Black Jack Tocco of Detroit.

Black Jack. One of the greatest mob bosses of the 20th century.

That's was a good read of summing up his history.

Detroit was probably one of the most clannish families in the US, Zerilli's, Tocco's. Bommarito's and others all intertwined.

Detroit in their heyday are one of the most underrated families to ever exist!

The more closely-knit a family is, the lower the likelihood of having informants

+1 and Detroit's fam is/was the prime example.

Btw, for those who never saw this, heres some additional info regarding Zerilli and Al Capone...

Interesting don't forget Zerilli was also one of the few early non-New York bosses granted a seat on the commission.

The man had tremendous power and directly "blood tied" into New York through Joe Profaci. The family's intermarried. The two Joe's were very close. Zerilli was also a very capable and well liked guy.

+1 and I think much of them depended on his smuggling contacts from Canada.

I think its fair to say that Detroit back then controlled the smuggling routes into Canada?

That's correct. First with liquor during Prohibition. And later, with narcotics smuggling.

Others did as well, like the Buffalo, Cleveland, etc. But for that neck of the woods Detroit was active that way.

In your opinion was there a time that Detroit was as powerful as Chicago?

IMO, the two Families were very different. Detroit was always a smaller Family than Chicago. But, although The Chicago Outfit was very powerful back in its day, so too was the Joe Zerilli Family, but in different ways. As you know they were a very tight-knit family and the founders of that borgata trace their lineage back to Sicily. Zerilli, Tocco, Priziola, etc. They were very, very well-respected guys (sharp guys,) who did things according to Hoyle (according to Cosa Nostra's strict rules and regulations.) Hence, they always carried themselves with the utmost respect, and were, in turn, respected for it. They were no slouches.

Also, although they engaged in major warfare during the early days of the 1910-1930s era and killed lots of guys, (as did most of the families as they secured power in their respective cities,) they were not bloodthirsty either.

They were very much "businessmen" for lack of a better word. Maybe hoodlum businessmen, lol, but businessmen nonetheless.

They were a smart crew.

They had a good business relationship with Chicago over the years as well correct?

Yes, Rush, to my knowledge they generally got along. After all, they were both situated in the midwest area.

But as I mentioned earlier, who the Zerilli Family was always closest to was the Joseph Profaci Family. If memory serves me, Zerilli's son Anthony, married Profaci's daughter. Joe Bonanno's Family was also very close to Detroit for the very same reason....intermarriage between the Zerilli, Profaci and Bonanno Families. Those three crews were always "compare"

Stay with the facts, not with your own imaginary emotions!!!! Lol

At first, there were no problems between Chicago and Detriot since Accardo told Giancana that he can relay on Detroit. Also when non-Italian Outfit hitman Dave Yaras showed up in Detriot, most of the local Mafiosi and associates were forced to work with him, mainly because one of Yaras' deadliest hitmen William Block was a former member of Detriot's Purple Gang and so everyone knew him. Also, by the late 60s there was a huge friction between Chicago and Detriot regarding 15 points from the Frontier casino in Vegas.

Aren't you two supposed to be friends? I thought you guys worked together on features over at Button Guys?

Nope, since Im all about facts. I refuse to join Willie Wonka's "group".

You have written many articles for his website. Contributed features on individuals such as Angelo LaPietra.


I am highly confused as to why you guys both hate eachother now.

Rush, I don't "hate" anyone, least of all the likes of him. Lol. Thats just not my style. I'm way too mature to act in such a childish manner.

And if you notice, I'm not the one constantly attacking him. It's actually the other way around. He constantly "attacks" me and our ButtonGuys website every chance he gets. He seems a bit disgruntled (to say the least.)

I think thats very telling, no?

Any logical person has to ask themselves "why would this person spend so much of their time, day after day, "obsessing" over us? Especially since he "claims" he doesn't want to be part of us, right? Lol

If he's so happy "NOT" being associated with Lisa and I and our TNYM website and Mob Fireside Chat Podcast...then why in the world is he "bugging" out every day and on the attack like a jealous, jilted girlfriend?

He should be happy to just go on his merry way, and that would be the end of it, right?

.....Therein lies the answer, my friend! Like the old saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding"
--
PS: I'll end with this...“Classy is when you have a lot more to say, but you choose to remain silent in front of a fool.”

Yes but he wrote articles for you and Lisa in the past. I take it thats why the LaPietra piece was taken down? Because of you guys having a falling out?

Thats unfortunate because that was a great write up that I really enjoyed.

Love the FBI docs you provide friend… thanks for doing the heavy lifting and reading through it all

Joe Bonanno's son, Bill, married into Joe Profaci's blood family when Bill married Rosalie Profaci (the daughter of Joe's brother, Sal Profaci,) thereby bonding the Profaci & Bonanno clans (and hence, their crime families) together. They were powerhouses in their own right, but after the intermarriages, the Zerilli and Profaci and Bonanno clans became a triumphant of deadly Cosa Nostra royalty and power.

I just remembered that a second Profaci daughter, married another son, of Detroit Family royalty. She married the son of Guglielmo (Black Bill) Tocco, who, as most of you know, was the longtime partner and underboss (and relative) of boss Joe Zerilli.

This REALLY placed the Joseph Zerilli Family, or "Detroit Partnership," in great standing with New York. Not only among the Profaci and Bonanno Families, per se. But also among their peers on the NY "Commission" and with all the other formidable "Castellammarese" clans throughout the nation...It was a very powerful underworld alliance.

Family tree of Anthony Joseph Zerilli

Born on October 24, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan , United States

Died on March 31, 2015 in Weston, Florida , United States

https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/zerillianth/anthony-joseph-zerilli

Both cousins Zerilli and Tocco graduated from the University of Detroit in 1949.

Correct, they were both college graduates...and their fathers "made" them both shortly thereafter. lol.

You must remember also, that long after Joe Profaci's death, Joe Bonanno's expulsion, and Joe Zerilli's death, the "ties" established between the three families always remained through the close bonds of Sal Profaci and his brothers and sisters and cousins (Joe's children and nephews, etc) and Zerilli and Tocco sons and relatives, who were all now related to one another through marriage.

When you stop to really think about it, its a very interesting dynamic.

vabbè grazie si molti siciliani il loro amico fu harry Bowman?
è vero outlaws and sicilians don't forgive lol

You're welcome bud. All I want is to show the facts. I hate when people imagine stuff and place it like its a "fact".

@TheGhost. Yes many of Frank the Bombers crew in Detroit felt Bowman was their friend and highly valued associate. Even some members of the other crews. I believe Jack Tocco only viewed the outlaws as a tool and nothing else.

Yep, they were a pretty smart bunch and besides the Hoffa hit there were plenty of other murders in Detroit in those years.

molto grazie

bowman was being friend also in florida and canada?

Motor City is a raw city lol, only the strong survive...

Another ‘family’ connection for Detroit was Jack Tocco’s sister being married to Carlo Licata, whose father was the boss of LA.

Carlo then died in a supposed suicide, 6 years to the day (and almost to the minute) of Hoffa’a death.