Don Totò: Chicago rappresentante Salvatore LoVerde

[PolackTony]

John Kobler, mentions an Agostino Loverdo, once!
I have never come across him anywhere else!
Now I know why!
A very useful piece of the jigsaw, that helps make more sense of the bigger picture!

In what context does Kobler mention Angelo LoVerde?

Worth noting that there were multiple LoVerdes connected to the mafia in Chicago -- some others were from Altavilla Milicia (Giuseppe LoVerde, killed in 1910) and Piana dei Greci (later Northside member Frank "Butch" Loverde), and had no apparent connection to Salvatore LoVerde.

[Boatdrinks]

Kobler, p.216
"Aiello's Capone-supported successor, a macaroni manufacturer named Agostino Loverdo, also reigned for a year before he was killed in a Cicero dive."

[PolackTony]

Kobler, p.216
"Aiello's Capone-supported successor, a macaroni manufacturer named Agostino Loverdo, also reigned for a year before he was killed in a Cicero dive."

Ah ok. Yes, so he clearly was referring to Salvatore LoVerde. LoVerde was reported as a former salesman for Roma Macaroni (the company was owned by the Prestigiacomo family from Bagheria) at the time of his death. I haven't read Kobler, so I'd wonder what he meant by Aiello's "successor", as I'm not aware of any evidence that Aiello was ever officially installed as rappresentante of Chicago -- Gentile described him as Lombardo's sotto capo in 1928, and so far as I can tell based on what we know, Pasquale LoLordo succeeded Lombardo as boss. LoVerde probably succeeded LoLordo (there was Giunta apparently in the interim, though he only survived LoLordo by a matter of months, and thus I don't believe that he was likely to have been installed as an official rappresentante). Having said that, it's hard to say when exactly LoVerde would've been recognized as official boss. The Chicago Family was in a state of crisis, with the last two bosses slain and a war for control of the Family mounted by Aiello. For this reason, they may not have been able to ratify an official boss, at least until Aiello's claims were a dead letter, presumably sometime in 1930 when (per Joe Bonanno, Aiello had been forced to flee Chicago and seek refuge under Maggadino's protection in Buffalo.

[Boatdrinks]

John Kobler, pages 150-153 and 214-216, briefly sets out a history of the Unione Siciliane, from 1921-1931. It is a history of struggle for the control of the Unione, and the succession of different presidents. Kobler seems to think the Unione is important. So do I. Though I do not agree with everything that Kobler says about the order of succession, nor the affiliations of the different presidents.
If we think of the Colosimo/Torrio/Capone group, and the Genna/Giunta/Lolordo group, as being two different competing groups, then that would make the Gentile description of an American and a Sicilian faction make more sense.
The Chicago scene, is a very complex and confused one. It may be more complex than we have previously thought.
If we look at Chicago from a different angle, a different picture may emerge, that will completely change the presently accepted orthodoxy. Or perhaps, the truth may never be revealed!

[PolackTony]

John Kobler, pages 150-153 and 214-216, briefly sets out a history of the Unione Siciliane, from 1921-1931. It is a history of struggle for the control of the Unione, and the succession of different presidents. Kobler seems to think the Unione is important. So do I. Though I do not agree with everything that Kobler says about the order of succession, nor the affiliations of the different presidents.
If we think of the Colosimo/Torrio/Capone group, and the Genna/Giunta/Lolordo group, as being two different competing groups, then that would make the Gentile description of an American and a Sicilian faction make more sense.
The Chicago scene, is a very complex and confused one. It may be more complex than we have previously thought.
If we look at Chicago from a different angle, a different picture may emerge, that will completely change the presently accepted orthodoxy. Or perhaps, the truth may never be revealed!

