General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[cavita]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/fbi-files/ ... -fbi-files

Joey 'The Clown' Lombardo's FBI files show Chicago Outfit boss complaining about government inspectors

Despite his penchant for humor, the late hoodlum comes across as rather grumpy as authorities kept showing up at his workplace, the newly released records show.

By Robert Herguth Nov 15, 2024, 5:00pm UTC

Known for a wicked sense of humor as well as a penchant for violence, the late Chicago Outfit boss Joseph Lombardo was known as “Joey the Clown.”

But newly released FBI files on the hoodlum, who died in 2019, showed he also could be, well, kind of prickly.
The once-secret paperwork — FBI files generally can be released, on demand, only after a person’s death and, even then, often only with large swaths blacked out — shows Lombardo complaining about government inspectors descending on a suburban company he was employed by in 1971.

“He noted that he was in dirty work clothes and industrially employed in the production of fiberglass sinks at the time he was contacted,” according to one document. “Lombardo stated that the fiberglass business is good and that they were working very hard to meet their production schedules.

“Lombardo stated that the Village of Elk Grove is harassing him by having frequent inspections conducted by the Fire Department and very closely watching this fiberglass operation for fire violations.

“He stated he does not really mind this as he expects to abide by the law and if on any occasion he feels that he is being discriminated against, he will make an issue of it in the courts.

“Joseph Lombardo stated that people like himself have more problems with the law enforcement authorities than the general public and as a case in point he explained the circumstances of his arrest when he was mistaken for Joe Lombardi and actually taken to court by the Chicago Police Department, where he was not identified by the victim.

“He stated that at the time of this arrest he was pushed around by the Chicago police, who would not listen to him when he stated that he was the wrong man.

“Lombardo advised that he as a matter of practice is polite to policemen until he is placed under arrest, at which time he refuses to discuss anything with them and generally replies to their queries with obscenities.”

Months later, investigators visited Lombardo again at his work place, and he “noted that they had recently cleared up the premises due to a complaint of the Elk Grove Fire Department.

“Lombardo would disclose only general subjects, however was very emphatic in his opinion that the Italian American people are discriminated against in that they are classified as hoodlums.”

He pointed to being a member of the YMCA but being “dropped” from its “Executive Club,” his dues returned without explanation, except that “his membership was not desirable.”

Upset, Lombardo said that “he talked to an attorney concerning this and was advised that inasmuch as it was a private club in the YMCA, he had no recourse.

“Lombardo stated he was bitter.”

The records also briefly mention one of Lombardo’s former business associates — Daniel Seifert, who was gunned down in 1974 outside his Bensenville factory to stop him from testifying against Lombardo in a pension fraud case.

The Seifert killing was one of 10 killings that Lombardo and other mob bosses were found liable for when they were convicted in 2007 in the landmark Operation Family Secrets mob trial.

Just before charges were announced in 2005, Lombardo fled. He was tracked down in early 2006 in Elmwood Park and put on trial.

The 124 pages that were released by the FBI all appear to be regarding Lombardo’s earlier years, when he was rising in the Outfit and not yet one of the top bosses.

One document in Lombardo’s FBI file shows that, when a car he was traveling in was pulled over in the early 1970s, one of his associates tried to bribe a Niles cop and an “altercation” ensued.

“Information was later received . . . that as a result of an alleged $1,000 payoff to the Niles Police, all charges against [REDACTED] were dismissed and all reports relative to the arrest and assault were destroyed,” FBI records say.

According to another document, an informant told authorities Lombardo and fellow mobster Anthony Spilotro “pulled” a 1966 Tiffany robbery that saw hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry taken from a Michigan Avenue store.

The records also show Lombardo had a host of other nicknames and aliases besides “The Clown,” including Joe Padula, Little Joey, William Baker, Milton Snyder, Harold McBride, Frederick Bomberd, George S. Carroll and Henry Jones.

The files show the lengths to which investigators went to track down Lombardo decades ago, even contacting his mother, then living in Park Ridge. She “refused to disclose his residence, activities or associates.”

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

[cavita]

Santino Collela is in one of the photos I have (below). He and his wife own a pizza restaurant that is very popular (Nick and Bruno's) in Franklin Park. Fond of scratch off tickets I see from reading up on him

My buddy once told me Santino said he worked for Pete LaBelestra and that back in the 1980s he partnered with Frank Buscemi, Jr. on some things. Frank, Jr. was the son of the Rockford LCN underboss. That partnering I suspect was cocaine dealings because Frank Jr. was deep into that for his old man.

