The Chicago Outfit’s Activities Today?

[moneyman]

I'm surprised Vena didn't go down when Panozzo was busted. Makes me think the feds have bigger plans for Vena. Panozzo seems like one tough SOB.

[Confederate]

The outfit has virtually zero involvement in video poker. Just recently bobby panozzo was busted for coke But overall minimal involvement in drugs. Matassa was just busted for union stuff. The biggest stuff lately was the grand avenue crew who was involved big time in burglary and robbery. Elmwood park crew is pretty much legit besides bookmaking interests. Cicero and 26th Street still involved in the usual stuff bookmarking and loansharking. Overall I’d say they are pretty much into the same stuff as always but on a much smaller scale

If the Outfit is no longer involved in video poker the change has happened post-2009. That was the year the last 2 mob cases I'm aware of occurred. Was it the result of them being legalized that same year? There was a big raid in 2013 of a warehouse in Peoria Heights that had over 1,100 machines but I don't recall if that was mob connected. Anyway, that seemed to be one of their core rackets for years. You still see bookmaking cases now and again but not the size some might expect.

You're right, Grand Avenue has had some of the most notable cases lately. In terms of unions, there was also the Coli IBT extortion case.

We still cannot define today's definition of a made guy in the Outfit,

Whatever the case was in the earlier years, the definition of a made guy in Chicago has been the same as anywhere else for a long time now.

The FBI defines a "made member" as a person who has participated in a formalized ceremony and has the right to share in the profits of the Chicago Outfit.
http://www.ipsn.org/orourke_affidavit.php

Illinois took over the Video Poker machines in 2012.

[Confederate]

I don't know if the old guys even care about making new members. A lot of them have done major time and probably aren't concerned with bringing new guys up.

Bingo.

[Confederate]

Pete likes that Outfit talk. Burnstein mentioned the Zizzo disappearance, but I would imagine that they were trying to get Vena on some kind of Rico charge. I agree with you about the Zizzo case that it would take someone to roll to convict anyone of that. The modern Outfit is more under the radar and more carefully about important matters than ever. They are basically down to only people that can be trusted.

But who can be trusted? That's the million dollar question when the Feds very possibly still have two upper echelon guys feeding them Information about a much smaller group of guy, plus guys like Hollingshead have already immediately rolled along with that other guy named Brown who was wired in that other case involving Carparelli. There is no future in the blue collar rackets. Guys like Panozzo are a fast dying breed. Elmwood Park has more of the right idea.

[Frank]

Pete likes that Outfit talk. Burnstein mentioned the Zizzo disappearance, but I would imagine that they were trying to get Vena on some kind of Rico charge. I agree with you about the Zizzo case that it would take someone to roll to convict anyone of that. The modern Outfit is more under the radar and more carefully about important matters than ever. They are basically down to only people that can be trusted.

But who can be trusted? That's the million dollar question when the Feds very possibly still have two upper echelon guys feeding them Information about a much smaller group of guy, plus guys like Hollingshead have already immediately rolled along with that other guy named Brown who was wired in that other case involving Carparelli. There is no future in the blue collar rackets. Guys like Panozzo are a fast dying breed. Elmwood Park has more of the right idea.

Well your right in a certain sense, but half of the upper echelon are either dead or in prison. Lol just for a wild guess, wonder if it's DiFronzo and Addriacchi. But my point was that DiFronzo and Addriacchi had the insulation of only talking to people they really trusted.

[TommyNoto]

Huge sports books and the loan sharking that comes with it are what’s keeping the blue collar guys in NJ NY alive
As the volumes are so massive but every 5-10 years you get popped and might have to do a year or two . Doesn’t seem Chi has much interest in that but Chi guys always seemed to have big shy books and I’m sure they still do but more the big deals

[Wiseguy]

Illinois took over the Video Poker machines in 2012.

From what I read that's when the first state run machines came online but the law was passed in 2009.

Huge sports books and the loan sharking that comes with it are what’s keeping the blue collar guys in NJ NY alive
As the volumes are so massive but every 5-10 years you get popped and might have to do a year or two . Doesn’t seem Chi has much interest in that but Chi guys always seemed to have big shy books and I’m sure they still do but more the big deals

The thing is, while one assumes it's still going on, there have been virtually no Outfit cases with loan sharking charges for years now.

[Snakes]

Elmwood Park guys were very tight knit for years and years. They set each other up in legit business; restaurants, construction, real estate, etc. D'Amico probably served the most time out of all of them but the guy did his time and came out a millionaire. All of their kids, nephews, and grandkids are set up and have no need to get involved. The old guys stayed involved out of habit but then when others rose in the ranks they stepped back and let them the reins. Now those guys, Sarno, Marcello, etc. are in jail.

