General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[PolackTony]

We also need to be careful about taking everything this guy says as fact. Take it, digest it, compare it to other information that we have, and make a decision. So far, I have no reason to think anything he said has been inaccurate, specifically in regards to the goings-on in today's Outfit. However, without knowing the source (made guy, associate, family member?), it's difficult to make a true judgement on veracity. For example, Richard Mara was interviewed by agents in 1980 and identified a bunch of guys as "made" who weren't. He also said Spilotro was boss over Lombardo on Grand Avenue and that DiVarco was also part of that crew, all of which we now know is false. That doesn't mean that everything he said was false, or that I don't believe Antilar's guy is being truthful, we just have to be cautious.

I think that's good advice. We should be cautious with every informant. We also need to be cautious with our own presuppositions and what we think we know to be true. I can say that my source was and is a well-placed associate with a family history that includes a made guy. He's somewhat disgruntled, but maintains his connections. Not everyone is happy with him, but the top people are protecting him. Some other people have vouched for him. I've come to consider him very credible based not only on the information he shared with me, but also the many photos he shared. I shared a couple of those photos here. To me, his information also makes sense and seems to fit with what Mike Mags told me. But each should decide for themselves what to conclude. I'm not putting any pressure on anyone on what to think. The new information can be a bit overwhelming for some. It's been overwhelming for me. He's shown personal information that I haven't shared here, and details that I wish he hadn't told me. I'm not sure why he picked me, but others contact me too. Anyways, I thought this group would enjoy the new material and would get something out of it.

One interpretation of the Outfit’s current status has been to look at the dwindling numbers of known made guys from that 20 year old member list and assume that the organization is rapidly withering away due to attrition. That perhaps Marcello and Sarno tried to get the thing running again but they got knocked before they were able to do so. That the recent gambling busts indicate a mostly vestigial LCN family with some loosely connected associates running a few gambling operations in the suburbs. That the Chicago Outfit was at the verge of following the Cleveland Outfit to the land of the dodo, if it hadn’t already basically done so.

This was always a plausible scenario to me, one that I think wasn’t inconsistent with the facts that we had, but it wasn’t my personal belief. While I didn’t believe that Chicago was rebuilding a powerful mafia organization in the shadows (etc., etc.) my gut instinct was that they remain a much smaller but viable and structured LCN family, with a small number of made members mainly insulated from the streets and trusted associates running their rackets. That they had made new members and that some of these would be names that had not even been on our radar. That since the 90s they had moved into narcotics and that links to street gangs were an important part of their wider criminal network on the street. My assumption was that Vena and Panozzo were illustrative of the kind of guys around the Outfit today, and that they can be very dangerous and capable of effectively using violence when they deem it necessary. Given that Carparelli was a 12th St Player, my thinking was that modern Cicero was going to have links to gangs and former gangbangers like Grand Ave has. Another line of thinking on my part was that aside from guys from the street gang world, the Outfit may have current guys within their ranks with links to back to Italy. For me the writing was all over the wall that at least up until the 2000s Chicago had ties to Italian OC groups and I doubt that those just evaporated in the last 20 years.

So much of what Antiliar’s source has claimed has, for me at least, gone a good way towards confirming my suspicions. Because it aligns my own assumptions, I certainly need to exercise caution in not over interpreting these claims, as it could serve to confirm my personal biases. Just thought I’d share my thoughts on this and make them explicit.

[Coloboy]

Agreed PolackTony. The truth always seems to lie in the middle. A dead or dying organization? not in my opinion. A secretively powerful and large criminal empire? Nope.

The source confirms much of what we have thought. Older made guys on top, removed from the street. Younger guys with gang connections running things on the street. Although I do think there is more of that younger gangbanger stuff going on than we realize.

One thing I thought of in reference to this source's info on the EP crew and the 3 guys operating there. I think it's important to remember that crews are much less defined by their geographical boundaries than in the past. If Solly D does indeed have a few guys reporting to him that are operating out of EP, that does not necessarily mean that there is no official EP crew. Dote, Abbinanti, Gagliano, Fratto, Salerno (whoever else you want to name) could still be called the "Elmwood Park" crew, but there could still be others not connected to those guys operating out of the area.

