Chicago Outfit Places of Origin

[B.]

"With a handful of exceptions, Chicago gangster figures were unrelated to each other, and the Chicago syndicate's origins were to be found in Calabria and Naples. Its members were chiefly linked by business and neighborhood ties, not via kinship." - The Origin of Organized Crime in America, page 64

No offense to Critchley, the work just hadn't been done yet and that was the operating assumption (and still is for many) until recently.

[PolackTony]

On the evening of January 6th, 1931, 51-year-old Francesco "Frank" Candela was ambushed and shot to death by gunmen on the street, several doors from his home on 25th Pl in Chinatown. While his distraught widow claimed that she knew of no enemies that he could have had, the Tribune described Candela as a "minor neighborhood politician" in the 11th Ward. Candela was born in 1880 in Montelepre to Antonio Paolo Candela and Vita Palazzolo. He immigrated to Chicago sometime in the 1900s and married Giovanna "Genevieve" Scardulla of Sperlinga, Enna (next to Nicosìa, a major source comune for the Southside, and Capizzi, the hometown of the LaPietras), in 1910. The Candelas lived for decades at 628 W 25th Pl, near Lowe -- the DiCaros were from this same block, as was the early "Black Hand" extortionist Stefano Danile from San Biagio Platani, who was murdered in 1911 (viewtopic.php?p=246832#p246832). Having worked for Armour & Co. in the Union Stockyards earlier in life, by 1930 Candela was working in the building trades. while described by the papers as a "neighborhood politician", there are no records of Candela holding any elected offices and thus he presumably was a precinct captain for the local political machine in the 11th Ward.

Francesco Candela immigrated to the US via NYC in 1909 with a cousin from Montelepre, Salvatore Candela. They were bound for Salvatore's brother, Giuseppe Candela, who had settled in Chicago in the 1890s and married Michelina Giovanni of Avellino province. Giuseppe lived in the old Italian colony at Polk and Clark, and had compare relationships with the Carbones, an extended clan from Calvello and Trivigno, Potenza, influential in the early Near West Side and Melrose Park Italian communities (several of the Carbones were also involved in shootings around Taylor St in the 1910s). The primary colonies of Monteleprini in the Midwest were centered at Chicago and Grand Rapids, MI, with several siblings and cousins of Francesco moving back and forth between Chicago and MI.

In 1910, Francesco married Giovanna "Jennie" Scardullo of Sperlinga (then in Caltinessetta but today in Enna province). Their eldest daughter, Vita "Vera" Candela, was born that year and in 1928 married Joseph Franzone, son of Leonardo Franzone and Rosaria Frisina of Borgetto. Anyone following the posts in this thread will recognize these names, as the Franzones had multiple connections within Chicago's mafia network. Joseph Franzone was a first cousin of Chicago member Vincenzo "Jimmy" Franzone and his marriage to Vera Candela made her a sister-in-law to Chicago member Nick DeJohn and Prio crew associate Joe "Red" Amari. After Francesco's murder, Jennie Scardullo remarried Arturo Pidone, who hailed from her paese of Sperlinga.

Madison outfit member Filippo Candela, founder of the Grande Cheese Co., linked to Chicago members such as Ross Prio (whose network included Franzone relatives like the Amaris) and Jimmy DeGeorge (from Ribera, like the Amaris) was born in Montelepre in 1891 and settled in Wisconsin. Though so far as I'm aware, he never had an address in Chicago, it's very likely that he would have had connections to the closely linked Monteleprino colonies in Chicago and Grand Rapids. Filippo's father was Giovanni Candela of Montelepre (the namesake of Filippo's son, John Candela, also a made member of the Madison outfit). While I haven't been able to establish a direct familial relation between Filippo Candela and the extended network of Candelas in Chicago and MI, there is likely a connection there.

By profession, Francesco Candela was a laborer in the building trades, and was presumably a member of the Hod Carriers Union (later renamed LIUNA). Candela filed his naturalization petition in 1919. One of his witnesses was Giuseppe Vincenzo "Joseph V" Moreschi, president of the LIUNA district council, born in Boretto in the Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The LIUNA, of course, had a decades-long history of control by members and associates of the Chicago mafia. Moreschi was a pallbearer for the funeral of Chicago boss Tony D'Andrea in 1921 (who was himself a power in the union), along with fellow LIUNA bigshots Diamond Joe Esposito, Otto Annoreno (also a wealthy produce wholsealer from Termini Imerese), and Pete Fosco.

