Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[cavita]

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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

[Patrickgold]

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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Daniel Myers is the name of the murdered guy that Gumba was questioned for. From a prior cavita post from a couple years ago lol

“I nearly forgot that Saladino was also questioned in the April 1998 murder of 32 year old Daniel Myers. Myers was found shot to death near a liquor store on Cunningham Road just west of Rockford. Indications are that Myers was into narcotics and authorities knew Saladino was making collections on drug debts at the time and interviewed him. Myers' slaying has never been solved.”

[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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Any suspicious disappearances, a la Tonys Zizzo and Catalano in Chicago? Saladino's "equipment" including a butcher's knife suggests to me that he was planning on making someone vanish. FWIW, I've known guys who worked as "burglars", and they certainly didn't carry blackjacks, zip ties, a butcher's knife, and hundreds of rounds of ammo when they went out on jobs.

[cavita]

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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Daniel Myers is the name of the murdered guy that Gumba was questioned for. From a prior cavita post from a couple years ago lol

“I nearly forgot that Saladino was also questioned in the April 1998 murder of 32 year old Daniel Myers. Myers was found shot to death near a liquor store on Cunningham Road just west of Rockford. Indications are that Myers was into narcotics and authorities knew Saladino was making collections on drug debts at the time and interviewed him. Myers' slaying has never been solved.”

Yeah good catch. I would have gotten the info later tonight! LOL

[cavita]

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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Any suspicious disappearances, a la Tonys Zizzo and Catalano in Chicago? Saladino's "equipment" including a butcher's knife suggests to me that he was planning on making someone vanish. FWIW, I've known guys who worked as "burglars", and they certainly didn't carry blackjacks, zip ties, a butcher's knife, and hundreds of rounds of ammo when they went out on jobs.

That's what I always wondered. I wonder if he was caught before he could do anything to anybody or it was done much later.

[Patrickgold]

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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Any suspicious disappearances, a la Tonys Zizzo and Catalano in Chicago? Saladino's "equipment" including a butcher's knife suggests to me that he was planning on making someone vanish. FWIW, I've known guys who worked as "burglars", and they certainly didn't carry blackjacks, zip ties, a butcher's knife, and hundreds of rounds of ammo when they went out on jobs.

That's what I always wondered. I wonder if he was caught before he could do anything to anybody or it was done much later.

Sounds like he was getting ready for something. Maybe bringing that stuff to a safe house. He obviously knew what he was doing so probably had done some heavy work in the past. What I don’t understand was how the ISP were able to stop him and search his entire car. The stuff must have been in the trunk. And how were they able to search his trunk? He’s an unassuming looking guy so there must have a been a tip off that he had stuff on him. That is my opinion though.

[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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Any suspicious disappearances, a la Tonys Zizzo and Catalano in Chicago? Saladino's "equipment" including a butcher's knife suggests to me that he was planning on making someone vanish. FWIW, I've known guys who worked as "burglars", and they certainly didn't carry blackjacks, zip ties, a butcher's knife, and hundreds of rounds of ammo when they went out on jobs.

That's what I always wondered. I wonder if he was caught before he could do anything to anybody or it was done much later.

Sounds like he was getting ready for something. Maybe bringing that stuff to a safe house. He obviously knew what he was doing so probably had done some heavy work in the past. What I don’t understand was how the ISP were able to stop him and search his entire car. The stuff must have been in the trunk. And how were they able to search his trunk? He’s an unassuming looking guy so there must have a been a tip off that he had stuff on him. That is my opinion though.

Yeah, I don't this was a kit for a "one-off" kinda guy. I would strongly suspect that there were some killings that happened that we aren't aware of. Could also be stuff that at face value doesn't seem like it might even be mob-related. Look at recent Chicago incidents like Bobby English Jr or the black dude that Chuckie Russell apparently turned into swiss cheese on the Westside.

[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.

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.

I think he was still living in Chicago area for the 1928 Cleveland arrest, so he bounced Chicago>Bronx>Rockford in less than four years. Wouldn't be surprised if the Lucchese Family was involved in making arrangements with Rockford.

[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.

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.

I think he was still living in Chicago area for the 1928 Cleveland arrest, so he bounced Chicago>Bronx>Rockford in less than four years. Wouldn't be surprised if the Lucchese Family was involved in making arrangements with Rockford.

He may have been moving back and forth between the Bronx and Chicago prior to 1928, as his youngest kid, Phillip William Oliveri, was born in November 1925 in the Bronx.

[Antiliar]

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.

