Rockford LCN - help with opinions and direction

[Patrickgold]

A quick google search gave this article about George. Saw no mention of organized crime

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theoak ... 8.amp.html

[Snakes]

Great finds. This makes me think that the Sicilians coming from Sicily were already mafia members in Sicily and were not made in Rockford. Also, could it be possible that this organization that operates in Rockford is a hybrid organization with members from LCN and Sicilian mafia in Sicily. It could also be that the FEDs really just never had a grasp on Rockford bc they never really were dedicated in investigating them. The fact that it said Zammuto had influence with other families across the United States is very interesting and a statement of their influence considering their small size.

They are described by the FBI on three separate occasions as:

a) an independent LCN family
b) a "faction" (or crew) of the Chicago LCN
c) a Sicilian Mafia organization operating in the U.S.

These descriptions are all pretty inconsistent, too. One file has them independent and then a later one has them as part of Chicago and then another has them as independent again. Again, I believe it is because of the lack of investigatory attention they received and, perhaps, staff turnover. One group of agents may see one thing with the intelligence while a later group of agents may have a different interpretation of things. Then you have Saladino being described as the alleged head of the Rockford LCN. A passing reference, to be sure, but you would assume that if Chicago had absorbed it by that point then he would be described as a Chicago LCN member but they went the route of Rockford being independent (whatever was left of them at that point).

[cavita]

More items of interest. Sorry, I'm just posting these as I come across them in the files. January 1984:



It seems like Empire Distributing may be affiliated with the "rival company" mentioned above as it was mentioned after several redacted (sigh) paragraphs of intel.

I had heard years ago that Buscemi had bombed a rival distributor truck of some sort for infringing on Rockford territory. The gentleman that told me this didn't elaborate on what type of company it was and I had always assumed it was an Italian food distributor out of Chicago since Buscemi used threats and intimidation relating to his Rondinella Food Company . I am sure in previous threads I questioned if it was the Battaglia food company out of Chicago but in reading this file it could very well be that the truck that was bombed was for this vending company. Buscemi also used intimidation in regards to the vending companies in the Rockford area.

[Patrickgold]

Great finds. This makes me think that the Sicilians coming from Sicily were already mafia members in Sicily and were not made in Rockford. Also, could it be possible that this organization that operates in Rockford is a hybrid organization with members from LCN and Sicilian mafia in Sicily. It could also be that the FEDs really just never had a grasp on Rockford bc they never really were dedicated in investigating them. The fact that it said Zammuto had influence with other families across the United States is very interesting and a statement of their influence considering their small size.

They are described by the FBI on three separate occasions as:

a) an independent LCN family
b) a "faction" (or crew) of the Chicago LCN
c) a Sicilian Mafia organization operating in the U.S.

These descriptions are all pretty inconsistent, too. One file has them independent and then a later one has them as part of Chicago and then another has them as independent again. Again, I believe it is because of the lack of investigatory attention they received and, perhaps, staff turnover. One group of agents may see one thing with the intelligence while a later group of agents may have a different interpretation of things. Then you have Saladino being described as the alleged head of the Rockford LCN. A passing reference, to be sure, but you would assume that if Chicago had absorbed it by that point then he would be described as a Chicago LCN member but they went the route of Rockford being independent (whatever was left of them at that point).

Snakes you hit the nail on the head. I think it was the lack of investigation manpower and the more priority to investigate Chicago. I really think they never got a full grip on what Rockford was and there was no long lasting agent that investigated them for a long period of time.

I don’t buy the being absorbed into Chicago just for the simple fact no investigation into the Outfit has found a long lasting connection. Only the family secrets found a direct connection and that was because of Frank Saladino.

[PolackTony]

Not sure if I have previously shared this with you, Cavita. From a report dated September 1980:

Snakes
I’ve not seen this file and it confirms what I’ve seen in other files. The part about them being well-entrenched. Relatively independent and concerned mainly with their local geographic area is on par as well. I think the part about Zammuto able to exert considerable influence in other families would be due to his involvement in the LCN going back 60 years from the date of this file.

