Capone and the Mafia

[Villain]

Since we already showed and proved a lot of things in B's huge and quite productive thread regarding the Chicago Outfit, I've decided to post my seperate opinion on one of the oldest subjects and that's about Al Capone and the Mafia, and to make my own final statement.

Today some researchers still believe that Capone was somehow subordinate to the Sicilian Mafia and when he became the boss, he allegedly operated in the same Cosa Nostra manner, while other researchers continously believe that the whole Mafia was scared of Capone and that he literally kidnapped the organization and completely re-shaped it in his own image.

Well my personal belief is that the answer can be found somewhere in the middle.

We all know that the main guy who was responsible for bringing Torrio and Capone to Chicago was Jim Colosimo, together by his wife Victoria Moresco. The interesting thing is that there's proof regarding Colosimo being connected to the Sicilian Mafia in Chicago through the main boss Mike Merlo. There's even a picture of both Merlo and Colosimo in the company of John Torrio. That same picture was probably taken before the murders of both Colosimo in 1920 and Tony D'Andrea in 1921, who in turn was Merlo's boss and was later succeeded by him.

This means that the so-called mainlanders like Colosimo and Torrio were closely connected to the Sicilian Mafia at the time, and we don't have any kind of proof if they were considered as made members of the organization, although we have evidence for one mainlander at the time known as Joe Esposito who in turn was a made guy.

The interesting thing was that most of the top level Sicilian and non-Sicilian members such as Merloe and Esposito were involved in politics and acted both like political and Mafia bosses, who in turn operated in their own wards and districts. As I already said that we dont have any proof about Colosimo being considered as a made member, although he also controlled certain areas such as the Loop and South Side, and during his early days started working for members of the First Ward as a precinct captain and later received a high position in that same ward.

I'm not pushing the theory that Colosimo was a made member, but he surely operated as one and was closely associated with the Mafia, meaning he didn't have any types of conflicts. So let's just say that Colosimo and his organization were in ALLIANCE with the Mafia and cooperated to a certain degree. We don't know if Colosimo kicked up to the Mafia as a high level associate or as a made member.

When John Torrio arrived, he also brought some guys such as Robert Vanella and most of these fellas were from the old Navy St gang in Brooklyn NY. When Colosimo got killed in 1920, he was quickly followed by the Mafia's boss Tony D'Andrea in 1921. So, from that point on, both Merlo and Torrio cooperated until Merlos death in 1925, followed by Torrios assassination attempt in 1926.

Again, we dont know if Torrio was also considered a member or associate of the Mafia, but, we can surely say that he also followed his mentor's footsteps, meaning he also closely cooperated with them, since its very hard to say if Torrio kicked up to them mainly because by 1925 he had more than few conflicts which included both made guys and associates or non-Italians.

I also want to add that Torrio was never retired after his arrival in New York, since he was still considered as one of the most important "members" between Chicago and the Genovese crime family in NY. Speaking about the Genoveses, back in 1919, Torrios associate Tony Ricci allegedly brought some fellas from their old Brooklyn neighbourhood such as Al Capone and Sylvester Agoglia.

We also know that one of their main connections during Prohibition in New York was Frankie Yale, together with one Sam Pollaccia and Joe Masseria. So it seems that when Torrio eliminated Colosimo, it was a call for his own connections in NY and from around Navy St in Brooklyn, aka the Yale/Masseria clan and so they sent the Capone bros, Jimmy Mondi and other fellas.

So according to Mafia informer Nick Gentile, by 1925 Al Capone paid percentage to the Mafia, around $50,000, while being an associate or in other words, Capone and some his fellas were New York guys in Chicago who simply sent home one part of their proceeding, probably to Frankie Yale and the NY family which he belonged or was associated with.

This also means that Capone was making a lot of money and was a real power at the time, if he was able to send home such a large amount, and this information was the main reason for the suspicion on whether Colosimo or Torrio previously did the same thing. In addition, while being considered just an associate, by 1927 Capone was already involved in many Mafia internal affairs because of his power.

During this period the alleged Mafia's boss of bosses was Sal D'Aquila and right after Merlos death in 1925, the old man sent Tony Lombardo as Chicago's new representative. While in Chicago or after the elimination of the Genna clan, Lombardo picked Joe Aiello as his new underboss and tried to maintain the peace between the gangs.

