Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[PolackTony]

Michael Spranze, alias "Mike Kelly", was born 1905 in Chicago to Gelsomino Speranza of Senerchia, Avellino, Campania, and Agostina Iannece/Trimarco. Agostina I have as born 1887 in Cette, France to Gelsomino Iannece and Brigida Marzullo of Senerchia. At some point, Birigida remarried with Michele Trimarco and the family then settled in Chicago in the late 1890s, living (as the Speranzas did) in the Taylor St Patch. It should be noted that longtime Chicago alderman and Outift member Vito Marzullo was from Senerchia; given the surname there's a good chance he had some relation to Mike Spranze. It should be assumed that they at least knew each other, as there was a colony of immigrants from Senerchia in the Taylor St area. In 1930, the Speranzas lived on Leavitt near Jackson, not far from Vito Marzullo's stomping grounds of Oakley and Polk (where a small sign on the street still reads Senerchia today).

Not a whole lot of info on Mike Spranze out there, though he seems to have been an important member given his presence at Accardo's infamous 4th of July shindig. While he was said to have been a Capone bodyguard in 1930, his active role in the mob seems to have continued decades later, as his name and phone number, along with other important Outfit members and public officials, were found in a black book seized from Sam Ariola's Franklin Park office in a 1961 raid. Spranze died shortly after in 1963. His brother Tony Spranze, born 1912, was also at least an Outfit associate, as he was arrested as part of a crew that shot a cop during an armed robbery of a pharmacy in 1935; other members of this gang included Joe Gallicchio, Sam Manno, James Mirro, and the Pelletiere brothers.

[PolackTony]

Lawrence Charles Rassano was born Lorenzo Rossano in 1912 or 1913 in Gravina, Bari, Puglia, to Paolo Rossano of Altamura, Bari, Puglia, and Rosina Centomani of neighboring Gravina. Paolo emigrated to the US in 1913 and settled in the Taylor St Patch area. Rosina and Lorenzo followed in 1914; the passenger records for the trip stated that both were born in Gravina but had most recently stayed in Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza -- just over the border from Bari province -- with Rosina's father Pasquale Centomani.

It seems that Larry Five never was naturalized as a US citizen, as the government tried to deport him in 1968 (by then living in Berwyn) following his acquittal on a firebombing charge a few years prior. The deportation never went through, however, as the Italian consulate was apparently unable to furnish the proper identifying papers. Rassano died in 1975 in Olmsted County, MN, presumably at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

[PolackTony]

Vincenzo "James" D'Angelo was born 1902 in Ribera. I'm not sure when exactly he entered the US, but in 1926 he married Rosaria "Sarah" Muscarello, who was born in Chicago to parents from Altavilla Milicia, Palermo province. On his 1942 WW2 draft registration (two years before his murder in 1944) he declared that he was living at Spaulding and Fullerton in Logan Square. Prior to that, in 1929, he lived at Damen and Evergreen in Wicker Park (given his residential trajectory, maybe he was a proto-hipster).

Onofrio Vitale was born 1893 in Cinisi, Palermo province. In 1910, he arrived at NYC bound for Detroit, where his parents Domenico Vitale and Anna Iacopelli had already settled. On his WW1 draft registration, he stated that he lived in Ford City, Wayne County, MI. In 1917 he married Stella Cicala, who was born 1902 in Monte San Giuliano (today Erice), Trapani province, and arrived at Detroit in 1909 where she lived with her parents Mario Cicale and Angela Mangiapane. Onofrio and Stella's first child, Ann Vitale, was born 1918 in MI. In 1920, an Onofrio and Stella Vitale are recorded as living in Oyster Bay, Nassau County, on Long Island. They are of the right ages and have an infant daughter named Ann, so they are probably the same couple. By 1930 at the latest, they had relocated to Chicago, where they lived near North Ave and Laramie in the North Austin neighborhood on the far Westside. At this time, Onofrio stated that he was employed as an agent in the macaroni industry. By 1940, they were living in Calumet City; on his 1942 WW2 draft registration, Onofrio stated that he was employed at Grande Cheese Co. Onofrio's sister Vincenza LoDuca also settled in Calumet City. After Onofrio's 1944 disappearance and murder, Stella Vitale -- I believe -- relocated to Springfield, IL, where their daughter Ann was married in 1946 to a local guy named Angelo Janozzo. When Stella died in 1992, she was buried in St John St Joseph Cemetary in Hammond, IN with Onofrio.

