Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[PolackTony]

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.

There was a Giorgio Maggio, born ~1867 in Sambuca, who arrived in the US around 1889 and who lived by Little Sicily. His wife was Alberta Gullotta, also from Sambuca (and Gullotta is of course an Agrigentese surname strongly tied to Rockford).

[PolackTony]

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).

Hard to say exactly, as there were of course documents that only gave "Palermo" for origin and it can be unclear if this meant Palermo province or Citta. Offhand, I don't recall anyone that I am positive was from Palermo Citta.

Maybe the city people preferred to go to NYC, while the roughneck gabelotti and campieri went to Chicago (it would've been their kinda town).

[B.]

The DiSalva article says the feud began in Sicily had been going on for 9 years (since ~1902) and had been going on in Chicago for 2 years. When I read it before I assumed this meant the Montalbanos and DiSalvas came from the same part of Sicily but it doesn't say it specifically. Montalbano could have been carrying out orders locally and had no direct link with the feud in Sicily (if it truly originated there). Interesting though Antiliar said Gagliardo's parents from Bagheria came to the US with two of the Montalbanos who appear to be from Castelvetrano, so maybe the Montalbanos had ties to Bagheria back in Sicily.

Also it was the murder victim Joseph DiSalva who said Montalbano was a "member of the Mafia" when he was previously arrested for an "assault with the intent to kill" charge. Misremembered because it talks about his brother Gaetano's murder as well.

Article also says they suspected a "Black Hand leader" (a convicted counterfeiter) of ordering the DiSalva murder but doesn't name him. Says he directed another man aside from Pietro Montalbano to commit the murder. The unnamed "Black Hand leader" also allegedly ordered "Joseph Vitetta" (the name he gave police) to extort a saloon and the owner's wife shot "Vitetta". He survived and was detained. This was a short time before the Joseph DiSalva murder.

[cavita]

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.

There was a Giorgio Maggio, born ~1867 in Sambuca, who arrived in the US around 1889 and who lived by Little Sicily. His wife was Alberta Gullotta, also from Sambuca (and Gullotta is of course an Agrigentese surname strongly tied to Rockford).

Joe Maggio, Rockford LCN member had both his parents from Sambuca. His mother was a Sacco.

[cavita]

Joseph Zito was born June 2,1903 in San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily to Giuseppe Zito and Lorenza Salamone. He entered the country illegally in 1923 and moved near his brothers in Springfield, Illinois. He was involved in bootlegging and gambling before he fled for Rockford around 1930/1931. Married Maria Gaziano of Aragona, Sicily September 22,1935 in Rockford with his best man being Vito Impastato of the Springfield LCN. Zito’s brother was Frank Zito, boss of the Springfield LCN. Zito eventually rose to the rank of Rockford LCN consigliere and died in Rockford on June 14, 1981.

[PolackTony]

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.

There was a Giorgio Maggio, born ~1867 in Sambuca, who arrived in the US around 1889 and who lived by Little Sicily. His wife was Alberta Gullotta, also from Sambuca (and Gullotta is of course an Agrigentese surname strongly tied to Rockford).

Joe Maggio, Rockford LCN member had both his parents from Sambuca. His mother was a Sacco.

When Giorgio Maggio was naturalized in Chicago in 1923, the witnesses were Rose and Joseph Sacco, who lived nearby on the Near Northside.

The more that we dig into the Agrigentesi in Chicago, I imagine that we will see more links to Rockford.

[cavita]

Anthony Basile was born June 17,1908 in Rochester, New York to Filippo Basile and Antonina Alfano, both of San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily. By 1919/1920 Basile was living in Rockford, Illinois. He married Giovanna Triolo in Rockford in 1945 and was he was a confirmed member of the Rockford LCN. In 1967/1968 Basile moved to Denver, Colorado and died there on July 4, 1977.

