1938 Bureau County, Illinois Bootlegging Bust

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In May 1938 the federal government arrested several men in relation to a large bootleg alcohol operation centered in Bureau County, Illinois. The operation started in late 1934 and continued up until the men were arrested in 1938. Those arrested were Lorenzo Buttice and Steve Cascio of Rockford; Angelo Vinto/Vento of LaSalle; Leo Vitale of Peru; Charles Curo of Peoria; Joe “The Crow” Corso of Ladd; Joe Diamond, Max Diamond; Cleto Rainieri and Raldo Rainieri of Spring Valley; John DePallo; Joe Cardillo; John Gullo; Fred Bosi; Joe Lucco; Peter Farace/Faraci; Paul Wolf; Joe Ladano; John Viola; Joe Diamond and Thomas Montgomery.
I suspect the operation was headed by the Rockford guys seeing that Buttice was a made member who later achieved the capo position. Joe Diamond may very well have been Joe Zito of Rockford whose nickname was Diamond Joe but I have no idea who Max Diamond was- I couldn’t find any information about these Diamond men. Some of the others are harder to research and I suspect their names were aliases. I do know Leo Vitale ran a pizzeria and a donut shop in Peru for many years and he could very well have been born in San Giuseppe Iato. He died in Peru in 1992. If anyone has any further info on any of these guys or this operation, I’d love to hear it as I’m still researching it.

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I did find that Angelo Vento took another arrest in May 1942 for having an alcohol still in an abandoned mine six miles southeast of LaSalle, Illinois and he ultimately pled guilty in January 1943 and curiously enough the newspapers said he was living in Cicero, Illinois but beyond that he disappears from all the records

[PolackTony]

I did find that Angelo Vento took another arrest in May 1942 for having an alcohol still in an abandoned mine six miles southeast of LaSalle, Illinois and he ultimately pled guilty in January 1943 and curiously enough the newspapers said he was living in Cicero, Illinois but beyond that he disappears from all the records

Angelo Vento died in Waukesha, WI, in 1962. He was born around 1887 in Siculiana and first arrived in the US bound for Buffalo, where his uncle Vincenzo Valenti was living. He went back to Sicily and the returned to Buffalo in 1914. By 1917, he was living in Kokomo, IN, and working at a plate glass factory. In 1930, he was living in Ottawa, LaSalle County, IL. That same year, he was arrested after being stopped by police with some local men carrying a revolver in Davenport, IA; he was reported as being from STL at this time, so it’s possible that he had lived there before moving to IL. In 1931, he was arrested for operating a still on a farm owned by Christoper Battaglio [sic] in Thiensville, WI, north of Milwaukee. He was living in Milwaukee in 1940, when he filed his naturalization there, and for his WW2 draft registration, though the AP reported that he was living in Cicero when he was busted by IRS agents for operating the still in LaSalle County in 1942.

[cavita]

I did find that Angelo Vento took another arrest in May 1942 for having an alcohol still in an abandoned mine six miles southeast of LaSalle, Illinois and he ultimately pled guilty in January 1943 and curiously enough the newspapers said he was living in Cicero, Illinois but beyond that he disappears from all the records

Angelo Vento died in Waukesha, WI, in 1962. He was born around 1887 in Siculiana and first arrived in the US bound for Buffalo, where his uncle Vincenzo Valenti was living. He went back to Sicily and the returned to Buffalo in 1914. By 1917, he was living in Kokomo, IN, and working at a plate glass factory. In 1930, he was living in Ottawa, LaSalle County, IL. That same year, he was arrested after being stopped by police with some local men carrying a revolver in Davenport, IA; he was reported as being from STL at this time, so it’s possible that he had lived there before moving to IL. In 1931, he was arrested for operating a still on a farm owned by Christoper Battaglio [sic] in Thiensville, WI, north of Milwaukee. He was living in Milwaukee in 1940, when he filed his naturalization there, and for his WW2 draft registration, though the AP reported that he was living in Cicero when he was busted by IRS agents for operating the still in LaSalle County in 1942.

Awesome info! I wasn't sure if the Vento from Wisconsin was the same one but it appears they are. I had also found the following about him:

April 12, 1932 his three sons Joe, 18, Frank, 17, and Salvatore 16, were missing the previous two days and were found in Oregon, Illinois. He was living 709 E. Pleasant Street.

May 3, 1932 found guilty along with Stanley Kuklinski on Kuklinski’s farm near Thiensville, Wisconsin for possessing a still. Christopher Battaglia escaped prosecution though he was involved.

June 15, 1937 he was on the Harvey farm and Clark farm near Princeton, Illinois with Clark, John “Ted” DePallo, Fred Bosi and Lorenzo Buttice to plan the erection of an alcohol still.

June 28, 1937 was on the Wixom farm, Selby Township, near Princeton, Illinois with Fred Bosi, John “Ted” DePallo, Lorenzo Buttice, John Gullo and John Violo to plan the erection of an alcohol still.

February 1940 he became a U.S. citizen in Milwaukee. He was listed as 52 years old and living at 709 E. Pleasant Street.

This Vento character certainly got around and knew a lot of guys in different circles.