Then there are the Outfit "experts" posing under different aliases who have their own agenda of promoting certain Outfit members.

The Outfit has always been smaller in numbers, but very powerful by controlling political figures and unions. The Teamster Pension Fund was their piggy bank through Allen Dorfman.

I'd say after Carlisi was sent away, they never had another strong and aggressive boss.

I've researched this era (Ricca, Accardo and Giancana) for over a year and basically what you stated here is what I've been told. Actually, according to a lot of people, Accardo was ready to retire in 1957 ! He stayed on because of Ricca and Giancana. I'm sure there may have been other reasons, but he was not hurting for money. Some things I found did surprise me. I'm not saying the info is factual, but to me it was interesting. Here are a few:

- Ricca's deportation problems started in the late forties. He was under immense pressure from the govt for both deportation and tax issues. He pushed Accardo to do more and more.

- Ricca was furious with Giancana because of Phyllis McGuire. He took out his anger on Accardo, who, apparently had something to do with Giancana's ascension to the position of boss. Don't have anything else on this. Murray Humphrey also complained about Giancana's high profile life style.

- Giancana gave Ricca and Accardo lots of headaches. The problem was both Ricca and Accardo were tied up in court with IRS problems. Ricca subsequently went away in '59 and Accardo's conviction was reversed in early Oct. '62. Two other points here. Accardo was on sabbatical or semi-retired ( not sure what) and Giancana had pretty much a free hand to do whatever. He also had a very strong power base. Giancana could not have taken over at a worse time. Law enforcement scrutiny had begun and the old ways of doing things were about to change.

- problems with Giancana started to increase sometime in 1962. Once Ricca and Accardo's legal problems were resolved, the beginning of the end was in sight. Giancana was, for the most part, AWOL far too much. His absence and newspaper and magazine articles with his picture, etc., did not set well with The Outfit rank in file or Ricca and Accardo. I think everyone knows about Castro, the Kennedy's, Sinatra, etc., etc. Sam Giancana became a famous celebrity gangster. Powerful ? You bet. Giancana had connections at home and in other countries. He was a money- making son-of- a- gun. He also had Chicago in his pocket.

- What happened ? Giancana's high profile lifestyle drew lots of attention and caused dissention within The Outfit. Something had to be done. Murray Hemphreys told Accardo and Ricca that The Outfit was "leaderless." A meeting of top echelon Outfit members was held in Dec.'63 and was reported by newspapers in Jan.that a change in Outfit leadership was imminent. It was another couple years before Giancana was replaced.

- I do believe it was Accardo who met with Giancana and probably told him that for his own safety he should get out of Chicago. I do not believe Ricca or Accardo wanted Giancana killed. I think both men would have been perfectly content to have Giancana go to Mexico and continue making lots of money, which, of course, would be shared with The Outfit. Well, one out of two ain't bad. Giancana went to Mexico and continued making money but, being the stubborn man he was, refused to share any funds with The Outfit. Authorities eventually "kicked" Giancana out of Mexico and he returned to Chicago. Lots of legal matters followed with the govt determined to make Giancana talk or go to jail. Of course this caused concern within The Outfit. Giancana was eventually murdered in June 1975. Everyone with whom I talked said the hit on Giancana could only have taken place with Accardo's approval. Some folks said Accardo was the last holdout.

- in Giancana's absence, Accardo once again became interim boss. He stayed only long enough to find a qualified replacement. Sam Battaglia was next followed by several others who didn't last very long. It appears Accardo hung around as Chairman but had others handling the day-to- day operations. At some point in the 60's Ricca began having serious health problems (maybe dementia) and Accardo began calling the shots. He quickly formed some type of top echelon Committe that included himself, Gus Alex and Joey Aiuppa. Accardo stayed around long enough to help Aiuppa, and then went into semi-retirement, coming out when necessary or when his expertise was needed. He basically stayed well-insulated behind the scenes, but retained lots of power and influence. He continued to receive money from The Outfit well into the late 80's and possibly the 90's.

There are lots of gaps about particular matters, but this is basically what I've found about this era.

I'm fascinated by Aiuppa. Wish there was more info on him. Personally, though surely some will disagree, I don't think Aiuppa really answered to anyone. I know Fosco is a controversial figure in these parts, but he claimed guys on the street were very nervous when Joey O was getting close to finishing his time in the 90s before he died.

