General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[Snakes]

Since so much time has passed maybe you can request a reprocessing to reduce the retractions. Obvious candidates are Anthony Centracchio, Louis Eboli, John DiFronzo, Lee Magnafichi, Joseph Andriacchi, Sam Carlisi, Rocco Infelise, Al Tornabene, and many others who were certainly made by late 1985.

Antilliar, see my next post. Great minds think alike, although I want to identify as many as possible before asking for a reprocessing.

Good deal, Snakes. The feds continued to learn about pre-1985 made members after this list was made so we know it's far from complete.

I don't know if this helps or not, but in this link to a statement from former FBI agent Peter Wacks, he says the FBI identified Andriacchi as an LCN member: http://www.ipsn.org/rosemont/wacks_affi ... ephens.htm

On page 14 of 119 it lists Andriacchi's file number:
https://archive.org/stream/RichardCain/ ... andriacchi

This article refers to a 1999 FBI surveillance mentioning Andriacchi:
https://www.ocweekly.com/dirty-stupid-or-both-6371980/

Thanks; I'm trying to go through all of the files that I have then I am cross-checking any other extant things which may be out there (hearing transcripts, affidavits, etc.). I went ahead and included the Calabrese testimony as it gives an interesting look at how many members the FBI had yet to identify by 1985. At least eight of the individuals involved in the 1983 making ceremony had not been confirmed as members by the FBI in 1985.

[PolackTony]

I think Fred Roti is missing from the 1989 list...he was confirmed as member during the previous decades

Good call. Also, we never got this level of confirmation for Joey Andriacchi being made? Same for Jimmy Boy Cozzo? I know people who insist he was never made, which seems highly unlikely to me.

I am trying to find official FBI files that explicitly state someone is made before including them on this list. I'm sure that there is info out there on a lot of guys, but I am slowly working my way through it. I know I have something that has Andriacchi's name unredacted and cites him as a member I just haven't dug it up, yet.

Thanks for confirming that the Feds had Joey A as a member. So I should assume you've never seen Cozzo listed?

I will have to dig the one up on Andriacchi. It was a passing mention of him (that for some reason was not redacted) that described him along with Accardo, Cerone, and another redacted name (probably DiFronzo) meeting in 1984. The memo identified all as "LCN members."

The evidence against Cozzo stems from his ousting as a Teamsters official and member. In 1990, Peter Wacks, an FBI agent for more than 25 years, submitted an affidavit to the Investigations Officer stating that Cozzo was a "made member of the Chicago Outfit." What makes this interesting is that both Red Wemette and Fred Pascente stated that Cozzo wasn't made. However, Wemette was publicly revealed to be an informant in the late 80s so it is possible that Cozzo was made after Wemette provided his information. Pascente's only mention of Cozzo not being made was when describing him in the context of Richard Cain's death in 1973. It was very likely that Cozzo was not made at that point. If Wacks's information was accurate, the identification of Cozzo as "made" in 1990 holds more weight than Pascente's recalling of Cozzo's status more than fifteen years prior.

With all that said, I have yet to find confirmation of Cozzo's status in an actual file. This doesn't mean it isn't out there, only that I have yet to see it.

Thanks, again very clear and useful. My own assumption is that Cozzo was likely made sometime during the 80s, which fits the evidence that we do have, as you've layed out.

[Villain]

If the info regarding Cozzo succeeding Centracchio in 2001 or 2002 is true, then theres no question that he was made at last by the early 90s, although it would be nice to see one good evidence and completely close the argument

[PolackTony]

If the info regarding Cozzo succeeding Centracchio in 2001 or 2002 is true, then theres no question that he was made at last by the early 90s, although it would be nice to see one good evidence and completely close the argument

I was once told by someone that Cozzo was not made specifically because he was of Northern Italian ancestry. I've confirmed through genealogical records, however, that this is not true as Cozzo was of Southern ancestry (Calabrese, Barese, and Sicilian) on both sides of his family.

[Snakes]

If the info regarding Cozzo succeeding Centracchio in 2001 or 2002 is true, then theres no question that he was made at last by the early 90s, although it would be nice to see one good evidence and completely close the argument

I was once told by someone that Cozzo was not made specifically because he was of Northern Italian ancestry. I've confirmed through genealogical records, however, that this is not true as Cozzo was of Southern ancestry (Calabrese, Barese, and Sicilian) on both sides of his family.