[Snakes]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/fbi-files/ ... -fbi-files

Joey 'The Clown' Lombardo's FBI files show Chicago Outfit boss complaining about government inspectors

Despite his penchant for humor, the late hoodlum comes across as rather grumpy as authorities kept showing up at his workplace, the newly released records show.

By Robert Herguth Nov 15, 2024, 5:00pm UTC

Known for a wicked sense of humor as well as a penchant for violence, the late Chicago Outfit boss Joseph Lombardo was known as “Joey the Clown.”

But newly released FBI files on the hoodlum, who died in 2019, showed he also could be, well, kind of prickly.
The once-secret paperwork — FBI files generally can be released, on demand, only after a person’s death and, even then, often only with large swaths blacked out — shows Lombardo complaining about government inspectors descending on a suburban company he was employed by in 1971.

“He noted that he was in dirty work clothes and industrially employed in the production of fiberglass sinks at the time he was contacted,” according to one document. “Lombardo stated that the fiberglass business is good and that they were working very hard to meet their production schedules.

“Lombardo stated that the Village of Elk Grove is harassing him by having frequent inspections conducted by the Fire Department and very closely watching this fiberglass operation for fire violations.

“He stated he does not really mind this as he expects to abide by the law and if on any occasion he feels that he is being discriminated against, he will make an issue of it in the courts.

“Joseph Lombardo stated that people like himself have more problems with the law enforcement authorities than the general public and as a case in point he explained the circumstances of his arrest when he was mistaken for Joe Lombardi and actually taken to court by the Chicago Police Department, where he was not identified by the victim.

“He stated that at the time of this arrest he was pushed around by the Chicago police, who would not listen to him when he stated that he was the wrong man.

“Lombardo advised that he as a matter of practice is polite to policemen until he is placed under arrest, at which time he refuses to discuss anything with them and generally replies to their queries with obscenities.”

Months later, investigators visited Lombardo again at his work place, and he “noted that they had recently cleared up the premises due to a complaint of the Elk Grove Fire Department.

“Lombardo would disclose only general subjects, however was very emphatic in his opinion that the Italian American people are discriminated against in that they are classified as hoodlums.”

He pointed to being a member of the YMCA but being “dropped” from its “Executive Club,” his dues returned without explanation, except that “his membership was not desirable.”

Upset, Lombardo said that “he talked to an attorney concerning this and was advised that inasmuch as it was a private club in the YMCA, he had no recourse.

“Lombardo stated he was bitter.”

The records also briefly mention one of Lombardo’s former business associates — Daniel Seifert, who was gunned down in 1974 outside his Bensenville factory to stop him from testifying against Lombardo in a pension fraud case.

The Seifert killing was one of 10 killings that Lombardo and other mob bosses were found liable for when they were convicted in 2007 in the landmark Operation Family Secrets mob trial.

Just before charges were announced in 2005, Lombardo fled. He was tracked down in early 2006 in Elmwood Park and put on trial.

The 124 pages that were released by the FBI all appear to be regarding Lombardo’s earlier years, when he was rising in the Outfit and not yet one of the top bosses.

One document in Lombardo’s FBI file shows that, when a car he was traveling in was pulled over in the early 1970s, one of his associates tried to bribe a Niles cop and an “altercation” ensued.

“Information was later received . . . that as a result of an alleged $1,000 payoff to the Niles Police, all charges against [REDACTED] were dismissed and all reports relative to the arrest and assault were destroyed,” FBI records say.

According to another document, an informant told authorities Lombardo and fellow mobster Anthony Spilotro “pulled” a 1966 Tiffany robbery that saw hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry taken from a Michigan Avenue store.

The records also show Lombardo had a host of other nicknames and aliases besides “The Clown,” including Joe Padula, Little Joey, William Baker, Milton Snyder, Harold McBride, Frederick Bomberd, George S. Carroll and Henry Jones.

The files show the lengths to which investigators went to track down Lombardo decades ago, even contacting his mother, then living in Park Ridge. She “refused to disclose his residence, activities or associates.”

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

[PolackTony]

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

Yes, so far as I know he remained an associate with the EP crew. Joseph Lombardi, Jr, was born in 1936 in Chicago and he was a paesan' of Willie Messino. His parents were Giuseppe Lombardi of Acerra and Rosa Renello, born in Chicago to Acerresi parents. Joe Lombard, also like Messino, grew up in the Taylor St neighborhood and it's safe to assume that their families all knew each other.

