I think this has been talked about before, but still: what do you think Accardo's real power was in his last years (since the mid 80s)? Was he still the indisputable leader, meaning that no hit took place without his sanction or was he already just a "honorary" advisor? Were Aiuppa, Ferriola, Carlisi, an independent power by themselves or just his representatives?

By the late 80s/early 90s there's no way Accardo was still active. He was in his 90s by then and believe he was living in California in his final years.

Accardo never made it to his nineties and he did help Carlisi and DiFronzo once Aiuppa and Cerone went away.

You're right don't know why I thought he was in his 90s when he died. But in his final years he was mostly retired.

Accardo was 86 when he passed in '92. The last time I read anything about him being involved in a hit, or being consulted on a hit, was 1986 and it involved the Spilotros. Art Bilek made the statement that, "there's no way Accardo was not consulted on the Spilotro' murders." Of course a statement from someone doesn't make it true, but FBI officials reported Ferriola and Accardo together in Palm Springs shortly before the Spilotro murders. Accardo also flew into Chicago about four days before the hit.

I'm not sure how Accardo functioned the last several years considering his poor health. He had serious heart problems and cancer and had fallen a couple of times. I believe he was living with one of his children when he died. Just take a look at the 1983 video of him testifying before a govt. committee and I believe you'll see what I'm saying. The video is on YouTube. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VTU0lDIax5k

Info is based on Internet research. Listed below is a newspaper article about Accardo.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-06-08/news/8602110026_1_crime-syndicate-joseph-aiuppa-boss

Great article thanks for that.

Pretty much what the literature says. Accardo really wanted to retire in 1957 ! Rica and Giancana talked him into staying. Lots of questions about what occurred in the late fifties. But from what I've been told, his family was pressuring him to retire.

But according to all the info I've read, he "tutored" the front bosses, but he spent most of his time in Palm Springs until his health declined to the point where he had to have help.

It's really a stretch to think that in the late eighties he was getting involved with all the high- level decisions. He was just too sick.

Accardo definitely was consulted on the Spilotro hits. In fact, rumors even swirled that in 1985 Spilotro went to Palm Springs to ask Accardo for his permission to take over the Outfit due to the bosses going to prison.

Other than the Castellano hit in New York, the decision to take out Spilotro probably ranks #2 as the most important decision to whack a guy.

Both hits turned the course of mafia history.

The immense planning the Outfit undertook to take out Spilotro probably exceeds that of Castellano.

For 6 months prior to the Spilotro hit, the Outfit had 2 hit teams combing Las Vegas ready to make the move. Then the intricate planning involved when they came to Chicago and were driven to the house in Bensenville.

Yeah, I read about the Las Vegas deal, but vaguely remember something about Spilotro going to Palm Springs to meet with Accardo. Hard to remember.

Listed below is another article I had in my files. Talks more about Accardo's role during the eighties.


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-06-08/news/8602110026_1_crimesyndicate-joseph-aiuppa-boss

Do you think they talked him into staying because they wanted him to be a front boss to take the heat, or did they think he might end up snitching? The Outfit was notoriously suspicious of snitches, that was one the only reasons they killed people.

Was the Spilotro brothers hit the last major hit the Outfit did?

Mmalioni, I heard Spilotro went to see Accardo in 1985, not to take over the Outfit, but to seperate from Chicago and form a Las Vegas family with soldiers from other families that were operating in and around Las Vegas, and to leave Reno alone after he had a meeting with Frank Sorce from San Jose and two members from San Francisco in 1984.

Accardo was pretty much retired by 1986, but did give out his advise to other members of the family.

What do you define as major? I consider the Zizzo and Chiaramonte hits major.

I wasn't sure, that's why I asked but...Oh wow. I just looked up those cases. I did hear about those but, I kind of forgot. For some reason I was under the impression that they weren't confirmed hits or they were low level associates. On Wikipedia, it says Zizzo was Underboss at the time.

On some documentary I saw they said there wasn't a hit for like 10 years after the Pat Marcy thing because they didn't feel that they had enough political clout. I don't know if that's BS or not, just what I saw on TV.

Yeah Zizzo was Marcello's right hand guy at the time as I recall.

if tony accardo was given the respect to be visited in florida then he called it

I believe Accardo was in Palm Springs, Calif. He may have had a place in Florida, also. You may be thinking of Palm Beach. I get the two confused all the time.

The Ricca, Accardo and Giancana era was a very interesting time in organized crime history. Toss in N.Y., Tampa, Detroit, Milwaukee, California, etc., and it becomes even more interesting.

He was the oldman until he died his word was law.

He meeting with carlisi and difronzo in the late 80s up until 91

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-12-22/news/9204260259_1_james-marcello-mob-turncoat

Thanks for the article, Louie. I have this in my files and I believe this may be the last piece of documented FBI info of Accardo meeting with Outfit members. I'll check and see. I'm pretty sure there are other reports of him flying back into Chicago and meeting with different folks, but I just can't remember. I'll check my files.

Bascially what's been said here on this thread pretty well sums up Accardo's last few years. He moved in with his daughter approximately two yrs. before his death.

He was under surveillance for practically all but the last year or so (not sure about this). Probably the FBI plus a few close friends and associates, and family, would know for sure about when he became totally inactive. He was extremely cautious, and maybe even paranoid, about meeting with other Outfit members.