General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[cavita]

Alfano, or his family is still around Lake Geneva area? Is the photo above who you are referring to?

Yeah I don't know if that's the guy or not, I've never met him. That pizza looks great though.
I almost forgot two others too-
Lorenzo Palazzolo had a pizzeria in Belvidere, Illinois and Procopio Alfano in Spring Valley, Illinois

[PolackTony]

Alfano, or his family is still around Lake Geneva area? Is the photo above who you are referring to?

The photo that you posted is of Carmelo Alfano, who still owns Pino’s Last Call pizzeria in Lake Geneva. He arrived in the US in 1974, and it’s unclear to me what his exact relation to Pietro Alfano may be (he doesn’t seem to be a sibling, at least). Pietro Alfano, BTW, died in 2020 in Ottawa, IL. One of his daughters married a Sam Vitale, so I wonder if that could be the Salvatore Vitale that Cavita posted. Pietro Alfano’s mother was also a Vitale (which, of course, is like “Smith” in Cinisi).

Yeah I don't know if that's the guy or not, I've never met him. That pizza looks great though.
I almost forgot two others too-
Lorenzo Palazzolo had a pizzeria in Belvidere, Illinois and Procopio Alfano in Spring Valley, Illinois

Great job identifying all of these pizzerias. Worth noting that Pietro Alfano’s wife was a Palazzolo. The Procopio Alfano in Spring Valley (died 1990) was Pietro’s father.

[cavita]

Alfano, or his family is still around Lake Geneva area? Is the photo above who you are referring to?

The photo that you posted is of Carmelo Alfano, who still owns Pino’s Last Call pizzeria in Lake Geneva. He arrived in the US in 1974, and it’s unclear to me what his exact relation to Pietro Alfano may be (he doesn’t seem to be a sibling, at least). Pietro Alfano, BTW, died in 2020 in Ottawa, IL. One of his daughters married a Sam Vitale, so I wonder if that could be the Salvatore Vitale that Cavita posted. Pietro Alfano’s mother was also a Vitale (which, of course, is like “Smith” in Cinisi).

The Pietro Alfano from Oregon, Illinois moved back to Cinisi a few years after he was released from prison in the Pizza Connection case. His sons operated the Alfano pizzeria there until just a few years ago. I think a cousin owns it now.

[Johnny1and1]

Alfano, or his family is still around Lake Geneva area? Is the photo above who you are referring to?

Yeah I don't know if that's the guy or not, I've never met him. That pizza looks great though.
I almost forgot two others too-
Lorenzo Palazzolo had a pizzeria in Belvidere, Illinois and Procopio Alfano in Spring Valley, Illinois

I spend time in that area. I believe in Belvedere they ran Executive Relaxation Station and/or the other place whose name I can’t recall. Raided and shut down several years ago.

I’ll be there to fish with a gentleman from Milwaukee end of the month.

I’m from the Midwest, and mostly familiar with Florida. You can search my posts that didn’t go over very well on here. But I know some of the more rural Illinois family members, and especially the ones near Lake Geneva. I have some history in Belvidere also.

I don’t know what I could add, but I know some places still operated, and I’m assuming those gentlemen are retired.

[PolackTony]

Alfano, or his family is still around Lake Geneva area? Is the photo above who you are referring to?

The photo that you posted is of Carmelo Alfano, who still owns Pino’s Last Call pizzeria in Lake Geneva. He arrived in the US in 1974, and it’s unclear to me what his exact relation to Pietro Alfano may be (he doesn’t seem to be a sibling, at least). Pietro Alfano, BTW, died in 2020 in Ottawa, IL. One of his daughters married a Sam Vitale, so I wonder if that could be the Salvatore Vitale that Cavita posted. Pietro Alfano’s mother was also a Vitale (which, of course, is like “Smith” in Cinisi).

The Pietro Alfano from Oregon, Illinois moved back to Cinisi a few years after he was released from prison in the Pizza Connection case. His sons operated the Alfano pizzeria there until just a few years ago. I think a cousin owns it now.