[PolackTony]

Sam "Snakes" Gervase was born Salvatore Gervasi 1905 in Tampa, Fl, to Salvatore Gervasi and Giovanna Cardinale of Vallelunga, Caltanissetta. In 1910, Salvatore Sr died and Giovanna seems to have remarried a guy with the surname Garofalo in Louisiana, with whom she had two kids. By 1930 at the latest, Giovanna and her children had relocated to Chicago, where they lived near Milton and Chicago Ave in the Near Northside Little Sicily. Snakes was not living with his family at this time, however, as he was incarcerated in Joliet, IL. In 1933, Snakes married Marie Scardina, who was born in Chicago to parents from Bagheria. By around 1940, the family had relocated to the area around North Ave and Kedzie in Humbold Park. When Snakes was murdered in 1944, he was living near Pierce and Kedzie, though he owned a refrigerator repair shop at Division and Larabee, where he was killed.

One thing linking Vitale, D'Angelo, and Gervase, apart from the quick succession of their killings in 1944 and the fact that all three were Sicilian or of Sicilian parentage, was that around 1930 they all lived on the Northwest Side. Around 1940, Giovanna Cardinale was living near North and Damen, near to where James D'Angelo once lived, and also by Patsy Lolordo's home. This area (Wicker Park) did not have a large number of Italians either (there were a few, of course).

[Antiliar]

And allegedly supporters of Vincent "The Don" Benevento, plus either directly or indirectly linked to Grande Cheese Company. Who would have thought working for a cheese company was so dangerous? LOL.

[PolackTony]

And allegedly supporters of Vincent "The Don" Benevento, plus either directly or indirectly linked to Grande Cheese Company. Who would have thought working for a cheese company was so dangerous? LOL.

The Life was dangerous, but they were in it for the mozzarell'. Incidentally, my family in Chicago used to refer to Wisconsin as "the other side of the Cheese Curtain", which still makes me laugh.

My assumption is that these guys were all reporting to Benevento/DeJohn. The fact that all were at one time located on the NW Side further supports this. Another guy that lived in Humboldt Park very near, like right by, Gervasi was Jim DeGeorge. I think that the Accardo/Capezio and Benevento/DeJohn crews had overlapping interests in these areas, which probably further fueled their beef with Accardo. Another thing I wonder about was whether the O'Neglia/DeGeorge crew was a distinct organizational entity from Benevento/DeJohn, which could be possible. If so, the latter obviously ceased to exist after the 1940s conflict.

[Antiliar]

And allegedly supporters of Vincent "The Don" Benevento, plus either directly or indirectly linked to Grande Cheese Company. Who would have thought working for a cheese company was so dangerous? LOL.

The Life was dangerous, but they were in it for the mozzarell'. Incidentally, my family in Chicago used to refer to Wisconsin as "the other side of the Cheese Curtain", which still makes me laugh.

My assumption is that these guys were all reporting to Benevento/DeJohn. The fact that all were at one time located on the NW Side further supports this. Another guy that lived in Humboldt Park very near, like right by, Gervasi was Jim DeGeorge. I think that the Accardo/Capezio and Benevento/DeJohn crews had overlapping interests in these areas, which probably further fueled their beef with Accardo. Another thing I wonder about was whether the O'Neglia/DeGeorge crew was a distinct organizational entity from Benevento/DeJohn, which could be possible. If so, the latter obviously ceased to exist after the 1940s conflict.

