Thanks Snakes for the write up. Very interesting. What I find interesting is that the grand ave crew was asking around about Dimitri and who he was with when Dimitri was meeting with John and Pete DiFronzo and Marco D’Amico all the time at Chickies on Roosevelt. Surprised none of the grand Ave guys just ask those guys directly who he was with.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 11:45 am Since there has been a lot of discussion on it, this is my basic understanding of the Steve Mandell case:
-The hidden owner of Polekatz -- Steve Reynolds -- dies. His widow (and "on-paper" owner of Polekatz) contacted George Michael to assist in a real estate matter against Anthony Quaranta and Dmitri Stavropoulos, both Outfit associates and "consultants" at Polekatz who were attempting to muscle in and assume ownership of the club.
-Michael was told by Reynolds's widow that Polekatz netted 6 million dollars a year and that he'd receive financial benefit from his help in resolving the ownership matter.
-Michael had dinner at La Scarola with Albert Vena, Robert Panozzo, and Michael Swiatek, where he was introduced to Steven Mandell/Manning, who was going to assist him in the problem with Polekatz. I'm unsure of Michael's Outfit connections at this point, but perhaps it was related to real estate.
-Mandell spoke to Larry Petitt (Elmwood Park) to determine if Stavropoulos (EP associate) had permission from anyone to run the club or was kicking up to anyone, which he apparently wasn't.
-Mandell and Michael spoke about whether Stav and Quaranta had permission to muscle in on Polekatz and if perhaps Michael Sarno (imprisoned Outfit boss) had given it. This didn't seem to matter to Mandell as he had already made up his mind about what he wanted to do.
-Mandell went to Vena (and had possibly already asked Petitt) for permission to kill Stavropoulos but was denied, even after revealing to Vena the cash the club could generate if they were involved. It seems pretty obvious at this point that Mandell was aiming to kill Stavropoulos and/or Quaranta and scare off the widow so he could assume some type of ownership himself.
-Mandell decided that instead of killing Stavropolous (who, as an Outfit associate, would understand that he needed to back down or face harm), he would kill Quaranta, whose Outfit connections were weaker therefore sending a message to Stav. He plotted with Gary Engel (who later committed suicide in prison) to kill Quaranta and also kill a marijuana dealer by the name of Steven Campbell.
-Meanwhile, Michael had been cooperating with the FBI the entire time (perhaps as a legitimate way of removing Quaranta and Stav for the financial benefit it would grant him for assisting Reynolds's widow), which allowed the FBI to capture numerous conversations between Michael and Mandell, eventually leading to the latter's arrest and conviction for conspiracy to murder. Aside from Engel, none of the other names connected to the case were charged.
General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Good question -- maybe they had to go through proper channels and Petitt was part of that. Still doesn't explain why Petitt didn't ask the guys you mentioned, though.Patrickgold wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:37 pmThanks Snakes for the write up. Very interesting. What I find interesting is that the grand ave crew was asking around about Dimitri and who he was with when Dimitri was meeting with John and Pete DiFronzo and Marco D’Amico all the time at Chickies on Roosevelt. Surprised none of the grand Ave guys just ask those guys directly who he was with.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 11:45 am Since there has been a lot of discussion on it, this is my basic understanding of the Steve Mandell case:
-The hidden owner of Polekatz -- Steve Reynolds -- dies. His widow (and "on-paper" owner of Polekatz) contacted George Michael to assist in a real estate matter against Anthony Quaranta and Dmitri Stavropoulos, both Outfit associates and "consultants" at Polekatz who were attempting to muscle in and assume ownership of the club.
-Michael was told by Reynolds's widow that Polekatz netted 6 million dollars a year and that he'd receive financial benefit from his help in resolving the ownership matter.
-Michael had dinner at La Scarola with Albert Vena, Robert Panozzo, and Michael Swiatek, where he was introduced to Steven Mandell/Manning, who was going to assist him in the problem with Polekatz. I'm unsure of Michael's Outfit connections at this point, but perhaps it was related to real estate.
