Point taken. But he was much more known as a white collar guy rather than a heavy guy, wasn't he?

Or is I guess I should say as he hasn't kicked the bucket just yet.

Oh I agree , but like his father he probably had to give the ok to a lot of
Blue collar activities in CT and garment center.

My grandfather first cousins were the Pappadio's ( Andimo , Michael , Fred ) and Panica's ( Victor ) and from the little I heard the garment center was like a world of its own ( my grandfather was a teamsters truck driver ) , almost like the Fulton fish market . It was an area where law enforcement didn't matter , LCN enforced the area and the same with lending , banks weren't really the source of funding but rather LCN.

There is quite a bit known about Angelo LaPietra, from Mr. Cooley & from Calabrese, Jr. The LaPietra Bros. Bridgeport was imo the craziest time in the Outfit's history besides Taylor St. in the 40s-60s.

Guess I mean his entire career ans not just late 70s and 80s.

That is true about the outfit but family secrets and the casino skim case really did give a lot of info from mid 70s to late 90s but I hear what your saying , they were a very well run family .

What's even crazier IMO is how little we know about the Genovese , between Genovese and Chin nobody really knows for certain who the administration was and that family is fucking huge, soldiers in what 5 or 6 states . Even today nobody really knows who is really running things . In this day and age that is quite the accomplishment . They are just a very well run family

I know I keep bringing him up but a guy like Angelo Ponte who nobody even knows , not even some mob enthusiasts , who today is easily worth over $100M . Nobody knows if he is a soldier or associate for sure . I know the grand kids , was at the wedding last year and now word is that Angelo brother is the one who really ran things and I have never even heard of him . Even today they have their hands in a lot of unions , trucking , garbage and construction pots , huge unions like the carpenters union and huge construction projects like WTC , Shea , $100M + deals.

I've heard a few comparisons made between the Outfit and the Genovese, as far as their secrecy and how they tend to run things..

the heights in the 60s,70s, and 80s was pretty brutal

even paul ricca had trouble controlling them

I have the book "The Boys In Chicago Heights" and it appears to be well-researched and written (Matt Luzi). Contains a lot of information that I had never seen. Lots of interesting stories.

I believe you guys from Chicago would really like this book because you are familiar with all the geographic areas, i'am not. But it was a very informative book on the history of Chicago Heights.

Hey Funkster, you mentioned wanting to know more about Solano. A close friend of mine's wifes family married into the Solano family in the 80's. She told me some stories when she was younger and her family would come visit she was told to stay out of one room in the house which was Vince's office. In all the family photos Vince always had a mean look on his face. When she was older she was told to never talk about anything criminal in the house out of fear of the house being bugged. She never understood why since she was only 14 and had no knowledge of anything criminal. When Vince died in 1992 she didn't go to the funeral but her dad did and he noticed people across the street taking photos which turned out to be the feds.

That is a great book and I highly recommend it like Gary. One of the few instances you hear about important people who rarely get mentioned like Joseph "Pappa Joe" Tocco and an in-depth look at the infamous chop shop wars.

Not many people know this, but Vince Solano Jr. started as an attorney working for the IRS in the 70s. In the 1980s, he was assistant states attorney in DuPage County. The son was very influential in helping his father maintain such a low profile and even Ken Eto testified about the father forcing Rush Street nightclub owners to sign over deeds to his son.

These days he is a very successful real estate and golf course developer...he did Royal Fox in St. Charles and the Solano's and Cerones partnered to create the Outfit's country club of the 1970s/80s--Brookwood CC. After the course was raided on Super Bowl Sunday and a gambling ring was discovered, Cerone/Solano Jr. managed to somehow get DuPage County's forest preserve to buy back the land...making a tidy profit.

Solano then went on to create Black Sheep which caught a ton of flack and media coverage for only allowing men. Solano Jr. was quoted everywhere from Sports Illustrated to the Chicago Tribune.

Wow, didnt realize Solano jr was still involved.

I do not believe that he is "still" involved beyond some partnerships in various restaurants and real estate (supposedly Solano Jr. is a partner in several Wisconsin properties alongside DiFronzo). I think it just goes to show you how smart Solano was. His kid began working for literally "the enemy" during the time his Dad's star took off in the Outfit. He then used his father's connections to start a real estate company.

I meant involved at all. Thought he was completely legit...which he may be...but not completely if its like that.


Is the Old Neighborhood Italian American Neighborhood Club still an Outfit hangout?

Yeah if you look through the Ken Eto testimony he discusses in detail about Solano Sr. forcing Rush Street tavern owners to sign over leases to his son. And if Vince Solano Sr. was the sociopathic mobster we have all read about, one might think he would be using his son's connections at the IRS to take care of a few things.

