The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

[chicagodog]

1985 Sun-Times article reporting that Cicero pizzeria owner Domenico Lo Cascio had been kidnapped and disappeared in Sicily in 1983:



Al's Restaurant and Pizzeria, aka Alessandro's (named after Domenico's son Alessandro), opened on Cermak Rd in the magic year of 1961. Not entirely sure if Domenico Lo Cascio actually ever turned up alive or not. In the '90s. when Al's was reported to be associated with Outfit-linked corrupt Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese (and, naturally, receiving parking exemptions from the Town as "members of the clergy"), the Tribune cited the operator as a Dominick LoCascio, though I think that was Domenico's grandson, Alessandro's son, and the current owner of the Al's location in Palos Heights. Given that other evidence points to the later owners of Al's in Cicero as Alessandro LoCascio and his mother Carmela Lombardo (died in 2008), Domenico's wife, I'm thinking that Domenico may have been murdered while back in Sicily. There were a number of Lo Cascios in Chicago from Altavilla Milicia, so these Lo Cascios could be from there as well.

From what I can tell, a relative of Domenico Lo Cascio, Paola Lo Cascio (not sure if daughter or sister), married the Joe Greco of Palermo Bakery in Norridge. I'm not 100% certain, but my guess is that these Grecos are related to the well-known Grecos of the Greco and Son's food business empire (e.g., Eddie Greco, long rumored to be an Outfit associate. Bokabreeze also once posted a photo on Reddit of Sam Greco hanging out with Rocky Lombardo and Jimmy Inendino). Notably, current reputed Chicago made member Matteo LoBue (from Trabia), the CEO of RFD Foods, a division of Bellissimo Foods, who are a featured vendor for Greco and Sons, is also listed as the President of Greco and Sons. Eddie Greco has been stated (on the old ANP comments) to be close to Sardinian-Chicago business impressario Benvenuto "Benny" Siddu (owner of the Volare restaurants and the Via Volare Import company). This is true, at least to the extent that Siddu is friends on FB with Eddie and a number of other Grecos (he's also FB buddies with alleged current made member Jason Nitti). Siddu was also linked in the past to Italian immigrant cop and Outfit associate Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro, as well as alleged to have personally been close to Marco D'Amico. All of this goes to at least suggest that the LoCascios were/are probably at least within the social circles of the mafia both in Chicago and Sicily.

Keep researching the Greco family. FYI Greco sold their business to Sysco for $800 million, but they had partnered with a PE firm due to them hemorrhaging money (even though they’re exclusive importer of Italian cheeses and meats into Chicago).

[funkster]

1985 Sun-Times article reporting that Cicero pizzeria owner Domenico Lo Cascio had been kidnapped and disappeared in Sicily in 1983:



Al's Restaurant and Pizzeria, aka Alessandro's (named after Domenico's son Alessandro), opened on Cermak Rd in the magic year of 1961. Not entirely sure if Domenico Lo Cascio actually ever turned up alive or not. In the '90s. when Al's was reported to be associated with Outfit-linked corrupt Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese (and, naturally, receiving parking exemptions from the Town as "members of the clergy"), the Tribune cited the operator as a Dominick LoCascio, though I think that was Domenico's grandson, Alessandro's son, and the current owner of the Al's location in Palos Heights. Given that other evidence points to the later owners of Al's in Cicero as Alessandro LoCascio and his mother Carmela Lombardo (died in 2008), Domenico's wife, I'm thinking that Domenico may have been murdered while back in Sicily. There were a number of Lo Cascios in Chicago from Altavilla Milicia, so these Lo Cascios could be from there as well.

From what I can tell, a relative of Domenico Lo Cascio, Paola Lo Cascio (not sure if daughter or sister), married the Joe Greco of Palermo Bakery in Norridge. I'm not 100% certain, but my guess is that these Grecos are related to the well-known Grecos of the Greco and Son's food business empire (e.g., Eddie Greco, long rumored to be an Outfit associate. Bokabreeze also once posted a photo on Reddit of Sam Greco hanging out with Rocky Lombardo and Jimmy Inendino). Notably, current reputed Chicago made member Matteo LoBue (from Trabia), the CEO of RFD Foods, a division of Bellissimo Foods, who are a featured vendor for Greco and Sons, is also listed as the President of Greco and Sons. Eddie Greco has been stated (on the old ANP comments) to be close to Sardinian-Chicago business impressario Benvenuto "Benny" Siddu (owner of the Volare restaurants and the Via Volare Import company). This is true, at least to the extent that Siddu is friends on FB with Eddie and a number of other Grecos (he's also FB buddies with alleged current made member Jason Nitti). Siddu was also linked in the past to Italian immigrant cop and Outfit associate Renato "Ray" DiSilvestro, as well as alleged to have personally been close to Marco D'Amico. All of this goes to at least suggest that the LoCascios were/are probably at least within the social circles of the mafia both in Chicago and Sicily.