I have no idea who the nine members they’re talking about would be but I do know the “several additional members” that had been members for years. The younger members being accepted to me points to the Sicilian immigrants from the previous ten years.

The “established source” that advised the Rockford LCN hasn’t engaged in more acts of violence because they established control over what they want is interesting because just five months earlier they murdered member Joe Maggio for his opposition to their entry into the narcotics trade.
Excellent file though and I’m curious as to what the large portion that’s redacted is about. Please let me know if you ever come across any more files like this.

Given the obvious Aragonesi and even likely direct family connections already established between the Rockford borgata and the DeCavs, the mention of Rockford LCN leaders traveling for meetings to Jersey seems pretty important as well.

Just a throwback to before this important thread was almost derailed, but I’d second B’s astute observation likening Rockford to the “DeCavs” of Illinois.

Cavita, apologies if I ever asked before, but any links come up between Rockford and Rocky Infelise? Along with D’Amico, he may have been a key figure in some of the connections between Chicago and Italian OC traffickers. Infelise also had close family ties to Wisconsin and personal ties to Jersey as well, part of why I’m asking about him.

[PolackTony]

Great finds. This makes me think that the Sicilians coming from Sicily were already mafia members in Sicily and were not made in Rockford. Also, could it be possible that this organization that operates in Rockford is a hybrid organization with members from LCN and Sicilian mafia in Sicily. It could also be that the FEDs really just never had a grasp on Rockford bc they never really were dedicated in investigating them. The fact that it said Zammuto had influence with other families across the United States is very interesting and a statement of their influence considering their small size.

They are described by the FBI on three separate occasions as:

a) an independent LCN family
b) a "faction" (or crew) of the Chicago LCN
c) a Sicilian Mafia organization operating in the U.S.

These descriptions are all pretty inconsistent, too. One file has them independent and then a later one has them as part of Chicago and then another has them as independent again. Again, I believe it is because of the lack of investigatory attention they received and, perhaps, staff turnover. One group of agents may see one thing with the intelligence while a later group of agents may have a different interpretation of things. Then you have Saladino being described as the alleged head of the Rockford LCN. A passing reference, to be sure, but you would assume that if Chicago had absorbed it by that point then he would be described as a Chicago LCN member but they went the route of Rockford being independent (whatever was left of them at that point).

Snakes you hit the nail on the head. I think it was the lack of investigation manpower and the more priority to investigate Chicago. I really think they never got a full grip on what Rockford was and there was no long lasting agent that investigated them for a long period of time.

I don’t buy the being absorbed into Chicago just for the simple fact no investigation into the Outfit has found a long lasting connection. Only the family secrets found a direct connection and that was because of Frank Saladino.

I don’t buy Rockford being absorbed into Chicago either, at least not in the 1980s. With Gumba Saladino, I think that in the ‘80s he was, as Calabrese said, an associate/“worker” for Chinatown. At some point after that he returned to Rockford and then was either made into the Rockford borgata — if such an entity still existed — or continued on as an LCN associate or loosely affiliated gangster in Rockford. I personally suspect that he was made into Rockford LCN after working for Chinatown, but we may never really know.

It’s possible, of course, that whatever’s left in Rockford — a vestigial LCN structure as an extreme possibility, or a couple of loose affiliated guys — is now formally under Chicago, at least recognizing them as the nominal authority, perhaps. I don’t know what anyone would have to gain by that, however, as Chicago presumably is not able to offer anyone in Rockford access to whatever networks of trusted clientele and/or remaining political protection that remains in Chicagoland proper.