In December of 1963, Gagliano crew juice loan client Joe Weisphal ran to the cops after he was beaten and terrorized into signing over checks to pay off part of his delinquent juice loan that he owed to Willie Messino's loansharking operation. Messino, Al Sarno, Chris Cardi (another Acerrese and Messino's relative, of course), Patsy Di Costanzo, and Johnny DeFronzo were charged with extortion and assault in the case. Notably, Joe *Lombardo* (who was, of course, Barese and totally unrelated to the other guy, though "The Clown's" actual surname was also Lombardi, originally) was also picked up and charged when investigators confused him for the other Joe (in court, Weisphal failed to recognize Lombardo as the Joe Lombardi that he had accused of taking part in his terrorizing). All of these men wound up getting acquitted on all charges, though the case caused something of an uproar in the local press as LE discovered multiple attempts to bribe jurors in the case.

This case brought a lot of heat down on the Cerone/Gagliano crew and on the juice racket in Chicago more broadly, which became much harder to operate in the 1960s/70s due to increasing pressure from Federal and local LE. Another black eye for Messino came a few years later in 1965, when he and associates Joe Lombardi, Jr, George Bravos, and Sandor Caravallo were charged with crimes including kidnapping and aggravated assault for the confinement and brutal beating of three Greek brothers, businessmen in the NW burbs who were in default on their juice loans to Messino's operation. Messino was famously apprehended after initially escaping authorities during a wild shootout with IL state LE agents under the command of IL Crime Commission head Charles Siragusa. In 1967, Messino, Lombardi, and Bravos were convicted and given stiff sentences, which were upheld on appeal in 1967. I'm not sure when Lombardi was released from this case, as he was given 5-to-20 years and his parole was denied in 1975.

Apart from working as a juice collector for his paesan' Messino (I think it's safe to assume that for most of his mob career, at least, Lombardi would have been an associate on record with Messino), he was also involved in burglary and armed robbery per FBI intel, and was further named as being involved in the bolita (PR numbers) racket by a local LE report in the 1970s (although, it's possible that Lombardi was again conflated with Joe Lombardo for the latter allegations, as he was incarcerated at the time).

He was living in SW suburban Bridgeview when he died in 2013. Interestingly, he -- or his relatives -- seem to have retained some kind of clout even in his later years, in that a 2021 Sun-Times article discussed how the mobbed-up Cook County Assessor's office under Joe Berrios had continued to grant tax breaks on the property for several years after Lombardi had passed.

[cavita]

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

Yes, so far as I know he remained an associate with the EP crew. Joseph Lombardi, Jr, was born in 1936 in Chicago and he was a paesan' of Willie Messino. His parents were Giuseppe Lombardi of Acerra and Rosa Renello, born in Chicago to Acerresi parents. Joe Lombard, also like Messino, grew up in the Taylor St neighborhood and it's safe to assume that their families all knew each other.

In December of 1963, Gagliano crew juice loan client Joe Weisphal ran to the cops after he was beaten and terrorized into signing over checks to pay off part of his delinquent juice loan that he owed to Willie Messino's loansharking operation. Messino, Al Sarno, Chris Cardi (another Acerrese and Messino's relative, of course), Patsy Di Costanzo, and Johnny DeFronzo were charged with extortion and assault in the case. Notably, Joe *Lombardo* (who was, of course, Barese and totally unrelated to the other guy, though "The Clown's" actual surname was also Lombardi, originally) was also picked up and charged when investigators confused him for the other Joe (in court, Weisphal failed to recognize Lombardo as the Joe Lombardi that he had accused of taking part in his terrorizing). All of these men wound up getting acquitted on all charges, though the case caused something of an uproar in the local press as LE discovered multiple attempts to bribe jurors in the case.

This case brought a lot of heat down on the Cerone/Gagliano crew and on the juice racket in Chicago more broadly, which became much harder to operate in the 1960s/70s due to increasing pressure from Federal and local LE. Another black eye for Messino came a few years later in 1965, when he and associates Joe Lombardi, Jr, George Bravos, and Sandor Caravallo were charged with crimes including kidnapping and aggravated assault for the confinement and brutal beating of three Greek brothers, businessmen in the NW burbs who were in default on their juice loans to Messino's operation. Messino was famously apprehended after initially escaping authorities during a wild shootout with IL state LE agents under the command of IL Crime Commission head Charles Siragusa. In 1967, Messino, Lombardi, and Bravos were convicted and given stiff sentences, which were upheld on appeal in 1967. I'm not sure when Lombardi was released from this case, as he was given 5-to-20 years and his parole was denied in 1975.