The interesting thing was that both Lombardo and Capone knew each other but the problem was that Capone didn't pay any interests to Chicagos boss and the D'Aquila regime. Proof for that is when Lombardo allegedly tried to convince Capone not to send any cash back home, mainly because he was not a member of the Mafia. I personally believe that Lombardo tried to win Capone's loyalty against Yale and the rising Masseria regime.

So when Joe Masseria heard about the whole situation, in 1928, he allegedly called for Capone in NY and explained to him all of the scales and priviledges by becoming a respected member of the Mafia. Story goes that Masseria made Capone a capo or capodecina, with the authority to make his own crew of ten made members. This meant that Capone became a representative or a "crew boss" in Chicago for the Masseria clan or family, who in turn received orders to eliminate every obstacle created by the D'Aquila regime.

Now we dont know the exact month on when Capone became a high level member of the Masseria family, but by judging on the high level hits that occurred at the time, it was possibly sometime between January and February 1928. The first one to go was D'Aquilas alleged loyalist Joe Esposito in March that same year, followed by Yale in July who in turn was killed in NY by Capones men, probably because of being a D'Aquila supporter. In September Lombardo was finally eliminated also by Capone's men and in the end or in October the boss of bosses D'Aquila joined his murdered buddies.

Now you would ask yourself why Massetia gave Capone such a priviledge or the power to make his own army? First of all, every young hoodlum was loyal to Capone and the big fella knew everyone of them, and on top of that, Masseria was obviously quite aware regarding Capone's close association with the non-Italian criminal element, which in turn gave him the needed power. In fact, Capones non-Italian pals played a major role in the elimination of his obstacles within the Sicilian Mafia.

Masseria was quite smart, meaning he was aware that his main guy in Chicago, Al Capone, was a non-Sicilian including his ally Dominick Roberto who "recently" took over the Chicago Heights area, and so for Masseria to control the Unione Siciliani in that same city, he needed a Sicilian guy and that's why he sent for Patsy Lolordo. In the Mafia world there's always protocol and so since Lolordo had the boss position, Capone previously had to receive some stature and so he became a capodecina. We all know that whoever controlled the Unione Siciliani and the bloody 19th Ward at the time, he was recognized as the boss of the Chicago Mafia.

Masseria literally gave Capone the power to be a boss in his own right by making his own people. However, under the Unione Siciliani, Capone wasn't Sicilian and so Masseria needed to give him some type of label or stature so he placed Lolordo as a front. My personal belief is that Masseria was slowly preparing Capone for his main and top representative in Chicago, step by step, just so he can show face infront of his accomplices in other families.

In December, that same faithful year of 1928, a Mafia meeting occurred in Cleveland in which Masseria was recognized as the new boss of bosses and one of the Chicago representatives was Masseria's and Capone's "front boss" or "puppet guy" Patsy Lolordo.

There was another Chicago Mafioso present known as Sam Oliveri who in turn represented the interests of the Calumet City area and possibly the Chicago Heights and he was probably replaced by another Masseria ally known as Phil Bacino. Proof for that might be Oliveris exile to another city during later years, and so it is possible that Bacino was elected to represent Capone's/Roberto's interests on that same sit down.

Dont forget that this is mostly speculation created by me, according to the events that occurred that the time.

At the beginning of 1929, Lolordo was eliminated by strong leftovers from the former D'Aquila/Lombardo regime such as Joe Aiello, who in turn at the time was in alliance with every possible Italian or non-Italian gang that recognized Capone as their arch enemy.

There were several reps on both sides regarding the boss position, but by 1930, the only one who survived was Salvatore Loverde, who in turn was recognized as the new representative for the Chicago faction probably by both of the warring factions back in New York, such as the Masseria family and rising opposition headed by Salvatore Maranzano.

My view regarding this situation was created mainly because Loverde also belonged to some sort of a national sub-commission that travelled all over the country and its main purpose was to settle any type of conflicts which occurred all over, such as the one in Chicago at the time, and so it is possible that Loverde played both sides during that period just to maintain the peace in that same city, similar, as his former predecessors Merlo and Lombardo.

This obviously didnt sit well with Capone and some of his cohorts in New York, and thats why in April 1931, Joe Masseria was killed. During that same time period, Maranzano became the new boss of bosses and it seems that even though Masseria groomed Capone to become his main rep, still it was Maranzano the first top Mafia boss who recognized Capone as the boss of his own Chicago family and gave him a seat on the "governo centrale".

