General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[PolackTony]

Article on famed poker player Doyle Brunson briefly mentions how Spilotro tried to put the arm on him, claiming that Brunson wasn’t whacked because of casino owner Benny Binion:

Brunson’s connection to Binion also gave him protection during a period in which rival syndicates clashed over their cuts of nearly every dollar won, lost, earned, or stolen in Vegas. When Brunson arrived, the city’s most vicious gangster was Tony “the Ant” Spilotro, who, according to some accounts, committed at least two dozen murders and who inspired Joe Pesci’s character in Casino. Word eventually reached Brunson that Spilotro wanted 25 percent of his winnings. The next time they saw each other, Brunson asked why he should accept those terms.

“If you don’t like it,” Spilotro said, “I’ll stick twelve ice picks in that big fat gut of yours.”

“You can’t kill everyone,” Brunson told the mobster at a subsequent meeting.

“I won’t have to kill everyone,” Spilotro said. “Just the first one.”

Despite the threats, Spilotro never laid a hand on Brunson, who says the only reason he’s still alive is because Spilotro knew better than to cross Benny Binion.

Full article (nothing else about the mob):
https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-enter ... er-legend/

[Wiseguy]

Despite the threats, Spilotro never laid a hand on Brunson, who says the only reason he’s still alive is because Spilotro knew better than to cross Benny Binion.

What would have happened if he had crossed Binion?

[PolackTony]

Despite the threats, Spilotro never laid a hand on Brunson, who says the only reason he’s still alive is because Spilotro knew better than to cross Benny Binion.

What would have happened if he had crossed Binion?

He would’ve needed another ice pick.

[PolackTony]

Info on Outfit AZ operations in the 1970s/80s from Accardo's file. Looks like Chicago guys like Joe DiCaro were working with Bufalino member Anthony Guarnieri in Phoenix:



Some snippets of info also in the file on the Chinatown crew -- or "The Southside LCN", as the FBI termed it here -- regarding Shorty LaMantia running wire rooms out of the apartments in the building at 26th and Princeton that housed the original ONIAC and the Hungry Hound hot dog stand (run by the Carusos).

[PolackTony]

1985 Sun-Times articles on Chicago attempting to rebuild rackets in Los Angeles following Brooklier's legal troubles:









Another '85 Sun-Times article by Art Petaque stated that Spilotro had been "annointed" as Alderisio's successor as chief of Chicago's operations in NV and Southern CA, with Alderisio having been tasked with those areas prior to the early 1970s.

[Antiliar]

I was really sad when Barro's Pizza shut down. They had really good pizza and even won a poll for Orange County's best Pizza.

[PolackTony]

As reported in 1982, during the trial against Angelo Lonardo and associates in Cleveland for drug trafficking. Carmen Zangaria, who also cooperated with the government and testified, and associate Fritz Graewe had murdered Miami-based major LCN-linked drug trafficker Joseph Giaimo after he came to Cleveland to collect when they stiffed him on a drug shipment.

‘Right after the announcement of Giaimo's disappearance in the newspapers, representatives of the Miami, New York and Chicago Mafia came to Cleveland to talk to Gallo and Sinito,' said Hoven. 'They wanted to know what happened to him and his marijuana.'

Hoven said they also talked to Zagaria, who apparently convinced them that Giaimo had not been seen in Cleveland.

One federal official said Giaimo, who operated the restaurant in the Runaway Bay Motel in Miami, was one of the mob's largest narcotics conduits in the South.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/12/11 ... 408430800/

[PolackTony]

Has anyone ever checked out the Gentile brothers' book? I've seen it on Amazon, but haven't read it yet. I wasn't aware that these guys grew up in the Grand Ave Patch, so at least for that, I want to check it out. Looks like they have a story about their family coming under the protection of Vincenzo Benevento back in the day (which also goes back to the current "what is an associate?" thread). Worth listening to their interview here:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertai ... story.html

[PolackTony]

