The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

[funkster]

Also for the above post on the Infelise Bros -- the name of the comune is Sorbo San Basile, of course (typo in post).

Excuse me I overlooked it, these two aren't that old are they still alive?

[PolackTony]

Also for the above post on the Infelise Bros -- the name of the comune is Sorbo San Basile, of course (typo in post).

Excuse me I overlooked it, these two aren't that old are they still alive?

Tullio was whacked. Frank went on the run when his partner Renato DiSilvestro was busted for operating a drug ring between Chicago, Vegas, and LA.

[PolackTony]

BTW Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro was a a disgraced former CPD officer (patrolman in the Austin district), who was busted in 1989 for gambling and "armed violence" charges for a gambling operation that he was running in the West burbs with Chris Serritella (among others). After this bust Disilvestro relocated to Vegas (where he apparently still lives) where he was running a drug ring to Chicago. DiSilvestro was mentioned by some posters on the old ANP comments and Fosco said that he had known him. DiSilvestro was an Italian immigrant, but as he was from Molise I don't know that he had any links to Italian OC himself.

Apparently DiSilvestro was also close to Heights member Giacinto Nino" Cisternino, who was another Pugliese from Taranto (Cisternino died in 2020). Anyone heard of Cisternino being involved with drugs?

[funkster]

I was going to say, as I recall DiSilvestro is still alive.

[cavita]

BTW Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro was a a disgraced former CPD officer (patrolman in the Austin district), who was busted in 1989 for gambling and "armed violence" charges for a gambling operation that he was running in the West burbs with Chris Serritella (among others). After this bust Disilvestro relocated to Vegas (where he apparently still lives) where he was running a drug ring to Chicago. DiSilvestro was mentioned by some posters on the old ANP comments and Fosco said that he had known him. DiSilvestro was an Italian immigrant, but as he was from Molise I don't know that he had any links to Italian OC himself.

Apparently DiSilvestro was also close to Heights member Giacinto Nino" Cisternino, who was another Pugliese from Taranto (Cisternino died in 2020). Anyone heard of Cisternino being involved with drugs?

Can't remember but I thought Pete LaBelestra was an Italian immigrant to Chicago connected to the outfit who was/is involved in narcotics. He is 63 years old and still relatively young.

[PolackTony]

BTW Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro was a a disgraced former CPD officer (patrolman in the Austin district), who was busted in 1989 for gambling and "armed violence" charges for a gambling operation that he was running in the West burbs with Chris Serritella (among others). After this bust Disilvestro relocated to Vegas (where he apparently still lives) where he was running a drug ring to Chicago. DiSilvestro was mentioned by some posters on the old ANP comments and Fosco said that he had known him. DiSilvestro was an Italian immigrant, but as he was from Molise I don't know that he had any links to Italian OC himself.

Apparently DiSilvestro was also close to Heights member Giacinto Nino" Cisternino, who was another Pugliese from Taranto (Cisternino died in 2020). Anyone heard of Cisternino being involved with drugs?

Can't remember but I thought Pete LaBelestra was an Italian immigrant to Chicago connected to the outfit who was/is involved in narcotics. He is 63 years old and still relatively young.

Yep, if you check the original post on this thread I discuss LaBalestra and his partners Ottavio Volpe and Giuseppe Vicari a bit. While people online have been referring to LaBalestra as "Sicilian" for years, he is almost certainly Pugliese.

[SolarSolano]

BTW Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro was a a disgraced former CPD officer (patrolman in the Austin district), who was busted in 1989 for gambling and "armed violence" charges for a gambling operation that he was running in the West burbs with Chris Serritella (among others). After this bust Disilvestro relocated to Vegas (where he apparently still lives) where he was running a drug ring to Chicago. DiSilvestro was mentioned by some posters on the old ANP comments and Fosco said that he had known him. DiSilvestro was an Italian immigrant, but as he was from Molise I don't know that he had any links to Italian OC himself.

Apparently DiSilvestro was also close to Heights member Giacinto Nino" Cisternino, who was another Pugliese from Taranto (Cisternino died in 2020). Anyone heard of Cisternino being involved with drugs?

