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Chicago's West Side Bosses: Rocco Pranno #767070
03/08/14 08:23 PM
03/08/14 08:23 PM
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During the mid 50's,Sam Giancana became front boss for the Chicago Outfit and also the defacto boss on the West Side.He placed his closest allies on top positions,surrounding him with his own top hitmen and loyalists like Fiore Buccieri,Chuckie Nicoletti,Phil Alderisio,Dominic Blasi,Willie Daddano,Sam Battaglia and Rocco Pranno from the West Side suburbs.Rocco Pranno was a Lieutenant in the Chicago mob during the 50's and early 60's and was known for giving the cement shoes treatment.He was one of Giancana’s number 1 goto guy's and he had personally been responsible for expanding the Outfit's jukebox and vending machine operations.He pretty much ran everything in Stone Park and Northlake.



Rocco Salvatore Pranno


Early Stage

Stone Park became open to organized crime,like every other territory with a big potential.During prohibition days,Al Capone ran a big brewery in Stone Park and held many clubs and also controlled an army of bootleggers that smuggled foreign-made liquor in to the United States.During that time period,a lot of young criminal gangs lurked the streets of Chicago.Gangs like the 42's,Circus Gang and the Country Club Bandits wich produced an army of future organized crime figures.One of them was Rocco Salvatore Pranno.He was born 1916 and was located on the West Side of Chicago and since childhood he showed a potential for becoming a big time criminal.As a youngster he did many petty crimes and had a big criminal record for robberies and stick ups and became a real husky guy.During the 30s,Pranno graduated in murder,bombing and his favorite,extortion and he worked for bosses like Paul Ricca and Murray Humphries.In the mid 30's Pranno served one year in prison for assault and battery, at the Joliet Prison, in Joliet, Illinois.When prohibtion ended,the Outfit moved in to other rackets such as gambling,union corruption,jukeboxes and vending machines etc.Rocco Pranno moved into gambling,labor racketeering and extortion with the help of his cronies Sam Battaglia,William Daddano,Joseph Amabile,Joseph Mendino and Nick Palermo(father of the husband of Accardos daughter) and he also worked closely with legend Rocco DeGrazia from Melrose Park.


The Rise

During the late 40's under the rule of Tony Accardo,Pranno's big time business was placing juke-boxes and vending machines in many locals on the West Side.Also other independent operators had to pay street tax to Pranno and the Giancana gang.For example,Bernard Poss comes from Aurora, Illinois, just outside Chicago and had been in the juke-box business since the early 40's.One day Rocco Pranno approached him about distributing gambling equipment and paying the mob a part of his earnings.Poss turned Pranno down many times,but Pranno constantly was telling him to get out of business or to sell out.So Pranno decided that is time to teach Poss a lession.They began destroying his joke box and vending machines.Two men would enter his locals,one with a gun, the other with an axe.With all of that every day terror,Poss went out of business and by the early 50's every local on the West Side of Chicago had Pranno's machines and payed him street tax.

When Sam Giancana became boss Pranno also got involved in prostitution, cartage theft and juice racketeering and became the undisputed boss of Stone Park.Pranno's main locals were the Club D'Or, Mock's Fun Casino,The Mono Park Night Club and The Mideast Cafe.During the late 50's Rocco Pranno,made Stone Park his base of operations and ran his operations from an office table at Club D’Or on Mannheim Road.He also had a big police protection because one of his cousins worked as the Chief of Police and Pranno's brother ran all the town’s political offices and made it easy for Rocco having some political connections also.Pranno had completely taken over one large West Side suburb,even to the point of assuming enough immunity to allow him to beat up a schoolteacher in the presence of the suburb's police.Rocco Pranno reached his prime time and became on of Chicago's most powerful bosses controlling unions,the juke box and the coin vending machine industry wich generated a lot of cash.Hyman Lamer aka Red Waterfall was one of Northlakes juke-box snake down artist's.Rocco Pranno expanded his jukebox and vending machine operations as far west as Elgin.Pranno also became so powerful that it was impossibile to make a construction with out paying first to him.Story goes that in 1951, Robert H. Niemeyer was leading the town in a crusade against two Northlake gambling dens when he was abducted and savagely beaten, supposedly by syndicate thugs sent by the Outfit.



