History and set-up of Milwaukee family (1900s-1960s)

[Antiliar]

I think Limey may have confused Giovanni Battista DiBella with Giovanni Vincenzo DiBella. It was the Battista DiBella who's marriage was witnessed by Nicola Schiro (Schiro himself never married). But Vincenzo did make visits to America in 1932 and 1935. When he visited in 1940 he ended up staying.

[B.]

I think Limey may have confused Giovanni Battista DiBella with Giovanni Vincenzo DiBella. It was the Battista DiBella who's marriage was witnessed by Nicola Schiro (Schiro himself never married). But Vincenzo did make visits to America in 1932 and 1935. When he visited in 1940 he ended up staying.

Sounds likely he is thinking of Giovanni B, good info. Do you know of any relation between Giovanni B. and Giovanni V.?

[cavita]

This part here I might have some reference to:

"Pete Balistrieri apparently made some kind of innocent mistake and Nino LNU (not sure if it's the same one in this meeting) didn't get invited to a wedding (though I thought they were still talking about Caminiti's funeral), but Zito told him. Balistrieri says thast Sam Ferrara (former boss) wasn't invited and neither was Sal Marino, but this seems to be a mistake, not deliberate."

In an FBI file I have (which I have yet to locate) on Rockford member Phil Priola, it refers to the wedding of Priola's son in 1964 where they spoke of someone in Milwaukee who was upset they didn't get an invite, but was later told it was an oversight. Priola had a long history in dealing with Milwaukee members, took some arrests there in the early days and interestingly his wife was a Sciortino.

[Snakes]

Was Phil related to Ross (Rosario) Prio (Priola)?

[cavita]

Was Phil related to Ross (Rosario) Prio (Priola)?

I don't think so but FBI files on Priola state that his father Giuseppe Priola was an old time member in the Chicago family and he died in 1967 at the age of 100. Since Phil Priola had a lot of contacts with the northside crew in Chicago I'm assuming that's the crew his father belonged to. Phil himself was kicked out of Rockford by LCN boss Tony Musso but was welcomed back into the city by him around 1952 and then made a member soon after.

[UTC]

Thanks, B, that's Pete's last name I was trying to think of. I used to go to Milwaukee on business very frequently and my friend there used to tell me about going to school with "Johnny Bals", and ho his driver used to hang around. Of course the sons then opened up Snug's (guns backward) as an artist/budding musician colony, with a restaurant that it seemed that everyone went to on Friday night for its fish fry.

[cavita]

Regarding Frank Balistrieri, I have to wonder how much of the truth he told. It was well known that he was arrogant and did not give the other members their due. One thing I find suspect was when he was talking to who he thought was Tony Conte, a vending machine business owner, who was really in fact undercover agent Gail Cobb. Cobbhad said that Balistrieri told him there was a mobster nicknamed “***** Joe” who was put in McHenry County, Illinois to control vending for the Milwaukee organization. Balistrieri said to Cobb, “Now he’s acting like he belongs to the Chicago crew rather than Milwaukee.”
This reference was to Joe Amato who was nicknamed “***** Joe” and “Black Joe,” but Amato was always with the Chicago Outfit and not Milwaukee. I think Balistrieri tried to always portray himself and Milwaukee as a family that was on par nationally with Chicago and New York, so I always took what he said with a grain of salt.

[cavita]

- Nino LNU brings up the death of Caminiti's father again and mentions something about "Caruso's son, from Madison". Someone points out that Madison only has one "lieutenant". Nino points out that "this guy is a lieutenant" and then something about being "twenty-one-years old". This person (Caruso's son, I assume) told Nino about the death of Joe Caminiti's father. It's hard to tell because parts of the conversation are unintelligible, but almost seems like he's saying "Caruso's son" is a 21-year-old captain in Madison? Or maybe the elder Caruso is the captain.

On 11/8/65, MI [REDACTED] advised SAs [REDACTED] and RICHARD C. THOMPSON that he recently learned, through conversation with NICK FUCARINO, that there are only eight members in the Madison LCN family. Informant said he also learned that one of these is VINCENT TROIA who has been back in Madison for some time after visiting California. Informant said he also learned that one of the members is a man named [REDACTED], about whom he will try to get further information. Informant said five of the other six members are: JAMES CARUSO, JOSEPH AIELLO, CARLO CAPUTO, JAMES SCHIAVO, and COSMO DI SALVO. He said he did not know the eighth member unless it was possibly [REDACTED] who is the [REDACTED] for the [REDACTED]. Informant knows [REDACTED] to be an LCN member, but does not know whether he belongs to the Madison family.
The eighth member the informant speaks of is most likely Filippo Candella who was the owner of the Grande Cheese Company at the time. At that time his son, John J. Candella, was 21 years old and may be the one referenced above.