Yes, but I believe that he subsequently moved back to IL. The Pietro Alfano who died in Ottawa in 2020 was the father of Procopio “Peter” Alfano, who was an owner of Alfano’s in Oregon as well as Augie’s in Utica, IL (died 2017, born 1953 in Chicago to Pietro Alfano and wife Phyllis Palazzolo). This Pietro Alfano had another son named Anthony (still alive), and Peter and Anthony Alfano were the owners of Alfano’s after Pietro was convicted. So I think it’s the same guy.

[PolackTony]

Alfano, or his family is still around Lake Geneva area? Is the photo above who you are referring to?

Yeah I don't know if that's the guy or not, I've never met him. That pizza looks great though.
I almost forgot two others too-
Lorenzo Palazzolo had a pizzeria in Belvidere, Illinois and Procopio Alfano in Spring Valley, Illinois

I spend time in that area. I believe in Belvedere they ran Executive Relaxation Station and/or the other place whose name I can’t recall. Raided and shut down several years ago.

I’ll be there to fish with a gentleman from Milwaukee end of the month.

I’m from the Midwest, and mostly familiar with Florida. You can search my posts that didn’t go over very well on here. But I know some of the more rural Illinois family members, and especially the ones near Lake Geneva. I have some history in Belvidere also.

I don’t know what I could add, but I know some places still operated, and I’m assuming those gentlemen are retired.

Worth noting that apart from the Palazzolo pizzeria, Pietro Alfano’s brother Salvatore Alfano lived in Belvidere.

[Johnny1and1]

eta to Polack Tony. I believe Pinos in LG is now next door pub. The Pinos referred to on here was in Walworth to my knowledge.

There are a lot of places on that area. Again, my knowledge base is Florida / New York, but I suspect the siblings are running those places now. 6 - 8 in that area off the top of my head.

FWIW the pizza in LG was bad. Walworth was good. Belvidere was great but I think when the spas went, so did the pizza. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent time in Belvidere. LG is a different story. I’m there a lot in the summer, and know my way around.

Take it for what it’s worth.

[PolackTony]

eta to Polack Tony. I believe Pinos in LG is now next door pub. The Pinos referred to on here was in Walworth to my knowledge.

There are a lot of places on that area. Again, my knowledge base is Florida / New York, but I suspect the siblings are running those places now. 6 - 8 in that area off the top of my head.

FWIW the pizza in LG was bad. Walworth was good. Belvidere was great but I think when the spas went, so did the pizza. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent time in Belvidere. LG is a different story. I’m there a lot in the summer, and know my way around.

Take it for what it’s worth.

You’re right about Pino’s having moved to Walworth. Looks like the Pino’s in Walworth closed this April for good.

[PolackTony]

This is really good info as to the SGI and Cinisi immigrants and especially the info on Anthony Riela who if he arrived in the U.S. around 1926 or so he most likely was already a made member. I've been trying to dig into the Cinisi a little bit in relation to the Pizza Connection and their appearance in Illinois and surrounding areas starting in the late 1960s and there are a few Cinisi that immigrated during that time that opened pizzerias- now I'm not saying all these men were involved in the Pizza Connection but their appearance and the fact they're countrymen and had pizzerias are suspect:

Pietro Alfano pizzeria in Oregon, Illinois PIZZA CONNECTION
Giuseppe Cucinella pizzeria in Robinson, Illinois
Giuseppe Trupiano pizzeria in Olney, Illinois PIZZA CONNECTION
Giuseppe Vitale pizzeria in Paris, Illinois PIZZA CONNECTION
Nazareno “Joe” Vitale pizzeria in Aledo, Illinois
Salvatore Vitale pizzeria in Gillespie, Illinois
Reno Vitale pizzeria in Carlinville, Illinois
Benedetto Vitale pizzeria in Beardstown, Illinois
Salvatore Evola pizzeria in Temperance, Michigan PIZZA CONNECTION
Emmanuele Palazzolo pizzeria in Milton, Wisconsin PIZZA CONNECTION
Carmelo Alfano pizzeria in Delavan, Wisconsin