-Mandell spoke to Larry Petitt (Elmwood Park) to determine if Stavropoulos (EP associate) had permission from anyone to run the club or was kicking up to anyone, which he apparently wasn't.
-Mandell and Michael spoke about whether Stav and Quaranta had permission to muscle in on Polekatz and if perhaps Michael Sarno (imprisoned Outfit boss) had given it. This didn't seem to matter to Mandell as he had already made up his mind about what he wanted to do.
-Mandell went to Vena (and had possibly already asked Petitt) for permission to kill Stavropoulos but was denied, even after revealing to Vena the cash the club could generate if they were involved. It seems pretty obvious at this point that Mandell was aiming to kill Stavropoulos and/or Quaranta and scare off the widow so he could assume some type of ownership himself.
-Mandell decided that instead of killing Stavropolous (who, as an Outfit associate, would understand that he needed to back down or face harm), he would kill Quaranta, whose Outfit connections were weaker therefore sending a message to Stav. He plotted with Gary Engel (who later committed suicide in prison) to kill Quaranta and also kill a marijuana dealer by the name of Steven Campbell.
-Meanwhile, Michael had been cooperating with the FBI the entire time (perhaps as a legitimate way of removing Quaranta and Stav for the financial benefit it would grant him for assisting Reynolds's widow), which allowed the FBI to capture numerous conversations between Michael and Mandell, eventually leading to the latter's arrest and conviction for conspiracy to murder. Aside from Engel, none of the other names connected to the case were charged.
Edit: then again, maybe he did and Petitt told him to leave it alone and Mandell balked. If he can disregard Vena, I'm sure he wouldn't have any problem doing the same to Petitt.
Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Mandell was a total psycho, who knows how many bodies he had under him. The guy trunk musicked his own pops.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Who do you think put Mandell on to this in the first place? It appears like Michael was the one with the opportunity - he took it to Grand Avenue and they called in Mandell who said 'I'll take care of all your problems.' It seems to me like the scheme was the idea of Panozzo who then tried to get it cleared through Vena, who then backed out.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
You also wonder how many times Mandell did this without getting caught - he was connected to Kansas City mafia member Anthony Mammolito who testified against him on his first kidnapping case. Clearly, he was with the Outfit and doing scores with guys in other cities - I would be interested to know if he was in the CPD around Handhart given his grand avenue ties.PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 3:37 pmMandell was a total psycho, who knows how many bodies he had under him. The guy trunk musicked his own pops.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
He was in a burglary gang, not sure if it was Hanhardt's. He was introduced to Michael as the "doctor who can fix your problem."NorthBuffalo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:04 pmYou also wonder how many times Mandell did this without getting caught - he was connected to Kansas City mafia member Anthony Mammolito who testified against him on his first kidnapping case. Clearly, he was with the Outfit and doing scores with guys in other cities - I would be interested to know if he was in the CPD around Handhart given his grand avenue ties.PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 3:37 pmMandell was a total psycho, who knows how many bodies he had under him. The guy trunk musicked his own pops.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
But to be certain, this was Grand Avenue's scheme here originally and Mandell was brought in to 'handle it.' I just wonder who came up with this - seems like Pannozzo was the guy in touch here according to what you've shared. Doesn't seem like Vena had the original idea. Panozzo seems like the guy who sees scores everywhere. Bob Deniro in Heat type guy.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:15 pmHe was in a burglary gang, not sure if it was Hanhardt's. He was introduced to Michael as the "doctor who can fix your problem."NorthBuffalo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:04 pmYou also wonder how many times Mandell did this without getting caught - he was connected to Kansas City mafia member Anthony Mammolito who testified against him on his first kidnapping case. Clearly, he was with the Outfit and doing scores with guys in other cities - I would be interested to know if he was in the CPD around Handhart given his grand avenue ties.PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 3:37 pmMandell was a total psycho, who knows how many bodies he had under him. The guy trunk musicked his own pops.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
"banana split"
EYYYY ALL YOU CHOOCHES OUT THERE IT'S THE KID
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
