Al Capone's decina ~1928

[Eline2015]

I’m really confused about Lombardo. Who he was, friend or rival of Capone

[Confederate]

I’m really confused about Lombardo. Who he was, friend or rival of Capone

Antonio Lombardo was Capone's friend. Lombardo was Sicilian and became head of the Unione Sicilian and helped Capone take it over if memory serves me correctly.

[Eline2015]

I’m really confused about Lombardo. Who he was, friend or rival of Capone

Antonio Lombardo was Capone's friend. Lombardo was Sicilian and became head of the Unione Sicilian and helped Capone take it over if memory serves me correctly.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 5&tab=page

[Antiliar]

I’m really confused about Lombardo. Who he was, friend or rival of Capone

Antonino Lombardo was the rappresentante of the Chicago Mafia from about 1925 until his murder in 1928. He was a partner with Joseph Aiello, his underboss, in a few businesses. They split over Capone. Aiello wanted Capone dead and Lombardo was friendly with him. Most reports claim that Aiello had Lombardo killed, but inside sources blame Capone. Capone was paying tribute to Joe Masseria and Lombardo told him that since he wasn't a made member he didn't have to do that. Masseria called Capone for a meeting in New York and made him a capodecina under him, and gave Capone the authority to make ten members of his outfit. He also told him that if he eliminated Lombardo that he would recognize him (Capone) as the new Chicago boss. That's apparently what he did, but instead selected puppet rulers of the Chicago Mafia. The first puppet ruler, Pasqualino Lolordo, was killed by Aiello and Bugs Moran. He was replaced to Joseph Giunta. He apparently rebelled against Capone and with Albert Anselmi and John Scalise wanted to kill him. Capone found out and killed them instead. Reportedly Accardo beat them with a baseball bat and earned the name "Joe Batters" that evening. Aiello then took the top spot for himself, and was machine-gunned to death in October 1930. The last puppet boss was Toto Loverde, who was shoved aside when Salvatore Maranzano officially recognized Capone as the head of the Chicago Fratellanza (Cosa Nostra). Shortly after that the deposed Loverde was knocked down. Some Chicago Mafia members chose to recognize Capone and became part of the Outfit. Others moved to other Families, such as Milwaukee, and still others probably retired from organized crime or became independent criminals. Those few who tried to take on the Outfit were wiped out.

And for the record, Lombardo wasn't the head of the Unione Siciliana. The president was Judge Bernard P. Barasa, and Unione changed its name to the Italo-American National Union in 1925.

[B.]

Great info.

It should be pointed out too that a number of the Aiello faction, many from Bagheria like Aiello and including his brother, fled to Wisconsin initially, and while some stayed, others returned to the fold in Chicago with the new regime. Aiello's brother was among those who returned to Chicago and according to the Milwaukee member informant (Maniaci) Aiello had been opposed to his brother's actions which probably factored into him returning.

I have to wonder if Masseria's tactic of inducting and/or promoting someone within his own group but in another city with its own family had been used by D'Aquila, Morello, or other powerful bosses before that. Not necessarily with a non-Sicilian like Capone, but just that strategic move. D'Aquila had "spies" in the San Francisco family with the Sciortino brothers, formerly of NYC, who became the first leaders of San Jose so it makes me wonder if something similar played out, though no doubt less violently and with less hype. Cleveland had some murky stuff going on as well under Masseria and seemingly with D'Aquila, too. It may have been more common to send a "spy" who would transfer into the local family and gain influence, which is quite a bit different than inducting someone and promoting them to captain in a family based hundreds of miles away. We know Joe Bonanno's thinking wasn't too far off from this in CA so it makes you wonder if there was other precedent for that kind of move before Masseria and Capone.

[Antiliar]

If I recall correctly, Joe Aiello had nine brothers. The one who remained in Chicago was Salvatore "Sam" Aiello, joining the early North Side crew.

No idea of other bosses made leaders the same way Capone was, but it may have been Morello's idea since he was allegedly the "brains" behind Masseria. Lucky Luciano, Frank Yale and Frank Marlow may have been made the same way as Capone. It would explain how the Masseria/Morello Family became the second largest borgata very quickly.

[Snakes]

There was also a "Little Joe" Aiello, who was a union rep in Laborers AFL-CIO Local #1 under Vincent Solano. Not sure what relation, if any, he had to the Aiello brothers.

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

I’m really confused about Lombardo. Who he was, friend or rival of Capone

Antonio Lombardo was Capone's friend. Lombardo was Sicilian and became head of the Unione Sicilian and helped Capone take it over if memory serves me correctly.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 5&tab=page

Eline, thanks for posting this MF document.
In the 10+ years I have studied the LCN, I have
never come across this document. NY - T2 tells the
complete history of the origins of the mob in the US.
It reads like every mob movie about Lucky ever made

[Etna]

The Italians really seem to have dwarfed the Irish criminals in Chicago and New York. Although, I remember seeing a map on a different website showing Capone's gang running virtually all the south side and o'banmion alll the north? Gennas had a small portion on the central part of the city.

[Snakes]

Well, the Irish had been established for a longer time in those cities, so they had already begun to integrate themselves into the general populace. The Italian population didn't explode until the turn of the century while the Irish had been steadily immigrating since the Civil War.

[Villain]

Regarding the Lombardo subject, it seems that after the murder of Angelo Genna in 1925, he became the boss of the Near West Side area including Taylor St, and possibly the W Grand Av area, probably with the help of faces such as DeGeorge or Loverde, while Aiello at first controlled the Near North Side, and later he was also welcomed by Lombardo on the West Side. Its also interesting to note that the western suburbs such as MP and other places were possibly controlled by Joe Esposito, who in turn also had some ops around Taylor St, and also by the Montana clan which I believe at first were under Espositos jurisdiction. After 1928 or after the murders of Lombardo and Esposito, it seems that Loverde's ops stretched from the Near North Side to Cicero, while the Montanas kept the MP area and parts from the Near West Side. By 1931 Montana was often seen greeting Capone while arriving from his travels, while Loverde was killed in November that same year. Another thing which is quite interesting to note is that Capone's trial started in October 1931 I think, while Loverde was killed right at the beginning of the next month or November 6.

