Rockford LCN - help with opinions and direction

[Villain]

Awesome observation on the narcotics end. There were Sicilian pizzerias in Rockford in the 1970s financed by Buscemi yet all indications were they didn't start distributing these narcotics wholly until 1980. Was this at the behest and cooperation of the Sicilian Mafia or the Outfit. If it's the former, did the Outfit have to give their approval?

Thats a great question which needs additional research. Maybe during that period the Outfit was disconnected to an extent because of various government issues that occurred at the time and maybe Rockford saw a chance to go on their own in the dope trade?

Rockford already had many Sicilian connections at the time while Accardo was still eliminating everyone in his organization who was involved, but during 1980/81/82 the old man had trouble with the law and almost went to jail because of it.

[Villain]

I believe that a big deal of our mystery possibly lies in Pilottos travels to Italy during the 70s on Accardos orders but it is "impossible" to find which locations Pilotto visited and who were Accardos friends that he met at the time...

[Snakes]

I believe that a big deal of our mystery possibly lies in Pilottos travels to Italy during the 70s on Accardos orders but it is "impossible" to find which locations Pilotto visited and who were Accardos friends that he met at the time...

Pilotto left for Italy in September of 1974, ostensibly to "handle business" for Accardo. It was alleged that Pilotto would be meeting with an Outfit figure from the end of the "Capone era" who had been deported to Italy sometime in the 1930s (not sure who this would be off the top of my head). Pilotto and his wife arrived in Rome, stayed for a week, and then visited other unknown parts of Italy for an additional two weeks before returning to the States.

[Villain]

I believe that a big deal of our mystery possibly lies in Pilottos travels to Italy during the 70s on Accardos orders but it is "impossible" to find which locations Pilotto visited and who were Accardos friends that he met at the time...

Pilotto left for Italy in September of 1974, ostensibly to "handle business" for Accardo. It was alleged that Pilotto would be meeting with an Outfit figure from the end of the "Capone era" who had been deported to Italy sometime in the 1930s (not sure who this would be off the top of my head). Pilotto and his wife arrived in Rome, stayed for a week, and then visited other unknown parts of Italy for an additional two weeks before returning to the States.

Thanks for this. Dom Roberto was still alive in 74?

[Villain]

If it was Roberto, than the narcotics subject or convo might go on much higher level.....

[Villain]

This additional file confirms several stops but it says "friends", not just one...

[Snakes]

I looked in Luzi's book and it was Dominic Roberto that Pilotto visited.

[Villain]

I looked in Luzi's book and it was Dominic Palermo that Pilotto visited.

You mean Roberto? What the hell was Palermo doing in Italy at the time?

[Snakes]

I looked in Luzi's book and it was Dominic Palermo that Pilotto visited.

You mean Roberto?

Yes, sorry. Edited

[Villain]

I looked in Luzi's book and it was Dominic Palermo that Pilotto visited.

You mean Roberto?

Yes, sorry. Edited

Oh ok, thanks again bud

[Villain]

Well most of us know that many deported bosses still received income from their former crews, like in the Tommy Morgano case but we also know that previously both Roberto and Ammirato were also allegedly deeply involved in the dope trade and so the subject is still open for all opinions and discussions regarding Chicagos and Rockfords dope deals...

[Villain]

Besides the two Rockford funerals, were there any other high level funerals on which Aiuppa also showed respect during the early or even mid 80s?

In addition the Family Secrets trials wasnt the only investigation which revealed a connection between Chicago and Rockford. Maybe you guys should check out the 1960s...

I've never heard of any other Rockford funerals after 1980 that were attended by Chicago guys.
Yes, there were connections between Chicago and Rockford going back to the 60s and it seemed their cooperation in operations slowed a bit in the 70s only to ramp up again in the 80s. Was it a formal arrangement or a partnership, I don't know until I find more definitive FBI files.

Nicely said. I imagine that the Rockford connection possibly started with the old Chicago Sicilian Mafia and lasted on a high level probably until the mid 1940s or when the conflict occurred and later the connection possibly went down or until Giancana took over in 57. So it seems the connection constantly went up and down, again depending on the decade and on who were the bosses and what was the extent of their influence in Rockford

[Antiliar]

I believe that a big deal of our mystery possibly lies in Pilottos travels to Italy during the 70s on Accardos orders but it is "impossible" to find which locations Pilotto visited and who were Accardos friends that he met at the time...

Pilotto left for Italy in September of 1974, ostensibly to "handle business" for Accardo. It was alleged that Pilotto would be meeting with an Outfit figure from the end of the "Capone era" who had been deported to Italy sometime in the 1930s (not sure who this would be off the top of my head). Pilotto and his wife arrived in Rome, stayed for a week, and then visited other unknown parts of Italy for an additional two weeks before returning to the States.

Thanks for this. Dom Roberto was still alive in 74?

Roberto died on December 17, 1975, according to Matt Luzi

[cavita]

After boss Joe Zammuto gave the nod in August 1980 for the family to distribute narcotics, it didn’t take authorities long to uncover one arm of their operation. In November 1981 they began investigating a huge cocaine ring run by John S. Leombruni who was living in Las Vegas in 1981 right before he started the Rockford cocaine operation but according to sources was “run out by that city’s Mafia chief” in an apparent dispute over Leombruni’s drug dealing. The only Mafia chief in that city was most likely Tony Spilotro of the Outfit. In May 1982 authorities arrested Leombruni and eleven others including:

Michael F. Leombruni, brother of John
John J. Schiro
John Bartelli
Luke Cannella, Rockford native and resident of Las Vegas
Jack Richardson
Dennis Salsbury
Jon Kaemmerlen
Susan Wisniewski, Rockford police dispatcher and girlfriend of John Leombruni
Israel R. Campello
Manuel M. “Liko” Gomez of Chicago
Ruben Yanez

The cocaine ring ran between Rockford, Chicago and Las Vegas and although the FBI said court-approved wiretaps showed mob involvement in the case, they were not allowed to use that as evidence in the trial. Now, it could be these individuals were the local dealers while they received their narcotics from the Sicilian pizzerias but that’s just a guess on my part. The Chicago connection was likely through Gomez and may not have been connected to the Outfit. I do know that at the time, 1980-1982 there were a lot of low-level drug busts in Rockford but Leombruni was described as the biggest drug dealer at the time.

[Villain]

I believe that a big deal of our mystery possibly lies in Pilottos travels to Italy during the 70s on Accardos orders but it is "impossible" to find which locations Pilotto visited and who were Accardos friends that he met at the time...

Pilotto left for Italy in September of 1974, ostensibly to "handle business" for Accardo. It was alleged that Pilotto would be meeting with an Outfit figure from the end of the "Capone era" who had been deported to Italy sometime in the 1930s (not sure who this would be off the top of my head). Pilotto and his wife arrived in Rome, stayed for a week, and then visited other unknown parts of Italy for an additional two weeks before returning to the States.

Thanks for this. Dom Roberto was still alive in 74?

Roberto died on December 17, 1975, according to Matt Luzi

Thanks Anti. Do you think the old man was still active at the time and received income from the US? Btw, was Morgano another possible connection in Italy? Do we know what year Morgano died?