The question of the relationship of Rockford LCN to the Sicilian network operating there seems to me to be of prime historical importance. As someone mentioned above (apologies for not being able to definitely attribute at the moment), if Sicilian Cosa Nostra actually supplanted or absorbed an American LCN borgata, no matter how small, that would be an unprecedented event and thus the possibility of such an occurrence warrants a lot more attention. Again, however, I don’t know if we’ll ever know for sure what happened there. My personal suspicion is that Rockford LCN was not completely supplanted by a Sicilian “cell”. What I really wonder is whether these Sicilians were formally transferred to Rockford, or if they were just partnered. The same question remains for me regarding the longstanding phenomena of Italian OC operatives and traffickers in Chicago — whether they were something like a “zip” faction of the Outfit a la some of the NY families, or simply working closely with Chicago LCN but without any formal structural or organizational ties. It could be, of course, that in both the Chicago and Rockford cases both possibilities were simultaneously true, or sequentially true at different points in time.

[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...

[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...

In addition to my previous post (lets shake the ground of this thread a lil bit), my evidences say that Rockford was probably under Chicago's jurisdiction during the 60s and i can present lots of proof (mostly thanks to the previously exchanged info between Cavita and me)....and possibly the same situation mightve continued even during the 70s and early 80s

[Patrickgold]

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...

In addition to my previous post (lets shake the ground of this thread a lil bit), my evidences say that Rockford was probably under Chicago's jurisdiction during the 60s and i can present lots of proof (mostly thanks to the previously exchanged info between Cavita and me)....and possibly the same situation mightve continued even during the 70s and early 80s

Very interesting. Would love to see it. If we go by the theory “Everything West of Chicago is Chicago’s” then that would make sense even though that was largely overplayed in my opinion. I always heard Buscemi was placed in Rockford by the Outfit in hopes that he would eventually inherit the organization and that the traditional Rockford guys were not happy about it. That never happened bc he passed away before Zammuto.

[Patrickgold]

Great finds. This makes me think that the Sicilians coming from Sicily were already mafia members in Sicily and were not made in Rockford. Also, could it be possible that this organization that operates in Rockford is a hybrid organization with members from LCN and Sicilian mafia in Sicily. It could also be that the FEDs really just never had a grasp on Rockford bc they never really were dedicated in investigating them. The fact that it said Zammuto had influence with other families across the United States is very interesting and a statement of their influence considering their small size.

They are described by the FBI on three separate occasions as:

a) an independent LCN family
b) a "faction" (or crew) of the Chicago LCN
c) a Sicilian Mafia organization operating in the U.S.

These descriptions are all pretty inconsistent, too. One file has them independent and then a later one has them as part of Chicago and then another has them as independent again. Again, I believe it is because of the lack of investigatory attention they received and, perhaps, staff turnover. One group of agents may see one thing with the intelligence while a later group of agents may have a different interpretation of things. Then you have Saladino being described as the alleged head of the Rockford LCN. A passing reference, to be sure, but you would assume that if Chicago had absorbed it by that point then he would be described as a Chicago LCN member but they went the route of Rockford being independent (whatever was left of them at that point).

Snakes you hit the nail on the head. I think it was the lack of investigation manpower and the more priority to investigate Chicago. I really think they never got a full grip on what Rockford was and there was no long lasting agent that investigated them for a long period of time.

I don’t buy the being absorbed into Chicago just for the simple fact no investigation into the Outfit has found a long lasting connection. Only the family secrets found a direct connection and that was because of Frank Saladino.

I don’t buy Rockford being absorbed into Chicago either, at least not in the 1980s. With Gumba Saladino, I think that in the ‘80s he was, as Calabrese said, an associate/“worker” for Chinatown. At some point after that he returned to Rockford and then was either made into the Rockford borgata — if such an entity still existed — or continued on as an LCN associate or loosely affiliated gangster in Rockford. I personally suspect that he was made into Rockford LCN after working for Chinatown, but we may never really know.

It’s possible, of course, that whatever’s left in Rockford — a vestigial LCN structure as an extreme possibility, or a couple of loose affiliated guys — is now formally under Chicago, at least recognizing them as the nominal authority, perhaps. I don’t know what anyone would have to gain by that, however, as Chicago presumably is not able to offer anyone in Rockford access to whatever networks of trusted clientele and/or remaining political protection that remains in Chicagoland proper.