Based on the little evidence that we have, I think Neglia, DeGeorge and DeJohn were all in the same crew in the Near North Side. Not sure where to place Benevento, but based on where he lived he may have been in Accardo's Grand Avenue crew. Maybe he wanted to run the crew instead of Capezio once Accardo was promoted. So the tentative timeline I have is this:

1. Jasper Matranga (got into some sort of trouble with the Outfit and moved to California)
2. Nick DeJohn
3. James DeGeorge
4. Ross Prio

or alternatively

1. Jasper Matranga
2. Tom Neglia
3. Nick DeJohn
4. James DeGeorge
5. Ross Prio

The issues are that Matranga was still in Chicago in 1940 and doesn't appear in California until 1945/1946, so he was probably demoted before he moved away. My guess is that he was demoted then later supported the Benevento faction, but maybe not enough to merit the death penalty. Neglia (if he was a capo) and DeJohn appear to only have been capos for a short time each. For DeGeorge, either he was demoted in the 1950s or just retired on his own.

Interesting link found here (in the comments section) is that a Salvatore Cutrera from Corleone was a partner of Neglia and had to flee to Canada after he was slain.
https://mafiagenealogy.wordpress.com/about/

[PolackTony]

And allegedly supporters of Vincent "The Don" Benevento, plus either directly or indirectly linked to Grande Cheese Company. Who would have thought working for a cheese company was so dangerous? LOL.

The Life was dangerous, but they were in it for the mozzarell'. Incidentally, my family in Chicago used to refer to Wisconsin as "the other side of the Cheese Curtain", which still makes me laugh.

My assumption is that these guys were all reporting to Benevento/DeJohn. The fact that all were at one time located on the NW Side further supports this. Another guy that lived in Humboldt Park very near, like right by, Gervasi was Jim DeGeorge. I think that the Accardo/Capezio and Benevento/DeJohn crews had overlapping interests in these areas, which probably further fueled their beef with Accardo. Another thing I wonder about was whether the O'Neglia/DeGeorge crew was a distinct organizational entity from Benevento/DeJohn, which could be possible. If so, the latter obviously ceased to exist after the 1940s conflict.

Based on the little evidence that we have, I think Neglia, DeGeorge and DeJohn were all in the same crew in the Near North Side. Not sure where to place Benevento, but based on where he lived he may have been in Accardo's Grand Avenue crew. Maybe he wanted to run the crew instead of Capezio once Accardo was promoted. So the tentative timeline I have is this:

1. Jasper Matranga (got into some sort of trouble with the Outfit and moved to California)
2. Nick DeJohn
3. James DeGeorge
4. Ross Prio

or alternatively

1. Jasper Matranga
2. Tom Neglia
3. Nick DeJohn
4. James DeGeorge
5. Ross Prio

The issues are that Matranga was still in Chicago in 1940 and doesn't appear in California until 1945/1946, so he was probably demoted before he moved away. My guess is that he was demoted then later supported the Benevento faction, but maybe not enough to merit the death penalty. Neglia (if he was a capo) and DeJohn appear to only have been capos for a short time each. For DeGeorge, either he was demoted in the 1950s or just retired on his own.

Interesting link found here (in the comments section) is that a Salvatore Cutrera from Corleone was a partner of Neglia and had to flee to Canada after he was slain.
https://mafiagenealogy.wordpress.com/about/

Yeah, either succession could fit what little we have in terms of solid evidence. There could've been more crews at that point in time than we know of later, though this is just speculative on my part. There is really a lot that we don't know, and probably will never know, about Chicago in the 30s/40s.

[Antiliar]

Followed up on the Cutrera link. Salvatore Cutrera was born in Corleone (as we already knew) and lived on the same street as Tom Neglia. Neglia and Cutrera also lived very close to Carmelo and Joseph Nicolosi, both also from Corleone. Joseph was a neighbor and Carmelo lived nearby on Oak Street (near Death Corner). Joseph was, as we recall, the son-in-law of Mafia boss Mariano Zagone. So it appears that the North Side crew was the original Chicago Mafia crew.

