family (he was allegedly made in Chicago under Capone and then transferred to Buffalo). Sam and Roy’s father Giuseppe Carlisi was probably a member also, initially of the Buffalo Family and then transferring to Chicago after he was a suspect in a Buffalo murder; Giuseppe ran a major bootlegging operation in Cicero during Prohibition. Additionally, Al Tornabene’s cousin from his father’s side was “Al Tornabe” (Tornabene), captain in Gambino Family. It was clearly a very heavy family.
Good stuff. Looking forward to hearing more.
Camorra boss Raffaele Cutolo was related to Colombo capo Bill "Wild Bill" Cutolo, born in Italy....
I haven’t done any genealogy on Bill Cutolo’s family, so I’m not personally aware of any connection to Raffaele Cutolo. I can tell you, however, that the Nuova Camorra Organizzata was connected to Chicago, as was its rival the “Nuova Famiglia”.
Your right on The two factions, he lead one of these factions. They were cousins from what i understand.....
The Camorra is everywhere Europe, South America you name it
worth pointing out given the discussion social club is still there and in use.
You mean the Huron SAC? Yeah, that’s what I’m told.
Guys, what do you guys know about the upstate, western PA, Pittston family? Emanuel, guv, and Rus?
My uncle was with Rus.
We will have discussions regarding the Pittston Family, stay tuned.
See my grand parents grew up in a neighborhood that’s not even there anymore. They were by Bridgeport but a little East. They built the Dan Ryan right where their neighborhood used to be.
Yeah that area of the near Southside had an old Italian colony (mainly Sicilian and Calabrese, with some people from Salerno province also) going back to the 19th century. Most of them moved into the adjoining Chinatown/Bridgeport/Armour Square community. Important area for the old mafia, and the earliest possible potential mafia murder in Chicago took place there on 18th St in the 1870s (linked to a counterfeiting operation under NOLA mafioso Gaetano Russo).
@@Oneleven1om o
@@kaitjetoch Did you have a question here?
A lot the Italian neighborhood based around Taylor Street unfortunately got uprooted when UIC started buying all the property around there.
That was old man Daley waging war against the Taylor Street Crew that had made his life heII for almost 30 years lol
You mentioned that somebody couldn't be made in the Chicago Mafia because he wasn't full blooded Italian, but if I am not mistaken Marcello was half Irish.
Lmao did you not watch the show….? What even is this comment hahaha
MIKEY SCARS SENT ME !😁
It was called "the outfit", wasn't it? Leo "The Mouse" Rugendorf and Francis Leroy Hohimer worked together. Hohimer was a diamond thief. I read his book. Any word on whatever happened to him?
Older sources stated that the Chicago organization was called “the mafia”, “the outfit”, “the family”, “the life”, and a couple of other names. “Outfit” as a euphemism for the mafia wasn’t at all unique to Chicago, however. It has been well documented in use to refer to mafia Families all around the country.
@@Oneleven1 "The life" was also used by high priced call girls to name their occupation. But what about Frank Hohimer?
@@johnplaid648 Hohimer was one of thousands of crooks who worked on the periphery of the mob, just better known than most because of his book and the Mike Mann film “Thief”. Hohimer died in 2005 in Fox River Grove.
@@Oneleven1 It was a fascinating book. The movie was not meant to follow the book. I paid $5 for a first print edition and some want $1000 for theirs. I've always wondered what the propane torch was for.
People also need to remember that what drew immigrants from NY to Chicago from 1870’s Great Fire, Chicago was rebuilding for many many years and that drew in workers, especially brick layers, a lot of stone masons/brick layers are Italian/Sicilian and drew them here. Think of all the jobs, the money to be made!!!! Plus a total
Open city with a quench for there vices.
Did Tony Accardo have a love child a son who was a member?
Chicago Tony would know for sure but I've never heard of one.
Not that I’ve ever heard. Always possible that some guy could’ve been his illegitimate son, and no one would know, of course, but I’ve never heard of it. Do you have a particular name? One of Accardo’s legit sons was at least “involved” to the extent that he ran the Nitti Travel Agency with Nick Nitti, who was never identified as made but was responsible for arranging travel and hotel bookings related to mob activities.
Love your guys content its very detailed and I like when you tell people when your not sure about something. One thing I can’t understand is how booby luisi gets mentioned in the same breath as the others that guy was a literal nobody. He was made by philly in the back of a barbershop and it was a joke. Booby didnt know anything about the life and he shouldnt lie to people
Archeologists? The guy in the hat found that camera from 1891.
They're both wearing hats...
The first ward.....and the bar in the business district
It my understanding that Chicago didn’t have “made men” until the late 70s. They were always known as a “mustache” when referring to a gangster that was in the inner circle aka “made man”
Thanks for your comment. Chicago always had made guys as Chicago was always a mafia Family. There are older accounts that are very clear about this. So far as I’m aware, the “mustache” thing goes back to Frank Cullotta, who was not himself a member. I can’t recall ever seeing an older account from Chicago stating that “mustache” was used; I suspect that Frank’s use reflected the way that associates talked about made guys. Sources from the 60s/70s use terms like “made” guys and “mafia members” when describing Chicago members.
@@Oneleven1 Mustache Pete was always a name for old timers, whether outfit guys or not. The term was still used in the Taylor Street neighborhood before I left in the early 2000's.
