Rockford LCN Capo Charles Vince- A Profile

[cavita]

Charles Vince (Vinci) was born August 18, 1907 in Union, Louisiana to Angelo Vinci and Giuseppa Vaccaro of Camporeale, Sicily. By 1917 the Vince family was living in Rockford, Illinois and by the late 1920s Charles had begun racking up arrests. His early arrests were numerous and involved disorderly conduct, larceny and carrying a concealed weapon. By the early 1930s he had become part of a gang of gang of men who were robbing and terrorizing merchants in northern Illinois. Some of the men he teamed up with were Phil Cannella, Tony Sparacino, Frank Giardono, Tony Calcione, Nick Misuraca and Dominic Ferro.

Amidst all this, Vince married Caroline Herman in Belvidere, Illinois on March 18, 1933. Vince was questioned in the gangland murder of his buddy Nick Misuraca who was found shot to death on Meridian Road on August 30, 1933 but no one was arrested for this murder. More arrests for robbery followed Vince but every time the charges were either dismissed or he paid a fine.

On September 3, 1937 Vince was arrested along with Sam Lazzio on charges of hijacking eight cases of cigarettes from a freight car in Elgin, Illinois. A similar robbery in Elgin a few weeks prior consisted of cigarettes and tobacco. What makes these cases noteworthy is that later FBI files mention that at that time, a number of Rockford individuals were engaged in the hijacking business under the direction of George Saladino. Saladino was the operator of the Rockford Macaroni Factory and it was said that this factory was possibly being used as a drop for the stolen merchandise. FBI files also stated that Saladino had a large well-organized gang operating in Rockford under LCN boss Tony Musso and that Phil Cannella and Phil Priola were members of Saladino’s gang. It appeared that Saladino was an early Rockford LCN capo and that Charles Vince had attracted the attention of the Rockford family by this point.

In February 1939 Vince’s wife Caroline was granted a divorce from Charles and the basis was for cruelty. On February 9, 1943 Vince was arrested at the Chandler Hotel for gambling along with Paul Picchioni, John Everly, Sam Chennilaro, Tony Zacharia, Louis Capriola, Frank Giardono, Nick Vince and Lee Daniels. For whatever reason, perhaps as an agreement not to prosecute him, Vince entered the U.S. Army at Chicago on November 8, 1943 and served with a medical detachment of the 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and he was honorably discharged on November 10, 1945.

Another gambling arrest came for Vince on December 29, 1947 at the Independent Social Club where Pete Chiodini, Leo Palmeri and Joe Zito were among some of those charged. On January 16, 1949 Vince married Marie LaRocca of Springfield, Illinois with his best man being Sam Chennilaro and Tony Cannella was his groomsman. Marie’s parents were Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Giganti and it was said she was a niece of Frank Zito, boss of the LCN family in Springfield but I haven’t found anything to support this.

Another gambling arrest for Vince came on March 14, 1949 at a social club on South Main Street where among fifteen people charged included Joe Lazzio, Joe “Gramps” Marinelli, James Sansone and Phil “The Tailor” Emordeno. On April 9, 1954 Vince and his wife Marie were divorced and later that year he married Nunzia Giardono, the widow of his friend and partner in crime, Frank Giardono. Giardono had died May 9, 1954 and the two incidents, the divorce of Marie and marrying Nunzia caused Charles Vince to be kicked out of Rockford by LCN boss Tony Musso. During the time he was out of Rockford, Vince and his new bride moved to Streator, Illinois.

Upon the death of Tony Musso in May 1958, Vince moved back to Rockford and was thought highly of by new boss Joe Zammuto and the rest of the family. So much so that Vince became Rockford’s “street gambling boss” when John Domino moved to Arizona in 1959. By late 1964 Vince was tasked to run the dice game at the Southside Sportsman’s Club which was owned by LCN member Phil Cannella.