[cavita]

Salvatore Immordino was born February 6,1889 in San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily to Filippo Immordino and Antonina Fratello and immigrated to the Frankfort/Utica, New York area where he married Irene DiMaria in 1908 in Frankfort. Salvatore moved back and forth between New York and SGI where he became a made member of the mafia in SGI. His wife Irene died around 1915 and Salvatore went back to SGI where he married Maria Rigarello in 1916. Around 1923 or so he returned to the U.S. settling in Springfield, Illinois and then Madison, Wisconsin. He then moved to Rockford, Illinois in the late 1930s where he died on June 23, 1962.

[cavita]

Antonio LoMonaco was born November 11, 1884 in San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily to Gaetano LoMonaco and Giovanna Pipitone. In 1901 he married Giuseppa Reda in San Giuseppe Iato and in 1907 they immigrated to the U.S. in 1907. LoMonaco took many bootlegging arrests in Madison, Wisconsin where he became close to Antonino Musso, the future boss of the Rockford LCN. By 1926 LoMonaco had followed Musso to Rockford and he racked up numerous liquor violations there. Due to his closeness with Musso and other Rockford LCN men it’s my opinion he was an early consigliere. LoMonaco’s sister Francesca married into the Bommarito family in St. Louis, Missouri. LoMonaco died May 30, 1949 in Rockford, Illinois.

[cavita]

Frank Licari was born March 26, 1904 in San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily to Giuseppe Licari and Rosa Mannino. He married Franceca Furino April 25, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois. He died November 15, 1989 in Rockford, Illinois. He was an early Rockford LCN associate close to consigliere Joe Zito and may have been a member. He had a daughter who married a Nicolosi, a daughter who married a Zammuto and a daughter who married an Ingrassia.

Paul Scamardo was born July 21, 1884 in San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily to Giuseppe Scamardo and Antonina Vassallo and he married Rosalia Licari on May 5, 1901 in San Giuseppe Iato. He immigrated to the U.S. on November 2, 1912 settling in Madison, Wisconsin and then moved to Rockford in 1918. Scamardo took many bootlegging arrests including running booze into Iowa in 1923 and helping kidnap a booze runner in 1927 along with Tony Musso, Vincenzo Troia, Antonio Catalano and Giuseppe Stassi. Scamardo may have been an early Rockford LCN member and he died May 1, 1956 in Rockford, Illinois.

[B.]

Great info Cavita.

I couldn't 100% verify all of the guys involved with the 1905 Raia murder, but it looked to me like they were all from Sambuca from what I could find. The Giorgio Maggio mentioned by Tony is most likely the same one in the Raia murder, so his connection to Saccos definitely indicates a connection to the Rockford Maggio.

Still can't verify Phil Bacino's wife's family -- they were living in Calumet City by the 1920s and her father was Michele Maggio and mother was Giovanna Giglio. JD's recent post about Salvatore Giglia being an Aragonese NE member shows the Giglio/Giglia name shows up in that area. Michele Maggio died sometime between 1920 and 1930. Best candidates I found were either from Sambuca or Marsala but didn't find any smoking gun so can't confirm.

I found the 1905 murder victim Biagio Raia was also married to a Merlo, so one of his alleged killers Pietro Merlo may have been a marital relative along with Calogero Montalbano being a Raia relative. Most of the guys arrested appear to have been in their late 30s or 40s, while Michael Armato was in his early 20s. Armato appears to be from Sambuca like the others.

[cavita]

Great info Cavita.

I couldn't 100% verify all of the guys involved with the 1905 Raia murder, but it looked to me like they were all from Sambuca from what I could find. The Giorgio Maggio mentioned by Tony is most likely the same one in the Raia murder, so his connection to Saccos definitely indicates a connection to the Rockford Maggio.

Still can't verify Phil Bacino's wife's family -- they were living in Calumet City by the 1920s and her father was Michele Maggio and mother was Giovanna Giglio. JD's recent post about Salvatore Giglia being an Aragonese NE member shows the Giglio/Giglia name shows up in that area. Michele Maggio died sometime between 1920 and 1930. Best candidates I found were either from Sambuca or Marsala but didn't find any smoking gun so can't confirm.