Interesting....looks like he was out a full year before he died...anyone know if he took the top spot back while he was out? Or was he too sick?

Accardo couldn't have stopped Joey Aiuppa even if he would have wanted to. Not that he did. Again, the Outfit was run more like a board of directors, rather than one guy making final calls. If you did have to single out one top guy throughout the 70s/80s period of the Outfit, it was Aiuppa. He led the biggest, roughest crew, and if you look at who took over the smaller crews, they were all guys that were very close to Joey O. Accardo & Cerone played along & went with Aiuppas program. Again, not that they didn't want to, but even if they did, they weren't in a position to be pushing the Cicero crew around. Elmwood Park/Grand Ave (northside) may have had the fancy aldermanic/political connects, but Cicero had the muscle & the numbers to make the whole Thing go. Anyways, just take a look at the "last supper" photograph. Aiuppa is seated at the head of the table with his bosses on either side, and his consigliere (accardo closest to him).

I wouldn't necessarily say Aiuppa was a grimey snake. He was a shrewd, soft spoken guy. The people who loved him, really loved & respected the guy, and if you didn't, you didn't, and you were probably on his radar. There weren't really more than two ways about it. He certainly wasn't a universally beloved Mafia hero to street soldiers a la Mooney Giancana, Ricca, Campagna. Aiuppa liked money more than he liked the traditional Life.

This is accurate. Black Sam Carlisi (Aiuppa's protégé) & Jimmy Marcello were the last two legit Outfit street bosses. Nowadays you have a guy like Solly D who could absolutely run it like it once was, but There just isn't enough in place/enough recruits to get the thing off the ground again. We'll see what happens. Cicero is still a very active, highly dangerous crew with a good deal of members, as we saw with the Carparelli indictment. So we'll see what happens.

Really? I would have thought Aiuppa would have been a straight up lover of the life. Cosa Nostra through and through.

If you read the FBI files on him, this guy went all the way back to the Dillinger days. Guy was a gangster to the core.

Any idea if DiFronzo's grandson is involved? I know he works for D&P..

He just was a pretty simple man Who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and relaxing on his front porch in Melrose Park. He didn't drink alcohol, smoke, or gamble, and you rarely saw him fraternizing with gangsters. That's what I meant. I meant by the standard stereotype of a mafioso. Like if you saw Sam Giancana or Phil Alderisio walking down the street, you'd immediately know exactly who & what the fuck they were about.

Did you see the pic I posted a few months ago? The one of him with the big ass fish that was posted in some ho dunk town newspaper?

He just was a pretty simple man Who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and relaxing on his front porch in Melrose Park. He didn't drink alcohol, smoke, or gamble, and you rarely saw him fraternizing with gangsters. That's what I meant. I meant by the standard stereotype of a mafioso. Like if you saw Sam Giancana or Phil Alderisio walking down the street, you'd immediately know exactly who & what the fuck they were about.

For anyone interested...FBI files on Joey O are great. Tons of good info, including some info from a CI in the 60s who told the FBI Aiuppa was a nobody in the Outfit. Unfortunately, a bunch of it is still redacted.

http://vault.fbi.gov/Joseph%20Aiuppa

Philly definately wasn't a second tier family compared to Chicago. Don't forget that Philly had a great run when Angelo Bruno ran the show. They made nothing but money during his reign. Scarfo in the 80's dropped more bodies than the outfit has in the last 30 years. 2nd tier families during the 80's would be Cleveland,L.A.,K.C., Detroit etc. Philly had A.C. to Trenton and all of Delaware County. They are right on par with the Outfit then and now.

I saw the picture of the fish and I've read the fbi files. I can't remember all that much except that he was "quick to kill," very brutal. He was apparently a hunting and fishing enthusiast.

Other than the FBI files I haven't found much on Aiuppa.

So much of this information cannot be validated. I don't know how anyone would know for sure what transpired behind closed doors with top echelon members of The Outfit. My guess is a great deal of these interpretations / versions have been handed down and probably distorted and embellished to some degree.

Good stuff, Gary. Thanks for posting.

