Patrickgold wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 4:55 pm
Agostinos is closed because of a fire in the kitchen that happened last summer. Their son just opened up a new restaurant on Taylor street. You want to see Outfit guys then go to Chickies on Roosevelt before lunch. You will see them at a table by the door. Also Seen many Outfit guys at Taverna in Melrose Park. For nightlife go to Venuti’s in Addison on a Thursday to Saturday night. You will see Outfit guys there too. You might see Bobby Dominic at Richards if you are there before 7 or 8. If Outfit guys are going to Richards it’s during the day. Most leave by 8 or 9. Other than that, it’s hit or miss. Rosebuds might have some but the place is so big you might not even notice. Same with Rush street. Tavern on rush has always been a hangout. I heard that new place “Am I Live” next to the Capri in Burr Ridge is a new hangout. Gigi the owner is an Outfit guy and you will see him there.
Great stuff. Appreciated. Cheers mate.
What about good Italian in Chicago, any recommends?
SonnyBlackstein wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 10:16 pm
I know people are going to crucify me for this, and have at it, but Im going to be in Chi-town in the near future, are there any joints left mob/owned/associated with that would be worth having a beer in? Any mob or just in general recommends for LCN or just good food, would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers and thanks.
I hate to say but there really aren't that many Outfit joints in the city proper that are left - I would bet money that those guys on Grand Avenue stopped going to Richards a decade ago when it became so trendy. There are a lot of mob 'owned' joints left - but most aren't really the mob type.
Most of the Outfit's business today is in the suburbs - I really don't think these guys are doing much hanging out. Sometimes you see old dago bookies in these video gambling joints in Berwyn or Melrose - but I just don't think you see the old gangsters holding court anymore. I really don't know much about Addison or Bloomingdale though and that may have more of those sicilian types.
If you are in the city, the real only place I can think of is Ristorante Agostino on Harlem or Mart Antony off Grand Avenue.
Agostinos is closed because of a fire in the kitchen that happened last summer. Their son just opened up a new restaurant on Taylor street. You want to see Outfit guys then go to Chickies on Roosevelt before lunch. You will see them at a table by the door. Also Seen many Outfit guys at Taverna in Melrose Park. For nightlife go to Venuti’s in Addison on a Thursday to Saturday night. You will see Outfit guys there too. You might see Bobby Dominic at Richards if you are there before 7 or 8. If Outfit guys are going to Richards it’s during the day. Most leave by 8 or 9. Other than that, it’s hit or miss. Rosebuds might have some but the place is so big you might not even notice. Same with Rush street. Tavern on rush has always been a hangout. I heard that new place “Am I Live” next to the Capri in Burr Ridge is a new hangout. Gigi the owner is an Outfit guy and you will see him there.
What about Bella Notte on Grand nowadays? I’d imagine that there’s little presence there if any now.
Gotta be a few places left around Bridgeport too with a few guys around. Not my part of town, but people I know from there tell me there’s still a noticeable presence. Depending on how much time Sonny has and what his plans are, I’d think at least a quick trip to Bridgeport would be worth it just for the experience. Ricobene’s, ONIAC. For historical purposes also Grand, to see where Benevento’s store was, the Cozzo compound, HSAC, where Rose’s used to be, etc. Tons of mafia history there of course, going back to ~1900, so it’s worth actually going around and seeing what used to be an important and hardcore Italian neighborhood and mob territory.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Also, if you’re looking for that deep dish stuff, there’s a bunch of places, but by and large they’re pretty corny. I happen to like Lou Malnati, but I can count the number of times I’ve eaten deep dish on my fingers. If you want “real” Chicago pizza, you want thin crust. Vito and Nick’s on the SW side is about as real as it gets. You also want to get a beef sandwich. Now that the old Joe Boston’s by Smith Park is closed down, you could try Johnny’s in Elmwood Park or the original Al’s on Taylor. Both are located in hardcore old Outfit neighborhoods, so there’s some nice historical interest in visiting. Another good option is the Southside Italian breaded steak sandwich with red gravy (Ricobene’s, etc). None of this is fine dining — and there are many, many nice Italian restaurants around the city and suburbs — but they are great examples of the local Italian-American, working class food of the past that has contributed so much to Chicago’s distinctive culture.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Patrickgold wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 4:55 pm
Agostinos is closed because of a fire in the kitchen that happened last summer. Their son just opened up a new restaurant on Taylor street. You want to see Outfit guys then go to Chickies on Roosevelt before lunch. You will see them at a table by the door. Also Seen many Outfit guys at Taverna in Melrose Park. For nightlife go to Venuti’s in Addison on a Thursday to Saturday night. You will see Outfit guys there too. You might see Bobby Dominic at Richards if you are there before 7 or 8. If Outfit guys are going to Richards it’s during the day. Most leave by 8 or 9. Other than that, it’s hit or miss. Rosebuds might have some but the place is so big you might not even notice. Same with Rush street. Tavern on rush has always been a hangout. I heard that new place “Am I Live” next to the Capri in Burr Ridge is a new hangout. Gigi the owner is an Outfit guy and you will see him there.