Francesco Candela's other witness was Giuseppe Aiello, then the Business Agent for LIUNA Local 1 (the same local that Chicago member Vince Solano helmed from 1970 to 1992). Born ~1882 in Bagheria, he was in Chicago by the 1890s, where he initially lived at the same Clark and Polk community as Francesco Candela. By the 1910s, he was living at 2233 W Erie in the Grand Ave Patch with his wife Domenica Greco, also of Bagheria. In the 1920s, the family decamped to Berrien County, MI (an area strongly linked to the Chicago mafia, as we have seen repeatedly), where they operated a fruit orchard. Giuseppe Aiello died of a heart attack in Berrien County in 1930. I'm not sure who this Giuseppe Aiello's parents were (based on his kids' names, however, we can infer that his parents were probably named Antonino and Agnese), so I can't establish any direct familial links to the three other Giuseppe Aiellos who we know were Chicago members. LCN Member "Little Joe" Aiello, was, however, later also a Business Agent for LIUNA Local 1.

------------

In 1935, the Tribune noted a "Frank Candella" as the President of the "San Giuseppe Society" in Chicago. The best known society dedicated to San Giuseppe in Chicago is the Società San Giuseppe di Bagheria (headed at one point by "Little Joe" Aiello), but devotion to Saint Joseph is widespread across Sicily and Southern Italy, and I was not able to identify a Frank Candella from Bagheria that would seem to fit this guy. Given the colony of Monteleprini in Chicago, they likely had a mutual aid/fraternal society in the past (I'm not aware of one in recent decades, at least). The patron of Montelepre is the Santissimo Crocifisso (the Holy Cross), but a tradition of popular religion in Montelepre is the Confraternità (religious confraternity) di San Giuseppe, based at the Chiesa San Giuseppe in Montelepre. Thus it is plausible that a Chicago-based Monteleprino fraternal society would have been dedicated to San Giuseppe.

On this note, the best match for a "Frank Candella" who would seem to fit the social position of a president of a fraternal society in 1935 was Francesco Candela, a Southside grocer who lived on the same corner of Lowe and 25th as the Francesco Candela murdered in 1931 (as was common with other Candelas, he used the "Candella" spelling on some documents). Prior to operating a grocery store, he had worked as a laborer in construction and was thus presumably also a member of the Hod Carriers. He was naturalized in 1932, at which point he claimed that he was actually born Giuseppe Balestra in 1892 in Palermo, having last lived in Borgetto, and immigrated to the US via NYC in 1909. He also stated that he was legally changing his name to "Frank Candela" as of the filing of his naturalization, but he had in fact been using the name Francesco Candela in Chicago for years prior; his WW1 draft card stated that he was Francesco Candela, born 1892 in Borgetto. No 1909 (or adjacent year) arrival in NYC matches either a Giuseppe Balestra or a Francesco Candela from Palermo province. There was, however, a Giuseppe Balestro from Altissimo, Veneto, of the same age, who arrived that year. Given this, I would assume that Francesco Candela had entered the US illegally and used a false identity for his naturalization; we've seen this sort of funny little name game previously for individuals fleeing the law in Italy. As the Francesco Candela from Montelepre and a number of his relatives lived in the same immediate area of 25th and Lowe, we can presume that the two men were connected, Borgetto and Montelepre being neighboring comuni (and we've seen also that the Monteleprino Candela was an in-law of the Franzones from Borgetto). Brother Giuseppe Candela lived at 25th and Lowe as well, and from his info I was able to confirm that their parents were Giuseppe Candela and Rosa Jambrone. Given this context, it is possible that Francesco Candela may have headed a Monteleprino or Burgettano fraternal society.

Both brothers married women from Sant' Angelo Muxaro, Agrigento, which had a significant colony on the Southside. Giuseppe Candela married Giovanna Vaccaro of Sant'Angelo; her mother was a Catuara. Francesco married Giuseppina Fregapane of Sant'Angelo; her parents were Giuseppe Fregapane and Carmella Catuara. Carmella was a sister of Carmelo Catuara, father of Chicago member Vincenzo "Jimmy" Catuara. Giuseppe Catuara, brother of Carmelo and Carmella Catuara and President of the Società Sant' Angelo Muxaro, witnessed Francesco Candela's 1932 naturalization. The Catuaras lived in the same vicinity of 25th and Lowe.

