Madison 1963

[B.]

It would be like San Francisco and I believe St. Louis who at this time had only one captain (though in SF he had no soldiers assigned to him). Did Rockford have more than one?

[cavita]

It would be like San Francisco and I believe St. Louis who at this time had only one captain (though in SF he had no soldiers assigned to him). Did Rockford have more than one?

I've only seen clear reference to them having only one, but I do have a lone FBI report from the 1960s that referred to two individuals being street bosses but this information was probably erroneous.

[B.]

Underboss "Pizza Joe" Aiello was interviewed by the FBI and told them he moved from Chicago to McKeesport PA outside of Pittsburgh in 1932 and after eighteen months moved to Madison. Looks to me like he may have fled Chicago for Pittsburgh then settled in Madison once things were more secure. Fits Maniaci's perception that Aiello left Chicago because of the war even though he may not have had the specifics completely right.

Aiello also told the FBI he grew up with Carlo Caputo in Bagheria and admitted he had known John DiBella in Sicily before coming to the US in 1920. DiBella lived in Montelepre but it looks like many of these guys had connections long before they were in Wisconsin.

[PolackTony]

Underboss "Pizza Joe" Aiello was interviewed by the FBI and told them he moved from Chicago to McKeesport PA outside of Pittsburgh in 1932 and after eighteen months moved to Madison. Looks to me like he may have fled Chicago for Pittsburgh then settled in Madison once things were more secure. Fits Maniaci's perception that Aiello left Chicago because of the war even though he may not have had the specifics completely right.

Aiello also told the FBI he grew up with Carlo Caputo in Bagheria and admitted he had known John DiBella in Sicily before coming to the US in 1920. DiBella lived in Montelepre but it looks like many of these guys had connections long before they were in Wisconsin.

From Nick Fucarino's file in 1965. CI claims that Joe Aiello was forced out of the Chicago Family because he refused to whack his unfaithful wife. So this would explain why Aiello fled Chicago in 1932, rather than during the Capone-Aiello conflict as Maniaci believed, and also why he remarried when he went to Madison. I had previously wondered if he had some sort of midlife crisis, hence the divorce and move, but it looks like it was a more serious issue than that.

[cavita]

Underboss "Pizza Joe" Aiello was interviewed by the FBI and told them he moved from Chicago to McKeesport PA outside of Pittsburgh in 1932 and after eighteen months moved to Madison. Looks to me like he may have fled Chicago for Pittsburgh then settled in Madison once things were more secure. Fits Maniaci's perception that Aiello left Chicago because of the war even though he may not have had the specifics completely right.

Aiello also told the FBI he grew up with Carlo Caputo in Bagheria and admitted he had known John DiBella in Sicily before coming to the US in 1920. DiBella lived in Montelepre but it looks like many of these guys had connections long before they were in Wisconsin.

From Nick Fucarino's file in 1965. CI claims that Joe Aiello was forced out of the Chicago Family because he refused to whack his unfaithful wife. So this would explain why Aiello fled Chicago in 1932, rather than during the Capone-Aiello conflict as Maniaci believed, and also why he remarried when he went to Madison. I had previously wondered if he had some sort of midlife crisis, hence the divorce and move, but it looks like it was a more serious issue than that.

When Maniaci was giving the FBI info in the 1960s he was trying to remember historical incidents from 30 years before and I think he either made assumptions and/or what he had heard at the time. What we have to remember was that in the 1930s Maniaci was not yet a made man and may not have been privy to a lot of information.

[B.]

Yeah Maniaci recalled that Aiello fled Chicago but it looks like it was because of his failure to carry out an honor killing rather than the Capone-Aiello war.

Funny he fled to Pittsburgh, as a few years before he went there Stefano Monastero had shelved Domenico Anzalone or failing to carry out an honor killing of his wife for the same reason. Anzalone was reinstated by the post-Monastero leadership though. Wonder if Aiello was a Pittsburgh member for a time.

Tells us too that the Chicago leadership circa 1931/32 (Capone regime) still upheld the old rule about killing an unfaithful wife.

[PolackTony]

From that letter from an alleged son of a Tampa member that Chin found and posted to the 1989 NE ceremony thread. Very interesting stuff, including that they will be more tolerant of police in a prospect's family than any "scandal". Goes to underscore how serious of an infraction Pizza Joe committed. It wasn't just his honor at stake, but the Family's honor. Just as in an actual family traditionally, a stain on the collective honor of the group calls for violence to address it, and the sexual impropriety of female relatives, or threats to their propriety and reputation from males, in both cases was a major source of dishonor. Traditionally, a Man is one who is able to redress with violence any assault on his honor and by extension the honor of his family. A man without honor is not a Man.

