John Gotti in northern Illinois?

[cavita]

While researching the FBI files of Rockford LCN capo Sebastian "Knobby" Gulotta I came across the following paragraph taken from a Cooperating Witness from Rockford, Illinois. The interview with the CW was in March 1993 but the incident that the CW describes took place earlier, but the exact timeframe is unknown. It mentions that the CW identified John Gotti as being in Rockford for some get together. Now, in the 1980s the Rockford LCN was involved in all the traditional illegal activities- gambling, extortion, etc. and they were seriously investigated for narcotics activity regarding the Iron Tower II case for which many people were prosecuted. Only one man from Rockford was charged in this case, however. The FBI detailed that Rockford was connected in this narcotics activity to Buffalo, New York, Philadelphia and places in Sicily. The files also outlined how Rockford had strong ties to Sicily on their own. Now, I know that the Iron Tower II case was primarily overseen by the Gambino family and it is curious that the CW identifies John Gotti as being in Rockford. Immediately after the paragraph regarding Gotti, is the CW describing how he attended the funeral of Rockford LCN underboss Frank Buscemi in December 1987 so I'm getting the impression that the sighting of Gotti in Rockford was around that period. Here is the following paragraph from the FBI file:

"The CW had no idea what the meeting or the party was about. The CW identified the people that were at this meeting as: [REDACTED] and an individual very nattily dressed and distinctive of appearance. The CW had no idea who the well-dressed, distinctive looking person was. The CW stated that there were other people at this party as well, but he did not recognize any of them. The CW stated that he recalled watching tv when JOHN GOTTI from New York was arrested. The CW stated he was positive that the person that was at the LOMBARDI CLUB, the nattily dressed and distinctive looking individual, was JOHN GOTTI."


Does anyone have any further info on this or have any FBI files on Gotti being in the Rockford, Illinois area as I am pretty skeptical about this. Thanks for any help!

[Snakes]

There is some evidence indicating that Gotti met or planned on meeting Chicago boss Sam Carlisi in Miami around this same time period. This also involved the DeCavalcantes in some way and concerned union matters. I don't believe that the FBI was able to conclusively prove that they ever actually met but it leads me to believe that Gotti was involved in some manner with the Illinois LCN families, so perhaps Rockford was involved in some way, too.

[DPG]

It makes sense that a family not in a major city would be more heavily involved in drugs considering there isnt millions and millions of dollars flowing around for them to try and grab a piece of. How the LA family didnt turn out like Montreal will always be a mystery to me.

[CabriniGreen]

In Sammy book he said some families drank the kool aid.

Like some of em reached out to Gotti to resolve disputes. He said Chicago reached out...

[Snakes]

I think the dispute was between the Gambinos and Chicago, if I remember correctly. Carlisi was beefing about something with Gotti which led to the meeting.

[cavita]

Well this has all become quite confusing for me as I'm not sure where the Rockford LCN's direction came from regarding their narcotics activity. When they started distributing narcotics in their area in 1980 it wasn't clear where it originated from. When the feds took down one of their cocaine and heroin networks in 1982 the route ran between Rockford, Las Vegas and Chicago leading me to believe it was Chicago since Rockford fell under their jurisdiction. By the mid-1980s they were involved in the Pizza Connection and their network seemed to be more Sicilian in nature. Many FBI files mentioned their Sicilian connections as well as notifying LE agencies in Bonn, Germany, Brussels, Belgium and Ottawa, Canada. In the late 1980s they ran their networks and distributions through Buffalo, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Baltimore, Miami, Newark, Palermo, Bologna and Florence and this investigation, at least on the Rockford end, was code named "BUSICO."
The FBI files I have continually mention Rockford as a "Sicilian faction" of the Mafia and one page I have mysteriously mentions one in Chicago. Until I get more FBI files that mention how their narcotics network functioned, I'm left confused as to where they were ultimately getting direction from- Chicago? Or Sicily and New York with Chicago's approval?

[Snakes]

Chicago had some Sicilian heroin traffickers that were financed by the bosses as a layer of insulation. Frank Infelise was one of them. He was affiliated with LaPietra and the South Side.

Not sure how this involved Rockford, if at all, but I have also read that Rockford had imported several Sicilians by the mod eighties, supposedly to run drugs.

[CabriniGreen]

@cavita

Very interesting...... I can already see the label on the can of worms I might open... but I gotta ask...

Have you read that book Octopus? Also, in the News From Italy section, did you see the article about the Sicilians in the US?

