Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. He said, Who are you to call these people names? If it wasn't for that Family Secrets case they never would have even made a dent VS the outfit. We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison. Daley gifted James with a token shillelagh. Frank "The German" Schweihs in 1963 and again in 1989. Today I would like to celebrate the life of my good friend, the late Judge James Zafiratos. Federal prosecutors crippled the Outfit with a series of high-profile trials over the past 30 or so years, including the family secrets trial in 2007, which resulted in nearly the entire upper echelon of the Outfitincluding Joseph Joey the Clown Lombardo, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James Marcellogoing away for life. This promotion was made possible because of Anthony Joe B Accardo and Joseph Aiuppa, who well knew how effective Romie and Armando Fosco, were, and because of their low-key public profiles. Calabrese also testified that he and Matassa helped conduct surveillance in the late 1980s on a movie house operator who owed the mob money, according to the transcript. The former secretary-treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711, Matassa, of Arlington Heights, pleaded guilty in February to an embezzlement charge alleging he put his wife on the unions payroll in a do-nothing job for four years while lowering his own salary to qualify for early retirement benefits from the Social Security Administrations Old-Age Insurance program. Ron Scavo, one of the brothers killed by Billy McCarthy and Jimmy Miraglia in Elmwood Park Il. Mafia Report: Chicago Outfit - Addendum Nine. Ernest "Rocky" Infelise. The Judge was a mans man. DiFronzo and D'Amico cut their teeth on the same West Side Outfit crew and were considered yin and yang crooks. If it werent for the bad cops in Elmwood Park, Illinois (who were eventually forced out of the Elmwood Park, Illinois, Police Department), that brought a bogus case against me in 1992, I probably would not have had the pleasure of knowing Judge Zafiratos. A lot of times with these rats they have a similar story where they fucked up. Romies influence was mostly relevant to judges (or soon-to-be judges) of Italian and Greek descent (but not limited to those ethnicities). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. In addition to the prison time imposed by Kennelly, Matassa must also pay a total of $66,500 in restitution to the union and Social Security Administration. The bosses had all gathered that March day to discuss business and pleasures, unaware that they were being surveilled by an ABC7 news crew. I believe so, he is connected to Vena through Richard's bar by a few gangster report articles but he probably is not made. In his active years, Romie had personal friendships and/or serious acquaintanceships with eight Chicago mayors. As I wrap up these stories about my good friend, I want to disabuse anyone from thinking that Zafiratos was a judge who conveniently found defendants not guilty because of who they were associated with, or related to, or because of other personal feelings he may have had. Of course, James and Romies longstanding friendship had created a powerful bond during their childhood that lasted for the rest of their lives. A truck for D & P Construction, a waste-hauling company that the FBI has said was controlled by brothers John DiFronzo and Peter DiFronzo. Despite photo appearances, Outfit history will record that D'Amico was no underworld-dork, and could see quite clearly. (Mafia wiki) Robert Pawlaszek, of SEIU Local 1, gathers with OHare janitors and other employees during a prayer vigil outside of Mayor Rahm Emanuels residence in Chicago, Ill., on Thursday, November 29, 2012. With the exception of David Duvall Orr, Romie personally knew every Chicago mayor from Kelly to Richard M. Daley. According to my late father, one of the Outfits favorite Chicago mayors (in my fathers lifetime) was Harold Washington. As a side note, a family member of Judge Stillo seems to me to have joined his relative, Nick Spina, and (independently) another relative, who is the now late Sal Ferrara of Ferrara Candy Company, in sabotaging some of my respectable goals in more recent years. The Chicago Outfit is that city's branch of the American Mafia. Kennelly asked Matassa if he was saying that he believes the Department of Labor simply has it in for you.". Robert Bellavia- Not sure what crew. The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, that originated in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. I honestly dont understand what was meant by (that)," the judge said before calling for a recess. Their unique education was eventually passed down to the now-retired Illinois State Senator Jimmy DeLeo by Romie personally, primarily during the early 1990s. The now old First Ward was the designated frontline mechanism that reached throughout the City of Chicagos aldermanic system for Romie (along with his advisers and bosses), which insulated him quite well. The Outfit will find someone else to fill his spot at the highest rungs of their organization chart, and they will continue to do what they are doing at the present time. (Photo Compliments Of John Binder) (Ross Stanger), Anthony centracchio former chicago capo for the Chicago outfit, Tony