THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Why do so many mob guys in mugshots look like scumbags? Chicago has to have some of the ugliest motherfuckers who wouldnt know proper hygiene if it hit them in the ass.

Quite embarrassing. No pride in appearance whatsoever.

New York on the other hand or Philly? So much better and attractive.

Is this done on purpose by the Outfit? To be ugly?

Thought some of you might enjoy Michael Franzese's recent video on Accardo. It's simplified for sure, but at the very least it's well produced and has a lot of great photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNwD8neuROU

James 'Jimmy' Yario, well-known Outfit bookmaker and operative who was a product of Taylor Street. Story goes Yario and James 'Cappy' Capodice had one of the largest gambling operations going in Chicago during the mid 1990s and were doing so without Outfit approval given the internal strife going on - personally, I bet they were paying someone given the size of their schemes.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/Ss5dXZpK/James-Yario.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/P54Mbfk9/Jimmy-Yario-2.jpg[/img]

Obituary for John 'Cappy' Capodice:
https://www.vandenbergfuneralhome.com/obituaries/John-Capodice/#!/TributeWall

Interesting tidbit of information on Michael 'Jaws' Giorango.

He was heavily involved in financing a boxing promotions company in Miami and Chicago called 'A-Team' - he was partnered with this individual below, who was from the East Coast. Some of the boxers that they managed included Mike Mollo who was a notable for knocking out Kevin McBride in 2006.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/pittsburgh-pa/gerald-attardi-8030071

Interesting that this old article notes Giorango as a 'successful real estate developer' and that investors in 'A Team Management' were stated as a group of Italian Americans - you wonder who else was in that group from Chicago or the East Coast...
https://www.boxing247.com/weblog/archives/106749

Was this one of the informers (Richard Gelsomino) in the Joseph DiFronzo weed case in the early 1990s? I believe he was wearing a wire in meetings with a grand jury mole.
https://www.colonialfuneral.com/obituaries/Richard-A-Gelsomino?obId=24628662

Nevermind not the same last name. My bad.

Wow well that answered my question. Mike and his son look almost identical at the same age.

Michael Swiatek (late 1960s and 2010)

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/mrr2xnkF/Mike-Swiatek-Younger.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/26bkyB4k/Mike-Swiatek-2.jpg[/img]

Is that his son pictured with Mike?

[quote=NorthBuffalo post_id=291158 time=1742826285 user_id=8087]
I got a recent dump of family photos from Chicago. A few I'm trying to identify below - any ideas on who these guys are?

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/7YX2gMyX/Mazzoone.jpg[/img]

[/quote]

Update this is Mike Biancofiore (Cicero/Infelise Crew) who passed away in the 90s.

#5 is John Gattuso

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/fRQbyt9v/Bobby-Ricciarelli.jpg[/img]

One of the informants from Chicago Streets and Sanitation who helped the government in the Hired Truck Scandal 20 years ago. I was told he returned to his neighborhood in Bridgeport after prison and was shunned until he moved out of Chicago. Recently passed away.

[quote=RushStreet post_id=291165 time=1742831336 user_id=8773]
1st photo is Leo Caruso. Great photos by the way!
[/quote]

Yea, looks a lot more like a younger Leo than Bruno

1st photo is Leo Caruso. Great photos by the way!

[quote=cavita post_id=291159 time=1742826850 user_id=72]
Frank Renella and I think Lenny Patrick is in there
[/quote]

Second photo from the last is Lenny Patrick. This one was making the rounds recently on FB.