Apart from working as a juice collector for his paesan' Messino (I think it's safe to assume that for most of his mob career, at least, Lombardi would have been an associate on record with Messino), he was also involved in burglary and armed robbery per FBI intel, and was also named as being involved in the bolita (PR numbers) racket in the 1970s (although, it's possible that Lombardi was again conflated with Joe Lombardo for the latter allegations, as he was incarcerated at the time).

He was living in SW suburban Bridgeview when he died in 2013. Interestingly, he -- or his relatives -- seem to have retained some kind of clout even in his later years, in that a 2021 Sun-Times article discussed how the mobbed Cook County Assessor's office under Joe Berrios had continued to grant tax breaks on the property for several years after Lombardi had passed.

So was this Lombardi ever involved in the porn industry for the Outfit in the 1970s as far as you know?

[Snakes]

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

Yes, so far as I know he remained an associate with the EP crew. Joseph Lombardi, Jr, was born in 1936 in Chicago and he was a paesan' of Willie Messino. His parents were Giuseppe Lombardi of Acerra and Rosa Renello, born in Chicago to Acerresi parents. Joe Lombard, also like Messino, grew up in the Taylor St neighborhood and it's safe to assume that their families all knew each other.

In December of 1963, Gagliano crew juice loan client Joe Weisphal ran to the cops after he was beaten and terrorized into signing over checks to pay off part of his delinquent juice loan that he owed to Willie Messino's loansharking operation. Messino, Al Sarno, Chris Cardi (another Acerrese and Messino's relative, of course), Patsy Di Costanzo, and Johnny DeFronzo were charged with extortion and assault in the case. Notably, Joe *Lombardo* (who was, of course, Barese and totally unrelated to the other guy, though "The Clown's" actual surname was also Lombardi, originally) was also picked up and charged when investigators confused him for the other Joe (in court, Weisphal failed to recognize Lombardo as the Joe Lombardi that he had accused of taking part in his terrorizing). All of these men wound up getting acquitted on all charges, though the case caused something of an uproar in the local press as LE discovered multiple attempts to bribe jurors in the case.

This case brought a lot of heat down on the Cerone/Gagliano crew and on the juice racket in Chicago more broadly, which became much harder to operate in the 1960s/70s due to increasing pressure from Federal and local LE. Another black eye for Messino came a few years later in 1965, when he and associates Joe Lombardi, Jr, George Bravos, and Sandor Caravallo were charged with crimes including kidnapping and aggravated assault for the confinement and brutal beating of three Greek brothers, businessmen in the NW burbs who were in default on their juice loans to Messino's operation. Messino was famously apprehended after initially escaping authorities during a wild shootout with IL state LE agents under the command of IL Crime Commission head Charles Siragusa. In 1967, Messino, Lombardi, and Bravos were convicted and given stiff sentences, which were upheld on appeal in 1967. I'm not sure when Lombardi was released from this case, as he was given 5-to-20 years and his parole was denied in 1975.

Apart from working as a juice collector for his paesan' Messino (I think it's safe to assume that for most of his mob career, at least, Lombardi would have been an associate on record with Messino), he was also involved in burglary and armed robbery per FBI intel, and was further named as being involved in the bolita (PR numbers) racket by a local LE report in the 1970s (although, it's possible that Lombardi was again conflated with Joe Lombardo for the latter allegations, as he was incarcerated at the time).

He was living in SW suburban Bridgeview when he died in 2013. Interestingly, he -- or his relatives -- seem to have retained some kind of clout even in his later years, in that a 2021 Sun-Times article discussed how the mobbed-up Cook County Assessor's office under Joe Berrios had continued to grant tax breaks on the property for several years after Lombardi had passed.

Yeah, that article is the only evidence I have he died. I never found an obit or SSDI

[NorthBuffalo]

Lombardi was the uncle of 'The Don' on ANP aka Don Bellezzo who is the founder of a Beatles cover band in Las Vegas. Lombardi and Fosco were connected to each other behind the scenes. I think Lombardi was de-activated by DiFronzo if you read those boards in-depth and quite bitter about it. He allegedly began as a gopher for Matassa Sr. who was a bodyguard for Giancana hence the elaborate stories he told his annoying nephew about Giancana being this amazing 'super boss.'