By 1928, Cicero, the Loop and South Side and some southern suburbs were controlled by the Capone Mob, followed by the Jewish and Irish criminal elements such as the Guzik bros, Dennis Cooney and John Patton who joined Capone. As a matter of fact, Patton was a close associate of Capone's predecessor Jim Colosimo even before Al landed in Chicago.

[DPG]

The Italians really seem to have dwarfed the Irish criminals in Chicago and New York. Although, I remember seeing a map on a different website showing Capone's gang running virtually all the south side and o'banmion alll the north? Gennas had a small portion on the central part of the city.

The map in 'Get Capone' showed this.

[cavita]

The Italians really seem to have dwarfed the Irish criminals in Chicago and New York. Although, I remember seeing a map on a different website showing Capone's gang running virtually all the south side and o'banmion alll the north? Gennas had a small portion on the central part of the city.

The map in 'Get Capone' showed this.

I believe there was a similar map in John Binder's latest Chicago book too.

[Villain]

Some time ago I made this list regarding the pre-Capone era and Im not saying that its accurate but still its quite interesting to start with...

Chicago Mafia 1925 – 1928

First Group

Boss: Tony Lombardo (killed 1928)

Underboss: Joe Aiello

Influential members: Angelo Genna (killed 1925) Vincent Drucci (killed 1927), Joe Esposito (killed 1928), Patsy Lolordo (succeeded Lombardo as boss after his murder), John Montana Sr, Salvatore Loverde

Additional members: Mike Genna (killed 1925), Tony Genna (killed 1925), Frank DeLaurentis (killed 1926), John Tucillo (killed 1926), Sam Aiello, Tony Aiello (wounded in 1927), Mike Mineo, Philip Leonetti (killed 1928), John Infantino (killed 1928), Joe Montana, Charles Agrento, James DeGeorge, John Scalise, Albert Anselmi, Joe Guinta, Anthony Volpe, Paul Ricca, Lawrence Mangano


Second Group

Boss: Phil Piazza (killed 1926)

Underboss: Joe Nerone (killed 1926)

Influential members: Jim Lamberta (killed 1926), Joe Salvo (killed 1926), Frank Capello (killed 1926), Joe Martino (killed 1928), Charles Costello, Pete Zeranti

Additional members: Tony Pelledrino (killed 1926), Joe Pavia, Pete Maggio, Sam Costello, Nick Costello, Sam DiGiovanni, Nick DiGiovanni, Charles Presto, Phil Bacino (arrived in Calumet City in 1928?), Nick Nerone, George Zeranti


Third Group

Boss: John Torrio (survived assassination attempt in 1925 and fled the city)

Influential members: Al Capone (succeeded Torrio as boss in 1926), Mike Carrozzo, Frank Nitto, Dominick Roberto

Additional members: Ralph Capone, Joe Fusco, James Mondi, Louis LaCava, Jake Guzik, Harry Guzik, Sam Guzik, Johnny Patton, Joe Genaro, Sylvester Agoglia, Phil D’Andrea, Dennis Cooney, Eddie Vogel, Charles Fischetti, Rocco Fischetti, Rocco DeGrazia, Frank Rio, Jim Ammirato, John Roberto


Chicago Mafia 1928 – 1930

Top Boss: Joe Masseria (seated in New York)

Chicago representative or boss: Patsy Lolordo (killed 1929), Salvatore Loverde (by 1930 succeeded Lolordo as representative)

Capo: Al Capone (became a member of the Mafia in 1928 and the real power by 1930)

Influential members: John Scalise (killed 1929), Albert Anselmi (killed 1929), Joe Guinta (Killed 1929), Joe Aiello (killed 1930), Sam Aiello (in 1930 fled the city), Paul Ricca (possible second in command to Capone), Charles Argento, Joe Montana, James Mondi, Louis LaCava (in 1929 or 1930 fled the city), Tony Volpe, Dominick Roberto, Jim Ammirato, Phil Bacino, Frank LaPorte, Sam DiGiovanni, Pete Zeranti, Charles Costello, Sam Costello, Frank Nitto, Mike Carrozzo, Ralph Capone, John Capone, Joe Fusco, Joe Genaro, Charles Fischetti, Lawrence Mangano, Frank Rio

Additional members: Mike Mineo (in 1930 fled the city), James DeGeorge, Joe Provenzano, Ross Prio, Dominick Brancato, Rocco DeGrazia, Louis Campagna (arrived in Chicago in 1928?), John Roberto, Nick DiGiovanni, Charles Presto, Nick Nerone, Rocco Fischetti, Phil D’Andrea, Sylvester Agoglia, Santo Virusso, Philip Mangano, Frank Maritote, Charles Gioe, Tony Capezio

[B.]

Masseria wouldn't be the "top boss" the way that phrase has been used for other "top bosses" in Chicago history. He was the boss of an NYC family and the "boss of bosses" or "national chairman" of the US mafia, while Capone was officially a Chicago-based capodecina of Masseria's NYC-based family. It's unlikely that Masseria could have pulled this arrangement off if he was "just" a boss and wasn't chairing the mafia nationally as he was. The idea seems to have been to make Capone a powerful member of the Sicilian-based mafia and put him under protection until he could gradually take over the separate Chicago family and transfer over to become their official boss.