THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Who was Frank Balistrieri, Milwaukee's reputed organized crime boss?
Portrait of Mary Spicuzza Mary Spicuzza
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel







Organized crime in Milwaukee isn't as well-known as the Outfit in Chicago or the Mafia in New York. But under the leadership of Frank P. Balistrieri, it was reputed to be no less ruthless.

Although Balistrieri was suspected by law enforcement of ordering a string of murders in and around Milwaukee, none were ever solved. One of them was the 1978 car bombing death of my cousin, August Palmisano.

My podcast, “My Cousin Augie,” chronicles my journey to find out who killed my cousin, and why. The third episode — available on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts — delves into who Balistrieri was and what their relationship was like.

Here's what I learned.


Who was Frank Balistrieri?

Balistrieri was the reputed boss of organized crime in Milwaukee dating from the early 1960s until his death in 1993.

Born in 1918, he graduated from Marquette University and briefly attended law school there before becoming a leader in organized crime.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had files on him dating back to at least the 1950s.

"Informants advise Balistrieri is considered to be one of the leaders in the Italian American 'syndicate' in Milwaukee and to have strong connections with the Chicago and Kansas City syndicates," one 1958 FBI report read.

And a 1960 FBI memo said, "Balistrieri has been described as a lieutenant of what in some circles is known as the 'Italian organization' in Milwaukee, which group is said to coordinate criminal work in Milwaukee and arranges for its members to be available for criminal undertakings in any place in the country."

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How did Balistrieri become Milwaukee's crime boss?

Balistrieri married the previous boss' daughter.

But even his father-in-law, John Alioto, reportedly raised concerns about the way Balistrieri was running things in Milwaukee, according to "The Balistrieri Tapes" series by Mary Zahn and Bill Janz, which was first published in the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1988.

The stories were reported based on tapes that the FBI had secretly recorded. In one such tape, Balistrieri shouted at Alioto, who was pleading for him not to kill at least two men.

"L'amazzari,” Balistrieri said in Sicilian, meaning, "l got to kill them."

"I don't know why you're so anxious for blood," Alioto said.

The recording ended without a resolution.

One of the men they were arguing about, August Maniaci, was later murdered in the alley behind his home in Milwaukee.

What businesses was Balistrieri involved in?

Throughout his career, Balistrieri had a wide range of legal and illegal business interests: nightclubs, restaurants, strip clubs, vending machines and gambling.

Many of those businesses are gone today, although the Shorecrest Hotel on Prospect Avenue, which was owned by Balistrieri's family, still exists. Balistrieri frequently conducted business from a table at Snug’s, a restaurant on the ground floor.

Was Frank Balistrieri ever convicted of murder?

No.

Balistrieri was linked to a string of unsolved murders and attempted homicides in southeastern Wisconsin stretching from the 1950s to the 1980s. That included the murders of strip club owner Isadore (Izzy) Pogrob in 1960, jukebox distributor Anthony Biernat in 1963, restaurant owner Louis Fazio in 1972, August Maniaci in 1975, as well as my cousin August "Augie" Palmisano in 1978.

But he was never charged, much less convicted, in those killings.


Was Balistrieri convicted of any crimes at all?

Yes, several times.

Balistrieri was convicted of tax evasion in 1967.

But that case was almost derailed when Balistrieri found a microphone hidden behind wood paneling in his office and a wire connected to it stretching from his building to a telephone pole. It turned out to be an illegal wiretap planted by the FBI.

After proving the wiretap had "no effect or influence" on the tax case, then-prosecutor Franklyn Gimbel ended up winning, and Balistrieri was sentenced to two years in prison.

Then in the 1980s, Balistrieri was convicted on gambling and extortion charges in a pair of cases that The Milwaukee Journal once dubbed the "World Series of Trials."

Then-federal prosecutor John Franke, who served on the Organized Crime Strike Force for the U.S. Department of Justice, was the lead prosecutor in the pair of six-week trials, held in 1983 and 1984.

The cases were made possible by years of work, including an FBI investigation that brought agent Joe Pistone to Milwaukee while he was working undercover as "Donnie Brasco."