[NorthBuffalo]

Santino Collela is in one of the photos I have (below). He and his wife own a pizza restaurant that is very popular (Nick and Bruno's) in Franklin Park. Fond of scratch off tickets I see from reading up on him

My buddy once told me Santino said he worked for Pete LaBelestra and that back in the 1980s he partnered with Frank Buscemi, Jr. on some things. Frank, Jr. was the son of the Rockford LCN underboss. That partnering I suspect was cocaine dealings because Frank Jr. was deep into that for his old man.

This latest indictment we were posting about - Anthony LaBalestra - is out of Cary, IL - they were also living in Barrington from what I was told. Somewhat close to Rockford, no?

[PolackTony]

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

Yes, so far as I know he remained an associate with the EP crew. Joseph Lombardi, Jr, was born in 1936 in Chicago and he was a paesan' of Willie Messino. His parents were Giuseppe Lombardi of Acerra and Rosa Renello, born in Chicago to Acerresi parents. Joe Lombard, also like Messino, grew up in the Taylor St neighborhood and it's safe to assume that their families all knew each other.

In December of 1963, Gagliano crew juice loan client Joe Weisphal ran to the cops after he was beaten and terrorized into signing over checks to pay off part of his delinquent juice loan that he owed to Willie Messino's loansharking operation. Messino, Al Sarno, Chris Cardi (another Acerrese and Messino's relative, of course), Patsy Di Costanzo, and Johnny DeFronzo were charged with extortion and assault in the case. Notably, Joe *Lombardo* (who was, of course, Barese and totally unrelated to the other guy, though "The Clown's" actual surname was also Lombardi, originally) was also picked up and charged when investigators confused him for the other Joe (in court, Weisphal failed to recognize Lombardo as the Joe Lombardi that he had accused of taking part in his terrorizing). All of these men wound up getting acquitted on all charges, though the case caused something of an uproar in the local press as LE discovered multiple attempts to bribe jurors in the case.

This case brought a lot of heat down on the Cerone/Gagliano crew and on the juice racket in Chicago more broadly, which became much harder to operate in the 1960s/70s due to increasing pressure from Federal and local LE. Another black eye for Messino came a few years later in 1965, when he and associates Joe Lombardi, Jr, George Bravos, and Sandor Caravallo were charged with crimes including kidnapping and aggravated assault for the confinement and brutal beating of three Greek brothers, businessmen in the NW burbs who were in default on their juice loans to Messino's operation. Messino was famously apprehended after initially escaping authorities during a wild shootout with IL state LE agents under the command of IL Crime Commission head Charles Siragusa. In 1967, Messino, Lombardi, and Bravos were convicted and given stiff sentences, which were upheld on appeal in 1967. I'm not sure when Lombardi was released from this case, as he was given 5-to-20 years and his parole was denied in 1975.

Apart from working as a juice collector for his paesan' Messino (I think it's safe to assume that for most of his mob career, at least, Lombardi would have been an associate on record with Messino), he was also involved in burglary and armed robbery per FBI intel, and was also named as being involved in the bolita (PR numbers) racket in the 1970s (although, it's possible that Lombardi was again conflated with Joe Lombardo for the latter allegations, as he was incarcerated at the time).

He was living in SW suburban Bridgeview when he died in 2013. Interestingly, he -- or his relatives -- seem to have retained some kind of clout even in his later years, in that a 2021 Sun-Times article discussed how the mobbed Cook County Assessor's office under Joe Berrios had continued to grant tax breaks on the property for several years after Lombardi had passed.

So was this Lombardi ever involved in the porn industry for the Outfit in the 1970s as far as you know?

Not that I recall ATM. He was incarcerated into 1976, at the earliest, also. If you post some of the info about the guy you're thinking of, maybe we can see if it's the same person.

Yeah, that article is the only evidence I have he died. I never found an obit or SSDI

Same.

[cavita]

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

Yes, so far as I know he remained an associate with the EP crew. Joseph Lombardi, Jr, was born in 1936 in Chicago and he was a paesan' of Willie Messino. His parents were Giuseppe Lombardi of Acerra and Rosa Renello, born in Chicago to Acerresi parents. Joe Lombard, also like Messino, grew up in the Taylor St neighborhood and it's safe to assume that their families all knew each other.