Yes, the Unione Siciliana/IANU was a very important institution in Chicago and was a major system of leverage and social influence that the mafia dominated and exploited for years. Supreme President of the “Unione”, was not, however, the same thing as rappresentante of the Chicago Family, though several bosses, as well as inducted members, did hold that position. I’d need to read Kobler’s account, of course, but suffice to say for now that there have been lots of wrongheaded accounts of the Chicago mafia over the years. If Kobler had LoVerde as the President of the IANU (the “Unione”), then he was incorrect. Constantino Vitello, a jeweler from Grotte, Agrigento, was IANU President in 1931. When he died in September of that year, it seems that he was replaced by Joseph Imburgio Bulger (mafia member and later IANU President for a second time) and then in 1934 Phil D’Andrea (mafia member) took over from Bulger. We know from Nick Gentile, however, that LoVerde was rappresentante of the Chicago Family from, presumably, sometime in 1930 through Capone’s succession in May of 1931.

Don’t know how long you’ve been on this forum, but we’ve discussed, at great length and detail, the themes that you raise here.

[PolackTony]

On the subject of Constantino Vitello, who was IANU Supreme President. He was also a witness to Tony Lombardo's 1926 naturalization. The other witness was Vincenzo "Vincent Ernest" Ferrara, a banker from Castelbunoi, Palermo, who over the following decades held the positions of Supreme President (late 1930s) and Secretary-Treasurer of the IANU.

[PolackTony]

On the subject of Constantino Vitello, who was IANU Supreme President. He was also a witness to Tony Lombardo's 1926 naturalization. The other witness was Vincenzo "Vincent Ernest" Ferrara, a banker from Castelbunoi, Palermo, who over the following decades held the positions of Supreme President (late 1930s) and Secretary-Treasurer of the IANU.

To continue with the theme of Constantino Vitello. Family trees have his parents as Gaetano Vitello and Filomena Tirone. That this genealogy is correct is strongly supported by the fact that Constantino's eldest son and daughter were named, respectively, Gaetano and Filomena. Constantino arrived in Chicago in 1907 and was naturalized there in 1916 (one of his witnesses was a Ferrara). His wife was Angelina Licata of Racalmuto, which is practically a frazione of Grotte. Grotte borders, on one side, Aragona, with obvious connections to the Rockford mafia, and then on the other side, Canicatti, which we have already seen was strongly connected to LoVerde in the major 1930 bootlegging operation that included the Argentos and Carlisis. As we've seen previously, LoVerde, Nicola Diana, Cipriano Argento, and the Carlisis were all residing in Cicero in 1930. So was Constantino Vitello (on S 58th Ct). Prior to this, Vitello had lived on the Northside of the City; interesting that a number of Sicilians from the Northside all seemed to have relocated to Cicero (which was Capone Ground Zero and also home to numerous alcohol stills) around 1930. Indeed, one of the co-conspirators busted in that big 1930 case was named in the papers as a Josaliscento [sic] Vitello.

In 1927 and 1928, Vitello was named in the papers as the Vice President of the IANU under then-Supreme President, former judge and famed attorney Bernard P "Barney" Barasa (Vincent E Ferrara was Treasurer). In 1926, the Chicago Daily News published an expose piece on a huge fundraising banquet that the Genna brothers held in 1924 for the re-election of Cook County States Attorney Robert Crowe (a close ally of flamboyantly corrupt Chicago Mayor Big Bill Thompson). With Tony Genna responsible for promoting the event and selling tickets, master of ceremonies Jim Genna presided with Crowe as guest of honor. The News reported that numerous important public officials and members of LE attended and partied with mafiosi incuding the Genna brothers, Diamond Joe Esposito, Genna in-law Henry Spingola, and Giovanni Scalise. Also present at the speakers' table with the Gennas and Esposito were Barney Barasa and "Carmen Vitello". As there seem to be no records that would match a Carmine/Carmen Vitello, this was clearly Constantino Vitello (see below).

