Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[PolackTony]

Have you seen anything about Peoria? One Chicago informant thought there was a mafia presence there and I found some Catalanottos from Villafranca Sicula lived there, in particular a Giuseppe Catalanotto who worked as a miner. Maybe there's a relation to the early Chicago leader Pietro Catalanotto.

Starting to wonder what parts of Illinois didn't have residents from the Agrigento cluster.

Given that I've never seen any other references to Chicago having an outpost in Peoria, I've wondered if there was a mafia presence in Peoria, if it may have been related to Springfield or STL, or if the CI just said "Peoria" but meant somewhere else downstate like Springfield (for most in Chicago, it's all one big mass of cornfields). Could also be that Chicago did have any outpost there, connected to the old downstate Agirgentini as you suggest, and it just was minor or went defunct before any other intel was captured on it. It's an interesting question.

[B.]

Looks like Montevago had one of the bigger colonies in Peoria. Also came across a Salamone from Aragona who moved from Rockford to Peoria. Cavita has said Springfield had a colony from Montevago too.

Vicari/Palermo and Salaparuta/Trapani also show up. People went there to mine but maybe there was a small mafia presence connected to one of the Illinois Families. There are some Peorians online who are adamant they never had "gangsters" though their idea is based on high profile Capone types.

Many other Southern Italians were in Peoria along with Sicilians. The guy who started their Italian fraternal society looks to have been from Salerno. Nothing out there to indicate Peoria was some kind of secret mafia HQ but there was at least an Italian/Sicilian colony and gambling action. The Chicago informant was talking mainly about gambling operations so maybe he heard something about Peoria that way.

Logan, Illinois had a colony from Siculiana and people from Cinisi and Partinico. Southern Illinois has a lot in common with the St. Louis Family, hard to tell where one Family's "jurisdiction" begins and ends in a place like Illinois. Peoria is north of Springfield and that's the closest Family so if there were members or associates there they may have been with Springfield.

[cavita]

Looks like Montevago had one of the bigger colonies in Peoria. Also came across a Salamone from Aragona who moved from Rockford to Peoria. Cavita has said Springfield had a colony from Montevago too.

Vicari/Palermo and Salaparuta/Trapani also show up. People went there to mine but maybe there was a small mafia presence connected to one of the Illinois Families. There are some Peorians online who are adamant they never had "gangsters" though their idea is based on high profile Capone types.

Many other Southern Italians were in Peoria along with Sicilians. The guy who started their Italian fraternal society looks to have been from Salerno. Nothing out there to indicate Peoria was some kind of secret mafia HQ but there was at least an Italian/Sicilian colony and gambling action. The Chicago informant was talking mainly about gambling operations so maybe he heard something about Peoria that way.

Logan, Illinois had a colony from Siculiana and people from Cinisi and Partinico. Southern Illinois has a lot in common with the St. Louis Family, hard to tell where one Family's "jurisdiction" begins and ends in a place like Illinois. Peoria is north of Springfield and that's the closest Family so if there were members or associates there they may have been with Springfield.

A couple other areas to look into are LaSalle-Peru and Streator. LaSalle-Peru seems to have had more affiliation with Rockford guys whereas Streator was more Springfield based.

[Antiliar]

Mad Sam DeStefano was born in Streator if I recall correctly.

[PolackTony]

Mad Sam DeStefano was born in Streator if I recall correctly.

Yep. Never heard that him or Mario had any ties to that area later, but who knows.

[PolackTony]

We talked about it before (probably in this thread) but Oliveri's first cousin was married to Lucchese boss Tom Reina. Certainly wouldn't have helped his situation to lose an important advocate in NYC, though we don't really hear about Reina's influence in other cities like his peers Masseria, D'Aquila, Profaci, and Schiro.

On that note. I commented previously that I wasn't sure what happened to Salvatore Oliveri before he arrived in Rockford protected by gunmen in 1932. Turns out he was living in the Bronx. In 1930, Sam Oliveri and his wife Jennie (Vincenza Marino, born in Chicago) were living on Paulding Ave in Morris Park in the Bx, with the stated occupation of "commercial proprietor". While their 3 oldest kids were all listed as born in Illinois (which matches "our" Oliveri), their youngest, Phillip Oliveri, was born in NYC in 1925. So seems that around that time, Salvatore Oliveri relocated to NYC. Given his Corleonese origin and his relation to Reina, I doubt that the fact that he was living in that part of the Bronx was incidental. Given this info, I don't think that we can conclude that he was chased out of Chicago in 1932, but he may very well have been chased out of the Bronx, and perhaps knew that if he fled to Chicago there would be men looking for him there.

