by cavita » Sat Jul 27, 2024 4:04 pm
Sixty years ago today on July 27, 1964 three lives changed forever in the Little Italy section of south Rockford, Illinois. On that evening, 18 year old Carolyn Blades was waiting in the rain at the bus stop at Montague and South Church Streets. A car pulled up containing the driver Frank G. Saladino and passenger Joe W. Saladino, both 18 years old and they offered Blades a ride. Being slightly acquainted with Frank from the neighborhood, the pretty young Blades accepted their offer. Whether Blades agreed to or not, they then drove to La Cantina restaurant on Cunningham Street and bought two quarts of beer. After purchasing the alcohol the men then took Blades west of Rockford where they parked on an isolated rural road southwest of Rockford and took turns beating and raping her. Afterwards the men then brought Carolyn home.
Blades’ mother said when she arrived home from work around 11:30 p.m. she found her daughter in tears with bruises on her face and body. After bringing her to a local hospital, Doctor A.M. Swanson found evidence that Carolyn had been raped and both Saladino men were subsequently arrested. On October 22, 1964 both men were found guilty of raping Blades after a six-man and six-woman jury after about five hours of deliberating. The defendants’ attorney, Max Goldman out of Milwaukee, sought to prove Blades engaged in the act voluntarily and that there was no force on the part of the men, but this was discounted by the jury. Both men were released under $3,500 bond to await sentencing. On November 27, 1964 both men were sentenced to prison terms of 3-10 years each on the rape charge.
The newspapers had stated the Saladino men were cousins but this was erroneously reported. Frank’s family were immigrants from Roccamena, Sicily while Joe’s family was from Marsala and Casteldaccia. The men had obviously known each other from south Rockford as every Italian there knew each other but it probably ran deeper than that. Frank’s father was George Saladino, a longtime and respected made member of the Rockford LCN and who was most likely an early capo for the crime family. Additionally, Frank’s brother-in-law was Phil Cannella, another Rockford LCN made member. Joe’s father was Joseph P. Saladino, who worked on the fringes of the Rockford LCN and Joe’s grandfather was Giuseppe Guttilla, an old time Rockford LCN member who was most likely made in his native Casteldaccia, Sicily. The younger Joe Saladino also claimed as his uncle Augie Maniaci who was a longtime LCN member of the Milwaukee family before his gangland killing in 1975, so both Saladino men seemed destined to go down the path of organized crime in the Rockford area.
On November 27, 1964 both Saladino men were taken to Pontiac State Prison to start serving their terms- Frank was still 18 years old and Joe had turned 19 the month before. On March 11, 1968 after serving almost three and a half years, both Saladino men were released from prison and on April 11, 1970 both men were officially discharged from parole.
Within a month after Frank was discharged from parole he was found to be living in Milwaukee and attending the Milwaukee Institute of Technology while running a small cleaning business on State Street in that city, but that endeavor didn’t last long as he was loaning out money at craps games in Chicago for Joey “The Clown” Lombardo as early as 1975. Frank would become a made member of the Rockford LCN most likely around the early 1980s after his partnership with Chicago ended.
Joe’s path right after his discharge from parole was knocking around Rockford in the gambling circles before he hooked up as a 50-50 bookmaking agent with the Chinatown Crew of the Chicago Outfit starting around 1976, a partnership that would last until the early 1980s. After that, Joe belonged exclusively to Rockford and though it’s known exactly when he became a made member there it was most likely in the late 1980s.
Sixty years ago today on July 27, 1964 three lives changed forever in the Little Italy section of south Rockford, Illinois. On that evening, 18 year old Carolyn Blades was waiting in the rain at the bus stop at Montague and South Church Streets. A car pulled up containing the driver Frank G. Saladino and passenger Joe W. Saladino, both 18 years old and they offered Blades a ride. Being slightly acquainted with Frank from the neighborhood, the pretty young Blades accepted their offer. Whether Blades agreed to or not, they then drove to La Cantina restaurant on Cunningham Street and bought two quarts of beer. After purchasing the alcohol the men then took Blades west of Rockford where they parked on an isolated rural road southwest of Rockford and took turns beating and raping her. Afterwards the men then brought Carolyn home.
Blades’ mother said when she arrived home from work around 11:30 p.m. she found her daughter in tears with bruises on her face and body. After bringing her to a local hospital, Doctor A.M. Swanson found evidence that Carolyn had been raped and both Saladino men were subsequently arrested. On October 22, 1964 both men were found guilty of raping Blades after a six-man and six-woman jury after about five hours of deliberating. The defendants’ attorney, Max Goldman out of Milwaukee, sought to prove Blades engaged in the act voluntarily and that there was no force on the part of the men, but this was discounted by the jury. Both men were released under $3,500 bond to await sentencing. On November 27, 1964 both men were sentenced to prison terms of 3-10 years each on the rape charge.
The newspapers had stated the Saladino men were cousins but this was erroneously reported. Frank’s family were immigrants from Roccamena, Sicily while Joe’s family was from Marsala and Casteldaccia. The men had obviously known each other from south Rockford as every Italian there knew each other but it probably ran deeper than that. Frank’s father was George Saladino, a longtime and respected made member of the Rockford LCN and who was most likely an early capo for the crime family. Additionally, Frank’s brother-in-law was Phil Cannella, another Rockford LCN made member. Joe’s father was Joseph P. Saladino, who worked on the fringes of the Rockford LCN and Joe’s grandfather was Giuseppe Guttilla, an old time Rockford LCN member who was most likely made in his native Casteldaccia, Sicily. The younger Joe Saladino also claimed as his uncle Augie Maniaci who was a longtime LCN member of the Milwaukee family before his gangland killing in 1975, so both Saladino men seemed destined to go down the path of organized crime in the Rockford area.
On November 27, 1964 both Saladino men were taken to Pontiac State Prison to start serving their terms- Frank was still 18 years old and Joe had turned 19 the month before. On March 11, 1968 after serving almost three and a half years, both Saladino men were released from prison and on April 11, 1970 both men were officially discharged from parole.
Within a month after Frank was discharged from parole he was found to be living in Milwaukee and attending the Milwaukee Institute of Technology while running a small cleaning business on State Street in that city, but that endeavor didn’t last long as he was loaning out money at craps games in Chicago for Joey “The Clown” Lombardo as early as 1975. Frank would become a made member of the Rockford LCN most likely around the early 1980s after his partnership with Chicago ended.
Joe’s path right after his discharge from parole was knocking around Rockford in the gambling circles before he hooked up as a 50-50 bookmaking agent with the Chinatown Crew of the Chicago Outfit starting around 1976, a partnership that would last until the early 1980s. After that, Joe belonged exclusively to Rockford and though it’s known exactly when he became a made member there it was most likely in the late 1980s.