Great connections you make Tony. Pretty incredible how deep the OC ties run in the food/grocery business here. Cant remember if we've discussed before, but does the massive Battaglia food company have family links to Teens and company?

[PolackTony]

Big shoutout to thekiduknow for informing me that Bonanno-affiliated Catanese zip Luigi Ronsisvalle was connected to heroin trafficking in Chicago. As a book is slated to come out this year on Ronsisvalle, I hope that it helps to shed more light on this topic.

In 1977, Ronsisvalle began to work as a courier transporting heroin from Brooklyn to Chicago via Amtrak, and to LA via plane. This operation was under the direction of Bonanno captain Salvatore Catalano and was coordinated by Felice Puma and Giuseppe Mirabile. In 1977, Ronsisvalle made his first trip to Chicago, as he needed to apparently lay low briefly following a jewel heist in NYC. He was met in Chicago by Mirabile, who then introduced Ronsisvalle to a guy in Chicago named Frank Lombardo, who was also a Sicilian immigrant (it's unclear if Ronsisvalle meant that they were formally introduced as mafia members, but if so, it would make sense that Mirabile would have to be present as a third party to make the introduction), as well as another individual whose name was just given as "Appuzzo". Ronsisvalle testified that Lombardo told him that he had arrived in the US at age 16 and was then sent to Chicago by Paolo Gambino. Ronsisvalle stated that Lombardo had been involved in hijacking in Chicago and was later involved with or owned a company called Lombardo Cheese. After staying in Chicago for several days, Mirabile returned to NYC while Ronsisvalle stayed in Chicago with female company. Enzo Napoli, who had been involved in the aforementioned jewel heist, then arrived in Chicago, and according to Ronsisvalle, Napoli made a hit attempt on him in Chicago to not have to cut Ronsisvalle in on his share of the heist (apparently the issue was resolved back in NYC in a sit-down with Joe N Gallo). following his introductions in Chicago, Ronsisvalle began to bring heroin, ~40 lbs at a time in a suitcase, by train from BK to Chicago, where he would meet with Frank Lombardo and a guy named Carlo (who Ronsisvalle was introduced to in Chicago by Mario Maimone, another NYC-based zip), under the direction of Felice Puma. Ronsisvalle testified that he made about 15 such trips, with a total of 340 kilos of pure heroin delivered to Chicago in this window of time (an estimated 16 kilos total were transported to LA; Ronsisvalle was also tasked with ferrying heroin from FL to NYC in this time period).

From Ronsisvalle's 1985 testimony to the President's Commission on Organized Crime's hearing on Organized Crime and Heroin Trafficking:
https://ronsisvalle-1985-chicago.tiiny.site/

Whoever Carlo and "Appuzzo" were is anyone's guess. The best match for Ronsisvalle's Chicago connect Frank Lombardo (as in a guy with that name, born in Sicily, somewhere in the right-ish age range) is the Frank Lombardo who died in 2001 in Norridge. Frank Lombardo and his family for decades have owned and operated the well-known Mama Luna's pizzeria on the NW side of Chicago, with locations on Fullerton near Laramie, and on Addison west of Harlem (aka, "Via Cinisi"). Since Frank died in 2001, the pizzerias have been run by his widow, Rosaria Faso (believe born in 1943 in Termini Imerese and arrived in the US in 1960), and son, Ciro Lombardo. According to his obituary, Frank was a member of the Societá Maria S.S. Lauretana di Altavilla Milicia (founded in Chicago in 1900 and today located and active at Lawrence and Marmora in Jeff Park).

This fits a Francesco Lombardo, born in May 1944 in Altavilla Milicia, who was naturalized in 1960 in Chicago at 16 years old (Ronsisvalle testified that Frank Lombardo told him that he had entered the US at 16); he was legally renamed "Frank Lombardo" at this time. As I strongly believe that this was the same guy that Ronsisvalle knew, it's possible that Ronsisvalle may have misremembered or misunderstood some of Lombardo's biography. Ronsisvalle stated that Lombardo entered the US at 16 and came to Chicago several years later under the direction of Paolo Gambino. This Frank Lombardo was naturalized at 16 years old in Chicago, but his mother, Francesca Clemente, also of Altavilla Milicia, stated that Frank had been living in Chicago since 1947 (which matches an entry in the 1950 census and a 1947 passenger manifest from Frank and his mother, whose grandfather Giuseppe Clemente was already living in Chicago). Perhaps Frank had gone back to Sicily and then re-entered the US at 16 and was thus naturalized then, but who knows ( I haven't found any records for him traveling then). I also haven't found any records for a Frank Lombardo who owned a "Lombardo Cheese" company in Chicago, but this guy did own a pizzeria, which was founded in the 1960s, so that is something.

