General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[B.]

Haha, a Capone from Termini. It's like all of the Chicago research you've done collapsing in on itself.

[PolackTony]

Was looking at an interesting report from 1972 with an informant in Mexico who was in contact with people who knew Giancana during his time there. Stated that Giancana lived in a “luxury house” in an exclusive section of Cuernavaca under the name “Sam De Palma”. That Richard Cain had previously lived in Mexico around 1962 and that Cain’s ex-wife worked at the American embassy. That Giancana had apparently been barred from entering Mexico and was thus reputed to have been under investigation for living in the country illegally. In 1972, Giancana was alleged to have left Mexico for Italy, and to have subsequently moved to Beirut, where the informant believed he was living at the time of the report.

In another file, the FBI stated that Giancana’s handler in Mexico was Mexico City attorney Jorge Castillo, who was apparently born in Shreveport, LA. Castillo was the one who arranged the purchase of the homes that Giancana was reported to be staying at. Apart from the mansion in Cuernavaca, Giancana had a penthouse in Mexico City, paid for in cash by Castillo; Giancana frequently played golf at a Mexico City country club under Castillo’s membership. Giancana also attended parties in Mexico City and Acapulco with Castillo. Along with “Sam De Palma”, Giancana was using “Richard Scalzitti” as an alias. In 1966, Mexico had denied Giancana’s application for resident immigrant status on the grounds of his reputed affiliation with organized crime. Castillo had been petitioning the government to change their decision and telling them that Giancana had not re-entered Mexico since 1966.

1972 report states that Giancana and Cain were known to be “active in Madrid”.

Other intel states that Giancana and Cain left Chicago immediately after Giancana’s release from Cook County jail in 1966. They flew to Panama City where they stated they would stay at the Hilton. Instead, they booked a flight to Lima, Peru but then didn’t board that flight and instead boarded a different flight to Guatemala. Presumably, from there they entered Mexico. Later reports state that Giancana was allegedly traveling back and forth between Mexico and the US (including a claim that he had been spotted at his daughter’s house in Tucson) in ‘67.

CI’s claiming that as of ‘67, Giancana was still officially boss. Not sure who the Philly informant would be:



And, to save the best for last, Giancana’s man in San Diego and connect to Mexico was Joe Diamante’s son:

[PolackTony]

As a follow-up, Joseph J Esposito aka Joseph J Esty was indeed the son of Diamond Joe, born in 1915. By the 1950 census he was going as Joseph Esty; at that time, he lived in Riverside, IL, and was working as a wholesale beer distributor. In 1955, he was employed as a representative for the IL State Treasurer’s Office and a state lockbox examiner. Later that year, he was caught red handed stealing $5,500 from a safe deposit box in an Oak Park bank that he was “inspecting”. After this, he moved to San Diego where he lived under the Esty name and died in 1997.

It was apparently Bompensiero who supplied the info about “Esty” being Giancana’s contact man for Mexico, as Bomp (unsurprisingly) knew Esty. In another report, Bomp states that Esty was not an LCN member but continued to travel to Chicago and was connected to top members there. He also stated that Esty was involved in a business venture with LaPorte in CA.

[PolackTony]

From the 2003 Federal grand jury indictments for the Family Secrets case. Specifies that the underboss of Chicago was referred to as “sotto capo” as well as “Number 2” and that the outfit had a “consigliere” position in the admin:

[Snakes]

From the 2003 Federal grand jury indictments for the Family Secrets case. Specifies that the underboss of Chicago was referred to as “sotto capo” as well as “Number 2” and that the outfit had a “consigliere” position in the admin:

I can't remember where, but they also mention Aiuppa serving as "underboss" during the "course of the conspiracy." I've always assumed this to be when Accardo and Ricca (later only Accardo) were acting as boss in the early seventies, although I've never seen Aiuppa referenced as underboss in any files -- only as a member of a ruling panel with Accardo and Gus Alex.

[Coloboy]

Thanks Snakes.