What was Balistrieri's role in the scheme to skim millions from Las Vegas casinos?

Balistrieri is considered a key figure in what's known as the "skim."

Many may be familiar with the story from the 1995 movie "Casino," but few people know about Balistrieri's real-life involvement, since it was cut from the film.

The scheme involved Balistrieri using his connections at the Teamsters Union pension fund to arrange a hefty loan for a Las Vegas businessman to buy several casinos. Balistrieri and other crime bosses were eventually charged and convicted of maintaining hidden control of the company to skim money from the casinos.

In secretly recorded FBI tapes, Balistrieri often referred to these payments as his "transfusion."


What did Balistrieri say about Augie Palmisano?

In July 1978, shortly after my cousin was blown up by a car bomb in downtown Milwaukee, undercover FBI agent Gail Cobb was summoned by Balistrieri to a meeting at the Shorecrest Hotel. There, Cobb said, Balistrieri began talking about Palmisano.


“He was arrogant. He called me a name to my face," Balistrieri reportedly said. "Now they can’t find his skin.”

Cobb wasn't wearing a wire, so the exchange wasn't recorded. But he testified to it later during a federal trial.

It remains one of the most famous, and chilling, quotes ever attributed to Balistrieri.


Mary Spicuzza is an investigative reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at mary.spicuzza@jrn.com.

Patrickgold wrote: ↑Mon Apr 08, 2024 3:27 pm
There also a podcast about the Chicago board of trade corruption called BROKERS, BAGMEN, & MOLES. It mentions organized crime ties

Is this the one with the guy who worked with Tony Borse's kid? I think he might even have been on it?

I mentioned before, there is a pretty critically acclaimed podcast series from last year about the Caruso beating incident. They mention that the mafia runs deep in the family and that Skids was a heavyweight, but they avoid any direct mention of Toots's clout, guessing for legal purposes. They play a great clip ive never heard of 18 year old Frank yelling at newscaster to "get that fuckin camera outta my face before i break it ya goof." lol

This looks interesting. It looks like John Balistrieri is doing a documentary or podcast titled “Life Sentences”.

https://youtu.be/7MYp90o4Tls?si=df1VMh2oXlu3dz0y

I also see that Kurt Calabrese also did the same type of podcast/documentary. Check out the below link.

https://www.entropymedia.art/shows

There also a podcast about the Chicago board of trade corruption called BROKERS, BAGMEN, & MOLES. It mentions organized crime ties

How FBI agent Joe Pistone, undercover as Donnie Brasco, helped infiltrate the Milwaukee Mafia

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter Mary Spicuzza interviews former FBI undercover agent Joe Pistone, also known as Donnie Brasco, about his work in Milwaukee.

Mary Spicuzza
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Organized crime in Milwaukee has never been as infamous as the Chicago Outfit or the New York Mafia. But reputed Milwaukee crime boss Frank Balistrieri was notorious enough by the late 1970s that renowned undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone came here to help investigate.

Pistone was later portrayed by Johnny Depp in “Donnie Brasco,” a 1997 movie that also starred Al Pacino as New York crime family member Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero.

When I started doing research for my investigation into my cousin's 1978 car bombing murder, widely believed to have been ordered by Balistrieri, a coworker mentioned Pistone wrote about Milwaukee in his book that inspired the film.

As soon as I read it, I knew I needed to talk to Pistone. I wasn’t sure of the best way to approach him — especially since the Mafia put out a $500,000 contract on him in the early 1980s — but reached him through the producer for his podcast, “Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco.”

We spoke at length about his time in Milwaukee. Below are excerpts of that conversation, edited for length and clarity.


A marriage between two crime families

Pistone's work in Milwaukee included vouching for another undercover FBI agent, Gail "Ty" Cobb, who was trying to infiltrate the Balistrieri crime family by posing as a vending machine businessman named Tony Conte. Pistone visited Milwaukee several times in 1978 to try to "form a marriage" between the Balistrieri and Bonanno crime families.

Spicuzza: Do you remember what Frank Balistrieri's reputation was like back then?

Pistone: Frank Balistrieri was the head of a Mafia family in Milwaukee, which was aligned and associated with the Mafia families out of Chicago (the Outfit). And he was also a very well known Mafia boss throughout the United States.