Ronsisvalle stated that Frank Lombardo had been involved in "hijacking" in Chicago, and the Frank Lombardo that I found did seem to have been a thug at a young age. In 1965, a Frank Lombardo, born in 1944, was arrested with a group of Italian young men for stripping and beating a 40-year-old woman to death near Taylor St. Almost of all of them lived near Taylor St, exceot for Lombardo, who was stated as living in Cicero. Several of the men held City jobs, including our old friend Virgil Cimmino. Cimmino was later Frank Calabrese, Sr's father-in-law, but otherwise, he's known as a longtime Outfit associate and straight-out-of-central-casting Streets and San worker. Now, perhaps more relevant to our topic here, Cimmino was also one of the associates of Chris Cardi who was busted with Cardi (along with the Carioscia brothers) for his role in a major heroin distribution ring with connections to multiple other cities/states (this has been discussed elsewhere, of course).

While in 1960, Frank Lombardo was living with his mother at Wabansia and Keating in West Humboldt Park, his family was closely tied to Cicero. In fact, his sister Carmela Lo Cascio, nee Lombardo, opened Al's Restaurant and Pizzeria in Cicero in 1961 with her husband Domenico Lo Cascio, who I believe was also from Altavilla Milicia and seems to have had his own links to the mafia. As luck would have it, I just recently wrote about them on this thread:

1985 Sun-Times article reporting that Cicero pizzeria owner Domenico Lo Cascio had been kidnapped and disappeared in Sicily in 1983:



Al's Restaurant and Pizzeria, aka Alessandro's (named after Domenico's son Alessandro), opened on Cermak Rd in the magic year of 1961. Not entirely sure if Domenico Lo Cascio actually ever turned up alive or not. In the '90s. when Al's was reported to be associated with Outfit-linked corrupt Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese (and, naturally, receiving parking exemptions from the Town as "members of the clergy"), the Tribune cited the operator as a Dominick LoCascio, though I think that was Domenico's grandson, Alessandro's son, and the current owner of the Al's location in Palos Heights. Given that other evidence points to the later owners of Al's in Cicero as Alessandro LoCascio and his mother Carmela Lombardo (died in 2008), Domenico's wife, I'm thinking that Domenico may have been murdered while back in Sicily. There were a number of Lo Cascios in Chicago from Altavilla Milicia, so these Lo Cascios could be from there as well.

Just to point out a few tentative connections. Sal Catalano is from Ciminna (where he lives now after being deported from Italy), which, like Altavilla, has longstanding and close immigration ties to Chicago. It's unsurprising, then, that Catalano's heroin distribution operation would be closely linked to Chicago. There have been a bunch of Catalanos from Ciminna in Chicago (we've previously discussed Nicola Gentile's friend Domenico Catalano, who was a Chicago member from Ciminna), including a number arriving in the 1960s and 70s, so it's possible that Catalano could've had relatives arriving there during this general time period. Several years after the time period of the Ronsisvalle testimony, Catalano was working with mafiosi in Bagheria, another town with strong immigration ties to Chicago, during the Pizza Connection stuff. Of course, that was closely linked to Badalamenti, who had operations in Northern IL; though we don't know if those had any links to Chicago, Chicago has been a major hub for Cinisesi immigration in the US. It may be a complete coincidence, or not, that Frank Lombardo's Mama Luna's location on Addison is directly across the street from the Societá Santa Fara di Cinisi.

[Patrickgold]

Big shoutout to thekiduknow for informing me that Bonanno-affiliated Catanese zip Luigi Ronsisvalle was connected to heroin trafficking in Chicago. As a book is slated to come out this year on Ronsisvalle, I hope that it helps to shed more light on this topic.

In 1977, Ronsisvalle began to work as a courier transporting heroin from Brooklyn to Chicago via Amtrak, and to LA via plane. This operation was under the direction of Bonanno captain Salvatore Catalano and was coordinated by Felice Puma and Giuseppe Mirabile. In 1977, Ronsisvalle made his first trip to Chicago, as he needed to apparently lay low briefly following a jewel heist in NYC. He was met in Chicago by Mirabile, who then introduced Ronsisvalle to a guy in Chicago named Frank Lombardo, who was also a Sicilian immigrant (it's unclear if Ronsisvalle meant that they were formally introduced as mafia members, but if so, it would make sense that Mirabile would have to be present as a third party to make the introduction), as well as another individual whose name was just given as "Appuzzo". Ronsisvalle testified that Lombardo told him that he had arrived in the US at age 16 and was then sent to Chicago by Paolo Gambino. Ronsisvalle stated that Lombardo had been involved in hijacking in Chicago and was later involved with or owned a company called Lombardo Cheese. After staying in Chicago for several days, Mirabile returned to NYC while Ronsisvalle stayed in Chicago with female company. Enzo Napoli, who had been involved in the aforementioned jewel heist, then arrived in Chicago, and according to Ronsisvalle, Napoli made a hit attempt on him in Chicago to not have to cut Ronsisvalle in on his share of the heist (apparently the issue was resolved back in NYC in a sit-down with Joe N Gallo). following his introductions in Chicago, Ronsisvalle began to bring heroin, ~40 lbs at a time in a suitcase, by train from BK to Chicago, where he would meet with Frank Lombardo and a guy named Carlo (who Ronsisvalle was introduced to in Chicago by Mario Maimone, another NYC-based zip), under the direction of Felice Puma. Ronsisvalle testified that he made about 15 such trips, with a total of 340 kilos of pure heroin delivered to Chicago in this window of time (an estimated 16 kilos total were transported to LA; Ronsisvalle was also tasked with ferrying heroin from FL to NYC in this time period).

