General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[SolarSolano]

Was this Bobby Covone who used to run numbers of the Infelise crew?
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/2-koh ... olice-cops

[PolackTony]

Sam DiGiovanni suspected as the "old time capro" (ph) of Chicago Heights via an FBI office bug:

Interesting stuff here. When I was trying to figure out who else may have been capo down there in the context of the Costello sit down, I hadn’t thought of DiGiovanni. So the FBI also interpreted Costello’s capo as not LaPorte. But they seem to have interpreted that Costello liquor license beef was with LaPorte, when the transcript seems to point to the beef as being with Joe Fusco.

Another question I’ve had is who was the unidentified guy speaking only in Italian who was also present at the Costello-Giancana sit down.

[PolackTony]

Some 1950s info from Tony Pinelli's file.

C. 1956-1957 the FBI believed that Pinelli was keeping a "clean" profile in CA because his role there was to oversee legitimate businesses with the purpose of laundering illicit income from Chicago rackets. Local Gary intel, however, stated that Pinelli frequently visited Gary, where he maintained a local residence and where his pizzeria/"spaghetti joint" the Villa Restaurant (1101 Taft St) was noted as a hoodlum hangout and the apparent base of operations via which Pinelli was placing jukeboxes and slot machines throughout Gary. Pinelli stated to control gambling in Gary and to also be involved in slot machines and likely narcotics there.

Visitors that Pinelli met with in CA included Accardo, Giancana, Frank DeSimone, and a redacted name from San Jose, originally from Pittsburgh, believed to have been involved in the DeJohn hit, who was clearly Tony Lima. Local LE claimed that Pinelli had been an "acquaintance" of Jack Dragna before the latter's death.

In an audit of Pinelli's Chicago olive oil business ~1950, records revealed that he was buying tomatoes and tomato paste from the Lanza Brothers Co in San Francisco.

The FBI suspected that Pinelli had connections to Mickey Cohen as well, possibly via Northside Chicago Jewish hoodlum Max Berman, who was seen meeting with Pinelli. Berman's criminal record included arrests in Chicago, NYC, LA, San Francisco, and Denver in the 1920s.

Pinelli was arrested for drunk driving in Berrien County, MI in 1955 (which is where Lefty Campagna had been based until his death earlier that year).

FBI referenced intel that Pinelli had operated the International Dairy with redacted partners until it shuttered in 1939, and that Pinelli had claimed that he financed the Dairy Co with funds from the Italo-American National Union (the former Unione Siciliana), of which Pinelli had further claimed to have been the President (on his 1940 Alien Registration document, Pinelli also noted that he was a member of the IANU).

In 1958, Pinelli had major investments in PR, and traveled to San Juan, PR, and St Thomas. San Juan field office was involved in surveilling Pinelli, who met with a redacted name in San Juan.

Lots of detail regarding Pinelli's land holdings and legit businesses in SoCal, many of which were under family members' names and were likened to an "octopus".

Some info on Jim DeGeorge from the 50s. The FBI observed a number of sizeable packages being shipped from DeGeorge's Chicago home on N Kedvale to Pinelli in Sierra Madre. Juicy DeGeorge gossip from what seems to have been one of his neighbors, who discussed how much DeGeorge had recently spent renovating the interior of his home and that DeGeorge only paid $85 in taxes. Gossip also noted that DeGeorge was "not very friendly" and that all of his visitors "were of Italian descent". DeGeorge only left his home at night. Neighbors seem to have disliked DeGeorge and believed that he was a mobster.

[PolackTony]

Little info of interest in the Dom Nuccio file that I looked through. Along with Northside guys, he was also observed in the company of Leonard Gianola and Cowboy Mirro.

Reference to "governing Board", but this CI seemingly conflated that with the top made guys in the Northside crew:

[PolackTony]

Was this Bobby Covone who used to run numbers of the Infelise crew?
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/2-koh ... olice-cops

Bobby Covone's nickname should've been "Bobby Gavone". If not, major opportunity lost there. Also, James Coniglio should've been called "Jimmy the Rabbit".

Could be the same guy.

[Snakes]

Was this Bobby Covone who used to run numbers of the Infelise crew?
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/2-koh ... olice-cops

Bobby Covone's nickname should've been "Bobby Gavone". If not, major opportunity lost there. Also, James Coniglio should've been called "Jimmy the Rabbit".

Could be the same guy.

I'm pretty sure it is the same guy -- age matches with the Covone in the BOP search.

[B.]

Great stuff on Pinelli. Here is some stuff from LaPorte's file that I found the most interesting:

- Philip (Filippo) Costello was ID'd as an old time bookmaker born in Caccamo who was connected to Al Capone through bootlegging and was seen meeting with Frank LaPorte a number of times before his 1966 death at 80-years-old. Likely an uncle or relative of member Joe Costello, as he ran the Chicago Heights Distributing Company.

- Willie Messino and Frank LaPorte were related somehow. The FBI spoke with a woman who was a second cousin of both men.