Chatted with my source again. He doesn't know any Chinatown people, but says that a Caruso is good friends with Monteleone. He said that there's three made guys operating in Elmwood Park for Solly D. Max Lobue and his brother Matt Lobue, and Jason Nitti. Jason is the adopted son of a Cerone. Rosa Cerone is his mother. He worked for Anthony Marano in the produce business, but things aren't going well. Max Lobue owns Zaza Trattoria. Mike Bertucci is a drug dealer in EP, and his father is the police chief. Jimmy Marcello and Mike Sarno did make new guys who he calls "a bunch of degenerates." Max Lobue and Jason Nitti used to valet cars for Solly D - that's how they got in. Matteo or Max lives in Barrington very near Solly D. Jason Nitti is actually a Calabrese. The Lobues grew up in Desplaines. [This is from me, their names sound like they or their parents came from Corleone.] He said that the father of the Lobues was a cop in Italy. Dino Vitale was their inside man on the Cicero police force, and James Formato in Berwyn PD. Max and Solly D co-owned a warehouse in Elk Grove Village called S Produce. He says that EP only has a small crew of three guys with no capo. There are small crews like this operating in different places. Max Lobue is Massimo Lobue. His father was Filippo Lobue, who was a corrupt Italian cop.

Max Lobue - D&L Produce in Elk Grove Village: https://allpeople.com/max+lobue_d-l-pro ... ice-inc-us
http://www.salespider.com/b-41039472/d- ... fd-svc-inc
https://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory ... 82678.html
https://wiza.co/d/anthony-marano-compan ... ason-nitti
https://www.freightallkinds.com/news/el ... f-produce/

This is the correct Zaza's: https://zazaslb.com/?fbclid=IwAR2WqQ_X1 ... HRB9PIIi3w

Regarding Jason Nitti, he still at least seems to be listed as Vice President of Operation for the Anthony Marano produce company (which is a major produce distributor, the company is a big deal). For background, the Marano company is still family-owned; it was founded in 1947 by Anthony Onofrio Marano, who was born in Chicago to parents from Monreale.

I've stated it elsewhere, but Matteo LoBue is President of Greco & Sons, which was sold to Sysco for + $800 million (their estimated annual revenue) in 2021, though the deal allowed Greco & Sons to continue as an independent branch of Sysco with their own executive team, etc. Greco & Sons has dozens of facilities and operations spanning like 15 states. Really tells you something that guys involved in the administration of companies of this kind of scale are alleged to be current Chicago members.

[Antiliar]

Thinking about the Outfit associates in 1963, let's see how they existed operationally:

Here's some names to start off the list:

- Murray Humphreys, head of the "Connection Crew" and adviser to the administration, could even give orders to made soldiers; successor to Jack Guzik
- Gus Alex, top lieutenant of Humphreys, ran the Loop; succeeded Humphreys in 1965
- Sam Alex, brother of Gus, partner and enforcer
- Irv Weiner, bail bondsman and partner of Phil Alderisio
- Ralph Pierce, gambling boss in the South Side, reported to Humphreys and later Gus Alex
- Hyman "Hy" Godfrey, personal lieutenant and gofer of Humphreys and Alex, also said to be lieutenant of Ralph Pierce
- Lenny Patrick, North Side/Fillmore District gambling boss, enforcer and loan shark. Partner of Dave Yaras; reported to Humphreys and Alex.
- Edward "Ed" Vogel, Cicero-based gambling boss, reported to Humphreys and later Alex
- Dave Yaras, junior partner of Lenny Patrick
- Joseph Corngold, Cicero gambling boss closely associated with the Aiuppa crew
- Louis Friedman, lieutenant of Patrick and Yaras
- Francis Curry, older associate who operated in the Far South Side suburbs who was possibly direct to Paul Ricca
- "Mad" Sam DeStefano, murderous psychopathic loan shark backed by Ricca, Accardo and Daddono
- Lester Kruse, AKA "Killer Kane," gambling boss and enforcer who operated all over greater Chicago and was direct to Humphreys and Alex
- Sidney Korshak, powerful attorney direct to the administration
- Louis Briatta, political lieutenant of Humphreys and Alex and go-between to Pat Marcy
- Gus Liebe, lieutenant of Lester Kruse
- Bill Gold, associate of Ross Prio and Joe DiVarco
- Joe Arnold, top associate and enforcer for Prio and DiVarco
- John Drew, Las Vegas associate possibly direct to administration
- Nick Kokenes, lieutenant of Gus Alex