In December of 1963, Gagliano crew juice loan client Joe Weisphal ran to the cops after he was beaten and terrorized into signing over checks to pay off part of his delinquent juice loan that he owed to Willie Messino's loansharking operation. Messino, Al Sarno, Chris Cardi (another Acerrese and Messino's relative, of course), Patsy Di Costanzo, and Johnny DeFronzo were charged with extortion and assault in the case. Notably, Joe *Lombardo* (who was, of course, Barese and totally unrelated to the other guy, though "The Clown's" actual surname was also Lombardi, originally) was also picked up and charged when investigators confused him for the other Joe (in court, Weisphal failed to recognize Lombardo as the Joe Lombardi that he had accused of taking part in his terrorizing). All of these men wound up getting acquitted on all charges, though the case caused something of an uproar in the local press as LE discovered multiple attempts to bribe jurors in the case.

This case brought a lot of heat down on the Cerone/Gagliano crew and on the juice racket in Chicago more broadly, which became much harder to operate in the 1960s/70s due to increasing pressure from Federal and local LE. Another black eye for Messino came a few years later in 1965, when he and associates Joe Lombardi, Jr, George Bravos, and Sandor Caravallo were charged with crimes including kidnapping and aggravated assault for the confinement and brutal beating of three Greek brothers, businessmen in the NW burbs who were in default on their juice loans to Messino's operation. Messino was famously apprehended after initially escaping authorities during a wild shootout with IL state LE agents under the command of IL Crime Commission head Charles Siragusa. In 1967, Messino, Lombardi, and Bravos were convicted and given stiff sentences, which were upheld on appeal in 1967. I'm not sure when Lombardi was released from this case, as he was given 5-to-20 years and his parole was denied in 1975.

Apart from working as a juice collector for his paesan' Messino (I think it's safe to assume that for most of his mob career, at least, Lombardi would have been an associate on record with Messino), he was also involved in burglary and armed robbery per FBI intel, and was also named as being involved in the bolita (PR numbers) racket in the 1970s (although, it's possible that Lombardi was again conflated with Joe Lombardo for the latter allegations, as he was incarcerated at the time).

He was living in SW suburban Bridgeview when he died in 2013. Interestingly, he -- or his relatives -- seem to have retained some kind of clout even in his later years, in that a 2021 Sun-Times article discussed how the mobbed Cook County Assessor's office under Joe Berrios had continued to grant tax breaks on the property for several years after Lombardi had passed.

So was this Lombardi ever involved in the porn industry for the Outfit in the 1970s as far as you know?

Not that I recall ATM. He was incarcerated into 1976, at the earliest, also. If you post some of the info about the guy you're thinking of, maybe we can see if it's the same person.

Yeah, that article is the only evidence I have he died. I never found an obit or SSDI

Same.

Rockford police provided this history of adult bookstore ownership in Rockford which was connected to the Rockford LCN: Jacob “Bucky” Seibert owned the porno stores from the mid-1960s until 1969 when R.J. Sales Co., Inc. took over. That company was owned by Claude “Junior” Ridens and Joseph Lombardi. Ridens and Lombardi added a partner and other corporate names while they owned the stores here, and the firms opened a Rockford warehouse which was raided by the police in December 1973. In 1973 all of the Ridens and Lombardi corporations were dissolved and the operations were taken over by International Amusements Limited, Inc., a Canadian corporation which Steve Baker was listed as the president. International Amusements was listed as being operated out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa but Baker was down as being from Ontario, Canada. Baker was also listed as the general manager of Cinematic-Vending Corp., which handled distribution and sales of films and projectors. Reuben Sterman, who was born in Canada, was associated with Cinematic. Eagle Books, Inc. took over operations in Rockford in 1975. Listed as president, secretary, treasurer and director of Eagle Books was James Forester, who listed his address as 322 E. State Street, the same address as the Adult Book and Cinema. Rockford police had said they traced Forester to a southern Indiana adult bookstore where he was only a clerk. Forester had apparently told Rockford police he was paid for the use of his name on the corporation records.

[PolackTony]

It says The Clown was mistaken for Joe Lombardi in the article. Was this Joe "Pretty Boy" Lombardi? What was the story on him....anyone have any specific info?

Juice guy. Did two separate stretches in prison, both for juice, once in the 70s and again in the 90s. It doesn't appear he was ever made. He died in 2013.

Yes, so far as I know he remained an associate with the EP crew. Joseph Lombardi, Jr, was born in 1936 in Chicago and he was a paesan' of Willie Messino. His parents were Giuseppe Lombardi of Acerra and Rosa Renello, born in Chicago to Acerresi parents. Joe Lombard, also like Messino, grew up in the Taylor St neighborhood and it's safe to assume that their families all knew each other.