- Informant said Buccieri and Sam Battaglia were "fighting for the top job" in the organization during the 1960s and Accardo and Ricca needed to step in and "settle the matter' otherwise the outfit would "break up into small factions". Buccieri had been in a dispute for at least 18 months with Frank LaPorte at this time and they weren't on speaking terms. Other informants reported similar issues. This was reported some time later:



- Frank Bompensiero was cooperating by January 1967 and gave the following:



- Allegedly the first Sicilian families in Chicago Heights:



- CI Bompensiero flew into Chicago and got info on the leadership circa 1969 from a meeting he had with LaPorte, in which LaPorte got drunk and spoke about various topics:



- In a 1970 FBI interview, Sam DiGiovanni said he came to the US in 1918 and lived in Colorado where he worked as a miner. He then moved to Chicago Heights and ran a store and bakery. Admitted close social friendships with Pete Zaranti, Frank LaPorte, Al Pilotto, Phil Bacino, Sam Macaluso, and John Costello. Said he sees Pilotto almost every day. He described Zaranti as a longtime friend who was 80-years-old by this time and ran a restaurant in Calumet City. Said he talks to Bacino frequently on the phone. He also knew Jim Emery and his son Ralph. Other close friends of his were Joe Barrett and Filippo Candella of Madison, who supplied DiGiovanni's store with cheese from Grande Cheese and they still call/visit each other socially. Another friend in Chicago Heights was Joseph Pezzoto. He and his brother Nick DiGiovanni were business partners.

- Bomp reported in 1970 Accardo and Ricca were using LaPorte as a liaison to John Roselli and Accardo didn't want to meet with Roselli directly even when they were both in Miami. Roselli wanted LaPorte to intercede on his behalf with Accardo and Ricca concerning Roselli shaking down the "Jewish mafia" but LaPorte told him to come to Chicago and meet with them himself. Bomp attended a meeting with both of them where this was discussed. By late 1970 LaPorte and a redacted St. Louis member reportedly discussed how Roselli would likely be murdered and Bomp reported that LaPorte said they weren't in a rush given legal issues. Bomp felt they would use Trafficante to lure Roselli.

- Bompensiero was told by LaPorte that Pilotto, "Tootsie" and "Jimmy" had once been members of his "decina" (Bomp's term) and went to Accardo, Ricca, and Giancana to try and transfer out due to feeling like they weren't getting their fair share from LaPorte.

[B.]

Also one of the bugs mentioned in the report about Sam DiGiovanni being the "old time capro" (ph) of Chicago Heights was placed in LaPorte's business. Unfortunately the bug malfunctioned after a short time and it's not clear to me if they were able to repair/install it. The bug revealed that he frequently checked in with DiGiovanni and he made it a point to check in with DiGiovanni when he returned from vacation.

The FBI also had a telephone bug in the mid-1960s that broke down all of Bomp, LaPorte, and Fratianno's activities related to Fratianno's trucking company. LaPorte invested heavily in this company and was constantly in contact with Fratianno during that period. The company failed and all three men received immense heat from LE. It's clear this greatly impacted their relationships and it appears this was an influence on Bompensiero cooperating by early 1967. As Bomp mentions in virtually every report from this period onward, LaPorte was extremely depressed and inactive until his death though he kept his rank.

Sam DiGiovanni suspected as the "old time capro" (ph) of Chicago Heights via an FBI office bug:

Interesting stuff here. When I was trying to figure out who else may have been capo down there in the context of the Costello sit down, I hadn’t thought of DiGiovanni. So the FBI also interpreted Costello’s capo as not LaPorte. But they seem to have interpreted that Costello liquor license beef was with LaPorte, when the transcript seems to point to the beef as being with Joe Fusco.

From re-reading the transcript, there seemed to be issues with both Fusco and LaPorte.

He talks about how LaPorte tried to buy liquor from him at "cost" which would have stuck Costello's people with debt. He also says a little bit later LaPorte "ruined all our people" in connection with a Walgreens deal: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... o_costello

[cavita]

Speaking of the Bomp, any idea why he would be in contact with Rockford LCN soldier Joe Maggio in the early 70s? Anyone see anything in his file that would hint to this?

[B.]

No idea on Bomp/Maggio. Bomp was extremely well-connected to members nationally and it's clear the FBI was encouraging him to make contact with Families around the US to gather intel.

- Returning to Sam DiGiovanni and the FBI getting indication via bugs that he was the "old time capro" Joe Costello reported to. I went through all of LaPorte's FBI files and guys like Pilotto, Caruso, and "Jimmy" 100% reported to his crew, but if the FBI was right I wonder if some of the members with roots in the Chicago Heights Family reported to their own captain (DiGiovanni).

- Some of these guys who were ancient by the 1960s are interesting -- Filippo Costello and Pietro Zeranti in particular. DiGiovanni admitted a close relationship to Zeranti -- the Zerantis, Geracis, and Guzzinos are all Caccamesi who appear to be interrelated. The Costellos were also from Caccamo and Joe Costello was a younger one who apparently wasn't assigned to LaPorte. The Chicago Heights Family boss and underboss were both from Caccamo, so a possible explanation would be that DiGiovanni oversaw the remnants of this element while LaPorte oversaw the more criminal/modern faction in the Heights.