Accardo's Wife | the Mob. You will be charged To illustrate this matter fully I offer you one last story. I believe he now organizes mafia tours in Chicago and Las Vegas. These votes can be negotiated with various groups who control the Irish votes and others. i agree about nick calabrese not knowing everyone. These werent enough for United States District Court Judge Ronald Guzman, who rejected the motion for compassionate release back in September and then denied a follow-up motion over a video conference on Wednesday. In one infamous gangland meeting, the I-Team followed D'Amico to "Lunch with No Nose" in a suburban eatery in 2009. In years past, though, the files offer a sense of how much effort federal agents put into watching DiFronzo and his associates, including surveillance on an Elmwood Park delicatessen where they would regularly meet. After doing 12 years for stealing $10 million in a Ponzi scheme, he said he was a . I believe the year was 1975. The list of flaws with this team are many, but the fact that this Bulls front office thought Russell Westbrook might help them out could be atop that list. I was not too sure about the Del Giudice ring, since it ultimately is tied to the Outfit through Paloian but they are probably all associates in one way or another. Chicago Heights gangster. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Romie Nappi used the political machinery of Chicago to protect himself even while he was bending it to his will. Chicago Outfit today: 75 years after Al Capone's death. If it weren't for the bad cops in Elmwood Park, Illinois (who were eventually forced out of the Elmwood Park, Illinois, Police Department), that brought a bogus case against me in 1992, I probably would . God bless! Onetime Chicago Outfit boss's FBI files shed no light on why he escaped charges in 'Family Secrets' killings But the once-secret records on John "No Nose" DiFronzo provide a window into . Before His Honor allowed the court call to begin, Zafiratos ordered the bailiff to stand in front of his bench. ReadMarch 3, 2023 | The Editorial Board, Article viewed iconAn icon to mark the viewed articles Read rest by Dan Mihalopoulosand Mitch DudekStaff Reporterson Chicago Sun Times. D'Amico's biggest clout, then-reigning boss John "No Nose" DiFronzo, died two years ago. Their killings were fictionally portrayed in the Martin Scorcese movie Casino.. Article viewed iconAn icon to mark the viewed articles Continue with Recommended Cookies. Wacks prepared what was described as an independent report effectively clearing Stephens of any meaningful organized crime connections to DiFronzo or anyone else. When court reconvened, Matassa said he was simply referring to what he believes were decades of harassment from federal regulators during his career as a supervisor in various unions. Zafiratos immediately noticed Colins entrance into the courtroom. He's a drug addict scumbag who stole from his father and was too much of a pussy to take what he was given to him and serve his sentence. American News Post now controls a range of different religious, social and political publications. As with many mobsters who claim either Christmas or New Year's Day as their birthdates, D'Amico always said he was born on Jan. 1, 1936, and official paperwork seemed to back that up. Congratulations to Joseph Epstein for committing the dual effronteries of calling for vigorous law enforcement as a remedy for the crime that plagues our hometown and for pointing out that the disabling of the Outfit was not an unmitigated positive for our city (Crime is No Longer a Family Business in Chicago, op-ed, July 31). The files also touch on DiFronzos penchant for cars working for auto dealers and tooling around in showroom vehicles including a red convertible Cadillac and a black vinyl over bronze Chevrolet.. An Elmwood Park delicatessen where reputed mob figures, including John DiFronzo, would meet, according to the FBI. Some members of the unions board testified to a federal grand jury that they were unaware they were even trustees, Kennelly said. Federal agents had mob informants, some unwilling to go to testify and reveal theyd informed, the FBI records show. But DiFronzo who died in 2018 at 89 was never charged in the killings and emerged otherwise unscathed from that massive federal prosecution that gutted much of the rest of the Chicago mobs leadership. In fact, in a recent sentencing memo asking Kennelly to impose about a two-year prison term, prosecutors said that Matassa had no criminal history and a seemingly normal upbringing.. As Zafiratos presided over the cases on his call, he started noticing Colin nod his head up and down after His Honor would issue a ruling. His Honor admonished the bailiff for insulting the defendants. Chicago Outfit-tied scammer Lee Anglin promised to make good to his victims. Please check back for recent updates and new charts being added as changes in the families occur and the hierarchy is altered over time. Read21 hours ago | The Editorial Board, Article viewed iconAn icon to mark the viewed articles Onetime Chicago Outfit bosss FBI files shed no light on why he escaped charges in Family Secrets killings, Check out The FBI Files Chicago Sun-Times database, Peter DiFronzo, brother of Chicago Outfit boss, dies from coronavirus, Rush pushing for release of secret