In December of 1963, Gagliano crew juice loan client Joe Weisphal ran to the cops after he was beaten and terrorized into signing over checks to pay off part of his delinquent juice loan that he owed to Willie Messino's loansharking operation. Messino, Al Sarno, Chris Cardi (another Acerrese and Messino's relative, of course), Patsy Di Costanzo, and Johnny DeFronzo were charged with extortion and assault in the case. Notably, Joe *Lombardo* (who was, of course, Barese and totally unrelated to the other guy, though "The Clown's" actual surname was also Lombardi, originally) was also picked up and charged when investigators confused him for the other Joe (in court, Weisphal failed to recognize Lombardo as the Joe Lombardi that he had accused of taking part in his terrorizing). All of these men wound up getting acquitted on all charges, though the case caused something of an uproar in the local press as LE discovered multiple attempts to bribe jurors in the case.

This case brought a lot of heat down on the Cerone/Gagliano crew and on the juice racket in Chicago more broadly, which became much harder to operate in the 1960s/70s due to increasing pressure from Federal and local LE. Another black eye for Messino came a few years later in 1965, when he and associates Joe Lombardi, Jr, George Bravos, and Sandor Caravallo were charged with crimes including kidnapping and aggravated assault for the confinement and brutal beating of three Greek brothers, businessmen in the NW burbs who were in default on their juice loans to Messino's operation. Messino was famously apprehended after initially escaping authorities during a wild shootout with IL state LE agents under the command of IL Crime Commission head Charles Siragusa. In 1967, Messino, Lombardi, and Bravos were convicted and given stiff sentences, which were upheld on appeal in 1967. I'm not sure when Lombardi was released from this case, as he was given 5-to-20 years and his parole was denied in 1975.

Apart from working as a juice collector for his paesan' Messino (I think it's safe to assume that for most of his mob career, at least, Lombardi would have been an associate on record with Messino), he was also involved in burglary and armed robbery per FBI intel, and was also named as being involved in the bolita (PR numbers) racket in the 1970s (although, it's possible that Lombardi was again conflated with Joe Lombardo for the latter allegations, as he was incarcerated at the time).

He was living in SW suburban Bridgeview when he died in 2013. Interestingly, he -- or his relatives -- seem to have retained some kind of clout even in his later years, in that a 2021 Sun-Times article discussed how the mobbed Cook County Assessor's office under Joe Berrios had continued to grant tax breaks on the property for several years after Lombardi had passed.

So was this Lombardi ever involved in the porn industry for the Outfit in the 1970s as far as you know?

Not that I recall ATM. He was incarcerated into 1976, at the earliest, also. If you post some of the info about the guy you're thinking of, maybe we can see if it's the same person.

Yeah, that article is the only evidence I have he died. I never found an obit or SSDI

Same.

Rockford police provided this history of adult bookstore ownership in Rockford which was connected to the Rockford LCN: Jacob “Bucky” Seibert owned the porno stores from the mid-1960s until 1969 when R.J. Sales Co., Inc. took over. That company was owned by Claude “Junior” Ridens and Joseph Lombardi. Ridens and Lombardi added a partner and other corporate names while they owned the stores here, and the firms opened a Rockford warehouse which was raided by the police in December 1973. In 1973 all of the Ridens and Lombardi corporations were dissolved and the operations were taken over by International Amusements Limited, Inc., a Canadian corporation which Steve Baker was listed as the president. International Amusements was listed as being operated out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa but Baker was down as being from Ontario, Canada. Baker was also listed as the general manager of Cinematic-Vending Corp., which handled distribution and sales of films and projectors. Reuben Sterman, who was born in Canada, was associated with Cinematic. Eagle Books, Inc. took over operations in Rockford in 1975. Listed as president, secretary, treasurer and director of Eagle Books was James Forester, who listed his address as 322 E. State Street, the same address as the Adult Book and Cinema. Rockford police had said they traced Forester to a southern Indiana adult bookstore where he was only a clerk. Forester had apparently told Rockford police he was paid for the use of his name on the corporation records.

Thanks for posting. This wouldn't be the Joe Lombardi who was with EP, as he was incarcerated at the time. Does it say elsewhere that the Lombardi referenced here was a Chicago guy or affiliated with Chicago LCN? There were, of course, a number of Sicilian Lombardos in Rockford who sometimes spelled their surname "Lombardi" in documents, so I'm wondering if he was in fact a Rockford guy?

[PolackTony]

Lombardi was the uncle of 'The Don' on ANP aka Don Bellezzo who is the founder of a Beatles cover band in Las Vegas. Lombardi and Fosco were connected to each other behind the scenes. I think Lombardi was de-activated by DiFronzo if you read those boards in-depth and quite bitter about it. He allegedly began as a gopher for Matassa Sr. who was a bodyguard for Giancana hence the elaborate stories he told his annoying nephew about Giancana being this amazing 'super boss.'