One thing I’ve had trouble finding is what Nick Calabrese testified to in terms of the current (at the time of family secrets-2005) , structure of the family. Did he name Marcello as the boss of the outfit? What did he have to say about Lombardos role? Difronzo? Was that info ever released outside of the well publicized “28 members” figure?

[PolackTony]

Thanks Snakes.

One thing I’ve had trouble finding is what Nick Calabrese testified to in terms of the current (at the time of family secrets-2005) , structure of the family. Did he name Marcello as the boss of the outfit? What did he have to say about Lombardos role? Difronzo? Was that info ever released outside of the well publicized “28 members” figure?

In his testimony, Nick does not mention Lombardo or DiFronzo's status as of his cooperation in 2002. He names them as capos as of his induction in '83. He names Marcello as succeeding Carlisi as capo. When he was still in contact with Marcello in the can, Marcello was still a capo, not the boss (Johnny Apes was boss), so I don't think Nicky had knowledge of Marcello's appointment as boss, as Apes died in 2001.

[PolackTony]

From the 2003 Federal grand jury indictments for the Family Secrets case. Specifies that the underboss of Chicago was referred to as “sotto capo” as well as “Number 2” and that the outfit had a “consigliere” position in the admin:

I can't remember where, but they also mention Aiuppa serving as "underboss" during the "course of the conspiracy." I've always assumed this to be when Accardo and Ricca (later only Accardo) were acting as boss in the early seventies, although I've never seen Aiuppa referenced as underboss in any files -- only as a member of a ruling panel with Accardo and Gus Alex.

Yeah, it would only make sense for Aiuppa to be at least an acting UB at the beginning of the '70s. The excerpt that I posted reflects Nicky's testimony almost to a T, apart from the explicit reference to a "consigliere". Presumably, there are things that Nick may have told them while being debriefed that didn't come up in his trial testimony, or some of the G's details on the admin were also based on CI accounts.

Another interesting claim in the above excerpt is the statement that once one had committed a murder on behalf of the outfit, one was beholden to the family for life, same as a made guy. I don't doubt this, as even if you weren't made you knew too much to ever be a civilian by that point. No early retirement plan for guys like Alex or Schweihs, except, as Nick would say "feet first".

[PolackTony]

Haha, a Capone from Termini. It's like all of the Chicago research you've done collapsing in on itself.

One day we're going to find out that the actual boss of Chicago is a Termini Capone. It is destiny. He will control all produce commission transactions in Chicagloand.

[PolackTony]

Don't think that I was aware that Nicky C was a Cook County Sheriff. Being cross-examined by Joe "The Shark" Lopez here (2007/07/19):

Q. There came a time when you worked for the Cook County
Sheriff's Department, is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. And what years was that?
A. Sometime in the late '70s is when I went on, and then in
1988 or '89 is when they called back for the badges.
Q. You actually had a sheriff's star, didn't you?
A. Yes.
Q. And you worked in the Maybrook courthouse, is that right?
A. Yes.

[Snakes]

Don't think that I was aware that Nicky C was a Cook County Sheriff. Being cross-examined by Joe "The Shark" Lopez here (2007/07/19):

Q. There came a time when you worked for the Cook County
Sheriff's Department, is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. And what years was that?
A. Sometime in the late '70s is when I went on, and then in
1988 or '89 is when they called back for the badges.
Q. You actually had a sheriff's star, didn't you?
A. Yes.
Q. And you worked in the Maybrook courthouse, is that right?
A. Yes.

I believe he was a sheriff's deputy.

[Snakes]

From the 2003 Federal grand jury indictments for the Family Secrets case. Specifies that the underboss of Chicago was referred to as “sotto capo” as well as “Number 2” and that the outfit had a “consigliere” position in the admin:

I can't remember where, but they also mention Aiuppa serving as "underboss" during the "course of the conspiracy." I've always assumed this to be when Accardo and Ricca (later only Accardo) were acting as boss in the early seventies, although I've never seen Aiuppa referenced as underboss in any files -- only as a member of a ruling panel with Accardo and Gus Alex.

