Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[cavita]

Very little info for James Intravia. In 1898, a James Intravaia married Maria Inzerillo in Chicago. This James Intravaia was born in 1874 (presumably somewhere in Palermo province) and should be the same James Intravaia who died 1971 in Independence, MO. James and Maria lived in Kansas City, where James' parents Antonino Intravaia and Benedetta Sciortino both died. Given the surname, it is very likely that Intravaia was either from Citta di Palermo or Monreale (given her surname, his wife was very likely from Metro Palermo). If this isn't the James Intravia who attended the Hotel Statler meeting, then I don't know who is, as I don't have any matches with anyone showing a residence in Chicago. It's possible that Intravia was reporting that he lived in KC while he was actually operating in Chicago. Or he maintained bases in both cities. Then, after the Aiello faction lost the war, he returned to KC permanently.

Interesting note, but in 1930 the Tribune reported that Miami authorities were holding a number of visiting Chicago mobsters in their jail. These included Joe Aiello and his bodyguard Jack Costa, James Intravia, Jack Zuta, "Jack McGurn", and a man calling himself "Tony McGurn", who the Tribune speculated was actually Accardo. Intravia gave his address as Grand Ave near May (incidentally, Accardo's childhood home). Back in 1924, the Tribune also reported that a James Intravia, who owned a shoe store at 244 W North Ave, reported that he'd been robbed.

EDIT: Found an arrival at NYC in 1903 of an Antonio and Benedetta Intravaia, from Monreale. They were headed to KC where their son Giacchino Intravaia was living. On his WW1 draft registration, James Intravaia stated his name as Giacchino Intravaia, born 1874.

The James Intrava (that's the spelling used) arrested in the Cleveland meeting was 34 years old, so born around 1894. His real surname could have been Intravaia, or he could have been using an alias.

Thanks for confirming that. Unless some further info pops up the the Chicago James Intravia may remain a mystery.

I know when I come across the name James in research it has usually translated from Vincenzo or Girolamo. Has that route been looked into?

Good timing, lol. I found a Girolamo Intravaia from Monreale, born 1894, who arrived at NYC in 1913 bound for Chicago. His naturalization documents in 1926 had him as born in 1894 and living at 1428 N Sedgwick on the Near Northside. So this should be him!

Awesome. That's why I love this site. The research, forward thinking and sharing of information.

[PolackTony]

Very little info for James Intravia. In 1898, a James Intravaia married Maria Inzerillo in Chicago. This James Intravaia was born in 1874 (presumably somewhere in Palermo province) and should be the same James Intravaia who died 1971 in Independence, MO. James and Maria lived in Kansas City, where James' parents Antonino Intravaia and Benedetta Sciortino both died. Given the surname, it is very likely that Intravaia was either from Citta di Palermo or Monreale (given her surname, his wife was very likely from Metro Palermo). If this isn't the James Intravia who attended the Hotel Statler meeting, then I don't know who is, as I don't have any matches with anyone showing a residence in Chicago. It's possible that Intravia was reporting that he lived in KC while he was actually operating in Chicago. Or he maintained bases in both cities. Then, after the Aiello faction lost the war, he returned to KC permanently.

Interesting note, but in 1930 the Tribune reported that Miami authorities were holding a number of visiting Chicago mobsters in their jail. These included Joe Aiello and his bodyguard Jack Costa, James Intravia, Jack Zuta, "Jack McGurn", and a man calling himself "Tony McGurn", who the Tribune speculated was actually Accardo. Intravia gave his address as Grand Ave near May (incidentally, Accardo's childhood home). Back in 1924, the Tribune also reported that a James Intravia, who owned a shoe store at 244 W North Ave, reported that he'd been robbed.

EDIT: Found an arrival at NYC in 1903 of an Antonio and Benedetta Intravaia, from Monreale. They were headed to KC where their son Giacchino Intravaia was living. On his WW1 draft registration, James Intravaia stated his name as Giacchino Intravaia, born 1874.

The James Intrava (that's the spelling used) arrested in the Cleveland meeting was 34 years old, so born around 1894. His real surname could have been Intravaia, or he could have been using an alias.

Thanks for confirming that. Unless some further info pops up the the Chicago James Intravia may remain a mystery.

I know when I come across the name James in research it has usually translated from Vincenzo or Girolamo. Has that route been looked into?

Good timing, lol. I found a Girolamo Intravaia from Monreale, born 1894, who arrived at NYC in 1913 bound for Chicago. His naturalization documents in 1926 had him as born in 1894 and living at 1428 N Sedgwick on the Near Northside. So this should be him!

