I really don't know anyone that called the Harrison to Taylor area "the patch". That was the name for the Smith park neighborhood. It's google-able if need be.

Lol.

Sorry Chicago but that's flat-out wrong. Taylor Street was always known as Taylor Street...the Patch was Grand/Ogden and stretched from California to Orleans and Chicago Ave to Madison. At one point, the original row houses in the Cabrini Housing projects off Chicago/Orleans were home to Sicilians and was known as "Little Sicily." When those folks moved out of those projects (including my grandfather) most stayed in the general neighborhood aka "the Patch."

There is only one logical explanation. Both areas were called the Patch. I was always around the Taylor St element and they referred to the area sometimes as 'The Patch'.
Everybody is correct.

Chitown, by the way, awhile back you made some remark about me being Joe Fosco and I corrected you. I'm not Joe Fosco. I take that as an insult. LOL.

Chicago,

You are exactly right. I have discussed this in depth on another forum where people interested in city history etc. go.

"The Patch" basically at some point became a catch all term that seemed to follow the Italian immigrants around, from Grand Ave. to Taylor Street, and in some books writers even refer to Little Hell (where Cabrini recently was) as "The Patch."

The most narrow definition seems to be around Smith Park, but it's been so widely misused for so long that I don't think that definition really means anything anymore.

Joe kong is irrelevant at This point. Gac is the smallest crew, but they still have some young guns (30s/40s) young. AV is the boss with Pordyla as his underboss.

Speaking of Porky, to those who refute the Outfit making non Italians, Porky is half Polish on his old man's side, so.

The real overseer is Joey Andriacchi, Lumpy's Cousin. Vena takes direction from mainly him and also Elmwood Park if the need were to arise. Porky is a high level Associate but is not made. He could be compared to the German.

That's interesting. Smith Park area is & has always been known as Da Patch as far as I'm concerned.

I disagree with Porky not being made. And he's without a doubt #2 in that crew. Above Christie the nose.

Legs D'Antonio's club Where bella notte is located presently was the other big social club of theirs in the 80s.

He may be Feared, but he is not made. However, the fact he isn't made doesn't really make any difference anyway. Frank the German wasn't technically made, did it really matter? He is no different than Frank The German.

Yes I know they were partners for many years. Albie was more or less their "apprentice", if you will. Still disagree though.

So Nose is #3?

Huron, I think you are mostly right about the Patch, but here is an example of its wide misuse, you will see the same thing in books.

Here the Wiki author on the 42 Gang entry is saying it’s where Cabrini was:

The Forty-Two Gang started in 1925, with twenty-four members (some as young as nine years). The boys supposedly named their gang after Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, claiming they were one better than their fictional namesakes. The gang came from a Chicago neighborhood known alternatively as "the Patch," "Little Sicily," or "Little Hell" and was on the city's Near North Side. The neighborhood was later razed to accommodate Cabrini Green.

In the book “JFK and Sam” the author says it is the Little Italy area on South Aberdeen:

Gilormo Giancana was born on the West side of Chicago in 1908. Baptized Momo Salvatore Giancana, he was known as “Sam.” He lived with his parents—Antonino Giancana, a Sicilian immigrant grocer, and Antonia DiSimone—in a tenement (a housing structure for the poor) on South Aberdeen Street in a neighborhood referred to as “The Patch.”

Here’s a mob site saying it’s around Grand and Ogden:

Frank Cullotta born Dec. 14, 1938 on Grand and Ogden in the area called The Patch in Chicago IL.

And here’s a reference to Tony Spilotro in line with the far smaller Western/Washtenaw boundary:

“Unlike most Italian immigrants who settled in "The Patch," (located around Grand and Western Avenues, the Spilotros lived at 2152 North Melvina Avenue.”

And I admit, I was wrong. Fosco is not that bad of a guy, nor is Coconate. If you knew them personally, you might agree. They just have that Italian "know it all" attitude. When Fosco was a kid, he was akin to Nick Ferriola--a kid who lost their father at an impressionable age and tried to emulate the gangster side by associating with his father's friends. In both instances--Nick and Joe--they were used and spit out by their fathers associates. A lot of people can play internet tough guy, but you should really consider the circumstances before passing such concrete judgement.

lol shouldn't be a game of ego's, but I don't agree with your assessment of the Patch. There was always a rivalry between the two neighborhoods...the social clubs played softball against each other in the summers and there were derogatory names for residents of the Patch from those on Taylor Street. Most on Taylor in the 1950s and 60s would spit on you if you confused their neighborhood with the Patch. A lot more Sicilians in the Patch than Taylor Street.

