In case anyone's interested, there's some indication that in the 80s the Chi-West may have been connected to an apparent Ukrainian OC syndicate that LE referred to as the "Little Mafia". Although Chi-West declined precipitously as a street gang in the following years, they were still a fearsome presence in the area when I was a kid. They had to be tough as nails as they were continuously fighting the large PR gangs surrounding them for about 30 years, and were also increasingly involved in narcotics.PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:51 pmMaria Vargas is either half Italian or her family is intermarried with Italians. I recall seeing some obituaries and other notices that showed the surnames, don't recall if Cecola was one of them.SolarSolano wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:22 pmThese were definitely some rough guys and I remember that story vividly as I spent summers in that neighborhood. Gasic's family still lives there today. Reynald Zuniga was the brother who was killed:PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 12:53 pmNice find, thanks for posting. Ricky married Paulie K's sister, I believe? I suspect that several of the Zunigas may have been C-Notes. Do you recall which brother was killed in the 80s? I'm not able to find anything in the papers on it. Also, do you remember exactly where TJs was located?SolarSolano wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:57 am Sorry if this was posted already - Rico "Ricky/Richie" Zuniga died from COVID in prison in November. He was part of the PK Crew and very close with Paul Koruluk and those guys (arrested multiple times with them). He was serving time for the murder of Carmen Sarlo and others along with Richard Bravieri. Richie and his brothers were all CNotes - one brother was shot and killed at an old gang hangout called TJ's on Western Avenue in the late 80s I believe.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/ch ... =197158685
Here's a pic of Ricky Zuniga and Joey Bravieri at the time of the Sarlo/Gasic slayings. According to a witness who fled the scene, after shooting Joannie Gasic they turned on Sarlo: "No, you got to go, Carmie. You got to go, too." These guys were, of course, coked-up out of their skulls when this happened. The C-Notes fell into drugs super hard, and addiction did a lot of damage to the organization.
Zuniga and Joey Bravieri.PNG
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- ... story.html
Also - Maria Koruluk is Paul's wife - I am not sure if Paul also has a sister named Maria. I believe his wife's maiden name was Vargas - I saw reported she was related to Sam Cecola, but doubt that as she is half puerto rican.
Thanks for the link to Renaldo Zuñiga. Are we sure that he was Ricky's brother? I ask because Zuñiga is such a common surname. That TJs spot was a really shitty dive bar next to Rich's Deli on Iowa. That wasn't C-Notes territory (not that some of them necessarily couldn't have gone there of course), Dragons used to hang out there by the 90s (previously it was Chi-West, a largely Ukrainian gang). Incidentally a few years after this a friend of mine used to DJ in that bar. The place didn't card so I was able to go as a kid lol.
Jack "The Jew" Farmer was a Chi-West leader lamming it in Florida. He made it on to America's Most Wanted I believe.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sun-se ... y,amp.html