Again, great info. As you're already well aware, the FBI in the early 1990s stated that the Cinisi-Terrasini group connected to the Pizza Connection case was linked to a network of paesani-owned pizzerias and other businesses across Northern IL/Southern WI into Eastern IA. At least based on the Pizza Connection electronic surveillance, the FBI stated that there was no evidence that this network was operating in concert with local LCN, whether Chicago or Rockford. I've suspected that there may have been more to that story, however, given the large and highly active Cinisensi community in Chicago (e.g., the Santa Fara Society and Feast, Addison Ave as honorary "Via Cinisi", likely Outfit-connected families like the Salamones and Buteras). The close connections between the Manzellas and Impastatos and local LCN families also suggest to me that there may indeed have been links later, but so far as we know there is no direct evidence linking the Pizza Connection network in the region to local LCN (apart from a redacted statement in an FBI report that clearly seems to link Pietro Alfano to the Rockford Outfit, at least prior to the years of the Pizza Connection surveillance). Could be that this network indeed had links to local LCN, and those were just never captured during the investigation (and we know that during the same period, both Chicago and Rockford had "zips" affiliated with Sicilian Cosa Nostra operating in their territories; while Rockford obviously had guys from Aragona there, it's unclear which families back in Sicily Chicago was working with; I suspect that it could've been more than one, and I also strongly suspect that Cinisi was one of them, with Corleone being another possibility). But then, these guys in the pizzeria network may have been intentionally operating apart from local LCN, for their own reasons. Maybe they didn't want to have to cut in or pay street taxes to the local Outfits. Maybe they wanted to fly under LE radar and thus concentrated in small, rural towns and avoided the heat and scrutiny associated with the Chicago and Rockford areas. Who knows. Unless there was a Sicilian pentito or local CI who provided some insight here, all we can do is speculate about this.

As you also are aware, the FBI had intel on another network of Sicilians moving heroin and operating in the area around South Beloit/Roscoe IL. They categorized this group as separate from both the Pizza Connection Cinisi group as well as the zips operating with both Rockford and Chicago and claimed that this group had ties to Sicilian mafiosi in Buffalo and Hamilton (they also stated separately that Chicago had 'Ndrangheta operations linked to Upstate NY/Ontario, so presumably the Luppino-Violi, Papalia, and/or Musitano groups). I am not aware of who these Sicilians in the South Beloit area may have been. I do note that Bravo Pizza in South Beloit is owned by Giuseppe Ocello, who arrived there in the 1970s from Sicily. I suspect based on some other info that he is from the Ribera/Burgio area, which also sent a good number of immigrants in recent decades to Chicago (where there is still an active Burgio Society). This is not to cast aspersions on the Ocello family, as I have no reason to suspect that they themselves have any ties to the mafia whether local or Sicilian, but just to identify potential source areas in Sicily for the guys who were connected, and how they might intersect with local Chicago/Rockford immigrant communities.

EDIT: To follow up on the Ocellos of South Beloit, worth noting their social network as evidenced by social media. They have lots of ties to the Burgio/Ribera/Sciacca area (including some Bacinos), as well as locally to Rockford (including Intravaias and Gullottas) and Chicago/Chicago suburbs (particularly a number of people tied to Addison, aka "zip central". Their connections include some of the Greco family and some Alfanos living in that part of the Chicago suburbs, amongst a bunch of other people of recent Italian origin). Again, not that these people are necessarily connected to the mafia at all, but goes to show how plugged in the Sicilian immigrant community in South Beloit is with the larger communities in Chicagoland and Rockford.