FBI files on Black Panther Fred Hamptons killing in Chicago, FBI files detail the story of ex-Chicagoan Martha Dodd Stern who became a Soviet spy, Feds zeroed in on OHare Airport deals during Daley administration, FBI files show, Janis Joplins last Chicago-area show, at Ravinia, had the FBI worried about violence, FBI Files: Northwestern astronomer J. Allen Hynek wrote about UFO phenomenon for the FBI, FBI files: Milwaukee mob boss Frank Balistrieri had close ties to Chicago Outfit, Dear Abby: When my husbands brother marries, I should be in the wedding, Jose Abreu on life with the Astros and leaving the White Sox, who werent a family in 2022, Founding fathers didnt own AR-15s or large capacity magazines, Pritzker and Raoul argue in defense of ban, Dear Abby: With boyfriends fussy father living here, I feel trapped, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and wife to invest $250 million in new Chicago research lab, Why Cubs Keegan Thompson made his 2023 spring training debut a week after the opener, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol likes Andrew Benintendi in the 3-hole, Are the Bulls fixable this season? This Addendum will illustrate in better detail how DiFronzo forever changed the shape of the Chicago Outfit. The once-secret FBI files cover mostly the 1970s and 1980s, when DiFronzo was rising in power but hadnt yet reached the pinnacle of organized crime in Chicago. He was allegedly killed the Philly black mafia. 07/07/22 09:53 PM. By now it should start making more sense to some of you how relevant Romies aldermanic influence was during his discreet meetings over the decades with any one of the eight Chicago mayors who Romie dealt with during his 40-something year run as a vitally important political and labor union racketeer in Chicago. The criminal defendant that I will be talking about, Thomas D. Flanagan, Sr., Esquire, was a very close family friend of the then sitting Chicago mayor, Richard J. Daley. Despite Romie and James rich history dating back to somewhere around 1929, it was Gus Zapas that initially backed Zafiratos for judge. Shortly after being assigned to the Cook Countys Fourth District Courthouse in Maywood, Illinois, Assistant States Attorney Colin Simpson decided to enter Zafiratos courtroom to observe the proceedings. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. By the way what is your opinions on Nick Ferriola? This is the weirdest union that Ive ever seen, Kennelly said. State officials still refused to approve a casino going in Rosemont. Tony Spilotro with a VERY pregnant admirer. Are you experiencing some kind of a problem with your neck? The charge conduct, I mean, we had testimony going back to the Al Capone days from an expert witness, a mobologist who spoke on the history of the Chicago Outfit because one of the things we had to do is establish that there was such a thing as a Chicago Outfit. It just brings alertness and focus to the game., White Sox notebook: Benintendi, Anderson, Alberto, Saturdays win. Reputed Chicago mob figure John Matassa Jr. didnt exactly sound wracked with guilt when he was asked Monday if he had anything to say before being sentenced for a union embezzlement scheme. In 2004, Attorney General Lisa Madigan described Daddano and three other family members as reputed members of organized crime as she opposed Rosemonts bid to open a casino. While assigned to court downtown, James experienced an interesting case before him. Skip navigation. Article viewed iconAn icon to mark the viewed articles Bodyguard/driver for Joseph Aiuppa. 8.robert abbinanti 9.joseph andriacchi-senior advisor. The late Cook County Judge Adam Stillo had a relative that was charged with a serious crime many years ago. He was also part of John DiFronzo's inner circle, meeting with him every day at the old Loon Cafe and after that in another near west suburban location for an extended lunch" said Binder, author of the The Chicago Outfit in 2003. As far as Ferrara goes, Ill just say that he was not a fan of American News Post. (if applicable) for The Wall Street Journal. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'aboutthemafia_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',198,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aboutthemafia_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); (Thanks toMukremin along with Chris Christie, Pogo, Cheech and rest of the guys at the Black Hand Forum for putting charts together and allowing them to be shared here), Mafia Bosses and Hierarchies Heading into 2021, Mafia Bosses and Hierarchies Heading into 2020, Scott Deitche - Author of Cigar City Mafia and other great mob books. The only way Romie could get into trouble for being a fixer would be if any of the power brokers within the old First Ward, my father or the top Chicago Outfit bosses, snitched on him. In his comments to the court, Matassa said many of the witnesses were just scared after federal agents had gone into their houses like storm troopers.. As a side note, Romies and my fathers Al Capone-style of education in government and labor relations was taught to them by Als men, Jake Guzik and Murray Humphreys. This close friendship pertained more so to the mayors son, John, which was well known throughout Chicagoland. In a photo seized during a 1988 raid, mob boss John DiFronzo (far