[SolarSolano]

I always enjoyed Mike Mags' stories on Fosco's show and I used to love when he would mimic Accardo - I do believe Mags about Accardo telling Capone stories and the Christmas dinners and the like - I do believe he met John Gotti in Florida - then he says other things like Fat Tony Salerno and Chin Gigante meeting Accardo at Ohare airport the day after Big Paul Costellano was killed to discuss how to handle it - I think that was like entirely made up. These guys are all born hustlers so its hard.

[PolackTony]

Not sure if this was previously posted on the forums here. He was convicted in December 2010, but I'm still assuming that the unnamed Outfit leader here was Sarno.

Mobster’s dad admits extortion scheme of his own
By Jon Seidel Feb 16, 2017, 7:27pm CST

John J. Rainone, the father of a once-feared mob enforcer, pleaded guilty to an extortion plot Thursday.

The father of a once-feared mob enforcer pleaded guilty to his own extortion plot Thursday and now faces 20 years in federal prison.

John J. Rainone, 83, admitted to U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso that he helped shake down a businessman six years ago in Bartlett, once meeting the victim at a Dominick’s grocery store and warning that “nobody is going to give you a problem if you do the right thing.”

Rainone was quietly indicted in 2015 along with his 41-year-old grandson, who shares the same name. The younger Rainone pleaded guilty to the same scheme in October and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators, records show. The judge has yet to set a sentencing date for either man.

While the attempted extortion charge they pleaded guilty to carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, the elder Rainone is more likely to face about three years in prison. His grandson is likely to face the same if he continues to cooperate with the feds.

The men are the father and son of Mario Rainone, the former Outfit muscle once described as an “urban terrorist” by a judge. Prosecutors have accused Mario Rainone of using violence and threats to squeeze Outfit debtors, even threatening to chop off the heads of a restaurateur and his children if he wasn’t paid $200,000.

Fearing his associates in the Outfit were out to kill him, Mario Rainone once entered the federal witness-protection program only to change his mind when his mother’s porch was bombed. Mario Rainone is serving a 15-year prison sentence, but he is hoping for a reduction in prison time based on a change in the law, his defense attorney Joe “The Shark” Lopez said.

The younger John J. Rainone was sentenced in 2015 to 38 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, records show.

Now grandfather and grandson have been caught up in the same scheme. They’ve admitted that, in August 2010, they told a businessman that a reputed Outfit leader wanted to be “taken care of” and demanded $10,000. The businessman refused to pay. The younger Rainone then told him in October 2010 that he had to pay $2,000 a month in “street tax” after the unnamed Outfit leader had gone to prison.

During a meeting at a Bartlett Dunkin’ Donuts, the younger Rainone told the businessman, “.You’re going to have to pay.”

The two Rainones met the businessman at the Dominick’s later that month, where the older Rainone searched him for a recording device. He told the businessman that “nobody is going to give you a problem if you do the right thing” and then he demanded $5,000 a month. When the businessman asked if he could pay less, the elder Rainone said he’d have to check because “everybody answers to somebody.”

They met at the Dominick’s again the next day, where the elder Rainone said, “You’re going to have a little problem later on” if he didn’t pay $4,000 a month. The businessman agreed to make the payment Oct. 13, 2010, but the elder Rainone showed up at his business a day early and insisted on receiving the payment. The businessman refused.

The elder Rainone then said “they” were going to “send the rough guys to collect,” according to his grandson’s plea agreement.

Has anyone been able to confirm for a fact that Louie Rainone is Mario's brother? The earliest address I found for Mario was in Melrose Park in 1978, but he may have already been living on his own by that point. In 1984 Louie Rainone and his family were living at 14th and Austin in Cicero.

Based on this article, the elder John J Rainone was born 1933-1934. There was a John Rainone living in the Chicago suburbs in the 1990s who was born 1933/09/08. I wasn't able to match this to a birth record in Cook County. There was a Giovanni Rainone born 1933/09/08 in Brooklyn, however. This individual seems to have been the son of Mario and Margaret Rainone, who had a son named John born in 1933. Per his WW2 registration, Mario Rainone was born in 1901 in Naples and was living on Van Sicklen St in East New York. This seems to have been the same individual who died in 1975 in DuPage County, and was listed on his SS death index as born 1899 with a SS# issued before 1951 in New York. His findagrave.com tombstone photo shows that his wife was Margaret.

