Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Discuss all mafia families in the U.S., Canada, Italy, and everywhere else in the world.

Moderator: Capos

Post Reply
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by B. »

Antiliar wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:26 pm
B. wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:30 pm I don't know about the Cardinales specifically, but there's a lot of interrelation between all of those AG towns for sure.
This might be of use: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... =cardinale
Nice find. I have no idea about the Chicago Cardinales. Interesting some were linked to the same region as Pinelli and Morgano. Still find it mysterious for obvious reasons how Pinelli's kids married both DeGeorge and Phil Amari's kids. Guessing the Amari connection came via Pinelli's friendship with DeGeorge but still a lot of unknowns with that early Chicago AG element.

Palazzo Adriano was another town linked to both Chicago and Trinidad. Talked to a descendant of an old Palazzo guy who was linked to the Bonanno ones and he only knew that his ancestor was a farmer in Trinidad who also lived in Marion near Johnson City, Illinois. Like we talked about before, STL boss Pasquale Miceli from Burgio lived in Johnson City before Chicago. Burgio and Palazzo Adriano follow similar immigration patterns and are close to each other in Sicily... the guy from Palazzo's surname was even LoBurgio, maybe the surname derives from nearby Burgio.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by B. »

Very great background info in this thread along with what was already known.

Agrigento
Michele Merlo - Sambuca
Jasper Campise - Sambuca
John Monteleone - Sambuca
Pasquale LoLordo - Ribera. Lived in NYC before Chicago.
Joseph LoLordo - Ribera. Pasquale's brother, later a DeCavalcante captain.
Phil Bacino - Ribera, with cousins in Burgio. Son married marital niece of Decavalcante member in NJ.
Jim DeGeorge - Ribera
Giuseppe Cocchiaro - Ribera. Arrived to Chicago, later an NJ DeCavalcante member.
Vincenzo DiMaria - Ribera. Lived in Chicago in the 1920s before joining DeCavalcantes in NJ.
Vincent Solano - Ribera
Pasquale Miceli - Burgio. Lived in Johnson City, then Chicago through 1920s. Became STL boss.
Sam Carlisi - Canicatti
Giuseppe Carlisi - Canicatti. Linked to underworld activity, father of Sam and Roy.
Al Tornabene - Canicatti
Girolamo Lamberta - Montevago
Vincenzo "Jack McGurn" Gibaldi - Licata
Frank Ferraro Sortino (Sciortino? That's a common AG name) - Villafranca
Dominick Nuccio - Cattolica Eraclea, then Vicari in Palermo. Ally of Benevento-DeGeorge.
Bernard Morgano - Bivona
Vincenzo Catuara - Sant'Angelo Muxaro
Joseph Gagliano - Lucca Sicula

Palazzo Adriano
Giovanni DiGiovanni - Business agent after D'Andrea for same union. Wife's naturalization witnessed by Mike Merlo. Not ID'd as a member but def a candidate.
Nick DeJohn - Giovanni's son, leading Chicago figure killed in SF. Ally of Benevento-DeGeorge in "Cheese" war.
Sam DeJohn - Brother of Nick
Geraldo Gallo - Arrived to relatives in Chicago. Later moved to LA and San Jose, ID'd as San Jose member. Brother Ciro was a Bonanno and SF member close to Nick DeJohn linked to his SF murder.

Other allies of Benevento-DeGeorge:
Anthony Pinelli - Calascibetta (Enna), but children intermarried with Riberesi DeGeorge and Phil Amari
Dominick DiBella - Alimena (Palermo)
Dominick Brancato - Mezzojuso (Palermo)
Joseph DiVarco - Campofelice di Roccella (Palermo)

- Def a lot of mafiosi from Agrigento in Chicago.
- Benevento-DeGeorge faction in the 1940s seems to be all Western Sicilian.
Last edited by B. on Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5843
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by PolackTony »

Antiliar wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:26 pm
B. wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:30 pm I don't know about the Cardinales specifically, but there's a lot of interrelation between all of those AG towns for sure.
This might be of use: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... =cardinale
Yeah, the Gary Cardinales were from Caltanissetta, so I doubt there was any familial connection between them and the Chinatown Cardinales. Who knows though.

Interesting that this CI specifically mentioned the Gary LCN family. I'm thinking that he was not just using this term to refer to the NW IN Chicago crew, as we don't otherwise see these CIs referring to crews as "families". The guy may have been confused, or maybe he actually was aware that Gary had its own family in the past. Either he was an old-timer from the area, or even decades later people were still aware that the Gary family had been a thing.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5843
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by PolackTony »

B. wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:43 pm Very great background info in this thread along with what was already known.