[B.]

Great find. His cousin Salvatore and uncle Andrea Oliveri were in NYC and involved with their in-law Reina. Probably members.

He might have been chased out of Chicago pre-1930, took safety in the Bronx, then returned to a safer part of Illinois. Though Reina was killed in 1930 his eventual successors by 1931 were Reina loyalists. Be good to know when he left NYC.

[PolackTony]

Great find. His cousin Salvatore and uncle Andrea Oliveri were in NYC and involved with their in-law Reina. Probably members.

He might have been chased out of Chicago pre-1930, took safety in the Bronx, then returned to a safer part of Illinois. Though Reina was killed in 1930 his eventual successors by 1931 were Reina loyalists. Be good to know when he left NYC.

Not sure exactly when he left NYC, but obviously sometime between 1930 and 1932. He could have conceivably been chased out of NYC for personal rather than political reasons (maybe he fucked up something big, who knows. Plenty of instances where guys wind up killing their own relatives over all sorts of stuff). Possible that he left Chicago around the time Merlo died. Things got crazy then, who knows what could've happened with him. A couple of years later, his brother was killed, allegedly by the Aiello faction for siding with the Lombardo/Genna/Capone faction, maybe Oliveri left when the Gennas were catching it. Just speculating.

[PolackTony]

Another guy that I've discussed a while back here on the forums was Giuseppe Accardi aka "Il Spia", who was slated for deportation by US immigration officials in 1929 following a three-year manhunt. In 1926, Accardi was targeted as a criminal alien for deportation after being apprehended as a suspected criminal alien. The authorities reportedly located info in his Fairfield Ave residence (near where Angelo Genna was living when he was killed the prior year) directly linking him to the Gennas, Amatuna, and Orazio Tropea. The Tribune described Accardi at that time as a "lieutenant in the Sicilian Quatro [...] the mysterious force behind Camorra" (apparently the "Quatro" was some name for the mafia they got from their sources). 2 days after Accardi was arrested, authorities conducted a series of raids in Cicero and Chicago Heights for "Sicilian gangsters" in the country illegally (the Tribune stated that Capone's HQ in Cicero, the Hawthorne Hotel was raided as they had info that Capone was being guarded by a group of "10 Sicilians"). Somehow, Accardi escaped custody and went on the lam. There was a Giuseppe Accardi in Chicago, born 1882 in Campobello di Mazara, though this guy died in 1965 in Chicago (so not the same guy, assuming that Accardi was actually deported).

To follow up on the raids that were conducted in March 1926. This happened in the context of fierce fighting underway at that time in the Chicago underworld, on the heels of the slayings of Orazio Tropea and Vito Bascone. The Tribune reported that there were approximately 300 Sicilian gunmen in Chicago and that Taylor St Trapanese mafioso Angelo "Il Cavaliero" Spano (aka "Giuseppe Nerone") had fled the city and had a force of 50 men under his command in Chicago Heights (take those figures with a grain of salt). On March 4th, the IL States Attorney's office and Cook County Sheriff conducted a series of a dozen raids in Cicero and Chicago Heights after receiving intelligence that "many Sicilian gangsters" had taken refuge in the suburbs. 5 individuals were arrested in Chicago Heights with the intent to deport them due to their citizenship status, with Giuseppe Accardi, Carlo Canfaro [sic], and Vincenzo Scarfaro [sic] specifically named.

One of the raids hit a saloon and reputed gambling den at 233 East 16th St in Chicago Heights, owned by Frank Corradati [sic]. Arrestees there included Benny Cornelli [sic], designated by the Trib as "a Sicilian" (if his surname was actually Cornelli, or Carnelli, which was present in Chicago Heights, then he was almost certainly not Sicilian, and possibly a Northerner), Sylvester Ricordi [sic], Tony Dieli, and Louis Tvanitta [sic]. A poolroom at 105 East 17th St in the Heights was also hit, where Carl Ciroscione [sic] was arrested. Cornelli and Ciroscione were found carrying pistols.

