Early 1970s Chicago member informant

[PolackTony]

I wasn't trying to convey the idea that Nicoletti was the informant you were looking for, only that he was an informant. (It's past my bedtime, LOL.)

I think English was technically a member of Willie Daddono's crew, which Nicoletti took over (except for McHenry County, which went to N*** Joe Amato). So in the early 1970s he was under Nicoletti. After that he either went to Grand Avenue when Lombardo took over or to Cicero under Ferriola. English became involved with C-notes, getting them to sell drugs for him since he was shut off from other sources of income. Rocky Infelise called his death a great distraction at the time of the Hal Smith murder.

Not to diverge too much on a tangent. But where did you get the info that Chuckie English was supplying the C-Notes? I recall a while back seeing some info that before his death English had been supplying the Huron & Hoyne Latin Kings (who were bitter enemies of the C-Notes engaged in a decades-long street war).

The Salas brothers were ex-C-Notes who joined the Latin Kings. That's who I was referring to.

Thanks. That makes sense. If I'm not mistaken, the Salas brothers may have founded the Huron & Hoyne section for the LKs when they defected. This led to the intense acrimony between them and the C-Notes, as they took the corner from C-Note territory (as well as one of their suppliers seemingly) and were operating around the corner from the Ohio & Leavitt C-Notes. I have a few old friends who are retired Kings from H&H, I could ask if they ever heard anything about what happened in that era. I wouldn't be surprised if English was (as we know) dissatisfied with his status in the Outfit and potentially fomented the Salas' defection to further his own drug interests.

[Antiliar]

Thanks. That makes sense. If I'm not mistaken, the Salas brothers may have founded the Huron & Hoyne section for the LKs when they defected. This led to the intense acrimony between them and the C-Notes, as they took the corner from C-Note territory (as well as one of their suppliers seemingly) and were operating around the corner from the Ohio & Leavitt C-Notes. I have a few old friends who are retired Kings from H&H, I could ask if they ever heard anything about what happened in that era. I wouldn't be surprised if English was (as we know) dissatisfied with his status in the Outfit and potentially fomented the Salas' defection to further his own drug interests.

If you have friends who have anything to add, that would be great. Not much is known about Chuck English's life after Giancana was killed. Without Giancana or Willie Potatoes he had little support.

Regarding DePietto, you are correct. It's also possible that some of the Montanas were still around at that time, but even if they were they were from Acerra, not Sicily.

And regarding Carl Fiorito, maybe something useful can be found here: https://books.google.com/books?id=ehpfk ... 22&f=false

[Snakes]

Galiano was dead by this time, correct? I'd also add Albert Frabotta and Albert Jannotta to the above, as well as Joseph Rocco. Joseph Rocco is also the redacted name in the first "clear" paragraph on the page linked below. He was born in 1908 and worked under Battaglia. He is interesting only under the context of the informant describing Rocco's dislike of Rocco Salvatore, which is fairly specific.

I included Galiano to be comprehensive, and it was mentioned that the information is scattershot, jumping around to different time periods.

Added the names you mentioned. I'm sure there were old-timers too who were retired or shelved.

I accidentally put Albert down for Jannotta. It should be Angelo.

[B.]

With so few Sicilians in that crew, I'm still looking at Leonard Gianola. Not sure I believe Double Cross when it says teenage Gianola and Giancana were dealing with Johnny Torrio in the 1920s, but is there evidence of a close relationship between Gianola and Giancana by the 1940s, or any point?

[Villain]

Fiorito I believe was 2nd generation Sicilian (I think his father was Antonio Fiorito of Contessa Entellina). I'm reasonably certain that DePietto's parents were both from Benevento, Campania, however.

Thanks a lot bud, i dont know why i always thought DiPietto was Sicilian.

[Antiliar]

With so few Sicilians in that crew, I'm still looking at Leonard Gianola. Not sure I believe Double Cross when it says teenage Gianola and Giancana were dealing with Johnny Torrio in the 1920s, but is there evidence of a close relationship between Gianola and Giancana by the 1940s, or any point?