[PolackTony]

Thinking about the Outfit associates in 1963, let's see how they existed operationally:

Here's some names to start off the list:

- Murray Humphreys, head of the "Connection Crew" and adviser to the administration, could even give orders to made soldiers; successor to Jack Guzik
- Gus Alex, top lieutenant of Humphreys, ran the Loop; succeeded Humphreys in 1965
- Sam Alex, brother of Gus, partner and enforcer
- Irv Weiner, bail bondsman and partner of Phil Alderisio
- Ralph Pierce, gambling boss in the South Side, reported to Humphreys and later Gus Alex
- Hyman "Hy" Godfrey, personal lieutenant and gofer of Humphreys and Alex, also said to be lieutenant of Ralph Pierce
- Lenny Patrick, North Side/Fillmore District gambling boss, enforcer and loan shark. Partner of Dave Yaras; reported to Humphreys and Alex.
- Edward "Ed" Vogel, Cicero-based gambling boss, reported to Humphreys and later Alex
- Dave Yaras, junior partner of Lenny Patrick
- Joseph Corngold, Cicero gambling boss closely associated with the Aiuppa crew
- Louis Friedman, lieutenant of Patrick and Yaras
- Francis Curry, older associate who operated in the Far South Side suburbs who was possibly direct to Paul Ricca
- "Mad" Sam DeStefano, murderous psychopathic loan shark backed by Ricca, Accardo and Daddono
- Lester Kruse, AKA "Killer Kane," gambling boss and enforcer who operated all over greater Chicago and was direct to Humphreys and Alex
- Sidney Korshak, powerful attorney direct to the administration
- Louis Briatta, political lieutenant of Humphreys and Alex and go-between to Pat Marcy
- Gus Liebe, lieutenant of Lester Kruse
- Bill Gold, associate of Ross Prio and Joe DiVarco
- Joe Arnold, top associate and enforcer for Prio and DiVarco
- John Drew, Las Vegas associate possibly direct to administration
- Nick Kokenes, lieutenant of Gus Alex

Great list. Along with Kokenes, we can add Nick and George Bravos, Louie Arger, and Gus Zapas, with all of these guys (and presumably a bunch of lower-level Greek mobsters working under them) answering to Alex. While I don’t doubt that all of these guys were under and represented to the mafia by Alex, they probably also had their own personal connections to Outfit members, which can make these more complex. For example, the Bravos brothers I believe had an operation on Chicago and Western (when I was a kid this was still a Greek diner that I suspect had gambling) partnered with Nicoletti. Irv Weiner I would absolutely put as under or with the Battaglia crew, but he also seems to have worked with the Rugendorf brothers, who I think were with Pierce. Pierce, in turn, seems to have definitely answered to Humphreys/Alex, but I think he was probably also partnered with the Chinatown crew. I agree that Curry could’ve been direct to Ricca, though we can also connect him to Frank LaPorte.

[B.]

Info from Bomp, December 1976:



He calls Aiuppa the "acting" Chicago boss at this time.

Bomp became aware of all this because he met with Tony Spilotro, Al Pilotto, and Dan Milano at Spiltro's Las Vegas home.

[B.]

Related:

[PolackTony]

Interesting that Bomp seems to have had Aiuppa as acting as late as ‘76. If that was the case, I really wonder if Giancana still held the title in fact, if not in deed, until his murder. If so, presumably it would’ve taken at least some time before Aiuppa was formally ratified as official boss. I’d think that at least by the time of the “Last Supper” photo in ‘76, at the latest, Aiuppa was official.

[Snakes]

To be honest, I don't think "acting" has any special importance here, but I could be wrong. There are plenty of contemporary sources stating Aiuppa as the boss. One scenario I could see is that maybe Bomp considered Accardo the boss and Aiuppa as "acting."