[CabriniGreen]

This one here...



http://m.espresso.repubblica.it/attuali ... ef=RHRR-BE

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

Well this has all become quite confusing for me as I'm not sure where the Rockford LCN's direction came from regarding their narcotics activity. When they started distributing narcotics in their area in 1980 it wasn't clear where it originated from. When the feds took down one of their cocaine and heroin networks in 1982 the route ran between Rockford, Las Vegas and Chicago leading me to believe it was Chicago since Rockford fell under their jurisdiction. By the mid-1980s they were involved in the Pizza Connection and their network seemed to be more Sicilian in nature. Many FBI files mentioned their Sicilian connections as well as notifying LE agencies in Bonn, Germany, Brussels, Belgium and Ottawa, Canada. In the late 1980s they ran their networks and distributions through Buffalo, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Baltimore, Miami, Newark, Palermo, Bologna and Florence and this investigation, at least on the Rockford end, was code named "BUSICO."
The FBI files I have continually mention Rockford as a "Sicilian faction" of the Mafia and one page I have mysteriously mentions one in Chicago. Until I get more FBI files that mention how their narcotics network functioned, I'm left confused as to where they were ultimately getting direction from- Chicago? Or Sicily and New York with Chicago's approval?

Didn't Don Tano Badalamenti have people running pizza parlors
in northern Illinois & southern Michigan. IIRC his nephew ran one
and that was where the mid-West area's horse was distributed from.
Stands to reason they would be where active LCN operate.

[CabriniGreen]

@SilentPartnerz

It's more a question of, who was ultimately directing this traffic. Cavita has come across the SAME EXACT CONFUSION I have when dealing with these situations that involve the American Families doing business with the Sicilians.

From the Pizza connection, all the way up to New Bridge and O Tremens. Even what's the other one in NY? With the Scirrippa clan, Project Solare? I think?

A lot of posters know its been a pet fascination of mine, even though they simplify it to being " Drug-Centric"... Its more like I'm trying to gain an understanding of the structure of criminal operations in North America, that are run by European Italians.

And the dynamics of how it affects the drug traffic, which DIRECTLY affects which criminal organizations rise or fall in power.

2 examples, Hells Angel's in Canada, Albanians in the UK. And also, rivalries amongst Italian clans and families.


You gotta understand, in my lifetime... I've seen 2 things happen I didnt think could happen.

1. The Mexicans surpassed the Colombians in Cocaine
2. The Calabrians surpassed the Sicilians in wealth and influence.....

IN MY LIFETIME!! And really, it's more like 15-20 years or so.....

So clearly, controlling the drug trade is a powerful thing. Consistently, the 2 most powerful criminal groups the last 10 years at least has been Sinaloa over here, Ndrangheta over there.....




Both these events came about because of dynamics of the drug trade.



(Mafia members do business with other mafia members. Drug traffickers do business with Mafia, Bikers, Street gangs, Irish, Middle easterners, Wasp gangs, Asian gangs, Every COUNTRY...understand....)



It looks like they get approval from the families to operate, but they really ran their own show.

And it's why I wonder if it still works like this today, like the structure of it......

You got the same fundamental questions I do... Who's in charge? Sicily or NY, in this case Chicago?

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

"You got the same fundamental questions I do... Who's in charge? Sicily or NY, in this case Chicago?"
I'd say Sicily or Calabria are in charge of their operations and do not answer to NY; CHI or Sinaloa.
They work with whatever group enables the large scale distribution. I agree with you that the manufacture,
distribution & sales of kilos of illegal powders are the largest revenue source for OC. As far as the
NY families, the "you deal. you die" edict went out the window as a result of the Commission Case
convictions. The NY families seem to get caught selling smaller quantities of powder showing them
to be a level below the Italians. Interesting to note how the Gambino's F. Cali, D. Cefalu, P. Inzerillo
all have close ties with the Sicilians which could indicate Cali has a say in what happens in NY & may
be a partner of the Sicilians.

[cavita]

One thing that also gets to me is an FBI file I have wherein it's described that in February 1980 Rockford LCN boss Joe Zammuto held a series of meetings at his vacation home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was at these meetings, according to the FBI, that he informed the Rockford family that they would now be dealing/distributing narcotics in the Rockford area. At that time Zammuto was 84 years old and had tried to keep the family low profile since the late 1960s according to the feds. SOMEONE must have given Zammuto an order that this was to happen. Zammuto was already wealthy and didn't need any more money so this is interesting. The task for the distribution fell to underboss Frank Buscemi who had numerous Sicilian ties as he had imported/sponsored many of them into Rockford in the late 1960s and again in the early 1980s. He was also well-connected to the Chicago family, particularly the northside crew as that's where he had worked before moving to Rockford in 1958.

I have great documentation that Pietro Alfano had ties to the Rockford family immediately after immigrating to the U.S. and had opened a pizza parlor in Rockford in 1967 with Rockford member Phil Priola before he moved on to Oregon, Illinois. Additionally, the feds couldn't tie the Rockford family to the Pizza Connection but I have a list of about two dozen known businesses that distributed narcotics in Rockford and almost all were owned by recent Sicilian immigrants. Buscemi also had relatives in the Boston/Waltham, Massachusetts area and in one of his files the FBI noted that a Buscemi relative in Rockford, Alberto Seminerio, had ties to a Sicilian mafia family and was distributing narcotics through his pizza restaurant.