Great stuff. Appreciated. Cheers mate.
What about good Italian in Chicago, any recommends?
For sit down Italian food I would go to these places:
La Scarola
Piccolo Sogno
Bella Notte
Mart Anthony’s
Rosebuds on Taylor
Bacchanalia
Capri in Burr Ridge
For a beef sandwich:
Johnnys in Elmwood Park
Al’s on Taylor
Chickies in Hillside
Italian subs:
Bari
Fontano’s on Polk
D’Amatos
Alphine’s in EP
Pizza:
Lou Malnati’s for deep dish
D’Amato’s has good thin slice’s
Freddy’s in Cicero (everything is good here. Pasta, beef, subs, geleta, ect.). This place is the best
If you go to Bridgeport make sure you try a breaded steak sandwich at Riccobenes, Freddy’s or Punkies. Franco’s is supposedly a good restaurant there but I have never been there.
There are a million places. It really depends on where you are staying and where you plan to go but the places above are good and you can’t lose going to them
Bella Notte is another good hole in the wall - I just really hope those guys kept going through COVID I am not sure many of those more familiar joints actually made it doing take-out and such. My relatives and friends would punch me for saying this but I gotta say the best deep dish I've had recently was Pequod's in Lincoln Park.
Freddy's in Cicero - I believe that was connected to Jonny Apes Monteleone at one time, no? He resided around the corner if I am not mistaken.
Just passing on info: A relative of Nick Palermo who was close to Anthony Centracchio says that he was made the Outfit boss after Johnny Apes died in January 2001. If true, this would mean Centracchio was the top man for about seven months.
Antiliar wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 4:12 pm
Just passing on info: A relative of Nick Palermo who was close to Anthony Centracchio says that he was made the Outfit boss after Johnny Apes died in January 2001. If true, this would mean Centracchio was the top man for about seven months.
Strange, as he was under indictment at the time, too.
Antiliar wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 4:12 pm
Just passing on info: A relative of Nick Palermo who was close to Anthony Centracchio says that he was made the Outfit boss after Johnny Apes died in January 2001. If true, this would mean Centracchio was the top man for about seven months.
Strange, as he was under indictment at the time, too.
Maybe he was a "lightning rod"?
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Antiliar wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 4:12 pm
Just passing on info: A relative of Nick Palermo who was close to Anthony Centracchio says that he was made the Outfit boss after Johnny Apes died in January 2001. If true, this would mean Centracchio was the top man for about seven months.
Strange, as he was under indictment at the time, too.
I don't vouch for this person's accuracy, but he claims to have been in the know at the time. He was involved in crime back then and is definitely a Palermo, so he may be credible. Just wish we had more material on this era. I have one document from 2004 that says Al Tornabene took over from Johnny Apes as boss when he died. Maybe Centracchio was briefly the underboss?
At any rate, when Jimmy Marcello got out of prison in November 2003, Tornabene stepped down and Marcello replaced him. Who was his underboss?