He had some college education. But he was still a ruthless individual, according to my Mafia contacts that I was associated with in the Bonanno crime family.

He actually controlled everything that happened, both illegally and a lot of times legally.

Spicuzza: What do you remember about him from your meetings or your dealings with him?

Pistone: He was a little short, pudgy guy. Very dapper looking. Every time I saw him he was in a suit — dressed in a suit and very well-spoken. And you could see that when he made a point, none of the people that were with him disputed whatever he said. I mean, what he said was a rule of law.

After (one) meeting at Snug's, at the restaurant, he invited us to his house for dinner the next night. If you know anything about the Mafia, you don't go to a boss's house for dinner. I mean, not in New York, anyway. And he actually picked us up at our hotel, which was also crazy, for us being New York mob guys.

Life undercover

As Pistone developed ties with Balistrieri and his associates, he went through both stressful and humorous moments. That included close calls with getting found out, and the antics of "Lefty" Ruggiero, who at one point confused Lake Michigan with the ocean.

Spicuzza: Lefty wanted to take a speedboat from New York to Milwaukee?

Pistone: Yeah. Ty was showing us around Milwaukee and we're driving along the lake, and he says, "That's one of the Great Lakes." And Lefty looks out and he says, "It's not a lake. That's the ocean." There were freighters out there, and he said, "You see that big ship out there? That ship couldn't float on a lake. It's got to be the ocean."

Yeah, OK, Lefty. The ocean where? The middle of the United States?

There were some other good (stories). Another one was, Ty was one of the best undercovers I ever worked with. I mean, he was good. But we're in a car one day. It might have been the same time. And he was driving and Lefty was riding shotgun, and I'm in the back. And Ty must have had a brain freeze because he keeps calling me Joe. He'd say, "Isn't that right, Joe?"

An undated FBI surveillance photo shows Joe Pistone undercover as Donnie Brasco.
Lefty finally says, "Tony, who the F is Joe? There's me, you and Donnie in this car. Who the F is Joe?"

So without missing a beat, Ty says, "That's the new thing here in Milwaukee: everybody's Joe. Every place you go, you call somebody, you call them Joe." So all night we go to a restaurant and Ty is calling a bartender Joe, is calling a waiter Joe, is calling a waitress Joe.

You know, there were some comical moments during the six years.

Spicuzza: Do you remember the reaction when my cousin, Augie Palmisano, was car bombed?

Pistone: Ty had a remote starter put on his car. And at one of the meetings we had with (Frank) Balistrieri, we're talking about snitches, and he said, “Yeah, you can tell all the snitches because they have remote starters on their car.”

And here Tony Conte, the undercover, had a remote starter on his car. So that kind of, you know, shook him up a little bit.

Spicuzza: Did you often not know who was an informant when you were undercover?

Pistone: No, I did not. I didn't want to know who an informant was, or if the FBI had added any informants in any of the groups. I said, "Look, if you do have informants, don't tell them that there's an undercover FBI agent there. I don't want to know who the informant is." Because it's human nature. You're going to act different if you know that somebody is on your side, so to speak.

Frozen out

In late 1978, Balistrieri froze out Cobb, reportedly after discovering he was an undercover agent. It led to the end of Pistone's time in Milwaukee, but by then, the two had already collected extensive information that was later used in federal gambling and extortion cases against Balistrieri and his associates.

Spicuzza: How do you think they could have found out that Tony Conte, or Ty Cobb, was an undercover agent?

Pistone: Well, there had to be a leak somewhere. Where, we don't know. But Ty had been a cop in a town outside of Milwaukee at one point in time. And I'm sure that they checked what individuals knew regarding Ty. And I think that's probably how they found out. There had to be a leak somewhere.

Spicuzza: If Balistrieri had found out Ty was an undercover agent, why do you think he didn't tell the Bonannos or the other crime families?

Pistone: I don't know. I'll be honest with you. I mean, I don't know. It's the craziest thing that they never they never blew the whistle.

We tried to figure it out. I tried to figure it out. I don't know that they thought that he was an FBI agent or just an undercover cop. I don't know. But the reason they never told New York or Chicago is beyond me. I mean, it doesn't make any sense.