The other Chicago newspapers might have the correct - or at least more accurate - spelling. There are other newspapers on Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank.com, Proquest, etc. Unfortunately a lot of dates and years are missing. GenealogyBank has the Chicago Daily Times, but that paper didn't cover the Quarto except to mock the idea (it said that a subgroup of the Quarto is a "Pinto" - ie, a pint from a quart). The Chicago Heights Star is also available, but very incomplete. Fulton newspapers has the Chicago American for 1922 as well as the Communist Daily Worker. For those who don't know, the Chicago Daily Tribune, the Chicago Daily News, the Daily Times, the Herald-Examiner, and the American are the top papers in Chicago in the 1920s. I had to get interlibrary loans for some issues, which isn't all that bad since a reel usually covers an entire month. So anyways, to semi-quote the "X-Files," the truth could be out there.

[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.

The other Chicago newspapers might have the correct - or at least more accurate - spelling. There are other newspapers on Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank.com, Proquest, etc. Unfortunately a lot of dates and years are missing. GenealogyBank has the Chicago Daily Times, but that paper didn't cover the Quarto except to mock the idea (it said that a subgroup of the Quarto is a "Pinto" - ie, a pint from a quart). The Chicago Heights Star is also available, but very incomplete. Fulton newspapers has the Chicago American for 1922 as well as the Communist Daily Worker. For those who don't know, the Chicago Daily Tribune, the Chicago Daily News, the Daily Times, the Herald-Examiner, and the American are the top papers in Chicago in the 1920s. I had to get interlibrary loans for some issues, which isn't all that bad since a reel usually covers an entire month. So anyways, to semi-quote the "X-Files," the truth could be out there.

Thanks for the tips, I plan to pursue these names and events in these other papers. You mentioned previously that there was also a paper in St Louis that covered many Chicago mafia-related events as well, correct?

[Antiliar]

Thanks for the tips, I plan to pursue these names and events in these other papers. You mentioned previously that there was also a paper in St Louis that covered many Chicago mafia-related events as well, correct?

Those papers are on Newspapers.com, and mostly complete. Unfortunately he St. Louis Globe-Democrat, the Post-Dispatch, and the Star and Times don't appear to have covered this story.

[PolackTony]

Chicago rappresentante Antonino Lombardo's younger brother Giuseppe Lombardo was born in 1894 in Galati Mamertino, Messina province, to Salvatore Lombardo and Rosaria Sutera. I'm not certain exactly when Giuseppe arrived in the US, but in 1915 he married Anna Fulvia Tempera, born 1897 in San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Marche, in Lake County, IN, just outside of Chicago. The marriage in NW IN may be significant, as immigrants from San Benedetto del Tronto formed the single largest contingent of Italian paesani in nearby Chicago Heights (as noted above, Heights crew affiliates Nick Neroni, the Luzis, and Guido Fidanzi were all from San Benedetto del Tronto ancestry).

Giuseppe was killed in March of 1926 when a still exploded in a building located at 451 N Elizabeth, near the corner of Grand and Ogden in the Grand Ave Patch. This address was a couple of doors down from where Grand Ave's more recent Joe Lombardo grew up and was also in the near vicinity of Pasquale Spilotro's restaurant where three years later Tony Domingo of CDG would meet his fate, as as well as Tony Accardo's childhood home at Grand and May. The building's owner, Joseph Cullotta of 815 S California, was arrested for manslaughter, and Lombardo's charred corpse was identified to authorities by Giuseppe Coniglio of 3204 W Polk. From what I have, the Joe Cullotta living at 815 S California was born in Lascari in 1895 and later moved up to Fullerton Ave. There were a bunch of Giuseppe Conigligos in Chicago (one guy from Canicatti may be a candidate), but I wasn't able to narrow it down to one at that Polk St address. Lombardo's involvement and the addresses of the other men point to the Taylor St guys having operations in the Grand Ave Patch at this time.

Giuseppe's more famous older brother Antonino Lombardo was, of course, born 1891 in Galati Mamertino. He first entered the US at NYC in 1906, bound for the town of Bellaire, OH, across the Ohio River from Wheeling WV, south of Steubensville, where he stated that his brother-in-law Francesco Monachino was living. Monachino was also from Galati and married to Antonino and Giuseppe's sister Nunzia Lombardo; by 1909, this couple was living in Cleveland, where they remained for the rest of their lives. At some point, Antonino returned to Sicily, and re-entered the US in 1909, bound again for Bellaire, OH (this time stating that he had no contact there); this was the entry recorded on his later naturalization in Chicago. Worth noting here that Antonino and Calogero Vicario of Galati Mamertino as arrestees in the 1909 bust of Trabese Salvatore Lima's Society of the Banana in Ohio; Lombardo was traveling with a Vicario from Galati who was bound for NY when he returned to the US in 1909. The possibility that Lombardo could've had some relation to the "Society of the Banana", which was led by men from Trabia and Termini, could be very significant given his later membership in a family with a strong foundation of Termitani.