By March 1966 Charles Vince was promoted to the position of capodecina in the Rockford family upon the retirement of former capo Lorenzo Buttice. Immediately Vince took the responsibility of making collections of the street tax from the African Americans who were operating illegal gambling and liquor establishments. FBI files detailed how Vince would make take the week’s collections to the Aragona Club on Tuesdays where it would be split up among the members of the family. Vince was also responsible for overseeing the African American Globe-Post policy wheel gambling operation which was making approximately $25,000 a month.

On December 21, 1966 Rockford police along with a federal agent raided a gambling operation operated by Vince at the United Sacred Heat and St. Anthony Society. Others arrested with Vince were Sebastian Gulotta, Anthony Zacharia, Ann White, Robert Priddle, Jane Hall, Felix Harbison and William Crosby.

In December 1968 under the guise of liquor violations, the FBI subpoenaed many members of the Rockford family along with various associates and questioned them about liquor and gambling in the Rockford area. Vince was paraded in front of the Grand Jury along with boss Joe Zammuto, underboss Frank Buscemi and consigliere Joe Zito. The questioning amounted to only two minor charges and this caused the Rockford family to drive their operations more underground.

On February 19, 1971 Vince was arrested by FBI agents on charges that he extorted $2,000 from Albert Ottow, a Beloit, Wisconsin doctor. Ottow was convicted of criminal abortion in 1966 he told the FBI that he had performed about 10 abortions between 1968 and 1970 under fear of death against him by Vince. Apparently Vince had been extorting Ottow for years- knowing Ottow was a big gambler, Vince had told the doctor he knew of a way Ottow could cheat the Chicago Outfit on gambling. Vince later pretended something went wrong, the Outfit found out and Vince was able to extort Ottow for a number of years over this. On July 29, 1971 Vince was sentenced to two years in prison and he served his time at the Sandstone Penitentiary being housed in the same dormitory as Milwaukee LCN boss Frank Balistrieri. On February 8, 1973 Vince was released from Sandstone and resumed his duties as capo for the Rockford family.

The Rockford family along with Charles Vince attempted to stay low key in the 1970s and it worked so much so that the FBI closed their files on the Rockford LCN in 1976 stating that members were not observed committing any crimes. In July 1978 the FBI’s move was premature when they observed capo Charles Vince, consigliere Joe Zito and street gambling boss Phil Emordeno making the introductions between Bonanno member Frank “Lefty” Ruggiero and Milwaukee LCN boss Frank Balistrieri in Milwaukee. Balistrieri was attempting to extort who he thought was a Milwaukee vending machine operator named Tony Conte who was really undercover agent Gail Cobb. Cobb had been vouched for by Donnie Brasco, working under Ruggiero in the Bonanno family, but Brasco was really undercover agent Joe Pistone. The three Rockford men escaped prosecution in this case but were considered unindicted co-conspirators while Frank Balistrieri eventually served years in prison. Bonanno family member Tony Riela had a long history with Rockford and telephone calls to Joe Zito allegedly showed that the meeting was set up by the two men.

The FBI once again opened up investigation into the Rockford family and in 1981 attempted to get an undercover agent into the Rockford family posing as a business owner who wanted to open up a pornographic videotape business. Charles Vince was setting up a place for the “business owner” to set up shop in and when the owner expressed concern over possible zoning violations, Vince told him to go see his personal friend Illinois State Representative Edolo “Zeke” Giorgi who could fix anything from a traffic ticket on up. The FBI very much desired to secretly record Giorgi and prosecute him and Vince but for whatever reason, perhaps suspecting the undercover’s true identity, Vince cut all ties and the investigation went nowhere. The FBI did discover though that Vince controlled the vending machine business in the Rockford area and was possibly in the position of “acting boss” while Joe Zammuto vacationed in Florida for months at a time.

