Joey Auippa

Never much said about him, from what I have read he seemed to be a well respected boss?

I look at him as the "leftover" for the Chicago mob.He and Cerone were the worst mob bosses in Chicagos criminal history.They were constantly groomed by Accardo and inherited most of the criminal operations from the previous administration and without the Las Vegas rackets they were nothing but Accardo had no other choice.

Why do you think they were the worst? Give some examples of what they did or did not do to deserve the title

The Outfit was generally well run during their reign and their street crews were headed by competent captains. I'm somewhat puzzled by that statement as well.

I seem to recall that both aiuppa, and cerone were convicted of skimming form hotels in vegas. I don't know about how good or bad they were, but, clipping giancana, the spilotoros, roselli,
destefano, and putting some taylor st, boys on the shelf, was all that a bad thing.?

Binnie I don't think Aiuppa would have been convicted if not for Spilotro's whole fiasco in Vegas. I think he even blamed Tony and that was the reason he was clipped.

yeah Dixie, he [spilotro] was responsible for the heat coming down on the bosses, he should have been clipped sooner.
aiuppa was right whacking him.

I don't want to speak for anyone, but I do recall reading in the FBI files that Aiuppa was not considered a particularly smart individual. But as Snakes said, things did seem to go fairly well during his reign. He apparently relied on Accardo for advice/help. Law enforcement surveillance revealed numerous meetings, etc. There was also the three "A's"- Accardo, Aiuppa and Alex. This is another situation where there are different versions relative to Outfit operations.

I also read somewhere that Aiuppa voluntarily gave up power in the early eighties (I believe) because of health problems. But for the life of me I can't remember where I read it. Others said the power change didn't occur until the skimming deal and Aiuppa went away. If I find the link I'll post it.

There was a Tribune article that hinted at it. It said Cerone had taken over as boss.

The Aiuppa/Cerone regime dropped a lot of bodies but it was done to consolidate the Outfit's power. The organization didn't really begin to crumble until the late eighties as RICO began to decimate it as it did every other family in the nation.

He shouldn't have sent somebody like Spilotro at all, regardless of his friendship with "the golden jew."

I have heard from people in Chicago that Spilotro was pretty much a nobody and would have never been known if it wasn't for Casino (and the book). I just think they could have sent somebody more responsible and/or trusted to oversee such a big racket.

I always wondered about that myself, he never had the class or the brains to handle the interest of the outfit in las vegas,
from the moment he got there he had them in hot water. he was a horrible choice, who put him there?

Here's the article:

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1979/07/01/page/3/article/display-ad-321-no-title

Spilotro was most definitely qualified to head the Outfit's interests in Vegas; he was relatively young and was chosen over other guys with more seniority which shows the confidence that the Outfit had in him. Nobody figured he would be as reckless as he was, though. Someone like Angelini may have been a better choice but he wasn't a guy who was particularly feared on the streets (aside from his connections) and he was too important to the Outfit's bookmaking interests back home to be sent out west.

I'm a little puzzled at the feelings people seem to have towards the three. I disagree that Aiuppa and Cerone were the worst bosses and that Spilotro was an odd choice for Vegas. I also disagree with the assessment that he wasn't intelligent.

Aiuppa was a bit heavy-handed and quick to use violence but he was no idiot. Both he and Cerone were greedy but no more than many of their contemporaries.

I have no idea where you heard that. Spilotro was one of the more infamous Outfit enforcers in Chicago long before he went to Vegas.

Joey Aiuppa was a major power long before he took over the Outfit. He ran the Cicero Crew - the Outfit's largest and arguably most profitable crew - for years before he assumed leadership roles. He was also the major power behind the Cicero and Calumet strips.

He was a proxy for Accardo and Gus Alex and meeting with Outfit bigwigs and poles throughout the 50s and 60s.

I'm pretty sure I heard a fed tape of the Clown stating that the Spilotro brothers were his boys and he wouldn't have allowed them to be clipped. But he was in jail at the time.

Not sure how that would've happened since it's pretty obvious Joey Doves (and I'm sure Accardo approved) gave the order.

