Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[B.]

Great info. I had the father from Partanna a few years back but was confused as you usually see Castelvetrano listed. So that is at least Benevento and Giancana with family backgrounds in Partanna.

Grimaldi name brings to mind the Bonanno Grimaldis who came from Santa Ninfa and were close to members from Partanna and Salemi, all nearby.

[PolackTony]

Sam J. Sartino was born September 11, 1909 in Rockford, Illinois to Domenico Sartino and Giuseppa Scaturro of Sambuca, Sicily. He married Angelina Fanara of Aragona, Sicily on November 21, 1937 in Rockford, Illinois. Sartino was a front for consigliere Joe Zito in the operation of the Cypress Lounge. On November 28, 1958 Sartino died in a car accident at E. State Street and Calvin Park Boulevard in Rockford, Illinois. His father Domenico was born August 18, 1868 in Sambuca and died May 30, 1924. He came to the U.S. around 1894 living in Chicago until about 1908 and then came to Rockford.

Have you been able to identify when the first Agrigentesi settled in Rockford? I wonder if the earliest foundations for the Rockford family came from the Agrigentesi or the SGJ guys. If the former, one might imagine that the Chicago-Rockford Agrigentesi connections could have been very important.

The best I can tell they were in Rockford as early as 1915, roughly the same time the SGI came, though the bulk of the SGI seemed to come to Rockford by way of Madison first. There were already immigrants in Rockford from Ferentino, Italy and Naples to start out.

Thanks. What I find interesting here is that Domenico Sartino seems to have arrived in Rockford from Chicago ~1908, by which time it seems pretty likely that the Sambucesi were already established in the mafia in Chicago.

[B.]

Sartino is probably a variation of Sortino.

St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, and Rockford had significant Agrigentini early in their history or longer. Most of the Springfield Family seems like a mystery but we see those small rural colonies down there who connected to Chicago and St. Louis.

[cavita]

Sam J. Ginestra born September 2,1908 in Chicago, Illinois to Audenzio Ginestra and Teresa Abate of Sambuca, Sicily and he was a valued Rockford LCN associate. On April 28, 1932, he married Phyllis Civello in Dallas, Texas. Phyllis was the brother of Dallas LCN boss Joe Civello. Rockford LCN associate Frank Ingrassia was the best man and other attendants included Frank Parrino, Joe Ianni, Dean Parrino, Joe D’Anna, Charles Civello, Ross Musso, Vince Parrino and Ted Parrino. Ginestra was the co-owner of Hi-Grade Fuel Company with Rockford LCN boss Tony Musso and also owned the Bottle House Crystal Tap. Ginestra was questioned in the 1959 gambling inquiry into the Donald Burton/Joseph Greco double murder. On February 10,1986 in Rockford, Illinois Ginestra shot and killed his wife and then killed himself. Both had been in ill-health for quite some time prior.

[cavita]

Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta was born August 20,1930 in Rockford, Illinois to Ignazio Gulotta and Giuseppa Zinna of Sambuca, Sicily. Gulotta was made a Rockford LCN member in 1965 after participating in the murder of Charles LaFranka. He rose to the position of capodecina around 1981 and died March 15,2000 in Mesa, Arizona.

[cavita]

Joseph J. “Joma” Maggio was born August 30,1936 in Rockford, Illinois to Salvatore Maggio and Maria Sacco of Sambuca, Sicily. Salvatore’s parents were Salvatore and Calogera Maggio, and Maria’s parents were Giuseppe and Antonette Sacco. Maggio was made a Rockford LCN member in 1965 after the murder of Charles LaFranka. Maggio was involved in gambling and fraud and did three years in federal prison for wire fraud. Maggio was found murdered April 9,1980 on the outskirts of Rockford, Illinois after voicing his objection to the Rockford LCN family’s entry into narcotics distribution.

[PolackTony]

Sartino is probably a variation of Sortino.

I believe that it was, as "Sartino" doesn't seem to appear as such today in Agrigento. In the late 19th/early 20th, there were a number of "Sartinos" in Chicago and Rockford (and some Riberesi in NYC that used that spelling as well). Some of the Sartinos in Chicago lived in Chinatown, where Merlo also lived, and not far from where Strongy "Ferraro" Sortino lived.

[PolackTony]

Very cool stuff here, Cavita. Seeing Smbucesi names like Gulotta, Maggio, and Sartino/Sortino associated with both Chicago and Rockford popping up, which I think goes to show how closely connected both families were from early on. Interesting also that Gulotta, decades later, is one of those who seems to have been close to the Aragonese zip group around Rockford.