When the younger Mario Rainone was indicted with Rocco Circelli for plotting to bomb a pizzeria in 1978, unindicted co-conspirators were his father John Rainone and aunt Maria Ruggiero. at the time, the Tribune reported that the US DOJ organized crime taskforce claimed that the attempted bombing was conducted at the behest of Maria, as the restaurant was owned by her estranged husband, Mario Ruggiero.

A Marie Celeste Rainone married Luigi Ruggiero in Chicago in 1954, and a Marie Celeste Ruggiero died in the suburbs in 2019. She was born in 1936. In their 1940 Census record in Brooklyn, the Rainones had a daughter named Marie who was born in 1936. Her 2013 obituary confirmed that Marie Celeste Ruggiero was the daughter of Mario Rainone and Margaret LaBasco, and the sister of John Rainone. It also stated that she worked for years with her husband Luigi Ruggiero in his restaurant Luigi's. So I think that the Tribune simply misreported the name of her husband. According to a Tribune piece on Luigi's restaurant in West Chicago, he was born in NYC but grew up in Naples. Luigi died in 2011 (worth noting that his obit doesn't mention Marie Rainone, though her obit mentioned him, lol).

[Antiliar]

I asked my source again about them, and said that Mario and Louis are brothers 100%. He said Mario works for Louis at Roosevelt Gold Exchange.

I asked him some other questions, but his knowledge only goes so far back. He seemed to agree that when Zizzo was killed that Cicero (the old Ferriola-Infelice-Spano crew) took over the old Aiuppa-Carlisi-Tornabene crew. Took over all of Cicero. So he couldn't clear up the Outfit setup around the time of Family Secrets. Yes, Marcello was the Outfit boss, but who was officially in charge of the two Cicero crews at the time? Was Tornabene running the old Carlisi crew or was he retired? Was Zizzo a capo or the underboss? Was Sarno the official capo of Cicero (Spano) crew at that time? He did become boss, but was it before or after Zizzo was killed? We guess after, but are we certain? My source doesn't know who ran Cicero before Jimmy I. He says they don't use ranks or titles, but then again, he's not made, so they probably wouldn't say them in front of him. I personally think they have ranks and titles, but don't mention them except for certain occasions.

[PolackTony]

I asked my source again about them, and said that Mario and Louis are brothers 100%. He said Mario works for Louis at Roosevelt Gold Exchange.

I asked him some other questions, but his knowledge only goes so far back. He seemed to agree that when Zizzo was killed that Cicero (the old Ferriola-Infelice-Spano crew) took over the old Aiuppa-Carlisi-Tornabene crew. Took over all of Cicero. So he couldn't clear up the Outfit setup around the time of Family Secrets. Yes, Marcello was the Outfit boss, but who was officially in charge of the two Cicero crews at the time? Was Tornabene running the old Carlisi crew or was he retired? Was Zizzo a capo or the underboss? Was Sarno the official capo of Cicero (Spano) crew at that time? He did become boss, but was it before or after Zizzo was killed? We guess after, but are we certain? My source doesn't know who ran Cicero before Jimmy I. He says they don't use ranks or titles, but then again, he's not made, so they probably wouldn't say them in front of him. I personally think they have ranks and titles, but don't mention them except for certain occasions.

Nice update. I doubt that they're going to discuss formal family titles etc around associates. We even see that with a guy like Eto who used "territorial boss" for capo.

Thanks for confirming about the Rainones. Louie Rainone clearly comes from a real criminal pedigree. Whether or not it matters today, worth noting that Solly, Jimmy I, Sarno, and Rainone are all Napolitan', and the Rainones had direct family ties to people from Naples.

[Patrickgold]

I asked my source again about them, and said that Mario and Louis are brothers 100%. He said Mario works for Louis at Roosevelt Gold Exchange.