At the time I believe the members of the Madison family were:
Boss: Carlo Caputo born 9/12/1903 Sicily died 11/6/1993 Madison Underboss: Joe Aiello born 3/30/1901 Bagheria, Sicily died November 1970 Madison. He was involved with the Aiello organization in Chicago and fled to Milwaukee with Caputo in the early 1930s. Sam P. Buscemi born 4/30/1928 Madison possibly died a few years ago. Filippo Candella born 6/17/1901 Montelepre, Sicily died September 1980. He came to Madison from Ohio and was the owner of the Grande Cheese Company. John J. Candella born 8/7/1944 Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and son of Filippo Candella. Most recently was on the board of directors for the Grande Cheese Company. James V. Caruso born 1/7/1894 Sicily died January 1969 Cosmo DiSalvo born 12/20/1904 Bagheria, Sicily died 5/3/1988 Madison Matthew Pellitteri born 6/25/1914 Sicily died 6/27/1990 Madison James J. Schiavo born 3/4/1923 Madison died January 1986 Madison. He married the niece of John Alioto Vincent Troia born 6/10/1896 Sicily died 1/31/1990 Madison. Possibly a cousin to Vincenzo Troia, murdered in New Jersey in 1935. Benedetto DiSalvo born 3/14/1878 Bagheria, Sicily died 2/26/1964 Madison. Was the former boss of Madison before Caputo and was the father of Cosmo DiSalvo.

[B.]

Regarding Frank Balistrieri, I have to wonder how much of the truth he told. It was well known that he was arrogant and did not give the other members their due. One thing I find suspect was when he was talking to who he thought was Tony Conte, a vending machine business owner, who was really in fact undercover agent Gail Cobb. Cobbhad said that Balistrieri told him there was a mobster nicknamed “***** Joe” who was put in McHenry County, Illinois to control vending for the Milwaukee organization. Balistrieri said to Cobb, “Now he’s acting like he belongs to the Chicago crew rather than Milwaukee.”
This reference was to Joe Amato who was nicknamed “***** Joe” and “Black Joe,” but Amato was always with the Chicago Outfit and not Milwaukee. I think Balistrieri tried to always portray himself and Milwaukee as a family that was on par nationally with Chicago and New York, so I always took what he said with a grain of salt.

Oh, absolutely... the way he comes across in just this one transcript fits almost perfectly with the criticisms people like Maniaci had with his "leadership" (i.e. quick to violence, puppet of Chicago, thinks he's a big shot, etc.). It also adds weight to what Maniaci said about Alioto not wanting Balistrieri to be boss, as Alioto interjects multiple times to question Balistrieri's judgment in this transcript, then there is the private conversation at the end showing the level of distrust between Balistrieri and Alioto.

Here Balistrieri had an issue with the way Bonanno handled some kind of "favor" and as a result Balistrieri wants to commit an unsanctioned murder on one of Bonanno's soldiers (Sciortino) who has heavy ties to Milwaukee and is related to Bonanno's business partner (DiBella)? It doesn't matter what was going on between Bonanno and the Commission at that point, Balistrieri would have been called up to a meeting with Chicago and never heard from again. Though I kind of wish he had killed Sciortino just because it would have made the recordings of other bosses more interesting. Can you imagine the DeCavalcante or Magaddino tapes if a Tucson-based Bonanno soldier had been killed by the Milwaukee family right as the Bonanno war was ramping up?

[Snakes]

To reinforce what cavita said, Amato was placed in McHenry county in the early 1950's by William Daddano, who also ran DuPage and Kane counties for the Outfit. Their relationship goes back to at least the forties and Amato has an arrest record dating back to the 1930's in Chicago-proper, so it's doubtful that he had any connection with Milwaukee until Daddano sent him to McHenry County (which borders Wisconsin).

[Antiliar]

I could see Balistrieri partnering with Amato or investing with him.

[Villain]

To reinforce what cavita said, Amato was placed in McHenry county in the early 1950's by William Daddano, who also ran DuPage and Kane counties for the Outfit. Their relationship goes back to at least the forties and Amato has an arrest record dating back to the 1930's in Chicago-proper, so it's doubtful that he had any connection with Milwaukee until Daddano sent him to McHenry County (which borders Wisconsin).

Back in the old days, sometimes the stronger factions used to give "help" to the weaker factions by sending more expirienced mobsters so they can start up any particular racket in certain territories around the Midwest. Maybe thats what Frank Balistrieri meant by saying "for the Milwaukee faction"

[Pogo The Clown]

Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. The French missionaries and explorers were coming here as early as the late 1600s to trade with the Native Americans. Actually, it's pronounced mee-lee-wah-kay, which is Algonquin for "the good land". I think one of the most interesting aspects of Milwaukee is the fact that it's the only major American city to have ever elected three socialist mayors.


Pogo

[cavita]

I can't remember where most of the members of the Milwaukee family were from but I think it was Santa Margherita Belice for some reason whereas most of the Madison family hailed from Bagheria. I also remember I think I heard info that the Milwaukee family absorbed members of the Camorra from around Kenosha in the late 1950's.

[Antiliar]

Most came from Santa Flavia.