General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[funkster]

FWIW, Fosco said that "Joe Kong" was Joseph Calato (although he spelled it Cullatto) and said that Frank's brother was a barber.

Thanks, I forgot who said what as I haven’t thought about Joe Kong in a bit.

Fosco said that it’s spelled “Cullatto” while another poster (“NONAME”) claimed that it was “Calato”.

The parents of Frank Cullotta’s dad Joseph Cullotta were from Cefalù, and the original spelling is “Culotta” (the spelling with two Ls was a mistake that came after arriving in Chicago). There were, however, “Cullattos” from Altavilla Milicia in Chicago. There were also a bunch of Calatos who came to Chicago from Vicari (hometown of Dom Nuccio, Frank Orlando, and some early mafiosi). So either surname would be possible.

Joe Calato is/was definitely a real ​Outfit guy. I think he is the same as Joe Kong, but his birthdate doesn't match what the CCC had for Joe Kong "Cullotta." Do you know Frank's brother's age or birth date by any chance, Tony?

What year do you have for his birthday? He's got to be up in age.

[Snakes]

FWIW, Fosco said that "Joe Kong" was Joseph Calato (although he spelled it Cullatto) and said that Frank's brother was a barber.

Thanks, I forgot who said what as I haven’t thought about Joe Kong in a bit.

Fosco said that it’s spelled “Cullatto” while another poster (“NONAME”) claimed that it was “Calato”.

The parents of Frank Cullotta’s dad Joseph Cullotta were from Cefalù, and the original spelling is “Culotta” (the spelling with two Ls was a mistake that came after arriving in Chicago). There were, however, “Cullattos” from Altavilla Milicia in Chicago. There were also a bunch of Calatos who came to Chicago from Vicari (hometown of Dom Nuccio, Frank Orlando, and some early mafiosi). So either surname would be possible.

Joe Calato is/was definitely a real ​Outfit guy. I think he is the same as Joe Kong, but his birthdate doesn't match what the CCC had for Joe Kong "Cullotta." Do you know Frank's brother's age or birth date by any chance, Tony?

Yeah, the Joe Calato busted with DiVarco and Ronnie Ignoffo. That guy was born ~1950 and was from River Forest. He now lives in Melrose Park. Interestingly, he seems to be connected to Gina Nardiello, the mother of John Amabile of recent gambling notoriety (her dad, the late “Boston Joe” Nardiello, ran my old local beef stand “Joe Boston’s” at Chicago and Grand, IIRC).

Frank’s brother Joe Cullotta was born 1947-48. He may have been the same Joe Cullotta busted for armed robbery in 1966 and for an armed standoff with CPD in 1980, though I’m not 100% positive.

What age did the CCC give for Joe Kong again?

7/9/47. There is a small chance that the CCC used Frank's brother's info for what should have been Joe Calato. Makes the most sense to me based on what Fosco said.

[PolackTony]

FWIW, Fosco said that "Joe Kong" was Joseph Calato (although he spelled it Cullatto) and said that Frank's brother was a barber.

Thanks, I forgot who said what as I haven’t thought about Joe Kong in a bit.

Fosco said that it’s spelled “Cullatto” while another poster (“NONAME”) claimed that it was “Calato”.

The parents of Frank Cullotta’s dad Joseph Cullotta were from Cefalù, and the original spelling is “Culotta” (the spelling with two Ls was a mistake that came after arriving in Chicago). There were, however, “Cullattos” from Altavilla Milicia in Chicago. There were also a bunch of Calatos who came to Chicago from Vicari (hometown of Dom Nuccio, Frank Orlando, and some early mafiosi). So either surname would be possible.

Joe Calato is/was definitely a real ​Outfit guy. I think he is the same as Joe Kong, but his birthdate doesn't match what the CCC had for Joe Kong "Cullotta." Do you know Frank's brother's age or birth date by any chance, Tony?

Yeah, the Joe Calato busted with DiVarco and Ronnie Ignoffo. That guy was born ~1950 and was from River Forest. He now lives in Melrose Park. Interestingly, he seems to be connected to Gina Nardiello, the mother of John Amabile of recent gambling notoriety (her dad, the late “Boston Joe” Nardiello, ran my old local beef stand “Joe Boston’s” at Chicago and Grand, IIRC).

Frank’s brother Joe Cullotta was born 1947-48. He may have been the same Joe Cullotta busted for armed robbery in 1966 and for an armed standoff with CPD in 1980, though I’m not 100% positive.

What age did the CCC give for Joe Kong again?

7/9/47. There is a small chance that the CCC used Frank's brother's info for what should have been Joe Calato. Makes the most sense to me based on what Fosco said.

