SolarSolano wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:00 am
There was a rumor that Sal Titone the father of Robert paid the Outfit off prior to even getting access to pay the judge. Francisco "Frank" Infelise used to own an auto garage on Grand Avenue between Damen and Western and a bunch of those guys would hang out at Caffe Capuccino right there next to Burger Baron.
I don't remember it, was it where the cleaners is now?
Wait, I don't remember Cafe Cappuccino being next to Burger Baron. It was at Grand and May (across from Bari and Damato's -- since the cafe closed Damato's expanded with their wholesale bakery service in the storefront). I remember that back in the '90s/early 2000's there was another Italian cafe somewhere closer to Grand and Noble. I went there a bunch of times but do not recall the name or exact address anymore.
Incidentally, the license for Cafe Cappucino on Grand seems to have been held by a Francesco Lappo, who I think was related to a guy named Nicola Lappo. These Lappos are very likely from Taranto, Puglia. This is worth noting, as Aldo Cardellicchio (Pugliese OC figure on the lam in Chicago for narcotics and murder charges in Italy) was from Taranto and worked at the Harlem Ave location.
Your right - it was next to the Cozzo's sandwich shop where Richard Cain was killed. They used to sit on the sidewalk outside there - if you read the Stier Malone Anderson report it says Vena and Spina were holding court there as recently as 2000. That entire neighborhood I think is changing rapidly but there are massage parlors up and down that strip of Grand Avenue and if you read Panozzo's indictment, it sounds like these guys still had control of a lot of these.
If any of you guys live in the neighborhood - the Salvation Army there on Grand under the train tracks just before Milwaukee has a plaque to Joe and Andrew Lombardo for donations just inside the front entrance - and they used to hold horseshoe tournaments and bacci ball outside in that yard. Card games in the basement.
I will have to check out the plaque, i've never noticed.
I've discussed with Tony before, but the place next to Swiatek's brothers hardware store is owned by a guy named Cangelosi, name does not ring a bell. It's windows are all blacked out and there are cameras all over the front of the place. It's either some sort of sex spot or a social club. By the looks of old photos of it, it appears like it may be a social club just from the way it was decorated apparently in the early or mid 2000s.
SolarSolano wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:00 am
There was a rumor that Sal Titone the father of Robert paid the Outfit off prior to even getting access to pay the judge. Francisco "Frank" Infelise used to own an auto garage on Grand Avenue between Damen and Western and a bunch of those guys would hang out at Caffe Capuccino right there next to Burger Baron.
I don't remember it, was it where the cleaners is now?
Wait, I don't remember Cafe Cappuccino being next to Burger Baron. It was at Grand and May (across from Bari and Damato's -- since the cafe closed Damato's expanded with their wholesale bakery service in the storefront). I remember that back in the '90s/early 2000's there was another Italian cafe somewhere closer to Grand and Noble. I went there a bunch of times but do not recall the name or exact address anymore.
Incidentally, the license for Cafe Cappucino on Grand seems to have been held by a Francesco Lappo, who I think was related to a guy named Nicola Lappo. These Lappos are very likely from Taranto, Puglia. This is worth noting, as Aldo Cardellicchio (Pugliese OC figure on the lam in Chicago for narcotics and murder charges in Italy) was from Taranto and worked at the Harlem Ave location.
Your right - it was next to the Cozzo's sandwich shop where Richard Cain was killed. They used to sit on the sidewalk outside there - if you read the Stier Malone Anderson report it says Vena and Spina were holding court there as recently as 2000. That entire neighborhood I think is changing rapidly but there are massage parlors up and down that strip of Grand Avenue and if you read Panozzo's indictment, it sounds like these guys still had control of a lot of these.
If any of you guys live in the neighborhood - the Salvation Army there on Grand under the train tracks just before Milwaukee has a plaque to Joe and Andrew Lombardo for donations just inside the front entrance - and they used to hold horseshoe tournaments and bacci ball outside in that yard. Card games in the basement.
I believe that Cafe Espresso was two doors west of where Rose’s was located. The Rose’s storefront is now some kind of weird yuppie candy shop. On the west side of May, of course, was the Boomerang Social Club (Dom Calarco). The Boomerang was rumored to be a major meeting and hangout spot for Spina before it closed as well.
funkster wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:05 pm
I will have to check out the plaque, i've never noticed.
I've discussed with Tony before, but the place next to Swiatek's brothers hardware store is owned by a guy named Cangelosi, name does not ring a bell. It's windows are all blacked out and there are cameras all over the front of the place. It's either some sort of sex spot or a social club. By the looks of old photos of it, it appears like it may be a social club just from the way it was decorated apparently in the early or mid 2000s.
That whole row there by Vinnie’s remains pretty suspect. A close family member who still lives in the area told me within the last year that they seem to be using the hardware store as a hangout. This person got a very suspicious and hostile vibe when they tried to look into the back room and saw a bunch of guys hanging out there lol. It was made clear that they were not welcome (everyone got quiet and stared at them until they left).
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
There are a lot of massage parlors that are fronts for prostitution in the area. West River Spa is one. Also, next to it at 1210 W Grand is the Chicago Dungeon which I believe is still open under a different name. That’s a prostitution places under the these of being dominatrix place. It is run by an Outfit guy. Don Heroin mentioned it in book. Area has been changing for years but it still has elements of the old neighborhood. I was at Burgar Baron the other day and still has the same shady people going there and hanging around.
