General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[PolackTony]

If anyone is interested, the below link has a scanned copy to the book “The Home Invaders” by Frank Hohimer. Very good book on a street level Outfit burglar. Some familiar names are in the book like Willie Messino and Leo Rugendorf. Highly recommend you read it. To buy the book it is a little expensive so you can just read it for free by visiting the below link. Also has pictures in the book.

https://archive.org/details/the-home-in ... nk-hohimer

Yes, great book for insight into the burglary racket in Chicago back in the day. Also, the screenplay of the Michael Mann film “Thief” was based on Hohimer’s book as well.

[NorthBuffalo]

If anyone is interested, the below link has a scanned copy to the book “The Home Invaders” by Frank Hohimer. Very good book on a street level Outfit burglar. Some familiar names are in the book like Willie Messino and Leo Rugendorf. Highly recommend you read it. To buy the book it is a little expensive so you can just read it for free by visiting the below link. Also has pictures in the book.

https://archive.org/details/the-home-in ... nk-hohimer

Yes, great book for insight into the burglary racket in Chicago back in the day. Also, the screenplay of the Michael Mann film “Thief” was based on Hohimer’s book as well.

Thanks guys this is great.

[Cosmik_Debris]

If anyone is interested, the below link has a scanned copy to the book “The Home Invaders” by Frank Hohimer. Very good book on a street level Outfit burglar. Some familiar names are in the book like Willie Messino and Leo Rugendorf. Highly recommend you read it. To buy the book it is a little expensive so you can just read it for free by visiting the below link. Also has pictures in the book.

https://archive.org/details/the-home-in ... nk-hohimer

This is great. Lots of familiar locations for this Springfield, IL kid.

[Ivan]

Was watching a stream with DeMeo crew member Peter LaFroscia and, weirdly, he kept getting $100 superchats from someone who might be Solly D's son. (Vincent DeLaurentis seems to call himself "Dr Vinny Boombotz" on Facebook, though he spells it with an O on there instead of an A like is used here.)

[NorthBuffalo]

Outfit bookie Michael Frontier (Elmwood Park) 1990s


Mario Garelli (Cicero) 1970s

[NorthBuffalo]

Few old photos of Grand Avenue:



Joe Lombardo holding court (only other identified individual from sources is Nick Iacovetti to Lombardo's right).



James 'Jimmy Boy' Cozzo



Young Albert Vena per my source.

[Ivan]

Young Albert Vena per my source.

Purported pic of Vena from about the same time for comparison.

[NorthBuffalo]

Luigi Bonanno (Grand Avenue)

[PolackTony]

Luigi Bonanno (Grand Avenue)

Don't believe I ever saw a photo of Luigi Bonanno before.

If people are unaware, Luigi Bonanno was a Sicilian guy from Mazzarino, Caltanissetta, who immigrated to Chicago in the 1970s, when he was about 40 years old. He lived on the NW Side, first in Humboldt Park and later in Dunning, and died in his late 60s in 1999.

In 1992, Bonanno was busted with a guy named Francesco DiVenere for operating an (allegedly) outfit-connected burglary ring that employed a crew of young Polish immigrants to rip off homes in the NW burbs. DiVenere was a native of Triggiano, Bari (the birthplace of Johnny DiFronzo, of course, and also the hometown of families like the Nittis and Spilotros), who operated an Italian party supply/planning business on Harlem Ave (Idea Della Bonboniera). According to CPD, however, DiVenere was using the business to case out the properties that he and Bonanno would then target for burglaries (a Sicilian guy and a Barese heading a prolific burglary crew of Polish kids to burglarize other Italian immigrants holding communion parties is like peak "only in Chicago"-type shit lol). At the time of their arrests, the Tribune cited CPD intelligence unit officer John Guarnieri as stating that both Bonanno and DiVenere were "known to be figures in Chicago organized crime".

I have assumed that these guys were affiliated with Elmwood Park, but I don't have anything definitive in terms of which crew they were with (we know that geography in Chicago wasn't always as cut and dried when it came to crew affiliations as people have often assumed). As far as I am aware, neither man appeared in any other public accounts of criminal activity apart from their 1992 arrests. The disposition of their charges for the burglary crew bust was not even reported, so I'm not sure if they were convicted and sentenced. Might be interesting to see what, if anything, came up during their trials regarding mob connections.

Also worth noting that both Bonanno and DiVenere died a few months apart from each other in 1999, with Bonanno's obit noting that he died "suddenly". If it was any prior decade, I'd really wonder if they had been whacked. I don't think that was the case here, however, as nothing of the sort was reported.

[NorthBuffalo]

Luigi Bonanno (Grand Avenue)

Don't believe I ever saw a photo of Luigi Bonanno before.

If people are unaware, Luigi Bonanno was a Sicilian guy from Mazzarino, Caltanissetta, who immigrated to Chicago in the 1970s, when he was about 40 years old. He lived on the NW Side, first in Humboldt Park and later in Dunning, and died in his late 60s in 1999.