Awesome. That's why I love this site. The research, forward thinking and sharing of information.

No doubt!

Girolamo Intravaia married an Angelina Di Carlo from Santa Flavia (undercoring his connections to the Bagheresi) in Chicago in 1921. One of their kids was named Girolamo, born 1929. I note that there was a Girolamo Intravaia resident in Rockford in 1991. Maybe the same guy?

[cavita]

Could be. I know there have been Intravaia in Rockford for many many years and some that immigrated there in the 1960s but I have not traced their lineage.

[PolackTony]

Could be. I know there have been Intravaia in Rockford for many many years and some that immigrated there in the 1960s but I have not traced their lineage.

I ask because I'm not sure exactly what happened to Intravaia or his family following the Aiello-Capone conflict. I don't know if he was murdered in 1930 or a later year, or if he fled Chicago. Of course, some of these former Northside mafiosi wound up in Rockford and WI. I can't find any mention in the Tribune that Intravaia (under various spellings of his surname) was murdered.

[PolackTony]

Aiello loyalist Jack Costa, who was murdered in September 1930, was actually Angelo Spano. Per his death record (which states that he was Angelo Spano alias Jack "Costo") he was born 1901 in Palermo to Michele Spano and Maria Casa. When Spano was a young child (around 1904) the family settled in NYC. In 1920, Angelo Spano was still living with his parents on E 14th St in Manhattan. Michele, or Michelangelo, Spano I believe was from Bagheria. Interesting to note that in 1905 he seems to have been incarcerated in Auburn, suggesting that Angelo Spano's father was himself in the mob. In the 1930 census, there is a Jack Costa, born 1901 (although he stated that he was born in New York) living with his wife Marian Costa in the Dearborn Plaza Hotel on the Near Northside of Chicago.

[Antiliar]

I looked up Vincenzo, but not Girolamo. So thanks guys, the mystery may have been solved!

[PolackTony]

I looked up Vincenzo, but not Girolamo. So thanks guys, the mystery may have been solved!

Any idea whether Intravaia was murdered in 1930? Can’t find anything about what happened to him from 1930 on.

[cavita]

I looked up Vincenzo, but not Girolamo. So thanks guys, the mystery may have been solved!

Any idea whether Intravaia was murdered in 1930? Can’t find anything about what happened to him from 1930 on.

That may be an indication he moved back to Sicily?

[cavita]

Could be. I know there have been Intravaia in Rockford for many many years and some that immigrated there in the 1960s but I have not traced their lineage.

Researching the relatively recent Intravaia families that came to Rockford it appears they were from Palermo proper. One Maria Intravaia married a Pietro Alfano (cousin of the infamous Pizza Connection) and they started Alfano's Pizzeria in Rochelle, Illinois.
One thing you may want to do is search for Mimmo Intravaia seeing as that is a nickname for Girolamo and see if you come up with anything.

[Antiliar]

Girolamo (James) Intravaia and Angela Di Carlo had a son named Girolamo (James) Intravaia, born 13 Mar 1929 in Chicago. There was a Giuseppe (Joe) Intravaia who lived at 1315 (or 1015) Shaunessy, Chicago, and was born in Monreale on June 15, 1893. There was a Salvatore (Paolo) Intravaia born in Palermo on Jan 16, 1895. His wife and two children were born in Monreale. He lived at 1117 N. West Grand Avenue in Springfield, IL, in 1930. There was a Michele Intravaia born on 28 Feb 1934 in Palermo to Michele and Francesca (Maniscalco) Intravaia, and had a brother named Mimmo (Girolamo).

[PolackTony]

Joseph Mendino was born 1911 in Chicago to Alfonso Mendicino (the original spelling of the surname) and Carmella Cairo of Celico, Cosenza province, Calabria. The family lived in the Taylor St Patch. In 1911, Alfonso's uncle Carmine Fiorita, born in Celico, arrived via NYC en route to Chicago and listed Alfonso Mendicino as his contact in the US. Also aboard this ship was Carmella Cairo's brother Giuseppe Cairo, who stated that he was born in Celico.