[cavita]

Very cool stuff here, Cavita. Seeing Smbucesi names like Gulotta, Maggio, and Sartino/Sortino associated with both Chicago and Rockford popping up, which I think goes to show how closely connected both families were from early on. Interesting also that Gulotta, decades later, is one of those who seems to have been close to the Aragonese zip group around Rockford.

Thanks bud- I still have a lot more to post up.

[B.]

Yeah, that is great info. Had no idea Sambuca played such a big role in Rockford.

Given how prominent Sambuca was rumored to be in the later 1800s Sicilian mafia, would be great to find out what kind of continuity there was between the Sambuca Family and some of these early figures in Illinois. Sambuca drops off the radar in Sicily through a lot of the 1900s from what I've found but they still exist today as part of the Santa Margherita di Belice mandamento. Last year they arrested members of the Sambuca Family along with a guy from Burgio, which is in the neighboring mandamento that includes most of the Chicago Agrigentini hometowns like Ribera and Villafranca.

Italian LE has identified the main villages from early Chicago's Agrigento "triangle" (Ribera, Burgio, Villafranca, Sambuca) as having their own Families. Interesting because Villafranca and Burgio are almost right on top of each other yet there's political distinction.

[PolackTony]

Just to again show how long-lasting these links have been, Chicago retains a Caccamese tradition in the Festa di Beato Giovanni Liccio, held in July at Casa Italia in Stone Park and sponsored by the Società Beato Giovanni Liccio di Caccamo. The Capella di Beato Giovanni Liccio is located on Addison and Olcott, west of Harlem on the far NW side of the city just above Elmwood Park:




There have been ~140 years of sustained and ongoing Caccamese history and immigration in Chicago.

[PolackTony]

The Società Santa Favara di Cinisi was founded in 1934 and today is located at Addison and Oleander, the next corner down from the Caccamo Society. That stretch of Addison Ave bears the honorary street sign of "Via Santa Fara Di Cinisi".


The Società Maria SS dell'Udienza di Sambuca was founded in Chicago in 1903 in honor of Maria Santissima dell’Udienza, the patroness of Sambuca. The St Mary of Sambuca society still exists today and holds an annual event in May in honor of the crowning of the Blessed Mother.

The Società Maria Santissima Lauretana di Altavilla Milicia was founded in Chicago in 1900, and holds its annual Festa and Novena for Maria SS Lauretana around Labor Day weekend. The Societa is located on Lawrence near Marmora on the NW side:




Two long-standing Ciminnesi Societe merged in 2017 to form the Società Santissimo Crocifisso San Giovanni Bosco di Ciminna. The Ciminna Society holds several annual events.

The Società Giovanile MS di Santa Caterina Villarmosa hold their Festa for the Madonna della Grazie in August.

The Società di Mutuo Soccorso San LeoLuca di Corleone still exists and is based in Addison, but I'm not aware that they still hold a Festa.

The Società di Mutuo Soccorso di Ventimiglia (of which Giuseppe LaSpisa was once President) was founded in 1911 and disbanded in the 1990s (unlike some of these other comuni, migration to Chicago from Ventimiglia may not have continued in recent decades).

The Società San Giuseppe di Bagheria still exists and holds an event in honor of St Joseph in March. In recent years, a non-profit "Società di Bagheresi in Chicago per la promozione della Cultura Bagherese" held a number of cultural events as well (the Societa di San Giuseppe is very old and goes back to Little Sicily, as the others above all do as well. The Bagherese cultural center, on the other hand, seems to have been a recent thing founded by current Bagheresi immigrants).

The Termini Società (Maria Santissima Immacolata) no longer exists, but the suburban town of Elk Grove Village has an active sister city relationship with Termini Imerese. The Societies of Baucina, Pietraperzia, Caltanissetta, and Vicari used to exist, and I'm not sure if any still do. The Nicosiani also had a Società Santissimo Crocifisso in Chinatown back in the day, which I don't believe exists anymore. In the 1980s, there was still a Società della Provvidenzia di Nicosia, as well as Societe for Casteldaccia, San Biaggio (Agrigento), and Sant'Angelo Muxaro.

The Società Santa Rosalia di Campofelice di Rocella still existed in the 2000s, not sure if it still does. Same with the one for Campobello di Mazara.

The Società di Burgio di Chicago holds an annual picnic in July. This Society seems to be composed mainly of recent immigrants and includes Bacinos and Buscemis among its members.