As the Mob lore goes, guys like Capone and Charles Luciano obviously didnt sit well with the idea of having someone above them and that's why Maranzano was also eliminated, only several months after Masserias demise. In November that same year Loverde was also killed and the following one or in 1932, one of Yale's and Masseria's former associates Sam Pollaccia, who was probably one of the guys that betrayed his former bosses, was also killed by Luciano's man Vito Genovese together with Capone's underboss Paul Ricca.

This was the end of the old Sicilian "boss of bosses" regime in Chicago and around the country and from that point on, guys like Capone and Luciano controlled their own families and also had their own seats on the new Mafia commission, but this time they only had a chairman, not some boss who wanted to take their profits.

Again, from that point on the Chicago family created its own organization in the image of their "father" Al Capone, meaning through the years they created their own specific hierarchy which was slightly different then the ones in some east coast crime families, and they always gave huge respect to some of their non-Italian cohorts who in turn had the same stature as some of the high level made members in their own organization.

[Confederate]

Great article Villain! I've never seen it explained in such great detail this way. To be honest, all this pre-1931 stuff is confusing as hell.

Colosimo was Calabrese. The thing that is always confusing, at least to me, is the distinction between the Sicilian Italians & the Southern Italians from Calabria or Naples before 1931. Colosimo, Torrio, Capone, Ricca weren't Sicilian. So Colosimo couldn't be made into the Mafia in 1919 because he was Calabrese. Correct? However, Vito Genovese was also not Sicilian but was a member of the Mafia before 1931. Correct?

[Antiliar]

Villain, we're on the same page. I don't see anything that I disagree with.

Confederate, there were non-Sicilians made before 1931, but they were exceptional. I think guys like Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese, and Willie Moretti were all made around 1923. Frank Yale was another. In 1916 Nick Terranova was killed while walking with Charles Ubriaco, who was Calabrese. It's very possible he was made too. Not saying that he was, but it's possible.

[Eline2015]

I think that Yale was made by 1920, and in 1920 Yale and Pollaccia come to Chicago in funerals of D’Andrea gave their respect from Genovese crime family

[Confederate]

Villain, we're on the same page. I don't see anything that I disagree with.

Confederate, there were non-Sicilians made before 1931, but they were exceptional. I think guys like Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese, and Willie Moretti were all made around 1923. Frank Yale was another. In 1916 Nick Terranova was killed while walking with Charles Ubriaco, who was Calabrese. It's very possible he was made too. Not saying that he was, but it's possible.

Did Masseria have control over the Unione Siciliani in Chicago? Who started the Union Sicilani in Chicago? Was there the Unione Siciliani in other Cities like Philly, Boston, etc. in 1919?

[Villain]

Great article Villain! I've never seen it explained in such great detail this way. To be honest, all this pre-1931 stuff is confusing as hell.

Colosimo was Calabrese. The thing that is always confusing, at least to me, is the distinction between the Sicilian Italians & the Southern Italians from Calabria or Naples before 1931. Colosimo, Torrio, Capone, Ricca weren't Sicilian. So Colosimo couldn't be made into the Mafia in 1919 because he was Calabrese. Correct? However, Vito Genovese was also not Sicilian but was a member of the Mafia before 1931. Correct?

Thanks man.

As Antiliar already said, during those days there were specific situations in which non-Sicilian guys became made members of the Mafia. For example, there was no chance for anyone to go against Diamond Joe during first half of the 1920s, or against the Vito/Moretti clique in NY, meaning it was easier for them to make this guys, rather then to kill them. Also as I previously stated that there mightve been other made high level non-Sicilians in Chicago that we dont know of, such as Colosimo, Torrio, Vanella etc.

[Villain]

Villain, we're on the same page. I don't see anything that I disagree with.

Thanks bud and im really happy about it.

[Villain]

I think that Yale was made by 1920, and in 1920 Yale and Pollaccia come to Chicago in funerals of D’Andrea gave their respect from Genovese crime family

They were also suspects in the O'Banion hit i think

[Eline2015]

I think that Yale was made by 1920, and in 1920 Yale and Pollaccia come to Chicago in funerals of D’Andrea gave their respect from Genovese crime family

They were also suspects in the O'Banion hit i think

Yes

[Villain]

I think that Yale was made by 1920, and in 1920 Yale and Pollaccia come to Chicago in funerals of D’Andrea gave their respect from Genovese crime family

They were also suspects in the O'Banion hit i think

Yes

Thanks. Its quite interesting on how during later years all of the conflicts in New York somehow reflected in the Chicago area.

