On the afternoon of April 9, 1980 Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputies were notified of an abandoned vehicle parked along Safford Road which was just outside the city limits of Rockford, Illinois. Upon approaching the black over gray hardtop 1973 Chevrolet, the deputies noticed the lifeless body of a man slumped over in the backseat of the car. The man had been shot at close range in the side of the head with a single .25 caliber pistol. That man, Joseph “Joma” Maggio was well known to authorities as he was a “made” member of the La Cosa Nostra branch of the Rockford family. Maggio was last seen alive around noon on April 8th when he told his wife Janet he had an appointment and would be back about 3 p.m. No one knew where Maggio went or who he saw between noon on April 8th and noon the next day when his body was found.
Maggio was well known to the FBI as well- working from a Milwaukee informant the bureau had found that Maggio was initiated into the Rockford family on the night after the murder of Rockford LCN associate Charles LaFranka on January 16, 1965. The informant stated that Frank Correnti and Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta were also made on this evening, lending support that all three men were involved in the beating and strangling of LaFranka, who was found in the trunk of his car in Elgin, Illinois.
Maggio was 28 years old and relatively young when he was made a member of the Rockford LCN and an April 29, 1969 FBI file questioned an informant about this. The FBI entry reads; “He (the informant) was asked about JOE MAGGIO and why he would have been made when he was apparently a young man to whom the Rockford LCN owed nothing. PC advised that there was a special reason for MAGGIO’S initiation but declined to state what it was.” It could very be that Maggio was the driver of the vehicle that followed Sebastian Gullota and Frank Correnti to Elgin, Illinois where Charles LaFranka was left in the trunk of his car. Or, a page out of Maggio’s FBI file could have explained the reason: “On November 14, 1967, Detective [REDACTED] Rockford, Illinois Police Department, advised that he has known JOE MAGGIO since [REDACTED]. Detective [REDACTED] said that MAGGIO was not well-liked by the other young men of the neighborhood because he was considered a “stoolie” for the “outfit.” He said that this was because MAGGIO had a reputation for running to NICK VINCE with stories about the “young punks” in South Rockford and kept VINCE posted on their activities.” Nick Vince was a trusted associate and front man for the Rockford mob and also happened to be the brother of Rockford capo Charles Vince.
Maggio’s first brush with the law came on a May 30, 1953 charge for minor drinking but by the late 1950s he had begun to ingratiate himself into the inner circle of the Rockford mob and their gambling activities and had been called to testify before the Grand Jury into the double murder of Joe Greco and Ronald Burton. Greco and Burton had been found beaten and strangled in the trunk of Greco’s car on May 1, 1959. The Grand Jury inquiry had found that Ronald Burton had desperately wanted to break into the Rockford mob-connected gambling circles and had used his friend Joe Greco because he was Italian. The problem was that Ronald Burton had liked to cheat in gambling games with loaded dice, marked cards and associates that gave signals to each other. It had gotten to the point that Burton was warned numerous time to “stay away or he’d end up in a ditch” according to some testimony.
When authorities found Greco’s abandoned car on Montague Road just east of Meridian Road on the outskirts of Rockford, along with the bodies they also found numerous decks of playing cards as well as 500 pairs of fixed dice. The Grand Jury inquiry called not only Joe Maggio, who was noted as a close associate of both murdered men, but close to two dozen other men including Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta, Frank Correnti, Angelo “Dingo” Pro and others as far away as Peoria, Illinois. The inquiry amounted to nothing and no one was arrested for this heinous crime but the newspapers blamed the murders on an out of town gang, possibly coming from Chicago. What was reported in mid 1960s FBI files proved interesting. One particular page quoted an informant who stated that immediately after the deaths of Burton and Greco, two new members were initiated into the Rockford family- Frank Buscemi and Phil “The Tailor” Emordeno and this situation lends credence to the possibility that the two (and most likely others) were involved in the murders. This double murder were the first ones that were given approval by Rockford mob boss Joe Zammuto who had taken over the reins of the Rockford mob from Tony Musso who had passed away in May 1958.
Maggio picked up his first gambling arrest in DeKalb, Illinois along with Henry R. Kreuser of Janesville, Wisconsin and Sigrid E. Levenson of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Maggio was charged with trespass at the DeKalb Health Club on a complaint that he was attempting to start “gambling.” An April 21, 1964 gambling raid saw Maggio arrested along with Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta and Donald Blades at the West End Smoke Shop in Rockford where officers found 20 pairs of dice, two dice shakers, racing forms, racing magazines, decks of cards, scratch sheets and other gambling paraphernalia.
