Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[Antiliar]

Samuel Ciminello was a notorious Black Hander who was involved in several murders and extortion cases. He used the alias Joseph Novello and was labeled the "Black Hand King." As Novello, his name first pops up as one of the men who shot and wounded Detective Sergeant Joseph McGuire in 1915. On October 15, 1915, after a jury found them guilty, he jumped bond. The 24-year-old was found hiding out in a farm in Kensington, south of Chicago, on Oct 28. His partner in crime, John Bovone, was sentenced on the 15th. (In 1920, Peter Montalbano was also called the "king of the Black Handers".)

On Mar 15, 1919, he was indicted by a grand jury along with Pietro Montelbano (Montalbano) of 1303 Washington Blvd, and John Barone AKA John Bavoa or John Bevonia. They were charged with assault with the intent to commit murder against grocers John and James V. Gagliardo (another article has John and Michael), who run their business at 921 West Randolph Street. Novello demanded $1,000. Montalbano went to John Gagliardo, his cousin's husband, to demand the money. He said that Novello sent him and that Novello was working for Agostino and Antonino Morici, who paid to get him out of prison. Novello had served time for shooting a police officer. After John Gagliardo testified, Novello was sent to prison for violating parole. The 1920 census confirms that Samuel Ciminello, age 30 (born c1890), was an inmate of Joliet State Prison. Ciminello immigrated in 1907 and was single. John Gagliardo and an associate, Charles Ramondy, were shot to death on Sept 8, 1919.

Years earlier, John Gagliardo had been a business agent of the hod carriers' union. At that time he, Agostino Morici, Mantelbano [sic], Bevonia [sic], and Novello were friends. Mantelbano was Morici's brother-in-law. After Gagliardo left the union, he went into business with Morici. They went in different directions and Gagliardo went into business with his brother, and Morici with his brother-in-law Tony Culicchia. In 1925 police declared that Novello once headed a gang with Peter Montalbano, Joseph Bavone and John Cutuia (John Cutaia).

Morici's business was blown up and he collected a large amount of insurance, then Gagliardo's place on Chicago Ave was blown up. Gagliardo collected $30,000 in insurance. After that Mantelbano, Novello and Bevonia were sent to prison for shooting CPD Officer Ed McGuire. They demanded the money from Gagliardo after they were paroled. The events suggest that the men were involved in an arson insurance scam.

On July 15, 1925, four men in a car fired on two men in a Ford sedan at 63rd and Morgan Streets. Tony Campagna of 1114 West Congress Street was killed. Joseph Novello, in the car with him, was only cut by broken glass. John Campana, a commission merchant at 703 West Randolph Street and father of Tony, told police that he employed both men.

Pietro Montalbano was suspected of killing Gaetano DiSalva on April 26, 1910, who was shot to death in front of his house at 1108 Gault Court. After he was released, Montalbano moved from 1152 Milton to the South Side. On June 19, 1911, Carmello LaRosa, believed to be a cousin of Montalbano, was killed. Nicola DiSalva, a cousin of Gaetano, was suspected of killing LaRosa. Joseph DiSalva, Gaetano's brother, was found with his throat cut, skull crushed, and stabbed through the heart, in his room at 1833 Clark Street on July 26, 1911. On June 1, 1911, Montalbano, of 1131 Grand Ave, Samuel Scurinello of 826 Grand Ave., and Tony Portuese, 28, of Danville, IL, were fined for carrying guns. Montalbano and Scurinello were fined $100 and Portuese, $25. Portuese was later connected with Anthony D'Andrea and the killings of Rosario Dispenza and Anthony Puccio in 1914. Meanwhile, an Antonio Montalbano was shot to death behind 881 Milton Ave. on March 21, 1914.

In 1920, Peter Montalbano was arrested in connection with the slaying of labor leader Edward Coleman, Montalbano jumped bail but was later captured.

There are records for two Peter Montalbanos. The older of the two was born 1867/1868 in Castelvetrano and died in 1957, but according to his immigration records he didn't arrive until 1913. The younger, born between 1880 and 1882, was living at 59 Barber (or Barbour) Street in 1900 with his parents, Francesco Montalbano and Francesca Barchia. A World War I draft registration card for a Peter Monteleone born on July 2, 1882, shows him to be an engineer married to Bessie and living at 1802 W. Superior. He died in 1939.