The 1938 naturalization of Giuseppina Fregapane, the Burgettano Francesco Candela's wife, was witnessed by Charles Vinci. A deputy Cook County sheriff and operator of a neighborhood tavern and currency exchange, Charles was born in 1909 in Chicago to Francesco Vinci and Maria Angela Farina of Simbarìo, Vibo Valentia, Calabria, the hometown of the Rotis, Spinas, Bertuccis, Andriacchis, et al. Charles and his brother Joseph Vinci (b. 1907 in Chicago) controlled the 11th Ward Democratic Organization -- recall that the Francesco Candela of Montelepre killed in 1931 was a figure of note in this same 11th Ward political apparatus. In 1942, after a fundraising banquet for the 11th Ward organization, Charles Vinci was shot to death at a tavern at 25th and Halsted operated by John and Frank Spoto. The Spotos were from Sant'Angelo Muxaro and the family was intermarried with the Catuaras.

In 1934, brother Joe Vinci was pinched with John Spoto for hijacking a truck full of radios. In 1939, Joe Vinci was charged along with Sam Orlando, an 11th Ward precinct captain, for election fraud. Acquitted by a jury, Vinci was tried again on account of jury tampering after three jurors confessed to accepting bribes, but then his charges were dismissed by a judge. In 1940, while dealing with his election fraud case, Joe Vinci was charged with vehicular manslaughter after mowing down a pedestrian -- his passenger was Gus Alex. Unsurprisingly, these charges were also dropped.

Charles and Joe Vinci were the youngest of the infamous Vinci brothers, notorious hoodlums on the Southside in the 1920s, who also lived near 25th and Lowe. In 1925, Michele "Mike" Vinci (b. 1899 in Simbarìo) and Vincenzo "Jimmy" Vinci (b. 1896 in Simbarìo) were shot to death in separate incidents. Salvatore "Sam" Vinci (b. 1897 in Simbarìo) was convicted of murder after attacking and killing witness Giovanni Minatti (born in Reggio Calabria) on the witness stand during the trial of the alleged killer of his brother Mike, Joseph "Pepe" Genero (born in Chicago to parents from Tèrmini Imerese; his father, Agostino Iannarino, was likely a relative of the Otto Annerino [Iannarino] who served as a pallbearer for Tony D'Andrea). Genero and Minatti were former partners of the Vincis. In 1916, Jimmy Vinci married Giuseppina "Josie" Morici, born in 1899 in Tèrmini Imerese. I believe that she was a niece of Chicago mafioso Giuseppe Morici of Tèrmini. Their daughter, Angeline Vinci, in turn, married Frank Spoto, I believe the same one who operated the tavern where Angeline's uncle Charles Vinci was killed in 1942.

Also charged with Joe Vinci in the 1939 11th Ward election fraud case was Joseph Candela Jr, son of Giuseppe Candella of Borgetto. In later years, Joe Candela Jr became the City of Chicago's bridge master in the Streets and Sanitation Department (long controlled by the Roti/Caruso/LaPietra crew), responsible for overseeing hundreds of pieces of critical infrastructure in the city (Chicago has more moveable bridges than any city in the world).

[cavita]

On the evening of January 6th, 1931, 51-year-old Francesco "Frank" Candela was ambushed and shot to death by gunmen on the street, several doors from his home on 25th Pl in Chinatown. While his distraught widow claimed that she knew of no enemies that he could have had, the Tribune described Candela as a "minor neighborhood politician" in the 11th Ward. Candela was born in 1880 in Montelepre to Antonio Paolo Candela and Vita Palazzolo. He immigrated to Chicago sometime in the 1900s and married Giovanna "Genevieve" Scardulla of Sperlinga, Enna (next to Nicosìa, a major source comune for the Southside, and Capizzi, the hometown of the LaPietras), in 1910. The Candelas lived for decades at 628 W 25th Pl, near Lowe -- the DiCaros were from this same block, as was the early "Black Hand" extortionist Stefano Danile from San Biagio Platani, who was murdered in 1911 (viewtopic.php?p=246832#p246832). Having worked for Armour & Co. in the Union Stockyards earlier in life, by 1930 Candela was working in the building trades. while described by the papers as a "neighborhood politician", there are no records of Candela holding any elected offices and thus he presumably was a precinct captain for the local political machine in the 11th Ward.

Francesco Candela immigrated to the US via NYC in 1909 with a cousin from Montelepre, Salvatore Candela. They were bound for Salvatore's brother, Giuseppe Candela, who had settled in Chicago in the 1890s and married Michelina Giovanni of Avellino province. Giuseppe lived in the old Italian colony at Polk and Clark, and had compare relationships with the Carbones, an extended clan from Calvello and Trivigno, Potenza, influential in the early Near West Side and Melrose Park Italian communities (several of the Carbones were also involved in shootings around Taylor St in the 1910s). The primary colonies of Monteleprini in the Midwest were centered at Chicago and Grand Rapids, MI, with several siblings and cousins of Francesco moving back and forth between Chicago and MI.

