Visiting Rockford

[PolackTony]

May 22, 1973 Joseph Angileri was arrested for pimping two women out of the Viking Tap, 1302 Broadway which he co-owned with Vince Sciame. Sciame claimed he knew of the arrangement Angileri had with the women but wanted no part of it. Angileri was the son of Vito Angileri, an alleged mafia member who died in Rockford in 1970. It was also rumored that Joseph was connected to the Rockford LCN as a pimp.

I note that you state that Vito Angileri was alleged to have been a member; was it alleged that he was specifically a Rockford member?

I note that Vito Angileri was from Marsala. There were also a bunch of Marsalesi Angileris in the Taylor St Patch in Chicago -- we've already seen before that the Gennas had ties to the Rockford region. In the 1940s, there was a Marsales' Thomas Angileri from Taylor St who was busted for hijacking cigarette trucks with a gang of guys that included Leo Pepitone (also Marsales' and likely a cousin of Thomas). Later, a Salvatore Angileri was alleged to have been affiliated with the Buccieri/Taylor St crew and seems to have been the grandson of a Salvatore Angileri from Marsala.

I've heard from a few old timers that personally knew Angileri stated he was a member in Marsala before coming to the U.S. Whether his membership transferred to Rockford, I don't know.
Most of the Marsala immigrants to Rockford settled in the Beloit, Wisconsin and South Beloit, Illinois area. I believe after Aragona, the next highest population of Sicilians in the Rockford area come from Marsala.

Very interesting. Is there reason to believe that Angileri transferred his membership to Rockford? We've discussed the Marsalese connections before; there are still Marsalesi in Chicago connected to their paesani in Rockford and Beloit, so it should be unsurprising that back in the 20s the Gennas had connections in both towns.

I've mentioned it before, but the Aragona network would've certainly been a significant medium of interaction between Chicago and Rockford as well. In 1935, Alfonso Rotolo was reported as the President of Societa M.S. Aragona Sicula in Chicago. Later, in the 1940s, his brother Ray Rotolo was named as the head of the men's division of what was then reported as the Aragona Fellowship Club, HQ'd in the Englewood neighborhood on the Southside (better known for having a colony of Salernitani and Calabresi back then) -- it was also noted that the Aragonese Society constituted the Aragona Lodge (Lodge #71) of the Italo-American National Union (the "Unione Siciliana"). The Rotolos' mother Maria Stella Scifo was noted at that time as having been the former head of the ladies' division (Giuseppa Gagliano from Leonforte, Enna, married to a Libertino Rotolo from Aragona was the current ladies' head). No way that these people didn't have close connections to the Rockford Aragona Club. While Frank Buscemi was from Little Sicily, it seems that many other Aragonesi in Chicago (like the Sambucesi also) were based on the Southside. Alfonso Rotolo, for example, lived near 31st and Emerald in Armour Square. This could be significant given the later relationship of the Chinatown crew to Gumba Saladino. Worth noting also that the paternal grandmother of Johnny Apes Monteleone's brother-in-law Dominic Buscemi was also a Rotolo from Aragona.

Photo of Alfonso Rotolo below, when a play that he wrote was performed on Grand Ave in 1949 (Rotolo died the following year). The papers noted that the play was supported by the "Italian Societies" and specifically named the Aragona, San Nicola di Bari, Alimena, and Sant'Angelo Muxaro (also based in Chinatown/Bridgeport) societies as involved with the play:

[cavita]

May 22, 1973 Joseph Angileri was arrested for pimping two women out of the Viking Tap, 1302 Broadway which he co-owned with Vince Sciame. Sciame claimed he knew of the arrangement Angileri had with the women but wanted no part of it. Angileri was the son of Vito Angileri, an alleged mafia member who died in Rockford in 1970. It was also rumored that Joseph was connected to the Rockford LCN as a pimp.

I note that you state that Vito Angileri was alleged to have been a member; was it alleged that he was specifically a Rockford member?

I note that Vito Angileri was from Marsala. There were also a bunch of Marsalesi Angileris in the Taylor St Patch in Chicago -- we've already seen before that the Gennas had ties to the Rockford region. In the 1940s, there was a Marsales' Thomas Angileri from Taylor St who was busted for hijacking cigarette trucks with a gang of guys that included Leo Pepitone (also Marsales' and likely a cousin of Thomas). Later, a Salvatore Angileri was alleged to have been affiliated with the Buccieri/Taylor St crew and seems to have been the grandson of a Salvatore Angileri from Marsala.

I've heard from a few old timers that personally knew Angileri stated he was a member in Marsala before coming to the U.S. Whether his membership transferred to Rockford, I don't know.
Most of the Marsala immigrants to Rockford settled in the Beloit, Wisconsin and South Beloit, Illinois area. I believe after Aragona, the next highest population of Sicilians in the Rockford area come from Marsala.

Very interesting. Is there reason to believe that Angileri transferred his membership to Rockford? We've discussed the Marsalese connections before; there are still Marsalesi in Chicago connected to their paesani in Rockford and Beloit, so it should be unsurprising that back in the 20s the Gennas had connections in both towns.