Anthony Campagna was born Jul 8, 1891, in Termini Imerese and was killed on Jul 15, 1925. His parents were Giovanni (John) Campagna and Margaret Guiffre, both from Termini. His wife was Lillian Roche.

John Gagliardo was born Sep 6, 1884/1887 and was killed on Sep 8, 1919. His parents were Andrea (Andrew) Gagliardo and Rosie Scardina. In 1917 he was living at 863 N. Sacramento Ave. and working at A. Morici Co. as a traveling salesman. He was born in Bagheria and had a wife and two kids. His wife was Lena Maggiore. His parents arrived in 1911, along with two Montalbano children who were to stay with their father Salvatore Montalbano at 515 Oak Street. A Salvatore Montelbano, born Dec 17, 1873, married Mary Gagliardo in 1905. In 1910/1917 they lived at 1067 Polk Street. He was a baker and grocer. He died Nov 15, 1950, and was the son of Filippo Montalbano and Francesca Mancia Racina [sic] (probably Mangiaracina). Another Salvatore Montalbano was born Mar 20, 1861 and died on Apr 24, 1922. His spouse was Magdalena Campagna. His father was Francesco Montalbano and mother was Grazia UNK. He was a street car worker. His address was 874 Townsend St. Yet another was born around 1870 and married to Florence, and was living at 3514 Dabson Ave. with his son-in-law and family. He arrived in 1904, supposedly from Bisacquino.

In 1914 Peter Meccia of 515 West Oak was arrested for carrying a revolver. In 1915, Ignazio Meccia committed suicide over his wife's grave. His banking partner, Phillip Manno, failed to appear at the private bank at 515 West Oak. Vincent Manno, Phillip's brother, said depositors would receive all their money. The bank shut down. On March 12, 1915, Phillip Manno was arrested for embezzlement after failing to return deposits.

[B.]

Incredible work.

Pietro's parents were Filippo Montalbano and Francesca Mangiaracina, so Salvatore is his brother. There were Mangiaracinas from Castelvetrano in the Kansas City Family and in Birmingham mafia circles (KC/Alabama's Castelvetranesi were connected).

This is Pietro:

[Antiliar]

He was born Sept 28, 1868 in Castelvetrano and lived at 1018 S. Oakley Blvd in Chicago in 1923. Died Dec 22, 1957.

[B.]

Yep, that is him.

During the 1910 DiSalva murder they also killed a police officer who they ran into. Montalbano and Joseph Maggiore (maybe a relative of Gagliardo's wife) were both arrested as suspects with other unidentified men.

Can't find the article right now about Montalbano murdering his compaesano and the man's brother identifying him as a "member of the mafia". Probably the closest we're going to get to a confirmed member from that era save those mentioned by Gentile, etc.

[Antiliar]

John Gagliardo was born Sep 6, 1884/1887 and was killed on Sep 8, 1919. His parents were Andrea (Andrew) Gagliardo and Rosie Scardina. In 1917 he was living at 863 N. Sacramento Ave. and working at A. Morici Co. as a traveling salesman. He was born in Bagheria and had a wife and two kids. His wife was Lena Maggiore. His parents arrived in 1911, along with two Montalbano children who were to stay with their father Salvatore Montalbano at 515 Oak Street. A Salvatore Montelbano, born Dec 17, 1873, married Mary Gagliardo in 1905. In 1910/1917 they lived at 1067 Polk Street. He was a baker and grocer. He died Nov 15, 1950, and was the son of Filippo Montalbano and Francesca Mancia Racina [sic] (probably Mangiaracina). Another Salvatore Montalbano was born Mar 20, 1861 and died on Apr 24, 1922. His spouse was Magdalena Campagna. His father was Francesco Montalbano and mother was Grazia UNK. He was a street car worker. His address was 874 Townsend St. Yet another was born around 1870 and married to Florence, and was living at 3514 Dabson Ave. with his son-in-law and family. He arrived in 1904, supposedly from Bisacquino.

In 1914 Peter Meccia of 515 West Oak was arrested for carrying a revolver. In 1915, Ignazio Meccia committed suicide over his wife's grave. His banking partner, Phillip Manno, failed to appear at the private bank at 515 West Oak. Vincent Manno, Phillip's brother, said depositors would receive all their money. The bank shut down. On March 12, 1915, Phillip Manno was arrested for embezzlement after failing to return deposits.

