THE BLACK HAND FORUM

by **funkster** » Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:24 am

I will also say Willie's temper was pretty legendary and supposedly Cerone had to regularly keep him from slapping people around.

by **Confederate** » Fri Jun 12, 2020 2:33 pm

funkster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2020 6:04 am
Villain wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:51 am
PolackTony wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:28 pm
Frank wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:08 pm Another thing I find interesting is his mention again of Willie Messino as co underboss.
Yes this jumped out at me as significant as well, as I hadn't heard this before and I'm not aware of another example of this type of arrangement in the Outfit. I was hoping to see some commentary about this as well.

And regarding Messino, I have no idea where Fosco got his info about DiFronzo as a CI here. But he does claim to have had a close relationship to Willie and I see no reason to doubt him on that.
When Messino got out of jail, he was reported as being next to Cerone who in turn was the underboss, sometimes as his driver and constant companion, and sometimes as his advisor or something like that...
This is accurate. I know a lady who grew up in the neighborhood and worked at a business Cerone frequented, Willie drove him and was with him constantly.

Correct. According to addresses given in the book "Captive City", Cerone & Messino lived on the same street. Seems like he was Cerone's bodyguard in the same way Blasi was for Giancana.

by **funkster** » Fri Jun 12, 2020 6:04 am

Villain wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:51 am
PolackTony wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:28 pm
Frank wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:08 pm Another thing I find interesting is his mention again of Willie Messino as co underboss.
Yes this jumped out at me as significant as well, as I hadn't heard this before and I'm not aware of another example of this type of arrangement in the Outfit. I was hoping to see some commentary about this as well.

And regarding Messino, I have no idea where Fosco got his info about DiFronzo as a CI here. But he does claim to have had a close relationship to Willie and I see no reason to doubt him on that.
When Messino got out of jail, he was reported as being next to Cerone who in turn was the underboss, sometimes as his driver and constant companion, and sometimes as his advisor or something like that...

This is accurate. I know a lady who grew up in the neighborhood and worked at a business Cerone frequented, Willie drove him and was with him constantly.

by **Villain** » Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:51 am

PolackTony wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:28 pm
Frank wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:08 pm Another thing I find interesting is his mention again of Willie Messino as co underboss.
Yes this jumped out at me as significant as well, as I hadn't heard this before and I'm not aware of another example of this type of arrangement in the Outfit. I was hoping to see some commentary about this as well.

And regarding Messino, I have no idea where Fosco got his info about DiFronzo as a CI here. But he does claim to have had a close relationship to Willie and I see no reason to doubt him on that.

When Messino got out of jail, he was reported as being next to Cerone who in turn was the underboss, sometimes as his driver and constant companion, and sometimes as his advisor or something like that...

by **PolackTony** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:28 pm

Frank wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:08 pm Another thing I find interesting is his mention again of Willie Messino as co underboss.

Yes this jumped out at me as significant as well, as I hadn't heard this before and I'm not aware of another example of this type of arrangement in the Outfit. I was hoping to see some commentary about this as well.

And regarding Messino, I have no idea where Fosco got his info about DiFronzo as a CI here. But he does claim to have had a close relationship to Willie and I see no reason to doubt him on that.

by **funkster** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 2:30 pm

The CI part sounds like pure speculation, possible, but hardly definitive. I'd say the relationship with Carlisi and his people might be more grounded in fact.

by **Frank** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 2:29 pm

Tonyd621 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:51 pm And that photo. Standing behind a man in his 80s with deteriorating mental capacity--as noted in news articles when he passed away in a restaurant you know he eats at regularly with a smartphone is not exactley the most credible photo. A photo that had to be developed the old way or at a family gathering or non public atmosphere would be better imo.

I give some credibility to Fosco, because, though not a member of the Outfit himself, his dad was. It appears he is or was close to some made members and their family members.

by **Tonyd621** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:51 pm

And that photo. Standing behind a man in his 80s with deteriorating mental capacity--as noted in news articles when he passed away in a restaurant you know he eats at regularly with a smartphone is not exactley the most credible photo. A photo that had to be developed the old way or at a family gathering or non public atmosphere would be better imo.

by **Frank** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:08 pm

PolackTony wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:42 pm
Frank wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:31 pm Who gave Fosco this info?
My first thought would be Mikey Mags. I understand that Fosco was close to Willie Messino and Romie Nappi, among others. So who knows?

Another thing I find interesting is his mention again of Willie Messino as co underboss. So you think DiFronzo let Mags and or Messino know he was a CI. I just can't believe that. DiFronzo would have to keep that absolutely quiet

by **PolackTony** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:42 pm

Frank wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:31 pm Who gave Fosco this info?

My first thought would be Mikey Mags. I understand that Fosco was close to Willie Messino and Romie Nappi, among others. So who knows?

by **Frank** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:31 pm

Who gave Fosco this info? It fits a nice little story based on historical facts, but might not be true at all.

by **Frank** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:26 pm

Its interesting. Wbo knows if its accurate.But its something to keep aware of.

by **Tonyd621** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:47 am

Fosco says Difronzos brother encouraged him to flip... and also he thought he could of made more money legally. So hes got a big ego. But why wouldnt the brother just flip himself...why would he encourage John to do it?
Becoming a CI is a selfish move. Why would you want someone else to do it?

by **PolackTony** » Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:19 am

https://www.americannewspost.com/joseph ... endum-two/

I'd like to see what people think of Fosco's latest post. He contends here that tensions between Carlisi and Difronzo, which had been building up since Difronzo was appointed underboss in 86, reached a breaking point around Joe Difronzo's involvement in the marijuana operation and that DiFronzo received immunity as a CI in return for helping to put Carlisi and Marcello away.

by B. » Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:47 pm

B. wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 11:59 pm I've seen reports that show someone very close to Ferriola's Taylor street crew was cooperating by 1980. He had in-depth knowledge of that crew and the general layout of the Chicago family. Are there any known Taylor street informants who were cooperating by 1980?

I suspect it may have been Jimmy Basile, who became a CW later in the 1980s, as he was with that crew and their knowledge overlaps. Given he became a CW later, it wouldn't be surprising if he was a CI earlier.

Thanks to Snakes -- it looks like this was Richard Mara.

THE BLACK HAND FORUM

John DiFronzo was a CI?

Post a reply

Expand view Topic review: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?

Re: John DiFronzo was a CI?