[PolackTony]

Girolamo (James) Intravaia and Angela Di Carlo had a son named Girolamo (James) Intravaia, born 13 Mar 1929 in Chicago. There was a Giuseppe (Joe) Intravaia who lived at 1315 (or 1015) Shaunessy, Chicago, and was born in Monreale on June 15, 1893. There was a Salvatore (Paolo) Intravaia born in Palermo on Jan 16, 1895. His wife and two children were born in Monreale. He lived at 1117 N. West Grand Avenue in Springfield, IL, in 1930. There was a Michele Intravaia born on 28 Feb 1934 in Palermo to Michele and Francesca (Maniscalco) Intravaia, and had a brother named Mimmo (Girolamo).

In 1946, a ship from Naples arrived in NYC carrying a "Girolanno" Intravaia, born 1929 in Chicago. With him were Joseph Intravaia (born 1924 in Chicago) and Vincenzo Intravaia (born 1923 in KC). The address in the US for them was listed as C/O Joe Di Carlo, McKeesport, PA.

EDIT: Also looks like at some point Girolamo/James Intravaia Jr returned to Chicago, as there was a record for a James Intravaia, born 1929, resident there in the 90s.

[cavita]

Girolamo (James) Intravaia and Angela Di Carlo had a son named Girolamo (James) Intravaia, born 13 Mar 1929 in Chicago. There was a Giuseppe (Joe) Intravaia who lived at 1315 (or 1015) Shaunessy, Chicago, and was born in Monreale on June 15, 1893. There was a Salvatore (Paolo) Intravaia born in Palermo on Jan 16, 1895. His wife and two children were born in Monreale. He lived at 1117 N. West Grand Avenue in Springfield, IL, in 1930. There was a Michele Intravaia born on 28 Feb 1934 in Palermo to Michele and Francesca (Maniscalco) Intravaia, and had a brother named Mimmo (Girolamo).

This Michele and Francesca Intravaia lived in Rockford

[cavita]

Girolamo (James) Intravaia and Angela Di Carlo had a son named Girolamo (James) Intravaia, born 13 Mar 1929 in Chicago. There was a Giuseppe (Joe) Intravaia who lived at 1315 (or 1015) Shaunessy, Chicago, and was born in Monreale on June 15, 1893. There was a Salvatore (Paolo) Intravaia born in Palermo on Jan 16, 1895. His wife and two children were born in Monreale. He lived at 1117 N. West Grand Avenue in Springfield, IL, in 1930. There was a Michele Intravaia born on 28 Feb 1934 in Palermo to Michele and Francesca (Maniscalco) Intravaia, and had a brother named Mimmo (Girolamo).

This Michele and Francesca Intravaia lived in Rockford

I should note that Michele died in 2010 and owned Rosa's Pizzeria on Auburn Street in Rockford. There were references to Rosa's Pizzeria in FBI files in the 1990s that those Rockford LCN members/associates holding high stakes gambling games often ordered pizza from there and that pizzeria could very well have been another front for narcotics distribution.

[PolackTony]

Nice one Tony. Last May, The Chicago Tribune released some cool pic around the murder of Tony Lombardo, including a clean photo of Joseph Ferraro. I guess most of the Chicago's experts saw it, but just in case for the others https://www.chicagotribune.com/visuals/ ... llery.html

Crossposting this from Fab's comment on the Chicago Mugshots thread.

The photo of Joe Ferraro from the Tribune was his Italian passport photo, where he was listed as Giuseppe Ferraro. Per the Tribune at the time of Ferraro's death, a woman named Ida Senacori, who claimed to be his aunt via marriage and was claiming his body so that it wouldn't wind up in a pauper's field, stated that his actual surname was Morici, while Ferraro was his mother's surname. She further claimed that he had arrived in the US 4 years prior to his death. Thus his death certificate had him as Giuseppe Ferraro Morici, born 1895 in Italy, with his aunt informing that his mother was "Theresa Ferraro" and his father "Sedora [sic] Morici". Working off of this information, I haven't been able to identify a Giuseppe Morici or Giuseppe Ferraro/Ferrara who I can be confident was the person of interest. The Tribune noted that authorities were investigating whether he was related to the more famous Chicago Moricis (from Termini Imerese), though I'm not aware that they ever established a link.

One lead is the aunt. This was Adelaida Senacori, nee Manoni. She was from Marche, but her married name was from her husband Giuseppe Senacori, who died in Chicago in 1922. This individual was a relative of Giuseppe Ferraro Morici, as Ida stated that her deceased husband was his uncle. I was only able to confirm that he was born 1887 in Italy, presumably Sicily, and that he married Ida Manoni 1909 in Chicago. There were other Senacoris (Senacore/Senacure/Sanacore; the latter should be the proper Italian spelling) in Chicago from Castelvetrano and the surname is present in Trapani province.