I remembered why 515 Oak Street stood out. The Domenico Aiello who was killed in 1928 first moved to 67 Milton in 1905 when he arrived from Bagheria. In 1913 his older brother Antonino came to stay with him at 515 Oak Street. About four months later Salvatore (Sam) Aiello came to stay with his father Antonino at 515 Oak Street. Some sources said that Domenico Aiello was unrelated to the boss Joe Aiello, and others said he was a cousin.

[B.]

A Calogero Montalbano in Chicago was indicted for the 1905 murder of Biagio Raia/Raio with a bunch of other guys, George Fiorenzo, Vito "Cape", Calogero Lucicero (LoCicero?) Giorgio Maggio, Pietro Merlo, and Michael Armato.

This Montalbano was from Sambuca and related to the Raias/Raios as well as fellow murder suspect Pietro Merlo (who he arrived to when he immigrated), suggesting a potential connection to Mike Merlo and showing this was inter-compaesani violence. Montalbano came to the US with Merlos and Raias as well. His brother Antonino was still living in Sambuca and I know the name Antonino Montalbano shows up in the early Chicago underworld so curious if he came to the US.

The alleged boss of Ribera in the 1940s/50s was a Francesco Montalbano, so the name shows up heavy in that part of Agrigento's mafia circles. The LoCiceros of the early Gambino Family were from just outside of Ribera and one of their sons married a Montalbano from nearby Caltabellotta, which made me curious about Calogero "Lucicero".

[PolackTony]

John Gagliardo was born Sep 6, 1884/1887 and was killed on Sep 8, 1919. His parents were Andrea (Andrew) Gagliardo and Rosie Scardina. In 1917 he was living at 863 N. Sacramento Ave. and working at A. Morici Co. as a traveling salesman. He was born in Bagheria and had a wife and two kids. His wife was Lena Maggiore. His parents arrived in 1911, along with two Montalbano children who were to stay with their father Salvatore Montalbano at 515 Oak Street. A Salvatore Montelbano, born Dec 17, 1873, married Mary Gagliardo in 1905. In 1910/1917 they lived at 1067 Polk Street. He was a baker and grocer. He died Nov 15, 1950, and was the son of Filippo Montalbano and Francesca Mancia Racina [sic] (probably Mangiaracina). Another Salvatore Montalbano was born Mar 20, 1861 and died on Apr 24, 1922. His spouse was Magdalena Campagna. His father was Francesco Montalbano and mother was Grazia UNK. He was a street car worker. His address was 874 Townsend St. Yet another was born around 1870 and married to Florence, and was living at 3514 Dabson Ave. with his son-in-law and family. He arrived in 1904, supposedly from Bisacquino.

In 1914 Peter Meccia of 515 West Oak was arrested for carrying a revolver. In 1915, Ignazio Meccia committed suicide over his wife's grave. His banking partner, Phillip Manno, failed to appear at the private bank at 515 West Oak. Vincent Manno, Phillip's brother, said depositors would receive all their money. The bank shut down. On March 12, 1915, Phillip Manno was arrested for embezzlement after failing to return deposits.

I remembered why 515 Oak Street stood out. The Domenico Aiello who was killed in 1928 first moved to 67 Milton in 1905 when he arrived from Bagheria. In 1913 his older brother Antonino came to stay with him at 515 Oak Street. About four months later Salvatore (Sam) Aiello came to stay with his father Antonino at 515 Oak Street. Some sources said that Domenico Aiello was unrelated to the boss Joe Aiello, and others said he was a cousin.

The area around Milton between Oak and Hobbie was like Bagheresi ground central. Tons of Bagheresi concentrated in those blocks there.

[PolackTony]

A Calogero Montalbano in Chicago was indicted for the 1905 murder of Biagio Raia/Raio with a bunch of other guys, George Fiorenzo, Vito "Cape", Calogero Lucicero (LoCicero?) Giorgio Maggio, Pietro Merlo, and Michael Armato.

This Montalbano was from Sambuca and related to the Raias/Raios as well as fellow murder suspect Pietro Merlo (who he arrived to when he immigrated), suggesting a potential connection to Mike Merlo and showing this was inter-compaesani violence. Montalbano came to the US with Merlos and Raias as well. His brother Antonino was still living in Sambuca and I know the name Antonino Montalbano shows up in the early Chicago underworld so curious if he came to the US.

The alleged boss of Ribera in the 1940s/50s was a Francesco Montalbano, so the name shows up heavy in that part of Agrigento's mafia circles.