Agrigento
Michele Merlo - Sambuca
Jasper Campise - Sambuca
John Monteleone - Sambuca
Pasquale LoLordo - Ribera. Lived in NYC before Chicago.
Joseph LoLordo - Ribera. Pasquale's brother, later a DeCavalcante captain.
Phil Bacino - Ribera, with cousins in Burgio. Son married marital niece of Decavalcante member in NJ.
Jim DeGeorge - Ribera
Giuseppe Cocchiaro - Ribera. Arrived to Chicago, later an NJ DeCavalcante member.
Vincenzo DiMaria - Ribera. Lived in Chicago in the 1920s before joining DeCavalcantes in NJ.
Vincent Solano - Ribera
Pasquale Miceli - Burgio. Lived in Johnson City, then Chicago through 1920s. Became STL boss.
Sam Carlisi - Canicatti
Giuseppe Carlisi - Canicatti. Linked to underworld activity, father of Sam and Roy.
Al Tornabene - Canicatti
Girolamo Lamberta - Montevago
Vincenzo "Jack McGurn" Gibaldi - Licata
Frank Ferraro Sortino (Sciortino? That's a common AG name) - Villafranca
Dominick Nuccio - Cattolica Eraclea, then Vicari in Palermo. Ally of Benevento-DeGeorge.
Bernard Morgano - Bivona
Vincenzo Caura - Sant'Angelo Muxaro
Joseph Gagliano - Lucca Sicula

Palazzo Adriano
Giovanni DiGiovanni - Business agent after D'Andrea for same union. Wife's naturalization witnessed by Mike Merlo. Not ID'd as a member but def a candidate.
Nick DeJohn - Giovanni's son, leading Chicago figure killed in SF. Ally of Benevento-DeGeorge in "Cheese" war.
Sam DeJohn - Brother of Nick
Geraldo Gallo - Arrived to relatives in Chicago. Later moved to LA and San Jose, ID'd as San Jose member. Brother Ciro was a Bonanno and SF member close to Nick DeJohn linked to his SF murder.

Other allies of Benevento-DeGeorge:
Anthony Pinelli - Calascibetta (Enna), but children intermarried with Riberesi DeGeorge and Phil Amari
Dominick DiBella - Alimena (Palermo)
Dominick Brancato - Mezzojuso (Palermo)
Joseph DiVarco - Campofelice di Roccella (Palermo)

- Def a lot of mafiosi from Agrigento in Chicago.
- Benevento-DeGeorge faction in the 1940s seems to be all Western Sicilian.
Thanks for compiling these, makes it easier to see the potential connections. BTW, Vincenzo "Caura" was Vincenzo Catuara, looks like I had a typo in the original post.

One can presume that Phil Bacino was another Riberese that Pinelli knew well.

Another Riberese was Vincenzo D'Angelo, who was murdered in 1944. Also murdered that year were Onofrio Vitale, of Cinisi, and Sam Gervasi, whose parents were from Vallelunga. Teddy DeRose claimed that the Benevento faction enlisted support from Chicago Heights as well, and Vitale was operating in Calumet City in the years leading up to his death, so I've wondered if these killings had any relation to the Benevento thing.
Last edited by PolackTony on Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
User avatar
Antiliar
Full Patched
Posts: 4371
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:08 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by Antiliar »

PolackTony wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:47 pm
Antiliar wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:26 pm
B. wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:30 pm I don't know about the Cardinales specifically, but there's a lot of interrelation between all of those AG towns for sure.
This might be of use: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... =cardinale
Yeah, the Gary Cardinales were from Caltanissetta, so I doubt there was any familial connection between them and the Chinatown Cardinales. Who knows though.

Interesting that this CI specifically mentioned the Gary LCN family. I'm thinking that he was not just using this term to refer to the NW IN Chicago crew, as we don't otherwise see these CIs referring to crews as "families". The guy may have been confused, or maybe he actually was aware that Gary had its own family in the past. Either he was an old-timer from the area, or even decades later people were still aware that the Gary family had been a thing.
I think T-5 is either Bompensiero or Louie Piscopo, so if that's the case their knowledge either came from Pinelli or was second-hand.