left) is seen shaking hands with a restaurateur. Didn't realize Schiro has chance at getting out. These people are human beings like the rest of us. It should be noted that Murray Humphreys was already deceased, and Gus Alex was then already replaced as the Chicago Outfits head political and labor racketeer operative by Romie, which could support why Romie was contacted by Mayor Richard J. Daley prior to the start of the battery case. My dad replied, Washington lets us do whatever we want to do without giving us any problems. I was too green-behind-the-ears at the time to understand what my father meant by us. I later learned that us meant the Chicago Outfits then First Ward. As a result of Romies discreet power behind the then First Ward, Romie didnt have to personally connect with every Chicago Alderman in order to cause them to perform for him. Chicago Mob | Outfit boss Jimmy 'The Man' Marcello wants life sentence tossed ABC 7 Chicago 346K subscribers Subscribe 12K views 2 years ago Jimmy 'The Man' Marcello was one of five top. While smiling at the Judge, Daley said, If you ever need anything. James graciously accepted the mayors shillelagh and thanked him for it. In the scope of his important responsibilities on behalf of the Chicago Outfit, Romie discreetly weighed in very seriously on decisions that went into securing endorsements from the Chicago political machine for judicial candidates and appointing a lot of judges to the bench in Cook County, and in some cases throughout the State of Illinois. | Andrew A. Nelles~Sun-Times Media. During the 2007 Operation Family Secrets Chicago Outfit trial in Chicago, hit man-turned-prosecution witness Nicholas Calabrese testified that reputed mob boss John No Nose DiFronzo was among those involved in the 1986 murders of the Spilotro brothers. In asking for a sentence of probation, Matassas attorney, Cynthia Giacchetti, said he was essentially a one-man show for the union, managing grievances, negotiating contracts and benefits and being on call morning and night, seven days a week. Congratulations to Joseph Epstein for committing the dual effronteries of calling for vigorous law enforcement as a remedy for . EXCLUSIVE: In a hot under-the-radar package, we can reveal that Oscar-winner Mark Rylance (The Trial Of The Chicago 7), Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien, Set It Up star Zoey Deutch and The Dig Paul Spano- Member of Grand Avenue. -Ross Stanger, Joseph "Caesar" DiVarco former high ranking chicago outfit member. One of the Judges first assignments as judge was to a division called obscenity-court. Colin immediately got up and left the courtroom. The reason youre here right now is because you pleaded guilty to a felony to avoid going to trial, Kennelly said before sentencing Matassa to six months in federal prison to be followed by six months on house arrest. There is so much not known about the outfit. Customer Service. Theres still some major concerns, Chicago mayor candidate Brandon Johnson in Selma for Bloody Sunday march. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. You may change your billing preferences at any time in the Customer Center or call Some of the paperwork now part of the Sun-Times online The FBI Files database, which contains thousands of records on Chicago and Illinois politicians, gangsters, union bosses, religious figures, academics, spies and actors is heavily redacted. February 27, 2023 By restaurants on the water in st clair shores By restaurants on the water in st clair shores | Ep. Two Indiana state troopers kneel at the edge of a shallow grave in a cornfield where the bodies of reputed mobsters Anthony Spilotro and Michael Spilotro were found in 1986. Matassa also spent thousands of dollars in union cash on expenses for himself, including restaurant meals, a cellphone, gas and car washes, according to records that were discussed in court Monday. God rest his soul. The company managed jointly by Simon and Daddano was based in the same South Loop building where United Maintenance has its offices, the records show. But it includes little mention of Anthony Spilotro, the Chicago mobs point person in Las Vegas, and his brother Michael Spilotro, who in 1986 were lured to a Bensenville-area home where they were pummeled, then driven to and buried in an Indiana cornfield brutal killings fictionalized in the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino.. Please check back for recent updates and new charts being added as changes in the families occur and the hierarchy is altered over time. But his alleged mob ties were never alluded to in any public filings in the embezzlement case. The first was Edward J. Kelly, the 46th Mayor of Chicago, who served from 1933 to 1947. Romie was a political fixer and labor union racketeer for the Chicago Outfit for many years (please read the previous addendums for more details, including several FBI 302 reports and other exhibits, that support my information via links located at the bottom of this page). In court Monday, Kennelly seemed to feign confusion when Matassa alluded that prosecutors had targeted him because of his name. All Rights Reserved. Salvatore "Solly D" DeLaurentis is the best known, un-incarcerated Chicago mob figure today-and considered "consigliere" to the Outfit.

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