Oh wow. this, along with Pietro Catalanotto, goes very much to suggest that the Agrigentesi were already a significant presence relatively early on.

[B.]

Yeah, I don't know if he was ID'd as a "black hander" or any mafia connection was mentioned but the hometown and names speak for themselves. Calogero Montalbano was born 1867 and died 1946 in Chicago.

[PolackTony]

He was born Sept 28, 1868 in Castelvetrano and lived at 1018 S. Oakley Blvd in Chicago in 1923. Died Dec 22, 1957.

For me, the Taylor St Patch address further confirms it. According to one Tribune article on Montalbano, he was initially based in Little Sicily when he was young, and then moved his area of operations "south", and they cited a murder (IIRC) that he was suspected in on 18th St (just to the south of the Taylor St Patch).

Discussing Pietro Montalbano makes me wonder if he was the lynchpin for the Taylor/Trapanesi group (Giuseppe Gambino was probably another one). Has anyone actually confirmed Angelo Genna's exact arrival in Chicago? Tom Hunt stated that he arrived in 1914 to NYC bound for Pietro Genna in Chicago. But there was an "Angle Jenna" who was naturalized in Detroit in 1918. He stated that he was born in Marsala 1898/02/03 and arrived in NYC in 1914. While Genna is a very common surname in Marsala, this would seem to be him. Angelo has historically gotten most of the attention, but guys like Pietro and Salvatore Genna and Montalbano were older and presumably the foundation for the Trapanesi group. These guys also remained kicking around in Chicago for decades after the wars of the '20s. As with some of the Aiellos and a number of other guys from this era, I very much wonder about them in their later years. Even if they were no longer active in criminal rackets, they were still members, and senior ones at that. In some cases, these guys were business and property owners, and could certainly still have been important parts of the family network without necessarily running gambling or juice operations. The Outfit guys who wound up in the papers and LE documents were naturally those who were active in typical mob rackets, but we know that the mafia has members who are not necessarily active criminals.

Rick, again, great stuff on the Montalbano "crew" and the Morici/Gagliardo incidents. Did you come across anything suggesting that John Barone (etc) could have been the Giovanni Barone from Caccamo?

In the "Gambinos" thread, I speculated that Ciminello/Novello (which the Trib sometimes aptly rendered as "Sam Criminello") may have been from Altavilla Milicia, as there were other Novellos in Chicago from there (Novello is also present in Bagheria). Ciminello, however, is concentrated in Campofelice, and there were a bunch of Ciminellos in Chicago from Campofelice as well as a few from Vicari. Hard to say with this guy, as it's unclear to me not only whether he was Ciminello or Novello (or potentially neither), but even if his given name was "Sam" or "John".

Incredible work.

Pietro's parents were Filippo Montalbano and Francesca Mangiaracina, so Salvatore is his brother. There were Mangiaracinas from Castelvetrano in the Kansas City Family and in Birmingham mafia circles (KC/Alabama's Castelvetranesi were connected).

This is Pietro:

Great info on the potential KC/AL connections there. Chicago likely had other connections to those families as well via the Agrigentesi.

Montalbano has the kind of "look" that reminds me of guys like Gaetano Badalamenti or Toto Riina. Even if you didn't know anything about Montalbano's history, one look at him and you can tell that this was one hard core "man of honor".

[B.]

Looks like the Antonino Montalbano killed in 1914 was from Sambuca as well. Different parents from Calogero but shared hometown and same name as Calogero's brother in Sambuca. Maybe a cousin/relation.

Pietro Merlo was still living as of 1940. Tons of familiar surnames in his immediate neighborhood, Little Sicily near Cabrini Green.

[Antiliar]

Yep, that is him.

During the 1910 DiSalva murder they also killed a police officer who they ran into. Montalbano and Joseph Maggiore (maybe a relative of Gagliardo's wife) were both arrested as suspects with other unidentified men.

Can't find the article right now about Montalbano murdering his compaesano and the man's brother identifying him as a "member of the mafia". Probably the closest we're going to get to a confirmed member from that era save those mentioned by Gentile, etc.

I noticed that there were a lot of DiSalvos in Bagheria while looking for Dominick Aiello's birth record. I suspect that these early Chicago Mafia-related killings were clan related. For example, it could be the case that the Aiellos, the DiSalvos, and other Bagheresi were one clan, those from Termini another, etc. Marriages could have been used to cement relations between clans, following the historical precedent of royal houses marrying each other as part of international diplomacy.

