Milwaukee 1963

[cavita]

And if there was any doubt that Augue Maniaci was the main informant there-

[PolackTony]

Dominic Frank “Pops” Principe was born in 1913 in Kenosha to Giorgio Principe and Louise Giordano. Giorgio, I believe was from San Fili, Cosenza, while Louise was apparently born either in Pedace, Cosenza, or in Marseilles to parents from Pedace. Giorgio owned a plumbing company in Kenosha.

Dominic Principe married Lillian Stefani, born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Toscano parents. Until 1959, he owned Pop’s Tap, a tavern in Kenosha. From 1959 to 1968 he owned and operated Edith’s Pizza in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, IL, with his sister Edith Salemi. As noted above, Cadillac Al told investigators that Principe lived in the wealthy suburban town of Lake Zurich, IL, by this time. He died in Palm Springs from natural causes in 1970.

If Principe and Al Albano were made in ‘63, interesting to see that basically right after Balistrieri assumed power he inducted two Calabresi from Kenosha, the only mainlanders that we see as members of the Milwaukee outfit. Another Milwaukee CI (no idea who this person was, given the code MI-T11 in the file) told the FBI in ‘63 that “a real member of the Mafia must be of Sicilian descent and is usually married to a daughter of another Mafia member”. Whether this was fact or not, it may have been the perception that this was how Milwaukee traditionally operated. If so, Balistrieri couldn’t been bucking tradition simply by inducting Mainlanders who wouldn’t have been made under the prior administrations (not sure if we can say 100% that these two were the only Mainlanders yet).

[cavita]

Dominic Frank “Pops” Principe was born in 1913 in Kenosha to Giorgio Principe and Louise Giordano. Giorgio, I believe was from San Fili, Cosenza, while Louise was apparently born either in Pedace, Cosenza, or in Marseilles to parents from Pedace. Giorgio owned a plumbing company in Kenosha.

Dominic Principe married Lillian Stefani, born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Toscano parents. Until 1959, he owned Pop’s Tap, a tavern in Kenosha. From 1959 to 1968 he owned and operated Edith’s Pizza in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, IL, with his sister Edith Salemi. As noted above, Cadillac Al told investigators that Principe lived in the wealthy suburban town of Lake Zurich, IL, by this time. He died in Palm Springs from natural causes in 1970.

If Principe and Al Albano were made in ‘63, interesting to see that basically right after Balistrieri assumed power he inducted two Calabresi from Kenosha, the only mainlanders that we see as members of the Milwaukee outfit. Another Milwaukee CI (no idea who this person was, given the code MI-T11 in the file) told the FBI in ‘63 that “a real member of the Mafia must be of Sicilian descent and is usually married to a daughter of another Mafia member”. Whether this was fact or not, it may have been the perception that this was how Milwaukee traditionally operated. If so, Balistrieri couldn’t been bucking tradition simply by inducting Mainlanders who wouldn’t have been made under the prior administrations (not sure if we can say 100% that these two were the only Mainlanders yet).

I can't remember where I heard this, possibly Lennert, but I had info that in the early days of Frank Balistrieri's reign, the Milwaukee Outfit absorbed the independent Kenosha group, which may have been at this time. I would like to know more about the Racine and Kenosha groups which were likely independent- similar to Gary, Indiana and possibly Peoria, Illinois.

[PolackTony]

Dominic Frank “Pops” Principe was born in 1913 in Kenosha to Giorgio Principe and Louise Giordano. Giorgio, I believe was from San Fili, Cosenza, while Louise was apparently born either in Pedace, Cosenza, or in Marseilles to parents from Pedace. Giorgio owned a plumbing company in Kenosha.

Dominic Principe married Lillian Stefani, born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Toscano parents. Until 1959, he owned Pop’s Tap, a tavern in Kenosha. From 1959 to 1968 he owned and operated Edith’s Pizza in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, IL, with his sister Edith Salemi. As noted above, Cadillac Al told investigators that Principe lived in the wealthy suburban town of Lake Zurich, IL, by this time. He died in Palm Springs from natural causes in 1970.