I've mentioned it before, but the Aragona network would've certainly been a significant medium of interaction between Chicago and Rockford as well. In 1935, Alfonso Rotolo was reported as the President of Societa M.S. Aragona Sicula in Chicago. Later, in the 1940s, his brother Ray Rotolo was named as the head of the men's division of what was then reported as the Aragona Fellowship Club, HQ'd in the Englewood neighborhood on the Southside (better known for having a colony of Salernitani and Calabresi back then) -- it was also noted that the Aragonese Society constituted the Aragona Lodge (Lodge #71) of the Italo-American National Union (the "Unione Siciliana"). The Rotolos' mother Maria Stella Scifo was noted at that time as having been the former head of the ladies' division (Giuseppa Gagliano from Leonforte, Enna, married to a Libertino Rotolo from Aragona was the current ladies' head). No way that these people didn't have close connections to the Rockford Aragona Club. While Frank Buscemi was from Little Sicily, it seems that many other Aragonesi in Chicago (like the Sambucesi also) were based on the Southside. Alfonso Rotolo, for example, lived near 31st and Emerald in Armour Square. This could be significant given the later relationship of the Chinatown crew to Gumba Saladino. Worth noting also that the paternal grandmother of Johnny Apes Monteleone's brother-in-law Dominic Buscemi was also a Rotolo from Aragona.

Photo of Alfonso Rotolo below, when a play that he wrote was performed on Grand Ave in 1949 (Rotolo died the following year). The papers noted that the play was supported by the "Italian Societies" and specifically named the Aragona, San Nicola di Bari, Alimena, and Sant'Angelo Muxaro (also based in Chinatown/Bridgeport) societies as involved with the play:

I don't know if Angileri transferred his membership to Rockford or not, but I would think if he or anyone were in that situation why wouldn't membership transfer? I recall Maniaci telling the FBI that Salvatore Immordino was an old time member and we all know he was made in SGI, immigrated to the Frankfort, New York area before going to Madison and Springfield before settling in Rockford finally. I don't want to assume, I would think it stands to reason that memberships would transfer. Once a member, always a member I guess. As for your post above, there were plenty of Rotolo people in Rockford from Aragona but I had never heard any of them being involved in LCN to any extent. As for the Scifo name, there was Peter Scifo in Rockford who the FBI labeled as a Rockford LCN "political fixer." He was most notably the center of a bombing investigation of a Rockford Alderman's house which stemmed from a bribery investigation brought on by the Alderman.

[cavita]

Visiting Rockford 1933

January 21, 1933 possible early Rockford LCN member Salvatore “Toto” Galluzzo was arrested with Ross Chiarelli, Carlo Bianchi, Frank Rumore, Antonio Catalano, Nick Manzullo and Frank Zammuto all of Rockford. The men, plus many others living in Chicago, Belvidere and the surrounding area were running a huge illegal liquor ring operating stills in Belvidere and near Savanna, Illinois. They also set up a system of communications by maintaining telephones in Belvidere, Rockford and Chicago. According to FBI#630 502 Galluzzo was arrested as Sam DeVito by the Prohibition Bureau at Chicago. This Salvatore Galluzzo was a cousin to the Salvatore Galluzzo who was the reputed Rockford LCN boss.

January 27, 1933 Rockford LCN associate Joe Bonavia was arrested along with Joe Maffei and Vito Turiciano after a wild car chase through downtown Rockford in which Turiciano was the driver. Two .45 caliber pistols were found underneath the backseat cushion and a heavy jimmy was also found.

February 11, 1933 Paul Giovingo was murdered after another car pulled up alongside his and guns fired on him in the 1200 block of South Winnebago Street. Giovingo had been trying to wrest control of the rackets from LCN boss Tony Musso.

February 13, 1933 Rockford LCN associate Anthony Calcione was arrested for the January 29th holdup of a Beloit, Wisconsin oil station but was released when the victims failed to identify him.

February 17, 1933 Rockford LCN associate Anthony Donze was arrested when a car stolen in Chicago four months prior turned up in Donze’s garage at 1214 Loomis Street. Donze claimed he bought the car from two strangers in Chicago. Charges were dropped when the owner and insurance company declined to press charges. Donze would be arrested the next year with 24 other men for being part of an organized car theft ring operating in northern Illinois.

February 25, 1933 Rockford LCN associate and front Anthony Zacharia married Angelina Gulotta in Rockford, Illinois thus making Zacharia an uncle by marriage to future Rockford LCN capo Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta.

February 28, 1933 future Rockford LCN underboss Gaspare Calo was taken to Leavenworth Prison to start serving his two-year prison sentence after a failed appeal on bootlegging charges. Also taken was Frank Zito who was reported as the head of the ring and Vincent Salvo. Salvo and Calo were listed as Zito’s lieutenants.

March 12, 1933 Rockford resident and LCN peripheral player Angelo Baraconi was arrested for running booze into Milwaukee when he was found in possession of fifty 6 gallon containers of alcohol.

April 7, 1933 Joe “Blackie” Calderotta, a possible early Rockford LCN member, was charged with robbing the Texaco oil station at 612 North Main Street, Freeport, Illinois and E.G. Shinners Meat Market, 24 West Main Street, Freeport, Illinois on March 4, 1933 along with Nick Misuraca and Phil Cannella. Cannella would later be verified as a Rockford LCN member and Misuraca would later be murdered.