I found the 1905 murder victim Biagio Raia was also married to a Merlo, so one of his alleged killers Pietro Merlo may have been a marital relative along with Calogero Montalbano being a Raia relative. Most of the guys arrested appear to have been in their late 30s or 40s, while Michael Armato was in his early 20s. Armato appears to be from Sambuca like the others.

Nice stuff and great connections! I'll start posting on the Rockford/Sambuca connections.

[PolackTony]

Great info Cavita.

I couldn't 100% verify all of the guys involved with the 1905 Raia murder, but it looked to me like they were all from Sambuca from what I could find. The Giorgio Maggio mentioned by Tony is most likely the same one in the Raia murder, so his connection to Saccos definitely indicates a connection to the Rockford Maggio.

Still can't verify Phil Bacino's wife's family -- they were living in Calumet City by the 1920s and her father was Michele Maggio and mother was Giovanna Giglio. JD's recent post about Salvatore Giglia being an Aragonese NE member shows the Giglio/Giglia name shows up in that area. Michele Maggio died sometime between 1920 and 1930. Best candidates I found were either from Sambuca or Marsala but didn't find any smoking gun so can't confirm.

I found the 1905 murder victim Biagio Raia was also married to a Merlo, so one of his alleged killers Pietro Merlo may have been a marital relative along with Calogero Montalbano being a Raia relative. Most of the guys arrested appear to have been in their late 30s or 40s, while Michael Armato was in his early 20s. Armato appears to be from Sambuca like the others.

Nice stuff and great connections! I'll start posting on the Rockford/Sambuca connections.

These have been awesome, thanks Cavita. Looking forward to your info about the Sambuca connections.

Would you say that Scamardo is one of the earlier suspected Rockford members that you've identified, or are there some strong hints of a family before 1918?

[cavita]

Great info Cavita.

I couldn't 100% verify all of the guys involved with the 1905 Raia murder, but it looked to me like they were all from Sambuca from what I could find. The Giorgio Maggio mentioned by Tony is most likely the same one in the Raia murder, so his connection to Saccos definitely indicates a connection to the Rockford Maggio.

Still can't verify Phil Bacino's wife's family -- they were living in Calumet City by the 1920s and her father was Michele Maggio and mother was Giovanna Giglio. JD's recent post about Salvatore Giglia being an Aragonese NE member shows the Giglio/Giglia name shows up in that area. Michele Maggio died sometime between 1920 and 1930. Best candidates I found were either from Sambuca or Marsala but didn't find any smoking gun so can't confirm.

I found the 1905 murder victim Biagio Raia was also married to a Merlo, so one of his alleged killers Pietro Merlo may have been a marital relative along with Calogero Montalbano being a Raia relative. Most of the guys arrested appear to have been in their late 30s or 40s, while Michael Armato was in his early 20s. Armato appears to be from Sambuca like the others.

Nice stuff and great connections! I'll start posting on the Rockford/Sambuca connections.

These have been awesome, thanks Cavita. Looking forward to your info about the Sambuca connections.

Would you say that Scamardo is one of the earlier suspected Rockford members that you've identified, or are there some strong hints of a family before 1918?

I would lean to Scamardo being an early member under Musso but as far as anything relating to a "family" before Musso came on the scene in the 1920s I haven't found solid evidence.

[cavita]

Alfred F. Cicero was born December 1, 1906 in LaSalle, Illinois to Giorgio Cicero and Giovanna Catalanello of Sambuca, Sicily. Cicero married Laura Teresi of Buffalo, New York. Cicero and Teresi were married June 2, 1935 in Independce, Louisiana. Cicero was identified as a Rockford LCN member by Milwaukee member Augie Maniaci but Cicero had no criminal convictions and was questioned in a 1968 gambling/liquor probe. Cicero died April 18, 1994 in Rockford, Illinois.