If Principe and Al Albano were made in ‘63, interesting to see that basically right after Balistrieri assumed power he inducted two Calabresi from Kenosha, the only mainlanders that we see as members of the Milwaukee outfit. Another Milwaukee CI (no idea who this person was, given the code MI-T11 in the file) told the FBI in ‘63 that “a real member of the Mafia must be of Sicilian descent and is usually married to a daughter of another Mafia member”. Whether this was fact or not, it may have been the perception that this was how Milwaukee traditionally operated. If so, Balistrieri couldn’t been bucking tradition simply by inducting Mainlanders who wouldn’t have been made under the prior administrations (not sure if we can say 100% that these two were the only Mainlanders yet).

I can't remember where I heard this, possibly Lennert, but I had info that in the early days of Frank Balistrieri's reign, the Milwaukee Outfit absorbed the independent Kenosha group, which may have been at this time. I would like to know more about the Racine and Kenosha groups which were likely independent- similar to Gary, Indiana and possibly Peoria, Illinois.

What I know about Kenosha and Racine is largely from what Gavin Schmitt has written and my own reading of newspaper coverage of events there. It’s clear that both towns also had close ties to Chicago, and seem to have been treated as open or shared territory by both Families. My guess is that Kenosha was a Calabrese Camorra organization. Perhaps by the early 60s, they still had some vestige of their own organizational structure (as was the case in Youngstown), or the local organization could’ve long since decayed and what was left was a network derived from an older formal organization. The Calabresi in Kenosha came from the same comuni as their Chicago paesani who were very numerous there and clearly plugged in with the mafia in Chicago from early on, so Sicilians in Chicago probably developed links to Kenosha via local Calabrian associates. By around 1930 we see Chicago mafiosi like the Virrusos and Vitellos connected with Kenosha and Racine, apparently working there with mainlanders. In Racine there were also guys like Angelo LaMantia, who seems to have been a Chicago member who transferred to Milwaukee. The difference between Kenosha and Gary is that Gary was clearly a mafia borgata, while Kenosha was apparently a Mainlander organization that came to work closely with the mafia and eventually was absorbed by them. If Balistrieri indeed made Albano and Principe, any of the guys already working with and under them locally would then formally have been under the mafia. Similar to the mafia in Chicago inducting Diamond Joe back in the day — the men in his organization, presumably a Napolitan’ Camorra group, would then have been formally under the mafia.

[PolackTony]

Thanks for getting this started, man.

Giovanni Alioto was born 1888 in the Porticello frazione of Santa Flavia. Vital records from SF in this period aren’t online, but I believe that his parents were Giuseppe Alioto and Francesca Orlando. Giovanni, stating that he was a fisherman in SF, arrived in NYC bound for Milwaukee in 1903, giving an “uncle” there as his contact (surname looks like Lafiola or something similar). His wife was Caterina Alioto, born in 1891 in the Sant’Elia frazione of SF. I have her parents as Giuseppe Alioto (possibly a cousin of Giovanni’s father) and Antonina Balistrieri. In 1950, Alioto lived at 522 N Van Buren in Milwaukee's old Third Ward Sicilian colony and worked for the department of street sanitation of the City of Milwaukee (hmm, I seem to recall this being a common career path for mafiosi in a nearby city?).

Worth noting that Giuseppe Alioto, SF member and father of later mobbed-up SF Mayor Joseph Lawrence Alioto was from Santa Flavia. Giuseppe’s parents were Giuseppe Alioto and Stefana Balistrieri of Sant’ Elia. Giuseppe and his brothers worked as fishermen in SF, and note above that Giovanni Alioto stated that he had been a fisherman in Santa Flavia before arriving to Milwaukee. In 1917, Giuseppe Alioto’s brother Mariano Alioto was murdered by the “Black Hand” in SF (Mariano’s father-in-law Gaetano Ingrassia, possibly from Campobello di Licata, had been similarly murdered in 1916); Mariano had initially arrived in the US in 1907 bound for Milwaukee, where his father Giuseppe Alioto was living. Brother Giuseppe Alioto married Domenica Lazio (mother of Mayor Alioto), born in SF in 1893 to Lorenzo Lazio and Angela Ardizzone of Tèrmini Imerese; her sister Frances Lazio married Giuseppe’s brother Ignazio Alioto. Another brother was Giovanni Alioto; the shared given names make it look very likely that they were cousins of the Milwaukee Aliotos.