Pranno's headquarters the Club D’Or


The Scared Witness

In the late 50's Rocco Pranno reportedly pressured the village's businesses to contract with certain vending machine companies.The ones that refused were placed into cement shoes and were thrown into the river.Pranno also had another tactic and that was by bodering people all the time and slowly bringin them to the edge of insanity.For example,Ralph Kelly was a big time vending machine operator on the West Side of Chicago.Pranno pressured Kelly into making Pranno a half partner but Kelly refused.Pranno followed Kelly everywhere and terrorized him along the way and also took him on many rides.Kellys life became a living terror so one day he decided that is time to make Pranno his full partner in the vending machine business.Kelly's income dropped 50% when Pranno became his partner and took half interest in Kelly's Aurora- Kane County Amusement Co.of 1029 St.Charles Road, Elgin, 111., in 1957, without paying Kelly a cent.In 1959 a Senate Rackets Committie,called Pranno and Kelly to testify.Kelly was living in fear,while Rocco glaring at him all the time,and choosed to remain silent.Pranno took the 5th many times and exhibited nothing but defiance, arrogance and irritation.When Kelly was asked if hes goin to let Pranno keep him in the state of fear for the rest of his life,Kelly again remained silent.Chairman McClelland was convinced Kelly was terror-stricken and aslo Robert Kennedy said that "This man is too frightened to talk" and left the hearings with an anger.


One Chicago newspaper branded Stone Park as "Hoodsville" in Chicago in the early 60's.Another example is when Kurt Peterson operated candy and cigarette machines in Northlake and didnt want to pay street tax.So one day Pranno sent one of his men to break one of Petersons leg.After that Peterson still didnt want to pay up so Pranno felt that Kurt needed to be straighten out break his other leg and belive it or not,Peter had to straighten himself out because he had no choice.


During Giancana's reign,the Outfit dealt with a lot of pressure from the FBI.The feds even invented the famous Lock Step tactic.Giancana was jailed in 1965 for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury and was demoted from the position as boss.In his absence,Sam Battaglia assumed control of the Outfit.Battaglia with the help of Rocco Pranno who held influential political offices, was extorting money from building contractors in Northlake, Ill. Rocco Pranno, a.k.a. Jim Martell, was running the operation with Battaglia's blessing and the construction racket became a major project for the Chicago Outfit.The builder was then charged a hefty fee to continue the work, leaving Pranno and his partners to divide the spoils.In the rackets,Pranno controlled one of his own construction company called the Carlson Construction together with Joe Amabile,Mike DiVito and Henry LaKey as a frontman.LaKey was paid 200$ a month as a president of the company.


The Paper Company Case

Prannos second in command was Joseph Amabile,a top racketeer.Amabile was a high ranking mobster who ran rackets out of his El Morocco Lounge, a night club on Lake Street in Northlake.Pranno pretty much ran everything in Stone Park and Northlake and, technically, was Amabile’s boss.In 1960,the International Paper Company decided to build a plant in the suburb of Northlake wich was Pranno's territory.Pranno on the orders of Sam Giancana sent one of his underlings to talk to the investors and asked for 20.000$.The company ingored the extortion and moved with construction.They started having problems with everything and the city's aldermen also put pressure over the investors so one day they had no choice and paid the cash.Alderman Seidler, Building Commissioner Pete Anderson, City Engineer Desoto McCabe, and Police Chief Dan Provenzano, along with Rocco Pranno, were shaking down the International Paper Company.


First Convictions

In 1966 Rocco Pranno was arrested in one of his clubs and tried to escape the feds but failed.Pranno, Northlake Mayor Henry Neri, and alderman Seidler,Anderson,McCabe and Provenzanno were arrested and charged for shaking down the International Paper Company.They also charged Mike DiVito with an unrelated income tax.In March of ’66, they all stood trial before Judge Wm. J. Campbell, prosecuted by David Schippers and Sam Betar. The trial lasted a little over a week. Mayor Neri would have his charges dismissed. He had been lucky when Pranno cut him out of the deal.Pranno,Seidler and Anderson were sentenced.



Rocco Pranno(left)getting out of court.


The King Arthur Project

While awaiting trial business continued.In 1962 there was a multi million dollar project in Northlake made by real estate developer named William G. Riley,with the building of a big apartment complex called The King Arthur Apts.Pranno sent a word from prison to Nick Palermo and Joseph Amabile to have a chat with Northlake Mayor Henry Neri and Alderman Wayne Seidler about getting the necessary cut.Pranno asked 30.000$ only for himself and Ald. Seidler,Alderman Leo Shababy,Alderman Angelo Shay each took $1600 with the remainder split between Aldermen George Becker, Fred Bruns and Frank Kinsley.But mayor Neri didnt want Pranno in the deal and told him that Amabile and Palermo were in charge now and that theres nothing that he can do and that he is through in Northlake.Nick Palermo's sewer contract costed over 250.000$ and Amabile washing machines costed over 15.000$ a month so they asked Battaglia that theres too much at stake and that Pranno need to lay off.


Second Convictions

In February of 1967, a grand jury indicted Battaglia, Amabile, Palermo, Evans, Neri, Shababy and Drozd for Violations of the Hobbs act arrising from their extortion of William Riley.In September, Amabile, Palermo, Neri, Shababy and Drozd were put on trial for their part in the squeeze of William Riley’s Northlake project. This trial would last seven weeks.Investor William Riley and convicted ex-alderman Wayne Seidler would be the primary prosecution witnesses.The conspirators obtained $48,500 from the Riley Management Corporation through threats .All five defendants would be found guilty.