Whether the feds thought Auippa was not bright is irrelevant. He ran it with an iron fist and didn't rat.

Based on what you guys are saying, apparently he did very well. I did get the impression he was " quick on the trigger." I have the FBI file on Aiuppa and it goes back to the 30's . He had investments in several businesses besides the jukebox co.

I have no idea why the FBI made reference to Aiuppa's intellect, but one thing history allows is a "look back" at what occurred and draw some conclusions. It appears Aiuppa was in the same fold as Ricca, Accardo and Giancana. But he did stay under the radar.....as much as possible. And yeah, he didn't rat. Considering the increased law enforcement scrutiny, he apparently did a good job while running a criminal organization.

One other question. I'm not from Chicago so my knowledge of geographic areas is limited. Is Calumet City considered part of Chicago Heights? I remember seeing Calumet City mentioned a lot while reading "The Boys In CH." I could Check-out a map but it's easier to ask you guys.

Cal City is right on the boarder with IN and would definitely been in the Heights boys domain, along with all the stuff they were doing in Indiana.

The book about the Chicago Heights crew is a must read.

I don't agree that spilotro was a good choice for las vegas. he started his own crew there, commiting burglaries all the time.
he was constandly being watched by the Lvpd, he was running with lefty rosenthals wife, always threating people, and I don't think Rosenthal was a good choice either. if you are representing the outfit, do you have your own t.v. show?

neither one could keep their heads down, and aiuppa, and cerone were convicted because of their screw-ups. who in Chicago was watching the store, they let spilotro run wild.

Cal City would have been Heights Territory yes, but I do believe that Aiuppa ran the Owl Club and 21 Club down there. I may be wrong on that.

Joey Lombardo was responsible for Tony Spilotro. He was his boss. Not Aiuppa or Cerone. They were responsible for Lombardo.

It didn't help that Lombardo was having legal problems of his own when Spilotro started screwing up, either.

Regardless of how it ended, there was no reason for them to believe he was a bad choice to send to Vegas.

Did Spilotro not fall into the same behavior pattern as many OC members: he became all powerful and thought he could do what he darn well pleased ?

Too much attention is always bad. These guys will get enough attention w/o going out of their way to attract more. When you begin operating as though you answer to no one, you're eventually going to have problems. Threatening police, forming your own crew and sleeping with another member's wife are all in conflict with procedures established by OC enterprises. But for some reason these guys just can't resist the urge to fuel their insatiable ego. Just an old story that is repeated over and over in OC.

He was pretty much out there on his own. These type of people with free reign over a territory can be a bad thing.

gary, snakes. well, both of you are right , but, when a mob associate sent to vegas from Chicago, instead of keeping his head down.

the idiot starts his own t,v, show, [lefty Rosenthal] he's begging for attention. and he drew the wrath of the gaming commission while making himself a target.

and Chicago as far as I know never called him on it. now that tells me that no one in Chicago is paying attention.
the outfits man in vegas has his own t.v. show!

Absolutely. And hindsight is many times better than foresight. Just looking at Spilotro's mo before going to Vegas, he would have been Imo, a logical choice. But sometimes these things just don't work out.

Based on the telephone transmissions during the FS trial, don't you think Spilotro
suspected he was in trouble even before he returned to Chicago ? Obviously his brother was concerned before going to "the meeting." But Spilotro had to know he had "messed-up" royally. These guys know how the system works, but what can they do? Risky business.

Huron's is correct. Tony Spilotro was under Joey Lombardo, and Lombardo was responsible for Vegas for the Outfit during this time period.

If we are going to look back, and analyze the decisions and what happened....in my opinion, Spilotro was a good choice for the "outside man" Vegas role for the Outfit. He had the violent resume, had followed orders and had successfully run a profitable book. It was time for him to leave Chicago because he had become a suspect in several murders, and had the contentious relationship with Chicago law enforcement, especially Roemer. Lefty was a good choice for the "inside man" role because of his excellence at setting betting lines and his administrative skills.