From Ronsisvalle's 1985 testimony to the President's Commission on Organized Crime's hearing on Organized Crime and Heroin Trafficking:
https://ronsisvalle-1985-chicago.tiiny.site/

Whoever Carlo and "Appuzzo" were is anyone's guess. The best match for Ronsisvalle's Chicago connect Frank Lombardo (as in a guy with that name, born in Sicily, somewhere in the right-ish age range) is the Frank Lombardo who died in 2001 in Norridge. Frank Lombardo and his family for decades have owned and operated the well-known Mama Luna's pizzeria on the NW side of Chicago, with locations on Fullerton near Laramie, and on Addison west of Harlem (aka, "Via Cinisi"). Since Frank died in 2001, the pizzerias have been run by his widow, Rosaria Faso (believe born in 1943 in Termini Imerese and arrived in the US in 1960), and son, Ciro Lombardo. According to his obituary, Frank was a member of the Societá Maria S.S. Lauretana di Altavilla Milicia (founded in Chicago in 1900 and today located and active at Lawrence and Marmora in Jeff Park).

This fits a Francesco Lombardo, born in May 1944 in Altavilla Milicia, who was naturalized in 1960 in Chicago at 16 years old (Ronsisvalle testified that Frank Lombardo told him that he had entered the US at 16); he was legally renamed "Frank Lombardo" at this time. As I strongly believe that this was the same guy that Ronsisvalle knew, it's possible that Ronsisvalle may have misremembered or misunderstood some of Lombardo's biography. Ronsisvalle stated that Lombardo entered the US at 16 and came to Chicago several years later under the direction of Paolo Gambino. This Frank Lombardo was naturalized at 16 years old in Chicago, but his mother, Francesca Clemente, also of Altavilla Milicia, stated that Frank had been living in Chicago since 1947 (which matches an entry in the 1950 census and a 1947 passenger manifest from Frank and his mother, whose grandfather Giuseppe Clemente was already living in Chicago). Perhaps Frank had gone back to Sicily and then re-entered the US at 16 and was thus naturalized then, but who knows ( I haven't found any records for him traveling then). I also haven't found any records for a Frank Lombardo who owned a "Lombardo Cheese" company in Chicago, but this guy did own a pizzeria, which was founded in the 1960s, so that is something.

Ronsisvalle stated that Frank Lombardo had been involved in "hijacking" in Chicago, and the Frank Lombardo that I found did seem to have been a thug at a young age. In 1965, a Frank Lombardo, born in 1944, was arrested with a group of Italian young men for stripping and beating a 40-year-old woman to death near Taylor St. Almost of all of them lived near Taylor St, exceot for Lombardo, who was stated as living in Cicero. Several of the men held City jobs, including our old friend Virgil Cimmino. Cimmino was later Frank Calabrese, Sr's father-in-law, but otherwise, he's known as a longtime Outfit associate and straight-out-of-central-casting Streets and San worker. Now, perhaps more relevant to our topic here, Cimmino was also one of the associates of Chris Cardi who was busted with Cardi (along with the Carioscia brothers) for his role in a major heroin distribution ring with connections to multiple other cities/states (this has been discussed elsewhere, of course).

While in 1960, Frank Lombardo was living with his mother at Wabansia and Keating in West Humboldt Park, his family was closely tied to Cicero. In fact, his sister Carmela Lo Cascio, nee Lombardo, opened Al's Restaurant and Pizzeria in Cicero in 1961 with her husband Domenico Lo Cascio, who I believe was also from Altavilla Milicia and seems to have had his own links to the mafia. As luck would have it, I just recently wrote about them on this thread:

1985 Sun-Times article reporting that Cicero pizzeria owner Domenico Lo Cascio had been kidnapped and disappeared in Sicily in 1983:



Al's Restaurant and Pizzeria, aka Alessandro's (named after Domenico's son Alessandro), opened on Cermak Rd in the magic year of 1961. Not entirely sure if Domenico Lo Cascio actually ever turned up alive or not. In the '90s. when Al's was reported to be associated with Outfit-linked corrupt Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese (and, naturally, receiving parking exemptions from the Town as "members of the clergy"), the Tribune cited the operator as a Dominick LoCascio, though I think that was Domenico's grandson, Alessandro's son, and the current owner of the Al's location in Palos Heights. Given that other evidence points to the later owners of Al's in Cicero as Alessandro LoCascio and his mother Carmela Lombardo (died in 2008), Domenico's wife, I'm thinking that Domenico may have been murdered while back in Sicily. There were a number of Lo Cascios in Chicago from Altavilla Milicia, so these Lo Cascios could be from there as well.