Going to trial

Pistone's work in Milwaukee helped federal prosecutors eventually convict Balistrieri of gambling, extortion and conspiracy during a series of trials in the 1980s. Pistone and Cobb were among those who testified in Milwaukee.

Spicuzza: I think it was in Milwaukee where Frank Balistrieri’s attorney was asking you questions about where your family lived.

Pistone: Oh, definitely. His line of questioning started about where I resided, et cetera. And I told him I’m not going to answer, it has no relevance to my investigation.

The judge ordered me to answer, and I told the judge, “Your Honor, I'm not answering. I'm not answering where I reside, where my family resides." He said, "Well, I'll hold you in contempt of court." I said, "Do what do you have to do."

And then finally, the prosecutor (John Franke) called the side conference in and advised the judge that there was a $500,000 contract out of me at the time. So the judge told him, "Just move on. We don't need to answer that question."

(At another point in the trial)

Pistone: It was late into the afternoon. And my voice was going, and I didn't have any water by the witness stand … so (the defense attorney) poured a glass of water from his table, from the defense table, and brings it to me. So I take the glass and I look at it and I say, "You take a sip first."

So he did. He took it, took a sip. And I said, "OK, now I'll have a drink of it."

The jury, everybody, even the judge laughed.

Life after the trials

In addition to the Balistrieri trials, Pistone testified at a number of other trials around the country involving organized crime figures. He still does not disclose where he and his family live.

Spicuzza: Have you noticed in your work a kind of the glorification of the Mafia and misunderstanding of what they're really like?

Pistone: Back in their heyday, yeah, they were glorified. If they knew that you were even associated with the Mafia, you were treated like royalty. And of course, if you had an Italian last name, (it was assumed you had) some association with the Mafia.

I don't think it's so much anymore today. And I'm proud to say that our case was the beginning of all the Mafia cases that brought the downfall of them. They're not as strong. They have nowhere near the strength today that they had back in the day. They're just another criminal element, another criminal organization. I don't even know if Milwaukee has any any Mafia members there.

Spicuzza: Do you have any other memories of Milwaukee?

Pistone: Bad winters. Bad winters. Good Lord, I remember one snowstorm — I don't know how many feet of snow there was, but wow. And cold. That's what I remember.

And good restaurants. A lot of good restaurants in Milwaukee.

Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS

How FBI agent Joe Pistone, undercover as Donnie Brasco, helped infiltrate the Milwaukee Mafia
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter Mary Spicuzza interviews former FBI undercover agent Joe Pistone, also known as Donnie Brasco, about his work in Milwaukee.
Mary Spicuzza
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Organized crime in Milwaukee has never been as infamous as the Chicago Outfit or the New York Mafia. But reputed Milwaukee crime boss Frank Balistrieri was notorious enough by the late 1970s that renowned undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone came here to help investigate.

Pistone was later portrayed by Johnny Depp in “Donnie Brasco,” a 1997 movie that also starred Al Pacino as New York crime family member Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero.

When I started doing research for my investigation into my cousin's 1978 car bombing murder, widely believed to have been ordered by Balistrieri, a coworker mentioned Pistone wrote about Milwaukee in his book that inspired the film.

As soon as I read it, I knew I needed to talk to Pistone. I wasn’t sure of the best way to approach him — especially since the Mafia put out a $500,000 contract on him in the early 1980s — but reached him through the producer for his podcast, “Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco.”

We spoke at length about his time in Milwaukee. Below are excerpts of that conversation, edited for length and clarity.


A marriage between two crime families

Pistone's work in Milwaukee included vouching for another undercover FBI agent, Gail "Ty" Cobb, who was trying to infiltrate the Balistrieri crime family by posing as a vending machine businessman named Tony Conte. Pistone visited Milwaukee several times in 1978 to try to "form a marriage" between the Balistrieri and Bonanno crime families.

Spicuzza: Do you remember what Frank Balistrieri's reputation was like back then?

Pistone: Frank Balistrieri was the head of a Mafia family in Milwaukee, which was aligned and associated with the Mafia families out of Chicago (the Outfit). And he was also a very well known Mafia boss throughout the United States.