Well, that was what "The Don" said. It's the internet and people can say anything they want. I can't say that I know for a fact that there was no relation. But I do know who "The Don's" family are/were and I've looked into this question before. I was never able to find anything whatsoever to substantiate any connection by blood or marriage and I don't believe this claim was factual (as always, I'm more than happy to update my beliefs if presented with convincing evidence). At least, if there was in fact any connection, I don't believe Lombardi was his uncle.

Fosco was very close to Willie Messino, and we know that Lombardi was also. Given that Messino, Lombardi, and Fosco are all Taylor St guys in origin, one might also imagine that they were likely to have a more favorable view of a guy like Giancana. The Matassas were also from Taylor St, hence Matassa, Sr's close connection to Giancana. For this reason, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true that Lombardi worked as a kid for Matassa, Sr, and then wound up being put on with the Cerone/Gagliano crew via Messino.

[Snakes]

Lombardi was at least active into the 1990s. He was convicted of the extortion and not released until 2001. You also have to wonder if the reason guys were allegedly getting "deactivated" or pushed to the side was because there was just no more room for them in the contracted version of the Outfit.

[NorthBuffalo]

Lombardi was the uncle of 'The Don' on ANP aka Don Bellezzo who is the founder of a Beatles cover band in Las Vegas. Lombardi and Fosco were connected to each other behind the scenes. I think Lombardi was de-activated by DiFronzo if you read those boards in-depth and quite bitter about it. He allegedly began as a gopher for Matassa Sr. who was a bodyguard for Giancana hence the elaborate stories he told his annoying nephew about Giancana being this amazing 'super boss.'

Well, that was what "The Don" said. It's the internet and people can say anything they want. I can't say that I know for a fact that there was no relation. But I do know who "The Don's" family are/were and I've looked into this question before. I was never able to find anything whatsoever to substantiate any connection by blood or marriage and I don't believe this claim was factual (as always, I'm more than happy to update my beliefs if presented with convincing evidence). At least, if there was in fact any connection, I don't believe Lombardi was his uncle.

Fosco was very close to Willie Messino, and we know that Lombardi was also. Given that Messino, Lombardi, and Fosco are all Taylor St guys in origin, one might also imagine that they were likely to have a more favorable view of a guy like Giancana. The Matassas were also from Taylor St, hence Matassa, Sr's close connection to Giancana. For this reason, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true that Lombardi worked as a kid for Matassa, Sr, and then wound up being put on with the Cerone/Gagliano crew via Messino.

Don Bellezzo's uncle - by marriage - I should have clarified and we always teased him about that. I'm old enough to not believe people on the internet, but I also knew Fosco a fair bit for years, who confirmed Don Bellezo's connection. Per Fosco, "Joey L" or Lombardi had a major falling out with Willie Messino prior to the juice case that nearly ended in a physical fight. A rift followed Lombardi into prison. He viewed Messino as the reason behind his deactivation.

You likely didn't make a connection, but Lombardi's kids are quite well-known and both have done time in prison. HIs daughter Rosemarie ran for Mayor of Addison in 1997 just prior to doing time in prison for defrauding a home owners association - Joe Jr. has done time for drugs and financial fraud. Wild story on Rosemarie: https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics ... dick-tick/

Additionally, Joe Lombardo's birth name was 'Giuseppe Lombardi' if memory serves correct.

[PolackTony]

Thanks for the reminder on Rosemarie Lombardi. The 2021 Sun-Times article referenced above noted that her and her brother were listed as residing at their father's former residence in Bridgeview during the investigation into the tax breaks. When she ran for Addison mayor in 1997, it was noted that she worked for a major Loop law firm. Not sure which one, but good chance that she may have been the one with the pull to get favors from the Assessor's office.

Quite the character. As referenced in the Reader article above, she unsuccessfully attempted to sue the Addison PD for excessive force after they arrested her at her home on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court in 2000:
https://casetext.com/case/lombardi-v-range

Regarding Joe Lombardi being "deactivated". Recall also that when he was pinched for the 1993 juice loan case, this was an Infelise crew operation he was working with -- he was busted alongside Sarno, Cataudella, and Mike Castaldo. Whether he was chased by EP or just transferred, it would seem that by this time he was affiliated with Taylor St/Cicero, which of course makes sense given where he was from.