Philly had Philly and the surrounding areas. Chicago had the entire Midwest and the Teamsters. Up through the 80's, it was the NY families and Chicago and then everyone else. The second tier was Philly, Detroit, New England etc. Then the bench warmers were LA, San Fran etc. As far as killing a bunch of your own guys, what does that mean when it comes to power? The Luccheses killed more guys under Vic & Gas than the Genovese have killed the last 30 years. Does that make them more powerful?

Chicago - Capone, Accardo, Ricca, Giancana, Aiuppa, Alderisia, Nicoletti, Spilotro, DeStefano, Torello, Ferriola, the list goes on and on

Philly - Bruno, Scarfo, Testa. That's about it. I can't imagine guys like Stanfa and Skinny Joey Merlino ever getting close to the top of the Outfit.

Don't forget he had a hunting retreat five miles from where the Spilotros were buried.

The Outfit knocked down a TON of people in the 70s and 80s.

I remember the hunting retreat and the price Tony Spilotro and his brother paid for exposing Aiuppa and Cerone in the skimming deal. I've read those articles many times.

Aiuppa was a tough old bird. From what I've gathered, he was not the money-maker like Giancana or the thinker like Accardo, but he was gangster 100 percent and that alone made up for any shortcomings, not that he had any, but he was one of the old diehard criminals. I believe Aiuppa adhered to the belief that "when in doubt, take 'em out."

There's another story about two FBI agents who stopped by his house to talk with
him. If I can find the story I'll post it on the forum. Needless to say they got absolutely nothing from him. About the only thing he said was, "I have nothing to say." He was very courteous and cordial to the agents but made it clear "he had nothing to say." Tough, tough, tough.

Here's the story.

http://ganglandchicago-offthecuff.blogspot.com/2010/09/chicago-style-wings-ribs.html

Is it your contention that the Spilotros were killed pretty much because Aiuppa and Cerone blamed them in a roundabout way for bringing down all the heat that resulted in what amounted to life sentences for them?

That's the general consensus of what I've read and been told, John. There were other reasons given such as T. Spilotro "fooling around" with Rosenthal's wife, and the possibility that T. Spilotro might "break" under pressure when he went to court. It also seems that his brother, Michael, just got caught up in the goings-on. Michael wanted to be a gangster and the feeling apparently was that if The Outfit hit Tony they would also have to take out Michael.

I believe Aiuppa was quoted as saying something like, " I want them out; I don't care how you do it, but I want them out." Maybe not an exact quote, but close.

There could also be other reasons that I haven't read or heard.

Here's an article about the Spilotro murders.

August 14th, 2007 10:00 PM
By BILL DWYER
Over the past two months, as the "Family Secrets" mob trial has unfolded in a federal courtroom downtown, the shroud was partly lifted on events involving two of the most infamous murders in Oak Park history-the June, 1986 executions of Oak Parkers Anthony and Michael Spilotro.

The killings have been fodder for countless news articles, at least three books, and a popular mob movie, Casino. But the exact circumstances of the demise of the two Oak Park residents remained obscured until recent testimony in the federal trial.

The facts had been hinted at before, by people on both sides of the Spilotros' world. According to William F. Roemer, Jr., a retired FBI agent who had numerous contacts with him, Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro ignored numerous suggestions, then outright warnings from mob elders in Chicago. In his newly released book, former Spilotro lieutenant Frank Cullotta says pretty much the same.

"Tony's caused the Outfit a lot of problems, and he'd stopped generating money. Michael is cocky and has caused problems, too," he recalls saying after hearing of their disappearance. "They aren't needed anymore. If you whack one, you gotta whack them both. I guarantee you they're both dead."

Anthony Spilotro reportedly entered mob life in his early 20s, under the tutelage of reputed outfit torture killer "Mad Sam" DeStefano, and went on to work with feared hit man Felix Alderisio. Spilotro was a suspect with DeStefano in the infamous 1962 "M&M murders" of two burglars in Elmwood Park, a fact Cullotta confirms in his book, as well as the grisly 1960 torture execution of William "Action" Jackson, as well as a suspect in over 20 other killings as he climbed the mob hierarchy.