[cavita]

This is really good info as to the SGI and Cinisi immigrants and especially the info on Anthony Riela who if he arrived in the U.S. around 1926 or so he most likely was already a made member. I've been trying to dig into the Cinisi a little bit in relation to the Pizza Connection and their appearance in Illinois and surrounding areas starting in the late 1960s and there are a few Cinisi that immigrated during that time that opened pizzerias- now I'm not saying all these men were involved in the Pizza Connection but their appearance and the fact they're countrymen and had pizzerias are suspect:

Pietro Alfano pizzeria in Oregon, Illinois PIZZA CONNECTION
Giuseppe Cucinella pizzeria in Robinson, Illinois
Giuseppe Trupiano pizzeria in Olney, Illinois PIZZA CONNECTION
Giuseppe Vitale pizzeria in Paris, Illinois PIZZA CONNECTION
Nazareno “Joe” Vitale pizzeria in Aledo, Illinois
Salvatore Vitale pizzeria in Gillespie, Illinois
Reno Vitale pizzeria in Carlinville, Illinois
Benedetto Vitale pizzeria in Beardstown, Illinois
Salvatore Evola pizzeria in Temperance, Michigan PIZZA CONNECTION
Emmanuele Palazzolo pizzeria in Milton, Wisconsin PIZZA CONNECTION
Carmelo Alfano pizzeria in Delavan, Wisconsin

Again, great info. As you're already well aware, the FBI in the early 1990s stated that the Cinisi-Terrasini group connected to the Pizza Connection case was linked to a network of paesani-owned pizzerias and other businesses across Northern IL/Southern WI into Eastern IA. At least based on the Pizza Connection electronic surveillance, the FBI stated that there was no evidence that this network was operating in concert with local LCN, whether Chicago or Rockford. I've suspected that there may have been more to that story, however, given the large and highly active Cinisensi community in Chicago (e.g., the Santa Fara Society and Feast, Addison Ave as honorary "Via Cinisi", likely Outfit-connected families like the Salamones and Buteras). The close connections between the Manzellas and Impastatos and local LCN families also suggest to me that there may indeed have been links later, but so far as we know there is no direct evidence linking the Pizza Connection network in the region to local LCN (apart from a redacted statement in an FBI report that clearly seems to link Pietro Alfano to the Rockford Outfit, at least prior to the years of the Pizza Connection surveillance). Could be that this network indeed had links to local LCN, and those were just never captured during the investigation (and we know that during the same period, both Chicago and Rockford had "zips" affiliated with Sicilian Cosa Nostra operating in their territories; while Rockford obviously had guys from Aragona there, it's unclear which families back in Sicily Chicago was working with; I suspect that it could've been more than one, and I also strongly suspect that Cinisi was one of them, with Corleone being another possibility). But then, these guys in the pizzeria network may have been intentionally operating apart from local LCN, for their own reasons. Maybe they didn't want to have to cut in or pay street taxes to the local Outfits. Maybe they wanted to fly under LE radar and thus concentrated in small, rural towns and avoided the heat and scrutiny associated with the Chicago and Rockford areas. Who knows. Unless there was a Sicilian pentito or local CI who provided some insight here, all we can do is speculate about this.

As you also are aware, the FBI had intel on another network of Sicilians moving heroin and operating in the area around South Beloit/Roscoe IL. They categorized this group as separate from both the Pizza Connection Cinisi group as well as the zips operating with both Rockford and Chicago and claimed that this group had ties to Sicilian mafiosi in Buffalo and Hamilton (they also stated separately that Chicago had 'Ndrangheta operations linked to Upstate NY/Ontario, so presumably the Luppino-Violi, Papalia, and/or Musitano groups). I am not aware of who these Sicilians in the South Beloit area may have been. I do note that Bravo Pizza in South Beloit is owned by Giuseppe Ocello, who arrived there in the 1970s from Sicily. I suspect based on some other info that he is from the Ribera/Burgio area, which also sent a good number of immigrants in recent decades to Chicago (where there is still an active Burgio Society). This is not to cast aspersions on the Ocello family, as I have no reason to suspect that they themselves have any ties to the mafia whether local or Sicilian, but just to identify potential source areas in Sicily for the guys who were connected, and how they might intersect with local Chicago/Rockford immigrant communities.

EDIT: To follow up on the Ocellos of South Beloit, worth noting their social network as evidenced by social media. They have lots of ties to the Burgio/Ribera/Sciacca area (including some Bacinos), as well as locally to Rockford (including Intravaias and Gullottas) and Chicago/Chicago suburbs (particularly a number of people tied to Addison, aka "zip central". Their connections include some of the Greco family and some Alfanos living in that part of the Chicago suburbs, amongst a bunch of other people of recent Italian origin). Again, not that these people are necessarily connected to the mafia at all, but goes to show how plugged in the Sicilian immigrant community in South Beloit is with the larger communities in Chicagoland and Rockford.