Salvatore Cutrera was a distant cousin of the Corleone Mafia boss of the same name.

Also of interest, when Carmelo Nicolosi returned from Corleone in 1906 (he originally arrived in 1897), he brought his wife who was surnamed Pomilla - a name we've seen in the Lucchese Family. Paolina Pomilla was the sister of Nunzio Pomilla, a Lucchese soldier and brother-in-law of Tom Gagliano. Joe Nicolosi sponsored John Oliveri, the brother of the Sam Oliveri of the Cleveland conference who later went to Rockford.

Traveling with them was the mother-in-law of Mariano Marsalisi, a Lucchese narcotics trafficker.

[PolackTony]

Followed up on the Cutrera link. Salvatore Cutrera was born in Corleone (as we already knew) and lived on the same street as Tom Neglia. Neglia and Cutrera also lived very close to Carmelo and Joseph Nicolosi, both also from Corleone. Joseph was a neighbor and Carmelo lived nearby on Oak Street (near Death Corner). Joseph was, as we recall, the son-in-law of Mafia boss Mariano Zagone. So it appears that the North Side crew was the original Chicago Mafia crew.

Also of interest, when Carmelo Nicolosi returned from Corleone in 1906 (he originally arrived in 1897), he brought his wife who was surnamed Pomilla - a name we've seen in the Lucchese Family. Traveling with them was the mother of Mariano Marsalisi, a Lucchese narcotics trafficker.

Very nice info, thanks. One wonders if these Northside guys retained some of those Corleonesi links to the Luccheses. Did Marsalisi have any connections to Chicago with his drug trafficking?

[Antiliar]

Followed up on the Cutrera link. Salvatore Cutrera was born in Corleone (as we already knew) and lived on the same street as Tom Neglia. Neglia and Cutrera also lived very close to Carmelo and Joseph Nicolosi, both also from Corleone. Joseph was a neighbor and Carmelo lived nearby on Oak Street (near Death Corner). Joseph was, as we recall, the son-in-law of Mafia boss Mariano Zagone. So it appears that the North Side crew was the original Chicago Mafia crew.

Also of interest, when Carmelo Nicolosi returned from Corleone in 1906 (he originally arrived in 1897), he brought his wife who was surnamed Pomilla - a name we've seen in the Lucchese Family. Traveling with them was the mother of Mariano Marsalisi, a Lucchese narcotics trafficker.

Very nice info, thanks. One wonders if these Northside guys retained some of those Corleonesi links to the Luccheses. Did Marsalisi have any connections to Chicago with his drug trafficking?

I updated and added some info to my comment. To your question, nothing came up about a Chicago connection, but of course that doesn't rule out anything. This is from the Valachi hearing: https://books.google.com/books?id=0uREA ... 22&f=false

[PolackTony]

Followed up on the Cutrera link. Salvatore Cutrera was born in Corleone (as we already knew) and lived on the same street as Tom Neglia. Neglia and Cutrera also lived very close to Carmelo and Joseph Nicolosi, both also from Corleone. Joseph was a neighbor and Carmelo lived nearby on Oak Street (near Death Corner). Joseph was, as we recall, the son-in-law of Mafia boss Mariano Zagone. So it appears that the North Side crew was the original Chicago Mafia crew.

Also of interest, when Carmelo Nicolosi returned from Corleone in 1906 (he originally arrived in 1897), he brought his wife who was surnamed Pomilla - a name we've seen in the Lucchese Family. Traveling with them was the mother of Mariano Marsalisi, a Lucchese narcotics trafficker.

Very nice info, thanks. One wonders if these Northside guys retained some of those Corleonesi links to the Luccheses. Did Marsalisi have any connections to Chicago with his drug trafficking?