In 1910, Francesco married Giovanna "Jennie" Scardullo of Sperlinga (then in Caltinessetta but today in Enna province). Their eldest daughter, Vita "Vera" Candela, was born that year and in 1928 married Joseph Franzone, son of Leonardo Franzone and Rosaria Frisina of Borgetto. Anyone following the posts in this thread will recognize these names, as the Franzones had multiple connections within Chicago's mafia network. Joseph Franzone was a first cousin of Chicago member Vincenzo "Jimmy" Franzone and his marriage to Vera Candela made her a sister-in-law to Chicago member Nick DeJohn and Prio crew associate Joe "Red" Amari. After Francesco's murder, Jennie Scardullo remarried Arturo Pidone, who hailed from her paese of Sperlinga.

Madison outfit member Filippo Candela, founder of the Grande Cheese Co., linked to Chicago members such as Ross Prio (whose network included Franzone relatives like the Amaris) and Jimmy DeGeorge (from Ribera, like the Amaris) was born in Montelepre in 1891 and settled in Wisconsin. Though so far as I'm aware, he never had an address in Chicago, it's very likely that he would have had connections to the closely linked Monteleprino colonies in Chicago and Grand Rapids. Filippo's father was Giovanni Candela of Montelepre (the namesake of Filippo's son, John Candela, also a made member of the Madison outfit). While I haven't been able to establish a direct familial relation between Filippo Candela and the extended network of Candelas in Chicago and MI, there is likely a connection there.

By profession, Francesco Candela was a laborer in the building trades, and was presumably a member of the Hod Carriers Union (later renamed LIUNA). Candela filed his naturalization petition in 1919. One of his witnesses was Giuseppe Vincenzo "Joseph V" Moreschi, president of the LIUNA district council, born in Boretto in the Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The LIUNA, of course, had a decades-long history of control by members and associates of the Chicago mafia. Moreschi was a pallbearer for the funeral of Chicago boss Tony D'Andrea in 1921 (who was himself a power in the union), along with fellow LIUNA bigshots Diamond Joe Esposito, Otto Annoreno (also a wealthy produce wholsealer from Termini Imerese), and Pete Fosco.

Francesco Candela's other witness was Giuseppe Aiello, then the Business Agent for LIUNA Local 1 (the same local that Chicago member Vince Solano helmed from 1970 to 1992). Born ~1882 in Bagheria, he was in Chicago by the 1890s, where he initially lived at the same Clark and Polk community as Francesco Candela. By the 1910s, he was living at 2233 W Erie in the Grand Ave Patch with his wife Domenica Greco, also of Bagheria. In the 1920s, the family decamped to Berrien County, MI (an area strongly linked to the Chicago mafia, as we have seen repeatedly), where they operated a fruit orchard. Giuseppe Aiello died of a heart attack in Berrien County in 1930. I'm not sure who this Giuseppe Aiello's parents were (based on his kids' names, however, we can infer that his parents were probably named Antonino and Agnese), so I can't establish any direct familial links to the three other Giuseppe Aiellos who we know were Chicago members. LCN Member "Little Joe" Aiello, was, however, later also a Business Agent for LIUNA Local 1.

------------

In 1935, the Tribune noted a "Frank Candella" as the President of the "San Giuseppe Society" in Chicago. The best known society dedicated to San Giuseppe in Chicago is the Società San Giuseppe di Bagheria (headed at one point by "Little Joe" Aiello), but devotion to Saint Joseph is widespread across Sicily and Southern Italy, and I was not able to identify a Frank Candella from Bagheria that would seem to fit this guy. Given the colony of Monteleprini in Chicago, they likely had a mutual aid/fraternal society in the past (I'm not aware of one in recent decades, at least). The patron of Montelepre is the Santissimo Crocifisso (the Holy Cross), but a tradition of popular religion in Montelepre is the Confraternità (religious confraternity) di San Giuseppe, based at the Chiesa San Giuseppe in Montelepre. Thus it is plausible that a Chicago-based Monteleprino fraternal society would have been dedicated to San Giuseppe.

