This was amazing. Sorry I am a late comer to this. Really good article and I appreciate the details here. You consistently show your unchallenged expertise when it comes to The Outfit. Thanks for sharing this. It’s greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot Jimmy for being our constant supporter. Salut my friend.
Yeah, pretty "honorable" for them to go after fellow mobster's civilian families.
I remember on Frank Cullotta's YT show talking about how he ran into Tony Spilotro's wife Nancy at a pharmacy while he was in Witness Protection, she recognized him thru his disguise. She was flat broke, and he claims he gave her money to pay the rent for her apartment and that she was involved in getting fake prescriptions to sell pills or whatever to get by. So a guy like Tony who also had millions of dollars pass thru his hands leaves his wife broke? I get that the Outfit wouldn't have helped her out given that her husband was killed by them for various reasons, but seems odd to me that a lot of these guys basically leave nothing behind or it just gets taken back into the organization. Tony had legitimate businesses and whatnot, selling his jewelry store for at that time the equivalent of $700K. They just blow that kind of $$$ on dinners and drinks? My Great Uncle worked for John Deere and was retired for 40 years before he died, and he left behind a lot of $$$, stocks, acreage, etc. These guys weren't able to figure out how to take care of their families similar? Especially back then, when they still had a substantial amount of power and influence? I would think all these upper echelon guys would have had money/assets so laundered and clean they'd be passing off millions that the feds couldn't touch....otherwise, what's the point? Just have money in a bank account or safe deposit box that the Feds seize for taxes/fines when you get busted? That also seems like a pretty good incentive for a guy to flip. Go to prison and keep your mouth shut and they essentially put you on the shelf when you're gone and offer no $$$$. Nick Calabrese was sitting in jail and they were paying his wife $50K a year to keep him happy? That's it? Should have been $50K a month. Marcello had the $$$ for that kind of payoff and look what ended up happening to him. 24/7 lockdown in Supermax for the rest of his life. No thanks.
Nicely said @Goldy and I completely understand your view on the whole situation but as @ChiTown already said, those guys were brutal and were able to sell their own mother. Even the old non-Italian guys did the same stuff, like for example Gus Alex allegedly extorted Guzik's family after the old man's death (besides Guzik being his long time mentor and boss), while on the other hand Alex was also known for passing his hat during the funerals of some of his associates who ended up broke, so he can collect money from everyone present for the families. So I think that they usually extorted only the families of former rich members and associates, who kept their cash and jewelry "under their beds". No honor among thieves right?!
As for their millions and where the money went after their deaths...well I think thats one quite complicated situation. Some of the top level bosses like Ricca, Accardo, Buccieri, Battaglia etc. left quite enough money, legit businesses and real estate for their families and other blood relatives, while other rich guys like Ralph Capone or Alex (who didnt have any families of their own) left their fortunes either to some relatives or friends. And obviously 90% percent of the so-called brotherhood lived the lavish life by being degenerate gamblers, dope addicts, driving expensive cars and buying hookers on daily basis. For example Outfit capo Rocco Fischetti used to be one of the richest members during the 1930s and 40s, but by the early 60s he lost his fortune and also high status within the Mafia because of huge gambling debts and so his non-Italian associate Les Kruse got him out of trouble and also became the "unofficial crew boss" for Roccos crew, especially around Lake County and also some south side areas.
Also dont forget that some of those guys lived for the adrenaline and believed in the "Life" 100%, meaning some of them died penniless by following only the "tradition". We also have examples when the families of deceased members were not able to find the hidden cash and remained to live normal lives or "poor" according to U.S. mob standards.
You should Google Sam Destefano II's interview - not the infamous Mad Sam but his nephew the diamond thief (a good pal of mine at one point) who worked for Bill Handhardt. Destefano discusses how Nancy Spilotro owned real estate on rush street and the outfit basically scammed and used her in a tax scheme and then took over her shares. Brutal shit - these guys would rob their sisters if they were desperate enough. I've heard these stories time and again - look what they did to Turk Torello's wife with the property scams in Wisconsin - that was Spano (the guys who used to work for Turk).
https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-sam-destefano-nicoles/30924258/Nice example and thanks.