He had some college education. But he was still a ruthless individual, according to my Mafia contacts that I was associated with in the Bonanno crime family.

He actually controlled everything that happened, both illegally and a lot of times legally.

Spicuzza: What do you remember about him from your meetings or your dealings with him?

Pistone: He was a little short, pudgy guy. Very dapper looking. Every time I saw him he was in a suit — dressed in a suit and very well-spoken. And you could see that when he made a point, none of the people that were with him disputed whatever he said. I mean, what he said was a rule of law.

After (one) meeting at Snug's, at the restaurant, he invited us to his house for dinner the next night. If you know anything about the Mafia, you don't go to a boss's house for dinner. I mean, not in New York, anyway. And he actually picked us up at our hotel, which was also crazy, for us being New York mob guys.

Life undercover

As Pistone developed ties with Balistrieri and his associates, he went through both stressful and humorous moments. That included close calls with getting found out, and the antics of "Lefty" Ruggiero, who at one point confused Lake Michigan with the ocean.

Spicuzza: Lefty wanted to take a speedboat from New York to Milwaukee?

Pistone: Yeah. Ty was showing us around Milwaukee and we're driving along the lake, and he says, "That's one of the Great Lakes." And Lefty looks out and he says, "It's not a lake. That's the ocean." There were freighters out there, and he said, "You see that big ship out there? That ship couldn't float on a lake. It's got to be the ocean."

Yeah, OK, Lefty. The ocean where? The middle of the United States?

There were some other good (stories). Another one was, Ty was one of the best undercovers I ever worked with. I mean, he was good. But we're in a car one day. It might have been the same time. And he was driving and Lefty was riding shotgun, and I'm in the back. And Ty must have had a brain freeze because he keeps calling me Joe. He'd say, "Isn't that right, Joe?"

An undated FBI surveillance photo shows Joe Pistone undercover as Donnie Brasco.
Lefty finally says, "Tony, who the F is Joe? There's me, you and Donnie in this car. Who the F is Joe?"

So without missing a beat, Ty says, "That's the new thing here in Milwaukee: everybody's Joe. Every place you go, you call somebody, you call them Joe." So all night we go to a restaurant and Ty is calling a bartender Joe, is calling a waiter Joe, is calling a waitress Joe.

You know, there were some comical moments during the six years.

Spicuzza: Do you remember the reaction when my cousin, Augie Palmisano, was car bombed?

Pistone: Ty had a remote starter put on his car. And at one of the meetings we had with (Frank) Balistrieri, we're talking about snitches, and he said, “Yeah, you can tell all the snitches because they have remote starters on their car.”

And here Tony Conte, the undercover, had a remote starter on his car. So that kind of, you know, shook him up a little bit.

Spicuzza: Did you often not know who was an informant when you were undercover?

Pistone: No, I did not. I didn't want to know who an informant was, or if the FBI had added any informants in any of the groups. I said, "Look, if you do have informants, don't tell them that there's an undercover FBI agent there. I don't want to know who the informant is." Because it's human nature. You're going to act different if you know that somebody is on your side, so to speak.

Frozen out

In late 1978, Balistrieri froze out Cobb, reportedly after discovering he was an undercover agent. It led to the end of Pistone's time in Milwaukee, but by then, the two had already collected extensive information that was later used in federal gambling and extortion cases against Balistrieri and his associates.

Spicuzza: How do you think they could have found out that Tony Conte, or Ty Cobb, was an undercover agent?

Pistone: Well, there had to be a leak somewhere. Where, we don't know. But Ty had been a cop in a town outside of Milwaukee at one point in time. And I'm sure that they checked what individuals knew regarding Ty. And I think that's probably how they found out. There had to be a leak somewhere.

Spicuzza: If Balistrieri had found out Ty was an undercover agent, why do you think he didn't tell the Bonannos or the other crime families?

Pistone: I don't know. I'll be honest with you. I mean, I don't know. It's the craziest thing that they never they never blew the whistle.

We tried to figure it out. I tried to figure it out. I don't know that they thought that he was an FBI agent or just an undercover cop. I don't know. But the reason they never told New York or Chicago is beyond me. I mean, it doesn't make any sense.