By the mid-1970s, Spilotro was the outfit's top man in Las Vegas. But he slowly eroded the good will of his mob superiors by repeatedly violating rules and running his own gang, the "Hole in the Wall Gang," led by Cullotta, which burglarized jewelry stores and robbed and beat gamblers.

Mob boss Joey "The Doves" Aiuppa was reportedly incensed that Spilotro was not-so-discreetly involved with the wife of mob associate Lefty Rosenthal.

Rosenthal was just one of numerous friends and associates to whom Spilotro had apparently been disloyal. Back in Chicago during Spilotro's early days, Rosenthal, then a Florida bookie and oddsmaker, reportedly saved Spilotro's life after West Side mob boss Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri began strangling Spilotro after he mouthed off to him.

"I talked Buccieri out of it," Rosenthal told the online gambling magazine Cardozaplayer.com.

Rosenthal was also instrumental in helping Spilotro get set up in Vegas. But that didn't stop Spilotro from betraying him and even planning to have him killed. Asked by Cardozaplayer.com how he felt about the news of Spilotro's death, Rosenthal reportedly said diplomatically, "I'm glad I wasn't asked to be one of his pallbearers."

Cullotta wrote that he began to fear that Spilotro had turned against him when he couldn't get him to cover his bail expenses, despite Cullotta having forwarded many hundreds of thousands of dollars in "street tax" to Spilotro.

Roemer wrote that Spilotro's mismanagement of his affairs and lack of support for his subordinates led to several of his people turning federal government witness, with eventual disastrous consequences for him.

"Unfortunately for Tony Spilotro, he managed to invoke the ire of his superiors when five of his underlings chose to become government witnesses. Three testified against Aiuppa, Cerone and other ne'er-do-wells named in the government's Pendorf and Strawman indictments," wrote Roemer.

After entering the federal witness protection program, Cullotta himself helped pound a nail in his former boss' coffin when he testified during the Las Vegas federal court trial of Spilotro and eight other mobsters in February, 1986 that Spilotro had been getting a cut of all burglaries and robberies in Las Vegas.

"He told me in 1978 when I first arrived in Las Vegas that no one was to know that he was getting a cut because he didn't want any problems with the people back in Chicago," Cullotta testified. Indeed, in the wake of his murder, investigators learned that Spilotro had been buying up "extensive" properties in Las Vegas.

On April 8, 1986 a mistrial was called in the racketeering trial. Spilotro was photographed smiling as he left the courthouse, but he still faced three separate indictments.

On April 25, both Spilotro brothers were indicted by a Chicago federal grand jury on multiple counts that included attempted extortion and racketeering. On top of it all, Tony Spilotro was scheduled to go on trial again in Las Vegas in late June.

His attorney, Oscar Goodman, now the mayor of Las Vegas, said recently he is confident he could have gotten Spilotro off on all charges. However the Chicago Outfit, which knows a thing or two about computing odds, wasn't willing to bet that The Ant was lucky enough, or Goodman talented enough, to win four consecutive criminal trials.

Aiuppa, who headed to prison in the spring of 1986, due largely to testimony from Spilotro's people, evidently had seen and heard enough.

"I don't care how you do it. Get him. I want him out," Aiuppa reportedly ordered.

A hit team that included Nick Calabrese-now a top government informant currently testifying against his mob colleagues-was sent out to Vegas to kill Tony Spilotro using explosives and automatic weapons. After that plan was aborted, a scheme was hatched to lure the brothers to a meeting in a Bensenville house with the promise of a mob promotion for Tony and having Michael become a "made" member of the Outfit.

As they drove away from Tony's south Oak Park townhouse around 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 14 in Michael's Lincoln Continental, the brothers may have realized they'd run afoul of mob superiors.

According to an FBI document, Michael Spilotro told another person that if he didn't come back from the Bensonville meeting, "It was no good." His wife, Ann confirmed that in court last week, saying, "He said if he wasn't back by 9 o'clock, it was no good."

Michael Spilotro's daughter, Michelle, told the court her father told her he loved her "at least 10 times before leaving June 14." Both men reportedly removed all of their valuables and personal identification before leaving the house.

Sure enough, instead of promotions, Calabrese testified, he and around 10 other outfit killers, including James LaPietra, John Fecarotta, John DiFronzo, Sam Carlisi, Louie "The Mooch" Eboli, James Marcello, Louis Marino, Joseph Ferriola, and Ernest "Rocky" Infelice were waiting as the two brothers entered the basement.