I asked him some other questions, but his knowledge only goes so far back. He seemed to agree that when Zizzo was killed that Cicero (the old Ferriola-Infelice-Spano crew) took over the old Aiuppa-Carlisi-Tornabene crew. Took over all of Cicero. So he couldn't clear up the Outfit setup around the time of Family Secrets. Yes, Marcello was the Outfit boss, but who was officially in charge of the two Cicero crews at the time? Was Tornabene running the old Carlisi crew or was he retired? Was Zizzo a capo or the underboss? Was Sarno the official capo of Cicero (Spano) crew at that time? He did become boss, but was it before or after Zizzo was killed? We guess after, but are we certain? My source doesn't know who ran Cicero before Jimmy I. He says they don't use ranks or titles, but then again, he's not made, so they probably wouldn't say them in front of him. I personally think they have ranks and titles, but don't mention them except for certain occasions.

Nice update. I doubt that they're going to discuss formal family titles etc around associates. We even see that with a guy like Eto who used "territorial boss" for capo.

Thanks for confirming about the Rainones. Louie Rainone clearly comes from a real criminal pedigree. Whether or not it matters today, worth noting that Solly, Jimmy I, Sarno, and Rainone are all Napolitan', and the Rainones had direct family ties to people from Naples.

Makes sense. I heard Mario was working at a pawnshop after his release. Did not realize it was that one. With that being said, let’s not forget that even though Louie comes from a real criminal pedigree, his brother, father and nephew all became snitches at some point. That obviously can’t look good for him. Also, do you think John Rainone and his grandson were shaking down that business man on their own to earn some money or they really had Sarno’s approval?

[PolackTony]

I asked my source again about them, and said that Mario and Louis are brothers 100%. He said Mario works for Louis at Roosevelt Gold Exchange.

I asked him some other questions, but his knowledge only goes so far back. He seemed to agree that when Zizzo was killed that Cicero (the old Ferriola-Infelice-Spano crew) took over the old Aiuppa-Carlisi-Tornabene crew. Took over all of Cicero. So he couldn't clear up the Outfit setup around the time of Family Secrets. Yes, Marcello was the Outfit boss, but who was officially in charge of the two Cicero crews at the time? Was Tornabene running the old Carlisi crew or was he retired? Was Zizzo a capo or the underboss? Was Sarno the official capo of Cicero (Spano) crew at that time? He did become boss, but was it before or after Zizzo was killed? We guess after, but are we certain? My source doesn't know who ran Cicero before Jimmy I. He says they don't use ranks or titles, but then again, he's not made, so they probably wouldn't say them in front of him. I personally think they have ranks and titles, but don't mention them except for certain occasions.

Nice update. I doubt that they're going to discuss formal family titles etc around associates. We even see that with a guy like Eto who used "territorial boss" for capo.

Thanks for confirming about the Rainones. Louie Rainone clearly comes from a real criminal pedigree. Whether or not it matters today, worth noting that Solly, Jimmy I, Sarno, and Rainone are all Napolitan', and the Rainones had direct family ties to people from Naples.

Makes sense. I heard Mario was working at a pawnshop after his release. Did not realize it was that one. With that being said, let’s not forget that even though Louie comes from a real criminal pedigree, his brother, father and nephew all became snitches at some point. That obviously can’t look good for him. Also, do you think John Rainone and his grandson were shaking down that business man on their own to earn some money or they really had Sarno’s approval?

Before I might have thought that John and John were using Sarno’s name on their own to terrorize people. With this new info about Louie, I think it’s certainly possible they were collecting for Sarno.

None of their cooperation really damaged anyone, right? Seems like with Mario he’s just cut off from the organization. A question I have about Louie is when he got out of prison. He was sentenced to 40 years in 1986, but I don’t know when he would’ve been eligible for parole. Given that the murder was committed when he was 16, he may have gotten out rather early.

[Snakes]

If I remember right, Mario originally agreed to cooperate but then they told his father, John, that it was not in his best interest to do so. I think they also gave his dad a cash payment as extra incentive.

[PolackTony]

If I remember right, Mario originally agreed to cooperate but then they told his father, John, that it was not in his best interest to do so. I think they also gave his dad a cash payment as extra incentive.

“You keep sayin’ I’m a beefer, and it’s not true”.

[Patrickgold]

I asked my source again about them, and said that Mario and Louis are brothers 100%. He said Mario works for Louis at Roosevelt Gold Exchange.