On this note, the best match for a "Frank Candella" who would seem to fit the social position of a president of a fraternal society in 1935 was Francesco Candela, a Southside grocer who lived on the same corner of Lowe and 25th as the Francesco Candela murdered in 1931 (as was common with other Candelas, he used the "Candella" spelling on some documents). Prior to operating a grocery store, he had worked as a laborer in construction and was thus presumably also a member of the Hod Carriers. He was naturalized in 1932, at which point he claimed that he was actually born Giuseppe Balestra in 1892 in Palermo, having last lived in Borgetto, and immigrated to the US via NYC in 1909. He also stated that he was legally changing his name to "Frank Candela" as of the filing of his naturalization, but he had in fact been using the name Francesco Candela in Chicago for years prior; his WW1 draft card stated that he was Francesco Candela, born 1892 in Borgetto. No 1909 (or adjacent year) arrival in NYC matches either a Giuseppe Balestra or a Francesco Candela from Palermo province. There was, however, a Giuseppe Balestro from Altissimo, Veneto, of the same age, who arrived that year. Given this, I would assume that Francesco Candela had entered the US illegally and used a false identity for his naturalization; we've seen this sort of funny little name game previously for individuals fleeing the law in Italy. As the Francesco Candela from Montelepre and a number of his relatives lived in the same immediate area of 25th and Lowe, we can presume that the two men were connected, Borgetto and Montelepre being neighboring comuni (and we've seen also that the Monteleprino Candela was an in-law of the Franzones from Borgetto). Brother Giuseppe Candela lived at 25th and Lowe as well, and from his info I was able to confirm that their parents were Giuseppe Candela and Rosa Jambrone. Given this context, it is possible that Francesco Candela may have headed a Monteleprino or Burgettano fraternal society.

Both brothers married women from Sant' Angelo Muxaro, Agrigento, which had a significant colony on the Southside. Giuseppe Candela married Giovanna Vaccaro of Sant'Angelo; her mother was a Catuara. Francesco married Giuseppina Fregapane of Sant'Angelo; her parents were Giuseppe Fregapane and Carmella Catuara. Carmella was a sister of Carmelo Catuara, father of Chicago member Vincenzo "Jimmy" Catuara. Giuseppe Catuara, brother of Carmelo and Carmella Catuara and President of the Società Sant' Angelo Muxaro, witnessed Francesco Candela's 1932 naturalization. The Catuaras lived in the same vicinity of 25th and Lowe.

The 1938 naturalization of Giuseppina Fregapane, the Burgettano Francesco Candela's wife, was witnessed by Charles Vinci. A deputy Cook County sheriff and operator of a neighborhood tavern and currency exchange, Charles was born in 1909 in Chicago to Francesco Vinci and Maria Angela Farina of Simbarìo, Vibo Valentia, Calabria, the hometown of the Rotis, Spinas, Bertuccis, Andriacchis, et al. Charles and his brother Joseph Vinci (b. 1907 in Chicago) controlled the 11th Ward Democratic Organization -- recall that the Francesco Candela of Montelepre killed in 1931 was a figure of note in this same 11th Ward political apparatus. In 1942, after a fundraising banquet for the 11th Ward organization, Charles Vinci was shot to death at a tavern at 25th and Halsted operated by John and Frank Spoto. The Spotos were from Sant'Angelo Muxaro and the family was intermarried with the Catuaras.

In 1934, brother Joe Vinci was pinched with John Spoto for hijacking a truck full of radios. In 1939, Joe Vinci was charged along with Sam Orlando, an 11th Ward precinct captain, for election fraud. Acquitted by a jury, Vinci was tried again on account of jury tampering after three jurors confessed to accepting bribes, but then his charges were dismissed by a judge. In 1940, while dealing with his election fraud case, Joe Vinci was charged with vehicular manslaughter after mowing down a pedestrian -- his passenger was Gus Alex. Unsurprisingly, these charges were also dropped.

Charles and Joe Vinci were the youngest of the infamous Vinci brothers, notorious hoodlums on the Southside in the 1920s, who also lived near 25th and Lowe. In 1925, Michele "Mike" Vinci (b. 1899 in Simbarìo) and Vincenzo "Jimmy" Vinci (b. 1896 in Simbarìo) were shot to death in separate incidents. Salvatore "Sam" Vinci (b. 1897 in Simbarìo) was convicted of murder after attacking and killing witness Giovanni Minatti (born in Reggio Calabria) on the witness stand during the trial of the alleged killer of his brother Mike, Joseph "Pepe" Genero (born in Chicago to parents from Tèrmini Imerese; his father, Agostino Iannarino, was likely a relative of the Otto Annerino [Iannarino] who served as a pallbearer for Tony D'Andrea). Genero and Minatti were former partners of the Vincis. In 1916, Jimmy Vinci married Giuseppina "Josie" Morici, born in 1899 in Tèrmini Imerese. I believe that she was a niece of Chicago mafioso Giuseppe Morici of Tèrmini. Their daughter, Angeline Vinci, in turn, married Frank Spoto, I believe the same one who operated the tavern where Angeline's uncle Charles Vinci was killed in 1942.