[jimmy_beans8]

@ friend of henry....i trying to put together a puzzle
chicago $$$$ 4 ac gamblers?========tmz video? 2 guys at LAX couple years ago,,,,,,,,,,you may get where i going with this

[Confederate]

Huge sports books and the loan sharking that comes with it are what’s keeping the blue collar guys in NJ NY alive
As the volumes are so massive but every 5-10 years you get popped and might have to do a year or two . Doesn’t seem Chi has much interest in that but Chi guys always seemed to have big shy books and I’m sure they still do but more the big deals

Seems like the Loan Sharking Business in Chicago is close to dead. Everytime a guy gets behind and somebody threatens him, he runs to the Feds and gets wired. Nobody fears the Outfit anymore especially when they see rats walking around giving autographs at book stores or being interviewed on television. From what I have researched, if a guy gets behind in paying a bookie (on the street), they just eventually cut the guy off and he can't bet anymore with them and the word gets spread to other street books. It rarely ever even gets to the Loan Sharking part of it anymore. LOL

[Villain]

Whatever the case was in the earlier years, the definition of a made guy in Chicago has been the same as anywhere else for a long time now.

The FBI defines a "made member" as a person who has participated in a formalized ceremony and has the right to share in the profits of the Chicago Outfit.
http://www.ipsn.org/orourke_affidavit.php

As a matter of fact the last information regarding the initiation ceremonies is from the old days, especially 1980's (1983, 88 and 89), meaning we really dont know if that still happens today

[Confederate]

Whatever the case was in the earlier years, the definition of a made guy in Chicago has been the same as anywhere else for a long time now.

The FBI defines a "made member" as a person who has participated in a formalized ceremony and has the right to share in the profits of the Chicago Outfit.
http://www.ipsn.org/orourke_affidavit.php

As a matter of fact the last information regarding the initiation ceremonies is from the old days, especially 1980's (1983, 88 and 89), meaning we really dont know if that still happens today

Absolutely Correct. We do not know, especially with the Outfit. For awhile they didn't do it because the stature of a guy was more important and Giancana considered it silly. Then, it happened for awhile for some strange reason. However, we have NO IDEA if it happens right now in 2018. In fact, I would bet it does not happen because of all the suspicion and informants. After all that has happened to the Outfit in the last 30 years, they would be stupid to have an initiation Ceremony with a bunch of other Outfit guys there as witnesses. That would be the dumbest thing they could do. LOL

[Villain]

Whatever the case was in the earlier years, the definition of a made guy in Chicago has been the same as anywhere else for a long time now.

The FBI defines a "made member" as a person who has participated in a formalized ceremony and has the right to share in the profits of the Chicago Outfit.
http://www.ipsn.org/orourke_affidavit.php

As a matter of fact the last information regarding the initiation ceremonies is from the old days, especially 1980's (1983, 88 and 89), meaning we really dont know if that still happens today

Absolutely Correct. We do not know, especially with the Outfit. For awhile they didn't do it because the stature of a guy was more important and Giancana considered it silly. Then, it happened for awhile for some strange reason. However, we have NO IDEA if it happens right now in 2018. In fact, I would bet it does not happen because of all the suspicion and informants. After all that has happened to the Outfit in the last 30 years, they would be stupid to have an initiation Ceremony with a bunch of other Outfit guys there as witnesses. That would be the dumbest thing they could do. LOL

Agreed

[ChicagoOutfit]

Off topic, but I ran across a business card for a female DiFronzo that owns a salon and wig shop in Highland Park, IL...couldn't help but notice the last name. Highland Park is def not outfit territory, and if i goes with what others have said that the big timers have built their wealth and their relatives are all business owners (if she's even related).

I'll have some actual insight to add to this thread later!

[Wiseguy]

Whatever the case was in the earlier years, the definition of a made guy in Chicago has been the same as anywhere else for a long time now.

The FBI defines a "made member" as a person who has participated in a formalized ceremony and has the right to share in the profits of the Chicago Outfit.
http://www.ipsn.org/orourke_affidavit.php

As a matter of fact the last information regarding the initiation ceremonies is from the old days, especially 1980's (1983, 88 and 89), meaning we really dont know if that still happens today

Absolutely Correct. We do not know, especially with the Outfit. For awhile they didn't do it because the stature of a guy was more important and Giancana considered it silly. Then, it happened for awhile for some strange reason. However, we have NO IDEA if it happens right now in 2018. In fact, I would bet it does not happen because of all the suspicion and informants. After all that has happened to the Outfit in the last 30 years, they would be stupid to have an initiation Ceremony with a bunch of other Outfit guys there as witnesses. That would be the dumbest thing they could do. LOL

I agree that we don't know if there are still ceremonies going on given the last known ones were 30 years ago. But I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it means they've determined some other way to make or view someone as having membership status.