I didn’t get that notion at all that it was Pannozzo’s idea. I think Michael went to Vena and company for help as directed by the FBI in hopes the Outfit guys would bite but instead they introduced Michael to Mandell because they probably didn’t personally want to get involved in it. And that was a very good decision on their part because Swiatek died a free man and Vena is still around free. Panozzo got busted on his own for a different case. If they had been involved in the conspiracy they most certainly would have been indicted. I also think the Outfit guys realized a lot of other Outfit guys were involved in Polekatz and they didn’t want to step on any toes.NorthBuffalo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 5:29 pmBut to be certain, this was Grand Avenue's scheme here originally and Mandell was brought in to 'handle it.' I just wonder who came up with this - seems like Pannozzo was the guy in touch here according to what you've shared. Doesn't seem like Vena had the original idea. Panozzo seems like the guy who sees scores everywhere. Bob Deniro in Heat type guy.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:15 pmHe was in a burglary gang, not sure if it was Hanhardt's. He was introduced to Michael as the "doctor who can fix your problem."NorthBuffalo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:04 pmYou also wonder how many times Mandell did this without getting caught - he was connected to Kansas City mafia member Anthony Mammolito who testified against him on his first kidnapping case. Clearly, he was with the Outfit and doing scores with guys in other cities - I would be interested to know if he was in the CPD around Handhart given his grand avenue ties.PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 3:37 pmMandell was a total psycho, who knows how many bodies he had under him. The guy trunk musicked his own pops.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
Mandel was a nut job as Tony previously said. I believe he was involved in unsolved murders like that one in Highland Park where the Italian restaurant guy was killed in his house and the house burned down and also the Greek bar owner and the woman bartender who were murdered in the bar and it burned down in Schiller Park. Same MO. Doubt any of them were sanctioned by the Outfit but who knows.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Did we know Manning was a former FBI Informant deactivated after he was suspected of a murder? That he appeared to have snared KC mob figure Anthony Mommolito who then snared him? WTF.
This gets so wild the deeper you research.
https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters. ... tPage=true
Facts
1. Manning's background
Manning is a former Chicago police officer who was 54 years old at the time trial began in late December 2004. Manning became a Chicago police officer in 1972, at age 22. He served as a patrol officer for approximately ten years. In 1982 or 1983, while still on the police force, Manning became involved in an insurance fraud scheme and was ultimately convicted of official misconduct. He left or was terminated from the police department. After that, Manning worked as a limousine driver and in other occupations for several years.
In 1985, Manning participated in a burglary of a jewelry store along with a Chicago police officer. He was arrested while serving as a look-out. He ultimately decided to cooperate with the authorities in the hope of obtaining a reduced sentence.
2. Manning acts as an FBI informant
In early 1986, FBI agent John O'Rourke approached Manning to seek his cooperation. O'Rourke was a member of an FBI squad—“Squad 9”—that investigated interstate thefts and property crimes. At the time, he was investigating Manning and others believed to be associated with him in ongoing criminal activity, including a man named Thomas McKillip. Starting in January 1986, Manning served as a source of information for O'Rourke.
In September 1986, Manning provided O'Rourke and FBI agent Robert Pecoraro with information about McKillip's involvement in a major burglary in a Chicago suburb. At O'Rourke's behest, Manning introduced McKillip to an undercover agent posing as a “fence.” This ultimately led to the arrest and charging of McKillip and another associate, Anthony Mammolito, in the fall of 1986.
3. Thomas McKillip is murdered; the authorities begin to investigate Manning
On November 13, 1986, McKillip was found murdered and stuffed into the trunk of a car in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. O'Rourke suspected Manning of involvement in the murder. The day after McKillip's body was found, O'Rourke met with Manning and asked about his activities around the apparent date of the murder and his recent contacts with McKillip. Manning said that he had last seen McKillip a few days earlier and denied killing him. O'Rourke nonetheless suspected Manning. Though there is no direct evidence on the point, it is reasonable to infer that O'Rourke communicated his suspicions to Buffalo Grove police who were investigating the murder.