Things ended up like this:

Rocco Pranno was charged with conspiracy to extort 23.000$ from contractors together with Northlake officials and was sentenced to 15 years.

Sam Battaglia was sentenced to 15 years in jail and a 15.000$ fine.

Joe Amabile was sentenced to 15 years in jail and a 10.000$ fine.

Nick Palermo was sentenced to 15 years in jail and a 10.000$ fine.Later his sentence was reduced.

Mayor Henri Neri was sentenced to 12 years and a and $7500 fine for conspiracy to extort 65.000$ from contractor William Riley.The judge refused any bail.

Alderman Leo SHababy was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $5000 fine for conspiracy and extorting 60,500$.During the trial he was given another year for perjury.

Alderman Joseph Drozd was sentenced to 7 years in prison and a $5000 fine for conspiracy.

Alderman Wayne Seidler was sentenced to 5 years in prison for conspiracy to extort 23.000 together with Pranno.He testified for the government and his sentance was reduced to 5 year probation.

Peter Anderson ,Northlake building commissioner,was sentenced to 3 years in prison and a 3000$ fine for conspiracy and taking bribes.

David Evans,William Riley's construction superintendent was sentenced to 10 years and a 5000$ fine.

During the 70's many Outfit legends from the old guard on the West Side died or went to jail.Sam Battaglia got out of prison in 1973 and he died of cancer.In 1972 Outfit top boss Paul Ricca died and in 1975 Sam Giancana was found in the basement kitchen of his Oak Park home with 6 shots from a .22 in his head.Joe Amabile died in prison in Spetember 1976 and finally Rocco Pranno died in prison in July 1979 of natural causes.

The only mobster that none of this mess ever touched him,was Tony Accardo.He died in his bed of heart failure in 1992.

If any1 has any additional info or found any mistakes in this article(wrong dates,situations,members etc.)please feel free to contribute.This article is completed from various infos that can be found on the internet.cheers


He who can never endure the bad will never see the good
Re: Chicago's West Side Bosses: Rocco Pranno [Re: Toodoped] #767080
03/08/14 10:08 PM
03/08/14 10:08 PM
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GaryMartin Offline
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Great info, Toodoped. Thanks

Re: Chicago's West Side Bosses: Rocco Pranno [Re: Toodoped] #767103
03/09/14 02:16 AM
03/09/14 02:16 AM
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funkster Offline
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Good stuff.

Re: Chicago's West Side Bosses: Rocco Pranno [Re: Toodoped] #767537
03/12/14 05:08 AM
03/12/14 05:08 AM
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Thanks guys


He who can never endure the bad will never see the good
Re: Chicago's West Side Bosses: Rocco Pranno [Re: Toodoped] #767563
03/12/14 11:26 AM
03/12/14 11:26 AM
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realnoname Offline
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Very good story.

You may find it interesting to note that a key government witness “Henry Lakey” aka Henry Rufo was found murdered after being stuffed in a trunk in December 1971.

Lakey refused to enter the witness protection program only changing his name and remained living in Lombard, Illinois. Lakey’s wife told investigators he was meeting a “Al Tornabene” yes that guy, to discuss opening a pizza parlor.

Little if any investigation was done as it seemed the United States Government was not intreseted in informing the public that a cooperating witness was found and killed.

One last note, the car in which Henry was eventually found was originally parked in a hotel parking lot in Northlake which was meant to send a message. What would may be in todays standards considered sloppy police work the vehicle which was stolen being virtually brand new, it was decided to not explore the contents of the trunk until it was later inventoried by an unsuspecting insurance agent in Freeport, Illinois.

Re: Chicago's West Side Bosses: Rocco Pranno [Re: realnoname] #767589
03/12/14 02:03 PM
03/12/14 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: realnoname
Very good story.

You may find it interesting to note that a key government witness “Henry Lakey” aka Henry Rufo was found murdered after being stuffed in a trunk in December 1971.

Lakey refused to enter the witness protection program only changing his name and remained living in Lombard, Illinois. Lakey’s wife told investigators he was meeting a “Al Tornabene” yes that guy, to discuss opening a pizza parlor.

Little if any investigation was done as it seemed the United States Government was not intreseted in informing the public that a cooperating witness was found and killed.

One last note, the car in which Henry was eventually found was originally parked in a hotel parking lot in Northlake which was meant to send a message. What would may be in todays standards considered sloppy police work the vehicle which was stolen being virtually brand new, it was decided to not explore the contents of the trunk until it was later inventoried by an unsuspecting insurance agent in Freeport, Illinois.


Thanks for the info.All i knew was that LaKey acted as a frontman for Pranno's businesses and that they had some problems with one company.... and yeah Tornabene(the Pizza Man)was a legend in the Outfit who later became a consiglieri i think.

Welcome to the boards


He who can never endure the bad will never see the good

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