Leonard's parents were from Cinisi in the province of Palermo, and was arrested with Crackers Mendino in 1935. I believe all of them, including Giancana, were in the 42 Gang. (For the record, Gianola and Mendino are not on the list of suspected 42's).

[Villain]

With so few Sicilians in that crew, I'm still looking at Leonard Gianola. Not sure I believe Double Cross when it says teenage Gianola and Giancana were dealing with Johnny Torrio in the 1920s, but is there evidence of a close relationship between Gianola and Giancana by the 1940s, or any point?

Thanks for the previous additional info on Gianola.

In the Giancana book you can find stuff like Mooney and the 42s killed everyone from 1920 onward, which means that its full of myths. Also like Anti said, we dont have any proof that Gianola was with the 42's but we have proof that he together with Mendino were connected to Paul Labriola who at first was connected to the Mangano/DeJohn alliance and later with the Elmwood Park crew. When the Mangano/DeJohn alliance got eliminated and as the years passed by, Labriola went with EP, Mendino and Gianola went with Giancana/Caifano/Battaglia, later Daddono and the English bros formed their own group, while the Kokenes bros went with Alex and Ferraro. Mangano was killed in 44 while DeJohn was killed in 47 (fled the city in 46) so it sounds reasonable for some of these guys meeting Giancana during the late 40s.

Labriola began making trouble in 1953/54 and was killed in 1954, because of making problems regarding the scheme from the Bartenders and Restaurant Union in which Fusco was also deeply involved, especially in the takeover of that same union but i cant find any direct contact between him and Labriola or Gianola. So maybe Gianola was still with Labriola when Battaglia asked for Labriolas life and was saved by Giancana during the eliminations...just my two cents

[Ed]

A few circumstantial things that MAY point to Leonard Gianola.

For me, the most likely reason the informant shared information about Bugs Moran and Leavenworth prison was because he was there at the same time. According to "Captive City" by Ovid Demaris, Gianola spent three years at Leavenworth for theft. However, I don't know if their prison sentences overlapped. So this may be nothing.

The informant talked about transporting booze in trucks filled with rotting eggs. In 1935, Gianola was convicted of stealing 320 crates of eggs with three men including Joe Mendino. No mention of any booze involved in the arrest and conviction, and it occurred after prohibition, but it does suggest Gianola might be familiar with the "egg ruse." This could be a total coincidence but it's interesting.

Gianola died in 1974. His obituary refers to him as the "beloved husband" of Valerie. It could be typical obituary b.s., but it does point to a strong marriage, something the informant appears to have had.

[Villain]

A few circumstantial things that MAY point to Leonard Gianola.

For me, the most likely reason the informant shared information about Bugs Moran and Leavenworth prison was because he was there at the same time. According to "Captive City" by Ovid Demaris, Gianola spent three years at Leavenworth for theft. However, I don't know if their prison sentences overlapped. So this may be nothing.

The informant talked about transporting booze in trucks filled with rotting eggs. In 1935, Gianola was convicted of stealing 320 crates of eggs with three men including Joe Mendino. No mention of any booze involved in the arrest and conviction, and it occurred after prohibition, but it does suggest Gianola might be familiar with the "egg ruse." This could be a total coincidence but it's interesting.

Gianola died in 1974. His obituary refers to him as the "beloved husband" of Valerie. It could be typical obituary b.s., but it does point to a strong marriage, something the informant appears to have had.

Thanks a lot for this Ed.

- we have Gianola allegedly being connected to remnants of the old Sicilian faction that was eliminated during the mid/late 1940s, around the same time when the informant allegedly met Giancana.

- we have some of Gianola's associates being in quite of trouble during the first half of the 1950's and they were eliminated by 1954, which raises the question on whether Gianola was a target too?

- Gianola's associates were eliminated because of the scheme from the bartenders and restaurant union in which Joe Fusco was allegedly involved since the early 1940s

- we have Gianola being involved in transporting booze with rotten eggs, same as the informant

- and we also have Gianola spending time at Leavenworth, same as the informant

[Antiliar]

When Bugs Moran died in February 1957, he'd only been in Leavenworth for about a month. Before that he was in Ohio state prison. So Gianola was long gone from Leavenworth by the time Moran arrived.