Several days after the meeting, O'Rourke took steps within the FBI to terminate Manning's informant status, though he did not advise Manning of this. In late November 1986, without knowing what O'Rourke had done, Manning contacted O'Rourke and said he was terminating his relationship with the FBI. O'Rourke did not tell Manning that he had already made the decision to terminate Manning's informant relationship. Though O'Rourke may have—to keep up appearances—expressed disappointment to Manning, the Court finds exaggerated Manning's testimony that O'Rourke “went ballistic.” The Court likewise finds no persuasive evidence to support Manning's theory that the FBI thereafter targeted him because of its displeasure with his termination of his informant relationship.
*4 The Buffalo Grove authorities had found a note on the dashboard of the car in which McKillip's body was found that referred to an expected meeting with “Steve” on November 11 at 100th Street and Western Avenue. See DX 26–X. On November 17, 1986, Robert Quid, a Buffalo Grove police detective investigating the murder, traveled to that location and found a restaurant, where he interviewed a person who identified McKillip as having been there with a person whose general description was similar to that of Manning. See DX 22–N.
At the behest of the Buffalo Grove police, a state grand jury subpoenaed Manning to provide a photograph and fingerprints. See DX 22–FF. When he responded to the subpoena on December 18, 1986, Manning spoke with Quid and Gary Del Re, a Buffalo Grove police commander who was also working on the investigation. Manning said that he had met with McKillip and another man in Arlington Heights, Illinois on November 10; McKillip sought Manning's assistance in acquiring a phony driver's license. When asked where he had been on November 11–12, Manning said that he was probably at home, but he gave no details. See DX 22–GG. During the interview, the detectives pointed out that McKillip's body had been found in the same part of the Chicago metropolitan area where Manning lived. Manning replied, “What do you think? I jogged 5.6 miles home?” Quid later tracked the distance from Manning's home to the location where McKillip's body had been found and determined it was 5.7 miles. See id. As a result, Quid viewed Manning's statement as tending to suggest his involvement in the murder.
In early 1987, Quid was transferred to a different division of the Buffalo Grove police department and stopped working on the McKillip case. By that time, the investigation of McKillip's murder had stalled due to a lack of productive information. See PX 11 (Del Re memo regarding a “brainstorming” session with various other state and local police agencies regarding the McKillip case and other matters).
4. Manning sues the FBI
Manning eventually pled guilty to the 1985 state court burglary charge, testified against his co-defendant in early 1987, and was sentenced to a prison term. He served eight months before being released. While in prison, Manning was approached by an inmate who he came to believe was acting as an FBI informant. As a result of his encounters with this inmate, Manning filed a pro se lawsuit against O'Rourke and others in the latter part of 1987, accusing them of harassment. Manning testified that he abandoned the lawsuit, but in fact it was dismissed sua sponte by a judge in this District, without ever having been served on O'Rourke or the other defendants. There is no evidence that O'Rourke or anyone connected with the FBI was served with or otherwise became aware of the suit; the Court finds credible O'Rourke's testimony that he was unaware of the lawsuit.
Following his release from prison, Manning returned to his work as a limousine driver. He eventually purchased a truck and tried to get into the trucking business, but he did not experience much success.
5. Buffalo Grove revives its investigation of Manning; the FBI gets involved
*5 In February 1989, Quid returned to the investigations division of the Buffalo Grove police department, and soon thereafter, he and Del Re decided to reactivate the then-dormant McKillip murder investigation. Lacking any solid leads, Del Re wrote to McKillip's associate Mammolito, who was serving time in a federal prison in Louisiana, to request his assistance in the investigation. Del Re made this contact without any prompting or involvement by the FBI.
Buchan, who had been assigned by Squad 9 supervisor Michael Taylor to investigate Manning for interstate thefts and other criminal activity, first met with Quid in May 1989. It is relatively clear that the FBI and Buffalo Grove police department each was aware before this meeting that the other was investigating Manning. See DX 26–I. At the meeting, Buchan advised Quid of the FBI's current information on Manning and asked about any relevant information that Buffalo Grove had. Quid advised Buchan of his anticipated trip to Louisiana to meet with Mammolito. Buchan testified at his deposition that they made a decision to work together in their pursuit of Manning. Buchan was evasive on this subject at trial, but his deposition testimony was unequivocal.