Unlike in the movie Casino, in which Anthony Spilotro, played by Joe Pesci, is beaten with a baseball bat, there was no forensic evidence that the men had been buried alive, or beaten with bats.

Calabrese said he tackled Michael Spilotro and held his legs while another mobster strangled him with a rope. He said he heard Tony Spilotro ask his executioners, "Can I say a prayer?" There was no reply.

The brothers' corpses were driven to a cornfield on the outskirts of Enos, Ind. by Fecarotta and others for burial. On June 23, their grave was found by a farmer. Investigators found the viciously beaten bodies-bruised from head to ankle-under five feet of earth.

Forensic pathologist Dr. John Pless testified last month that autopsies of the Spilotros, in which he took part, determined that multiple blunt trauma injuries to the head, neck and chest-most likely the result of punches and kicks, not bats-caused the brothers' deaths. The Spilotros, Pless added, died partly as a result of their lungs and airways being so full of blood, they couldn't breathe.

The day after the bodies were found, the Chicago Archdiocese ruled that the Spilotros could not be given a Catholic funeral at St. Bernardine in Forest Park because of their links to organized crime. Following a private service in a cemetery chapel at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, June 27, they were buried in the family plot.

The day before the burial, three of the Spilotros' alleged killers, Ferriola, Infelice and Marino, attended their wake at Salerno's Galewood Chapels on North Harlem Avenue.

Here's a footnote to the last post.


Oak Park judge set Spilotro free
Anthony Spilotro might have caught a long prison sentence three years before his murder if not for a corrupt Circuit Court judge who lived in Oak Park. Judge Thomas J. Maloney was assigned to Tony Spilotro's murder trial after Spilotro was indicted in January 1983, for the 1962 torture murders of Elmwood Park burglars Billy McCarthy and James Miraglia.
Maloney summarily acquitted Spilotro after discounting the testimony of the government's chief witness, one Frank Cullotta.
Ten years later, Maloney earned the dubious distinction of being the only Illinois judge ever convicted of fixing a murder case-not Spilotro's-and numerous other felonies after he was caught up in the sweeping Operation Greylord investigation. He received a 15-year prison sentence and was fined $200,000.

Off the tracks? They got 500 made guys, control illinos and still most vegas casinos

Cool article.

I would imagine this was what sealed the deal:

"Aiuppa, who headed to prison in the spring of 1986, due largely to testimony from Spilotro's people, evidently had seen and heard enough."

Plus the fact that he had been breaking all the rules, and, probably of more significance, that despite what Goodman said, he was unlikely to beat four criminal trials.

And Chicago was nothing compared to the 5 families.

Maybe Chicago was top of the second tier above Philly...but they were never in the top tier with the 5 families in NYC.

It seems like you are putting them in that category in their prime, which I disagree with.

In fact, in their prime, I would say Detroit gives Chi town a run for their money.

But Chicago, Philly, Detroit, were NEVER in the first tier of families...IF that is what you were implying.

blackjack are you high? are you seriously comparing chicago with detroit?

Stop trolling.

Fuckin stupid.

Philly had a ton of influence during Bruno,testa and scarfo's reign as did the outfit under accardo and Auippa. Philly had ac construction and chi had the sands in LV. Just saying that they were very comparable during the 60's to 80's. Both were the only family in their respective cities\surrounding counties and had seats on commission. also had comparable numbers with made men. When it comes to union infiltration Chi def had more pull than philly. Philly had a bartenders union in AC and Local Roofers and Chi had basically all the unions in CHI from what I have read. Wasn't Teamsters basically shared tho? I thought Tony Pro from genovese,Chi and someone from Det all had a piece of hoffa?

The same factors as every other family - attrition sped along by law enforcement, union reform, etc.

This pretty well says it all about The Outfit decline. Not saying they are gone, but this brief statement covers the reasons why The Outfit has been seriously damaged (IMO).

I don't know too much about Chi Town but considering they were one family compared to NY with 5 families they did hold a lot of weight in running tons of rackets and had the political clout. To me they were a tight family with not a lot of snitches infiltrating their crews. So that being said they were an elite family imo.