The Outfit's Downfall 1960's

[Villain]

The previous thread got me thinking regarding the Outfit's real downfall and when did it really occur. As I always say, my personal belief is that the biggest government attack on Chicago's underworld occurred during the 1960's and forever disabled the once almighty criminal syndicate. It wasn't the jailing of every possible boss who came at the top during that decade, nor it was the natural or unnatural deaths of some of their members, but instead it was the destruction of their main illegal income around the Chicago area, such as gambling, which obviously everything occurred with the help of secret top echelon informant or informants. Even if they lost all of their illegal schemes around the the country, still their main stronghold or core was in Chicago, which at the time was badly hurt by the government, and also no matter how many bosses they managed to change, still anyone who was placed on that position had to keep that core safe. So I thought about making this short list regarding the feds' most important busts and raids during that decade...also don't forget that this is only a tip of the iceberg...

In May 1961, the feds managed to close down one of the Outfit’s biggest money laundering operation which in fact was a front for another huge illegal operation known as loan sharking. The Twin Food Products Company, which was controlled by the Sam Battaglia group, was found guilty in the Municipal Court of Chicago for operating without a rendering license, and in August fines were imposed. In 1964, all of the defendants were indicted and found guilty of conspiracy to conceal assets in violation of the National Bankruptcy Act and were sentenced each to five years in prison and a $19,000 fines


On January 31, 1962 an F.B.I. electronic surveillance of Sam Giancana, in discussion with Gus Alex and Edward Vogel indicated that the Outfit’s gambling activities were concerned, for all practical purposes has come to an end. This occurred primarily because of the intense pressure placed upon the organization by the Federal government. This fact, coupled with the fact that the state and local police have been forced to move against the syndicate, has brought the Outfit to the realization that for the time being "everyone is on his own", meaning that the members no longer received support from the organization nor can anyone expect influence to be brought to bear on their behalf. The same year Sam Giancana offered $50,000 to Police Lieutenant Thomas Mahon of the Sheriff’s Police Department in Chicago, in exchange for information in advance on the police raids. Mahon turned down the offer. Few days later he received a telephone call from an individual who identified himself as Ross Prio. Prio told Mahon that he wished to do business considering the offer for the annual payment and that he should contact him at the Team O’Shanter Golf Course and to talk it over. Mahon again refused and never made any contacts with Prio. The FBI even invented the famous “Lock-step” program in which the agents followed the mobsters while being only few steps behind them


In January, 1963, all of the most profitable, North Side Outfit-connected lounges, such as the Liberty Lounge, The Rubi Lounge, The Allegro, The La Femme and the Playhouse, which were owned by the so-called Rush Street or Ross Prio group, have been knocked off by the police. Prio was very angry about the raids, especially about the raid on the Playhouse joint since it was its first raid in more than 30 years


In March, 1963, the feds raided one of Frank Caruso’s most profitable crap game operations on 238 West Cermak Road, besides the $50,000 and three large poker tables, the cops also found numerous burglary tools, including masks, dynamite blasting caps and wires.


On May 18, 1963, the cops also raided another of Frank Caruso’s main operations called the Tomahawk Athletic Club at 2418 South Wentworth Avenue


By the end of 1963, the Outfit was forced by the feds to sell or close down two of its most important disposal firms, including the West Suburban Scavenger Service and also the Standard Disposal and Metal Company


On July 23, 1964 the central bookmaking office of the Outfit in an apartment at North Jersey, Chicago, possibly overseen by the Ross Prio group, was raided and closed down by the feds


On February 2, 1964, both Outfit associates Tommy Durso and Mike Gargano were arrested on charges for transporting and selling narcotics and also for controlling one of the Mob’s largest dope peddling operations around the Chicago area at the time. Since they were even charged on murder, in November, 1964, both defendants were sentenced from 100 to 150 years in prison. Five years later broth convicts were paroled and released from prison.


In September, October and November of 1965, the feds managed to close down the Outfit’s biggest auto-theft operation which stretched all around Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. They arrested over 15 men, including Al Tocco, Richard Buonomo, Pasquale Accettura, Carmen Apicella and ex-Capone associate 77-year old Herman David a.k.a. Motorcycle Mike


On October 28, 1965, the feds raided one of the Outfit’s biggest betting centers in the Buena Terrace hotel, 4246 Sheridan Road. The center handled at least $100,000 a week in wagers and was allegedly controlled by the Lenny Patrick group.