In 1927, Constantino and his son, Gaetano "Thomas" Vitello", then 18-years-old, were involved in a shootout with undercover detectives in front of Constantino's jewelry store on Oak St in Little Sicily. Thomas Vitello, who was shot six times by the cops but survived, claimed that he opened fire on the detectives because he had thought they were robbers. Constantino fled the scene and was subsequently apprehended and questioned but apparently not charged with a crime.

By May of 1928, Vitello seems to have been President of the IANU, when he was named as such in a Rockford article noting the recent engagment party for Angelina Sciortino of Rockford and Michele Butera (President of the Italian Legion and civil engineer for the Chicago sanitary district). In attendance were "a distinguished assemblage of Italian-American dignitaries from Chicago". Specifcally named as the most dignified, along with Vitello, were soon-to-be Chicago rappresentante Pasqualino LoLordo (President of the Italian-American Citizens Club; this was LoLordo's social club on North Ave mentioned above; later President was Vincenzo D'Angelo, brutally murdered in 1945) and Cavaliero Giuseppe Rospi (publisher of the Progresso-Italiano newspaper in Chicago).

By September of 1928, Constantino Vitello had upgraded the digs for his jewelry business and was located at Dearborn and Madison in the Loop; the location was next door to the headquarters of the IANU. The News reported that Tony Lombardo had been visiting C. Vitello & Co. on Dearborn when he was assassinated by gunmen after leaving the business.

Now, if you think Lombardo and LoLordo were a big deal, in September of 1930, (now-Cavaliero) Constantino Vitello traveled to Rome with a contingent of other Ital-American dignitaries for an event with Mussolini. There, Vitello presented Il Duce with a banner from the IANU. Now that's big time, baby.

That Constantino Vitello was more directly connected to the mafia is supported beyond the above and the fact that he witnessed then rappresentante Antonino Lombardo's naturalization in 1926. Also in 1926, Cook County LE discovered a massive clandestine alcohol "factory" in suburban Arlington Heights. Afer engaging in a shootout with the occupants, LE than set up a stake out to see who else would show up. The first arrested were a Tom Vitello and his uncle, Sam Vitello, who were making a large yeast delivery. Based on the ages (20 and 43), these would be Gaetano "Tom" Vitello and Settimo "Sam" Vitello. Settimo Vitello was born in 1883 in Gortte to Gaetano Vitello and Filomena Tirone. He was thus clearly Constantino Vitello's brother. Gaetano "Tom" Vitello Jr was born in 1906 in Grotte to Gaetano "Thomas" Vitello Sr and Filomena Vella. Father Thomas Vitello Sr was in turn the son of Gaetano Vitello and Filomena Tirone, and thus Tom Vitello Jr was the nephew of Settimo and Constantino Vitello. Thomas Vitello Sr and family arrived from Sicily to Halifax in 1924 and then entered the US at Niagara and settled in Chicago.

In the 1940s, Tom Vitello Jr lived with his uncle Settimo Vitello on the Near Northside at 1132 N Franklin. Interestingly, Settimo stated that he was employed by the Colorado Cheese, Co./Diniosio Cheese. This seems to be a very significant fact. Colorado Cheese was reportedly a partnership founded in Trinidad, CO, by Pueblo Family boss Rosario Dionisio, Vincenzo Colletti (Bonanno member who transferred to Pueblo; present at the '57 Apalachin meeting) -- who both held the office of rappresentante for the Pueblo Family at different times -- and Joe Bonanno. Like the Vitellos, the Dionisios and Collettis were Agrigentini, from Lucca Sicula. We also know that Bonanno figured in some capacity in Chicago-related cheesy machinations in the '40s with the whole Grande Cheese saga.

In 1944, Tom Vitello Jr was busted for operating an illegal alcohol ring and a still in Kenosha, WI, with three local men and two other Chicagoans (one of the Chicagoans was a Michael Vella, presumably a relative of Tom Vitello's mother, Filomena Vella). Recall that in 1930, a Vitello was busted in the Chicago-Cicero-Racine, WI, ring with LoVerde et al. In 1945, Floringo "Floyd" Ventura, one of the Kenosha-based conspirators (along with his brother Emanuelle "Nello' Ventura; their family was from Ascoli Piceno, Marche), was found murdered in North suburban Antioch in Lake County, IL, with 4 bullets to the head. Tom Vitello (same guy as above, address given as 1332 N Franklin) was identified as a suspect in the homicide as he had reportedly phoned Ventura at his Kenosha tavern shortly before the latter was found dead over the state line (looks like these men had also previously been pinched in Kenosha for an untaxed alcohol case in 1942 with Vitello and Vella). Given that no further info appears in the papers, it would seem that Vitello was never charged with anything in relation to the murder.


Photo (poor quality) published in the Daily News in 1926 of the speakers' table at the Genna-held fundraising banquet honoring Cook County States Attorney Robert Crowe in October 1924 in Chicago ("Carmen Vitello", seated next to master of ceremonies Vincenzo "Jim" Genna and Barney Barasa, is almost certainly Constantino Vitello):

[PolackTony]

As another note on Constantino Vitello, he was also a pallbearer, along with Joe Esposito, for Tony D'Andrea in 1921.

[PolackTony]

To further continue the discussion of Constantino Vitello. As noted above, Vitello was part of the Genna-sponsored banquet to re-elect Cook County States Attorney Robert Crowe in 1924. In 1920, the Tribune announced an “Italian Club” had formed for the initial election of Crowe. The club’s members included top dignataries in the Italian/Sicilian community, including names associated with founding of the Unione Siciliana/IANU in the 1890s and the White Hand Society in the 1900s. Constantino Vitello and Vincent Ferrara were named. Notably, so were Antonino SanFilippo, then Chicago Heights Alderman and rappresentante of the Chicago Heights Family, and Filippo Piazza, who would succeed SanFilippo as boss.

Also named was businessman Arturo Ansani, who was the father of later (presumed) Chicago member Robert “Bobby Taylor” Ansani, a close partner of Joey Aiuppa and Claude Maddox/Johnny Moore. Given that Ansani’s parents were Toscani, his connections to the mafia aren’t obvious, but here we see his father rubbing elbows with upper-echelon mafiosi. One would wonder if the Ansanis were also connected to the Toscano social club where LoVerde was murdered.

Another name in this pro-Crowe “club” was Stefano “Stephen” Malato, a longtime and highly prominent Chicago attorney and politician from Tèrmini Imerese. Malato hasn’t really gotten his due inspection to date, but he was almost certainly closely connected to the mafia if not a member himself. Malato, said to have a university degree in linguistics from Italy (Tony D’Andrea was a prominent language teacher in Chicago), was involved in Chicago politics as early as 1893, when he became IL State Rep. in 1911, he became Assistant Cook County States Attorney; he had also been the attorney for and a founder of the White Hand Society, organized by prominent Italians to combat “black hand” extortionists (but very likely controlled by the mafia itself, which I suspect may have weaponized the organization to control independent extortionists). In 1914, there was a scandal where Malato was accused of improper conduct for allegedly roughing up witnesses in a case to secure the acquittal of a Pietro Saitta (likely from Piana dei Greci) on a murder charge. It seems that Malato then left the SA’s office and became Alderman for the 17th Ward (Grand Ave). In 1900, Malato lived by the intersection of Grand, Halsted, and Milwaukee (the photo in my avatar, BTW). That same year, Giuseppe Morici, who may have been an early leader of the Chicago mafia, was based at the same intersection at a tavern owned by him and his brothers; the Moricis were also from Tèrmini. Early Chicago mafioso Pasquale “Charles Calta” Caltabellota, of neighboring Trabìa, was based there as well, operating a barber shop on Grand Ave; Caltabellota was a close associate of Tony D’Andrea. Malato went on to marry a Prignano woman from Ricigliano, Salerno, who was a relative of notoriously mobbed-up politician Daniel Serritella. With Malatao, we’re likely seeing one of the primary actors involved in the interpenetration of mafia power with official politics in Chicago. It should be clear that this process was already underway very early on. One imagines that a guy like Malato was quite familiar with the figure of Raffaele Palizzolo, a notorious mafioso-politician in the late 19th century from Malato’s hometown of Tèrmini Imerese. Transplanting the mafia from Tèrmini, where mafia involvement with political patronage networks was already developed and sophisticated, to a floridly corrupt city like Chicago had predictable results, as we know well from the following decades.

[PolackTony]

Continuing the theme of the Unione/IANU.

Well before being renamed IANU in 1925, the Unione Siciliana already had come to encompass a number of very influential mainlanders, under the aegis of mafia influence in what had by then emerged as the key Italian social institution in Chicago.

Interesting to look at how the Unione was covered in the Italian language press nationwide, as an illustrious symbol of Italian patriotism in the US. In 1919, a Philly Italian paper covered a Unione banquet honoring members who had recently been knighted as Cavalieri of the Italian Crown: Judge Barney Barasa (later Supreme President of the Unione/IANU; Toscano-American), Stefano Malato, and Pietro Russo. Russo was an influential owner-executive of a wholesale produce company; like Malato, Russo was from Tèrmini Imerese. Russo’s wife, Teresa Formusa, may have been a sister of fellow Termitano produce magnate Vincenzo Formusa, and thus possibly a relative of later (presumed) capodecina Johnny Formusa. The banquet was presided over by then-Supreme President and Chicago rappresentante Tony D’Andrea; the keynote speaker was his brother “Rev. Don Orazio D’Andrea”. Another speaker was Judge Robert Crowe, soon to be Cook County States Attorney.

Also in 1919, a SF Italian paper lauded the Unione for its strength and patriotism, including its “intelligent” President D’Andrea, and noted that D’Andrea’s inner-circle included, along with Russo, Barasa, and Malato, the physician Dr Gaetano Ronga. Ronga, who immigrated to Chicago from Nola, Napoli, and married Teresa Marzano of Ricigliano, Salerno, is better-known as the father-in-law of Frank Nitto. Also named in this elite group were Dr Salvatore Monaco (a physician from Rende, Cosenza, Calabria; an area where many later Chicago members have had ancestry), attorney Giovanni DeGrazia (from Trivigno, Potenza, Basilicata; very likely a relative of presumed Melrose Park capodecina Rocco DeGrazia), attorney Vito Bianco Cuttone (from Partanna, Trapani), and Giovanni Battista Fontana (of Acquaviva Platani, Agrigento, a commune which retains very strong ties to Chicago today). The ancestry of the individuals essentially broadly reflects the origins of later Chicago mafia members (with the exception of the Baresi, many of whom arrived a bit later and thus likely took longer to become reflected in the institutional structures of the Italian community).

[Antiliar]

You're on a roll, bro! Great coverage of early Chicago. Another important figure in that era was Rocco DeStefano, an attorney who represented Jim Colosimo and who came from Laurenzana. The DeStefanos lived at 416 S. Clark Street, which had its own Italian colony. Interestingly, at Colosimo's funeral in 1920 there were delegations from the Union of Sicilian Sons and the Trinacro de Union (could be Unione Trinacria). The largest flower display came from the Unione Siciliana, along with roses personally sent by Tony D'Andrea and Mike Merlo. Jim Colosimo was very close to the Chicago Mafia.

[PolackTony]

You're on a roll, bro! Great coverage of early Chicago. Another important figure in that era was Rocco DeStefano, an attorney who represented Jim Colosimo and who came from Laurenzana. The DeStefanos lived at 416 S. Clark Street, which had its own Italian colony. Interestingly, at Colosimo's funeral in 1920 there were delegations from the Union of Sicilian Sons and the Trinacro de Union (could be Unione Trinacria). The largest flower display came from the Unione Siciliana, along with roses personally sent by Tony D'Andrea and Mike Merlo. Jim Colosimo was very close to the Chicago Mafia.

Yes, thanks for the reminder about DeStefano. Laurenzana is of course another commune with later representation in Chicago’s membership. That early colony on S Clark is what developed into the Taylor St Patch when it expanded westward into what had been Irish neighborhoods like the old Valley. The earliest Italians that settled there were Potentini, Salernitani, Calabresi, and Siciliani, already laying the groundwork for paesani from those groups to begin building a distinctive community together.

The Società Trinacria Fratellanza Siciliana was founded a few years before the Unione Siciliana in the 1890s, and was unsurprisingly led primarily by men from Tèrmini Imerese. Its founding President was Vincenzo Formusa, mentioned above (he also apparently founded the tradition of Chicago-style giardiniera, hence his name being on my jar of Marconi giardiniera). Early on it counted several hundred members; seems that by the 1920s it was basically subsumed into the Unione. Same, apparently, with the Società Imera Croce Bianca, a Termitano society that also had a chapter in Baltimore that went bankrupt (Imera was the ancient name for what became Tèrmini, hence “Imerese”).

EDIT:

In 1918, the International Insurance Co announced that it had terminated $1 million in policies contracted from the Trinacria Fratellanza Siciliana. The company had hired the Pinkertons to investigate, and had reached the conclusion that the Trinacria was attempting to systematically defraud them in a huge scam. The Pinkertons had apparently uncovered evidence of all sorts of shady doings, including suspected murders of policy holders in Chicago to collect the payouts.

[PolackTony]

Note to the above, where I mentioned Giovanni DeGrazia as being in the leadership circle of the Unione Siciliana under D’Andrea. I believe that he may have been a maternal uncle of the Stacey (Stassi) brothers of Melrose Park, who I believe were in turn cousins of Rocky DeGrazia.

[PolackTony]

You're on a roll, bro! Great coverage of early Chicago. Another important figure in that era was Rocco DeStefano, an attorney who represented Jim Colosimo and who came from Laurenzana. The DeStefanos lived at 416 S. Clark Street, which had its own Italian colony. Interestingly, at Colosimo's funeral in 1920 there were delegations from the Union of Sicilian Sons and the Trinacro de Union (could be Unione Trinacria). The largest flower display came from the Unione Siciliana, along with roses personally sent by Tony D'Andrea and Mike Merlo. Jim Colosimo was very close to the Chicago Mafia.

Yes, thanks for the reminder about DeStefano. Laurenzana is of course another commune with later representation in Chicago’s membership. That early colony on S Clark is what developed into the Taylor St Patch when it expanded westward into what had been Irish neighborhoods like the old Valley. The earliest Italians that settled there were Potentini, Salernitani, Calabresi, and Siciliani, already laying the groundwork for paesani from those groups to begin building a distinctive community together.

The Società Trinacria Fratellanza Siciliana was founded a few years before the Unione Siciliana in the 1890s, and was unsurprisingly led primarily by men from Tèrmini Imerese. Its founding President was Vincenzo Formusa, mentioned above (he also apparently founded the tradition of Chicago-style giardiniera, hence his name being on my jar of Marconi giardiniera). Early on it counted several hundred members; seems that by the 1920s it was basically subsumed into the Unione. Same, apparently, with the Società Imera Croce Bianca, a Termitano society that also had a chapter in Baltimore that went bankrupt (Imera was the ancient name for what became Tèrmini, hence “Imerese”).

EDIT:

In 1918, the International Insurance Co announced that it had terminated $1 million in policies contracted from the Trinacria Fratellanza Siciliana. The company had hired the Pinkertons to investigate, and had reached the conclusion that the Trinacria was attempting to systematically defraud them in a huge scam. The Pinkertons had apparently uncovered evidence of all sorts of shady doings, including suspected murders of policy holders in Chicago to collect the payouts.

In 1912, the tribune announced a banquet held in honor of the Consiglio Supremo della Società Trinacria Fratellanza Siciliana; the President of the Fratellanza was Tony D’Andrea. In 1916c the Tribune discussed D’Andrea’s prior legal troubles from his 1902 counterfeiting case, as this had come to light in the context of D’Andreas bid for 19th Ward Alderman. In 1902, D’Andrea had been convicted for his role in a Chicago counterfeiting ring with ties to Andrea Romano of Buffalo. D’Andrea was hauled to Buffalo to testify against Romano and refused; he was thus facing a deportation order back to Sicily. The Italian community of Chicago caused a clamor in defense of D’Andrea, which led to him receiving a presidential pardon from Teddy Roosevelt. At the time of the article in 1916, it was noted that D’Andrea was President of the Trinacria, President of the Hod Carriers Union, and President of the Italian Colonial Committee (which advocated for Italian colonization of Tripoli, Libya). It was also noted that D’Andrea’s lawyer was, naturally, Rocco DeStefano (the Laurenzana Society having also been named among the already existing Italian societies active in the early 1900s).

In 1907-1908, it was reported that the Mano Bianca/White Hand Society was founded via meetings held by the Unione Sicilian (stated to have 1400 members then) and the Trinacria (800 members). The Trinacria was stated to hold its meetings in the Masonic Temple Building in the Loop (the tallest building in Chicago until the 1920s). Among the most active leaders of the Mano Bianca were Stefano Malato (enemy of extortionists, friend of murders) and Giuseppe Mirabella, then named as President of the Unione Siciliana. Mirabella was, you guessed it, from Tèrmini Imerese, having arrived to Chicago in 1891.

When the Trinacria was founded in 1893, along with President Formusa, one of the principal members was Calogero Triolo, who seems to have been from Palermo and was settled in Chicago by 1875 at the latest. The Secretary was Giuseppe LaMantia, also a founding official of the Unione Siciliana, of Tèrmini. The Treasurer, Andrea Russo, was also. In exactly the kind of link we’d be interested in documenting, Andrea’s brother Giuseppe Russo, who emigrated to Cleveland in the 1890s, stated that while he was born in Tèrmini, his last residence before immigrating had been Corleone. Based on the info at hand, my belief has been that the mafia in Chicago was likely founded by men from Tèrmini/Trabìa and Corleone. We also know that going back to the 1830s in Sicily, Corleone and Tèrmini were specifically linked in a sheep rustling ring, suggesting that the mafia in both comuni was likely linked from its earliest conception (further underscored by the fact that as in Corleone, the mafia in 19th Century Bagheria and Altavilla Milicia, towns near Tèrmini that would also have major links to Chicago, was referred to as “Fratuzzi”). Trinacria Vice-President Giuseppe Zucchero and Marshall Paolo La Rocca were, of course, also from Tèrmini, again underscoring just how influential the Termitani were in laying the foundations for Chicago’s Italian institutions and community life.

Vote for D’Andrea (and nobody gets hurt), 1918:

[B.]

"But wait, there's more"

Great to see how deep this Chicago stuff goes.

Wondering if Mirabella was related to John Mirabella who attended the 1928 Statler meeting. Mirabella was probably the same old time member "Mr. Mirabella" who Bompensiero saw in St. Louis and Mirabella talked to Bomp about how they first met in Chicago in the early 1930s (he says 1928-1929 but context w/ the Ardizzone issue and Capone being boss would place it later).

Bomp was under the impression from what was said that Mirabella may have been with Chicago when Capone was boss: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... lPageId=15

Would make sense it's the same guy who attended 1928 Statler if he was involved with the peace meetings in Chicago. I believe John Mirabella bounced around the midwest and was mainly tied to STL and Detroit but he's an enigma.