Frank Ferrara?

Anyone familiar with him?

FRANK FERRARA, 52, OF CRIME SYNDICATE
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Aug. 25, 1964

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August 25, 1964, Page 33
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CHICAGO, Aug. 24—Frank Ferrara, said to be the treasurer for the Chicago crime syndicate, died today of cancer in Wesley Memorial Hospital. He was 52 years old.

Although Ferrara, a native of New York, was a so?called mystery man of the Chicago mob, he had been rated by Federal agents and city detectives as one of its top six members. He had been marked as a prime target of the Justice Department's organized crime division's war on the crime syndicate.

His death is expected to cause a realignment of power at the top of the crime syndicate as such leaders as Sam (Momo) Giancana, Anthony Accardo and Paul (The Waiter) Ricca seek a successor to handle mob finances.

Ferrara, who was known as “Strongy,” started work in Chicago as a truck driver for a former florist, Gus Alex. The two rose in the crime syndicate and became co?owners of gambling enterprises in the Loop.

Ferrara was not identified in the crime syndicate hierarchy until 1958. In recent years he often was seen in the company of the top leaders. Last year, when Giancana was embroiled in a quarrel With the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ferrara was mentioned in hoodlum circles as a possible successor to him.

He is survived by his widow, Helen, and a daughter, Leda.

This was Chicago "Outfit" capo Frank (Strongy) Ferrara

Sometimes spelled as Ferraro.

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/amc-frank-ferraro--581879214335056221/

That picture is often passed off as Funzi Tieri.

This article from '65 said he was the underboss.

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP88-01315R000300510167-2.pdf

Frank Sortino aka Ferraro was one time underboss for Sam Giancana, or from 1956/57 until his death in 1964, when he got replaced by Teets Battaglia.

Ferraro lurked around Chinatown and the Near South Side and was very close with the Alex family, especially Gus and also with Jimmy Catuara. In fact both Ferraro and Alex trusted each other so much that they operated in the same manner and the members who answered to Ferraro, also answered to Alex.

Ferraro probably started in the Phil D'Andrea/Bruno Roti Sr crew that controlled the First Ward and the so-called "South Side Mafia", since after Roti's death Ferraro inherited the 1st Ward and the rest of those same areas.

Ferraro was also one of the Outfits guys in LA from the early or mid 1940s until the early 50s, although I still dont have any info regarding his purpose and why he went over there. He was also present at the 1956 meeting with Ricca, Accardo and Humphreys on which Giancana was elected the new boss of the organization with Ferraro as his number two guy.

Thanks Toodoped !

You're welcome bud.

It also interesting to note that Ferraro was probably in LA during the same time when the second conflict occurred with remnants of the old North Side Mafia who previously made peace and a new alliance with the victorious Capone crew but in 1942/43 that same alliance went down the toilet.

Many murders occurred and the Northsiders were losing the war for the second time and also again or same as the first conflict, some Northsiders fled the city and went to other cities and families such as the one in LA.

For example sometime around 1945 North Side member Tony Pinelli fled to LA probably because of the bloody conflict. So during the early 50s the Outfit had lots of trouble with the government around northwest Indiana and so Accardo and Giancana wanted for Pinelli to takeover the crew as their new capo.

So around 1952 Accardo and Giancana were allegedly greeted in LA by Frank Ferraro who in turn took them to a meeting with Pinelli on which Pinelli had no other choice but to accept their offer.

Again, as I previously said I still dont have a clue regarding Ferraros role in LA, meaning wether it had something to do with the conflict and the "migration" which occurred at the time, or he was simply one of the Outfits reps in that area...again, I still have lots of questions about the situation.

In addition, by the mid 60s (possibly after Ferraros death) Pinelli returned to LA again and officially transferred his membership to the LA fam.

......in addition, Ferraro Humphreys and Alex were also three of the main guys who solved almost all disputes and complications within the Chicago Outfit. According to the countless conversations between Humphreys and Ferraro, it seems that Humphreys also acted as some type of senior advisor for Ferraro and also the top administration, while Alex sometimes acted as Ferraro's voice or sometimes Alex was the one who gave the final decision on some sitdowns. If none of the previously mentioned bosses werent able to solve the dispute, then it was up to Giancana or Accardo to solve the problem.

Heres some information from my Alex article regarding Ferraros early days....

On September 24, 1933, 19 year old Alex together with Frank Ferraro, Nick Biondi and Louis Paletto were having a party in a saloon at 132 West 31st street, when suddenly one of the hoodlums got into an argument with another guest in the saloon who went by the name of Matthew Gorman. The cops came and they killed Gorman who in turn previously tried to shoot them and so in the end, Ferraro and Alex were arrested while they entered their car which was parked in front of the saloon. In their car the cops found three sawed off shotguns.

Frank Locascio was a member of Ferraros robbery crew, who later became an informant. So on October 19, 1937 Locascio was shot to death by two men who held handkerchiefs on their faces. The hit occurred in a restaurant at 3020 South Wells St and allegedly the two hitmen were Ferraro and Alex. Three days later, on October 22, 1937, Ferraro and Alex were arrested regarding the murder of Locascio and also regarding the numerous robberies.

Ferraro was released in both cases.