It is reasonable to infer that Buchan asked Quid to obtain from Mammolito any information he could provide about Manning, even if it did not directly concern the murder of McKillip. Buchan likely made Quid aware of Mammolito's antipathy toward the FBI, which had conducted the investigation that had resulted in Mammolito's imprisonment, and suggested that Quid not disclose that he was acting in cooperation with the FBI.
6. Mammolito implicates Manning in a Kansas City kidnapping
On August 12, 1989, Quid and Del Re interviewed Mammolito at a federal prison in Louisiana. See DX 3–L. Mammolito said he believed Manning had killed McKillip but had no information to support his belief.
Quid and Del Re asked if Mammolito could give them any other information about Manning. They, like Buchan, were aware that Mammolito had an axe to grind with Manning because he believed Manning had provided information that had led to the criminal charges against him and McKillip.
Mammolito told Quid and Del Re about a kidnapping of some drug dealers he had participated in five years earlier. He said that in 1984, he owned a tavern in Kansas City, Missouri. According to Mammolito, he got a tip that Charles Ford, a part owner of a tavern across the street, kept over $200,000 in drug dealing proceeds in a safety deposit box. Mammolito was aware that McKillip was part of a crew that extorted or robbed drug dealers while posing as DEA agents. He felt that Ford would be an easy mark and contacted McKillip.
Mammolito told Quid and Del Re that he met with McKillip in Chicago. After learning of Mammolito's plan, McKillip contacted Manning and brought him into the scheme. Mammolito said that Gary Engel was later added to the team. Mammolito gave the Buffalo Grove detectives a detailed story regarding the planning and execution of the kidnapping. This included describing an occasion when he and McKillip picked up Manning and Engel at the Kansas City airport.
*6 According to Mammolito, Manning and Engel set up surveillance outside Ford's apartment and, posing as DEA agents, pretended to arrest Ford and a male companion when they arrived. They were handcuffed and their eyes were taped over. McKillip joined Engel and Manning and took the men to a “safe house” several miles away. Ford was told he would be killed unless he came up with $200,000. Mammolito said that the tape and handcuffs were never removed from Ford or the other man, and that he (Mammolito) never spoke in their presence, out of concern that Ford would recognize his voice.
Mammolito told Quid and Del Re that Ford eventually was able to come up with approximately $38,000 and some cocaine to pay as ransom. Mammolito said that he and McKillip picked up from Ford's brother-in-law a briefcase containing the money and drugs. The participants divided up the money. Mammolito said that Manning also took Ford's wallet and a ring. Manning and Engel then drove Ford and the other victim to a cemetery, where they released the victims and then went to the airport, where they took a flight to Chicago.
Mammolito made it clear that he wanted his information used only against Manning and that he was not willing to testify. He also said that he would not talk to anyone from the FBI because he felt he had been treated too harshly during his federal prosecution.
The Court found credible Quid's account of his initial meeting with Mammolito and is unpersuaded that Quid or Del Re either pushed Mammolito to falsely implicate Manning or believed that Mammolito was making up the story about Manning's role in the Kansas City kidnapping.
This gets so wild the deeper you research.
https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters. ... tPage=true
Facts
1. Manning's background
Manning is a former Chicago police officer who was 54 years old at the time trial began in late December 2004. Manning became a Chicago police officer in 1972, at age 22. He served as a patrol officer for approximately ten years. In 1982 or 1983, while still on the police force, Manning became involved in an insurance fraud scheme and was ultimately convicted of official misconduct. He left or was terminated from the police department. After that, Manning worked as a limousine driver and in other occupations for several years.
In 1985, Manning participated in a burglary of a jewelry store along with a Chicago police officer. He was arrested while serving as a look-out. He ultimately decided to cooperate with the authorities in the hope of obtaining a reduced sentence.
