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

[cavita]

Most came from Santa Flavia.

I wasn't even close. Thanks​ for the clarification!

[Antiliar]

[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.

For those who didn't get the reference that was Alice Cooper in Wayne's World.


Pogo

[Antiliar]

We weren't worthy

[cavita]

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.

For those who didn't get the reference that was Alice Cooper in Wayne's World.


Pogo

Oh, a wiseguy, huh?
I did notice that Santa Flavia is located right next to Bargheria, with Bagheria being slightly larger.

[B.]

In late October 1964, a conversation was recorded between Frank Balistrieri (boss), Joe Caminiti (identified as Balistrieri's underboss), John Alioto (captain), and others. This was likely another "sagia" or "chair" meeting. This meeting was spoken mostly in Sicilian and the FBI simply summarized the discussion, so I don't have a transcript of the actual dialogue to work from.

- Balistrieri discussed "what had happened to Joe Bonanno without actually saying he was dead." This is when Joe Bonanno had been kidnapped and the FBI apparently believed him to be dead.

- Balistrieri stated he had met with Joe Bonanno in Milwaukee at some point and Bonanno avoided the issues Balistrieri wanted to discuss (no doubt the issues with Sciortino/DiBella mentioned in the other meeting). It's not clear if he met with Joe Bonanno sometime after the June 1964 "sagia" meeting where these issues were discussed in depth or if the meeting with Bonanno predated that meeting also.

- Following this meeting with Bonanno and assumably after Bonanno's disappearance, Balistrieri was given control over the Grande Cheese Company which had previously been controlled by Bonanno via DiBella. Balistrieri wanted to discuss ways that the company could benefit the Milwaukee family, which included placing bookies on the payroll of Grande Cheese due to the fact that the books in Milwaukee were not making money.

- Balistrieri stated that Sam Ferrara, boss prior to Alioto and now a soldier, had lied to him somehow concerning jukeboxes. Balistrieri requested someone else at the meeting to contact Ferrara to see if he would continue to lie about the issue, in which case he would have Ferrara killed. He also stated that members Augie Maniaci and John Aiello were "cancers" within the family.

- Balistrieri said something about how the "orders" of the organization allowed him to make soldiers but not to "throw them out" of the organization. I assume this means that he can make members but not shelve them or otherwise remove their membership status? Could also mean that Chicago had issued some kind of order allowing Milwaukee to induct new members but not to kick anyone out. Hard to know without seeing the dialogue.

- Multiple times in this meeting John Alioto argued against Balistrieri's plan to kill Sam Ferrara. This resulted in a "violent argument" between Balistrieri and Alioto near the end of the meeting, apparently as a result of a favor requested by Alioto.

My notes:
- Interesting that Caminiti is identified as underboss here, as informant Augie Maniaci claimed that Balistrieri had no underboss. Maniaci identified Caminiti a captain during the Sam Ferrara regime but not after that. He identified Joe Gumina as the underboss and simultaneously a capodecina during the Alioto regime. It seems possible this was an error and Caminiti was the capodecina listed as Gumina during that time, but either way it does seem possible that Caminiti was Balistrieri's underboss in 1964 based on the role of Caminiti in the previous chair meeting I posted about.

- Speaking of Caminiti, I'm a bit confused about him. Maniaci says that Caminiti was inducted in the 1920s in Chicago and fled to Milwaukee after Aiello's death, where he became a captain possibly as early as the 1930s. Other info on Caminiti I've seen has him born in 1926. Caminiti's father was deceased by 1964, so the one referenced by Maniaci wouldn't be the father of the other one I don't think. Anyone know the actual background of Caminiti?

- The problems between Balistrieri and his father-in-law and former boss Alioto must have intensified since the previous meeting given the "violent" arguing that took place.

- Balistrieri again shows his desire to use murder as his primary negotiating tool.

- Maniaci is identified in other documents as a suspect in a number of murders in Milwaukee over the years, as well as having served as a violent enforcer. CIs being among the more violent members in their respective organizations seems to be the rule in the US mafia more than the exception.

[cavita]

I'm wondering if the FBI had the goods on Maniaci on a murder and that's why he started being a CI for them. I know much has been made that he began informing because he was upset with Balistrieri and the way the older members were being treated. I know Maniaci was indicted in some kind of house siding fraud in March 1964 and this was right around the time he began informing for the feds though I doubt Maniaci would have faced hard time over this versus a murder charge.