Also charged with Joe Vinci in the 1939 11th Ward election fraud case was Joseph Candela Jr, son of Giuseppe Candella of Borgetto. In later years, Joe Candela Jr became the City of Chicago's bridge master in the Streets and Sanitation Department (long controlled by the Roti/Caruso/LaPietra crew), responsible for overseeing hundreds of pieces of critical infrastructure in the city (Chicago has more moveable bridges than any city in the world).

God, I love your write-ups, buddy. Keep them coming!

[Ed]

James V Allegretti/Vincenzo Policheri was born 1905 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania (near to both Ricigliano and Senerchia) to Domenico Policheri and Lucia Rio. Younger brother Benjamin "Jimmy" Policheri was born in Chicago in 1916.

Francesco Rio was born 1895 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania to Antonio Rio and Rosa Maria Costa. I haven't been able to establish a direct familial link to Jimmy Allegretti's mother, but I think it's likely that they were cousins of some sort.

As an update, the original spelling of the "Policheri" surname was actually Palcera. After arriving in Chicago, the Palceras lived at Forquer (Arthington) and Halsted in the Taylor St Patch. This makes sense, as there were not many Napolitani on the Near North Side, where Allegretti was later active. The Taylor St location also could further suggest that mother Lucia Rio was connected to Frank Rio.

By 1940, Jimmy Allegretti was living on Rush St and working as a tavern operator. Not sure exactly why "the Monk" decided to take Allegretti as his alias. Other Allegrettis in Chicago that I've seen were from Trivigno, Potenza. For example, the family of Albie Vena's now deceased brother-in-law Eddie Allegretti, who married Angeline Vena, were "Trivies" with no apparent connection to Jimmy the Monk. Given Albie Vena's early association with the Northside crew, I had thought that he might have a family connection there based on his BIL's surname, but seems to just be a coincidence.

I noticed "Allegretti" was an old alias of Sam Hunt. (I have no idea if Hunt and Jimmy Allegretti were associates.) In the underworld, Italians usually adopt Anglo-Saxon surnames, not vice versa. I guess Hunt was trying to fit in.

[JoelTurner]

Newark-Colombo member John D'amico's wife, Anna Chiacchiaro was from Chicago.

John D'Amico was the son of Domenico D'Amico and brother of Newark boss Gaspare D'Amico. As mentioned in the Newark thread, I don't think that the two brothers were close; in Aug 1929, John shot Gaspare. However, considering that the troubles (the Scaduto affair) that eventually felled the family partially involved Chicago, I did feel like it was noteworthy.

Anna was born Jul 10 1894 to Giovanni Chiacchiaro and Giovannina Francaviglia. Both of her parents were from Palazzo Adriano, Palermo, Sicily. Her family was living in Illinois as early as 1892, which was when her sister Gianetta was born. By the time of her marriage (Dec 11 1915) to John, she was living in NYC.

Her baptismal sponsors were Antonios Gacco and Antonina Sacco. I don't know if I spelled those names correctly.

[B.]

Excellent. Another Palazzo Adriano connection. Never seen it connected to Villabate though with Joe Profaci and Nello Cammarata spending time in Chicago and what Tony found about other Villabatese D'Amicos in Chicago there is a pattern emerging.

[NorthBuffalo]

James V Allegretti/Vincenzo Policheri was born 1905 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania (near to both Ricigliano and Senerchia) to Domenico Policheri and Lucia Rio. Younger brother Benjamin "Jimmy" Policheri was born in Chicago in 1916.

Francesco Rio was born 1895 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania to Antonio Rio and Rosa Maria Costa. I haven't been able to establish a direct familial link to Jimmy Allegretti's mother, but I think it's likely that they were cousins of some sort.

As an update, the original spelling of the "Policheri" surname was actually Palcera. After arriving in Chicago, the Palceras lived at Forquer (Arthington) and Halsted in the Taylor St Patch. This makes sense, as there were not many Napolitani on the Near North Side, where Allegretti was later active. The Taylor St location also could further suggest that mother Lucia Rio was connected to Frank Rio.