A March 1984 Rockford newspaper expose on the Rockford family reported that Vince was the LCN underboss, but this information was gleaned from local police files. FBI reports at the time over and over stated that Joe Zammuto was the undisputed boss and that Frank Buscemi was the family underboss so there is some question as to what exactly Vince’s position was. When contacted for the article by a newspaper reporter and asked to comment, Vince replied, “I don’t want to hear no bullshit about this. You do what you want to do,” and he hung up the phone.

Whatever Vince’s status was at the end, he passed away quietly on January 24, 1994 at the age of 86 closing the book on a criminal career that spanned almost seventy years.

[Patrickgold]

Great write up Cavita as always. Really curious how he found out about the undercover agent. Someone had to tip him off. Were there rumors that he took over as boss after Zammuto died? I remember hearing that. Thanks

[cavita]

Great write up Cavita as always. Really curious how he found out about the undercover agent. Someone had to tip him off. Were there rumors that he took over as boss after Zammuto died? I remember hearing that. Thanks

I don't know how the undercover operation was scrapped but I suspect because it was around the time Balistrieri's case involving the undercover agent in Milwaukee got going in court that perhaps the Rockford LCN and Vince became overly cautious and cut ties with the agent.
The only thing I ever saw that Vince became boss was from an old internet site- this was from around 2001 or so. Zammuto was referred to in mid 1980s FBI files as absolute boss while Buscemi was underboss. I think perhaps VInce could have been consigliere at that point but until I see more FBI files, the info just isn't there.

[PolackTony]

Marie’s parents were Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Giganti and it was said she was a niece of Frank Zito, boss of the LCN family in Springfield but I haven’t found anything to support this.

Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Gigangi were both from Montevago. Don't see any marriages between their relatives and a Zito either, though it's always possible that there was some marriage in one of the extended families.

[B.]

Marie’s parents were Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Giganti and it was said she was a niece of Frank Zito, boss of the LCN family in Springfield but I haven’t found anything to support this.

Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Gigangi were both from Montevago. Don't see any marriages between their relatives and a Zito either, though it's always possible that there was some marriage in one of the extended families.

Frank Zito's brother Anthony was married to the daughter of underboss Nick Campo, so they were at least related to Montevago people through marriage on that front.

Another great write-up, Cavita.

[PolackTony]

Marie’s parents were Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Giganti and it was said she was a niece of Frank Zito, boss of the LCN family in Springfield but I haven’t found anything to support this.

Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Gigangi were both from Montevago. Don't see any marriages between their relatives and a Zito either, though it's always possible that there was some marriage in one of the extended families.

Frank Zito's brother Anthony was married to the daughter of underboss Nick Campo, so they were at least related to Montevago people through marriage on that front.

Another great write-up, Cavita.

Yes, good point. As it turns out also, Giuseppa Giganti’s mother was a Campo as well.

Agreed on Cavita’s write up, of course. These deep dives on the Rockford guys are really excellent.

Vince’s connection to Streator and his marriage to a LaRocca all point to ties to Springfield.

[cavita]

Marie’s parents were Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Giganti and it was said she was a niece of Frank Zito, boss of the LCN family in Springfield but I haven’t found anything to support this.

Giuseppe LaRocca and Giuseppa Gigangi were both from Montevago. Don't see any marriages between their relatives and a Zito either, though it's always possible that there was some marriage in one of the extended families.

Frank Zito's brother Anthony was married to the daughter of underboss Nick Campo, so they were at least related to Montevago people through marriage on that front.

Another great write-up, Cavita.

Yes, good point. As it turns out also, Giuseppa Giganti’s mother was a Campo as well.

Agreed on Cavita’s write up, of course. These deep dives on the Rockford guys are really excellent.

Vince’s connection to Streator and his marriage to a LaRocca all point to ties to Springfield.

Thanks! I might add too that perhaps the marriage between Charles and Marie might have been arranged perhaps on Tony Musso's part? Why else would he get so offended and kick Charles out of Rockford..