Joey A is sick and 100% out of the rackets at this point. He was overseeing GAC but that was back in the early 2000s. He really hasn't been heavily involved in years--he was sick when Family Secrets was going on. Your info is outdated.

Vena runs GAC now and is not someone to fuck with. Christy is second to him, then Christy's brother Vito. They own a shitload of real estate and condo's throughout the Patch area (aka West Town). Bobby Dominic (the guy with the mustache you see at Richard's Bar) is also heavily involved with that crew still.

Also Bella Notte is Robert Bellavia's place...his daughter Roseanne runs it with her Cuban husband. I think they have a second location. Decent food.

Chi Town, Apparantly Sam Giancana was wrong in referring to the Taylor St area as the Patch. I guess there was only one area called the Patch and that was Grand Ave. There could not possibly have been two areas called the Patch by Italians back 50 years ago. On behalf of Sam Giancana & my father who were obviously wrong, I apologize.

Fosco & coconate certainly aren't good guys by any means. And the Nick f/fosco comparison is really grasping. Their fathers weren't even remotely close in regards to status. And Nick F, while not a legit hard head like his old man, is still a very tough Outfit Guy. Fosco is the definition of a wide eyed, groveling groupie.

Wasn't going to say anything, but yeah. Andrich is on his last legs & doesn't give anyone any orders. Albie & Porky call the shots on Grand these days. With P.Cozzo & several other younger guns ready to fill their spots.

Smith park people still refer to it as Da Patch till this day lol. Taylor St. has always been the Little Italy area as far as I'm concerned.

No one called Taylor Street Little Italy until it was branded that for marketing purposes. It was just called Taylor Street.

Bella Notte has some good food. Cook up a decent steak. What is Bellavia locked up for? I see he gets released in '16.

Huron & Chitown, Again, on behalf of Sam Giancana and my father who obviously were mixing up Taylor St with Grand Ave, I offer my apology. You guys know more about Taylor St than them. They were a bit mixed up.

All Outfit questions should be directed to you guys. Joey Andriacchi has absolutely no say in anything about Grand Ave anymore and the crew is full of everybody's sons.

Okay, no need to get sarcastic, let's just agree to disagree & move on. It's pretty trivial anyways. Didn't mean to question your knowledge.

AMEN !!!!!!!! Little Italy is DEFINITELY not on Grand and Sayre like the sign states either lol...One of the great things about Chicagoland is that there are 7 or 8 Little Italies... As I stated earlier, my Mom's family is all from Taylor Street and they referred to it as The Patch..I used to hear stories of those softball games between Taylor Street and Grand Avenue..

shit I thought u said andriacchi retreated years ago

he shouldn't have shit to say if he left his crew fatherless

12th St. You're preaching to the choir. The problem is that a couple of these guys have such big egos that they cannot accept the fact that sometimes people from Taylor St called their area 'The Patch' and people from the Grand Ave area ALSO called their area 'The Patch'.
One guy even told me to look it up on the internet. LOL.

I'm going by what was said on the street. I don't give a fuck about what some asshole wrote in Wikipedia. That's the difference.
I'm willing to acknowledge BOTH areas used that name but a couple other Guys want to go by Wikipedia and say it was ONLY Grand Ave.
Like Sam Giancana didn't know the difference between Grand Ave and Taylor St. He used to call it the Patch sometimes IN MY FUCKING HOUSE talking to my father when I was a kid.
Don't take it seriously, you just have to laugh at it. LOL.

Grand Ave., The small Crew he oversees from WAY in the background, retreated a long time ago from the street rackets. But, I'm not going to argue about it. Everybody can believe whatever suits their ego and makes them happy.

Wikipedia has Fat Ass Sarno as the boss of the Grand Avenue Crew lol...Maybe the Patch refers to the paved and unpaved nasty hookers that walk on Walnut east of Damen not too far from Grand Avenue perhaps??? lol