The fact that there was the Cinisi-based Pizza Connection group operating in Illinois and surrounding areas at the same time that Rockford's Aragonese-based group was operating in basically the same area importing and distributing narcotics via Buffalo, Australia, Sicily, etc. is a huge coincidence and it could very well be their operations overlapped. Though the Rockford LCN was primarily Aragonese based in this operation they utilized pizzerias owned not only by immigrants from Aragona but also Ribera, Sambuca, Ucria, Marsala and others.

[funkster]

While I realize full tentacles are unlikely at this point, it's interesting to note that the city has chosen the old Tribune distribution center at Chicago and Halsted as the location for the new Bally's Chicago Casino. For perspective, this is a half mile or so from the Grand and Ogden neighborhood. Though as Rivers in Des Plaines has shown with their United Maintenance contracts, you still see Outfit connected people get contracts.

[Johnny1and1]

I thought Rivers license goes all the way back to the riverboat outside of Galena? That gaming license has an interesting of a history as United Service Cos.

[PolackTony]

Could well be. Benld seems to have attracted mafiosi from San Giuseppe and Cinisi.

A report also said the Sicilians ran an alcohol still in Eagarville outside of Benld. Plays into some of these tiny Sicilian colonies spread around rural Illinois.

As noted above, Cesare Manzella arrived in the US in 1924; the same year, he was naturalized in NYC, giving his address as 224 E 116th St in East Harlem. The next confirmed address I have for Cesare was in 1948 when he returned from Sicily and gave his address in Springfield. So while I can't find anything explicitly putting Manzella in Chicago between 1924 and 1948, his brother was there, so I doubt it's a myth. Chicago had and still has a significant concentration of immigrants from Cinisi, and there were other Cinisensi Manzellas in Chicago. Another interesting thing to note is that Cesare and Matteo's younger brother Giacamo Manzella (born 1902; entered at Boston in 1919 bound for brother Procopio in NYC; naturalized with Cesare in NYC in 1924 and lived with him on E 116th St) was murdered in STL in 1926; the papers gave his name as Joseph Manzella. The papers also noted that Frank Agrusa had been wounded in another shooting around the same time.

The bolded above was a typo, the address was 242 E 116 (same block, between 2nd and 3rd Ave).

[Antiliar]

Could well be. Benld seems to have attracted mafiosi from San Giuseppe and Cinisi.

A report also said the Sicilians ran an alcohol still in Eagarville outside of Benld. Plays into some of these tiny Sicilian colonies spread around rural Illinois.

As noted above, Cesare Manzella arrived in the US in 1924; the same year, he was naturalized in NYC, giving his address as 224 E 116th St in East Harlem. The next confirmed address I have for Cesare was in 1948 when he returned from Sicily and gave his address in Springfield. So while I can't find anything explicitly putting Manzella in Chicago between 1924 and 1948, his brother was there, so I doubt it's a myth. Chicago had and still has a significant concentration of immigrants from Cinisi, and there were other Cinisensi Manzellas in Chicago. Another interesting thing to note is that Cesare and Matteo's younger brother Giacamo Manzella (born 1902; entered at Boston in 1919 bound for brother Procopio in NYC; naturalized with Cesare in NYC in 1924 and lived with him on E 116th St) was murdered in STL in 1926; the papers gave his name as Joseph Manzella. The papers also noted that Frank Agrusa had been wounded in another shooting around the same time.

The bolded above was a typo, the address was 242 E 116 (same block, between 2nd and 3rd Ave).

Glad you clarified. Still can't recall who I was looking up, but it'll come to me
At 224, the building was sold to Vincent D. Calenda in 1920, and there was a club on the bottom floor of 226 called The Ventura Club in 1933, when there was a shooting. Ciro Terranova lived at 338 East 116th in 1920.

[Snakes]

Sneak preview/work in progress: