Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[cavita]

Bridgeport thug Mario "Mariano" Dispensa was born in 1938 in Chicago to Vincenzo "James" Dispenza and Emanuella "Nellie" Gallo. James was born in Chicago to parents from Termini Imerese, while Nellie was born in Chicago to parents from Sambuca; both families settled near 24th and Wentworth in the Chinatown neighborhood, where Mario was raised. Outfit-connected burglar/hijacker Richie Mara testified that he grew up with Mario Disepnsa and Ronnie Jarrett and that "Mariano" (as he was called in the neighborhood, named after his maternal grandfather Mariano Gallo) was the guy who first introduced Mara to Frankie Calabrese, Sr ~1970. Mara testified that Dispensa, Jarrett, and fellow neighborhood tough-guy Ray Tuminello were working as collectors/agents for Calabrese's juice loan business at that time, which was formally under Angelo LaPietra, then a soldier in the Buccieri crew.

In 1932, a 23-year-old Mario Dispensa first appeared in the Trib when he was suspended from his job in Streets and San after being arrested with over a dozen other men at a floating dice game (this would've been one of Skid Caruso's games at the time) near Cermak and Wentworth. In 1964, Dispensa was pinched with Louie Stubitsch for a traffic violation in the Lakeview neighborhood on the Northside; subsequent investigation identified the two as suspects in a string of burglaries and armed robberies after police found the two in possession of burglary tools and a cache of firearms, among other evidence. Later in 1964, Dispensa (then living at 32nd and Lowe) was arrested along with Ronnie Jarrett and a group of other local men; a black family had attempted to move into a building at 33rd and Lowe, and the Bridgeport locals came out in force to demonstrate the tolerant and welcoming attitude for which they've long been renowned. A full-blown riot ensued, in which the crowd of locals clashed with at least 70 cops brought in to quell the violence; Jarrett was convicted for assaulting a police officer, while Dispensa was convicted for disturbing the peace. In 1970, Dispensa and Frankie Tenuta were acquitted after being pinched in '69 as part of a juice loan ring allegedly targeting newspaper truck drivers, run by Sam Gallo, then living in NW suburban Mount Prospect. Gallo was not related to Dispensa's mother, however, as he was from Taylor St with ancestry going back to Acerra, Napoli, and Campobasso; Gallo was apparently connected to Bridgeport, however, as one of his sisters married a Catizone guy.

In 1971, Mario Dispenza and brother-in-law Anthony Rocco ( ) died after they were severely burned when they torched a restaurant in SW suburban Oak Forest; the gasoline that the two were pouring was apparently ignited by the stove's pilot lights. The restaurant's owner, Bruno Bertucci (who admitted knowing Dispensa and Rocco) was investigated for hiring them to torch his restaurant. I believe that Bruno was the nephew of Marianna Bertucci, wife of Bruno Roti, and likely the same Bruno Bertucci who had been arrested with Jimmy LaPietra in 1952 on burglary charges (later dropped).

There are no records for a Richard Mara, and I'm pretty sure that Richie Mara was Croatian, with his actual surname being Marasovic or something similar. There was a Croatian family named Marasoivc/Marasovich who lived at 32nd and Princeton, and a 1970s hijacking case for a Richard J Mara/Richard J Marasovich.

Raymond Tuminello, who was later indicted along with "Richie Cat" Catizone in the major 1989 Angelini/Cortina/Spadavecchio gambling ring bust, was born in 1940 in Chicago to Francis "Frank" Tuminello (Tominello) and Josephine Taccetta (Taccetto). Frank's parents were from Nicosia, Enna, while Josephine's were from Villarosa and Calascibetta, Enna. The Tuminellos lived at 28th and Union in Bridgeport, where Ray was still living when he was arrested in 1989.

I've noted before that Johnny Apes Monteleone was born in 1924 in Sambuca, to Agostino "August" Monteleone (born in NOLA to parents from Sambuca) and Maria Sicolo, of Sambuca. Johnny Apes arrived in the US as an infant later in 1924 with his mother; they were bound for Hammond, IN, where Agostino was living at that time (worth noting that they arrived among a number of other passengers from Sambuca, Aragona, and Menfi, mainly bound for Chicago and NYC; among those from Sambuca was a Stefano Maggio bound for Chicago; the Maggios seem to have been connected to the mafia in Chicago). The Monteleones settled in Chinatown, first living at Wentworth and 25th Pl in 1930, and then at 24th and Princeton; in 1950, they lived one block up on Princeton at 23rd Pl. Johnny's baby sister, Angelina Monteleone, born in 1935 in Chicago, later married Angelo Buscemi. Angelo was born in Chicago in 1930 to Domenico Buscemi of Aragona and Concetta Patti of Caccamo; these two married in 1917 in Chicago. Possible that these Buscemis were related to the Aragonese Buscemis who relocated to Rockford, as angelo had an older brother named Frank; Alfonso Buscemi, Rockford bootlegger who had initially arrived to Chicago, also had sons named Angelo (murdered in 1934) and Frank ("Frankie Bush"); these were first cousins of later Rockford boss Frank Buscemi, and based on the shared names may have been related to these Buscemis as well (Domenico Buscemi's parents were Giuseppe Buscemi and Maddalena Rotolo). Chicago's Angelo Buscemi also grew up in Chinatown, on the W 200 block of Alexander St. A witness on his mother Concetta's naturalization was Filomena Dispenza, who was the sister of the Vincenzo Dispenza noted above (and thus the aunt of Mariano Dispensa); these Dispenzas also lived on Alexander st, and their mother, Nellie Gallo, was also from Sambuca.

Very good info and nice research! That's another Buscemi angle to research for me I guess! I also note that Frank "Gumba" Saladino's father was George Saladino- George's father-in-law was Francesco Patti, however, I believe Francesco was from Siculiana because that's where his daughter Giuseppa was born. Caccamo and Siculiana are on opposite sides of the island though.

[PolackTony]

Bridgeport thug Mario "Mariano" Dispensa was born in 1938 in Chicago to Vincenzo "James" Dispenza and Emanuella "Nellie" Gallo. James was born in Chicago to parents from Termini Imerese, while Nellie was born in Chicago to parents from Sambuca; both families settled near 24th and Wentworth in the Chinatown neighborhood, where Mario was raised. Outfit-connected burglar/hijacker Richie Mara testified that he grew up with Mario Disepnsa and Ronnie Jarrett and that "Mariano" (as he was called in the neighborhood, named after his maternal grandfather Mariano Gallo) was the guy who first introduced Mara to Frankie Calabrese, Sr ~1970. Mara testified that Dispensa, Jarrett, and fellow neighborhood tough-guy Ray Tuminello were working as collectors/agents for Calabrese's juice loan business at that time, which was formally under Angelo LaPietra, then a soldier in the Buccieri crew.

In 1932, a 23-year-old Mario Dispensa first appeared in the Trib when he was suspended from his job in Streets and San after being arrested with over a dozen other men at a floating dice game (this would've been one of Skid Caruso's games at the time) near Cermak and Wentworth. In 1964, Dispensa was pinched with Louie Stubitsch for a traffic violation in the Lakeview neighborhood on the Northside; subsequent investigation identified the two as suspects in a string of burglaries and armed robberies after police found the two in possession of burglary tools and a cache of firearms, among other evidence. Later in 1964, Dispensa (then living at 32nd and Lowe) was arrested along with Ronnie Jarrett and a group of other local men; a black family had attempted to move into a building at 33rd and Lowe, and the Bridgeport locals came out in force to demonstrate the tolerant and welcoming attitude for which they've long been renowned. A full-blown riot ensued, in which the crowd of locals clashed with at least 70 cops brought in to quell the violence; Jarrett was convicted for assaulting a police officer, while Dispensa was convicted for disturbing the peace. In 1970, Dispensa and Frankie Tenuta were acquitted after being pinched in '69 as part of a juice loan ring allegedly targeting newspaper truck drivers, run by Sam Gallo, then living in NW suburban Mount Prospect. Gallo was not related to Dispensa's mother, however, as he was from Taylor St with ancestry going back to Acerra, Napoli, and Campobasso; Gallo was apparently connected to Bridgeport, however, as one of his sisters married a Catizone guy.

In 1971, Mario Dispenza and brother-in-law Anthony Rocco ( ) died after they were severely burned when they torched a restaurant in SW suburban Oak Forest; the gasoline that the two were pouring was apparently ignited by the stove's pilot lights. The restaurant's owner, Bruno Bertucci (who admitted knowing Dispensa and Rocco) was investigated for hiring them to torch his restaurant. I believe that Bruno was the nephew of Marianna Bertucci, wife of Bruno Roti, and likely the same Bruno Bertucci who had been arrested with Jimmy LaPietra in 1952 on burglary charges (later dropped).

There are no records for a Richard Mara, and I'm pretty sure that Richie Mara was Croatian, with his actual surname being Marasovic or something similar. There was a Croatian family named Marasoivc/Marasovich who lived at 32nd and Princeton, and a 1970s hijacking case for a Richard J Mara/Richard J Marasovich.

Raymond Tuminello, who was later indicted along with "Richie Cat" Catizone in the major 1989 Angelini/Cortina/Spadavecchio gambling ring bust, was born in 1940 in Chicago to Francis "Frank" Tuminello (Tominello) and Josephine Taccetta (Taccetto). Frank's parents were from Nicosia, Enna, while Josephine's were from Villarosa and Calascibetta, Enna. The Tuminellos lived at 28th and Union in Bridgeport, where Ray was still living when he was arrested in 1989.

I've noted before that Johnny Apes Monteleone was born in 1924 in Sambuca, to Agostino "August" Monteleone (born in NOLA to parents from Sambuca) and Maria Sicolo, of Sambuca. Johnny Apes arrived in the US as an infant later in 1924 with his mother; they were bound for Hammond, IN, where Agostino was living at that time (worth noting that they arrived among a number of other passengers from Sambuca, Aragona, and Menfi, mainly bound for Chicago and NYC; among those from Sambuca was a Stefano Maggio bound for Chicago; the Maggios seem to have been connected to the mafia in Chicago). The Monteleones settled in Chinatown, first living at Wentworth and 25th Pl in 1930, and then at 24th and Princeton; in 1950, they lived one block up on Princeton at 23rd Pl. Johnny's baby sister, Angelina Monteleone, born in 1935 in Chicago, later married Angelo Buscemi. Angelo was born in Chicago in 1930 to Domenico Buscemi of Aragona and Concetta Patti of Caccamo; these two married in 1917 in Chicago. Possible that these Buscemis were related to the Aragonese Buscemis who relocated to Rockford, as angelo had an older brother named Frank; Alfonso Buscemi, Rockford bootlegger who had initially arrived to Chicago, also had sons named Angelo (murdered in 1934) and Frank ("Frankie Bush"); these were first cousins of later Rockford boss Frank Buscemi, and based on the shared names may have been related to these Buscemis as well (Domenico Buscemi's parents were Giuseppe Buscemi and Maddalena Rotolo). Chicago's Angelo Buscemi also grew up in Chinatown, on the W 200 block of Alexander St. A witness on his mother Concetta's naturalization was Filomena Dispenza, who was the sister of the Vincenzo Dispenza noted above (and thus the aunt of Mariano Dispensa); these Dispenzas also lived on Alexander st, and their mother, Nellie Gallo, was also from Sambuca.

Very good info and nice research! That's another Buscemi angle to research for me I guess! I also note that Frank "Gumba" Saladino's father was George Saladino- George's father-in-law was Francesco Patti, however, I believe Francesco was from Siculiana because that's where his daughter Giuseppa was born. Caccamo and Siculiana are on opposite sides of the island though.

Lots of Aragonesi in Chicago, which makes sense as there was an Aragonese Società back in the day. Just looking at several families, seeing connections (as expected) to Rockford/Beloit, Bureau County (Ladd), and Boston.

Was Francesco Patti living in Rockford? Wasn’t able to verify him, but don’t anything about him.

Also should be noted that there were a bunch of Pattis from Càccamo in The Heights, intermarried with other mafia-connected Caccamese families. Giovanni “John” Piazza, brother of slain Heights boss Filippo Piazza and later Heights member, was married to a Francesca Patti, though I wasn’t able to connect her to Concetta Patti Buscemi.

[cavita]

Bridgeport thug Mario "Mariano" Dispensa was born in 1938 in Chicago to Vincenzo "James" Dispenza and Emanuella "Nellie" Gallo. James was born in Chicago to parents from Termini Imerese, while Nellie was born in Chicago to parents from Sambuca; both families settled near 24th and Wentworth in the Chinatown neighborhood, where Mario was raised. Outfit-connected burglar/hijacker Richie Mara testified that he grew up with Mario Disepnsa and Ronnie Jarrett and that "Mariano" (as he was called in the neighborhood, named after his maternal grandfather Mariano Gallo) was the guy who first introduced Mara to Frankie Calabrese, Sr ~1970. Mara testified that Dispensa, Jarrett, and fellow neighborhood tough-guy Ray Tuminello were working as collectors/agents for Calabrese's juice loan business at that time, which was formally under Angelo LaPietra, then a soldier in the Buccieri crew.

In 1932, a 23-year-old Mario Dispensa first appeared in the Trib when he was suspended from his job in Streets and San after being arrested with over a dozen other men at a floating dice game (this would've been one of Skid Caruso's games at the time) near Cermak and Wentworth. In 1964, Dispensa was pinched with Louie Stubitsch for a traffic violation in the Lakeview neighborhood on the Northside; subsequent investigation identified the two as suspects in a string of burglaries and armed robberies after police found the two in possession of burglary tools and a cache of firearms, among other evidence. Later in 1964, Dispensa (then living at 32nd and Lowe) was arrested along with Ronnie Jarrett and a group of other local men; a black family had attempted to move into a building at 33rd and Lowe, and the Bridgeport locals came out in force to demonstrate the tolerant and welcoming attitude for which they've long been renowned. A full-blown riot ensued, in which the crowd of locals clashed with at least 70 cops brought in to quell the violence; Jarrett was convicted for assaulting a police officer, while Dispensa was convicted for disturbing the peace. In 1970, Dispensa and Frankie Tenuta were acquitted after being pinched in '69 as part of a juice loan ring allegedly targeting newspaper truck drivers, run by Sam Gallo, then living in NW suburban Mount Prospect. Gallo was not related to Dispensa's mother, however, as he was from Taylor St with ancestry going back to Acerra, Napoli, and Campobasso; Gallo was apparently connected to Bridgeport, however, as one of his sisters married a Catizone guy.

In 1971, Mario Dispenza and brother-in-law Anthony Rocco ( ) died after they were severely burned when they torched a restaurant in SW suburban Oak Forest; the gasoline that the two were pouring was apparently ignited by the stove's pilot lights. The restaurant's owner, Bruno Bertucci (who admitted knowing Dispensa and Rocco) was investigated for hiring them to torch his restaurant. I believe that Bruno was the nephew of Marianna Bertucci, wife of Bruno Roti, and likely the same Bruno Bertucci who had been arrested with Jimmy LaPietra in 1952 on burglary charges (later dropped).

There are no records for a Richard Mara, and I'm pretty sure that Richie Mara was Croatian, with his actual surname being Marasovic or something similar. There was a Croatian family named Marasoivc/Marasovich who lived at 32nd and Princeton, and a 1970s hijacking case for a Richard J Mara/Richard J Marasovich.

Raymond Tuminello, who was later indicted along with "Richie Cat" Catizone in the major 1989 Angelini/Cortina/Spadavecchio gambling ring bust, was born in 1940 in Chicago to Francis "Frank" Tuminello (Tominello) and Josephine Taccetta (Taccetto). Frank's parents were from Nicosia, Enna, while Josephine's were from Villarosa and Calascibetta, Enna. The Tuminellos lived at 28th and Union in Bridgeport, where Ray was still living when he was arrested in 1989.

I've noted before that Johnny Apes Monteleone was born in 1924 in Sambuca, to Agostino "August" Monteleone (born in NOLA to parents from Sambuca) and Maria Sicolo, of Sambuca. Johnny Apes arrived in the US as an infant later in 1924 with his mother; they were bound for Hammond, IN, where Agostino was living at that time (worth noting that they arrived among a number of other passengers from Sambuca, Aragona, and Menfi, mainly bound for Chicago and NYC; among those from Sambuca was a Stefano Maggio bound for Chicago; the Maggios seem to have been connected to the mafia in Chicago). The Monteleones settled in Chinatown, first living at Wentworth and 25th Pl in 1930, and then at 24th and Princeton; in 1950, they lived one block up on Princeton at 23rd Pl. Johnny's baby sister, Angelina Monteleone, born in 1935 in Chicago, later married Angelo Buscemi. Angelo was born in Chicago in 1930 to Domenico Buscemi of Aragona and Concetta Patti of Caccamo; these two married in 1917 in Chicago. Possible that these Buscemis were related to the Aragonese Buscemis who relocated to Rockford, as angelo had an older brother named Frank; Alfonso Buscemi, Rockford bootlegger who had initially arrived to Chicago, also had sons named Angelo (murdered in 1934) and Frank ("Frankie Bush"); these were first cousins of later Rockford boss Frank Buscemi, and based on the shared names may have been related to these Buscemis as well (Domenico Buscemi's parents were Giuseppe Buscemi and Maddalena Rotolo). Chicago's Angelo Buscemi also grew up in Chinatown, on the W 200 block of Alexander St. A witness on his mother Concetta's naturalization was Filomena Dispenza, who was the sister of the Vincenzo Dispenza noted above (and thus the aunt of Mariano Dispensa); these Dispenzas also lived on Alexander st, and their mother, Nellie Gallo, was also from Sambuca.

Very good info and nice research! That's another Buscemi angle to research for me I guess! I also note that Frank "Gumba" Saladino's father was George Saladino- George's father-in-law was Francesco Patti, however, I believe Francesco was from Siculiana because that's where his daughter Giuseppa was born. Caccamo and Siculiana are on opposite sides of the island though.

Lots of Aragonesi in Chicago, which makes sense as there was an Aragonese Società back in the day. Just looking at several families, seeing connections (as expected) to Rockford/Beloit, Bureau County (Ladd), and Boston.

Was Francesco Patti living in Rockford? Wasn’t able to verify him, but don’t anything about him.

Also should be noted that there were a bunch of Pattis from Càccamo in The Heights, intermarried with other mafia-connected Caccamese families. Giovanni “John” Piazza, brother of slain Heights boss Filippo Piazza and later Heights member, was married to a Francesca Patti, though I wasn’t able to connect her to Concetta Patti Buscemi.

Francesco Patti is a bit of a mystery- I have a January 13, 1878 birthdate for him, possibly in Siculiana, He also possibly immigrated to the U.S. in 1918 and his wife was named Maria, last name unknown. By 1924 he was in Rockford where he was first arrested. He died April 10, 1937 in Rockford and that is why not much is known because the obit had very little info.

[JoelTurner]

(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110758208/)

Joseph Abate, the Lucchese NJ capo, started out in Chicago:

- He was from Marsala, Sicily and slipped into the US

- In 1923, he was arrested and gave his address as 1018 Ashland Ave. He said his employer was Vito Genna.

- On June 13 1925, he was involved in a major gun battle. Mike Genna and 2 police officers were killed. He was arrested as "Joe Massei" or "Pino".

- A police report said that he had been a hit man for Capone and Vito Genna.

- Abate claimed he immigrated in 1924 and his arrests were simply because he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time". He scoffed at the idea that he was involved with Capone or the Gennas saying he was just a kid at the time.

- He says moved to Atlantic City in 1934

--------

I know the Genna brothers were also from Marsala, so it makes sense that he would work with them.

I wonder if he was a member at the time, before moving to NJ. I'm not sure if he actually moved there in 1934 or if it was earlier.

[PolackTony]

(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110758208/)

Joseph Abate, the Lucchese NJ capo, started out in Chicago:

- He was from Marsala, Sicily and slipped into the US

- In 1923, he was arrested and gave his address as 1018 Ashland Ave. He said his employer was Vito Genna.

- On June 13 1925, he was involved in a major gun battle. Mike Genna and 2 police officers were killed. He was arrested as "Joe Massei" or "Pino".

- A police report said that he had been a hit man for Capone and Vito Genna.

- Abate claimed he immigrated in 1924 and his arrests were simply because he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time". He scoffed at the idea that he was involved with Capone or the Gennas saying he was just a kid at the time.

- He says moved to Atlantic City in 1934

--------

I know the Genna brothers were also from Marsala, so it makes sense that he would work with them.

I wonder if he was a member at the time, before moving to NJ. I'm not sure if he actually moved there in 1934 or if it was earlier.

This is great info, thanks. I never had any idea who that “Pino Massei” was. He was arrested in 1925 with Samoots Amatuna following the Mike Genna shootout, and based on items found on his person, police executed a number of arrests of guys in bootlegging operations. Who knows if Abate was made in a Chicago, but he was definitely involved. There were rumors circulating in the 1920s that the Gennas had been importing gunmen and other supporters from Trapani to bolster their ranks, so given the time of his arrival its possible that Abate’s family was already connected in Marsala and he was recruited to come to Chicago (there was also just a lot of general immigration from those towns to Chicago, so it may not have been an intentional recruitment that led Abate there).

When Giovanni Scalise testified about the Mike Genna shootout, he put himself and Alberto Anselmi in the car with Genna. He never mentioned anything about “Massei”, though he could’ve been protecting the other guys involved.

[B.]

Really great connection there, Joel. I'd seen the reference to Abate being a "Capone gunman" but this gives a lot of substance to it that places him with the Marsala/Castelvetrano faction under the Gennas.

Buccino said Abate was already made in Sicily and though we know his info isn't always 100% accurate it's evident Abate's mafia links came from Marsala.

[PolackTony]

Mafia-connected Chicago gunsmith Luigi Scaramuzzo was born in 1889 in Formicola, Caserta, Campania. He arrived in Chicago in 1906 and subsequently married Immacolata Fedele, of Lizzano, Taranto, Puglia. The Scaramuzzas initially lived at Sangamon and Fillmore in the Taylor St Patch. In the 1920s, the Scaramuzzos relocated to the Gage Park neighborhood on the SW Side, where a number of Italians from Taylor St moved; the area was particularly noted as a base of control for the Genna brothers and a colony of Marsalesi.

By 1920, Luigi Scaramuzzo had opened his gun shop on S Halsted near Polk (changed addresses a few times over the years but always located in that area, which was closely associated with Dago Lawrence Mangano).

In 1927, two alleged members of the 42 Gang were apprenhended transporting shotguns from Scarmuzzo’s gunshop at 803 S Halsted after police opened fire on them. In 1929, Scaramuzzo was questioned by investigators for his suspected role in supplying the machine guns used in the St Valentine’s Day Massacre; at that time, he admitted to having close contacts with Sam Genna. In 1931, the Scaramuzzo & Sons gunshop (noted that time as being located in the New Era building at 604 S Blue Island, reputedly Mangano’s HQ) was raided by CPD, who discovered what the press called a “Capone-Mangano arsenal”. 64 pistols and shotguns, a number of which had defaced serial numbers, were recovered, as well as counterfeiting molds, bomb-making materials, and moonshine. Arrested along with Luigi Scaramuzzo was his son-in-law Salvatore Triola. Married to Luigi’s daughter Vincenzina Scaramuzzo, Triola was born in 1908 in Mineo, Catania (Mineo is near Vizzini, where Antonino Paternò was from. Paternò was a wine/liquor magnate in Chicago who was a personal associate of Tony Accardo linked to the Sicilian mafia by Italian LE; also worth recalling that Genna ally Orazio Tropea was Catanese). Convicted on the gun charges, Scaramuzzo faced reversal of his naturalization and deportation until the IL Supreme Court overturned the conviction on the grounds that CPD had executed an illegal search of the gunshop. Luigi Scaramuzzo later moved to Tucson where he died in 1963.

In recently released documents related to the JFK investigation, the FBI reported that a Chicago source named Frank Di Leonardo claimed that Jack Ruby was a close friend of Joe Scaramuzzo, Luigi’s son and partner in the gunshop (this would’ve been in the 1940s, before Ruby was reportedly ordered to leave Chicago by Lenny Patrick). Joe Scaramuzzo was interviewed by the Feds in 1964 and denied having ever met Ruby. A 1964 FBI bug if the Buccieri crew picked up Turk Torello telling someone to contact Joe Scaramuzz’. Joe Scaramuzzo and Salvatore Triola both also relocated to Tucson where they later died. Given a focus on real estate investments in Tucson by Chicago outfit members in the 60s-70s, it may be worth looking into whether the Scaramuzzo family was involved in any of that.

[PolackTony]

Mafia-connected Chicago gunsmith Luigi Scaramuzzo was born in 1889 in Formicola, Caserta, Campania. He arrived in Chicago in 1906 and subsequently married Immacolata Fedele, of Lizzano, Taranto, Puglia. The Scaramuzzas initially lived at Sangamon and Fillmore in the Taylor St Patch. In the 1920s, the Scaramuzzos relocated to the Gage Park neighborhood on the SW Side, where a number of Italians from Taylor St moved; the area was particularly noted as a base of control for the Genna brothers and a colony of Marsalesi.

By 1920, Luigi Scaramuzzo had opened his gun shop on S Halsted near Polk (changed addresses a few times over the years but always located in that area, which was closely associated with Dago Lawrence Mangano).

In 1927, two alleged members of the 42 Gang were apprenhended transporting shotguns from Scarmuzzo’s gunshop at 803 S Halsted after police opened fire on them. In 1929, Scaramuzzo was questioned by investigators for his suspected role in supplying the machine guns used in the St Valentine’s Day Massacre; at that time, he admitted to having close contacts with Sam Genna. In 1931, the Scaramuzzo & Sons gunshop (noted that time as being located in the New Era building at 604 S Blue Island, reputedly Mangano’s HQ) was raided by CPD, who discovered what the press called a “Capone-Mangano arsenal”. 64 pistols and shotguns, a number of which had defaced serial numbers, were recovered, as well as counterfeiting molds, bomb-making materials, and moonshine. Arrested along with Luigi Scaramuzzo was his son-in-law Salvatore Triola. Married to Luigi’s daughter Vincenzina Scaramuzzo, Triola was born in 1908 in Mineo, Catania (Mineo is near Vizzini, where Antonino Paternò was from. Paternò was a wine/liquor magnate in Chicago who was a personal associate of Tony Accardo linked to the Sicilian mafia by Italian LE; also worth recalling that Genna ally Orazio Tropea was Catanese). Convicted on the gun charges, Scaramuzzo faced reversal of his naturalization and deportation until the IL Supreme Court overturned the conviction on the grounds that CPD had executed an illegal search of the gunshop. Luigi Scaramuzzo later moved to Tucson where he died in 1963.

In recently released documents related to the JFK investigation, the FBI reported that a Chicago source named Frank Di Leonardo claimed that Jack Ruby was a close friend of Joe Scaramuzzo, Luigi’s son and partner in the gunshop (this would’ve been in the 1940s, before Ruby was reportedly ordered to leave Chicago by Lenny Patrick). Joe Scaramuzzo was interviewed by the Feds in 1964 and denied having ever met Ruby. A 1964 FBI bug if the Buccieri crew picked up Turk Torello telling someone to contact Joe Scaramuzz’. Joe Scaramuzzo and Salvatore Triola both also relocated to Tucson where they later died. Given a focus on real estate investments in Tucson by Chicago outfit members in the 60s-70s, it may be worth looking into whether the Scaramuzzo family was involved in any of that.

As a follow-up to this, Joe Scaramuzzo was the President and Treasurer of the Santa Fe Saddle and Gun Club near suburban Hinsdale, infamous as a hangout controlled by Fifi Buccieri and used for outfit target practice. In 1967, the Santa Fe Club under Scaramuzzo held a lavish party in honor of Buccieri at the Edgewater Beach Hotel on the Northside of Chicago, where LE estimated that ~200 “top hoodlums” attended, among a crowd of about 1000 entertained by outfit-connected crooner Vic Damore. Cook County Commissioner Harry Semrow expressed dismay when reporters queried him about his attendance, reporting that he had never even heard of Buccieri.

In 1960, Joe Scaramuzzo was busted for purchasing stolen guns from the street. In the early 60s, an Izzy Scaramuzzo was reported to have been a close associate of Willie Daddono and Rudolph “Rudy Farrell” Fratto Sr (father of the current Rudy Fratto Jr) in outfit control of lucrative garbage hauling contracts; Izzy Scaramuzzo was also linked to Nicoletti associate George Bravos, though I haven’t been able to confirm an Isidore Scaramuzzo (may have been a nickname or alias). In 1968, 3rd generation gunsmith Joe Scaramuzzo Jr, 22 years old, was busted for selling a sawed-off shotgun to Taylor St Patch grocery store LaJoy, Inc. Joe Scaramuzzo Sr refused a CPD request to permit a search of other weapons in the gun store’s vault related to the investigation. The weapon was found when LaJoy, Inc was raided as the HQ of a bookmaking ring under Nicoletti; Nicoletti and LaJoy owner Joseph Cantafio were arrested in the gambling raid. The LaJoy grocery store’s previous owner, Mike LaJoy, had been sentenced in 1964 on Federal charges for murder and bank robbery with the Richard Cain/Frank DeLegge robbery crew (Mike LaJoy’s mother was DeLegge’s sister); LaJoy was also reportedly connected to the Nicoletti/Bravos juice loan operation.

[PolackTony]

We’ve discussed the Nicolosi brothers, Carmelo and Giuseppe, previously.

In April 1928, Cook County fire inspector Ben Newmark, who had previously been Chief Investigator under mafia-connected Cook County States Attorney Robert Crowe (discussed several times in the Toto LoVerde thread) was shot to death. Based in initial intel, CPD detectives raided the Little Sicily grocery store of Giuseppe Nicolosi, where they arrested Antonino Ferrara, of Corleone. Detectives also questioned Antonino’s father Arcangelo Ferrara and Nicolosi, described as the younger man’s “uncle” (I believe that Arcangelo’s wife Maria Colletti was a cousin of the Nicolosis on their mother’s side, the Sapataforas; when Arcangelo arrived in Chicago in 1905, he listed the Nicolosi brothers as his contacts). None of the men were charged for the crime; as with almost all other underworld murders in Chicago, police were stymied by a lack of witnesses. Another suspect was Santo “Sam” Gemelli, born in 1882 in Messina, who had arrived in Chicago from New Orleans (it should be noted that already back in Sicily, one of Gemelli’s brothers had married a Tornabene from Lascari, and there were a number of Tornabenes from Lascari connected to the mafia in Chicago). Gemelli (given as “Jamalli” in the press, though I doubt that he was Muslim) had only been released from a stint in Leavenworth on counterfeiting charges two weeks before the Newmark murder, and Newmark had been charged in the same counterfeiting operation. In 1924, Newmark was busted along with several Italians including Gemelli and Antonio “Mops” Volpe in a huge $1,000,000 counterfeit war stamp ring in Chicago. Newmark had successfully gotten himself acquitted under a separate trial while the Italians were convicted and rumor had it that Newmark had co-operated with the authorities; thus, CPD believed that he had been killed in retribution, though they also noted that Newmark had numerous connections to gangsters and criminal rackets. Sam Gemelli was also never charged due to lack of evidence, and in later years moved to St Joseph County, MI, where he resumed a construction contracting business that he had started in Chicago in the 1910s.

In 1936, Giuseppe Nicolosi was busted for possessing four stolen shotguns after a police raid on his grocery store.

In 1919, Carmelo and Giuseppe Nicolosi were named as members of the founding committee for the Società San LeoLuca di Corleone (still active today under President Calogero Riìna). Another committee member was Salvatore Oliveri, showing that at least three mafiosi were instrumental in founding the Chicago Corleonese Society. The founding President was LeoLuca Raia, whose brother Calogero Raia was also on the committee. In 1919, LeoLuca Raia was recorded making suburban real estate deals with his compare, Luciano Trombatore. Luciano had another brother in Chicago named LeoLuca; their father was Carmelo Trombatore, who may be the guy who Cavita stated was living in Rockford (this one was born about 1859 and died in Chicago in the 1940s). These Trombatores could be relatives of New Orleans boss LeoLuca Trombatore, who was related to both Giuseppe Morello and Chicago’s Salvatore Oliveri. A Bernardino Trombatore, named as a member of a Chicago armed robbery crew in 1938 after having arrived back in the city from Corleone, was likely a nephew of LeoLuca and Luciano Trombatore.

In 1921, LeoLuca Raia married Cira Provenzano, from a large Corleonese family in Chicago. One of Cira’s brothers, Salvatore Provenzano, married Filomena Vitello of Grotte, Agrigento, sister of Gaetano “Tom” Vitello Jr and niece of mafioso Settimo Vitello and Unione Siciliana President Constantino Vitello (the Vitellos just seem to keep coming up lately over and over).

[B.]

So there were Raias from Corleone connected to the Chicago mafia as well as the Raias I found in that 1905 murder, the victim being Biagio Raia who was likely from Sambuca. I'd never seen that surname before, didn't know it was in multiple villages.

The Trombatore tie-in isn't surprising given Sam Oliveri was a relative of the New Orleans boss Trombatore. Great to find out this club was founded by mafia members.

[PolackTony]

So there were Raias from Corleone connected to the Chicago mafia as well as the Raias I found in that 1905 murder, the victim being Biagio Raia who was likely from Sambuca. I'd never seen that surname before, didn't know it was in multiple villages.

The Trombatore tie-in isn't surprising given Sam Oliveri was a relative of the New Orleans boss Trombatore. Great to find out this club was founded by mafia members.

There were several Raias who were noted as members of the mafia in Corleone in the 60s.

Just among this immediate group of Chicago Corleonesi that I mentioned above, including their mothers and in-laws, appear surnames strongly associated with the mafia historically in Corleone, including Trombatore, Provenzano, Ferrara, Raia, Pomilla, LoBue, and Marino.

[Eline2015]

About Abbate/Agrusa. So he wasn't a STL boss?

[PolackTony]

In the 1960s, Sal Piscopo told the FBI that Johnny Roselli had confided in him that an old partner of his, Tancredi Tortora, was one of only 5 men who would be able to identify Roselli’s true identity. Piscopo had also stated that in the 1920s, Tortora and Roselli had been busted together on narcotics charges, and Roselli was later able to have his mugshot from that arrest destroyed to conceal his identity. Further, Piscopo believed that Roselli and Tortora had been involved in the murder of Chicago gangster Tony Charlando together.

I have Tancredi Tortora as born in 1903 in Acerra, Napoli, and arriving in Chicago in 1920. In April 1922, Tortora’s soft drink establishment on the 800 block of S Blue Island Ave (this was both Genna Ground Zero and an apparent HQ of Camorra activity in the Taylor St Patch) was raided and police recovered opium, morphine, cocaine, and moonshine whiskey. One of Tortora’s co-defendants was named as Ralph Stortoto (which may match a Molisano named Raffaele Storto); another arrestee was given as Gerona Durando [sic]; no mention was made of the names Roselli or Sacco.

In August of 1922, Anthony Charlando, aka Tony Charlando, succumbed to gunshot wounds from a shootout several days prior. According to police, the shootout was due to a feud between Charlando and his brother, Charles Charlando. Tony Charlando had supposedly shown up with members of his “gang” at Charles’ home at 1639 S Sangamon and an argument and then shootout ensued, with men at Charles’ home coming to his aid. John Paladino and Joseph Warno [sic] were also shot in the fracas, while among the arrestees at the scene were Angelo Pascucci, Joseph Parcelli, and a Joseph Phillipe. The last name, who gave his address near Taylor and Vernon, could possibly have been an alias of Filippo Sacco/Roselli (just speculation). Anthony Charlands was born in 1898 in Chicago to Donato Chiarolanzo and Rosa Baraglia of Baragiano, Potenza. In 1913, older brother Joseph Charlands was arrested after he was named by a dying Rosario Talarico, shot near 22nd and Clark (Colosimo, D’Andrea, and Merlo-Ville), as his assailant.

The FBI followed up on Piscopo’s info on Roselli’s connections to Tortora. Tortora fled Chicago after the Charlando shooting and wound up in Boston, where he was arrested for the December 1923 murder of Annibale Stilo; Boston police discovered that Tortora was wanted in Chicago for the Charlando murder. Somehow, Tortora got himself released on bail in Boston with the promise that he’d return to Chicago to answer to the charges there — naturally, Tortora jumped bail and went on the lam. In 1934, Tortora was finally apprehended and tried and convicted for the Stilo murder in Boston. He received a life sentence, but then was pardoned in 1950 and deported to Italy. When the FBI noted that none of the men arrested at the Charlando shootout had a name identical to Roselli, they then continued “however, it is noted that”, with the following passage redacted. The FBI further noted that no files related to the Charlando shooting could be located by CPD, opining that if Roselli had indeed been involved with Tortora in the narcotics venue and Charlando shooting, records relating to his arrest may have been destroyed by outfit connections in the CPD.

Piscopo also related that Roselli had described Tortora as a childhood friend, and recalled that Tortora had arrived in Los Angeles in the 20s around the same time as Roselli in order to hide out from several murders “back East”. Piscopo reported that Tortora eventually turned himself in at the urging of Vito Genovese.

In the mid-1960s, the FBI confirmed that Tancredi Tortora was living in Acerra, were he operated a produce business with his brothers. Upon interview, Tortora identified a photo of Roselli as his old friend, who he stated was really Filippo Sacco. Tortora denied that Roselli had been involved in either the Chicago narcotics case or the Charlando murder (which Tortora claimed he was only involved in as a neighborhood brawl). He stated that in 1923, he and Roselli had travelled from Boston (where Tortora stated that he had originally met Roselli) to Buffalo and Detroit. Tortora returned to Chicago and then relocated to LA, from whence he asked “Eugenio Taddeo” [phonetic] in Chicago to pay Roselli’s train fare to CA as well. Tortora stated that in CA he and Roselli worked as bootleggers for Tony D’Acunto.

As there seems to be no record in Chicago corresponding to “Eugenio Taddeo”, I strongly suspect that this was Aniello Taddeo, a major Avillines’ bootlegger killed in Melrose Park in September 1925 in a war for control of the liquor racket in that area (we know otherwise that MP was the center of serious Napolitan’/Camorra bootlegging activity and violence in this period, evidently with close connections to Taylor St). Reputed Taddeo loyalists Lazzaro Clemente and James Campanille were also slain in Melrose Park, in 1924 and 1926, respectively, in apparent bootlegging conflicts with rival operations. Campanille’s birthplace was given only as Naples, but Taddeo and Clemente were both from Cervinara, Avellino, where Joe Valachi’s father, Domenico Villacci, was from, as well as deported Lucchese member Saverio Valente. Cervinara also borders the Roccarainola/Tufino area of Napoli province where Vito Genovese was from.

Piscopo stated that he had first met Roselli via Tony D’Acunto, allegedly Roselli’s uncle. Tortora told the FBI that both he and Roselli called D’Acunto “uncle” out of respect but that there was no relation. Supposedly, Tony D’Acunto had lived in Chicago before relocating to LA around 1917 (a 1903 naturalization petition for an Antonio D’Acunto in Chicago gives no birthdate or place of origin). An LA WW1 draft card has Anthony D’Aconto, born in 1876, married to a Jane, and working as a real estate broker. This would correspond to a 1917 wedding announcement in Pasadena for Antonio D’Acunto and Jane Hart. The announcement stated that Antonio was Baron D’Acunto, a wealthy broker and nobleman originally from Sorrento, Napoli (I had previously guessed that D’Acunto was an immigrant from Minturno, Lazio, but that doesn’t seem to be correct). The alleged deference paid by Tortora and Roselli to D’Acunto would seem to have been well-warranted. Antonio D’Acunto died in LA in 1930.

[B.]

Glad you're digging into Piscopo. D'Acunto is a fascinating guy.

[PolackTony]

About Abbate/Agrusa. So he wasn't a STL boss?

I honestly don’t know if he ever held a rank in STL. Antiliar or B may know better than me.