"Ciroscione" should be Cirrinscione, and, unsurprisingly, there were Cirrinsciones from Caccamo in the Chicago Heights, though I haven't found a match for a Carlo/Carlo/Calogero Cirrinscione. Frank "Corradati" was Francesco Corradetti, born 1898 in Monteprandone, Ascoli Piceno, March. There was a large Marchegiano community in Chicago Heights and intermarriages between them and Sicilians. "Ricordi" was probably Riccardi, which was a surname present in Chicago Heights and may have been from Marche as well. Not sure what to make of "Tvnitta".

Tony Dieli, however, was Antonino Dieli, born 1889 in Bivona, Agrigento. He arrived in NYC from Bivona in 1907, bound for Chicago (may have been Chicago Heights, passenger manifests generally refer to the entire Chicago area as "Chicago") where his brother-in-law Salvatore Oliveri (probably not that Salvatore Oliveri) was already living. On his WW1 draft card, Dieli was living at 244 East 16th St in the Heights, a few doors down from where Corradeti's saloon later was. Dieti also had a naturalization document that was denied (year not listed), perhaps indicating a criminal background and evidently leading to his arrest at the 1926 raid. I can't find any record for Dieti later, suggesting that he may have indeed been deported.

The raid on Corradetti's bar could've just been the authorities running amok scapegoating regular guys with vowels at the end of their names, but it's also possible that they were indeed targeting places that they had reason to believe were mafia-connected hangouts. Interesting to note an Agrigentino in this context apparently hanging out with a bunch of Mainlanders. To me, it again goes to suggest that there was more to the story of what went down in the Heights than we understand. Same with "Il Cavaliero". Whether or not he had anything like 50 guys under him, he was killed in the Heights a few months later, so the extent of his involvement and connections there seems to be a still unresolved question. Matt Luzi linked Spano's murder to Piazza, who was of course killed In June of 1926, A few days after Spano, his alleged henchman Francesco Cappello, also of Marsala, was killed in Chicago Heights. The car that Cappello was driving when he was killed belonged to Dom Ruberto, and Cappello had a phone number for Orazio Tropea's common-law wife on him. The police also recovered Spano's bank book, which showed that Spano had recently paid $4000 to Joseph Pavia and Peter Maggiore. Matt Luzi claimed that these two were well-known Piazza henchmen, though he doesn't otherwise mention them in his book, apart from the Spano thing. I'm personally not sure that these guys were actually part of Piazza's family or crew, as no record for these names seems to exist in the Heights. There was, however, a Pietro Maggiore in Chicago from Marsala. Pavia is also a very typical Marsalese surname, and there were a bunch of Pavias from Marsala in Chicago. A few days later, Antonino Pellegrino De Stefano, another Spano henchman from Marsala, was found strangled and torched in Chicago Heights (the papers and Luzi had him as "Antonio DeStefano Pelledrino", but his mother's surname was Pellegrino).

Another question about Spano is why he chose to go by the alias "Giuseppe Nerone". Worth noting that Nicola "Nick" Neroni, from San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Marche, was an important affiliate of the Chicago Heights group. Neroni was an official of Local 5 of the Hod Carriers Union; worth noting also that Tony Dieli was a Hod Carrier. In 1925, Neroni hosted a picnic for the Bloom Township (which encompasses Chicago Heights) Italian Republican Club, with the event including Piazza, Charles Costello, Dom Ruberto, and Jimmy Emery. Neroni also, of course, hosted the 1927 picnic where the famous photo including the Rubertos, Emery, the LaPortes, the Costellos, the Zerantis, Sam DiGiovanni, Sam Geraci, Joe Arrigo, John Piazza, and Joe Guzzino was taken. Arrigo is an interesting guy about whom not much seems to be known either. Louis Corsino stated that Arrigo was hired by Torrio to oversee the latter's interests in Chicago Heights, which may be significant given that I'm pretty sure that Arrigo was from Termini. John Piazza should be Phil Piazza's brother Giovanni Piazza, who was born in 1884 in Caccamo and arrived in in NYC in 1910 bound for Chicago Heights where Phil already was living. John Piazza died in Cook County in 1984. Looking at the names present at the event, and what we can see regarding intertwining Sicilian/Mainlander connections in Chicago Heights, I don't believe that the 1926 murder of Phil Piazza and Dom Ruberto's subsequent takeover as apparent capo of the Heights was as much of a rupture with the past as it otherwise might seem at face value.