Just to point out a few tentative connections. Sal Catalano is from Ciminna (where he lives now after being deported from Italy), which, like Altavilla, has longstanding and close immigration ties to Chicago. It's unsurprising, then, that Catalano's heroin distribution operation would be closely linked to Chicago. There have been a bunch of Catalanos from Ciminna in Chicago (we've previously discussed Nicola Gentile's friend Domenico Catalano, who was a Chicago member from Ciminna), including a number arriving in the 1960s and 70s, so it's possible that Catalano could've had relatives arriving there during this general time period. Several years after the time period of the Ronsisvalle testimony, Catalano was working with mafiosi in Bagheria, another town with strong immigration ties to Chicago, during the Pizza Connection stuff. Of course, that was closely linked to Badalamenti, who had operations in Northern IL; though we don't know if those had any links to Chicago, Chicago has been a major hub for Cinisesi immigration in the US. It may be a complete coincidence, or not, that Frank Lombardo's Mama Luna's location on Addison is directly across the street from the Societá Santa Fara di Cinisi.

Great info Tony. Do you think these zips were connected to the Outfit? Interesting that they were working with NYC to move drugs through Chicago.

Another interesting coincidence, Mama Luna’s on Fullerton was the murder site of bookie Anthony Retinger, who was allegedly murdered by Harry Aleman there. The site on Addison opened up probably about 5 or 6 years ago. There are about 5 Italian clubs with 3 or 4 blocks of that location.

[B.]

Great info on Lombardo. Looks to me like you found the guy.

I believe Sal Catalano's father was named Pietro, as that's what Sal's nephews were named, be interesting if he could be connected to Domenico of Chicago. Don't know the name of his uncle, whose sons were Sal's cousins Salvatore "Sasha" and Onofrio. Both the cousins were made in Ciminna and Onofrio became boss for a time. I think Sal also married into another branch of Catalanos and went back to Sicily for the marriage.

By the way, Ronsisvalle wasn't made so he wouldn't have been formally introduced to anyone. I think he said he was under consideration to get proposed in the Bonannos.

[PolackTony]

Great info on Lombardo. Looks to me like you found the guy.

I believe Sal Catalano's father was named Pietro, as that's what Sal's nephews were named, be interesting if he could be connected to Domenico of Chicago. Don't know the name of his uncle, whose sons were Sal's cousins Salvatore "Sasha" and Onofrio. Both the cousins were made in Ciminna and Onofrio became boss for a time. I think Sal also married into another branch of Catalanos and went back to Sicily for the marriage.

By the way, Ronsisvalle wasn't made so he wouldn't have been formally introduced to anyone. I think he said he was under consideration to get proposed in the Bonannos.

Thanks, man. Thanks also for confirming that Ronsisvalle wasn’t a man of honor. I had thought he was made, but I know that not all of the guys in this Knickerbocker Ave zip group were. I believe that you said that Felice Puma, who seems to have probably been from CDG, wasn’t made either?

I’ll keep looking into the Ciminnesi Catalanos in Chicago and see if any of the names connect with Sal Catalano’s relatives. Any info on these other guys that Ronsisvalle mentioned as involved in the Chicago operation? I’ve seen their names in stuff around Ronsisvalle and Catalano. Vincenzo “Enzo” Napoli was from Villabate, and seems to have been a made guy formally with the Gambinos; if he was made, do you know if he was made in Villabate and then transferred to the Gambinos, or made by the Gambinos? Given that he was alleged to have travelled to Chicago to whack Ronsisvalle, one would assume that Napoli had his own contacts there. In “The Octopus”, Claire Sterling stated that Napoli had “operations” in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit, among other locales, so that aligns with Ronsisvalle’s account. As noted above, Frank Rappa from Borgetto seems to have been a guy with links to both Chicago and the Gambino zip group.

I’m not sure who the Giuseppe Mirabile that Ronsisvalle says met him in Chicago and introduced him there to Frank Lombardo and “Appuzzo” was. Any ideas? Same with the Mario Maimone who Ronsisvalle says travelled to Chicago on a later visit and introduced Ronsisvalle to “Carlo”. I note that the Maimone surname is concentrated in Eastern Sicily and that there was a Maimone listed in a bust of the Santapaola family in Catania. As Ronsisvalle was from Catania, not sure if this guy was his paesan’.

[B.]