In December 1968, under the pretext of liquor and gambling violations, the FBI decided to subpoena many Rockford men in the hopes that information would be given up to help crack the Rockford mob’s core. In the very least, federal agents were hoping to gather valuable information or even a made member’s defection. Men such as boss Joe Zammuto, consigliere Joe Zito, underboss Frank Buscemi, capo Charles Vince, street gambling boss Phil “The Tailor” Emordeno, Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta, Joe “Gramps” Marinelli and Joe Maggio along with many others were paraded before a federal grand jury in Freeport, Illinois over the course of a week, but in the end only two minor indictments were handed down. These indictments were for mislabeling whiskey and only resulted in modest fines for two of those charged- Phil “The Tailor” Emordeno and Nello Cellitti. Though it did no damage to the Rockford mob’s immediate interests, it did shake the family up and caused them to become more careful. A source had also reported that the Rockford mob was very impressed with the accuracy of the FBI’s data.
In early 1971 according to FBI files Maggio was “under investigation by Chicago Division relative to bankruptcy scam wherein he allegedly bilked manufacturer out of sixty thousand dollars.” This was in relation to Maggio’s outlet store Styx and Stones and he was trying to obtain an increased credit line claiming he had some $85,000 in contracts and a shipment was needed from the Lewis Carpet Company in Denver, Colorado. Sometime during May 1971 Maggio was in Denver, Colorado along with an unnamed individual for the purpose of obtaining the credit. Whoever they contacted at the company refused to receive the unnamed individual “because of the manner in which this person presented himself,” but they did speak to Maggio. Apparently Maggio was turned down for the credit and Maggio in turn threatened the person at the carpet company. After interviewing the individual about this, the FBI entry stated, “With regard to the threat made to him by MAGGIO, to the best of his recollection this individual told him, “Don’t you know who we are, we’re the outfit, we’ll break both of your legs.” He stated that as far as he was concerned this individual was just doing a lot of talking and he never actually received any other threats.”
Additionally, in 1971 and 1972 according to FBI files on Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta, he and Joe Maggio were busy on gambling ventures to Tampa, Las Vegas and Madison, Wisconsin and some of these ventures included hustling tourists with card games.
According to the February 18, 1972 Rockford Register Republic newspaper, Maggio was reported to be a local art collector and investor who had his hands on some interesting artwork. When Gary Francis Powers, the American U-2 pilot was shot down over Soviet airspace in 1960 and captured, he was later exchanged for Colonel Rudolf Ivanovich Abel. Abel was not only a master Soviet spy but an accomplished artist. During his internment at the federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia Abel painted many pieces and he later died in November 1971 at the age of 68. The Register Republic reported that a half dozen of Abel’s paintings and sketches had turned up in Rockford brought here by his former cellmate in Atlanta who was living in Loves Park, Illinois at the time who asked not to be identified. Joe Maggio, according to the newspaper, had an option to buy the art and was working as an agent for the convict. It was unclear if Maggio ever was able to unload the artwork and if so, for how much but he seemed to be trying to work every angle he could to grab some fast cash.
On December 6, 1972 Maggio was convicted on mail fraud charges along with James F. Schwartz of Loves Park, Illinois and William E. Blake of Michigan City, Indiana. Maggio was sent to federal prison for three years on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud relating to a scheme to defraud boat owners regarding fake boat registrations in Alabama. Others involved in this case were Woodrow Wilson, Jr. and James Beck, but apparently they were severed from the case. Joe Maggio’s involvement with Styx and Stones was also quite dubious. This company was located at 3500 West State Street and was described as a record and furniture store and was hooked up with Freshness International. Both businesses were under investigation for fraudulent practices. The federal government declared involuntary bankruptcy on Styx and Stones on July 1, 1971 and similar bankruptcy action was brought against Freshness on October 6, 1971. Appearing in federal court to answer these charges was Morrie S. Friedman, who was president of both companies and Larry Ballard. Interestingly on July 23, 1971 a burglary occurred at Styx and Stones. Entry was made by cutting an 18-by-24-inch hole in a rear service door and among $2,700 worth of items taken were 80 table lamps, 85 yards of green carpeting and 15 to 20 marble-topped tables. In October 1971 a Turnover Order was granted by the court and a trustee’s sale was made on the remaining inventory. The FBI noted that among others, two of the bidders included Rockford mob members Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta and Phil Priola.