Yes; Jimmy Cozzo's grandfather was Calabrese. Not sure about his grandmother but "Carpino" is a common name in southern Italy and Sicily.

[PolackTony]

If the info regarding Cozzo succeeding Centracchio in 2001 or 2002 is true, then theres no question that he was made at last by the early 90s, although it would be nice to see one good evidence and completely close the argument

I was once told by someone that Cozzo was not made specifically because he was of Northern Italian ancestry. I've confirmed through genealogical records, however, that this is not true as Cozzo was of Southern ancestry (Calabrese, Barese, and Sicilian) on both sides of his family.

Yes; Jimmy Cozzo's grandfather was Calabrese. Not sure about his grandmother but "Carpino" is a common name in southern Italy and Sicily.

Jelly Cozzo's father was born in Belsito, Cosenza, while his mother Teresa Carpino was born in Upstate NY to parents from Belsito. Jelly's wife Josephine Dingillo's father was born in Bari (Modugno) while her mother was born in Chicago to Sicilian parents.

[funkster]

For what it's worth, I also heard he was not made from a fairly reliable source. I have a hard time believing he wasnt, but it is what it is.

[Snakes]

If the feds classified him as made, it had to fit one of the strict criteria I listed earlier in the thread. Wacks (a former agent) stated that Cozzo was made in his affidavit and the language that the feds themselves used, that it be "absolutely certain" that an individual is made before labeling him as such, seems to support the position that he was eventually made. Wacks's affidavit should be proof enough but I'd still like to find that smoking gun file or memo, just so I can feel even better about it.

[PolackTony]

If the feds classified him as made, it had to fit one of the strict criteria I listed earlier in the thread. Wacks (a former agent) stated that Cozzo was made in his affidavit and the language that the feds themselves used, that it be "absolutely certain" that an individual is made before labeling him as such, seems to support the position that he was eventually made. Wacks's affidavit should be proof enough but I'd still like to find that smoking gun file or memo, just so I can feel even better about it.

To rehash an old debate -- out of curiosity, I assume that you haven't come across any evidence contradicting Fosco's claim (presumably derived from Mike Mags) that D'Amico was never made?

[Snakes]

If the feds classified him as made, it had to fit one of the strict criteria I listed earlier in the thread. Wacks (a former agent) stated that Cozzo was made in his affidavit and the language that the feds themselves used, that it be "absolutely certain" that an individual is made before labeling him as such, seems to support the position that he was eventually made. Wacks's affidavit should be proof enough but I'd still like to find that smoking gun file or memo, just so I can feel even better about it.

To rehash an old debate -- out of curiosity, I assume that you haven't come across any evidence contradicting Fosco's claim (presumably derived from Mike Mags) that D'Amico was never made?

No, I have not

[Snakes]

Added Frank Zizzo (d. 1986) to the list of guys posthumously identified as made.

Edit: Zizzo not listed on Chicago list as he resided in Indiana. Chicago field office did not have jurisdiction there so Zizzo's membership would have been recorded by the Indianapolis field office.

[Snakes]

Vito Spillone was identified by the FBI as a member of Chicago LCN operating in Los Angeles. In 1976, after serving a five-year sentence for extortion in Chicago, Spillone moved to Los Angeles and later received permission from Joey Aiuppa to extort bookmakers and give out juice loans. Spillone was again convicted of extortion in 1986 and served a ten year prison sentence. He died in 2015.

[Snakes]

Philip Ponto was possibly one of the redacted names. He was identified in other contemporary documents as a made guy and was "employed" by the Stardust casino. He was also suspected of being a bagman for transporting skim money back to the bosses in Chicago and was imprisoned for refusing to testify in front of a grand jury regarding his alleged role in the skim. Ponto died in 1999.

Some other possibilities for the redacted names that haven't already been mentioned (no surprises):

Donald Angelini
Dominic Cortina
Dominic Senese
Joseph Spadavecchio

All were mentioned as LCN members in separate files from the same time period so it is very likely that were among the redacted names, although it is curious that they would not be redacted as they are all both deceased and fairly well-known.

[Villain]

Thanks Snakes. Yup ive also read somewhere that Ponto was a member of the Outfit who answered to Alex or Kruse, i dont remember. Ponto was Alexs boyhood friend from the area of 26th and Wentwort so it is possible that he was made either under Ferraro or Caruso

[Villain]

In addition, i also think that ive seen Senese listed as a member during the 70s or early 80s