In 1992, Bonanno was busted with a guy named Francesco DiVenere for operating an (allegedly) outfit-connected burglary ring that employed a crew of young Polish immigrants to rip off homes in the NW burbs. DiVenere was a native of Triggiano, Bari (the birthplace of Johnny DiFronzo, of course, and also the hometown of families like the Nittis and Spilotros), who operated an Italian party supply/planning business on Harlem Ave (Idea Della Bonboniera). According to CPD, however, DiVenere was using the business to case out the properties that he and Bonanno would then target for burglaries (a Sicilian guy and a Barese heading a prolific burglary crew of Polish kids to burglarize other Italian immigrants holding communion parties is like peak "only in Chicago"-type shit lol). At the time of their arrests, the Tribune cited CPD intelligence unit officer John Guarnieri as stating that both Bonanno and DiVenere were "known to be figures in Chicago organized crime".

I have assumed that these guys were affiliated with Elmwood Park, but I don't have anything definitive in terms of which crew they were with (we know that geography in Chicago wasn't always as cut and dried when it came to crew affiliations as people have often assumed). As far as I am aware, neither man appeared in any other public accounts of criminal activity apart from their 1992 arrests. The disposition of their charges for the burglary crew bust was not even reported, so I'm not sure if they were convicted and sentenced. Might be interesting to see what, if anything, came up during their trials regarding mob connections.

Also worth noting that both Bonanno and DiVenere died a few months apart from each other in 1999, with Bonanno's obit noting that he died "suddenly". If it was any prior decade, I'd really wonder if they had been whacked. I don't think that was the case here, however, as nothing of the sort was reported.

The source who shared these photos says Bonanno was related to Frank Milito (Grand Avenue). He had several arrests for gambling offenses as well.

[PolackTony]

If there was any relation it would have to be via marriage. They aren’t even from the same region of Italy.

Notorious gas station/auto body shop/restaurant impresario Francesco Rocco “Frank” Milito and his wife are both natives of the Vallo Di Diana area in the interior of the province of Salerno, Campania (he’s from Teggiano and his wife is from Auletta). As I noted above, Luigi Bonanno was a native of Mazzarino, in the Sicilian province of Caltanissetta, as was his wife. I’m aware of who both men’s families are and have not seen any indication whatsoever of any marriage ties between them.

I’ve written a bit before here on the board about Milito, an interesting character who has had close ties to important figures in the City of Chicago government (such as former CPD Superintendent Matt Rodriguez) and was a suspect, though never charged, in the 1987 murder of Amoco executive Charles Merriam, which investigators believed was tied to the mob.

[Patrickgold]

If there was any relation it would have to be via marriage. They aren’t even from the same region of Italy.

Notorious gas station/auto body shop/restaurant impresario Francesco Rocco “Frank” Milito and his wife are both natives of the Vallo Di Diana area in the interior of the province of Salerno, Campania (he’s from Teggiano and his wife is from Auletta). As I noted above, Luigi Bonanno was a native of Mazzarino, in the Sicilian province of Caltanissetta, as was his wife. I’m aware of who both men’s families are and have not seen any indication whatsoever of any marriage ties between them.

I’ve written a bit before here on the board about Milito, an interesting character who has had close ties to important figures in the City of Chicago government (such as former CPD Superintendent Matt Rodriguez) and was a suspect, though never charged, in the 1987 murder of Amoco executive Charles Merriam, which investigators believed was tied to the mob.

Good write up Tony. Milito is still very well connected in the city government and owns businesses all over the city. He is the owner of Olso’s on Wells St, numerous gas stations and other businesses all over the city.

[Ivan]

Goudie laid off.

https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/202 ... stigations

[NorthBuffalo]

If there was any relation it would have to be via marriage. They aren’t even from the same region of Italy.

Notorious gas station/auto body shop/restaurant impresario Francesco Rocco “Frank” Milito and his wife are both natives of the Vallo Di Diana area in the interior of the province of Salerno, Campania (he’s from Teggiano and his wife is from Auletta). As I noted above, Luigi Bonanno was a native of Mazzarino, in the Sicilian province of Caltanissetta, as was his wife. I’m aware of who both men’s families are and have not seen any indication whatsoever of any marriage ties between them.

I’ve written a bit before here on the board about Milito, an interesting character who has had close ties to important figures in the City of Chicago government (such as former CPD Superintendent Matt Rodriguez) and was a suspect, though never charged, in the 1987 murder of Amoco executive Charles Merriam, which investigators believed was tied to the mob.

Polack I'll be honest - I never heard Luigi Bonanno until I got the pic - don't think he's been on Outfit lists previously or even posted on this board previously. When it comes to the really low key guys I tend to go with what the sources tell me - the back stories may not be 100% accurate, but often better than starting with the internet databases.

[Coloboy]

I know it all needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but two comments/questions on Scott's most recent Outfit article about Solly D. supposedly telling the Cicero guys to "cool it' with all the public social media shit.

1.) He once again claims that Sarno made quote "two to three dozen" young guys prior to going to prison. This just seems outright asinine. I think there's enough anecdotal evidence to speculate on a handful of guys he may have made, but making 24-36 guys into the Cicero crew alone is absolutely nuts considering what we know about the Outfit and made members.

2.) He says "DeLaurentis allegedly sent word to the Cicero crew early last month by way of a retired Outfit heavyweight from the 1990s to cool their proverbial cowboy boots in the peacocking and quick-fist department". Any guesses who he is referencing here?