Lombardo should have reigned in Spilotro, especially when it was obvious that LVPD was watching him. As far as I can tell from what I have read, Lombardo did not try to get Spilotro under control, so it seems either (1) Lombardo was complicit, or (2) Lombardo did not know all the shit Spilotro was pulling. I lean toward #1. We know that Lombardo was greedy, and it is possible he was getting a cut from the Ant. I also understand that Lombardo was a "hands on" style manager, and I find it hard to believe that he did not have a good idea of what was happening. I believe that Lefty made it clear to Lombardo that he objected to some of Spiotro's activities.

At the same time, the FBI and LVPD were investigating how the skim money got back to Chicago. Lombardo knew that the money and bag men were being surveilled. Instead of changing things up, or cooling it off, he toyed with the Feds and LVPD when he had 2 bagmen from KC get pulled over with donuts in skim bags.

So, I would place the responsibility for the Outfit's loss of Vegas casinos and skim on Lombardo.

Regarding Auippa, I understand he had a horrible temper. When issues arose, Auippa would blow up, yell at people and then fume. After a while, he would cool off and start reasoning.

good post tony, but, why let lefty have that t.v. show in vegas. you know that really soured the gaming commission. Chicago just wasn't looking.

Meant to quote Malandrino only, but eh, whatever, this is intended for his Spilotro comments. Tony Spilotro was well respected in Chicago, him and his brother, but his brother wasn't made. All of the Spilotro brothers were real respected in the street according to accounts, the oldest brother was supposedly the toughest, weird since he was the only one who strayed from a life of organized crime. But anyway, Spilotro was respected in Chicago and was qualified to look after Vegas, he was big enough in stature and didn't mess around. Accardo definitely wouldn't have sent some two bit soldier who just got his button. I suppose you had to be trusted to be handed a Vegas job, it was big bucks in Vegas. They're only going to pick someone they respect and trust to oversee an operation like that, Spilotro was that guy, the problem was he got greedy, and he started to do unsanctioned activities, which were also attracting heat, like the jewelry store robberies. The last straw supposedly, the thing that really got him killed was supposedly his having an affair with Lefty Rosenthal's wife.

^^^thats more or less a recollection of what you saw in the 'Casino' film.

Tony Accardo didn't send anyone out to run Vegas. Joey Lombardo was given the control over Las Vegas rackets & sent one of his top men, Tony Spilotro, out there to run things for him.

Michael Spilotro was not a tough guy nor was he respected on the street. He was a lackey to his brothers Tony & Victor, who were real Grand Avenue hard heads. Michael was a cokehead pretty boy who's desire was to use his mob connections to become a Hollywood actor (lol).

Regarding the Vegas situation, Lombardo knew exactly what was going on, obviously. They were his rackets, after all. He was out there a great deal during the 70s & early 80s. I maintain that Aiuppa & Cerone wanted him dead as well.

completely agree except that "aiuppa/cerone wanted to kill lombardo"-part. I do not have any substantial knowledge, but my unqualified guess would be that aiuppa wasn't really a hothead and realized in time that it wasn't really lombardo's fault. and he was in prison at that time, so iam quite sure lombardo was one of the least of his problems.

Now im not trying to offend anyone with my different opinion but this the way i see things...

I didnt say that they didnt deserve the title,i said that they were the "left overs" in the Outfit and were also worst of the worst.Ill juts compare them with the previous administrations...

They killed their own quite often and that was bad for business and good for bringin the heat.I dont belive in "consolidating the Outfit's power" in such ways.They have done that out of greed.Joey O and Cerone didnt make the Vegas connections,they inherited em.Yes the mafia is a greedy machine but even the greatest bosses belived in peaceful ways of doing business.Just look at the body counts during the 50's and compare it with the late 60's and 70's.

Also during their reign as bosses the FBI launched the Top Echelon Informant Program.They had many hidden informants from every rank within the Outfit and stayed like that for a long time.Ask your self whys that?Its because the members lived in fear and thats why they didnt have much respect.It was pure chaos

Also as some posters said and there are also reports that they werent considered as a very smart persons by some of their members and also investigators. Big shots like Joe B,Gus Alex or Joe Gags(Cerone's number 2 guy who died early) were the real masterminds.