[PolackTony]

Thanks for getting this started, man.

Giovanni Alioto was born 1888 in the Porticello frazione of Santa Flavia. Vital records from SF in this period aren’t online, but I believe that his parents were Giuseppe Alioto and Francesca Orlando. Giovanni, stating that he was a fisherman in SF, arrived in NYC bound for Milwaukee in 1903, giving an “uncle” there as his contact (surname looks like Lafiola or something similar). His wife was Caterina Alioto, born in 1891 in the Sant’Elia frazione of SF. I have her parents as Giuseppe Alioto (possibly a cousin of Giovanni’s father) and Antonina Balistrieri. In 1950, Alioto lived at 522 N Van Buren in Milwaukee's old Third Ward Sicilian colony and worked for the department of street sanitation of the City of Milwaukee (hmm, I seem to recall this being a common career path for mafiosi in a nearby city?).

Worth noting that Giuseppe Alioto, SF member and father of later mobbed-up SF Mayor Joseph Lawrence Alioto was from Santa Flavia. Giuseppe’s parents were Giuseppe Alioto and Stefana Balistrieri of Sant’ Elia. Giuseppe and his brothers worked as fishermen in SF, and note above that Giovanni Alioto stated that he had been a fisherman in Santa Flavia before arriving to Milwaukee. In 1917, Giuseppe Alioto’s brother Mariano Alioto was murdered by the “Black Hand” in SF (Mariano’s father-in-law Gaetano Ingrassia, possibly from Campobello di Licata, had been similarly murdered in 1916); Mariano had initially arrived in the US in 1907 bound for Milwaukee, where his father Giuseppe Alioto was living. Brother Giuseppe Alioto married Domenica Lazio (mother of Mayor Alioto), born in SF in 1893 to Lorenzo Lazio and Angela Ardizzone of Tèrmini Imerese; her sister Frances Lazio married Giuseppe’s brother Ignazio Alioto. Another brother was Giovanni Alioto; the shared given names make it look very likely that they were cousins of the Milwaukee Aliotos.

Also worth noting that SF member Mario Salvatore Balistreri was born in SF to Salvatore Balistrieri (apparently from Santa Flavia) and Giovanna Alioto of Sant’ Elia.

[B.]

Never seen him -- great to see a photo.

Another retired member living in California at this time was "Tom Lubua" (ph), ID'd by Maniaci as a former capodecina in the 1920s-30s who he believed to be working as a shoemaker in Los Angeles circa 1964. Said he had two crippled sons and was in his 60s.

Closest name that comes to mind is LoBue but don't know of any tied to Milwaukee.

--

Re: Balistrieris coming from Aspra. What's funny is I read a while back the boss Frank Balistrieri's grandson used to drive around with custom license plates saying ASPRA.

There was a Giuseppe Tommaso “Thomas” LoBue in Milwaukee who went by the alias “Tom Lupo”. He was arrested for armed robbery in Waukesha County in 1935 and suspected of being linked to a robbery ring with Jack Enea, Louis Maniaci, and Dominic Picciurro. He was born 1904-1905 in Casteltermini, so if he was a member then he’d seem to be the first Agrigentino we’ve seen with Milwaukee. His info matches a Joseph LoBue from Wisconsin who died in Temple City, CA, in 1980, so this has to be the guy that Maniaci mentioned.

Yep, looks like you found him. Casteltermini is a big surprise.

[B.]

Re: Kenosha

From Gavin's site:

On October 2 (or possibly 8), 1980, an informant told the FBI that Louie Volpentesta had been a “capo” in the Kenosha family of the mob, and a man named Covelli was now the figurehead. Volpentesta had worked at AMC but was also a fence and a troubleshooter. In the 1960s, the head of Kenosha mob was Dominic Tirabassi, who owned a large excavating company. The informant believed his two sons now had control of the rackets in Kenosha. The source said that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha, and that the Kenosha family is quiet and runs more like a corporation than a criminal enterprise. [How accurate any of this is, I don’t know. Tirabassi was never investigated in the 1960s to my knowledge, though it is true his family was later involved in the scandal-plagued Dairyland Greyhound Park. I don’t know who Louie Volpentesta was, unless the informant meant Peter Volpendesta. And where does Pepe Madrigrano fit into all this?]