Nino worked for Al Tocco as an enforcer - I do believe he was involved in drugs as many of those south side guys were. Very rough guy - he lived in Barrington or had a house there until recently - Nino was very close for Marco D'Amico I know that for a fact as my mother played cards with his wife.

Chris Seritella was just a gambler who hung around with those guys.

[PolackTony]

BTW Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro was a a disgraced former CPD officer (patrolman in the Austin district), who was busted in 1989 for gambling and "armed violence" charges for a gambling operation that he was running in the West burbs with Chris Serritella (among others). After this bust Disilvestro relocated to Vegas (where he apparently still lives) where he was running a drug ring to Chicago. DiSilvestro was mentioned by some posters on the old ANP comments and Fosco said that he had known him. DiSilvestro was an Italian immigrant, but as he was from Molise I don't know that he had any links to Italian OC himself.

Apparently DiSilvestro was also close to Heights member Giacinto Nino" Cisternino, who was another Pugliese from Taranto (Cisternino died in 2020). Anyone heard of Cisternino being involved with drugs?

Nino worked for Al Tocco as an enforcer - I do believe he was involved in drugs as many of those south side guys were. Very rough guy - he lived in Barrington or had a house there until recently - Nino was very close for Marco D'Amico I know that for a fact as my mother played cards with his wife.

Chris Seritella was just a gambler who hung around with those guys.

Thanks for confirming Cisternino's links to D'Amico. Even when it's a Heights guy, seems like these "zips" keep going back to D'Amico.

[Patrickgold]

DiSelvestro was heavily involved in Vegas was considered one of the Outfit’s reps there in the 90s and 2000s. I am unaware of his current status because he is older

[PolackTony]

DiSelvestro was heavily involved in Vegas was considered one of the Outfit’s reps there in the 90s and 2000s. I am unaware of his current status because he is older

He's about 78 now and still resides in Vegas so far as I know.

[PolackTony]

Great stuff never really read about zips in Chicago . Also I’ve heard people refer to a Roman PD report from a few years ago about Zips coming to America and supposedly Chicago was at the top anyone know anything about it.

I've heard the same but have never been able to substantiate this claim. I'd be cautious in reading too much into it as I believe that the person responsible for floating this claim is BokaBreeze on Reddit, who has made a number of overstated and unsupported claims about the Chicago Outfit. Unless and until this info is confirmed I'm withholding judgment.

FWIW, in a recent unrelated google search I saw someone say the same in a GBB thread from a few years ago. Not sure how accurate poster is as I haven't posted there in many years and didnt recognize the handle.

Maybe you saw the post by "Hollander" on GBB? He claimed that an Italian poster on the old Real Deal forum had this report and quoted from it.

If anyone archived any of the old RD, maybe there's something there.

[funkster]

Great stuff never really read about zips in Chicago . Also I’ve heard people refer to a Roman PD report from a few years ago about Zips coming to America and supposedly Chicago was at the top anyone know anything about it.

I've heard the same but have never been able to substantiate this claim. I'd be cautious in reading too much into it as I believe that the person responsible for floating this claim is BokaBreeze on Reddit, who has made a number of overstated and unsupported claims about the Chicago Outfit. Unless and until this info is confirmed I'm withholding judgment.

FWIW, in a recent unrelated google search I saw someone say the same in a GBB thread from a few years ago. Not sure how accurate poster is as I haven't posted there in many years and didnt recognize the handle.

Maybe you saw the post by "Hollander" on GBB? He claimed that an Italian poster on the old Real Deal forum had this report and quoted from it.

If anyone archived any of the old RD, maybe there's something there.

That's the one. Didn't talk in a boka type manner, though i suppose it could be him.

[Moscone65]

I highly doubt that Hollander is boka, he posts a variety of stuff including Canadian and oc in Italy while boka mainly knows about Chicago and dismisses anything in New York or Canada

[PolackTony]

I highly doubt that Hollander is boka, he posts a variety of stuff including Canadian and oc in Italy while boka mainly knows about Chicago and dismisses anything in New York or Canada

I haven't been on GBB in a while, but my recollection is that Hollander is very unlikely to be Boka.

Would be very cool if any of the RD stuff was archived.

[funkster]

Yeah, definitely not him then.