Enzo Napoli was made into the Luccheses in the 1990s. His brother Antonino was most likely made in Villabate then transferred to the Gambinos, then the other brother Gaetano was made into the Gambinos.

There was a Giuseppe Mirabile who was part of the mafia in Catania, became a high-ranking member of the Santapaola Family. Could be him if he spent time in the US, though the Mirabile name also shows up in the Bonanno Family and Toto Mirabile was at the Bono wedding with Bonventre and Amato. There's a guy ID'd as Gioacchino Mirabile at the table too but it's not Toto's son Gioacchino "John/Jack" so not sure who it is.

[PolackTony]

Enzo Napoli was made into the Luccheses in the 1990s. His brother Antonino was most likely made in Villabate then transferred to the Gambinos, then the other brother Gaetano was made into the Gambinos.

There was a Giuseppe Mirabile who was part of the mafia in Catania, became a high-ranking member of the Santapaola Family. Could be him if he spent time in the US, though the Mirabile name also shows up in the Bonanno Family and Toto Mirabile was at the Bono wedding with Bonventre and Amato. There's a guy ID'd as Gioacchino Mirabile at the table too but it's not Toto's son Gioacchino "John/Jack" so not sure who it is.

Thanks for clearing up Enzo Napoli's status at this time. Claire Sterling had all three Napoli bros as "members of the Gambino family", but I doubt she was using "member" in the formal sense. I wonder if Enzo Napoli’s ties to Chicago came via Gambino family links, general Sicilian-network stuff, or if he had specific paesani ties there. Chicago member Joe Priola from Villabate died in the 60s, but his son Phil Priola was still a Rockford member. As we discovered recently, Profaci cousin and member Nello Cammarata seems to have maintained an address and close ties to Chicago for several decades as well (though he, of course, was whacked in 1972).

Given that this guy Mario Maimone could have also been Catanese, would make sense that Mirabile may have been from there as well. From Ronsisvalle's account, we can infer that both of these guys had prior connections in Chicago.


On the subject of who the "Carlo" that Maimone introduced Ronsisvalle to in Chicago, I'm now wondering if it could've been Carlo Fucarino. His name came up earlier in this thread, as he was one of the guys busted in the 90s gambling raids on Sicilian and Bares' social clubs in the Western burbs. I had speculated that he was likely Corleonese. While it turns out that there is a whole bunch of Fucarinos direct from Corleone in Chicago (They have close ties to a large group of other Corleonese immigrants in Chicago, including Riinas and Nicolosis, as well as marriage and social ties to Catalanos and Lombardos, who seem to be from somewhere in Palermo province. Their social media networks, while mostly comprising Corleonesi resident in Italy and Chicago, also have a number of people specifically from Altavilla Milicia), it looks like he was actually from Bagheria. I had thought that Carlo Fucarino was still alive, as there are property records with his name on them, but it seems that he died in 2009 in Addison (where Carlo Fucarino's Cafe Roma was located before it got shut down in the gambling busts). Calogero "Carlo" Fucarino was born in 1935 in Bagheria; he and his wife Carmela Gagliano, also of Bagheria, emigrated to Chicago in 1967, where Carlo was naturalized in 1976. While we don't have a last name for Ronsisvalle's contact Carlo, I think this could be a strong bet, as Carlo Fucarino was clearly connected to Italian OC in Chicago. When Fucarino arrived in Chicago in 1967, Outfit member "Little Joe" Aiello was President of the Società San Giuseppe di Bagheria, so it would be very interesting if the Chicago Bagheresi community retained mafia ties back to Bagheria.

[B.]

It can't be the same Giuseppe Mirabile actually, as he is only around 55-years-old today and was made into the Santapaola Family in 2004. He also flipped a while back and is now a pentito. Ronsisvalle's associate could be another Giuseppe Mirabile from Catania though, as it at least tells us the name is connected to the mafia there.

[B.]

Has Domenico Catalano come up aside from Gentile IDing him as a Chicago member? Guessing he's the one born in Ciminna in 1887 who died in 1968. He lived on the Northside so likely an obscure member under Prio. That civilian interviewed by the FBI said when he and his mother arrived in the US from Ciminna they were greeted by Ross Prio who they didn't know previously but he approached them because they came from his hometown.

Ciminna Family member Salvatore "Sasha" Catalano was in the US by 1963, when Buscetta said Catalano brought him money on behalf of Carlo Gambino. Would be interested in knowing Sasha Catalano's range of contacts in the US during the 2+ decades he was in the US, as it's easy to overlook him. Hasn't been explained why his cousin Sal Catalano ended up with the Bonannos while Sasha was associated with the Gambinos. Sal Catalano fell in with Pietro Licata it's just not known how/when. Sal was in the US since the 1960s, but seems Sasha was here earlier and had direct access to Carlo Gambino.