[cavita]

Wondering if Madison emphasized murder as a requirement for induction like Rockford, Milwaukee, KC, and Chicago did. Seems like they'd have a very short hitlist.

It’s a good question, and I don’t recall seeing Maniaci mention anything about it, but we don’t have a Madison member source, of course. Short hit list, but also a very short list of later inductees. Given the surrounding Families, I’d expect that it could have been a requirement there too, though they may have had to have played it looser with the last couple of members. Cavita has stated that the last known mafia murder in Madison seems to have been in 1932, but then we don’t even know if guys like Caputo and Aiello were made by Madison or made by Chicago and then transferred.

Early on in my LCN research I naturally assumed that made members of families had to commit murder to be accepted into their respective family and we've found this is not always the case- more often than not, but not always. With that, I then assumed any murder to gain one's "seat at the table," occurred in that prospective members' city. This may not be the case either as I've gone on in research. I have FBI files stating that Rockford member Joe Marinelli was made sometime in the 1950s with Lorenzo Buttice being his sponsor. Interestingly, another FBI file stated that a police source said Marinelli was involved in the November 1955 murder of Milwaukee organized crime figure Jack Enea. Marinelli was travelling often in Wisconsin during this time and boss Tony Musso was noted as having frequent telephonic contact with Milwaukee boss Alioto during this time as well. From this I've surmised that prospective members can commit the necessary murder at the request of another family perhaps.
I believe Madison's last LCN murder was around 1932 but that's not to say Madison guys weren't murdering people in other cities, and this would obviously make sense as out of towners, or imported guys, would be unrecognizable to a victim that was to be murdered. Food for thought I guess. Perhaps Madison guys were committing murders into the 1960s, just not in Madison.

A little more I found on the Jack Enea murder from a 1970 FBI report which is interesting:

For information of Milwaukee Division, Sergeant [REDACTED], Intelligence Unit, Rockford, Illinois, Police Department, just recently completed an intelligence survey regarding organized crime in Rockford. The survey contains a section relative to apparent ties between LCN at Milwaukee, Wisconsin and LCN at Rockford, Illinois.

This survey reflects that in 1955 one JACK ENEA was killed in gangland style in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his body found the following day in a garbage dump near Racine, Wisconsin, and the Cadillac in which the body was transported was found, cut up in small pieces, just west of the Muller-Pinehurst Dairy Company, Montague Road, Rockford, Illinois.

According to [REDACTED] he has sources which state that the “hit” on this contract was made by Rockford LCN member JOSEPH MARINELLI and PHILLIP CANNELLA working with one of the MANIACI brothers from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, probably AUGIE MANIACI.

The report points out that the car was all cut up in a barn at the rear of 1622 Montague Street, Rockford, with a cutting torch by one (FNU) CASCIO. The house is allegedly owned by AUGIE MANIACI of Milwaukee. Allegedly his brother-in-law, GEORGE SALADINO, was living there at the time.

A review of the 1955 and the 1969 Rockford City Directories reflect that 1622 Montague Street is the residence of JOSEPH P. SALADINO. According to WATSON (a police sergeant), MANIACI also owned a brick bungalow in the 1700 block at Montague Road, which he allegedly purchased from JOE ZITO, Consiglieri of the Rockford LCN family.

According to sources of [REDACTED]. MANIACI used to come to Rockford on almost a weekly basis until this incident and has been a much more infrequent visitor since that time.

This report reflects that the only business that the MANIACI family has in Milwaukee at the present time is a pizza restaurant and it would appear the MANIACIs have lost favor with the BALISTRIERI Family.

All of the above plus frequent travel by members of the Rockford Family between Milwaukee and Rockford, indicates to [REDACTED] that the members of the two Families are on good terms with one another, that there appears to be some business relationship between the two families, and that there appears to be a much closer relationship between the Rockford and Milwaukee Families, than there is between Rockford and the Chicago Outfit.

[PolackTony]

Great info. It’s my belief that Rockford intentionally distanced themselves from Chicago, perhaps beginning in the 1950s. Obviously, Chicago was their Avugad on the Commission and in the early ‘60s, at least, they evidently had a relationship with Cerone that enabled them to contact other members of Chicago’s admin when needed. But we’ve seen a number of indications that at least during the 60s, Rockford sought to protect themselves from Chicago’s influence. I have wondered if the timing of Musso’s death, coming on the heels of Giancana’s installation as boss, may have been significant here — I.e., Zammuto taking charge while a notoriously aggressive boss was running Chicago. I also doubt that it was coincidence that Rockford and Chicago again developed a closer relationship in the 70s, with Aiuppa taking over in Chicago soon after Buscemi in Rockford.