2. Manning acts as an FBI informant
In early 1986, FBI agent John O'Rourke approached Manning to seek his cooperation. O'Rourke was a member of an FBI squad—“Squad 9”—that investigated interstate thefts and property crimes. At the time, he was investigating Manning and others believed to be associated with him in ongoing criminal activity, including a man named Thomas McKillip. Starting in January 1986, Manning served as a source of information for O'Rourke.
In September 1986, Manning provided O'Rourke and FBI agent Robert Pecoraro with information about McKillip's involvement in a major burglary in a Chicago suburb. At O'Rourke's behest, Manning introduced McKillip to an undercover agent posing as a “fence.” This ultimately led to the arrest and charging of McKillip and another associate, Anthony Mammolito, in the fall of 1986.
3. Thomas McKillip is murdered; the authorities begin to investigate Manning
On November 13, 1986, McKillip was found murdered and stuffed into the trunk of a car in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. O'Rourke suspected Manning of involvement in the murder. The day after McKillip's body was found, O'Rourke met with Manning and asked about his activities around the apparent date of the murder and his recent contacts with McKillip. Manning said that he had last seen McKillip a few days earlier and denied killing him. O'Rourke nonetheless suspected Manning. Though there is no direct evidence on the point, it is reasonable to infer that O'Rourke communicated his suspicions to Buffalo Grove police who were investigating the murder.
Several days after the meeting, O'Rourke took steps within the FBI to terminate Manning's informant status, though he did not advise Manning of this. In late November 1986, without knowing what O'Rourke had done, Manning contacted O'Rourke and said he was terminating his relationship with the FBI. O'Rourke did not tell Manning that he had already made the decision to terminate Manning's informant relationship. Though O'Rourke may have—to keep up appearances—expressed disappointment to Manning, the Court finds exaggerated Manning's testimony that O'Rourke “went ballistic.” The Court likewise finds no persuasive evidence to support Manning's theory that the FBI thereafter targeted him because of its displeasure with his termination of his informant relationship.
*4 The Buffalo Grove authorities had found a note on the dashboard of the car in which McKillip's body was found that referred to an expected meeting with “Steve” on November 11 at 100th Street and Western Avenue. See DX 26–X. On November 17, 1986, Robert Quid, a Buffalo Grove police detective investigating the murder, traveled to that location and found a restaurant, where he interviewed a person who identified McKillip as having been there with a person whose general description was similar to that of Manning. See DX 22–N.
At the behest of the Buffalo Grove police, a state grand jury subpoenaed Manning to provide a photograph and fingerprints. See DX 22–FF. When he responded to the subpoena on December 18, 1986, Manning spoke with Quid and Gary Del Re, a Buffalo Grove police commander who was also working on the investigation. Manning said that he had met with McKillip and another man in Arlington Heights, Illinois on November 10; McKillip sought Manning's assistance in acquiring a phony driver's license. When asked where he had been on November 11–12, Manning said that he was probably at home, but he gave no details. See DX 22–GG. During the interview, the detectives pointed out that McKillip's body had been found in the same part of the Chicago metropolitan area where Manning lived. Manning replied, “What do you think? I jogged 5.6 miles home?” Quid later tracked the distance from Manning's home to the location where McKillip's body had been found and determined it was 5.7 miles. See id. As a result, Quid viewed Manning's statement as tending to suggest his involvement in the murder.
In early 1987, Quid was transferred to a different division of the Buffalo Grove police department and stopped working on the McKillip case. By that time, the investigation of McKillip's murder had stalled due to a lack of productive information. See PX 11 (Del Re memo regarding a “brainstorming” session with various other state and local police agencies regarding the McKillip case and other matters).
4. Manning sues the FBI
Manning eventually pled guilty to the 1985 state court burglary charge, testified against his co-defendant in early 1987, and was sentenced to a prison term. He served eight months before being released. While in prison, Manning was approached by an inmate who he came to believe was acting as an FBI informant. As a result of his encounters with this inmate, Manning filed a pro se lawsuit against O'Rourke and others in the latter part of 1987, accusing them of harassment. Manning testified that he abandoned the lawsuit, but in fact it was dismissed sua sponte by a judge in this District, without ever having been served on O'Rourke or the other defendants. There is no evidence that O'Rourke or anyone connected with the FBI was served with or otherwise became aware of the suit; the Court finds credible O'Rourke's testimony that he was unaware of the lawsuit.