Going to trial

Pistone's work in Milwaukee helped federal prosecutors eventually convict Balistrieri of gambling, extortion and conspiracy during a series of trials in the 1980s. Pistone and Cobb were among those who testified in Milwaukee.

Spicuzza: I think it was in Milwaukee where Frank Balistrieri’s attorney was asking you questions about where your family lived.

Pistone: Oh, definitely. His line of questioning started about where I resided, et cetera. And I told him I’m not going to answer, it has no relevance to my investigation.

The judge ordered me to answer, and I told the judge, “Your Honor, I'm not answering. I'm not answering where I reside, where my family resides." He said, "Well, I'll hold you in contempt of court." I said, "Do what do you have to do."

And then finally, the prosecutor (John Franke) called the side conference in and advised the judge that there was a $500,000 contract out of me at the time. So the judge told him, "Just move on. We don't need to answer that question."

(At another point in the trial)

Pistone: It was late into the afternoon. And my voice was going, and I didn't have any water by the witness stand … so (the defense attorney) poured a glass of water from his table, from the defense table, and brings it to me. So I take the glass and I look at it and I say, "You take a sip first."

So he did. He took it, took a sip. And I said, "OK, now I'll have a drink of it."

The jury, everybody, even the judge laughed.

Life after the trials

In addition to the Balistrieri trials, Pistone testified at a number of other trials around the country involving organized crime figures. He still does not disclose where he and his family live.

Spicuzza: Have you noticed in your work a kind of the glorification of the Mafia and misunderstanding of what they're really like?

Pistone: Back in their heyday, yeah, they were glorified. If they knew that you were even associated with the Mafia, you were treated like royalty. And of course, if you had an Italian last name, (it was assumed you had) some association with the Mafia.

I don't think it's so much anymore today. And I'm proud to say that our case was the beginning of all the Mafia cases that brought the downfall of them. They're not as strong. They have nowhere near the strength today that they had back in the day. They're just another criminal element, another criminal organization. I don't even know if Milwaukee has any any Mafia members there.

Spicuzza: Do you have any other memories of Milwaukee?

Pistone: Bad winters. Bad winters. Good Lord, I remember one snowstorm — I don't know how many feet of snow there was, but wow. And cold. That's what I remember.

And good restaurants. A lot of good restaurants in Milwaukee.

Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS

cavita wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 8:51 am

Adam wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:34 pm So this is absolutely a great thread. So much information about Milwaukee and Balistrieri. I realize this is just a series of articles but it really does back up the idea that Milwaukee was almost completely subservient to Chicago. Which isn't surprising. But still. And it also helps explain some of the disdain that Civella had for Balistrieri that comes across in books and articles. And the complete difference between Kansas City and their relationship with Chicago, and Milwaukee's relationship with Chicago. So different. But different bosses. Balistrieri vs Civella. But it does just remind me of Lefty telling Pistone that Balistrieri ran so much in the midwest. Another Lefty being totally oblivious quote. "Mike says this guy's the biggest man in the Midwest. He didn't get what he's got just by staying in Milwaukee. He owns Kansas City. Cleveland and Detroit belong to Frank. I just found that out. He's on a plane every day. He stays here one, two days a week." Gotta love Lefty. I research Detroit and when I read that I just laugh my ass off. Doesn't quite fit with the cheap Balistrieri bitching about restaurants. No mentions of flying around everywhere to keep tabs on his empire. I kid.

Balistrieri was a braggart and I feel he was not happy about being under the thumb of Chicago so heavily. When Bonanno soldier Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero suggested he travel to Rockford to thank the Rockford men for setting up the July 1978 meeting, Balistrieri was quoted as saying, “No, they’re nothing. They’re under the boss of Chicago,” and he (Balistrieri) proposed to introduce Ruggiero and Cobb to the top Chicago boss himself. Balistrieri had to get the okay from Chicago to pretty much do anything there so that comment was laughable.