[cavita]

Re: Kenosha

From Gavin's site:

On October 2 (or possibly 8), 1980, an informant told the FBI that Louie Volpentesta had been a “capo” in the Kenosha family of the mob, and a man named Covelli was now the figurehead. Volpentesta had worked at AMC but was also a fence and a troubleshooter. In the 1960s, the head of Kenosha mob was Dominic Tirabassi, who owned a large excavating company. The informant believed his two sons now had control of the rackets in Kenosha. The source said that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha, and that the Kenosha family is quiet and runs more like a corporation than a criminal enterprise. [How accurate any of this is, I don’t know. Tirabassi was never investigated in the 1960s to my knowledge, though it is true his family was later involved in the scandal-plagued Dairyland Greyhound Park. I don’t know who Louie Volpentesta was, unless the informant meant Peter Volpendesta. And where does Pepe Madrigrano fit into all this?]

This was probably William "Wheezer" Covelli?

[PolackTony]

Re: Kenosha

From Gavin's site:

On October 2 (or possibly 8), 1980, an informant told the FBI that Louie Volpentesta had been a “capo” in the Kenosha family of the mob, and a man named Covelli was now the figurehead. Volpentesta had worked at AMC but was also a fence and a troubleshooter. In the 1960s, the head of Kenosha mob was Dominic Tirabassi, who owned a large excavating company. The informant believed his two sons now had control of the rackets in Kenosha. The source said that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha, and that the Kenosha family is quiet and runs more like a corporation than a criminal enterprise. [How accurate any of this is, I don’t know. Tirabassi was never investigated in the 1960s to my knowledge, though it is true his family was later involved in the scandal-plagued Dairyland Greyhound Park. I don’t know who Louie Volpentesta was, unless the informant meant Peter Volpendesta. And where does Pepe Madrigrano fit into all this?]

This was probably William "Wheezer" Covelli?

This is very interesting info. I don’t know anything about Tirabassi. I think this is a subject that really warrants some more investigation.

I’d imagine the Covelli here was Wheezer Covelli. Worth noting that Wheezer’s wife was Eleanor Venci, daughter of Antonio Venci and Angelina Principe — Angelina was a sister of Dominic Principe.

Has anything ever surface indicating that Covelli was ever made? The CI above stating that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha wouldn’t seem to fit with him apparently inducting two of the main Calabresi there.

[Patrickgold]

Re: Kenosha

From Gavin's site:

On October 2 (or possibly 8), 1980, an informant told the FBI that Louie Volpentesta had been a “capo” in the Kenosha family of the mob, and a man named Covelli was now the figurehead. Volpentesta had worked at AMC but was also a fence and a troubleshooter. In the 1960s, the head of Kenosha mob was Dominic Tirabassi, who owned a large excavating company. The informant believed his two sons now had control of the rackets in Kenosha. The source said that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha, and that the Kenosha family is quiet and runs more like a corporation than a criminal enterprise. [How accurate any of this is, I don’t know. Tirabassi was never investigated in the 1960s to my knowledge, though it is true his family was later involved in the scandal-plagued Dairyland Greyhound Park. I don’t know who Louie Volpentesta was, unless the informant meant Peter Volpendesta. And where does Pepe Madrigrano fit into all this?]

This was probably William "Wheezer" Covelli?

This is very interesting info. I don’t know anything about Tirabassi. I think this is a subject that really warrants some more investigation.

I’d imagine the Covelli here was Wheezer Covelli. Worth noting that Wheezer’s wife was Eleanor Venci, daughter of Antonio Venci and Angelina Principe — Angelina was a sister of Dominic Principe.

Has anything ever surface indicating that Covelli was ever made? The CI above stating that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha wouldn’t seem to fit with him apparently inducting two of the main Calabresi there.