Cerone was a John Gotti type of a guy who wanted to talk a lot and brag about anything,which made the feds to take info on anything they wanted.He dropped a lot of names and situations.He didn’t had the skills to be a boss because he was an enforcer and a "lackey"(his nickname given not by the press but by his fellow mobters).A sharp dresser with the thirst for blood.During the early 70's most of Cerone's crew members were placed in jail or in their graves.Hes only supporter was Joe B.Cerone being Joe B's lackey was what made him a powerhouse.Not his earning ablilites.I mean he started his career as a dealer at the old Rock Garden in Cicero...

Also for a traditional Italian big time mobster,Cerone didnt had much respect for his family either.I think that he killed his own nephew and i also think that he had a son who was an alcoholic.He even acted violent with his mistresses.There are also reports that Roemer visited Jackie Cerone in prison.Im not gonna say that he used to rat but you can never tell...

I belive that Joey O's and Cerone's reign as bosses was the "end of an era of a strong(smart) man rule" in the Outfit.

Uh, no, actually most of that comes from Operation Family Secrets, the book, in which Calabrese mentions that all the Spilotro's, including Tony, was well respected in Chicago. And that he was handpicked to oversee Vegas, whether it was by Lombardo or Accardo, it doesn't matter, both knew who was running Vegas at the time. There are other numerous sources which support this as well.

And I never said Michael Spilotro was a tough guy, I said he was respected, which also comes from the Operation Family Secrets book, and not just some guy on the internet. In it, Calabrese states that to many Michael was the more likable of the two, but Tony was a respected guy and he was feared. He also mentions the oldest brother and how he was the most tough out of the three. Soo yeah...

Lefty was a front guy, and was not a made guy. The TV show was an attempt to keep him in the casino as Entertainment Director, which was a front for actually running it. A made guy would have never been on TV like that, but a front guy? Why not if created the desired impression and kept him in the casino.

Was the TV show a good idea? Probably not. The bigger questions is why did they not have someone waiting in the wings to step and fill Lefty's role. The answer tells you everything you need to know about what was happening in Vegas, and for LCN in general, at that time. Law enforcement was getting better and LCN did not have the talent that it used to have.

Also the fact that Lefty Rosenthal was a top echelon FBI informant kinda answers some questions, mostly about how he was able to get away so easily after the whole ordeal.

Good post Huron, I appreciate your insight. Do you think Lumpy was getting a cut from all of Spilotro's activities, including the burglaries?

Why do you think Auippa and Cerone wanted Lumpy dead? Power consolidation? Personality conflict?

It is my understanding that Auippa was a hothead with a notorious temper and always seemed to be in a foul mood. Is that consistent with your understanding? Do you have any info on Auippa's personality and management style?

L

calumet city was the original "sin city" and stateline road was the orginal "strip"

they say jimmy catura was in charge of calumet city

cal city (catura) and chi heights (laporte/zizzo/tocco) were always fueding

Catuara went back and forth working with Chinatown and the Heights, but he was under La Porte. At a certain point he was told to move away and retire. He didn't listen and was killed.

Catuara did move away for a while, after La Porte, Al Pilotto was the street boss for that crew, he left Catuara in charge of the strip, Catuara began to piss people off, and got into conflict with Al Tocco, who apparently was backed by the Outfit administration, including his street boss Pilotto & Tony Accardo. Angelo LaPietra were given Catuara's rackets around October of '77 according to Matthew Luzi, after Catuara was kidnapped and held hostage for a few days. For the remainder of '77 and early-mid '78, Catuara wasn't on the streets. He began to pop up again in July of '78 and was promptly dealt with.

well, I know lefty was almost killed by a bomb going off in his car, he survived, didn't know he was a canary for the fbi.
could very well explain why he never went on trial, what I don't know is, who tried to clip lefty? spilotro? or did it come from the top? must have known he was squawking.

IMO - Luzi did a great job with this book, which I have.