It’s also an interesting thing that during the period when Rockford seems to have distanced themselves from Chicago while maintaining strong ties to Milwaukee, Milwaukee came under increasing Chicago influence with Balistrieri, up to the point that Accardo was said to have been regularly attending their annual “turne”. Balistrieri’s backing from and close relationship with Chicago clearly undermined the authority of their elders and Council, and I would presume that this was exactly the situation that Zammuto was trying to avoid.

[cavita]

Great info. It’s my belief that Rockford intentionally distanced themselves from Chicago, perhaps beginning in the 1950s. Obviously, Chicago was their Avugad on the Commission and in the early ‘60s, at least, they evidently had a relationship with Cerone that enabled them to contact other members of Chicago’s admin when needed. But we’ve seen a number of indications that at least during the 60s, Rockford sought to protect themselves from Chicago’s influence. I have wondered if the timing of Musso’s death, coming on the heels of Giancana’s installation as boss, may have been significant here — I.e., Zammuto taking charge while a notoriously aggressive boss was running Chicago. I also doubt that it was coincidence that Rockford and Chicago again developed a closer relationship in the 70s, with Aiuppa taking over in Chicago soon after Buscemi in Rockford.

It’s also an interesting thing that during the period when Rockford seems to have distanced themselves from Chicago while maintaining strong ties to Milwaukee, Milwaukee came under increasing Chicago influence with Balistrieri, up to the point that Accardo was said to have been regularly attending their annual “turne”. Balistrieri’s backing from and close relationship with Chicago clearly undermined the authority of their elders and Council, and I would presume that this was exactly the situation that Zammuto was trying to avoid.

The only early connection I could possibly find between Giancana and Rockford was when Giancana was arrested for a bootlegging operation near Garden Prairie, Illinois in 1938 which was not far at all from Rockford. The arrest was mostly Chicago guys but there was a Greek guy from Beloit that was also charged. As I said previously, Joe Zammuto was traveling to Chicago in the 1940s to pick up slot machines before he became boss and there was surveillance of Zammuto and Buscemi meeting Chuckie English in Chicago but I think you're right...for the most part I think Rockford tried to distance themselves from the Outfit but kept stronger ties to Milwaukee. Interesting that Balistrieri told Lefty Ruggiero in 1978 something to the effect that "Rockford is nothing, they're under Chicago" when Lefty wanted to thank them for setting up the meeting. I think Balistrieri was a little sore that he was the one under Chicago.

[cavita]

Great info. It’s my belief that Rockford intentionally distanced themselves from Chicago, perhaps beginning in the 1950s. Obviously, Chicago was their Avugad on the Commission and in the early ‘60s, at least, they evidently had a relationship with Cerone that enabled them to contact other members of Chicago’s admin when needed. But we’ve seen a number of indications that at least during the 60s, Rockford sought to protect themselves from Chicago’s influence. I have wondered if the timing of Musso’s death, coming on the heels of Giancana’s installation as boss, may have been significant here — I.e., Zammuto taking charge while a notoriously aggressive boss was running Chicago. I also doubt that it was coincidence that Rockford and Chicago again developed a closer relationship in the 70s, with Aiuppa taking over in Chicago soon after Buscemi in Rockford.

It’s also an interesting thing that during the period when Rockford seems to have distanced themselves from Chicago while maintaining strong ties to Milwaukee, Milwaukee came under increasing Chicago influence with Balistrieri, up to the point that Accardo was said to have been regularly attending their annual “turne”. Balistrieri’s backing from and close relationship with Chicago clearly undermined the authority of their elders and Council, and I would presume that this was exactly the situation that Zammuto was trying to avoid.

The only early connection I could possibly find between Giancana and Rockford was when Giancana was arrested for a bootlegging operation near Garden Prairie, Illinois in 1938 which was not far at all from Rockford. The arrest was mostly Chicago guys but there was a Greek guy from Beloit that was also charged. As I said previously, Joe Zammuto was traveling to Chicago in the 1940s to pick up slot machines before he became boss and there was surveillance of Zammuto and Buscemi meeting Chuckie English in Chicago but I think you're right...for the most part I think Rockford tried to distance themselves from the Outfit but kept stronger ties to Milwaukee. Interesting that Balistrieri told Lefty Ruggiero in 1978 something to the effect that "Rockford is nothing, they're under Chicago" when Lefty wanted to thank them for setting up the meeting. I think Balistrieri was a little sore that he was the one under Chicago.

Also from an August 31, 1971 FBI report:

Chicago LCN sources have stated in the past that the Chicago and Rockford families are split and separate with no known interplay between the two families. The Rockford family is a relatively small group being made smaller by the death of five members within the past five years. It is noted that the Chicago sources are not familiar with the “inspector” situation. These sources are not familiar with the membership of the Rockford family.