@@maximus3160 Sure, in the sense of an old timer, not unique to Chicago either of course. The use in Chicago was recorded by a CI in the 1960s who used mustache to refer to the old time Sicilian mafiosi. But in the sense that Frank Culotta claimed, that made guys in Chicago were specifically called “mustaches”, I’ve never seen any account that used mustache in that particular way. Member and associate CIs referred to members as “made guys” and/or “mafia members” in all of the accounts that I’ve seen.
Aiuppa was the official boss until he died in 97. I truly believe Marcello became official boss at that point according to things Nick told the FBI about when they were cellies together in Pekin. I think Difronzo was captain at one point.but stepped back. I believe Joey Andriacchi was the underboss and Al Tornabene was the consigliere. Talking about in the 90s and early 2000s.
Supposedly Solly D claimed to be the acting underboss in the early 90s according to wiseguys that flipped.
Think Carlisi was acting boss until December of 92 then Johnny Apes took over.Think Rocky was underboss until 1990 then Jimmy Marcello was Underboss until December of 92 then Andriacchi became Underboss. Think Accardo was consigliere until about a year or so before he died and Al Tornabene became Consigliere also think he was acting Consigliere from time to time before that.
D’Andria Const still around.
Bruna's Ristorante 1933
Lucca Italy 🇮🇹
Fiore store closed
Yeah, I was there in the old neighborhood when Fiore’s Deli was just about to close. Was able to buy a jar of their hot giardinier’ for old time’s sake. Sad and nostalgic. Remember getting their peppers and eggs subs on fridays when I was a kid. Very little left that would ever tell someone today what the real history of that area was.
@@Oneleven1the pepper and eggs was a favorite of mine
@@Oneleven1 Where?
Nick C. doesn't know shit anyway. What could he write a book about?
Information about Chicago between 1931 and 1992 is a black hole. I studied Chicago as thoroughly as I could right up until after the Accardo book.
We in Chicago have been arguing over the most basic stuff for years. To this day nobody really knows if giancana was a powerful mob boss who actually made decisions or was he just a loudmouth Street Punk spacone who was being humored by Ricca and Accardo.
We are learning more and more as we go through the FBI Files but they are heavily redacted and the information we do get is very scant.
I don't think you can underestimate how sophisticated this group in Chicago was or how powerful. I think a lot of the confidential informants at least some of them were planted as part of a disinformation campaign to keep the feds confused. I was reading in Murray Humphries file about an informant who told the Feds that Joey ayupa was a nothing a nobody. He also claimed he could not find out any of the names of the employees who worked on the strip in Cicero.
OC recommends this show and I think you guys did a great job. I was hoping that there would be more about the Grand Avenue crew from the time that it was given to Tony Accardo and the time that Joey Lombardo took over. That's like 30 years. Three powerful leaders in the Chicago mob who were there at the beginning were Louie compania Tony capizzio and John Moore. They all died relatively young in the 1950s. If you really want to find out about the Chicago mob you need to look into those three.
The Northside insurrection in 1943 when the big guys went to prison is a fascinating story.
I'd love to know more about those old timers because my grandfather was Joe batters best friend and lifetime partner in crime. He was mentor to many famous Mobsters in Chicago including Angelo LA Pietra black Joe Amato Jack Cerone and Gus Alex. He along with Tony Accardo and Joey Aiuppa took over the projectionist Union and many other unions during the 1930's.
But there just isn't very much credible information about who did what in Chicago so I will be interested to see if you can come up with anything new.
Call it a challenge.
We have access to far more info on the history of the Chicago mafia (from the 19th century until today) than what was discussed in this video. This was a sliver and an intro to the topic. We have plenty to say about the questions that you raised here. All in good time, stay tuned. The 1940s internal war within the outfit will definitely get some detailed attention from us as it was a very important series of events.
BTW, who was your grandfather?
@@Oneleven1
Bobby Ansani. He died in 68. He was hardcore keep yer mouth shut never help police keep a low profile.
@@charlesandrews2360 since you mentioned Johnny Moore (aka Claude Maddox) above, I’d assume that your grandfather was close to him as well, given that Moore was close to Joey Aiuppa and Ansani was closely associated with Aiuppa.
@@Oneleven1 Alice was my grandmother's best friend, his daughter, Pat was my mothers best friend, and his son Terry was my Godfather.
My grandfather's best friend from childhood was Joe Batters. They came up together under John Moore.
My grandmother was very close to Clarice Accardo and Aunt Angie, Joey's wife, was always at my grandparents house. I loved her so much but Joey made me nervous.
My grandparents were best man and maid of honor at Joey and Angie's wedding.
My grandfather kept a very low profile but he was a hardcore vicious outfit gangster. He ran Cicero with an iron grip.
His guys loved him but they knew to avoid him when he was drinking.
The families from Grand Avenue all knew from a young age to keep their mouths shut. No other neighborhood could match their discipline for keeping quiet.
People also need to remember that what drew immigrants from NY to Chicago from 1870’s Great Fire, Chicago was rebuilding for many many years and that drew in workers, especially brick layers, a lot of stone masons/brick layers are Italian/Sicilian and drew them here. Think of all the jobs, the money to be made!!!! Plus a total
Open city with a quench for there vices.