Ricca and Accardo

[Dwalin2014]

In your opinion, was Ricca always superior to Accardo in the mob hierarchy until he died? I mean, after he bought himself a pardon for the Hollywood extortion case, he got some parole restrictions, Accardo became boss, then started putting forward front bosses like Giancana who still had to answer to Accardo for every important matter. But did Accardo have to answer to Ricca? For example, did he always need Ricca's approval to order a hit or to approve a hit wanted by Giancana or another boss?

[Snakes]

Think of the Outfit as a big corporation: Ricca was the chairman, Accardo the vice-chairman, and Giancana the president. Giancana was the boss but major decisions were made by Ricca and Accardo; as in decisions which could have an impact on the entire organization or even beyond. Generally, everything else was left to Giancana, who in turn gave the territorial bosses lots of leeway as far as decision making in their own respective territories. Any inter-territorial matters or feuds were handled by Giancana and, if that didn't decide it, Ricca and Accardo.

This created lots of insulation between Ricca and the street:

Ricca > Accardo > Giancana > Ferraro/Battaglia/Buccieri/Prio/LaPorte/Cerone/Aiuppa/Major Connection Guys > smaller territorial bosses > street/crew bosses > other made guys > associates

[Dwalin2014]

I wonder, if Ricca was more important than Accardo, why couldn't he pull off the same strings to avoid jail? When Accardo was sentenced to 6 years, they mobilized the whole system to overturn it and succeeded, while Ricca went to jail twice in spite of being a more important figure who theoretically should be the first one who should be "saved". His prison stretches were short, but still 3,5 years and a little more than 2 years are quite a long period compared to Accardo's one night in jail.

[Snakes]

Sometimes you beat the system, sometimes the system beats you. Accardo was just extremely lucky.

[benniecoll]

interesting comparison between the two, although ive always read that ricca was the one who controlled the taylor street faction, and that's why giancana got as high as he did.

[Villain]

There was this interesting story told by an old Chicago corrupt cop(i really dont remember his name) that once he visited Accardo at some restaurant to ask him for a favour. Accardo told the cop that first he must talk with the boss, meaning Paul Ricca.

Accardo always first consulted with Ricca before making any important and big decisions. Also they were close firends.At Ricca's funeral, reporters said that Accardo shed a few tears and when asked about the situation, he said something like "I lost my best friend".

[benniecoll]

what ive always found strange was how did that nut sam destephano keep getting away

with bringing heat on the outfit with his antics. well. it must have been ricca who was keeping him alive

because after ricca died it wasn't 6 months before destephano got clipped.

[funkster]

Wasn't Mooney Ricca's driver for a time?

[Pete]

interesting comparison between the two, although ive always read that ricca was the one who controlled the taylor street faction, and that's why giancana got as high as he did.

Giancana was Ricca's boy. (Taylor St.)
Cerone was Accardo's boy. (Grand Ave.)

Correct that's why giancana lost clout after ricca died and Cerone lost clout after accardo died