April 23, 1933 Russell Caltagerone was born in Rockford. Caltagerone was the son of Rockford LCN member Filippo Caltagerone and Russell was alleged to be the accountant for many Rockford LCN members and associates.

July 12, 1933 Rockford LCN member and possible capo George Saladino arrived at the port of New York on the S.S. Rex from Genoa, Italy after possibly being on the lam due to liquor investigations.

July 22, 1933 future Rockford LCN member Phil Emordeno was arrested in Kansas City, Missouri along with Sam Cuezze, alias Sam Rossi on a charge of possessing a still at 1301 E. Fifth Street. Emordeno was later sentenced to three months in jail.

August 3, 1933 Rockford racketeer and extortionist Gaetano Pontrelli was arrested for operating a disorderly house at 912 Kent Street, which was essentially a whorehouse. Pontrelli was arrested many times under the name Guy Del Lago and he was ultimately deported to Naples, Italy.

August 30, 1933 Rockford racketeer Nick Misuraca was murdered and his body dumped off of Meridian Road 3 ½ miles south of Rockford. Future Rockford LCN member Charles Vince was questioned in this murder because he was friends with Misuraca and had a half-interest in a car with him.

October 3, 1933 twins Pasquale and Joseph Gucciardo were born in Rockford to Domenico Gucciardo and Domenica Tamburello. The Gucciardo twins were high level Rockford LCN associates and fronts working under Rockford LCN member Phil Priola.

October 10, 1933 Anthony Chiapetta was at Loomis and South Church Streets when he was shot by rival liquor racketeers as he was walking home. He later died in the hospital. Authorities stated that Chiapetta was a onetime friend of Nick Misuraca who was murdered two months prior.

November 24, 1933 Rockford LCN associate Leonard Palmeri was born in Rockford, Illinois to Leo Palmeri and Maxine McAlpine. Palmeri would eventually become very close with Rockford capo Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta.

[PolackTony]

Great info. Do you know when Gaetano Pontrelli was born? There was a guy with that name born around 1886 who arrived in Chicago in 1913. Triggiano was an important town in Chicago (Grand Ave) with the DiFronzos, Calabreses, Spilotros, and Nittis (among others) having ancestry from there.

[cavita]

Great info. Do you know when Gaetano Pontrelli was born? There was a guy with that name born around 1886 who arrived in Chicago in 1913. Triggiano was an important town in Chicago (Grand Ave) with the DiFronzos, Calabreses, Spilotros, and Nittis (among others) having ancestry from there.

When he was first arrested in Rockford in 1932 his age was given as 30, but I always take the early newspaper information with a grain of salt but still, a difference of 16 years is a little unbelievable. He was arrested in January 1938 in Milwaukee with Julia Pontrelli on charges they were involved in a white slave ring operating in and near Chicago. He was eventually deported in June 1938.

[PolackTony]

Great info. Do you know when Gaetano Pontrelli was born? There was a guy with that name born around 1886 who arrived in Chicago in 1913. Triggiano was an important town in Chicago (Grand Ave) with the DiFronzos, Calabreses, Spilotros, and Nittis (among others) having ancestry from there.

When he was first arrested in Rockford in 1932 his age was given as 30, but I always take the early newspaper information with a grain of salt but still, a difference of 16 years is a little unbelievable. He was arrested in January 1938 in Milwaukee with Julia Pontrelli on charges they were involved in a white slave ring operating in and near Chicago. He was eventually deported in June 1938.

My mistake, that was a typo above. His 1913 arrival in Chicago had him as born in 1896; another document in Chicago stated that he was born in 1897. When “Del Lago” was pinched in 1932 in Rockford for operating a disorderly house and making alleged death threats to reputed competitor Pauline Cirrincione, it was stated in several articles that he was born around 1898. As the papers reported at the time of his deportation case that Pontrelli had previously lived in Chicago, I think it’s pretty clear he was the guy who arrived in 1913 (the only other record for a Gaetano Pontrelli entering the US was for an older guy from Bari who settled in NYC).

He arrived on the same ship as several Nittis and a bunch of other people from Triggiano bound for the Grand Ave Patch in Chicago. A Giuseppe Pontrelli living at Grand and Racine was stated to have been a relative of Nicola Nitti, father of the Nick Nitti of travel agency fame (in turn the grandfather of alleged current Chicago member Jason Nitti), so Gaetano Nitti may have been a cousin of some sort of the Nittis. We know that Jack Cerone seems to have had a close relationship to the Rockford outfit (e.g., they reached out to him to set up a meeting with Giancana), and I’d wonder if Gaetano Pontrelli could point to an older tie between Grand Ave and Rockford.

[cavita]

Great info. Do you know when Gaetano Pontrelli was born? There was a guy with that name born around 1886 who arrived in Chicago in 1913. Triggiano was an important town in Chicago (Grand Ave) with the DiFronzos, Calabreses, Spilotros, and Nittis (among others) having ancestry from there.

When he was first arrested in Rockford in 1932 his age was given as 30, but I always take the early newspaper information with a grain of salt but still, a difference of 16 years is a little unbelievable. He was arrested in January 1938 in Milwaukee with Julia Pontrelli on charges they were involved in a white slave ring operating in and near Chicago. He was eventually deported in June 1938.