[B.]

Seems possible. There are also reports of Maniaci and other members in the anti-Balistrieri faction plotting against Balistrieri, including specific meetings. While they weren't reported to have specifically said they were plotting to kill Balistrieri, it was heavily implied. I'm not sure if this was when he was already informing or earlier, but they may have picked up something related to this and used it against him. On the other side, we know Balistrieri was recorded calling Maniaci a cancer around the time Maniaci began informing, too, so the FBI could have told Maniaci he was in danger in order to convince him.

[dixiemafia]

Dang this is a great thread and like someone else said, even though I never pushed to read much into this family that damn sure made me! Some interesting shit in here even though I don't know all the players yet.

[B.]

Dang this is a great thread and like someone else said, even though I never pushed to read much into this family that damn sure made me! Some interesting shit in here even though I don't know all the players yet.

Yeah, I checked out that initial report not knowing anything except what was in Donnie Brasco and I've been digging deep into Milwaukee ever since. They are much more interesting than I would have expected.

The Milwaukee family pre-Balistrieri comes across like a smaller Sicilian cosca. Most of the members were from the same area around Bagheria and many of the players are intermarried, and membership included everyone from cutthroat gangsters to legitimate businessmen and even a doctor. Like smaller Sicilian families, they also struggled to make large profits from rackets and have independence.

[BeatiPaoli]

To B.: All of this would make a great book!

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

[cavita]

I found the following FBI page in my files and decided to post it- any thoughts or comments?

"Date: June 20, 1973

Title: FRANK LA GALBO

Synopsis: Subject’s [REDACTED] reportedly attended the funeral of FRANK LA PORTE, a Rockford, Illinois member of the LCN. (This is obviously inaccurate as LaPorte was boss of the Chicago Heights group.) Subject reportedly criminally inactive; however, would not talk to FBI in reference to the gangland style killing of LOUIS FAZIO. Subject reportedly attempting to sell Chico’s Lounge; however, was told to double his asking price by FRANK BALISTRIERI, current LCN boss.

Details: [REDACTED] reported on March 28, 1973, that subject’s [REDACTED] attended the funeral of FRANK LA PORTE, LCN member from Rockford, Illinois. SALVATORE (who is this?)was accompanied to the funeral by [REDACTED].

Repeated attempts to contact and interview subject concerning his knowledge of the gangland style slaying of LOUIS FAZIO during March, April and May, 1973, were unsuccessful inasmuch as subject refused to talk to the FBI.

[REDACTED] advised he was called on August 28, 1972, by STEVE DE SALVO advising JOHN ALIOTO, former boss of the Milwaukee LCN Family and father-in-law of FRANK BALISTRIERI, current LCN Family boss, had died on August 27, 1972. ALIOTO had been confined to a hospital after suffering severe injury when he fell down a flight of stairs at his restaurant at Highway 100 and Burleigh. ALIOTO’s wake was scheduled to be held August 29, 1972 at the Guardalabene and Amato Funeral Home on August 30, 1972.

The informant was also requested on August 29, 1972, to telephonically furnish information regarding ALIOTO’s death to members of the Rockford LCN Family. The informant telephonically contacted PHIL PRIOLA who indicated none of the members of the Rockford Family would attend the wake or funeral for fear of being placed under surveillance by local police and Federal authorities.

Informant advised that the entire membership of the Milwaukee LCN Family attended either the wake or the funeral of ALIOTO.
On September 14, 1972, [REDACTED] advised he attended the funeral of JOHN ALIOTO, father-in-law of FRANK BALISTRIERI, on August 30, 1972; and the only individual he recognized from out of town was [REDACTED], a member of the Madison LCN Family."

[UTC]

That restaurant has been there for almost 100 years. It's outside Milwaukee in Wauwatosa though. Pretty mediocre when I went there.

[JerryB]

That restaurant has been there for almost 100 years. It's outside Milwaukee in Wauwatosa though. Pretty mediocre when I went there.

Alioto's is a typical Midwest, old school "supper club" and dining hall. When you go in there nowadays, it feels like the 60's or 70's; some of the folks who ate there back then are still patrons, albeit on walkers and in wheel chairs. FYI: The bar is also old school and still pours stiff drinks.

[UTC]

Haven't been there for 12 years, when I stopped going to Milwaukee. It was just in and out for dinner a couple of times, because I was staying at the hotel a couple of blocks down across from the mall. Veal was tough.