The Giuseppe Cardinale killed by Pellegrino Scaglia was most likely Joe Cardinali killed in New York in 1908. His brother Bartholdi (could have originally been Bartolo or Bartolomeo) was supposedly killed by Scaglia in 1911. Scaglia then fled to St. Louis and ended up in Pueblo.
https://images.findagrave.com/photos/20 ... 187574.jpg

Name: Bartholo Cardinale
Age: 33
Birth Year: abt 1878
Death Date: 30 Jul 1911
Death Place: Manhattan, New York, USA
Certificate Number: 24055
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5843
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by PolackTony »

Antiliar wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:00 pm
PolackTony wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:47 pm
Antiliar wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:26 pm
B. wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:30 pm I don't know about the Cardinales specifically, but there's a lot of interrelation between all of those AG towns for sure.
This might be of use: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... =cardinale
Yeah, the Gary Cardinales were from Caltanissetta, so I doubt there was any familial connection between them and the Chinatown Cardinales. Who knows though.

Interesting that this CI specifically mentioned the Gary LCN family. I'm thinking that he was not just using this term to refer to the NW IN Chicago crew, as we don't otherwise see these CIs referring to crews as "families". The guy may have been confused, or maybe he actually was aware that Gary had its own family in the past. Either he was an old-timer from the area, or even decades later people were still aware that the Gary family had been a thing.
I think T-5 is either Bompensiero or Louie Piscopo, so if that's the case their knowledge either came from Pinelli or was second-hand.
Makes sense. Being one of those two, they would obviously not be confusing a family with a crew. Apart from Pinelli, they also knew LaPorte, so one might imagine they heard some info about the political history of the mafia in the "Southland" from either of those guys.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
User avatar
Antiliar
Full Patched
Posts: 4371
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:08 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by Antiliar »

BTW, one of the Tony Matrangas in Los Angeles lived in Las Animas, Colorado (about an hour away from Trinidad by car) in 1900. A lot of Sicilians lived there to work in the mines.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by B. »

Bompensiero was also the one who indicated Toledo may have been its own Family under Yonnie Licavoli before it was absorbed by Detroit.

Very interesting the CI makes a distinction between the Chicago Family and a Gary Family. Maybe it was dissolved/merged when Palazzolo was killed given he has boss written all over him and attended the 1928 assemblea.
User avatar
Antiliar
Full Patched
Posts: 4371
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:08 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by Antiliar »

Article about the Cardinales and Scaglia:
NYT 1911Dec31 Black Hand killings - Morello Lupo Scaglia Cardinale.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by B. »

Didn't know Scaglia hid out in St. Louis. His relative Chiappetta ended up there as did his paesano Miceli.

The Pueblo Bacinos were probably from Burgio/Lucca like Phil's cousins. There must have been Riberesi there but I haven't found any connected to the mob.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by B. »

Not a member but it looks like Chicago associate Sammy Canzoneri's father came from Palazzo Adriano like the Bonanno one.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by B. »

Looking through Inserro's file on Schmitt's site hoping to find more STL info.

- File says Vincent Inserro's mother (Grazia Perri) came from Caccamo. Father Giuseppe Inserra might be from Termini but file doesn't say, name shows up a lot there.

- Parents married in Joliet, Illinois, and the family lived in St. Louis before Chicago. Inserro brothers' nickname was originally "St. Louis" and was shortened to "Saint". Vincent was called "Little St. Louis".

- Informant said Vincent Inserro's brother Mariano "Joe Weasel" Inserro "brought him into the outfit". Has Mariano "Joe" Inserro been ID'd as a member? Another source said Joe was "the big man" in the Inserro family and Vincent was just a "tool" of his brother.

- St. Louis -> Cicero connection and Aiuppa association brings to mind the STL Family having "Joe" LNU as their Chicago liaison and meeting him in Cicero. I'm now sure this is Aiuppa -- Bompensiero said he and Giordano met with "Joe" at the Towne Hotel in Cicero and Inserro's FBI file says Joe Aiuppa was the owner of the Towne Hotel and Inserro hung out there. When the STL envoy went to the Towne, they first asked for "Joe" at the desk and he had left so they waited for him to come back. "Joe" and Aiuppa were also both connected to Buster Wortman and Aiuppa had other ties to MO.

- Giuseppe Inserro marrying a Caccamese woman in Joliet brings to mind the Chicago Heights Family which was later run by Caccamesi boss and underboss. Joe Aiuppa's family coincidentally came from the same hometown (Lascari) as early Chicago Heights rappresentante Antonino SanFilippo. Frank Alo/Agrusa/Abbate was from Cinisi but was a Chicago Heights figure who also lived in St. Louis. Some recurring themes between Cicero/Heights/STL.
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5843
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by PolackTony »

B. wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 9:26 am Looking through Inserro's file on Schmitt's site hoping to find more STL info.