My mistake, that was a typo above. His 1913 arrival in Chicago had him as born in 1896; another document in Chicago stated that he was born in 1897. When “Del Lago” was pinched in 1932 in Rockford for operating a disorderly house and making alleged death threats to reputed competitor Pauline Cirrincione, it was stated in several articles that he was born around 1898. As the papers reported at the time of his deportation case that Pontrelli had previously lived in Chicago, I think it’s pretty clear he was the guy who arrived in 1913 (the only other record for a Gaetano Pontrelli entering the US was for an older guy from Bari who settled in NYC).

He arrived on the same ship as several Nittis and a bunch of other people from Triggiano bound for the Grand Ave Patch in Chicago. A Giuseppe Pontrelli living at Grand and Racine was stated to have been a relative of Nicola Nitti, father of the Nick Nitti of travel agency fame (in turn the grandfather of alleged current Chicago member Jason Nitti), so Gaetano Nitti may have been a cousin of some sort of the Nittis. We know that Jack Cerone seems to have had a close relationship to the Rockford outfit (e.g., they reached out to him to set up a meeting with Giancana), and I’d wonder if Gaetano Pontrelli could point to an older tie between Grand Ave and Rockford.

Great research and this is fascinating stuff! Seems the time period from 1920-1934 or so was wide open for people coming and going in Rockford. I had an Alfonso Canistraro from 1930 who was said to be a "Blackhand" leader in Chicago and Rockford and he was wanted for murdering three people in Aragona, Sicily as well as a Peter Ferruggia in Rockford who was terrorizing (the papers loved that term) people in Rockford among others who either disappeared after a time or were deported. Pontrelli is definitely an interesting character and I wonder if he ever was a major force in Italy after being deported.

[cavita]

Visiting Rockford 1966

February 1966 Rockford LCN capo Lorenzo “Lawrence” Buttice retired his position and Charles Vince was appointed.

February 1966 Raymond Cramer was State Police Supervisor of District 1 at Sterling, Illinois when the Rockford LCN put on a party for him at Rockford LCN member Phil Priola’s Town and Country Motel. Girls were provided for the party by a local pimp. The party was held to ensure the protection of the operation of the Rockford LCN policy wheel.

February 8, 1966 Rockford LCN bookmaker and associate Frank P. Vella was indicted by the Federal Grand Jury and charged with failure to obtain a $50 wagering stamp and failure to register with the IRS as a bookmaker in 1964 and 1965. A Chicago Tribune article on this stated that Vella was working under the backing of Rockford LCN member Phil “The Tailor” Emordeno.

February 18, 1966 J.L. Kamrar and Ivan “Bass” Schmidt were arrested in a federal gambling raid in Savanna, Illinois, an operation that was under the control of Rockford LCN capo Charles Vince. The gambling equipment was set up in a vacant building at 103 S. 4th Street in Savanna.

March 4, 1966 Antonio Cannova died in Freeport, Illinois. Cannova was an old time racketeer and bootlegger loosely affiliated with the Rockford LCN.

March 20, 1966 Eldon Pluym, 50, and Kenneth Sproule, 52, were arrested in Galena, Illinois on charges of possessing 7,500 counterfeit $20 bills. Authorities also discovered an offset printing press as well as plates used to make the bills. Pluym was a restaurant owner and Sproule was a building contractor. Pluym was seeking the Democratic nomination for sheriff of Jo Daviess County. Secret Service agents had traced to Chicago the purchases of ink and paper used in creating the fake bills. On September 12, 1966 a Rockford Detective said a Rockford Attorney told him when the two counterfeiters were arrested, they contacted the attorney and requested he represent them. They offered the attorney $1,000 and said if he accepted to represent them, he could contact Rockford LCN boss Joe Zammuto and immediately receive the money. The attorney declined to represent them.

April 1966 Pietro Alfano, of the Pizza Connection fame, opened Alfano’s Pizzeria at 212 E. State Street in Rockford as partners with Rockford LCN member Phil Priola.

April 17, 1966 Rockford LCN members Phil Cannella, Phil Priola, Charles Vince and Frank Correnti attended the Milwaukee wake of Rose Maniaci, mother of Milwaukee LCN member Augie Maniaci.

May 5, 1966 Rockford LCN bookmaker James “Jimmy the Greek” Pollos was found innocent of the July 15, 1965 charges of possession of betting slips. Several calls from a Rockford store to phones located in a Cicero, Illinois apartment at 3443 S. Central Avenue apparently handled the Rockford bets.

May 16, 1966 early Rockford LCN associate and frontman Phillip Oddo died in Rockford.

May 21, 1966 John J. Anastasi was arrested for receiving stolen property, that is stolen
produce from a wholesale produce company which he was selling at his business, John’s Fruit Market. This situation was mentioned in capo Charles Vince’s FBI file as Anastasi was Vince’s brother-in-law and indications were that Anastasi was taking bets on Vince’s behalf.

June 1966 Nino Germano, along with his son-in-law John Fiorello, purchased The Manor Restaurant in Beloit, Wisconsin. The Manor would burn to the ground in 1970, the second restaurant of his to do so within five years and this incident was mentioned in Rockford LCN FBI files.