These are just the Sicilian ones that I'm aware of. Chicago still has dozens of other active Feste/Societe/Congregazioni for important towns/regions, including Calabria (a pan-Calabrese one and the San Rocco di Simbario in Chinatown), Ricigliano, San Gennaro di Napoli (based on Taylor St at least until the '80s, naturally), San Rocco di Potenza, Foggia, and like a dozen for Bari (Bari, Mola di Bari, Modugno, Noicattaro, Triggiano, etc., etc. Some of these have been around for a long time and others seem to have been founded more recently due to the robust and very active migration between Chicago and Puglia).

[PolackTony]

In August of 1929, Antonio Domingo, 36 years old, entered the restaurant of Pasquale Spilotro on Ogden at Grand in the Grand Ave Patch. A car of gunmen then pulled up to the restaurant and killed Domingo in a hail of gunfire. Domingo's friend, Ralph Bituta, was unharmed. Antonio Domingo was born 1893 in Castellammare del Golfo, the son of Giuseppe Domingo and Mattia "Matilda" Farina. Antonio's younger brother, Sebastiano Domingo, was the famous "Buster from Chicago", remembered by Valachi and Bonanno, who fled to NYC following the murder of his brother. Pasquale "Patsy" Spilotro was, of course, the father of Tony Spilotro.

Antonio Domingo was already living in Chicago, on Oak St in Little Sicily, in 1913, when his mother Mattea and several siblings, including 3-year-old Sebastiano, arrived in NYC bound for Chicago. On his WW1 draft card, Tony Domingo was living on Willow in Old Town, on the Near Northside, and stated that he was a railroad worker. In 1918, Antonio married Maria DiMaria, born 1903 in CDG, in Benton Harbor, MI, in Berrien County. Maria's parents were Stefano Di Maria and Caterina Farina (likely a relative of some sort of Antonio's mother). The DiMarias also lived in Chicago, before relocating to Benton Harbor along with the Domingos. In 1911 and 1915, Maria's brothers Salvatore and Camillo were baptized in St Philip Benizi Parish in Little Sicily. The DiMarias lived at 1125 N Townsend (by Hobbie). For a split second, I thought that Salvatore DiMaria's godfather in 1911 was a Salvatore Maranzano:


Tragedy struck Tony Domingo and his family several times over in Benton Harbor. His 6-year old daughter Martha Domingo was killed in 1925 when she was accidentally shot at an NYE party by her 10-year-old uncle Camillo "Leo" DiMaria. In August of 1926, his brothers-in-law Frank and Salvatore Dimaria were killed in Benton Harbor. Then, in 1927, Tony's wife Maria was killed in a car bombing at their home. Several days later, Tony and his brother "Charles Domingo" were arrested in a failed shotgun attack on Louis Viegla of Benton Harbor, who the Domingos accused of being responsible for the bombing. I don't have a record for a Charles Domingo, but he may have been Tony and Sebastiano's brother Francesco "Frank" Domingo, who married Maria's sister Francesca 'Frances" DiMaria in Chicago in 1919. At some point after this, Tony returned to Chicago, where he was living on Walton near Sacramento in East Garfield Park when he was killed. Worth noting that the Domingos and DiMarias don't seem to have ever been associated with the Taylor St Patch, where the much more numerous Trapanesi from the Marsala/Mazara/Castelvetrano area congregated. As there weren't many Castellammaresi in Chicago, so far as I can tell, they may have had their own small network in Little Sicily.

Sebatiano Domingo died in Manhattan in 1933. Mother Matilda Farina died in Chicago in 1948. Brother Frank Domingo died in Cook County in 1962, while his wife Frances DiMaria died in 1980 while living in Addison, IL. Tony and Maria Domingo's son Joseph Domingo died in Melrose Park in 1987.

Worth noting here also that among the Castellammaresi names in Chicago were Ingoglia, Buccellato, and Giampino, names strongly associated with the mafia in CDG.

Another name that B. had brought up before as a Castellammarese was John Montana. The only Montanas that I'm aware of were the infamous Acceresi Montanas of Taylor/Melrose park. But there was a Giovanni Montana from CDG, born 1890, who died in Chicago in 1944.

[B.]

Didn't realize Domingo's brother was killed at Spilotro's place. Amazing.

The John Montana born 1890 is the one I found. Can't remember where I found his name originally but he was apparently connected to Chicago mafia circles in some way though this would have come from someone else's info.

What does that godfather's name actually say? It does almost look like a misspelling of Maranzano but can't make it out.

[Antiliar]

A lot of Bagheresi lived on Townsend and Milton streets.