I asked him some other questions, but his knowledge only goes so far back. He seemed to agree that when Zizzo was killed that Cicero (the old Ferriola-Infelice-Spano crew) took over the old Aiuppa-Carlisi-Tornabene crew. Took over all of Cicero. So he couldn't clear up the Outfit setup around the time of Family Secrets. Yes, Marcello was the Outfit boss, but who was officially in charge of the two Cicero crews at the time? Was Tornabene running the old Carlisi crew or was he retired? Was Zizzo a capo or the underboss? Was Sarno the official capo of Cicero (Spano) crew at that time? He did become boss, but was it before or after Zizzo was killed? We guess after, but are we certain? My source doesn't know who ran Cicero before Jimmy I. He says they don't use ranks or titles, but then again, he's not made, so they probably wouldn't say them in front of him. I personally think they have ranks and titles, but don't mention them except for certain occasions.

Nice update. I doubt that they're going to discuss formal family titles etc around associates. We even see that with a guy like Eto who used "territorial boss" for capo.

Thanks for confirming about the Rainones. Louie Rainone clearly comes from a real criminal pedigree. Whether or not it matters today, worth noting that Solly, Jimmy I, Sarno, and Rainone are all Napolitan', and the Rainones had direct family ties to people from Naples.

Makes sense. I heard Mario was working at a pawnshop after his release. Did not realize it was that one. With that being said, let’s not forget that even though Louie comes from a real criminal pedigree, his brother, father and nephew all became snitches at some point. That obviously can’t look good for him. Also, do you think John Rainone and his grandson were shaking down that business man on their own to earn some money or they really had Sarno’s approval?

Before I might have thought that John and John were using Sarno’s name on their own to terrorize people. With this new info about Louie, I think it’s certainly possible they were collecting for Sarno.

None of their cooperation really damaged anyone, right? Seems like with Mario he’s just cut off from the organization. A question I have about Louie is when he got out of prison. He was sentenced to 40 years in 1986, but I don’t know when he would’ve been eligible for parole. Given that the murder was committed when he was 16, he may have gotten out rather early.

I’m not sure if it damaged anyone. Mario only damaged himself when he decided to cooperate and then decided not too which pissed off the feds and he got a bunch of time. All it says about both John Rainones in the articles is that both their sentences should be shorten because of their continued cooperation with authorities. One thing to be put into consideration is if they were using Sarnos name with his permission or orders, then wouldn’t the feds have said that he was linked to extortion schemes when Sarno tried to get his sentence shortened? They brought up that Paolon was putting money into Sarno’s account and that the money came from bookmaking. Even if their cooperation didn’t hurt anyone, cooperating with authorities is a no no and not tolerated, especially with made men.

[Patrickgold]

Antiliar, anyway you can ask your source about both John Rainones and if they cooperated against anyone in the Outfit and what their standing is with the Outfit? I know you already said Mario had shelved since he cooperated back in the late 80s and early 90s.

[PolackTony]

Antiliar, anyway you can ask your source about both John Rainones and if they cooperated against anyone in the Outfit and what their standing is with the Outfit? I know you already said Mario had shelved since he cooperated back in the late 80s and early 90s.

I hear you and it’s a question for me too.

[SolarSolano]

Here is Louie Rainone's jewelry exchange being robbed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwvSuKf-Ae4&t=4s

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/07 ... -exchange/

I remember this, because this was not long after Rocky LaMantia hit a store very close to that or it may have been this same one and there was talk he was hiring people to harass these guys - this was 2012 and Louie was clearly out of prison at that point.

From what I know, Mario grew up in Cicero, but he did live in Melrose Park for a time and I believe his mother was also in Melrose Park when her porch was bombed but that could have also been Cicero I cannot remember. I was a laborer then and that entire trial was bigger than Family Secrets in Chicago. Antilliar you should ask your source about Billy Daddano both the father and son as they are related to John Rainone and Rudy Fratto and given the money those guys have I have to assume he's involved.

[Snakes]

I forgot his mother's porch was bombed. Was thinking that was Lenny Patrick's daughter's but I think they just found a bomb in her car. Lenny was estranged from her so I don't think he really gave a shit, either.