July 1, 1966 Rockford LCN boss Joe Zammuto and underboss Frank Buscemi were observed by FBI agents entering the Lormar Distributing Company in Chicago and meeting with Chicago Outfit member Chuckie English, owner of the company.

July 9, 1966 Rockford LCN member Joe “Gramps” Marinelli was arrested for speeding in Albion, Wisconsin. What he was doing in that area is unknown.

July 19, 1966 Lester Gaserude was arrested on a perjury charge in a secret gambling probe involving his tavern, the Green Onion in Janesville, Wisconsin. Also arrested were Frank W. Bienash, Roy E. Bahr, Ronald Skaife, Harold Babcock and James P. Baldwin, all of Janesville. This operation was under the control of the Rockford LCN as the 1968 Federal Grand Jury uncovered.

August 21, 1966 Rockford LCN front Robert Pauls was charged with being the keeper of a gambling place at the Uptown Lounge and was listed as president of a corporation that owned the tavern which was secretly controlled by the Rockford LCN. On October 7, 1966 Judge Albert O’Sullivan acquitted Pauls of these charges and Judge O’Sullivan was reported in FBI files to have done favors for the Rockford mob
.
September 14, 1966 William “Pork Chop” Sherod pled guilty for operating the Globe-Post policy wheel at 905 Newport Avenue when he was arrested January 21st. FBI agents said the policy wheel was handling about $25,000 a month in bets and had been operating for about a year. The FBI said the operation functioned under the direct control of Rockford LCN capo Charles Vince and LCN consigliere Joe Zito. Also arrested were David Lane, Jim Rollins, Samuel Wilkins, Lee King, Robert Gilvert, Philip Jackson, Dave Flowers and Andrew “Do-Do” Morey. Sherod was given probation by Judge Albert O’Sullivan who was alleged in FBI files to have done favors for the Rockford LCN.

September 24, 1966 Rockford LCN member Phil Priola attended the wake of Milwaukee LCN member Mike Albano in Milwaukee.

November 25, 1966 bookmaker Madeline Cichella was arrested for keeping a gambling house at 1403 Montague Street. Prosecutors stated Cichella’s operation made over $100,000 a year and involved higher ups, but they were unable to prove that. Indications were that Cichella was working under street gambling boss Phil Emordeno.

December 3, 1966 Michael Iasparro was named acting Captain of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department by Sheriff Kirk King. Iasparro was suspected of being a “bagman” between Rockford LCN boss Joe Zammuto and Winnebago County Sheriff Kirk King. Iasparro would later resign in disgrace when a probe uncovered that he gambled with Rockford LCN members and Ted Bacino who was arrested for bank robbery and killing a sheriff’s deputy.

December 10, 1966 Rockford LCN bookmaker Gene Monti was arrested at his Phelps Avenue home on bookmaking charges and keeping a gambling house.

December 10, 1966 Melvin Vanderah was arrested in a gambling raid in East Dubuque, Illinois along with Melvin H. Kirk and John Knupp of East Dubuque and Lester J. Yutzy of Dubuque, Iowa. Vanderah was listed as the owner of the Hi-Hat Lounge which was hit during the raid and he was also the brother of Eldon Vanderah, Mayor of East Dubuque. FBI agents confiscated a roulette wheel, dice and blackjack tables and they said this operation was under the control of the Rockford LCN and was part of their attempt to control gambling west all the way into Iowa.

December 21, 1966 a federal gambling raid at the United Sacred Heart and St. Anthony Society, 1031 Cunningham Street, saw the arrests of Howard Crosby, 43, LCN capo Charles Vince, 59, LCN associate Anthony Zacharia, 57, Robert J. Priddle, 50, Ann Louise White, 64, Jane Elvida Hall, 44, Felix D. Harbison, 53 and LCN member Sebastian Gulotta, 36.

December 24, 1966 Rockford LCN associates and frontmen Carl and Ignazio Seminerio, brothers, immigrated to Rockford from Aragona, Sicily.

[cavita]

Visiting Rockford 1956

January 6, 1956 Anthony Sanfilippo was shot and killed while pursuing a robber who robbed the grocery store he operated with his brother Jerome and father Peter at 841 South 45th Street in Logan Heights, San Diego. Sanfilippo’s father Peter was possibly an early Rockford LCN member who had moved to San Diego around 1935 after serving time in Leavenworth prison for bootlegging.

January 14, 1956 Theodore Bacino was arrested for kidnapping and armed robbery. Bacino was connected to the Rockford LCN through his gambling contacts- those being Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Iasparro and Rockford LCN street gambling boss Phil “The Tailor” Emordeno.

February 9, 1956 Rockford gambler Stefanos “Steve” Christidis emigrated from Greece through New York on the Olympic Wind. Christidis would be severely injured in an April 1991 bombing while present at a gambling game that wasn’t paying street tax to the Rockford LCN.

February 9, 1956 Luke Matranga was approached by Peter Scifo at the B & L Tap, then at 1325 Kilburn Avenue, and was told that for $1,200 he could get the city council to vote liquor zoning for 3007 Auburn Street- a site which Matranga had sought for a new tavern. Matranga supposedly was threatened in relation to his testimony and a detective was assigned to protect him during the trial. Scifo was a Rockford LCN associate considered to be a “political fixer” according to FBI files.

