August DiCaro- Chicago and Tampa tie

[sdeitche]

I was researching the murder of Mrs Fernando Serrano in Tampa in 1933. Two of the men arrested as a subject were August DiCaro and Joe Spinole, both from Chicago. They were found at a known Tampa gambling spot with Joe Provenzano, a longtime underworld figure and suspect in a couple of Tampa mob murders.

I did a search on here and saw a few minor things about August DiCaro. Curious if anyone has more detailed biographical information on him. This is a tie between Tampa and Chicago that I was previously unaware of.

[PolackTony]

I was researching the murder of Mrs Fernando Serrano in Tampa in 1933. Two of the men arrested as a subject were August DiCaro and Joe Spinole, both from Chicago. They were found at a known Tampa gambling spot with Joe Provenzano, a longtime underworld figure and suspect in a couple of Tampa mob murders.

I did a search on here and saw a few minor things about August DiCaro. Curious if anyone has more detailed biographical information on him. This is a tie between Tampa and Chicago that I was previously unaware of.

Very interesting find. There’s less info on Gus DiCaro than on his younger brothers Charles and Joe DiCaro. Gus and Joe were both involved in heroin dealing in the 1950s/60s with Jimmy Cordovano, who may have subsequently been made (if so, he was a soldier in the Chinatown crew under Frank “Skids” Caruso). While older FBI lists carried Charles DiCaro as a member, I doubt that any of the brothers were made. Joe Spinole off hand doesn’t ring any bells.

The last mention I’ve seen of August DiCaro was when he was convicted on heroin charges in 1963 and sentenced to 7 years. Prior to that, he was busted in the 50s on heroin charges as part of a ring apparently under Cordovano and Frank Panatera that was tied to Gambino member Frank Pasqua. In the decades prior to that, he was a non-entity so far as public documentation goes.

August (1903), Salvatore/Sam (1907), Saverio/Charles Benjamin "Specs" (1912), and Joseph "Spider" (1916) DiCaro were born in Chicago to Francesco Paolo Di Caro and Carolina Spicuzza. Carolina was from Termini, and she married Francesco Paolo there in 1901. On his 1944 naturalization (and several other documents), Francesco Paolo's birthplace was listed as Palermo. On Saverio/Charles' 1912 birth certificate, however, Francesco Paolo was stated to have been born in Caltanissetta. In 1917, the DiCaros lived on 25th Pl between Lowe and Wallace in Chinatown, where they remained for decades. in 1942, Joe "Spider" DiCaro was living the next block over on 25th Pl and stated that he was employed by the Chicago Park District, while Charles "Specs" was living in the family residence on 25th Pl and working for a cartage company. Father Francesco worked also worked as a City employee (public servant and trucking/carting are extremely common job descriptions for guys connected to the Chinatown crew). August and Joe DiCaro were both involved with Cordovano in narcotics operations. Specs DiCaro died in 2011 while Spider DiCaro died in 1986. August DiCaro died back in 1977.

viewtopic.php?p=223658#p223658

[JCB1977]

Did August DiCaro have any other spellings of his last name?

[Antiliar]

Did August DiCaro have any other spellings of his last name?

Joe DiCaro's surname is misspelled as DiCarco on page 514 of 1963 McClellan Hearing transcript. There's probably similar typos for August.

[sdeitche]

I was researching the murder of Mrs Fernando Serrano in Tampa in 1933. Two of the men arrested as a subject were August DiCaro and Joe Spinole, both from Chicago. They were found at a known Tampa gambling spot with Joe Provenzano, a longtime underworld figure and suspect in a couple of Tampa mob murders.

I did a search on here and saw a few minor things about August DiCaro. Curious if anyone has more detailed biographical information on him. This is a tie between Tampa and Chicago that I was previously unaware of.

Very interesting find. There’s less info on Gus DiCaro than on his younger brothers Charles and Joe DiCaro. Gus and Joe were both involved in heroin dealing in the 1950s/60s with Jimmy Cordovano, who may have subsequently been made (if so, he was a soldier in the Chinatown crew under Frank “Skids” Caruso). While older FBI lists carried Charles DiCaro as a member, I doubt that any of the brothers were made. Joe Spinole off hand doesn’t ring any bells.