After being released from federal prison in 1976 Maggio kept a relatively low profile but changes were already underway in the Rockford mafia. In 1971 the Illinois Institute of Technology released a crime study and it reported that “an activity not found elsewhere in Illinois was noted by more than one source in the Rockford area. It was alleged that an individual associated with the [Rockford] outfit had illegally brought a number of alien young persons from Sicily into the United States to work in the Rockford area. This person was believed to be attempting to build his own gang.” The IIT report claimed “several sources suggested possible future problems with young persons from Sicily being allegedly brought into the country to work with an individual associated with the outfit in Rockford, but who is not in the line of succession in the outfit.” This report also stated that the city of Rockford was “soft on organized crime and has more gambling activity than Peoria or East St. Louis, Illinois” and noted most Illinois residents felt the growth of crime was due to corrupt officials and politicians working with hoodlums. How true that statement seemed to be! The report went on to say that the [Rockford] organization has existed for years but has escaped the public exposure that has affected other “families” across the country. The man responsible for bringing all these Sicilian men and their families into the Rockford area was Rockford underboss Frank Buscemi. Later FBI files from the 1980s noted that Buscemi was setting these men up in the pizza restaurant business- from Beloit, Wisconsin into Rockford and New Milford, Illinois, Buscemi had an eye on the future and according to Rockford Police in 1984 they privately speculated that he was doing the same thing again in order to expand and strengthen the family.
In February 1980 according to FBI files, 84 year old Rockford LCN boss was having a series of mob meetings at his winter home in Hollywood Beach, Florida. It was at one of these meetings that he informed his members that the Rockford LCN would now be distributing narcotics throughout the Rockford area. Joe Maggio was the only one who stood up and voiced his concern that this was a bad idea and that Rockford should stay out of the narcotics business. Perhaps it was because Maggio’s own daughter Kathleen had a drug problem that caused him to speak out, but within two days of returning to Rockford Maggio’s daughter was beaten by a drug dealer who thought she was stealing from him. According to a later FBI file the dealer was a relative of Joe Zammuto. Maggio had apparently been going around for the next two months threatening the drug dealer and arguing with him.
Maggio’s murder served two purposes- first; it prevented any possible cooperation on his part with the FBI relating to his displeasure on the narcotics distribution in the Rockford area. Second, it also dissuaded any other potential members and associates from cooperating lest they receive the same fate. An October 20, 1981 report from the FBI gave little in the way on information about the single bullet that killed Maggio. As a result of the examination the report stated, “Specimen Q1 is a 6.35mm (.25 caliber) cartridge of Hirtenberger Patronen (Austrian) manufacture. Present in the Q1 cartridge are microscopic marks which could have been produced by a weapon during the loading or chambering process. Although these marks are suitable for identification with a suspect weapon or magazine, they are not sufficient to determine the particular make or model of weapon which might have produced them.”
Although Maggio’s killer(s) were never found, a prime suspect was identified in FBI files, but that name has been redacted. One may be able to assume that Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta had a hand in the murder seeing as he and Maggio came up together in the Rockford family and could very well have set him up. Others suggested that up-and-comer Salvatore “Sam” Galluzzo helped in the murder to obtain his induction into the Rockford family. However, according to an FBI report, it was stated, “On December 16, 1980 Detective [REDACTED] and Chief Del Peterson, Rockford, Illinois, Police Department, advised that surveillance conducted by their department indicates that Salvadore Galluzo [sic] is involved in organized crime in the Rockford area. [REDACTED] advised that on at least one occasion Galluzo was observed driving an automobile in which Frank Buscemi, Sr., was a passenger. At the time, Galluzo appeared to be “chewing out” Buscemi. [REDACTED] stated this would indicate to him that Galluzo was a counsel member in the local LCN family as no other person would have the “stroke” to talk in this fashion to Buscemi.” Galluzzo, who passed away in May 2016, had fronted numerous pizza restaurant businesses for Frank Buscemi according to the FBI.
Further, a February 17, 1981 FBI file also expanded on Maggio’s murder in this way: “Investigation by Chicago to date reveals that in February, 1980, Maggio had met several times with Joseph Zammuto, boss of the Rockford LCN group, in Florida. Several days after these meetings, Maggio returned to Rockford and within two days (Kathleen Maggio) was severely beaten by [REDACTED] a Rockford narcotics dealer related to Zammuto who accused her of stealing narcotics. Maggio was furious over the beating and openly exchanged threats with [REDACTED] for a two-month period prior to his death. [REDACTED] advised that [REDACTED] and others had been dealing in narcotics with the sanction of Zammuto and this group and it is believed that Maggio was killed as a result of his objection to LCN entry into the narcotics business in Rockford. It has been established that the Rockford LCN met in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in February, 1980, and that [REDACTED] began dealing in narcotics in Rockford in August, 1980, with Zammuto’s sanction. LCN control of several legitimate businesses has also been confirmed.”