Another interesting claim in the above excerpt is the statement that once one had committed a murder on behalf of the outfit, one was beholden to the family for life, same as a made guy. I don't doubt this, as even if you weren't made you knew too much to ever be a civilian by that point. No early retirement plan for guys like Alex or Schweihs, except, as Nick would say "feet first".

I think that was just poor wording in the indictment, but I could be wrong. I don't think everyone who was made *had* to have committed a murder (thinking political and union guys), but I could be wrong there, too.

[PolackTony]

From the 2003 Federal grand jury indictments for the Family Secrets case. Specifies that the underboss of Chicago was referred to as “sotto capo” as well as “Number 2” and that the outfit had a “consigliere” position in the admin:

I can't remember where, but they also mention Aiuppa serving as "underboss" during the "course of the conspiracy." I've always assumed this to be when Accardo and Ricca (later only Accardo) were acting as boss in the early seventies, although I've never seen Aiuppa referenced as underboss in any files -- only as a member of a ruling panel with Accardo and Gus Alex.

Another interesting claim in the above excerpt is the statement that once one had committed a murder on behalf of the outfit, one was beholden to the family for life, same as a made guy. I don't doubt this, as even if you weren't made you knew too much to ever be a civilian by that point. No early retirement plan for guys like Alex or Schweihs, except, as Nick would say "feet first".

I think that was just poor wording in the indictment, but I could be wrong. I don't think everyone who was made *had* to have committed a murder (thinking political and union guys), but I could be wrong there, too.

FWIW, what Nick testified was that to his knowledge one had to have participated in a murder in order to qualify for membership. This is in line with older info on other Midwest families like Milwaukee and KC. Possible that it was like the full Italian rule, where it was occasionally not strictly followed, but my guess is that this would be rare and exceptions that proved the rule.

Political/labor guys like Marcy or Glimco I could see as having been rough guys when they were younger who could’ve conceivably been involved in doing some “work” during their earlier years. A guy like Fred Roti I’m not so sure about, though participating in a murder doesn’t mean that you had to pull the trigger or throw a rope around a guys throat. You could be a driver, or could be involved in stalking/casing a target, etc.

EDIT:

Looking back at some of my notes on Glimco. He was acquitted in murder charges in 1929, and then a case against him for assault with a deadly weapon fell apart when the main witness fled. These union guys were called “sluggers” by the papers and LE for a reason, lots of rough stuff involved in the unions. Glimco’s control of the Fulton St Market was said to have been paved by a “systematic campaign of terrorism”.

Same thing with the political guys. Politics in Chicago was a rough business. Think back to the terrorist campaigns during “Pineapple Primary”’ in the old “Blood 19th” Ward between D’Andrea and Johnny Powers. That’s the kind of politics that guys like Marcy came up around. Even in more recent decades there was lots of rough stuff that happened around political campaigns and such.

A personal story. When I was a teenager in the 90s, a friend and I were walking down the street when an Italian dude straight out of central casting (Members Only jacket, gold chains, etc) jumped out of his car and started asking us about our gang affiliation (“Youse guys are Dragons? Cobras?”). He then asked us if we wanted to make some money working for him putting up campaign posters and signs for an election. We said we’d think about it. My mother later overheard us talking about it and told us that under no circumstances should we accept; she worked in the Cook County court system and was aware of cases where kids doing campaign work like that were shot by gangbangers hired by political rivals. IIRC, one of the factors that led to a bloody internal struggle around that time within the MLDs was a split between leaders who were doing campaign work for rival candidates for Cook County Water Reclamation District chief. Imagine what kind of stuff some of these outfit political guys were doing when they started out working with local precinct captains and Ward committeemen, etc.

[funkster]

Lol that is a wild story Tony, wouldn't shock me in the least.

[Honk]

Any idea if the lingerie & massage parlors in Rockford & Belviedere were controlled by the outfit. A ‘friend’ used to go to them a lot in the early to mid 2000’s before they were shut down.

I’d have to think they were controlled or at least kicked up to the outfit.