Balistrieri was also caught on tape talking about Joe Amato, the area boss of McHenry County, who was in charge of gambling in that county and who also was a ranking member of the Chicago Outfit. Balistrieri had told undercover agent Cobb, in his role as "Tony Conte," that Amato was “put in McHenry County to control vending for the Milwaukee organization.” He was also quoted as saying, “now he’s (Amato) acting like he belongs to the Chicago crew rather than Milwaukee,” Cobb testified at the trial. The simple fact was that Amato always belonged to Chicago and was very close to Outfit boss Tony Accardo. Balistrieri’s comments were clearly an attempt to try and downplay the roles of those around him and elevate himself to a higher position especially to agent Cobb.

You’re right Cavita. The more I read about Milwaukee the more it reminds of what they called the New Jersey family. A glorified crew. There is a reason why they became nothing after Frankie Bal was put in prison.

Adam wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:34 pm So this is absolutely a great thread. So much information about Milwaukee and Balistrieri. I realize this is just a series of articles but it really does back up the idea that Milwaukee was almost completely subservient to Chicago. Which isn't surprising. But still. And it also helps explain some of the disdain that Civella had for Balistrieri that comes across in books and articles. And the complete difference between Kansas City and their relationship with Chicago, and Milwaukee's relationship with Chicago. So different. But different bosses. Balistrieri vs Civella. But it does just remind me of Lefty telling Pistone that Balistrieri ran so much in the midwest. Another Lefty being totally oblivious quote. "Mike says this guy's the biggest man in the Midwest. He didn't get what he's got just by staying in Milwaukee. He owns Kansas City. Cleveland and Detroit belong to Frank. I just found that out. He's on a plane every day. He stays here one, two days a week." Gotta love Lefty. I research Detroit and when I read that I just laugh my ass off. Doesn't quite fit with the cheap Balistrieri bitching about restaurants. No mentions of flying around everywhere to keep tabs on his empire. I kid.

Balistrieri was a braggart and I feel he was not happy about being under the thumb of Chicago so heavily. When Bonanno soldier Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero suggested he travel to Rockford to thank the Rockford men for setting up the July 1978 meeting, Balistrieri was quoted as saying, “No, they’re nothing. They’re under the boss of Chicago,” and he (Balistrieri) proposed to introduce Ruggiero and Cobb to the top Chicago boss himself. Balistrieri had to get the okay from Chicago to pretty much do anything there so that comment was laughable.

Balistrieri was also caught on tape talking about Joe Amato, the area boss of McHenry County, who was in charge of gambling in that county and who also was a ranking member of the Chicago Outfit. Balistrieri had told undercover agent Cobb, in his role as "Tony Conte," that Amato was “put in McHenry County to control vending for the Milwaukee organization.” He was also quoted as saying, “now he’s (Amato) acting like he belongs to the Chicago crew rather than Milwaukee,” Cobb testified at the trial. The simple fact was that Amato always belonged to Chicago and was very close to Outfit boss Tony Accardo. Balistrieri’s comments were clearly an attempt to try and downplay the roles of those around him and elevate himself to a higher position especially to agent Cobb.

Joe Bonanno rambling on to Balistrieri, who can't get a word in, then when Balistrieri tries to speak Bonanno tells him he's "too tired" to talk. Love it. He was just a polished version of Magaddino.

The bit about Balistrieri refusing to help Maniaci with his legal trouble was right around the time Maniaci flipped. I'm very familiar with the recording of Balistrieri discussing the Sciortino/DiBella/Bonanno problem with the council but hadn't heard of the one where he discusses killing Maniaci and Aiello. It looks to have ended almost identically to the Sciortino one, with the council and especially Alioto trying to stop Balistrieri from trying to kill people.

Interesting he said himself that he modeled himself after Al Capone. One of the Milwaukee members once complained that Balistrieri operated like a Camorrista. All of his gangster bravado was like night and day with most of that Family and the bosses before him, no wonder a faction of older members were constantly trying to get him deposed.

Re: Lefty telling "Conte" that to get made in Milwaukee he might have to do a hit. In the 1970s a rumor circulated in Milwaukee that Pete Balistrieri had been made without actually participating in a hit and that Frank had lied to get him in. If I remember right, Balistrieri's female arch-nemesis Sally Papia was said to have spread the rumor. Kansas City also reportedly held fast to the rule about committing murder to be made and Maniaci made it sound like Rockford did too. Chicago is another that seems to have leaned heavily into that. The Midwest might have faded more quickly than the East Coast but in many ways they were more true to the traditional mafia (which might have actually contributed to them fading, i.e. they didn't adapt).