Following his release from prison, Manning returned to his work as a limousine driver. He eventually purchased a truck and tried to get into the trucking business, but he did not experience much success.
5. Buffalo Grove revives its investigation of Manning; the FBI gets involved
*5 In February 1989, Quid returned to the investigations division of the Buffalo Grove police department, and soon thereafter, he and Del Re decided to reactivate the then-dormant McKillip murder investigation. Lacking any solid leads, Del Re wrote to McKillip's associate Mammolito, who was serving time in a federal prison in Louisiana, to request his assistance in the investigation. Del Re made this contact without any prompting or involvement by the FBI.
Buchan, who had been assigned by Squad 9 supervisor Michael Taylor to investigate Manning for interstate thefts and other criminal activity, first met with Quid in May 1989. It is relatively clear that the FBI and Buffalo Grove police department each was aware before this meeting that the other was investigating Manning. See DX 26–I. At the meeting, Buchan advised Quid of the FBI's current information on Manning and asked about any relevant information that Buffalo Grove had. Quid advised Buchan of his anticipated trip to Louisiana to meet with Mammolito. Buchan testified at his deposition that they made a decision to work together in their pursuit of Manning. Buchan was evasive on this subject at trial, but his deposition testimony was unequivocal.
It is reasonable to infer that Buchan asked Quid to obtain from Mammolito any information he could provide about Manning, even if it did not directly concern the murder of McKillip. Buchan likely made Quid aware of Mammolito's antipathy toward the FBI, which had conducted the investigation that had resulted in Mammolito's imprisonment, and suggested that Quid not disclose that he was acting in cooperation with the FBI.
6. Mammolito implicates Manning in a Kansas City kidnapping
On August 12, 1989, Quid and Del Re interviewed Mammolito at a federal prison in Louisiana. See DX 3–L. Mammolito said he believed Manning had killed McKillip but had no information to support his belief.
Quid and Del Re asked if Mammolito could give them any other information about Manning. They, like Buchan, were aware that Mammolito had an axe to grind with Manning because he believed Manning had provided information that had led to the criminal charges against him and McKillip.
Mammolito told Quid and Del Re about a kidnapping of some drug dealers he had participated in five years earlier. He said that in 1984, he owned a tavern in Kansas City, Missouri. According to Mammolito, he got a tip that Charles Ford, a part owner of a tavern across the street, kept over $200,000 in drug dealing proceeds in a safety deposit box. Mammolito was aware that McKillip was part of a crew that extorted or robbed drug dealers while posing as DEA agents. He felt that Ford would be an easy mark and contacted McKillip.
Mammolito told Quid and Del Re that he met with McKillip in Chicago. After learning of Mammolito's plan, McKillip contacted Manning and brought him into the scheme. Mammolito said that Gary Engel was later added to the team. Mammolito gave the Buffalo Grove detectives a detailed story regarding the planning and execution of the kidnapping. This included describing an occasion when he and McKillip picked up Manning and Engel at the Kansas City airport.
*6 According to Mammolito, Manning and Engel set up surveillance outside Ford's apartment and, posing as DEA agents, pretended to arrest Ford and a male companion when they arrived. They were handcuffed and their eyes were taped over. McKillip joined Engel and Manning and took the men to a “safe house” several miles away. Ford was told he would be killed unless he came up with $200,000. Mammolito said that the tape and handcuffs were never removed from Ford or the other man, and that he (Mammolito) never spoke in their presence, out of concern that Ford would recognize his voice.