Yeah, I have a record that I believe is for Frank’s brother that has it as 07/08/1947. There actually was another Joe Cullotta (same spelling) born in ‘47 (in August) who died in 2005, but he was not Frank’s brother (his father was named Vincenzo, not Joseph).

So, either 1) Joe Kong is Cullotta’s brother and the CCC was right and Fosco wrong; 2) Joe King was the other Cullotta who died in ‘05 and the CCC mixed him up with Frank’s brother due to the very close birthdates; or 3) Joe Kong is Calato in MP and the CCC mixed up both the name and the age.

I’d lean towards 3 myself, given that Calato definitely was/is connected and Fosco at least thought his surname ended in an “O”. Before moving to MP, Calato also lived in Elmwood Park for a while in the 90s.

[Snakes]

CCC had Joe Kong living in Rosemont in the 90s, if that helps

[PolackTony]

CCC had Joe Kong living in Rosemont in the 90s, if that helps

I have Frank’s brother living in Rosemont in the 1990s as well. The CCC absolutely had him on their chart, even though it seems like they most likely confused him with Calato.

This is Frank’s brother, which matches the CCC photo as well.

[Jeff]

The truth usually always lies in the middle somewhere.

IMO there is still something organized and structured there. The 28 member number gets thrown around like it is the gospel, and that the feds knew absolutely everything and everyone that was involved at the time. Much of it was probably based on Calabrese's intel as well as historical intel. We know that there is a lot Calabrese did not know, and although he was a made guy he certainly did not seem to be in the "inner-circle" like his brother was. There is also a distinct possibility that both he and Frank Jr. were "selective" shall we say in there intel, and were protecting certain groups of people.

No argument that the outfit is on a declining path and is a smallish family. However, we don't' have even a remotely full picture of what is happening and who is involved.

The family is a shell of its former self. But what I think is lost on many is that law enforcement in Chicago - federal or state - devotes almost no attention or resources to the Outfit. The crowd that believes arrests correnspond with criminal activity and "power" with use that as evidence for the family's decline. They are probably not wrong. But at the same time everyone agress including the FBI that the family is still active. So the lack of law enforcement attention also is the reason so little is know about the family now.

CPD has no teams or sections tracking the outfit. They disbanded the gambling section in 2007 or 2008
I believe. The last chart they put together was in early 2000s. The FBI has maybe one team that still goes after them I believe but I am not even sure on that. That being said, you assessment could be accurate.

Yeah, I"ve heard conflicting info about the FBI too. Supposedly, there are agents that focus on organized crime that among other crime groups are assigned to the Outfit. But they devote most of their resources to street gangs, drugs, money laundering, etc. But of course that could have been made up by someone on a message board ha. That's interesting about the CPD.

[Patrickgold]

CCC had Joe Kong living in Rosemont in the 90s, if that helps

I have Frank’s brother living in Rosemont in the 1990s as well. The CCC absolutely had him on their chart, even though it seems like they most likely confused him with Calato.

This is Frank’s brother, which matches the CCC photo as well.

Do you have the CCC photo from 1990?

[Patrickgold]

Joe Fosco said they are different people. He said theres a Joe Cullotto, whose nickname is Kong. He's with Joey DeVita, who was with the Bostones and Louie the Mooch. A lot of people think Kong's last name is spelled cullotta, because it's pronounced so similar. Sounds like the CCC messed it up and confused the two

[PolackTony]

Joe Fosco said they are different people. He said theres a Joe Cullotto, whose nickname is Kong. He's with Joey DeVita, who was with the Bostones and Louie the Mooch. A lot of people think Kong's last name is spelled cullotta, because it's pronounced so similar. Sounds like the CCC messed it up and confused the two

Yeah, I agree that the CCC (and maybe even the Feds) probably mixed up Frank Cullotta’s brother with Joe Kong and hence erroneously had his photo and birthday in their chart. But Fosco’s “Cullatto” spelling doesn’t match anyone that I can find, so it seems pretty likely that Joe Kong is the same Joseph Victor Calato who was pinched with DiVarco and Ignoffo. Calato’s ancestry is probably from Vicari, where Dom Nuccio and Frank Orlando had ancestry, so it would make sense that he would’ve had links to Northside crew guys like DiVarco and Matassa back in the day, although he is himself from River Forest/Melrose Park.

Joe Cullotta (Frank’s brother) was pinched for shooting a kid during an armed robbery of a corner store in ‘66 and was possibly also arrested for threatening the cops with a shotgun in the early 80s, but there’s no public evidence thing him to any mob-related activity, unlike Calato. Plus, as you say, Fosco said it wasn’t him, and I’m definitely going to take Fosco’s word over the CCC here.

[funkster]

So, it was Frank's brother and NOT Kong who lived in Rosemont?