- File says Vincent Inserro's mother (Grazia Perri) came from Caccamo. Father Giuseppe Inserra might be from Termini but file doesn't say, name shows up a lot there.

- Parents married in Joliet, Illinois, and the family lived in St. Louis before Chicago. Inserro brothers' nickname was originally "St. Louis" and was shortened to "Saint". Vincent was called "Little St. Louis".

- Informant said Vincent Inserro's brother Mariano "Joe Weasel" Inserro "brought him into the outfit". Has Mariano "Joe" Inserro been ID'd as a member? Another source said Joe was "the big man" in the Inserro family and Vincent was just a "tool" of his brother.

- St. Louis -> Cicero connection and Aiuppa association brings to mind the STL Family having "Joe" LNU as their Chicago liaison and meeting him in Cicero. I'm now sure this is Aiuppa -- Bompensiero said he and Giordano met with "Joe" at the Towne Hotel in Cicero and Inserro's FBI file says Joe Aiuppa was the owner of the Towne Hotel and Inserro hung out there. When the STL envoy went to the Towne, they first asked for "Joe" at the desk and he had left so they waited for him to come back. "Joe" and Aiuppa were also both connected to Buster Wortman and Aiuppa had other ties to MO.

- Giuseppe Inserro marrying a Caccamese woman in Joliet brings to mind the Chicago Heights Family which was later run by Caccamesi boss and underboss. Joe Aiuppa's family coincidentally came from the same hometown (Lascari) as early Chicago Heights rappresentante Antonino SanFilippo. Frank Alo/Agrusa/Abbate was from Cinisi but was a Chicago Heights figure who also lived in St. Louis. Some recurring themes between Cicero/Heights/STL.
Interesting info, thanks for sharing. I’ve never heard of Mariano Inserro as a connected guy, but I have seen Vincent Inserro referred to elsewhere as “Little St Louis” (as well as “Saint”). If his brother had brought him in, the “Little” modifier makes sense.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
User avatar
Antiliar
Full Patched
Posts: 4371
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:08 pm
Contact:

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by Antiliar »

There was an "Ash Can" Pete Inserra killed in 1930, an apparent victim of the Capone-Aiello war. Inserra was connected with Jack Costa, reported to be Joe Aiello's bodyguard. This info comes from findagrave:

Name: Pete Inserra [Peter J. or Pietro Inserra]
Event Date: 21 Jul 1930
Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 39
Birth Year (Estimated): 1891
Birth Date: 29 Jun 1891
Birthplace: Alta Villa, Malcia, Italy [should be Altavilla Milicia, Palermo, Sicilia, Italia]
Father's Name: Joseph Inserra [Giuseppe Inserra, 1859-1930]
Father's Birthplace: Alta Villa, Malcia, Italy
Mother's Name: Frances Paril [Francesca Parisi, 1865-1922]
Mother's Birthplace: Alta Villa, Malcia, Italy
Occupation: Peddler
Spouse's Name: Lucile
Burial Date: 25 Jul 1930
Burial Place: Hillside, Cook, Ill.
Cemetery: Mt. Carmel
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5843
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

Post by PolackTony »

Antiliar wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 2:52 pm There was an "Ash Can" Pete Inserra killed in 1930, an apparent victim of the Capone-Aiello war. Inserra was connected with Jack Costa, reported to be Joe Aiello's bodyguard. This info comes from findagrave:

Name: Pete Inserra [Peter J. or Pietro Inserra]
Event Date: 21 Jul 1930
Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 39
Birth Year (Estimated): 1891
Birth Date: 29 Jun 1891
Birthplace: Alta Villa, Malcia, Italy [should be Altavilla Milicia, Palermo, Sicilia, Italia]
Father's Name: Joseph Inserra [Giuseppe Inserra, 1859-1930]
Father's Birthplace: Alta Villa, Malcia, Italy
Mother's Name: Frances Paril [Francesca Parisi, 1865-1922]
Mother's Birthplace: Alta Villa, Malcia, Italy
Occupation: Peddler
Spouse's Name: Lucile
Burial Date: 25 Jul 1930
Burial Place: Hillside, Cook, Ill.
Cemetery: Mt. Carmel
Good info. I've wondered if Pietro Inserra was related to Vincent. As noted above, "Jack Costa" was actually Angelo Spano, whose family I believe was most likely from Bagheria. Good bet that Mariano and Vincent Inserro's family was from somewhere in that Bagheria to Termini area.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Post Reply