By 1940, Jimmy Allegretti was living on Rush St and working as a tavern operator. Not sure exactly why "the Monk" decided to take Allegretti as his alias. Other Allegrettis in Chicago that I've seen were from Trivigno, Potenza. For example, the family of Albie Vena's now deceased brother-in-law Eddie Allegretti, who married Angeline Vena, were "Trivies" with no apparent connection to Jimmy the Monk. Given Albie Vena's early association with the Northside crew, I had thought that he might have a family connection there based on his BIL's surname, but seems to just be a coincidence.

I noticed "Allegretti" was an old alias of Sam Hunt. (I have no idea if Hunt and Jimmy Allegretti were associates.) In the underworld, Italians usually adopt Anglo-Saxon surnames, not vice versa. I guess Hunt was trying to fit in.

Allegretti was also a fake, correct? I believe Policheri was Jimmy the Monk's real last name.

[PolackTony]

Newark-Colombo member John D'amico's wife, Anna Chiacchiaro was from Chicago.

John D'Amico was the son of Domenico D'Amico and brother of Newark boss Gaspare D'Amico. As mentioned in the Newark thread, I don't think that the two brothers were close; in Aug 1929, John shot Gaspare. However, considering that the troubles (the Scaduto affair) that eventually felled the family partially involved Chicago, I did feel like it was noteworthy.

Anna was born Jul 10 1894 to Giovanni Chiacchiaro and Giovannina Francaviglia. Both of her parents were from Palazzo Adriano, Palermo, Sicily. Her family was living in Illinois as early as 1892, which was when her sister Gianetta was born. By the time of her marriage (Dec 11 1915) to John, she was living in NYC.

Her baptismal sponsors were Antonios Gacco and Antonina Sacco. I don't know if I spelled those names correctly.

Great find. Anna Chiarchiaro (the actual spelling of the surname) indeed lived in Chicago, where a number of her relatives from Palazzo Adriano also settled and remained. The Chiarchiaros in Chicago eventually shortened the surname to “Chiaro”. Nicola Chiarchiaro, aka Nick Chiaro, married Antonia DiGiovanni of Palazzo, paternal aunt of Chicago member Nick DeJohn, in Chicago in 1914. Thus, we can establish a connection via marriage ties between the DiGiovannis and Gaspare D’Amico. As B already noted, we have other evidence of ties between Villabetesi and Chicago; it seems pretty clear that there some important connections there back in the day, of which we can trace the outlines given the information that we have now.

[PolackTony]

James V Allegretti/Vincenzo Policheri was born 1905 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania (near to both Ricigliano and Senerchia) to Domenico Policheri and Lucia Rio. Younger brother Benjamin "Jimmy" Policheri was born in Chicago in 1916.

Francesco Rio was born 1895 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania to Antonio Rio and Rosa Maria Costa. I haven't been able to establish a direct familial link to Jimmy Allegretti's mother, but I think it's likely that they were cousins of some sort.

As an update, the original spelling of the "Policheri" surname was actually Palcera. After arriving in Chicago, the Palceras lived at Forquer (Arthington) and Halsted in the Taylor St Patch. This makes sense, as there were not many Napolitani on the Near North Side, where Allegretti was later active. The Taylor St location also could further suggest that mother Lucia Rio was connected to Frank Rio.

By 1940, Jimmy Allegretti was living on Rush St and working as a tavern operator. Not sure exactly why "the Monk" decided to take Allegretti as his alias. Other Allegrettis in Chicago that I've seen were from Trivigno, Potenza. For example, the family of Albie Vena's now deceased brother-in-law Eddie Allegretti, who married Angeline Vena, were "Trivies" with no apparent connection to Jimmy the Monk. Given Albie Vena's early association with the Northside crew, I had thought that he might have a family connection there based on his BIL's surname, but seems to just be a coincidence.

I noticed "Allegretti" was an old alias of Sam Hunt. (I have no idea if Hunt and Jimmy Allegretti were associates.) In the underworld, Italians usually adopt Anglo-Saxon surnames, not vice versa. I guess Hunt was trying to fit in.

Allegretti was also a fake, correct? I believe Policheri was Jimmy the Monk's real last name.

lol, read the post that you’re replying to!

[PolackTony]

James V Allegretti/Vincenzo Policheri was born 1905 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania (near to both Ricigliano and Senerchia) to Domenico Policheri and Lucia Rio. Younger brother Benjamin "Jimmy" Policheri was born in Chicago in 1916.

Francesco Rio was born 1895 in Oliveto Citra, Salerno, Campania to Antonio Rio and Rosa Maria Costa. I haven't been able to establish a direct familial link to Jimmy Allegretti's mother, but I think it's likely that they were cousins of some sort.