A mafia clan like the Catalanos likely at least heard of their important paesans in Chicago. Seems Sal Catalano would have explored the possibility of Chicago given the size and scope of the heroin network he was supervising. Ronsisvalle's info indicates they had something going on there, same with Alfano's role in Illinois as liaison between NYC and Badalamenti. Alfano was flying in and out of Chicago.

[cobra]

Great info on Lombardo. Looks to me like you found the guy.

I believe Sal Catalano's father was named Pietro, as that's what Sal's nephews were named, be interesting if he could be connected to Domenico of Chicago. Don't know the name of his uncle, whose sons were Sal's cousins Salvatore "Sasha" and Onofrio. Both the cousins were made in Ciminna and Onofrio became boss for a time. I think Sal also married into another branch of Catalanos and went back to Sicily for the marriage.

By the way, Ronsisvalle wasn't made so he wouldn't have been formally introduced to anyone. I think he said he was under consideration to get proposed in the Bonannos.

-catalano salvatore b. 1941/2/24 son of pietro (bonanno family)
-catalano salvatore b. 1933/8/23 d. 1983/11/29 son of antonino and rosa la porta (ciminna family)

[PolackTony]

Has Domenico Catalano come up aside from Gentile IDing him as a Chicago member? Guessing he's the one born in Ciminna in 1887 who died in 1968. He lived on the Northside so likely an obscure member under Prio. That civilian interviewed by the FBI said when he and his mother arrived in the US from Ciminna they were greeted by Ross Prio who they didn't know previously but he approached them because they came from his hometown.

Ciminna Family member Salvatore "Sasha" Catalano was in the US by 1963, when Buscetta said Catalano brought him money on behalf of Carlo Gambino. Would be interested in knowing Sasha Catalano's range of contacts in the US during the 2+ decades he was in the US, as it's easy to overlook him. Hasn't been explained why his cousin Sal Catalano ended up with the Bonannos while Sasha was associated with the Gambinos. Sal Catalano fell in with Pietro Licata it's just not known how/when. Sal was in the US since the 1960s, but seems Sasha was here earlier and had direct access to Carlo Gambino.

A mafia clan like the Catalanos likely at least heard of their important paesans in Chicago. Seems Sal Catalano would have explored the possibility of Chicago given the size and scope of the heroin network he was supervising. Ronsisvalle's info indicates they had something going on there, same with Alfano's role in Illinois as liaison between NYC and Badalamenti. Alfano was flying in and out of Chicago.

Whether or not they had direct personal ties, hard to believe that either Salvatore Catalano wouldn't have been at least aware that they had a paesan' who was a powerful capodecina in a major US family with a Commission seat when they arrived in the country. It's something that really merits more consideration, as the fact that these guys were Ciminnesi makes the connection to Chicago unsurprising.

Regarding Alfano, it wasn't just that O'Hare is in Chicago. Chicago, since the 60s, has been a major hub and center of immigration from Cinisi. Today one can see that the Alfano family is firmly ensconced in a dense network of Sicilian immigrant families, centered in Chicago and Rockford, that spans the Northern IL/Southern WI region. The Società Santa Fara di Cinisi is headquartered in Chicago and seems to have been the pre-eminent social institution for Cinisesi immigrants in the US since the early 1980s. The Società was founded in Chicago in 1934, and subsequently opened chapters in Detroit (today located in Sterling Heights, MI) and NYC. Another chapter was opened in STL, at some point, it seems. There was an interview conducted with the Chicago President of the Società, Carlo Vaniglia, in Sicily in 2017 that sheds some light on the modern history of the Società. By the late 1960s, the Società had fallen into decline (presumably due to attrition of the original wave of Cinisi-born members and devotees of Santa Fara), with the last Mass for Santa Fara held in 1969. Then, in 1980, following a wave of new immigration from Cinisi beginning in the 60s, the Società was refounded and moved to its current location on W Addison Ave ("Via Cinisi"), by President Paolo Butera, Sr (scion of the Butera family that still controls numerous grocery stores in Chicago, as well as towns along the IL/WI border). Since then, the Società has remained highly active, with regular visits of Cinisesi politicians and other dignitaries during the annual Festa and Mass for Santa Fara in July. As of 2017, the officers of the Società, with President Vaniglia, were Vice President Paolo Palazzolo, Secretary Giuseppe Briguglio, Treasurer Benedetto Manzella, and Chairman Stefano Butera. Worth noting that Benedetto Manzella's social media network includes the immediate and extended family of Pietro Alfano (some of whom remained in Oregon, IL, while others live in Chicago).

[PolackTony]

To add to the subject of Carlo Vaniglia, the guy is a very colorful figure himself. He's actually not even from Cinisi; he's from Àlcamo and seems to hold down the fort for the Mass for Maria S.S. di Miracoli di Àlcamo, as well as supporting the functions of the Società S.S. Crocifisso di Ciminna and other major Sicilian societies in Chicago. He's currently trumpeting Frank Coconate's (who some forum members will fondly remember from Fosco's old ANP stuff) run for 9th district Cook County Commissioner.