The question of the relationship of Rockford LCN to the Sicilian network operating there seems to me to be of prime historical importance. As someone mentioned above (apologies for not being able to definitely attribute at the moment), if Sicilian Cosa Nostra actually supplanted or absorbed an American LCN borgata, no matter how small, that would be an unprecedented event and thus the possibility of such an occurrence warrants a lot more attention. Again, however, I don’t know if we’ll ever know for sure what happened there. My personal suspicion is that Rockford LCN was not completely supplanted by a Sicilian “cell”. What I really wonder is whether these Sicilians were formally transferred to Rockford, or if they were just partnered. The same question remains for me regarding the longstanding phenomena of Italian OC operatives and traffickers in Chicago — whether they were something like a “zip” faction of the Outfit a la some of the NY families, or simply working closely with Chicago LCN but without any formal structural or organizational ties. It could be, of course, that in both the Chicago and Rockford cases both possibilities were simultaneously true, or sequentially true at different points in time.

The only time period where i could see the “absorbed by the Outfit” theory happening would be in the late 80s after the Outfit lost Vegas. There was major talk of the Outfit moving into Milwaukee and surrounding areas by taking over the gambling operations to make up for the loss of revenue from losing Vegas. Now I never heard Rockford mentioned but being 90 miles from Chicago that would make sense. That being said, Zammuto would still be alive and the Outfit’s major Allie in Rockford Buscemi died in 1987. Rockford was probably too stable at that time for them just to let the Outfit come in. Not to mention a couple years before they had a sit down where Chicago lost and had to give back 3 or 4 individuals to Rockford.

[cavita]

Not sure if I have previously shared this with you, Cavita. From a report dated September 1980:

Snakes
I’ve not seen this file and it confirms what I’ve seen in other files. The part about them being well-entrenched. Relatively independent and concerned mainly with their local geographic area is on par as well. I think the part about Zammuto able to exert considerable influence in other families would be due to his involvement in the LCN going back 60 years from the date of this file.

I have no idea who the nine members they’re talking about would be but I do know the “several additional members” that had been members for years. The younger members being accepted to me points to the Sicilian immigrants from the previous ten years.

The “established source” that advised the Rockford LCN hasn’t engaged in more acts of violence because they established control over what they want is interesting because just five months earlier they murdered member Joe Maggio for his opposition to their entry into the narcotics trade.
Excellent file though and I’m curious as to what the large portion that’s redacted is about. Please let me know if you ever come across any more files like this.

Given the obvious Aragonesi and even likely direct family connections already established between the Rockford borgata and the DeCavs, the mention of Rockford LCN leaders traveling for meetings to Jersey seems pretty important as well.

Just a throwback to before this important thread was almost derailed, but I’d second B’s astute observation likening Rockford to the “DeCavs” of Illinois.

Cavita, apologies if I ever asked before, but any links come up between Rockford and Rocky Infelise? Along with D’Amico, he may have been a key figure in some of the connections between Chicago and Italian OC traffickers. Infelise also had close family ties to Wisconsin and personal ties to Jersey as well, part of why I’m asking about him.

Personally I have never seen or heard of any links between Infelise and Rockford for any reason.

[cavita]

Great finds. This makes me think that the Sicilians coming from Sicily were already mafia members in Sicily and were not made in Rockford. Also, could it be possible that this organization that operates in Rockford is a hybrid organization with members from LCN and Sicilian mafia in Sicily. It could also be that the FEDs really just never had a grasp on Rockford bc they never really were dedicated in investigating them. The fact that it said Zammuto had influence with other families across the United States is very interesting and a statement of their influence considering their small size.

They are described by the FBI on three separate occasions as:

a) an independent LCN family
b) a "faction" (or crew) of the Chicago LCN
c) a Sicilian Mafia organization operating in the U.S.