Regarding the brother identifying Montalbano as a Mafia member, I think we have to take that with a grain of salt. Unless we can vouch for the knowledge of the brother we can't be certain. Even then, a Mafia member to a non-member could signify a made member or an associate. This doesn't mean that the brother is wrong, it's just that his statement is far less credible than Gentile and other known informants. My personal opinion is that Montalbano probably was, but not because of the brother's statement.

Meanwhile, I think this is the correct Domenico (Dominick) Aiello:

Aiello, Domenico - Bagheria nati 1872 699 of 3111.jpg

[B.]

Agreed the brother's identification isn't definitive, just something to consider given the absence of other sources. Could have been a generalization or as compaesano maybe he had a better than average understanding of someone's status -- be curious if his murdered brother was linked to mafia activity.

It's clear the Chicago Agrigento "triangle" was Sambuca, Burgio/Villafranca, and Ribera.

Curious about the Maggio arrested with Calogero Montalbano and Pietro Merlo given it seems to have been an Agrigento affair. Phil Bacino married a Maggio, not sure where she's from. One of Pietro Merlo's neighbors in 1940 was a Maggio.

Funny, one of the top members under Francesco Montalbano in Ribera was Phil's brother Luciano Bacino. The Bacinos had relatives in Burgio but haven't seen interrelation with Sambuca. All of the towns in that region have the same surnames in common with some degree of interrelation but it's by no means a given.

[PolackTony]

Follow up on Salvatore Dugo. On Anthony D'Andrea's naturalization he lived at 16 Sheridan Place in Chicago. He is probably identical to the Dugo who married Maria Bordnonaro on April 25, 1897, in Chicago. Salvatore Dugo was 39 (born c1858) and Maria was 40.

Fantastic info on the Dugos. There was of course a bunch of Dugo/D'Ugos in Chicago, and even when exact origins are undocumented they were almost all most likely from the area between Bagheria and Termini.

Sheridan Pl was the old name for a stretch of 20th St near Archer/Wentworth (in the immediate vicinity of where D'Andrea lived on Archer). In 1900, the census recorded a Salvatore Dugo (born ~1858) and his wife "Matea" living at 21st and Archer, around the corner from 20th St/Sheridan Pl. This should be the same Salvatore born in Termini who I noted in the above post on the D'Andreas. I had put that he was born in 1869 there as that's what his death record stated when he died in 1939 (wife listed on that record as "Matealda"). Findagrave has a picture of his tombstone, however, that gives 1857-1939, states that his wife was Mattea, and that family records had his birthdate as 1857 though his Cook County death record had it as 1869.

In the images for the records of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (24th St), Salvatore D'Ugo married Mattea Caruso, widow Bordonaro, on April 25th, 1897. Mattea gave her parents as Filippo Caruso and Rosalia Di Novo. Salvatore's parents were Santo D'Ugo and Antonina Arrigo. Both parties were born in Termini Imerese, and the wedding was witnessed by Calogero and Maria Fusco (Spalla). Mattea Caruso Dugo died in 1926. Her tombstone gives her date of birth as 1858. Salvatore and Mattea married late, around 40 years old. Mattea's prior husband was Benedetto Bordonaro, who died in Chicago in 1892. This was the same marriage as the one recorded in the US Marriages Index for Cook County stating that Salvatore Dugo married "Maria Bordonaro" on April 25th, 1897. The Dugos later moved to 22nd (Cermak Rd) and Wentworth (where Mike Merlo was living) and Salvatore was still living there as a widower when he died in 1939. The Calogero Fusco who witnessed Salvatore's marriage was also from Termini, and a daughter of him and Maria Spalla, Mary Fusco, married Cosimo D'Andrea in 1915. This guy, however, was from termini (father Pasquale D'Andrea and mothers Maria Caruso), suggesting that even if the Valledolmo and Termini D'Andreas weren't directly related, they were all in the same social circles in the same neighborhood.