From my understanding is that Kenosha was always closer to Chicago than it was Milwaukee. There was even talks of some conflict between Kenosha and Milwaukee with Chicago backing Kenosha

[PolackTony]

Re: Kenosha

From Gavin's site:

On October 2 (or possibly 8), 1980, an informant told the FBI that Louie Volpentesta had been a “capo” in the Kenosha family of the mob, and a man named Covelli was now the figurehead. Volpentesta had worked at AMC but was also a fence and a troubleshooter. In the 1960s, the head of Kenosha mob was Dominic Tirabassi, who owned a large excavating company. The informant believed his two sons now had control of the rackets in Kenosha. The source said that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha, and that the Kenosha family is quiet and runs more like a corporation than a criminal enterprise. [How accurate any of this is, I don’t know. Tirabassi was never investigated in the 1960s to my knowledge, though it is true his family was later involved in the scandal-plagued Dairyland Greyhound Park. I don’t know who Louie Volpentesta was, unless the informant meant Peter Volpendesta. And where does Pepe Madrigrano fit into all this?]

This was probably William "Wheezer" Covelli?

This is very interesting info. I don’t know anything about Tirabassi. I think this is a subject that really warrants some more investigation.

I’d imagine the Covelli here was Wheezer Covelli. Worth noting that Wheezer’s wife was Eleanor Venci, daughter of Antonio Venci and Angelina Principe — Angelina was a sister of Dominic Principe.

Has anything ever surface indicating that Covelli was ever made? The CI above stating that Balistrieri had no control over Kenosha wouldn’t seem to fit with him apparently inducting two of the main Calabresi there.

From my understanding is that Kenosha was always closer to Chicago than it was Milwaukee. There was even talks of some conflict between Kenosha and Milwaukee with Chicago backing Kenosha

There was a strong basis for close connections to Chicago. The majority of Italians in Kenosha (and I believe Racine as well) were Calabresi from the Marano area of Cosenza province. This same area had a large settlement in Chicago and many guys in the Chicago outfit had ancestry from there. We also see early on a number of Chicago Sicilians with close ties to Kenosha/Racine, such as the Virrusos, Vitellos, Toto LoVerde, and the Argentos. Racine had some Milwaukee affiliated guys there as well, around 1930 — Angelo LaMantia and Johnny Massina (who were both from Altavilla Milicia and had previously lived in Chicago).

Thanks to Antiliar for reminding me that Joe Fosco has stated that Tony Iorii was put in charge of the Kenosha/Racine territory for Chicago. Seems like he may have had a crew based there. The Kenosha papers stated that Tony Iorri relocated to Kenosha from Chicago in 1936 and remained until 1952, when he moved to FL. Maybe Chicago’s crew there disbanded at this time, unless Iorii was succeeded by someone else that we don’t know of. If Chicago no longer had a formal presence in Kenosha by the early 60s, it could make sense that Milwaukee made a couple of guys there under Balistrieri (who of course also had a close relationship to Chicago; maybe Chicago allowed him to extend Milwaukee’s presence in Kenosha).

The info that Gavin Schmitt reported that Cavita posted is very interesting and would seem to really make the picture more complicated, as that account makes it seem as if Kenosha had its own “family” with its own boss as late as 1980; no other info would point to there having been an independent LCN Family, so this is likely referring to a Calabrian organization. We know that in the 1960s, a Calabrian Camorra organization persisted in Youngstown alongside and closely intertwined with LCN, so it wouldn’t be out of the question that something similar was going on in Kenosha.

[Angelo Santino]

Last two names-

Albert Albana
Cadillac Al
2/1/1901 NYC
Parents?
Origins?
2714 26th Ave, Kenosha, WI
Murel

Makes Beds Soldier

John Pernice
11/25/1897 Marsala, Trapani, Sicilia
Providenza San Filippo
Address?
Unemployed Soldier 1977

[PolackTony]

Last two names-

Albert Albana
Cadillac Al
2/1/1901 NYC
Parents?
Origins?
2714 26th Ave, Kenosha, WI
Murel

Makes Beds Soldier

John Pernice
11/25/1897 Marsala, Trapani, Sicilia
Providenza San Filippo
Address?
Unemployed Soldier 1977

For Al Albano:

Albert "Cadillac Al" Albano of Kenosha was entirely unrelated to the Milwaukee Albanos. He was born in 1901 in NYC and I believe that his family was from Cosenza province, Calabria, where the majority of Italians in the Kenosha area hailed from. In 1941, he was living in the northern Chicago suburb of Zion near the WI border (he later told the FBI that he had arrived to Lake County IL as a kid from NYC) under Alphonse aka Albert Albano, and listed a Tony Albano in Kenosha as his contact. This, I believe, was an Antonio Albano born 1887 in Cosenza who had lived in the Bronx in 1910 before relocating to Kenosha; he was likely either a brother or cousin of Cadillac Al. Cadillac Al later told the Feds that he lived and worked in Portland, OR, at a defense contractor facility in the 40s before moving to Kenosha, where he was living in 1950. In 1928, Albano caught a case for bootlegging in Kenosha and in 1935 was arrested for a shooting there as well. In 1963, he was suspected in the abduction and murder of Tony Biernat, a Kenosha jukebox company owner with alleged links to the Chicago and Milwaukee outfits. The FBI interview Al regarding the Biernat murder and reported that at that time Albano lived at 2714 25th Ave in Kenosha and was employed by Dante's Bar in Kenosha. Cadillac Al was closely partnered with Dominic Principe of Lake Zurich, Il (fancy), and Johnny Rizzo, a notorious Kenosha underworld figure allegedly in charge of gambling operations there.

[PolackTony]

As we don’t have a “dumping ground” thread for Milwaukee, figured that we could continue using this thread for Milwaukee info.

In 1968, Augie Maniaci reported to the FBI that Rudy Porchetta, Walter Brocca, Jimmy Jennaro, and Joe Enea had been proposed for membership, with a making ceremony scheduled for September, following Frank Balistrieri’s appeal on his tax evasion case in Chicago.

Rodolfo Amato “Rudy” Porchetta was born in 1914 in Pietracupa, Campobasso, Molise, to Achille Porchetta and Vincenza Durante. Rudy joined his family in Milwaukee in 1930, and later worked as a bartender. Rudy was sponsored for mafia membership by Frank Balistrieri. He died in Waukesha County in 2015.

Walter Phillip “Blackie” Brocca was born in 1915 in Milwaukee to Urbino Brocca and Emma Bellucci, of, respectively, Mondovio and Urbino in the province of Pesaro e Urbino, Marche; they married in 1913 in Milwaukee. He was sponsored by Peter Balistrieri and died in Milwaukee in 1995.

James Raymond “Jimmy” Jennaro was born in 1931 in Milwaukee to Biagio Gennaro and Antonina Mollica of Sant’Agata Millitello, Messina.he was sponsored by Frank Balistrieri and died in Milwaukee County in 2003.

Joseph Enea was born in 1931 in Milwaukee to Milwaukee member Giacomo “Jack” Enea and Jennie Carbone. Jack Enea was born in 1908 in Chicago to Giuseppe Enea and Vita Carollo of Bagheria. Jennie Carbone was born in 1911 in Lima, OH. Her father was, I believe, Rosario “Ross Anthony” Carbone of Sant’Eufemia d’Aspromonte in Reggio Calabria, and an apparent “Black Hander” in Lima; her mother was Rosina Bastaldi, born in Cleveland to parents from Potenza province, Basilicata. Joseph Enea married Frances LoGalbo, younger half-sister of Milwaukee-Chicago member Frank LoGalbo. LoGalbo and Jack Enea had been allies of John DiTrapani (murdered in 1954) in attempting to oust boss John Alioto and take over the Milwaukee outfit; Jack Enea was murdered in 1955, while LoGalbo was able to transfer to Chicago for protection. Joseph Enea was sponsored for membership by Joseph Spero and died of a heart attack at 44 years of age in Milwaukee in 1976.

Interesting to note that while the Milwaukee outfit may have not had any members of non-Sicilian ancestry previously, within the space of a few years Balistrieri had apparently inducted 4 mainlanders, along with a guy of Messinese ancestry who had no apparent link to Milwaukee’s traditional familial membership networks. Brocca and Porchetta, along with Jennaro, seem to have been close associates of the Balistrieris, working in their taverns and running racket operations for them. In 1955, Brocca was additionally questioned by police in the Jack Enea murder, as Brocca has been in Enea’s company several hours before he was murdered.