Confounding is the word. Chicago, New York, Sicily? All three? I hardly think that at the time New York and/or Sicily couldn't move drugs in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin without the approval of Chicago and giving them a fair cut. John Gotti in Rockford in the late 1980s? Perhaps.

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

Before the Outfit dwindled (pre-Bob Cooley/Strawman cases) when Aiuppa and
Accardo ruled, we should all agree that those two bosses, at minimum, had to give permission
for the large scale narcotics business in the Outfit territory.
The meeting in south Florida is very interesting. So many bosses had homes there then.
LaRocca, DeCavalcante; Zammuto; & the Five Family crew bosses down there.
I would love to get my hands on bug trascripts from some of the meetings held down there.
The homes of bosses and FL capos; the Foutainbleau and Joe Sonkens restaurant must have been bugged at some time.

[Wiseguy]

This one here...



http://m.espresso.repubblica.it/attuali ... ef=RHRR-BE

Those U.S. numbers (which have been on the FBI website for years) refer to members and associates, while the figures for Palermo appear to refer to members alone. It stands to reason there are more Sicilian Mafia members and associates in Sicily than the U.S. Poor interpretation of the data by the writer of the article.

@SilentPartnerz

It's more a question of, who was ultimately directing this traffic. Cavita has come across the SAME EXACT CONFUSION I have when dealing with these situations that involve the American Families doing business with the Sicilians.

From the Pizza connection, all the way up to New Bridge and O Tremens. Even what's the other one in NY? With the Scirrippa clan, Project Solare? I think?

A lot of posters know its been a pet fascination of mine, even though they simplify it to being " Drug-Centric"... Its more like I'm trying to gain an understanding of the structure of criminal operations in North America, that are run by European Italians.

And the dynamics of how it affects the drug traffic, which DIRECTLY affects which criminal organizations rise or fall in power.

2 examples, Hells Angel's in Canada, Albanians in the UK. And also, rivalries amongst Italian clans and families.


You gotta understand, in my lifetime... I've seen 2 things happen I didnt think could happen.

1. The Mexicans surpassed the Colombians in Cocaine
2. The Calabrians surpassed the Sicilians in wealth and influence.....

IN MY LIFETIME!! And really, it's more like 15-20 years or so.....

So clearly, controlling the drug trade is a powerful thing. Consistently, the 2 most powerful criminal groups the last 10 years at least has been Sinaloa over here, Ndrangheta over there.....




Both these events came about because of dynamics of the drug trade.



(Mafia members do business with other mafia members. Drug traffickers do business with Mafia, Bikers, Street gangs, Irish, Middle easterners, Wasp gangs, Asian gangs, Every COUNTRY...understand....)



It looks like they get approval from the families to operate, but they really ran their own show.

And it's why I wonder if it still works like this today, like the structure of it......

You got the same fundamental questions I do... Who's in charge? Sicily or NY, in this case Chicago?

When I say you're drug-centric, it's mainly in reference to the American LCN. Sometimes you've almost had the tail wagging the dog.

Except for the New York City area, where the Colombians still maintain a strong presence, the Mexicans of course took over distribution in most of the country. But the Mexicans obviously still need the Colombians for their cocaine supply.

"You got the same fundamental questions I do... Who's in charge? Sicily or NY, in this case Chicago?"
I'd say Sicily or Calabria are in charge of their operations and do not answer to NY; CHI or Sinaloa.
They work with whatever group enables the large scale distribution. I agree with you that the manufacture,
distribution & sales of kilos of illegal powders are the largest revenue source for OC. As far as the
NY families, the "you deal. you die" edict went out the window as a result of the Commission Case
convictions. The NY families seem to get caught selling smaller quantities of powder showing them
to be a level below the Italians. Interesting to note how the Gambino's F. Cali, D. Cefalu, P. Inzerillo
all have close ties with the Sicilians which could indicate Cali has a say in what happens in NY & may
be a partner of the Sicilians.

Generally speaking, drugs are the biggest money maker for organized crime. And while it's been one of the biggest for the American LCN, gambling has always been the biggest. At least since the end of Prohibition.

As for the "deal and die" rule, as it's been discussed many times, even before the Commission case that rule seems to have been selectively applied by even the bosses said to be most against the drug trade.

And while I do think you're correct about how the Italian groups operate today, I can't think of a past U.S. drug case involving the Sicilians that wasn't connected to the American LCN in some way. And we have yet to see a Ndrangheta case here in the U.S. that hasn't also been tied to the Americans. The point being, while they may answer to their own bosses across the Atlantic, it seems they always have had to work with, accommodate, or otherwise involve the American LCN.