February 11, 1956 James “Big Jim” Wiseman was arrested as keeper of a gambling house at the restaurant he operated at 1100 S. Pierpont Avenue along with fourteen others. Wiseman was an African-American whose business paid street tax to the Rockford LCN to operate.

March 14, 1956 Rockford LCN associate and burglar Guy Cascio was arrested for receiving stolen property from Chicago burglar John Kempa. $4,000 to $5,000 in stolen goods was recovered from Cascio’s home and upholstery shop he owned as well as a shotgun having a barrel less than 18 inches in length.

April 21, 1956 Rockford LCN frontman Leo Phillip Pace was arrested along with Donald Burton on gambling charges at 719 Concord Avenue. Burton would later be murdered by the Rockford LCN in May 1959.

May 1, 1956 possible early Rockford LCN member Paul Scamardo died in Rockford, Illinois. Scamardo was born in San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily and lived in Madison, Wisconsin prior to moving to Rockford.

May 5, 1956 John Head was arrested as keeper of a gambling house at the Lexington Club, 620 Lexington Avenue. Four others were arrested and Head faced charges of gambling as well as selling liquor without a license. Also arrested was Lee Walker, 39, Jerry Williams, 19, Arthur Ford, 16, and John Love, 39. Head was an African-American who paid street tax to the Rockford LCN for being able to operate.

May 26, 1956 Rockford LCN member Joe “Gramps” Marinelli was arrested for shooting Nathaniel I. “Dutch” Lockett, 54, in the foot as he tried to run away from Marinelli. Lockett ran into Marinelli in a bar and remembered he had an argument with him awhile back. As he was leaving, Marinelli chased him and shot him. Lockett stumbled to the home of Anna Holmberg who let him in. Holmberg reported two threatening phone calls after the incident. In June, Lockett stated he couldn’t positively identify Marinelli as the shooter.

June 1956 Rockford LCN consigliere Joe Zito moved to 2312 Rural Street.

July 31, 1956 Peter Scifo was indicted for influence peddling and attempted bribery involving Rockford’s city council. These charges appeared to be weak and the indictments were thrown out. Scifo would later be suspected of bombing the house of alderman Eric Anderson, who was instrumental in bringing Scifo up on the indictments.

September 25, 1956 thirteen-year-old Phil Priola Jr. was arrested for receiving $18.00 in stolen money and the matter was referred to Juvenile Court. Phil Priola Jr. was the son of Rockford LCN member Phil Priola Sr. and he himself would later host high stakes card games in his tavern, LT’s Bar and Grill.

October 2, 1956 Rockford LCN associate and future member Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta was arrested for gambling at the South Side Social Club, 1012 South Main Street. Police confiscated racing forms, racing magazines, scratch sheets, pencils, four decks of cards, 20 dice and dice shakers. Gulotta had approximately $800 on him. Also arrested were Phil Graceffa,32, Al Cannella, 65, Joe Lazzio, 43, Leo Cuppini, Sam Gugliotta, 31, Robert Achilli, 42, Charles Verace, 26, James Sansone, 44 and Tony Sciame, 32, and Vincent Giglio, 37, who was charged as being the keeper of the gambling house.

October 30, 1956 Rockford LCN fronantm Matthew Lukaszewicz was arrested for possessing obscene literature at his store, Matt’s Smoke Shop, 323 E. State Street. Police also found five drawers of bookmaking supplies and two punchboards.

December 10, 1956 Rockford LCN associate Sebastian “Knobby” Gulotta married Nancy Faye Brandt. Gulotta would later rise to the position of capo in the Rockford LCN.

[PolackTony]

FBI reports say Rockford opposed Frank Buscemi as Joe's successor due to his close ties to Chicago: 1950 census shows Frank Buscemi living in Chicago.
43290879-Illinois-157506-0002.jpg

These reports below are from 1967 I believe, but they mention Charles Vince as a capodecina and mentions Jasper Calo. Was Calo a member in 1963?
buscemi.PNG
rockford 1967.PNG

Buscemi was living next door to his parents and sister Rose. Rose ended up marrying a Giammarese. Don't know if that name is connected or not.

As Cavita knows better than me, Buscemi was in Chicago from his arrival in the US in 1926. His wife, Giovanna “Jennie” DeMaria was from Chicago and in the 1940s Buscemi stated that he was employed by her father, Vincenzo DiMaria (from Pietraperzia). I’m not sure the exact year that the Buscemis relocated to Rockford but it was obviously after 1950. Vincenzo DiMaria died in ‘57, so was it after that?

Rose Buscemi’s husband, Santo Giammarese, was born in Chicago to Francesco Giammarese and Rosalia D’Aquisto of Bagheria. I don’t know for a fact that they were connected; his stepmother was Grazia LoGalbo. Given their Bagherese origins, good likelihood that someone was connected. There was a Tony Giammarese who was part of a Near Northside robbery “gang” in 1942 that allegedly killed a cop; doesn’t seem to be an immediate relative, however. Interestingly, the ringleader was a kid named Joseph Morreale, a Bagherese name that had some major mafia connections in the 1920s in Chicago; this kid lived on the same block of Evergreen as Frank Buscemi. Tony Priola, Phil Priola’s younger brother, married a Morreale.