These descriptions are all pretty inconsistent, too. One file has them independent and then a later one has them as part of Chicago and then another has them as independent again. Again, I believe it is because of the lack of investigatory attention they received and, perhaps, staff turnover. One group of agents may see one thing with the intelligence while a later group of agents may have a different interpretation of things. Then you have Saladino being described as the alleged head of the Rockford LCN. A passing reference, to be sure, but you would assume that if Chicago had absorbed it by that point then he would be described as a Chicago LCN member but they went the route of Rockford being independent (whatever was left of them at that point).

Snakes you hit the nail on the head. I think it was the lack of investigation manpower and the more priority to investigate Chicago. I really think they never got a full grip on what Rockford was and there was no long lasting agent that investigated them for a long period of time.

I don’t buy the being absorbed into Chicago just for the simple fact no investigation into the Outfit has found a long lasting connection. Only the family secrets found a direct connection and that was because of Frank Saladino.

I don’t buy Rockford being absorbed into Chicago either, at least not in the 1980s. With Gumba Saladino, I think that in the ‘80s he was, as Calabrese said, an associate/“worker” for Chinatown. At some point after that he returned to Rockford and then was either made into the Rockford borgata — if such an entity still existed — or continued on as an LCN associate or loosely affiliated gangster in Rockford. I personally suspect that he was made into Rockford LCN after working for Chinatown, but we may never really know.

It’s possible, of course, that whatever’s left in Rockford — a vestigial LCN structure as an extreme possibility, or a couple of loose affiliated guys — is now formally under Chicago, at least recognizing them as the nominal authority, perhaps. I don’t know what anyone would have to gain by that, however, as Chicago presumably is not able to offer anyone in Rockford access to whatever networks of trusted clientele and/or remaining political protection that remains in Chicagoland proper.

The question of the relationship of Rockford LCN to the Sicilian network operating there seems to me to be of prime historical importance. As someone mentioned above (apologies for not being able to definitely attribute at the moment), if Sicilian Cosa Nostra actually supplanted or absorbed an American LCN borgata, no matter how small, that would be an unprecedented event and thus the possibility of such an occurrence warrants a lot more attention. Again, however, I don’t know if we’ll ever know for sure what happened there. My personal suspicion is that Rockford LCN was not completely supplanted by a Sicilian “cell”. What I really wonder is whether these Sicilians were formally transferred to Rockford, or if they were just partnered. The same question remains for me regarding the longstanding phenomena of Italian OC operatives and traffickers in Chicago — whether they were something like a “zip” faction of the Outfit a la some of the NY families, or simply working closely with Chicago LCN but without any formal structural or organizational ties. It could be, of course, that in both the Chicago and Rockford cases both possibilities were simultaneously true, or sequentially true at different points in time.

I'm not sure if some of these Sicilians were made prior to coming to Rockford and were accepted there as members or not. We have Salvatore Galluzzo, born in Aragona and immigrated to Rockford in 1962 at the age of 28. He works on the fringes of the LCN there for years getting more entrenched and close to Buscemi. A police report from 1980 surveillance on one occasion noted that Galluzzo appeared to be "chewing out" Buscemi which the detectives indicated Galluzzo be in some sort of counselor role in the family. I had also heard that it was suspected that Galluzzo was made in 1980 because he participated in the Joe Maggio murder. Either way by 1984 he was confirmed as a made member, having taken about 18 years.

[cavita]

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.

[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...

In addition to my previous post (lets shake the ground of this thread a lil bit), my evidences say that Rockford was probably under Chicago's jurisdiction during the 60s and i can present lots of proof (mostly thanks to the previously exchanged info between Cavita and me)....and possibly the same situation mightve continued even during the 70s and early 80s

Very interesting. Would love to see it. If we go by the theory “Everything West of Chicago is Chicago’s” then that would make sense even though that was largely overplayed in my opinion. I always heard Buscemi was placed in Rockford by the Outfit in hopes that he would eventually inherit the organization and that the traditional Rockford guys were not happy about it. That never happened bc he passed away before Zammuto.

Nice example and i agree but i have to be honest that i made a small joke so i can turn the attention on the Rockford/Chicago subject and again, you made one quite good post.