[Coloboy]

Colo, where's the indication that's it been folded in?

I'm in the area, I still say some of the Stramaglios are players. They own a shit load of property and Grace is a Cerone.

No real indication, mostly just curious what those who grew up in that area have heard. With most of the other crews we can at least name 8-10 individuals who could potentially be a part of them. However, with Grand Ave we don't really have any names outside of a few. Not that that means much. As we noted earlier no one had heard of Bobby Panazzo and his crew and all the crazy shit they were a part of on Grand Ave, so anything is possible.

[PolackTony]

So, it was Frank's brother and NOT Kong who lived in Rosemont?

Right. Joe Calato lives in Melrose Park, though in the 90s he lived in Elmwood Park, while Joe Cullotta lived in Rosemont.

[Tonyd621]

Anybody see gangsterreports new article about nick ferriola
..."Destined For Southside Capo Spot Soon"... it's behind a paywall now... if your not a member of this board I could care less if we post ones paid articles. However, since he is a member and a contributor by which he subjects himself to all kinds of criticisms from ppl on here I will not post it.

[Nick Prango]

FWIW, Fosco said that "Joe Kong" was Joseph Calato (although he spelled it Cullatto) and said that Frank's brother was a barber.

Thanks, I forgot who said what as I haven’t thought about Joe Kong in a bit.

Fosco said that it’s spelled “Cullatto” while another poster (“NONAME”) claimed that it was “Calato”.

The parents of Frank Cullotta’s dad Joseph Cullotta were from Cefalù, and the original spelling is “Culotta” (the spelling with two Ls was a mistake that came after arriving in Chicago). There were, however, “Cullattos” from Altavilla Milicia in Chicago. There were also a bunch of Calatos who came to Chicago from Vicari (hometown of Dom Nuccio, Frank Orlando, and some early mafiosi). So either surname would be possible.

Joe Calato is/was definitely a real ​Outfit guy. I think he is the same as Joe Kong, but his birthdate doesn't match what the CCC had for Joe Kong "Cullotta." Do you know Frank's brother's age or birth date by any chance, Tony?

Yeah, the Joe Calato busted with DiVarco and Ronnie Ignoffo. That guy was born ~1950 and was from River Forest. He now lives in Melrose Park. Interestingly, he seems to be connected to Gina Nardiello, the mother of John Amabile of recent gambling notoriety (her dad, the late “Boston Joe” Nardiello, ran my old local beef stand “Joe Boston’s” at Chicago and Grand, IIRC).

Frank’s brother Joe Cullotta was born 1947-48. He may have been the same Joe Cullotta busted for armed robbery in 1966 and for an armed standoff with CPD in 1980, though I’m not 100% positive.

What age did the CCC give for Joe Kong again?

7/9/47. There is a small chance that the CCC used Frank's brother's info for what should have been Joe Calato. Makes the most sense to me based on what Fosco said.

Yeah, I have a record that I believe is for Frank’s brother that has it as 07/08/1947. There actually was another Joe Cullotta (same spelling) born in ‘47 (in August) who died in 2005, but he was not Frank’s brother (his father was named Vincenzo, not Joseph).

So, either 1) Joe Kong is Cullotta’s brother and the CCC was right and Fosco wrong; 2) Joe King was the other Cullotta who died in ‘05 and the CCC mixed him up with Frank’s brother due to the very close birthdates; or 3) Joe Kong is Calato in MP and the CCC mixed up both the name and the age.

I’d lean towards 3 myself, given that Calato definitely was/is connected and Fosco at least thought his surname ended in an “O”. Before moving to MP, Calato also lived in Elmwood Park for a while in the 90s.

Polack your thoughts on this. According to this article https://gangsterreport.com/the-state-of ... es-future/ -Solly D is still the boss, but plays little-to-no role in day-to-day operations

--Jimmy I is underboss (alleged)

--Albert V is street boss (alleged)

--Joe the Builder is consigliere (alleged; largely ceremonial)

--Sally C and Dino Marino now in charge of Cicero (where power base is strongest, again alleged)

--Albert V also still in charge of Grand Ave (alleged)

--Nick F taking on a larger role in Southside / Chinatown (alleged)

--Elmwood Park may in time be rolled into Cicero; Rudy F acting as a 'mini boss' (alleged, whatever that means!). Also the article alludes to a few dozen "young guys" in Cicero and South Side/Chinatown crew that were made in the last several years and the evolution of the Outfit in the new millennium.

[funkster]

I see he's been fleshing out Chicago stuff now that it's behind a paywall, might subscribe if he continues to do so and not just an article on the outfit sparingly (not a knock, just not worth it to me if thats the case). So he says Elmwood might be rolled into Cicero soon, but then whats his idea on its status now?