Patrickgold wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 7:43 am
There are a lot of massage parlors that are fronts for prostitution in the area. West River Spa is one. Also, next to it at 1210 W Grand is the Chicago Dungeon which I believe is still open under a different name. That’s a prostitution places under the these of being dominatrix place. It is run by an Outfit guy. Don Heroin mentioned it in book. Area has been changing for years but it still has elements of the old neighborhood. I was at Burgar Baron the other day and still has the same shady people going there and hanging around.
The guy it's listed under must be doing pretty well, cause his place near Elmwood is massive.
I've also seen unmarked CPD SUVs raiding the parlor that's down Grand closer to May street.
The Dungeon was run by Jimmy Inendino's cousin. Now its a legal sex club if I'm not mistaken.
Also along Chicago Avenue in UK Village are tons of massage parlors - that place Okey Dokey at Chicago and Noble will have a line of 20 somethings in masks waiting to be let in - just insane how these places operate in the open.
It was Caffe Espresso on Grand. Odds that Richards has been open the entire pandemic defying lockdown?
SolarSolano wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:05 am
The Dungeon was run by Jimmy Inendino's cousin. Now its a legal sex club if I'm not mistaken.
Also along Chicago Avenue in UK Village are tons of massage parlors - that place Okey Dokey at Chicago and Noble will have a line of 20 somethings in masks waiting to be let in - just insane how these places operate in the open.
It was Caffe Espresso on Grand. Odds that Richards has been open the entire pandemic defying lockdown?
Guarantee they have.
Patrick, cannot confirm but sounds like he died this morning.
SolarSolano wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:05 am
The Dungeon was run by Jimmy Inendino's cousin. Now its a legal sex club if I'm not mistaken.
Also along Chicago Avenue in UK Village are tons of massage parlors - that place Okey Dokey at Chicago and Noble will have a line of 20 somethings in masks waiting to be let in - just insane how these places operate in the open.
It was Caffe Espresso on Grand. Odds that Richards has been open the entire pandemic defying lockdown?
Guarantee they have.
Patrick, cannot confirm but sounds like he died this morning.
Neighborhood yuppies/etc were crying about Richard’s staying open and defying mask orders since the start of the pandemic.
Mikey Swiatek was of course related to Freddie Pascente (both on their maternal side). Swiatek’s mother was Mary Caffarello, whose family came from Brindisi di Montagna and Trivigno, Potenza. His father was Joseph Swiatek, whose parents came from Galicia, Poland (as does my own family, so maybe he’s a cousin lol. Incidentally, Swiatek lived on Chicago Ave and Maplewood as a young kid and I — many years later of course — also lived on that block as a young kid).
At this point, Swiatek was the last Grand Ave man standing from the Lombardo glory days, so far as I can recall now (Vena and Spina were the next gen, so they don’t count).
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
In Pacente's book, doesn't he talk about Swiatek threatening a young and cocky Lombardo on Freddie's behalf? That was one of the better reads on the Outfit I've had in a while - a lot of interesting stories.
SolarSolano wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:55 am
In Pacente's book, doesn't he talk about Swiatek threatening a young and cocky Lombardo on Freddie's behalf? That was one of the better reads on the Outfit I've had in a while - a lot of interesting stories.
I really enjoyed Pascente's book. I thought it was a great account of what it was like to grow up by the Taylor and Grand Ave Patches back in the '40s and '50 and what it was like to be a connected guy and crooked cop. Here was the book's introduction to Mikey the Bomber:
"My cousin Mike Swiatek was as bad a guy as they come. He was about six years older than me and my guys [...] Madonn', when I met this guy ... motorcycles, fast cars."
Wemette also has a funny story about Mikey Swiatek. Years later when Joey was capo, Swiatek started rocking a huge stupid gold chain. To teach him a lesson -- don't outshine your boss -- Joey asked to "borrow" the chain, as he was going on vacation. When Swiatek later started asking for it back, Joey returned a much smaller chain to him and "pretended" it was the original one (said something like "I dunno, musta been that saltwater that shrunk it") lol. Wemette said that Joey had already ordered his guys to stop rolling around in Caddies, etc., as he himself had to roll around in an old Dodge in order to not attract heat.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
funkster wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:14 pm
As I recall from Pascente's book, he was not a Lombardo fan.
He grew up in the neighborhood and Lombardo was a bully.
The whole "clown" shtick notwithstanding, Lombardo was not really a nice guy. The clown thing only went one way, of course -- he could pull pranks and bust balls, but there was a strict limit to how much someone else could fuck around with him. One thing you can always get from his pictures is that behind his mischievous grin, his eyes were like a pitbull or shark. Menacing, almost maniacal. Years later when I started seeing his picture in the papers around Family Secrets I recognized him as one of the guys I saw around the neighborhood when I was a kid, who everyone knew was in the mob. And with those guys, it was always the eyes that struck me. Eyes of a predator. Lombardo was a stone killer and a very dangerous person. So was Spilotro, of course, but unlike Lombardo, both Pascente and Wemette loved Tony and spoke of him in markedly positive and nostalgic terms. Wemette recalls Spilotro as a very dear friend who he really respected, same with Pascente. Wemette also liked Jimmy Boy Cozzo, who he says was much more intelligent and open-minded of a person than one might assume given his rough background, as well as Catuara. But while he doesn't really badmouth Lombardo, he does say he could be a real prick, and everyone knew where they would wind up if they didn't obey.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