I updated and added some info to my comment. To your question, nothing came up about a Chicago connection, but of course that doesn't rule out anything. This is from the Valachi hearing: https://books.google.com/books?id=0uREA ... 22&f=false

I would be surprised if there were no connections. The Pomilla relationship would also be of prime interest.

Looks like Salvatore and Calogera Cuntrera settled in Chicago sometime before 1918, as their daughter Angela was born in NOLA in 1915 and their next daughter was born in Chicago in 1918. Given that Salvatore was born 1874 and emigrated to NOLA in 1902, I would suspect that he was already made in Corleone, and then subsequently transferred first to the NOLA and then the Chicago families. Given that he died in Chicago in 1959, he didn't seem to have any issue returning to the city once the dust settled down following the O'Neglia and other hits. Maybe he was shelved or otherwise retired by then.

Had to have been a bunch of these kind of guys in Chicago that we don't know about.

[Antiliar]

Another mysterious old-timer was Giuseppe Priola, who I believe was the great-uncle of Ross Prio (been a while since I looked up the record). He died in 1967 at the age of 100 and was a long-time Mafioso. I think he arrived in 1903, so after the Nicolosis and others.

[B.]

I also found a naturalization that could be a match for the father. If it's the same Antonino/Antonio Campise, then he's from Sambuca Zabut. Same city Mike Merlo came from.

Great find if true. Late 1800s investigators visiting Sicily were told to go to Sambuca Zabut if they wanted to see a town controlled by the mafia but we don't see it heavily represented in the US outside of Merlo and some Rockford guys, maybe a couple others here and there. Definitely part of the Agrigento network as evidenced by Gentile visiting Merlo and the Ribera ties to Sambuca.

KC would fit in as we know the Gentile brothers went there, LoCicero was there, and there are some other early Agrigento ties in MO.

Also of interest, when Carmelo Nicolosi returned from Corleone in 1906 (he originally arrived in 1897), he brought his wife who was surnamed Pomilla - a name we've seen in the Lucchese Family. Paolina Pomilla was the sister of Nunzio Pomilla, a Lucchese soldier and brother-in-law of Tom Gagliano. Joe Nicolosi sponsored John Oliveri, the brother of the Sam Oliveri of the Cleveland conference who later went to Rockford.

Traveling with them was the mother-in-law of Mariano Marsalisi, a Lucchese narcotics trafficker.

John and Sam Oliveri's first cousin was also the wife of Tom Reina. Her father Andrea and brother Salvatore were involved with the Reina/Lucchese Family in NYC. Sam Oliveri also arrived to the US with a relative of the Nicolosis.

I have a Leoluca Macaluso (b.1883) from Corleone being connected to the mafia in Chicago. There were Macalusos in the Reina/Lucchese Family as well.

Seems the Chicago Corleonesi were heavily tied in with the Luccheses.

Vincent Joseph Inserra was born 1911 in St Louis (hence the ironic nickname “Saint”) to Giuseppe Inserra and Maria Grazia Peri, the latter from Caccamo. I haven't had much success in confirming info about Giuseppe. In 1920 the family lived in St Louis with Grazia as the head of household, but then in 1930 Grazia was living with her children in Chicago in the Taylor St Patch. In 1940 on Grazia's US naturalization document, she stated that she was born in Caccamo and married Giuseppe 1903 in Joliet. At the time the document was filed, she stated that Giuseppe was living in St Louis (also worth noting that her eldest child, Mariano, born 1904, was incarcerated in Leavenworth). The document states that Giuseppe was also born (1880) in Caccamo, though that was then crossed out and "Italy" printed next to it. Subsequently, Giuseppe seems to have rejoined her in Chicago, where they were living near Harding and Chicago Ave in Humboldt Park. Grazia died in 1945, though I haven't been able to confirm Giuseppe's death. There is a Joseph Inserra, about the right age (born 1883) who died in 1944 in Fulton, MO and was buried in St Louis. The "findagrave" entry (for Favarra/Inserra family graves) has his birthplace as "Palermo", while his death record states Sicily/Italy. This Joseph Inserra was married to a woman named Mariana Annunzio, though it's possible that the Giuseppe Inserra married to Grazia Peri had a second family in MO given the long separation with Grazia. There is a record for a Giuseppe Inserra (born ~1875) who entered New Orleans in 1892. Another possibility is that Giuseppe was in the mafia and was using an alternate name, who knows.