Worth noting that Joe Fusco was Termitani and was stated by the Tribune to have been a business partner of Phil D'Andrea. Joseph Charles Fusco was born in 1902 in Chicago to Calogero Fusco (not the same as the other guy) and Giuseppina Piazza, both from Termini. Calogero and Giuseppe were married in September of 1897 at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Calogero's parents were Giuseppe and Concetta Sansone, while Giuseppa's were Filippo Piazza and Rosalia Schillace. There was a Calogero Fusco naturalized in 1898, living on Sheridan Pl (20th St) like Salvatore D'Ugo, but it's unclear to me which Calogero this one was. In 1900, Calogero and Giuseppina were already living much further south, on 90th St near Houston Ave in the South Chicago/South Works neighborhood (not far at all from where Luigi and Phil D'Andrea later lived on 81st and Paxton). A trend that I'm seeing is that these Chinatown/Bridgeport guys were moving to farther south neighborhoods in the 80s/90s (much like Taylor St, Grand Ave, and Little Sicily guys moved farther west to, what were at the time, much nicer neighborhoods like Humboldt Park and Garfield Park). Later, the Fuscos lived at 70th and Lowe in Englewood (a mainly Irish neighborhood, though there were also some Italians). Given his lifelong association with the further parts of the Southside, one can see why in the 60s Fusco was involved in a beef with Chicago Heights guys.

The Carusos were of course also a Chinatown/Bridgeport family from Termini (as were the LaMantias). Frank "Skids" Caruso was born in 1911 in Chicago, the 4th of 12 kids (between them I'm sure they had at least 20 jobs with the City of Chicago) born to Pietro Francesco Caruso and Francesca D'Andrea of Termini. Pietro and Francesca were married in Termini in 1904 and arrived in Chicago around 1805, where their eldest child Mary was born in 1906. Pietro's parents were Giuseppe Caruso and Maria Geraci. In 1917, they lived at 22nd (Cermak Rd) and Wentworth, where the D'Ugos and Mike Merlo also lived (and a couple of blocks up Wentworth from where Gus Alex's father's diner was at 26th, where Strongy Ferraro supposedly worked as a kid, and where Bruno Roti's powerbase was centered). Pietro Caruso worked as a shoemaker, which is presumably where Frank's older brother Joseph (born 1909) got his nickname "Shoes" Caruso. It should also be noted that there was another Pietro Caruso of the same age, also from Termini, living in the Bridgeport area at this time, and I believe that they were cousins (this other guy's father seems to have been the son of a Salvatore Caruso who was Giuseppe Caruso's brother). In 1930, the Carusos of interest here lived at 24th and Wentworth, and Frank was working in the produce market (probably why they called him "Skids" Caruso, as when I worked in a warehouse as a kid in Chicago everyone called the wooden shipping pallets "skids"). Pietro Caruso died in 1938. In 1934, Frank married Catherine "Nana" Roti, daughter of Bruno Roti and Marianna Bertucci of Simbario, Vibo Valentia, Calabria (I am currently working on a larger project focusing on the Rotis and closely connected families from Simbario). Frank Caruso was thus Fred and Bruno Roti Jr's brother-in-law. Apart from Skids and Shoes, brothers Leo and Bruno Caruso were stated to have been involved with the Outfit.

My assumption is that Skids Caruso succeeded his father-in-law Bruno Roti as the capodecina of the Chinatown crew around the time that the latter died in 1957. A 1958 CI told the FBI that Frank Caruso was in charge of the entire area of the Southside running from Cermak (22nd St) to about 63rd St, that his base of operations was his tavern "The Bowery" located at Cermak and Wentworth (the "downtown" of Chinatown) and that Catuara, Angelo LaPietra, and Tony "Pupi" Maenza were among the men answering to him. Caruso was stated to control the gambling, sportsbook, horse book, and juice loan operations on the Southside. It's still unclear to me exactly if or how Ferraro fit into this succession.

To continue with the Chinatown guys. Angelo Joseph LaPietra was born in Chicago in 1920 to Giuseppe La Pietra and Marianna Clementi of Capizzi, Messina. They arrived in Chicago in 1919 and lived at 224 W 24th Pl (Wentworth). James/Giacomo LaPietra ws born in 1927. LaPietra is a very rare surname in Sicily (probably arrived in the past from a migrant from the mainland) and is practically only present in Capizzi. Other LaPietras in Chicago that I've seen were mainlanders.

With guys like the LaPietras, I doubt that there was any deeper mafia lineage in the family, so their involvement was solely due to neighborhood dynamics, as they grew up right in the middle of an area with a heavy mafia presence.

[B.]

Is Toto LoVerde the only known member from Palermo citta earlier on? LoVerde name shows up a lot in the Arbereshe villages but I see his family was living on Corso dei Mille near Palermo Centro (Corso dei Mille 23 is the address).