[Villain]

When Bugs Moran died in February 1957, he'd only been in Leavenworth for about a month. Before that he was in Ohio state prison. So Gianola was long gone from Leavenworth by the time Moran arrived.

He possibly lied about that one but why would he invent such a thing? Same as the info regarding the Fischettis and Aiello?

[Antiliar]

When Bugs Moran died in February 1957, he'd only been in Leavenworth for about a month. Before that he was in Ohio state prison. So Gianola was long gone from Leavenworth by the time Moran arrived.

He possibly lied about that one but why would he invent such a thing? Same as the info regarding the Fischettis and Aiello?

I don't think it necessarily means he's lying, but repeating false information that he believes to be true.

[Villain]

When Bugs Moran died in February 1957, he'd only been in Leavenworth for about a month. Before that he was in Ohio state prison. So Gianola was long gone from Leavenworth by the time Moran arrived.

He possibly lied about that one but why would he invent such a thing? Same as the info regarding the Fischettis and Aiello?

I don't think it necessarily means he's lying, but repeating false information that he believes to be true.

Could be.

[PolackTony]

A few circumstantial things that MAY point to Leonard Gianola.

For me, the most likely reason the informant shared information about Bugs Moran and Leavenworth prison was because he was there at the same time. According to "Captive City" by Ovid Demaris, Gianola spent three years at Leavenworth for theft. However, I don't know if their prison sentences overlapped. So this may be nothing.

The informant talked about transporting booze in trucks filled with rotting eggs. In 1935, Gianola was convicted of stealing 320 crates of eggs with three men including Joe Mendino. No mention of any booze involved in the arrest and conviction, and it occurred after prohibition, but it does suggest Gianola might be familiar with the "egg ruse." This could be a total coincidence but it's interesting.

Gianola died in 1974. His obituary refers to him as the "beloved husband" of Valerie. It could be typical obituary b.s., but it does point to a strong marriage, something the informant appears to have had.

As Antilliar has already noted, Gianola was in Leavenworth for three years (1935-1938), so no overlap. No records anywhere of a "Valerie Gianola/Giannola". I can tell you that Gianola's wife up until his death was Norma Grace Hoffman (1922 - 2010). In the 1940 census Gianola was living with a wife named Mary, no kids. At some point he divorced her and then remarried Norma (who in 1940 was 17 and still living with her parents). Leonard and Norma had a son named Robert Vito Gianola who was born 1950 (died 2004). And there is a record of a Leonard Gianola being married in 1947 in Saratoga Springs, NY (no name of the bride given). So seems pretty reasonable that he married Norma 1947. Maybe "Valerie" was a nickname of Norma, or maybe Gianola divorced Norma and remarried a Valerie sometime before his death in 1974. The latter seems unlikely as Norma's obituary has her as Gianola and describes her as the "loving wife" of Leonard.

Gianola of course was already busted with Mendino a couple of times for a shootout with the cops and robbery in the 30s (they loved close to each other on Morgan St in the Taylor Patch). Given his long and close association with Mendino, its reasonable to suspect that Gianola had some involvement in the narcotics racket. In fact, in '72 he was subpoenaed to testify in a probe of Outfit narcotics operations. Given his position as a juice guy towards the end of his career, I'd suspect he was probably involved in bankrolling narcotics ops at some level. As others have noted, if this informant was indeed Gianola, it could be that he "did'th protest too much". As Ed has already pointed out, this might explain why he might've been hanging out with DePietto. And as Villain said, maybe the narcotics stuff is why the informant cited Giancana as having bailed him out in the '50s. Possibly after Giancana was pushed out, Gianola lost his "rabbi" and this may have led him to agree to provide info. Also, I remember reading at some point that Gianola had some legal issues in the late '60s (gambling or something?), though I don't have any info on that handy.

[PolackTony]

Another thing to note is that in 1927 a Vito Giannola was killed in St Louis. He seems to have been born in either Balestrate or Cinisi but his father was a Salvatore Giannola of Cinisi. Some of the names in his family tree could be Giannolas who wound up in Chicago but I'm not certain. Either way it goes to show that the family likely had some mafia involvement.