Another interesting detail... John Balistrieri telling his mother that her great-great-grandfather and father were in the life. Of course John Alioto was involved and maybe he was using hyperbole with the great-great-grandfather part but it does tell us the Alioto line was part of the mafia going back to Santa Flavia. Not that this is in any way surprising and it wouldn't be surprising either to find out he meant it literally, these clans no doubt being able to trace their mafia lineage back several generations.

So this is absolutely a great thread. So much information about Milwaukee and Balistrieri. I realize this is just a series of articles but it really does back up the idea that Milwaukee was almost completely subservient to Chicago. Which isn't surprising. But still. And it also helps explain some of the disdain that Civella had for Balistrieri that comes across in books and articles. And the complete difference between Kansas City and their relationship with Chicago, and Milwaukee's relationship with Chicago. So different. But different bosses. Balistrieri vs Civella. But it does just remind me of Lefty telling Pistone that Balistrieri ran so much in the midwest. Another Lefty being totally oblivious quote. "Mike says this guy's the biggest man in the Midwest. He didn't get what he's got just by staying in Milwaukee. He owns Kansas City. Cleveland and Detroit belong to Frank. I just found that out. He's on a plane every day. He stays here one, two days a week." Gotta love Lefty. I research Detroit and when I read that I just laugh my ass off. Doesn't quite fit with the cheap Balistrieri bitching about restaurants. No mentions of flying around everywhere to keep tabs on his empire. I kid.

antimafia wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 1:44 pm

Dr031718 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:52 am

BeatiPaoli wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:11 am To PatrickGold: Thank you very much for these posts! Fascinating info! Pardon my ignorance, but is there any way for us on this Forum to access the original 12-part series from October 31, 1988? It would be interesting to read the entire series!

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

The Milwaukee journal did not post all of them. I was on there earlier this week reading the articles and it skipped multiple entries

Correct.

A GangsterBB poster provided the following link to Part 1 when he posted on that forum this past Wednesday:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/spe ... 145060007/

At the bottom of the above webpage is a link to Part 2, and at the bottom of Part 2 is a link to Part 5.

The link only works for subscribers.

Dr031718 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:52 am

BeatiPaoli wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:11 am To PatrickGold: Thank you very much for these posts! Fascinating info! Pardon my ignorance, but is there any way for us on this Forum to access the original 12-part series from October 31, 1988? It would be interesting to read the entire series!

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

The Milwaukee journal did not post all of them. I was on there earlier this week reading the articles and it skipped multiple entries

Correct.

A GangsterBB poster provided the following link to Part 1 when he posted on that forum this past Wednesday:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/spe ... 145060007/

At the bottom of the above webpage is a link to Part 2, and at the bottom of Part 2 is a link to Part 5.

BeatiPaoli wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:11 am To PatrickGold: Thank you very much for these posts! Fascinating info! Pardon my ignorance, but is there any way for us on this Forum to access the original 12-part series from October 31, 1988? It would be interesting to read the entire series!

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

I’m sure you can get it from the archives somehow. You will have to pay of course. I’m not sure how far back the Milwaukee newspaper goes back for online archives.

Thanks for posting this, incredible stuff. This was great content for a newspaper back in the pre-internet days. Interesting that Lefty brought his wife and her friend out to Milwaukee to wait out that decision in the hotel with the agent, I remember that story from Pistone's book but I don't recall him mentioning that detail.

Thanks so much for posting this!

I combined all the articles and created a crude word file for viewing that can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g9j3mlth ... y2rpd&dl=0

BeatiPaoli wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:11 am To PatrickGold: Thank you very much for these posts! Fascinating info! Pardon my ignorance, but is there any way for us on this Forum to access the original 12-part series from October 31, 1988? It would be interesting to read the entire series!

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

The Milwaukee journal did not post all of them. I was on there earlier this week reading the articles and it skipped multiple entries