It's evident in LaPorte's files the vast majority of info came from general criminal association and aside from brief glimpses there is very little data on the formal organizational element in the Heights. There was zero info on the Heights Family in LaPorte's files but thanks to Gentile we know for sure it existed. Seem to be some huge gaps in knowledge of that area.

[PolackTony]

No idea on Bomp/Maggio. Bomp was extremely well-connected to members nationally and it's clear the FBI was encouraging him to make contact with Families around the US to gather intel.

- Returning to Sam DiGiovanni and the FBI getting indication via bugs that he was the "old time capro" Joe Costello reported to. I went through all of LaPorte's FBI files and guys like Pilotto, Caruso, and "Jimmy" 100% reported to his crew, but if the FBI was right I wonder if some of the members with roots in the Chicago Heights Family reported to their own captain (DiGiovanni).

- Some of these guys who were ancient by the 1960s are interesting -- Filippo Costello and Pietro Zeranti in particular. DiGiovanni admitted a close relationship to Zeranti -- the Zerantis, Geracis, and Guzzinos are all Caccamesi who appear to be interrelated. The Costellos were also from Caccamo and Joe Costello was a younger one who apparently wasn't assigned to LaPorte. The Chicago Heights Family boss and underboss were both from Caccamo, so a possible explanation would be that DiGiovanni oversaw the remnants of this element while LaPorte oversaw the more criminal/modern faction in the Heights.

It's evident in LaPorte's files the vast majority of info came from general criminal association and aside from brief glimpses there is very little data on the formal organizational element in the Heights. There was zero info on the Heights Family in LaPorte's files but thanks to Gentile we know for sure it existed. Seem to be some huge gaps in knowledge of that area.

Some great info here. Odd that the FBI would refer specifically to "LaPorte's family". By this time they obviously knew the difference between a crew/decina and a family, and I'm not aware of seeing this sort of usage otherwise.

I've wondered about these Caccamese guys in the Heights and exactly what their relationship to the Ruberto/Emery/LaPorte/ structure. Always assumed that once the latter guys took power, the remaining Caccamesi fell in line and just checked in with the winners. Who really knows what happened down there though. I think this info is grounds enough to keep an open mind. As with the apparent Gary crew, there may have been more complexity down there than we realize.

I've been mulling over the best way to interpret the Costello sit-down transcript for some time, as I think it is one of the most significant single pieces of evidence that we have. Re-reading it this time, it seems absolutely clear that LaPorte was not Costello's capo. If LaPorte were his capo, why does he state that he understands that protocol gives him the "right" to go to his capo in order to be able to talk to LaPorte? And then, as this channel seems to have not worked for him, Costello goes to the rappresentante to ask his "permission" to talk to LaPorte. Seems very clear that Costello and Sam Macaluso were not under LaPorte from the transcript. Now, maybe Fusco was?

I note that above you include "Caruso" as among the guys claimed as reporting to LaPorte. Was this a typo, or did they specifically state that Frank Caruso reported to LaPorte? What was the exact wording (whether in the CI's words or the G)?

[PolackTony]

Speaking of the Bomp, any idea why he would be in contact with Rockford LCN soldier Joe Maggio in the early 70s? Anyone see anything in his file that would hint to this?

Nice info there. I wasn't aware of this link.

[B.]

Sorry, I meant "Tootsie" Palermo not Caruso -- that was my mistake. Bomp ID'd "Tootsie" as a member of LaPorte's "decina" so I assume that's Palermo.

I interpreted "LaPorte's family" to simply mean the same Family LaPorte belonged to, not the "LaPorte Crime Family". It was stated in context with their investigation into LaPorte.

[PolackTony]

Sorry, I meant "Tootsie" Palermo not Caruso -- that was my mistake. Bomp ID'd "Tootsie" as a member of LaPorte's "decina" so I assume that's Palermo.

I interpreted "LaPorte's family" to simply mean the same Family LaPorte belonged to, not the "LaPorte Crime Family". It was stated in context with their investigation into LaPorte.

Thanks, that makes sense, on both counts. You'd think they just would've said the Chicago family, but since LaPorte was the subject of the file, they're probably just saying "the family that LaPorte belongs to". Tootsie in this case would've been Palermo. Frank Caruso Sr, of this era, was "Skids" where his son Frank Caruso Jr is also called "Tootsie".

[B.]

Yeah, I automatically typed Caruso because of the shared nickname. My brain's version of auto-fill.

Going back to the Gary Family, what I wonder is if this was the Chicago Heights Family. Some Heights figures were from Cinisi like Palazzolo in Gary, so one speculative theory could be Palazzolo took over the Heights Family after the Caccamo leaders were killed in the 1920s, which would explain his prominence at the 1928 Cleveland meeting and may have given the impression of a Family based in Gary when it was actually distributed among the Heights and nearby Indiana. Certainly strong ties between the Heights / Gary elements.