Antiliar wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 4:12 pm
Just passing on info: A relative of Nick Palermo who was close to Anthony Centracchio says that he was made the Outfit boss after Johnny Apes died in January 2001. If true, this would mean Centracchio was the top man for about seven months.
Strange, as he was under indictment at the time, too.
I don't vouch for this person's accuracy, but he claims to have been in the know at the time. He was involved in crime back then and is definitely a Palermo, so he may be credible. Just wish we had more material on this era. I have one document from 2004 that says Al Tornabene took over from Johnny Apes as boss when he died. Maybe Centracchio was briefly the underboss?
At any rate, when Jimmy Marcello got out of prison in November 2003, Tornabene stepped down and Marcello replaced him. Who was his underboss?
I have been seeing him posting on the Outfit groups on Facebook. Says he was Centracchio’s step son. I think it’s possible that he went to the top spot but like it was pointed out earlier, he was under indictment and more likely going to jail like everyone else did in that indictment. I think the Mayor of Stone Park was indictment with him?? Who would make someone boss knowing that they were going to prison and dealing with an indictment. I think it’s more likely he was part of a ruling board that I think has been put in place in Chicago for some time.
Patrickgold wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 8:45 pm
I have been seeing him posting on the Outfit groups on Facebook. Says he was Centracchio’s step son. I think it’s possible that he went to the top spot but like it was pointed out earlier, he was under indictment and more likely going to jail like everyone else did in that indictment. I think the Mayor of Stone Park was indictment with him?? Who would make someone boss knowing that they were going to prison and dealing with an indictment. I think it’s more likely he was part of a ruling board that I think has been put in place in Chicago for some time.
You could be right, but I just wanted to put this information out there just in case.
Patrickgold wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 8:45 pm
I have been seeing him posting on the Outfit groups on Facebook. Says he was Centracchio’s step son. I think it’s possible that he went to the top spot but like it was pointed out earlier, he was under indictment and more likely going to jail like everyone else did in that indictment. I think the Mayor of Stone Park was indictment with him?? Who would make someone boss knowing that they were going to prison and dealing with an indictment. I think it’s more likely he was part of a ruling board that I think has been put in place in Chicago for some time.
You could be right, but I just wanted to put this information out there just in case.
It's always a possibility that the BOD/ruling council model from the past was never done away with in Chicago. If so, that could also account for some of the confusion around the exact succession in this later period.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Patrickgold wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 8:45 pm
I have been seeing him posting on the Outfit groups on Facebook. Says he was Centracchio’s step son. I think it’s possible that he went to the top spot but like it was pointed out earlier, he was under indictment and more likely going to jail like everyone else did in that indictment. I think the Mayor of Stone Park was indictment with him?? Who would make someone boss knowing that they were going to prison and dealing with an indictment. I think it’s more likely he was part of a ruling board that I think has been put in place in Chicago for some time.
You could be right, but I just wanted to put this information out there just in case.
It's always a possibility that the BOD/ruling council model from the past was never done away with in Chicago. If so, that could also account for some of the confusion around the exact succession in this later period.
I think the idea of ruling council/BOD lost a ton of steam the further away from the sixties we got. It was just never mentioned by informants or files from the 70s and on. I was never big on it anyway, but considering the size of the organization and how many guys were imprisoned by the mid-90s it doesn't make much sense to have a boss, underboss, and a BOD. However, if someone wants to say that the capos acted as a sort of de facto BOD, I'll buy it.
I think the situation in the late-90s was Monteleone as boss, handling street issues and conflicts with direct responsibility over Cicero and Chinatown (with assistance from Tornabene, Spano, and Toots Caruso). Centracchio bossed the NW suburbs and Grand Avenue, deferring to Monteleone, and Andriacchi bossed EP and the North Side but was pretty much just left alone by Monteleone.