[cavita]

Great find. His cousin Salvatore and uncle Andrea Oliveri were in NYC and involved with their in-law Reina. Probably members.

He might have been chased out of Chicago pre-1930, took safety in the Bronx, then returned to a safer part of Illinois. Though Reina was killed in 1930 his eventual successors by 1931 were Reina loyalists. Be good to know when he left NYC.

Not sure exactly when he left NYC, but obviously sometime between 1930 and 1932. He could have conceivably been chased out of NYC for personal rather than political reasons (maybe he fucked up something big, who knows. Plenty of instances where guys wind up killing their own relatives over all sorts of stuff). Possible that he left Chicago around the time Merlo died. Things got crazy then, who knows what could've happened with him. A couple of years later, his brother was killed, allegedly by the Aiello faction for siding with the Lombardo/Genna/Capone faction, maybe Oliveri left when the Gennas were catching it. Just speculating.

All great info and fleshes out Oliveri a little more. Maniaci gave the info Oliveri was on the lam from the Calumet Cheese War which clearly was wrong as that happened in the 40s and Oliveri was in Rockford by 1932. Maniaci could have been crossed up on why Oliveri was on the lam and being that Maniaci wasn't made at the time he wasn't sure of the particulars. Rockford LCN boss Tony Musso was probably asked by someone (Capone?) to "find a home" for Oliveri and Rockford was it.

[cavita]

Joseph W. Saladino born October 11, 1945 in Rockford, Illinois to Giuseppe Saladino and Grazia Guttilla of Marsala, Sicily. Joe served almost four years in Pontiac Prison along with Frank “Gumba” Saladino for beating and raping a nineteen years old girl and he was released on March 11, 1968. Over the next twenty years Joe was arrested on charges of battery, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges but he became more and more involved with the Rockford LCN relating to gambling and he became a big bookmaker for them. Joe obviously graduated to more serious responsibilities as his February 15, 1997 arrest showed. On that night he was stopped for speeding on East State Street near Fairview Avenue. An Illinois State Police officer searched Saladino’s car and found a loaded .380 Auto Caliber Colt government model semi-automatic pistol, an unloaded .357 Magnum Colt Trooper MKIII revolver, an unloaded 9mm Luger Cobray fully automatic machine pistol with no serial number, in excess of 400 rounds of ammo, two books on how to make silencers, a book on machine lathes, a billy club, two “slim jims,” two bolt cutters, a tree trimming saw, a butcher knife, a pipe wrench, a stocking cap and two face masks. In January 2005 Joe began serving 27 months in federal prison on these charges but he was indicted in April 2005 on gambling charges relating to his involvement in a gambling ring involving a dozen other Rockford men tied to the Chicago Outfit and he was sentenced to an additional six months in prison. Renewed interest in the Rockford LCN at that time prompted a retired sheriff’s deputy to contact a local reporter and state that Saladino was a “field lieutenant” with the Rockford LCN.

[cavita]

Giovanni “John” Frisella was born January 8, 1950 in Sambuca, Sicily and immigrated to Rockford in the early 1970s. By 1974 Frisella had opened John’s Pizza and Restaurant on 11th Street in Rockford and it quickly became a popular nightspot for dinners and parties. On October 30, 1978 Frisella was naturalized a U.S. citizen in Rockford. 1980s FBI files stated that Frisella was involved in a heroin importation and distribution ring that was run by Rockford LCN underboss Frank Buscemi.

[cavita]

John “Tiger” Frisella was born December 9, 1948 in Rockford, Illinois to Giuseppe Frisella and Antonina Giglio, both of Sambuca, Sicily. Frisella’s first arrest was as a keeper of a gambling house at 1017 ½ South Main Street along with fifteen other men. Frisella took another gambling arrest in 1994 and in 2002 was charged with unlawful use of a blackjack/knife and possession of ammunition and he was a frequent participant in the Rockford LCN’s floating gambling games and he served as a bookmaker, taking hundreds of bets in a week. In February 2006 Frisella was arrested and charged federally in a gambling operation that was tied to the Chicago Outfit’s Chinatown Crew.

[Antiliar]

Cousins?

[PolackTony]

Cousins?

Was wondering that also.

Another thing to note is that with both Joe Saladino and Tiger Frisella, it would seem that the articles on them when arrested suggest that these Rockford guys were still involved in hits in the late 90s/early 2000s. Are there any potential/suspected hits known that Rockford could've been involved in during that period?