I recall Pilotto was shot....on the golf course, I believe? For awhile the word on the street was that Accardo ordered the hit. But it was later determined that some guy named Guzzino (sp) did the hit. Is this correct or has my memory once again failed me? I could get the book and read it for myself, but you guys can usually provide info that is not in the book.

Those "car wars" we're something else.

Agreed. Luzi did a great job. He also recommends this book on the Heights that goes into more detail than his:

http://www.amazon.com/Neighborhood-Outfi...chicago+heights

Two other books of interest:

http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Zero-Feds-Maf...o+heights+mafia

http://www.amazon.com/Prosecutors-Gone-W...o+heights+mafia

Richard and Sam Guzzino orchestrated the hit. Sam was later killed, as well as Nick D'Andrea, who was also in on it. Rich was saved by prison as he was arrested and charged with conspiracy to murder Pilotto. He ended up serving 10 years. Not sure if he is dead or not. Nick "Jumbo" Guzzino was Richard and Sam's brother and actually rose to be one of the top guys in the Heights crew before he was imprisoned in the early nineties with most of the rest of the Heights crew, effectively killing it off.

Thanks Faithfu1 and Snakes.

The books really look interesting, Faithful1. Looks like I may continue my education on the Outfit.

You were right though Gary, and explained it almost identical to how it is in the book. They originally thought Tony Accardo was behind the shooting because both he & Pilotto were called to testify for something, around the same time Pilotto was shot, so it was assumed that he was shot because people felt like he'd talk. But that turned out to not be the case, and Accardo & co. were outraged that someone tried to kill Pilotto.

These books seem to sugest that the mayor Chuck Panici was innocent. I read it was said the real corruption boss in Chicago Heights was his employee Nick Lo Bue. Do you think that's the case or was Panici guilty?

I haven't read the Panici-related books yet, so I can't give an opinion. I don't take high profile prosecutions at face value because there have been too many cases where informants implicate innocent or marginal people to get more benefits for themselves, and where prosecutors abuse the facts since often these cases are stepping stones to higher office. On the other hand, Panici could be lying.

Here's some links of interest:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-03/news/9303175180_1_barger-bribes-corrupt

http://www.leagle.com/decision/19961193914FSupp279_11131.xml/CITY%20OF%20CHICAGO%20HEIGHTS,%20ILL.%20v.%20LOBUE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Panici

http://patch.com/illinois/chicagoheights/read-chapter-one-of-controversial-chuck-panici-book

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-7th-circuit/1322711.html

I don't think they were that bad. They didn't take over until 1970, so nothing in the 60's should be blamed on them. The 70's were a different era form the 50's. Look at all the murders and mob wars across the country. Families were falling apart. You had Cleveland, KC, Rochester, NY with hundreds of murders of mobsters and connected guys due to drugs. They weren't as business savvy as Ricca, Accardo, and Giancana, but they also didn't have the brains like Murray Humphreys around either. The same thing happened all around the country.

I meant after the bombing he got away real easy. They say Frank Balistrieri was behind the bombing which could be true because he blamed Rosenthal for ruining the Vegas racket. Also it's possible Frank could have had a source in the FBI as I remember from the Donnie Brasco book he found out about one of Pistone's agents and then cut off all contact with them and didn't even tell NY.

However it could've also been Spilotro as they said it was an amateur bombing and I'm not sure how experienced Tony was with explosives but I'd say not much, just a guess.

they were doing fine until kansas city's underboss got everybody indicted

they went to jail because of other peoples fuck ups, and didn't rat out accardo

according to Fosco, Joey O'Brien was a gunman in the St. Valentines Day Massacre. Thoughts?

I have to respectfully disagree with him on this one.

I think faithful posted his thoughts on who was used for that crime. but, I cant remember who. but, faithful I think researched it.

Cops hated Aiuppa because he hated them with a passion. He was extremely violent and greedy. He once had to be talked out of killing a cop in Fox Lake to avoid a traffic ticket. He was persuaded to not kill the cop because of the five year old sleeping on the back seat. As far as his management style, he must have been effective; he died in bed at age 90.