The two faces of Carlo Vaniglia, from his social media (the image on the right was captioned "How we take care of Malocchio", lol):

[B.]

Great info on Lombardo. Looks to me like you found the guy.

I believe Sal Catalano's father was named Pietro, as that's what Sal's nephews were named, be interesting if he could be connected to Domenico of Chicago. Don't know the name of his uncle, whose sons were Sal's cousins Salvatore "Sasha" and Onofrio. Both the cousins were made in Ciminna and Onofrio became boss for a time. I think Sal also married into another branch of Catalanos and went back to Sicily for the marriage.

By the way, Ronsisvalle wasn't made so he wouldn't have been formally introduced to anyone. I think he said he was under consideration to get proposed in the Bonannos.

-catalano salvatore b. 1941/2/24 son of pietro (bonanno family)
-catalano salvatore b. 1933/8/23 d. 1983/11/29 son of antonino and rosa la porta (ciminna family)

Thanks for the info.

Chicago member Domenico Catalano (b. 1887) was the son of an Antonino as well. Be interesting if we could connect these family trees. If I remember right, one of the Pizza Connection books says Sal Catalano's father-in-law was named Salvatore Catalano like him.

Were the drug trafficking LaPortas from Ciminna?

Another set of Catalanos were JC and Philip Catalano of Pittsburgh who were close to the boss Conti. Not sure where they came from but Domenico Catalano was peripherally connected to Pittsburgh at that time via Gentile and "Paolinello".

[PolackTony]

Great info on Lombardo. Looks to me like you found the guy.

I believe Sal Catalano's father was named Pietro, as that's what Sal's nephews were named, be interesting if he could be connected to Domenico of Chicago. Don't know the name of his uncle, whose sons were Sal's cousins Salvatore "Sasha" and Onofrio. Both the cousins were made in Ciminna and Onofrio became boss for a time. I think Sal also married into another branch of Catalanos and went back to Sicily for the marriage.

By the way, Ronsisvalle wasn't made so he wouldn't have been formally introduced to anyone. I think he said he was under consideration to get proposed in the Bonannos.

-catalano salvatore b. 1941/2/24 son of pietro (bonanno family)
-catalano salvatore b. 1933/8/23 d. 1983/11/29 son of antonino and rosa la porta (ciminna family)

Thanks for the info.

Chicago member Domenico Catalano (b. 1887) was the son of an Antonino as well. Be interesting if we could connect these family trees. If I remember right, one of the Pizza Connection books says Sal Catalano's father-in-law was named Salvatore Catalano like him.

Were the drug trafficking LaPortas from Ciminna?

Another set of Catalanos were JC and Philip Catalano of Pittsburgh who were close to the boss Conti. Not sure where they came from but Domenico Catalano was peripherally connected to Pittsburgh at that time via Gentile and "Paolinello".

Worth noting that a very prominent member of the Ciminna community in Chicago today is Antonino Catalano, who is an alderman in the suburban town of Wood Dale, IL (as a side note, this is the same town that property records show that Dom Cirillo of the Genovese family owned a house in back around 2000). Antonino is an active member also of the Società S.S. Crocifesso di Ciminna, which includes other Catalanos, as well as prominent Ciminnesi families in Chicago such as the Faracis and the Gambino-Ingraffias (e.g., Domenico Gambino of the Tony's Fresh Market grocery chain). Unsurprisingly, there are also a bunch of Priolos from Ciminna in this network in Chicago. Interesting to note that there are also recent Napoli immigrants from Ciminna in Chicago, who have Napoli relatives in Bagheria (who also connect to people in Chicago), which makes me wonder if the Napoli brothers from Villabate could've had relatives in both of those comuni.

Domenico Gambino is a very interesting figure, as he is one of the prime examples (alongside the Buteras, Salamones, etc) of these prominent, successful Sicilian immigrant grocery-chain owners in Chicago. His network includes hundreds of people from not just Chicago and Ciminna, but all over Palermo province. On the Chicago side of things, he connects to the Lo Bues (and apparently to their relatives back in Trabia also) as well as Tony Spavone (the son and nephew of Camorristi from Naples), the Grecos (who are closely partnered with the Lo Bues), and, of course, the Nittis. The Nittis connect to many of these Sicilian immigrant figures. Even when almost all of their network is composed of fellow Sicilians, a bunch of them are still "friends" with the Nittis (in the case of the Giuseppe Briguglio who is an officer in the Cinisi society today, he's even friends with apparent Nitti relatives back in Bari). As the Lo Bues and Jason Nitti have been identified as alleged made members in Chicago, these are important links to note. We've already seen evidence pointing to Nick Nitti having been involved in booking arrangments in Vegas surrounding the Salvo Lima US delegation group in the 60s, so the Nitti family conceivably could have had links to people in Sicily via the travel agency for decades.