As an update, the original spelling of the "Policheri" surname was actually Palcera. After arriving in Chicago, the Palceras lived at Forquer (Arthington) and Halsted in the Taylor St Patch. This makes sense, as there were not many Napolitani on the Near North Side, where Allegretti was later active. The Taylor St location also could further suggest that mother Lucia Rio was connected to Frank Rio.

By 1940, Jimmy Allegretti was living on Rush St and working as a tavern operator. Not sure exactly why "the Monk" decided to take Allegretti as his alias. Other Allegrettis in Chicago that I've seen were from Trivigno, Potenza. For example, the family of Albie Vena's now deceased brother-in-law Eddie Allegretti, who married Angeline Vena, were "Trivies" with no apparent connection to Jimmy the Monk. Given Albie Vena's early association with the Northside crew, I had thought that he might have a family connection there based on his BIL's surname, but seems to just be a coincidence.

I noticed "Allegretti" was an old alias of Sam Hunt. (I have no idea if Hunt and Jimmy Allegretti were associates.) In the underworld, Italians usually adopt Anglo-Saxon surnames, not vice versa. I guess Hunt was trying to fit in.

Not aware that Sam Hunt had any personal ties to Jimmy Allegretti, but him and Ralph Pierce were connected to hoodlum Mike Allegretti around 1930. Mike Allegretti was said to have managed the Cotton Club in Cicero on behalf of Ralph Capone. Don’t believe that Mike Allegretti was related in any way to Jimmy, as Mike’s family were from Trivigno, Potenza. He may have been related to Albie Vena’s BIL that I noted above, however.

Hunt wasn’t the only Chicago non-Italian associate to use an Italian alias either. Joseph Aranyos, aka “Joe Arnold” went by “Giuseppe Olivetti”, and apparently was convincing enough that investigators believed he was really Italian (he was a Hungarian Jew born in Cleveland), while fellow Northside associate Ken Eto also used the alias “Joe Montana”.

[Moscone65]

PolackTony, I searched this thread but I couldn’t find anything about where Angelo LaPietra’s family was from. Perhaps I missed it? I’m thinking Calabrese but I believe that name can be Barese as well

[PolackTony]

PolackTony, I searched this thread but I couldn’t find anything about where Angelo LaPietra’s family was from. Perhaps I missed it? I’m thinking Calabrese but I believe that name can be Barese as well

The LaPietras were from Capizzi, Messina, which borders the comune of Nicosìa, Enna, that was very influential in the Chinatown/Armour Square Italian community.

[Moscone65]

Interesting thanks

[JoelTurner]

On May 15 1928, an alcohol seller was killed at 818 Milton Ave. Identified as “Joseph Cavarith” of 733 North LaSalle St., his car was registered to Emmanuel Cammarata (470 W Chicago Ave). Frank Moretti (2015 Fremont St) was arrested.



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It’s known that Cammarata, the Newark-Colombo member, previously lived in Chicago. In fact, that December at the Cleveland bust, he gave his address as 1042 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL.

The W Chicago Ave address may not have been a residence; it was also used as a liquor still. On Sep 12 1928, it was raided. The following people were arrested:
-Joe Camieschiano (2116 Sheffield Ave)
-Frank Occhipinti (807 Milton Ave)
-Joe Culo (822 Milton Ave)

They worked for Vincenzo Cutaia (827 Milton Ave), described as one of the “Sicilian district rulers who levies tribute on his subjects”.



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Frank Moretti (Jul 25 1898 - Mar 17 1952) had an extensive record.
At the time of the 1930 census, he was incarcerated, however I can’t tell if it was because of this affair or something else.
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X393-H7T)

His brother Carl was mentioned on this thread earlier:

Charles Gloriana and fellow "Gloriana gang member" Carl Moretti were accused of killing Merle Bucker

[PolackTony]

Great find on Cammarata. Good to be able to link him to Vincenzo Cutaia, who I suspect was likely an important Chicago member until his death in 1951. I previously discussed Cutaia and some of his relatives, who were from Campofelice di Fitalia and involved in various criminal activities in Chicago from the 1910s to 1940s. The Tribune claimed that Cutaia was a “cousin” of slain Chicago boss Rosario DiSpenza, which I was not able to substantiate as fact, though they were likely at least close as CdF and Ciminna border each other. Cutaia was, however, related to later Chicago members Joe DiVarco and Tony and Frank DeMonte. Vincenzo’s sister was Rosa Cutaia, who married one of DiVarco’s uncles (while DiVarco maternal grandmother was also a Cutaia from CdF and very likely related), and was the mother-in-law and grandmother, in turn, of father-in-son members the DeMontes.