Buscemi arrived in Rockford in late 1958 and attempted to get a job at Midwest Vending but was turned down. He then formed Stateline Vending himself. Buscemi was made in May 1959 and immediately started pressuring area businesses to start using his vending services and extorting Midwest Vending.
I believe Santo Giammarese was a police officer and may have died in the line of duty.

Yeah, seems that Buscemi relocated to Rockford after his father-in-law died. Hard to believe that he went fro 0 to 60, hitting the ground running in Rockford like that without pre-existing connections, so I think he was almost certainly a Chicago associate prior to Rockford. Again, no indication that his father-in-law was connected -- the only Chicago guys that we know of (as of yet) from Pietraperzia were the Virrusos, but presumably, they had paesani who were part of the network in Chicago.

Again, Frank Buscemi’s father-in-law was Vincenzo DiMaria, born about 1880 in Pietraperzia. Vincenzo married Vita Liciardi of Grammichele, Catania (Buscemi’s MIL), in 1910 in Chicago at San Filippo Benizi Parish and was a longtime grocer who owned a grocery store at Hudson and Division in Little Sicily. As noted before, Buscemi was employed by DiMaria and moved to Rockford in 1958, after DiMaria died in 1957.

Now, Chicago CI Teddy DeRose was aware of Buscemi and told the FBI about him in 1964. He seemingly thought that Buscemi was the boss of Rockford and that Rockford answered to Jim DeGeorge (who DeRose reported also had racket control in Lake County during this period and answered directly to Giancana and the Consiglio), but was at least aware that Buscemi had been made an LCN member in the late ‘50s. DeRose stated that Buscemi “got in through his father-in-law and two other individuals in 1958. One of the two associates of Buscemi’s father-in-law is now the boss of Dallas”, which the FBI noted was evidently Civello.

Now, was DeRose mistaking Zammuto, Buscemi’s sister’s father-in-law, for Buscemi’s father-in-law? Or was Vincenzo DiMaria an old time Chicago member who had connections in both Dallas and Rockford? I note that while Vincenzo DiMaria lived in Little Sicily for many decades, at the time of his WW1 draft card he was living in McHenry County for a couple of years, where he worked as a farm hand, which certainly would have put him much closer to Rockford’s orbit for a spell. We know that Chicago had at least two members from Pietraperzia and we can presume that some number of older Sicilian Chicago members lived under the public radar and died quietly (just look at Joe Priola), so it is certainly at least a possibility that Vincenzo DiMaria may have been another one.

Civello had connections to Rockford himself, correct?

[B.]

Funny DeRose felt Rockford answered to DeGeorge as Maniaci indicated that Rockford pulled away from DeGeorge's influence. He said DeGeorge tried to get Phil Priola in as Rockford boss but Rockford reject it and specifically wanted an Aragonese instead. So according to Maniaci the Aragonesi weren't aligned with DeGeorge but in Buscemi's case he had come from the Northside so it makes sense he'd be tied to DeGeorge (much as Priola was) even if Buscemi's paesans weren't.

Though they pulled away from DeGeorge it's safe to assume he had a lot of influence in Rockford when he was still a capodecina and his attempt to meddle in the election with Priola could mean he was previously involved in their politics. Doubt he waited until he was a semi-retired member to start getting mixed up in Rockford's inner-workings. Maybe DeRose knew that Rockford once answered to DeGeorge. What this would mean in org terms is he was used as the liaison or de facto representative of the Chicago Family who were not-so-coincidentally Rockford's avugad.

Later in the 1960s Rockford formally reaches out to Chicago through Jackie Cerone so by then at least he's a point of contact much as Aiuppa was for St. Louis and likely Kansas City.

[cavita]

FBI reports say Rockford opposed Frank Buscemi as Joe's successor due to his close ties to Chicago: 1950 census shows Frank Buscemi living in Chicago.
43290879-Illinois-157506-0002.jpg

These reports below are from 1967 I believe, but they mention Charles Vince as a capodecina and mentions Jasper Calo. Was Calo a member in 1963?
buscemi.PNG
rockford 1967.PNG

Buscemi was living next door to his parents and sister Rose. Rose ended up marrying a Giammarese. Don't know if that name is connected or not.

As Cavita knows better than me, Buscemi was in Chicago from his arrival in the US in 1926. His wife, Giovanna “Jennie” DeMaria was from Chicago and in the 1940s Buscemi stated that he was employed by her father, Vincenzo DiMaria (from Pietraperzia). I’m not sure the exact year that the Buscemis relocated to Rockford but it was obviously after 1950. Vincenzo DiMaria died in ‘57, so was it after that?

Rose Buscemi’s husband, Santo Giammarese, was born in Chicago to Francesco Giammarese and Rosalia D’Aquisto of Bagheria. I don’t know for a fact that they were connected; his stepmother was Grazia LoGalbo. Given their Bagherese origins, good likelihood that someone was connected. There was a Tony Giammarese who was part of a Near Northside robbery “gang” in 1942 that allegedly killed a cop; doesn’t seem to be an immediate relative, however. Interestingly, the ringleader was a kid named Joseph Morreale, a Bagherese name that had some major mafia connections in the 1920s in Chicago; this kid lived on the same block of Evergreen as Frank Buscemi. Tony Priola, Phil Priola’s younger brother, married a Morreale.