The last mention I’ve seen of August DiCaro was when he was convicted on heroin charges in 1963 and sentenced to 7 years. Prior to that, he was busted in the 50s on heroin charges as part of a ring apparently under Cordovano and Frank Panatera that was tied to Gambino member Frank Pasqua. In the decades prior to that, he was a non-entity so far as public documentation goes.

August (1903), Salvatore/Sam (1907), Saverio/Charles Benjamin "Specs" (1912), and Joseph "Spider" (1916) DiCaro were born in Chicago to Francesco Paolo Di Caro and Carolina Spicuzza. Carolina was from Termini, and she married Francesco Paolo there in 1901. On his 1944 naturalization (and several other documents), Francesco Paolo's birthplace was listed as Palermo. On Saverio/Charles' 1912 birth certificate, however, Francesco Paolo was stated to have been born in Caltanissetta. In 1917, the DiCaros lived on 25th Pl between Lowe and Wallace in Chinatown, where they remained for decades. in 1942, Joe "Spider" DiCaro was living the next block over on 25th Pl and stated that he was employed by the Chicago Park District, while Charles "Specs" was living in the family residence on 25th Pl and working for a cartage company. Father Francesco worked also worked as a City employee (public servant and trucking/carting are extremely common job descriptions for guys connected to the Chinatown crew). August and Joe DiCaro were both involved with Cordovano in narcotics operations. Specs DiCaro died in 2011 while Spider DiCaro died in 1986. August DiCaro died back in 1977.

viewtopic.php?p=223658#p223658

Thanks Tony
Great stuff

[PolackTony]

I was researching the murder of Mrs Fernando Serrano in Tampa in 1933. Two of the men arrested as a subject were August DiCaro and Joe Spinole, both from Chicago. They were found at a known Tampa gambling spot with Joe Provenzano, a longtime underworld figure and suspect in a couple of Tampa mob murders.

I did a search on here and saw a few minor things about August DiCaro. Curious if anyone has more detailed biographical information on him. This is a tie between Tampa and Chicago that I was previously unaware of.

Very interesting find. There’s less info on Gus DiCaro than on his younger brothers Charles and Joe DiCaro. Gus and Joe were both involved in heroin dealing in the 1950s/60s with Jimmy Cordovano, who may have subsequently been made (if so, he was a soldier in the Chinatown crew under Frank “Skids” Caruso). While older FBI lists carried Charles DiCaro as a member, I doubt that any of the brothers were made. Joe Spinole off hand doesn’t ring any bells.

The last mention I’ve seen of August DiCaro was when he was convicted on heroin charges in 1963 and sentenced to 7 years. Prior to that, he was busted in the 50s on heroin charges as part of a ring apparently under Cordovano and Frank Panatera that was tied to Gambino member Frank Pasqua. In the decades prior to that, he was a non-entity so far as public documentation goes.

August (1903), Salvatore/Sam (1907), Saverio/Charles Benjamin "Specs" (1912), and Joseph "Spider" (1916) DiCaro were born in Chicago to Francesco Paolo Di Caro and Carolina Spicuzza. Carolina was from Termini, and she married Francesco Paolo there in 1901. On his 1944 naturalization (and several other documents), Francesco Paolo's birthplace was listed as Palermo. On Saverio/Charles' 1912 birth certificate, however, Francesco Paolo was stated to have been born in Caltanissetta. In 1917, the DiCaros lived on 25th Pl between Lowe and Wallace in Chinatown, where they remained for decades. in 1942, Joe "Spider" DiCaro was living the next block over on 25th Pl and stated that he was employed by the Chicago Park District, while Charles "Specs" was living in the family residence on 25th Pl and working for a cartage company. Father Francesco worked also worked as a City employee (public servant and trucking/carting are extremely common job descriptions for guys connected to the Chinatown crew). August and Joe DiCaro were both involved with Cordovano in narcotics operations. Specs DiCaro died in 2011 while Spider DiCaro died in 1986. August DiCaro died back in 1977.

viewtopic.php?p=223658#p223658

Thanks Tony
Great stuff

Thanks to you for finding and reporting the connection.

Worth noting that we see two Chicago-Tampa connections involving guys who were also involved in “papagna”: the Franzone brothers and the DiCaro brothers.