An interesting link between Joe Maggio’s murder and a 1982 cocaine ring in Rockford is an October 20, 1981 FBI file. Maggio’s heavily redacted file read, in part, that an individual “was instructed by his “associates” in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles that Maggio had to be killed” and that this individual’s “associates” are members of the LCN.” On May 26, 1982 FBI and DEA agents along with Rockford Police and Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested ten Rockford residents, one Chicago resident and one Las Vegas resident on charges of narcotics conspiracy and breaking up a “significant cocaine cartel.” This cartel was headed up by 32 year old John S. Leombruni who authorities described as “the biggest cocaine dealer in Rockford.” Leombruni admitted in court that he lived in Las Vegas for nine months in 1981 but returned to Rockford in January 1982 because of “kind of a problem” there. An earlier affidavit filed in court by the FBI quoted Leombruni’s girlfriend as telling an undercover agent that Leombruni had been forced to leave by “the Mafia chief in Las Vegas.” Another co-conspirator in the cocaine ring was Luke Cannella, who happened to be the nephew of Rockford mob member Phil Cannella. Luke stated in court that “He (Leombruni) told me some guys were gonna kill him- or run him out of town- if he ever did drugs in Las Vegas.”
The FBI stopped short of saying if the Chicago Outfit or others were involved in this case and although not admissible in court, the bureau privately acknowledged there was definite mob involvement in this cocaine case and this was backed up by court-approved wiretaps. Telling is an April 15, 1986 FBI file from the Chicago office which started out with the heading, “FRANK J. BUSCEMI; SALVATORE GALLUZZO; ALFONSO DI GIACOMO; SALVATORE DI GIACOMO; ALBERTO SEMINERIO, ALSO KNOWN AS LIBERTINO SEMINERIO; RAY ZAMMUTO NARCOTICS – SICILIAN MAFIA” Under this heading it described the file by stating, “This investigation was initiated based on allegations that the above-captioned individuals, as well as others, are involved in a large-scale heroin trafficking organization, one portion of which is based in Rockford, Illinois, United States of America. The majority of the suspected members of this organization are recent immigrants to the United States and are involved in the operation of small pizza/Italian food restaurants and Italian food product distribution businesses. These individuals were all born in or near the city of Aragona, Agrigento Province, Sicily.” This investigation was later tied into the Iron Tower II case which brought charges against the Gambino crime family in New York and the Spatola-Inzerillo crime group in Sicily. It seemed that Frank Buscemi’s foresight to bring these Sicilians under the umbrella of the Rockford LCN was part of a larger international plan to expand narcotics into the United States by the Sicilian Mafia.
Thirty-seven years later Maggio’s murder is no closer to being solved than it was the day his body was discovered in the backseat of his car. One last interesting fact that never made the news was that a former law enforcement official privately stated that $25,000 in cash was found along with Maggio’s body and this was placed there by his killer(s) so that his family could claim the money and use for his burial and debts.
On this day: April 9, 1980
Moderator: Capos
Re: On this day: April 9, 1980
Interesting, thanks for the info, Cavita.
Re: On this day: April 9, 1980
If it was the early eighties, I'd imagine so.
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Pogo The Clown
- Men Of Mayhem
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Re: On this day: April 9, 1980
Good read on one of the lesser known about families.
Pogo
Pogo
It's a new morning in America... fresh, vital. The old cynicism is gone. We have faith in our leaders. We're optimistic as to what becomes of it all. It really boils down to our ability to accept. We don't need pessimism. There are no limits.
Re: On this day: April 9, 1980
Very interesting. The threat "We're the outfit"...he was trying to get the rub off the rep of the Chicago guys? Considered themselves part of Chicago? Just used the same name for their gang?
Re: On this day: April 9, 1980
I believe Milwaukee may have also used the "outfit" at certain times, so it may have been a Midwest thing. Rockford was definitely not a crew belonging to Chicago, they were a separate family under the Outfit''s purview, similar to Milwaukee, KC, and most of the other families west of the Mississippi.
Re: On this day: April 9, 1980
In the Milwaukee topic, the informant had mentioned that they called their organization "the Outfit" as well. Must have been a regional thing.