Buscemi arrived in Rockford in late 1958 and attempted to get a job at Midwest Vending but was turned down. He then formed Stateline Vending himself. Buscemi was made in May 1959 and immediately started pressuring area businesses to start using his vending services and extorting Midwest Vending.
I believe Santo Giammarese was a police officer and may have died in the line of duty.

Yeah, seems that Buscemi relocated to Rockford after his father-in-law died. Hard to believe that he went fro 0 to 60, hitting the ground running in Rockford like that without pre-existing connections, so I think he was almost certainly a Chicago associate prior to Rockford. Again, no indication that his father-in-law was connected -- the only Chicago guys that we know of (as of yet) from Pietraperzia were the Virrusos, but presumably, they had paesani who were part of the network in Chicago.

Again, Frank Buscemi’s father-in-law was Vincenzo DiMaria, born about 1880 in Pietraperzia. Vincenzo married Vita Liciardi of Grammichele, Catania (Buscemi’s MIL), in 1910 in Chicago at San Filippo Benizi Parish and was a longtime grocer who owned a grocery store at Hudson and Division in Little Sicily. As noted before, Buscemi was employed by DiMaria and moved to Rockford in 1958, after DiMaria died in 1957.

Now, Chicago CI Teddy DeRose was aware of Buscemi and told the FBI about him in 1964. He seemingly thought that Buscemi was the boss of Rockford and that Rockford answered to Jim DeGeorge (who DeRose reported also had racket control in Lake County during this period and answered directly to Giancana and the Consiglio), but was at least aware that Buscemi had been made an LCN member in the late ‘50s. DeRose stated that Buscemi “got in through his father-in-law and two other individuals in 1958. One of the two associates of Buscemi’s father-in-law is now the boss of Dallas”, which the FBI noted was evidently Civello.

Now, was DeRose mistaking Zammuto, Buscemi’s sister’s father-in-law, for Buscemi’s father-in-law? Or was Vincenzo DiMaria an old time Chicago member who had connections in both Dallas and Rockford? I note that while Vincenzo DiMaria lived in Little Sicily for many decades, at the time of his WW1 draft card he was living in McHenry County for a couple of years, where he worked as a farm hand, which certainly would have put him much closer to Rockford’s orbit for a spell. We know that Chicago had at least two members from Pietraperzia and we can presume that some number of older Sicilian Chicago members lived under the public radar and died quietly (just look at Joe Priola), so it is certainly at least a possibility that Vincenzo DiMaria may have been another one.

Civello had connections to Rockford himself, correct?

I don't know how Buscemi got "in" to the Rockford family and always assumed it was through his sister's marriage to boss Zammuto's son but how did the two meet? I do know that before Joe Zammuto became boss in Rockford he was in charge of slot machines in Rockford and would travel to Chicago in the 1940s and pick up machines from there....maybe that's where he encountered Buscemi?
As for Civello, yes his connection to Rockford was he married Mary Tominelli there in 1929. Mary was born in Louisiana but moved to Rockford at a young age. Additionally, Civello's sister Nora married August Zacharia from Rockford. August's brother Anthony was either a high level Rockford LCN associate or a member.

[cavita]

Another curious connection may be Francesco DiMaria, born in Aragona 1892 to Antonino and Maddalena DiMaria. He immigrated to Rockford around 1912 and married Mattea Arbisi in Rockford in 1915. Now, when he died in 1979 he had three surviving brothers- Vincenzo and Salvatore in Argentina and Domenico in Belgium.

[Snakes]

Cavita, it may not have anything new to you, but JD recently made a post on Rockford member Joseph Marinelli:

https://lcnbios.blogspot.com/2024/10/jo ... kford.html

[cavita]

Cavita, it may not have anything new to you, but JD recently made a post on Rockford member Joseph Marinelli:

https://lcnbios.blogspot.com/2024/10/jo ... kford.html

Yes, everything here is what I already knew except a little more info on the Joe Roberts incident which I was not aware of. I always found it humorous that in 1976 the FBI said the family was "relatively inactive" because they were far from it. They had such a lock on gambling over northern Illinois and extortion was huge for them as well as a major influence in the liquor industry from Rockford all the way north into southern Wisconsin. Their gambling operations mirrored that and ran down into Rochelle and DeKalb, Illinois as well. They were placed on the inactive status in 1976 because I feel with Augie Maniaci being murdered the previous September and the FBI didn't have that crucial info on the family anymore.
I would really love FBI files from 1978 and on when the FBI reopened their investigation into the family because that was a major turning point for the family partnering more with the Chicago Outfit and newer blood was coming into the family in the way of the recent Sicilian immigrants to the area.

I thank you for sharing this with me and I think perhaps I should look more into this Joe Roberts character.

Additionally, Marinelli's sponsor into the Rockford family was capo Lorenzo Buttice, who was related to Marinelli by marriage.

By the way, the June 22, 1963 arrest of Marinelli by the Rockford police was on a warrant out of Willows, California warrant charging him with grand theft when he allegedly took a car belonging to the Salvagno Motor Company of Orland, California. The car was later recovered and charges were dropped.