[Antiliar]

Villain, we're on the same page. I don't see anything that I disagree with.

Confederate, there were non-Sicilians made before 1931, but they were exceptional. I think guys like Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese, and Willie Moretti were all made around 1923. Frank Yale was another. In 1916 Nick Terranova was killed while walking with Charles Ubriaco, who was Calabrese. It's very possible he was made too. Not saying that he was, but it's possible.

Did Masseria have control over the Unione Siciliani in Chicago? Who started the Union Sicilani in Chicago? Was there the Unione Siciliani in other Cities like Philly, Boston, etc. in 1919?

The Unione Siciliana (that's the correct name) was a fraternal organization created in Chicago in 1895, and soon expanded to sell insurance. It was not a criminal organization. The press confused things and used it as a synonym for the Mafia. It never was. There were stories that Ignazio Lupo was the national president of the Unione Siciliana, then Frankie Yale was. Except it didn't exist in New York. It only existed in four states: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and the fourth was either Ohio or Wisconsin (I forgot). It changed its name to the Italo-American National Union in 1925. It was founded by a group of people, not one person.

In 1907 it helped create the White Hand to fight the Black Hand, but it failed and the White Hand dissolved. Later, Mafia boss Tony D'Andrea became its national president - but that didn't mean the whole organization was part of the Mafia or criminal. Judge Bernard Barasa became its next national president. He wasn't Sicilian. In the 1930s Phil D'Andrea - Tony's nephew - headed the organization. I'm writing late and getting tired, so can't remember the next guy's name, but I believe he was an attorney who was a member of Aiuppa's crew. He died in a plane crash later. Joseph somebody. Later it was merged with the Italian Sons & Daughters of American, and after that, the Sons of Italy.

[Villain]

Villain, we're on the same page. I don't see anything that I disagree with.

Confederate, there were non-Sicilians made before 1931, but they were exceptional. I think guys like Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese, and Willie Moretti were all made around 1923. Frank Yale was another. In 1916 Nick Terranova was killed while walking with Charles Ubriaco, who was Calabrese. It's very possible he was made too. Not saying that he was, but it's possible.

Did Masseria have control over the Unione Siciliani in Chicago? Who started the Union Sicilani in Chicago? Was there the Unione Siciliani in other Cities like Philly, Boston, etc. in 1919?

The Unione Siciliana (that's the correct name) was a fraternal organization created in Chicago in 1895, and soon expanded to sell insurance. It was not a criminal organization. The press confused things and used it as a synonym for the Mafia. It never was. There were stories that Ignazio Lupo was the national president of the Unione Siciliana, then Frankie Yale was. Except it didn't exist in New York. It only existed in four states: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and the fourth was either Ohio or Wisconsin (I forgot). It changed its name to the Italo-American National Union in 1925. It was founded by a group of people, not one person.

In 1907 it helped create the White Hand to fight the Black Hand, but it failed and the White Hand dissolved. Later, Mafia boss Tony D'Andrea became its national president - but that didn't mean the whole organization was part of the Mafia or criminal. Judge Bernard Barasa became its next national president. He wasn't Sicilian. In the 1930s Phil D'Andrea - Tony's nephew - headed the organization. I'm writing late and getting tired, so can't remember the next guy's name, but I believe he was an attorney who was a member of Aiuppa's crew. He died in a plane crash later. Joseph somebody. Later it was merged with the Italian Sons & Daughters of American, and after that, the Sons of Italy.

Imburgio or something like that ? .....the guy whose name was used as an alias during the Hollywood case or while the bosses were in prison?

[Frank]

Great article

[Frank]

Was there multiple LCN families or were they all under D'Andrea and then Merlo?

[Villain]

Was there multiple LCN families or were they all under D'Andrea and then Merlo?

There were two Sicilian groups, one located around the North, West and Cicero (D'Andrea, Merlo, Lombardo, Genna, Aiello, Lolordo, Loverde, DeGeorge) and the other was located around C City, Chicago Heights and northwest Indiana (Sanfilippo, Piazza, Lamberta, Nerone, Martino, Oliveri). There were also some Sicilian clans around the South Side such as the Vinci family and the Genero aka Annoreno clan

I personally dont know if those two groups operated as separate families or as one family under the D'Andrea or Merlo regimes, since we have guys who lived around the North or West Side, while being recognized as members of the Heights faction, or maybe they simply operated in each others areas, like most of the Sicilian families on the east coast.

Maybe Antiliar can shed some light on the situation...