I have Pietro "Ashcan Pete" Inserra (murdered 1930) being from Altavilla Milicia, which is near Caccamo. A sign the other Inserras are from one of those towns.

Another Chicago guy with heritage in Altavilla was Joseph LoPiccolo who moved to NYC and joined the Gambino Family.

-

I had the Lisciandrellos coming from Marineo but it was just from a long list of names I was working through a couple years ago so can't say for sure. Another I had from Marineo was John Borcia (?) but I don't know anything about him beyond coming across the name and looking into it.

[PolackTony]

I also found a naturalization that could be a match for the father. If it's the same Antonino/Antonio Campise, then he's from Sambuca Zabut. Same city Mike Merlo came from.

Great find if true. Late 1800s investigators visiting Sicily were told to go to Sambuca Zabut if they wanted to see a town controlled by the mafia but we don't see it heavily represented in the US outside of Merlo and some Rockford guys, maybe a couple others here and there. Definitely part of the Agrigento network as evidenced by Gentile visiting Merlo and the Ribera ties to Sambuca.

From what I have, Johnny Apes was born in Sambuca and then arrived in Chicago as a young kid. Whether or not it speaks to any substantive connection, interesting to note that the street boss of the Outfit in 90s was born in the same comune as Michele Merlo, especially given that so few from Sambuca have figured in the US LCN.

Vincent Joseph Inserra was born 1911 in St Louis (hence the ironic nickname “Saint”) to Giuseppe Inserra and Maria Grazia Peri, the latter from Caccamo. I haven't had much success in confirming info about Giuseppe. In 1920 the family lived in St Louis with Grazia as the head of household, but then in 1930 Grazia was living with her children in Chicago in the Taylor St Patch. In 1940 on Grazia's US naturalization document, she stated that she was born in Caccamo and married Giuseppe 1903 in Joliet. At the time the document was filed, she stated that Giuseppe was living in St Louis (also worth noting that her eldest child, Mariano, born 1904, was incarcerated in Leavenworth). The document states that Giuseppe was also born (1880) in Caccamo, though that was then crossed out and "Italy" printed next to it. Subsequently, Giuseppe seems to have rejoined her in Chicago, where they were living near Harding and Chicago Ave in Humboldt Park. Grazia died in 1945, though I haven't been able to confirm Giuseppe's death. There is a Joseph Inserra, about the right age (born 1883) who died in 1944 in Fulton, MO and was buried in St Louis. The "findagrave" entry (for Favarra/Inserra family graves) has his birthplace as "Palermo", while his death record states Sicily/Italy. This Joseph Inserra was married to a woman named Mariana Annunzio, though it's possible that the Giuseppe Inserra married to Grazia Peri had a second family in MO given the long separation with Grazia. There is a record for a Giuseppe Inserra (born ~1875) who entered New Orleans in 1892. Another possibility is that Giuseppe was in the mafia and was using an alternate name, who knows.

I have Pietro "Ashcan Pete" Inserra (murdered 1930) being from Altavilla Milicia, which is near Caccamo. A sign the other Inserras are from one of those towns.

Another Chicago guy with heritage in Altavilla was Joseph LoPiccolo who moved to NYC and joined the Gambino Family.

Thanks for the info here. I agree that Altavilla/Caccamo area is a good bet for Vince Inserra's father.

Any further info on LoPiccolo? When did he leave Chicago?