The "ONIAC" still has some mob connections I'm sure...I haven't been down there for years, but I'm sure that Dominic "Captain D" DiFazio is still holding court down there. He is an associate who works at Connie's Pizza (testified at Family Secrets in regards to his payoffs to Calabrese) and probably still runs a large book. DiFazio is a major gambler. I know that in the "day," Aldo Piscitelli and his father Shorty LaMantia used the ONIAC all the time.

These day's ONIAC is dominated by the PR guru Dominic DiFrisco who was the mouthpiece for the Caruso family during the Leonard Clark trial and was quoted 100 times in media coverage around Family Secrets complaining about negative Italian stereotypes. Dominic is a legit guy who expects people to ignore his associations apparently. So in other words, I'm not sure I would consider ONIAC an "Outfit hangout" but I would consider it to have deep Outfit connections.

Any other known hangouts other than, say, HSAC?

Drive around Bridgeport and Elmwood and see

As far as Outfit hangouts & activity within city limits are concerned, the Patch is nothing when stacked up against the Bridgeport area. The Patch is just well known because of proximity to yuppie neighborhoods & Richard's. Bridgeport/Armour Square still have actual street action. The Chinatown casinos & general nature of that neighborhood have kept it in tact. Lots of "members only" signs & shady stuff happening throughout that area at all times. Taylor Street is a billboard.

Outside city limits, as Nicky mentioned, Elmwood park is ripe with social clubs. That's the Mecca & the real "little Italy" of Chicago. Melrose, Berwyn, Westchester, Addison, Lombard, Bloomingdale, oak park all have Outfit hangouts & gathering clubs.

They're everywhere in Bridgeport lol. Are there any left on Taylor St Huron?

Interesting. I admit I rarely venture into those parts...though my parents are very close to EP. I'll have to take a tour in my car one of these days ha.

Of course there is.

For years Vince Solano jr. had his law firm right in downtown Lisle were the Solano family lived for years. My friends wife was told if she ever needed any help with anything in Chicago she was told to call Vince jr. and he will take care of it.
As far as hangouts. I live in the Grand and Ogden neighborhood and have worked in that neighborhood for 8 years. There used to be a social club a the corner of Grand and may st and you would see a lot of old timers from the Grand Ave crew outside. La Scarola and Richards is a hangout for Albert Vena and Bobby Dominic. Some of the Rush St. restaraunts have a lot of outfit money involved. I believe the Cozzos still have the big place at grand and ogden.

The Grand & May Social Club was the "Boomerang Social Club." I played on their softball team years ago. Dominic Calarco was the President. He was also the one who hid Joey Lombardo in 2007 around Family Secrets. The club was for "members" after 4pm but during the day, it was used by the GAC and everyone from Vena to Spina to Cozzo to Andriacchi would come there to meet.

http://men-cooking.takeashare.com/


This was Christy & Vena's Bar a few years ago that got written up in Chicago Magazine and quoted Christy:
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/April-2008/Drink-Local/

Now the bar operates as Aberdeen Tap and Christy still holds court here: http://www.theaberdeentap.com/

This is Cozzo's pool hall about a block away from Aberdeen:
http://www.sportunion.us/company-city-pool-hall-food-spirits-in-chicago-il-22316

Phil had his welcome home party at this pool hall over the summer when he was released from prison.

They also own a piece of the Burger Baron:
http://www.burgerbaron.net/

i live the neighborhood too. Apparently we are neighbors. Chitown, Aberdeen in particular is a really nice bar.

Any specific spots of note in Bridgeport or EP?

Why did the May club close down...is it cause of of the Lombardo thing?

I think most of the places in the old neighborhoods are long-gone. Bobby Abinanti owned "The Loon" in River Grove. Now it's called "My Way" or something like that. I wonder whether he still owns it, but that was where DiFronzo and his brothers were all caught meeting by Chuck Goudie.

One of the local OTB parlors that is frequented by Outfit members like Jimmy Inendino and others is "Lucky Magees" in Niles.

Bobby Abbinanti apparently likes this place too:
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=93125&terms=Abbinanti

I tend to see more Outfit faces at suburban spots like the Grotto, Spavone's, Pal Joey's, Danny's/Cuzzins in Des Plaines. It is not like the 60s or 70s where there are "neighborhoods" where guys live and walk down the street to hang out. These guys now spread out everywhere.

I think Calarco was really the last guy to really work hard to keep that place going...I think attrition was the general factor and the fact that near the end, all the members lived in the suburbs.

I believe Cuzzins is now closed.

When it was the My Way Abbinanti owned it. That closed and now it's called the River Cafe. Don't know who owns it.

Interesting that the person who uploaded the video out front of ONIAC called himself Phillip Gurgone.