Im not going to write about the numerous business and blood connections between Rockford and the Outfits old North Side faction, and im also not going to write regarding connections with the Outfits old West Side connection, mainly because it was Cavita who already found those same connections.

But im going to give you one case which i found it myself and discussed it with Cavita....you see, during the 60s Chicago sent one of their non-Italian associates to work out a debt in Rockford and was placed under Rockfords jurisdiction for a certain time period. This guy was one of the Outfits oldest and best gambling operators at the time and this wasnt the only example of someone being sent to another city which was under the Outfits thumb, since there were even made guys who were also sent to different Midwest cities so they can work out their debts.

During that period you cannot read about any examples in any east coast cities but you can find examples in LA, Houston, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, KC, Milwaukee, St Louis and Rockford.

According to one FBI memo, during that same time period Giancana and the Outfit allegedly had jurisdiction over Milwaukee, Madison and Hurley, Iowa, northwest Indiana, St Louis and KC, and also Rockford and Springfield. Maybe Ferraro didnt know who was Rockfords boss but Cerone obviously did.

According to the FBN, Chicago distributed narcotics to Omaha, Tulsa, Houston, KC, Milwaukee, Iowa, Denver and St Louis, but theres no Rockford, Madison or Springfield and this was before the Giancana era which somehow corresponds on what Cavita said regarding Rockford being represented by Springfield at the Apalachin meeting.

So this tells us that our whole debate regarding the Chicago/Rockford connection possibly depends on the time period and who was the boss, and also it depends on the different extent of power which the Outfit had in various midwest cities, again during different time periods.

[cavita]

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...

In addition to my previous post (lets shake the ground of this thread a lil bit), my evidences say that Rockford was probably under Chicago's jurisdiction during the 60s and i can present lots of proof (mostly thanks to the previously exchanged info between Cavita and me)....and possibly the same situation mightve continued even during the 70s and early 80s

Very interesting. Would love to see it. If we go by the theory “Everything West of Chicago is Chicago’s” then that would make sense even though that was largely overplayed in my opinion. I always heard Buscemi was placed in Rockford by the Outfit in hopes that he would eventually inherit the organization and that the traditional Rockford guys were not happy about it. That never happened bc he passed away before Zammuto.

Nice example and i agree but i have to be honest that i made a small joke so i can turn the attention on the Rockford/Chicago subject and again, you made one quite good post.

Im not going to write about the numerous business and blood connections between Rockford and the Outfits old North Side faction, and im also not going to write regarding connections with the Outfits old West Side connection, mainly because it was Cavita who already found those same connections.

But im going to give you one case which i found it myself and discussed it with Cavita....you see, during the 60s Chicago sent one of their non-Italian associates to work out a debt in Rockford and was placed under Rockfords jurisdiction for a certain time period. This guy was one of the Outfits oldest and best gambling operators at the time and this wasnt the only example of someone being sent to another city which was under the Outfits thumb, since there were even made guys who were also sent to different Midwest cities so they can work out their debts.

During that period you cannot read about any examples in any east coast cities but you can find examples in LA, Houston, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, KC, Milwaukee, St Louis and Rockford.

According to one FBI memo, during that same time period Giancana and the Outfit allegedly had jurisdiction over Milwaukee, Madison and Hurley, Iowa, northwest Indiana, St Louis and KC, and also Rockford and Springfield. Maybe Ferraro didnt know who was Rockfords boss but Cerone obviously did.

According to the FBN, Chicago distributed narcotics to Omaha, Tulsa, Houston, KC, Milwaukee, Iowa, Denver and St Louis, but theres no Rockford, Madison or Springfield and this was before the Giancana era which somehow corresponds on what Cavita said regarding Rockford being represented by Springfield at the Apalachin meeting.

So this tells us that our whole debate regarding the Chicago/Rockford connection possibly depends on the time period and who was the boss, and also it depends on the different extent of power which the Outfit had in various midwest cities, again during different time periods.

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?