The power that was the Chicago Outfit has faded pretty rapidly since the mid 1990s. It seems that no one new has been made since the 1980s. On the one hand, largely the same players are still in power for the past 20-30 years. But as members are sent to prison, no one has been replaced.
Into the 1980s, Chicago had LA and Las Vegas. They also had casinos throughout the world (Spain, Latin America, etc.) well into the 1990s, at least according to Michael Corbitt a la Hy Larner. Now it's down to Chicago and Aruba.
As the current members age, there seems to be no one replacing them in Chicago like in Philly, Jersey, Boston, Detroit. Philly and Jersey rebuilt the organization from the ground up in the 2000s. It's almost like the guys at the top in Chicago don't want to replace anyone. Or is there a group standing by waiting to rebuild?
The current Outfit is split into two factions--Cicero and Elmwood Park. Salvatore Cautadella and Jimmy I run Cicero for Michael Sarno...with Frank Caruso's 26th Street Crew reporting into them along with a small crew in Chicago Heights and NW Indiana. Their rackets tend to focus more on the street crimes--juice, extortion, burglary, etc.
Elmwood Park is run by John and Pete DiFronzo with Alby Vena's Grand Avenue crew reporting into them along with Solly DeLaurentis' lake county crew. Joe Calato who is frequently referred to as "Joe Kong Cullotta" is out of the rackets. this faction is far more into white collar things like zoning scams, bid rigging, etc. Most of these guys have legitimate businesses and restaurants.
There certainly have been ceremonies since the 1980s. There are rumors that Sarno made a new crop before he headed to prison. I don't think anyone is doing a ceremony anymore--that started in Chicago with Aiuppa and ended with him.