Snakes wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:23 am
I think the idea of ruling council/BOD lost a ton of steam the further away from the sixties we got. It was just never mentioned by informants or files from the 70s and on. I was never big on it anyway, but considering the size of the organization and how many guys were imprisoned by the mid-90s it doesn't make much sense to have a boss, underboss, and a BOD. However, if someone wants to say that the capos acted as a sort of de facto BOD, I'll buy it.
I think the situation in the late-90s was Monteleone as boss, handling street issues and conflicts with direct responsibility over Cicero and Chinatown (with assistance from Tornabene, Spano, and Toots Caruso). Centracchio bossed the NW suburbs and Grand Avenue, deferring to Monteleone, and Andriacchi bossed EP and the North Side but was pretty much just left alone by Monteleone.
I agree on the BOD and the late 1990s setup. The confusion comes after Monteleone died. What we've been told is that Tornabene became a caretaker boss, holding the position for Marcello, who officially takes it in late 2003. No information about their respective underbosses. Once Marcello is convicted and sentenced in the Family Secrets case it goes to Mike Sarno, with Salvatore Cataudella as his apparent underboss. Sarno is convicted and sent to prison and we read vague quotes about Salvatore DeLaurentis and Pete DiFronzo being important people, but no official statements that clearly state who was (or is) occupying which positions. Questions persist about the roles of John DiFronzo and Joe Andriacchi.
Of course if DeLaurentis is running what's left of the Outfit you wouldn't know it from his behavior. He continues to run an extermination company into his 80s, and he makes a Facebook page that he uses to upload photos that anyone can see. (Not to mention his son being active in Mafia groups). I think he now has cancer like Andriacchi had a few years earlier. Albert Vena, we were told ran Grand Avenue, but who knows what his role is today in 2022? Is there anything that I'm missing?
Snakes wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:23 am
I think the idea of ruling council/BOD lost a ton of steam the further away from the sixties we got. It was just never mentioned by informants or files from the 70s and on. I was never big on it anyway, but considering the size of the organization and how many guys were imprisoned by the mid-90s it doesn't make much sense to have a boss, underboss, and a BOD. However, if someone wants to say that the capos acted as a sort of de facto BOD, I'll buy it.
I think the situation in the late-90s was Monteleone as boss, handling street issues and conflicts with direct responsibility over Cicero and Chinatown (with assistance from Tornabene, Spano, and Toots Caruso). Centracchio bossed the NW suburbs and Grand Avenue, deferring to Monteleone, and Andriacchi bossed EP and the North Side but was pretty much just left alone by Monteleone.
I agree on the BOD and the late 1990s setup. The confusion comes after Monteleone died. What we've been told is that Tornabene became a caretaker boss, holding the position for Marcello, who officially takes it in late 2003. No information about their respective underbosses. Once Marcello is convicted and sentenced in the Family Secrets case it goes to Mike Sarno, with Salvatore Cataudella as his apparent underboss. Sarno is convicted and sent to prison and we read vague quotes about Salvatore DeLaurentis and Pete DiFronzo being important people, but no official statements that clearly state who was (or is) occupying which positions. Questions persist about the roles of John DiFronzo and Joe Andriacchi.
Of course if DeLaurentis is running what's left of the Outfit you wouldn't know it from his behavior. He continues to run an extermination company into his 80s, and he makes a Facebook page that he uses to upload photos that anyone can see. (Not to mention his son being active in Mafia groups). I think he now has cancer like Andriacchi had a few years earlier. Albert Vena, we were told ran Grand Avenue, but who knows what his role is today in 2022? Is there anything that I'm missing?
I think you about covered everything. I'm not even sure they had an underboss since the late 90s. Guys were getting imprisoned left and right. My best guess is that the capos just acted as a collective underboss and there wasn't any one guy that held the position. If there was, I'd imagine it would be a guy that belonged to the same group as the boss who acted as a buffer between him and the other crews/capos.
Maybe DeLaurentis ran it for a little bit after Sarno went away, but then stepped back. I would imagine that Vena and Inendino would be the top guys over what is left. It's gonna be pretty tough to tell unless we get an indictment or until some of these guys pass away.