It's unclear to me exactly when Antonino arrived in Chicago, though as noted above his brother Giuseppe was already in the area as late as 1915. In November of 1920, he married Camille Prio, born 1903 in New Orleans to Vincenzo Piro of Monreale and Ann Tumminello. Earlier that year, Camille was living on Palmyra street with her brother John Piro, his wife Frances, and father Vincenzo. After their first child, Salvatore Lombardo, was born in 1921 in Chicago, Antonino and Camille had him baptized at St Phillip Benizi, with their address noted as 1015 N Larrabee (Oak St) in Little Sicily; Salvatore's godparents were Marco and Concetta Dioguardi. On the parish entry just above Salvatore, Giovanni and Francesca Piro of Palmyra St in NOLA also had their son Vincenzo baptized on the same day; his godparents were Antonino and Camille Lombardo.

Marco Dioguardi and his wife Concetta Caliva were from Cefala Diana and married in Chicago in 1915. In December of 1923, Dioguardi was shot and killed at a cigar store at 814 W Taylor St (the Tribune erroneously gave his name as "Michael Deovardi"). Police arrested two men who arrived at the scene after the shooting; Lorenzo Mannino (could be a guy from Nicosia, Enna, but that guy lived in Chinatown. I wonder if this was actually Dago Lawrence Mangano, who of course was also Messinese) and Salvatore Franno [sic] (could be Pranno, Farino, Piraino, or the Salvatore Frenna born in Palermo in 1873). Both men gave addresses on Ashland in the Taylor St Patch (near where D'Andrea had lived), and "Franno" was armed. Dioguardi had been issued a license to carry a revolver by the Justice of the Peace [sic] of Cicero and was stated as living at 1153 w Ohio, near May St in the Grand Ave Patch (around the corner from the Accardos and a couple of blocks from where Giuseppe Lombardo was later killed). With Dioguardi, we again see links between the Lombardos and both Taylor St and Grand Ave.

After Orazio Tropea was murdered in February of 1926, police recovered his address book. One of the listed names, along with several entries for Tony Lombardo, was a Vincenzo Piro of Los Angeles. This should be the same guy as Lombardo's father-in-law, as by 1930 the widowed Vincenzo was living in LA (722 Hoover St) with his son John and daughter-in-law Frances. Vincenzo Piro died in LA in 1931 (his grandson Vincenzo Piro who was baptized in Chicago in 1922 was the Vincent Piro who died in Salinas in 2005). After Tony Lombardo was killed in September of 1928, his widow Camille, with children Salvatore and Rose Marie, decamped for LA where she died in 1993.

[B.]

Tropea's address book also had Saverio Pollaccia of the Genovese Family, from Cefala Diana like the Dioguardi you mentioned. Pollaccia was known to visit Chicago in the 1920s, maybe there were paesans there he knew. Never seen Cefala Diana mentioned outside of Pollaccia.

And wow, amazing find about Lombardo and Ohio + possible Banana Society connections.

[cavita]

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?

I believe the Frisellas are distant cousins of some sort. As far as hits from the 90s to 2000s I recall a guy being shot to death in the 90s I think and left on Cunningham Road, I can't remember his name right now. Authorities questioned Frank "Gumba" Saladino in that one.
There was a Ghinazzi in the 90s that supposedly killed himself but I had heard the Rockford LCN made his hanging appear to be a suicide due to his gambling debts. Apparently the IIT Report in 1971 alluded to the Rockford LCN killing at least three gamblers in the three years prior and making it look like suicide.
I also heard a rumor from a few sources that said the 2011 murder of Michael Scully was a hit because of gambling debts. He was left shot to death in his own car on Clikeman Road in the country just like Joe Maggio was in April 1980.

Any suspicious disappearances, a la Tonys Zizzo and Catalano in Chicago? Saladino's "equipment" including a butcher's knife suggests to me that he was planning on making someone vanish. FWIW, I've known guys who worked as "burglars", and they certainly didn't carry blackjacks, zip ties, a butcher's knife, and hundreds of rounds of ammo when they went out on jobs.

That's what I always wondered. I wonder if he was caught before he could do anything to anybody or it was done much later.

Sounds like he was getting ready for something. Maybe bringing that stuff to a safe house. He obviously knew what he was doing so probably had done some heavy work in the past. What I don’t understand was how the ISP were able to stop him and search his entire car. The stuff must have been in the trunk. And how were they able to search his trunk? He’s an unassuming looking guy so there must have a been a tip off that he had stuff on him. That is my opinion though.

At the time he was caught with all these items, he wasn't very far from Gumba Saladino's house where he was living at the time. Something I think like half a mile to three quarters of a mile.