Mammolito told Quid and Del Re that Ford eventually was able to come up with approximately $38,000 and some cocaine to pay as ransom. Mammolito said that he and McKillip picked up from Ford's brother-in-law a briefcase containing the money and drugs. The participants divided up the money. Mammolito said that Manning also took Ford's wallet and a ring. Manning and Engel then drove Ford and the other victim to a cemetery, where they released the victims and then went to the airport, where they took a flight to Chicago.
Mammolito made it clear that he wanted his information used only against Manning and that he was not willing to testify. He also said that he would not talk to anyone from the FBI because he felt he had been treated too harshly during his federal prosecution.
The Court found credible Quid's account of his initial meeting with Mammolito and is unpersuaded that Quid or Del Re either pushed Mammolito to falsely implicate Manning or believed that Mammolito was making up the story about Manning's role in the Kansas City kidnapping.
Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Good point about Vena avoiding trouble with this one. He definitely had a few close calls over the last decade with this and the operation crew cut thing. Shows why these guys are so cautious about who they work with and talk to. This could have been a big score and yet he still stayed out.Patrickgold wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 6:31 pmI didn’t get that notion at all that it was Pannozzo’s idea. I think Michael went to Vena and company for help as directed by the FBI in hopes the Outfit guys would bite but instead they introduced Michael to Mandell because they probably didn’t personally want to get involved in it. And that was a very good decision on their part because Swiatek died a free man and Vena is still around free. Panozzo got busted on his own for a different case. If they had been involved in the conspiracy they most certainly would have been indicted. I also think the Outfit guys realized a lot of other Outfit guys were involved in Polekatz and they didn’t want to step on any toes.NorthBuffalo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 5:29 pmBut to be certain, this was Grand Avenue's scheme here originally and Mandell was brought in to 'handle it.' I just wonder who came up with this - seems like Pannozzo was the guy in touch here according to what you've shared. Doesn't seem like Vena had the original idea. Panozzo seems like the guy who sees scores everywhere. Bob Deniro in Heat type guy.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:15 pmHe was in a burglary gang, not sure if it was Hanhardt's. He was introduced to Michael as the "doctor who can fix your problem."NorthBuffalo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:04 pmYou also wonder how many times Mandell did this without getting caught - he was connected to Kansas City mafia member Anthony Mammolito who testified against him on his first kidnapping case. Clearly, he was with the Outfit and doing scores with guys in other cities - I would be interested to know if he was in the CPD around Handhart given his grand avenue ties.PolackTony wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 3:37 pmMandell was a total psycho, who knows how many bodies he had under him. The guy trunk musicked his own pops.Snakes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 2:56 pm Also, also, if Mandell was going into business for himself and doing an unsanctioned hit on Quaranta, he may not have been completely straightforward about what he was telling Michael on the wire. Remember, he was going to kill Quaranta and not Dimitri -- maybe he was afraid of blowback from EP if he moved on Dimitri? I'm guessing he was banking on Dimitri getting scared when Quaranta was killed, allowing Mandell to move in. Either way, the guy was pretty sick, and he seemed to get off on killing people even if there was no guaranteed financial gain.
Mandel was a nut job as Tony previously said. I believe he was involved in unsolved murders like that one in Highland Park where the Italian restaurant guy was killed in his house and the house burned down and also the Greek bar owner and the woman bartender who were murdered in the bar and it burned down in Schiller Park. Same MO. Doubt any of them were sanctioned by the Outfit but who knows.
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
New Kurt Calabrese interview. Still has him insisting that Accardo personally whacked Giancana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlRxsrc-Y-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlRxsrc-Y-c
EYYYY ALL YOU CHOOCHES OUT THERE IT'S THE KID
Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Such an interesting topic . I have no doubts that’s what their dad told them. Whether it’s true, who knows. Some of it is plausible. Last person Giancana would expect. Would certainly let him in the door.Ivan wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2024 8:45 am New Kurt Calabrese interview. Still has him insisting that Accardo personally whacked Giancana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlRxsrc-Y-c
As others in here have said, Accardo was largely responsible for Gianacanas ascension. He could have felt “responsible.” …..real guinea shit
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Re: General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground
Was this the son or brother of Tony Accardo?
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/da ... d=27490389
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/da ... d=27490389