On April 22, 1966, Chicago detectives led a raid to a second floor apartment at 5045 Clark Street, which was a large handbook operation controlled by the Elmwood Park and Lenny Patrick groups


On April 27, 1966, federal agents raided two large scale horse and sports betting wire rooms in the North and North/West Side rackets sanctuary of the Lenny Patrick and Ross Prio groups. That same day, internal revenue agents broke their way thru the doors of another third floor apartment at 1339 Early Avenue, and the records which were seized indicated a weekly handle of at least $50,000 in bets


In March, 1966, the Outfit’s main dope supplier and member of the Chicago Heights crew Al Roviaro was sentenced to 10 years for peddling dope


On August 14, 1966 forty-three men and women were arrested in a raid by federal agents and city police on a West Side crime syndicate crap game located on a first-floor apartment at 2118 Warren blvd. They also found a large amount of white powder that appeared to be a narcotic


The next year, on April 27, 1967, Chicago detectives led a raiding party on a second floor apartment at 3001 Gunnison Street, and behind the barricades the cops found a clearing house which handled an estimated $50,000 a week in wagers for North Side groups such as Lenny Patrick and Ross Prio


On September 9, 1967, Chicago detectives raided an apartment on the 10th floor of a building at 40 E. Oak Street and that same day other group of detectives led a raid on a clearing house in a 26th floor apartment at 420 Belmont Avenue. This clearing house served for more than 20 North Side bookmakers and was controlled by Lenny Patrick and Ross Prio


On October 7, 1967 the cops raided a big clearing hose on Chicago’s North Side. The clearing house, which reportedly serviced more than 30 individual bookmakers for the North Side mob, was controlled by Ross Prio. The clearing house was located half a block from the offices of the Illinois Crime Investigating Commission at 300 W. Washington St.


On February 8, 1968 Chuckie Nicoletti was arrested together with one of his associates Joe Scaramuzzo in his grocery during a raid on a bookmaking joint. The joint was operated by Nicoletti in a room at the rear of the food store which was owned by his wife, Agnes, at 1000 Loomis blvd. The bookie joint which handled an estimated $100,000 a month in horse bets. Besides gambling paraphernalia seized in the raid, the detectives confiscated a sawed- off shotgun, a .38 caliber revolver and a pamphlet which told how to "bug" police radio calls with a new electronic eavesdropping device. The cops also found a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver in a room at the rear of the food store


In 1968 and 1969, the feds managed to break one of the Outfit’s main burglary crews, including two Outfit members William Daddano sentenced to 15 years and Richard Cain received 4 years, and also Rocco Montagna, John Varelli, Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. DeLegge

[Confederate]

Good article Villain.
That was over 50 years ago. Imagine how much MORE the Feds know now with the Outfit being a lot smaller and having 2 high Level Informants in addition to much improved technology. Another big year for the downfall probably would have been around the mid 1980's with the Strawman case and full use of the Rico Law.

[Frank]

Wow it seems like they really nailed Prio and Patrick. You think that was the work of Ralph Pierce??

[Villain]

@Frank the Prio and Patrick groups were the prime gambling operators for the Outfit around the Chicago area at the time, same as the Buccieri and Battaglia groups being the main players in loan sharking and extortion. During that decade, few of the crews which almost survived the attack were the Buccieri and LaPorte groups, and as a matter of fact those same groups created a conflict. As for the rest they really got the "best" of it, like for example, this was one of the main reasons which by the late 1960's the Battaglia group was changing its face and later one faction from that same group, by the 1970's formed the so-called Grand Avenue group. The next decade, members from the Buccieri group took over two territories including Cicero and Chinatown. Also many people say that Pierce was the possible informant but it was never confirmed for real

@Confederate you're right regarding the mid 1980's and I think that the same thing occurred during the early 1990's when Patrick decided to talk

[Dwalin2014]

On February 2, 1964, both Outfit associates Tommy Durso and Mike Gargano were arrested on charges for transporting and selling narcotics and also for controlling one of the Mob’s largest dope peddling operations around the Chicago area at the time. Since they were even charged on murder, in November, 1964, both defendants were sentenced from 100 to 150 years in prison. Five years later broth convicts were paroled and released from prison.

After 5 years only?! That's insane, was their conviction overturned or what formal excuse was used? This case is a quite noticeable one, since the Outfit members or associates were almost never convicted for murder (other crimes, quite a lot, but not murder). By the way, were Durso and Gargano involved in other cases against the outfit after their release? I mean, after only 5 years, it's unlikely they had retired.

[BillyBrizzi]

Despite the government's all-out assault on the Outfit, the following decade and the first half of the 80's were still pretty damn' lucrative for the Outfit. Or was it peanuts compared to what they made in the 50's Villain??

[Snakes]

It was lucrative but not nearly on the levels of the 50's and early 60's.

[Villain]

Despite the government's all-out assault on the Outfit, the following decade and the first half of the 80's were still pretty damn' lucrative for the Outfit. Or was it peanuts compared to what they made in the 50's Villain??

As Snakes already pointed out, the 50s and 60s were the peak of the Outfit and at the same time, it was their second downfall but without many dead guys on the streets, since the previous downfall or should I say during 1940s, ended up with quite many people getting killed all over the city and even around country. And of course they managed to move strong even during the 70s but not as near as the previous ones. There was some rumour that Ricca limited the killings during the 60s out of obvious reasons