There was a Mafia, of sorts, in Chicago during Capone's reign. It was called the Unione Siciliana, and it was something like a civic association with muscle. Capone always dealt with them respectfully, and always tried to have one of his Sicilians put in as chief of the Unione.

The guy closest to Capone in the Outfit was Jake Guzik, a Jew. Murray (the Camel) Humphries, a Welshman, was the Outfit's labor chief into the Sixties.

The Italian mafia or mob was in Chicago before Capone arrived, or became boss there.

Maybe,but just because they were Sicilians you cannot consider them as the Mafia because they were not organized and also they were weaker than the Camorra.Back in the days the underworld in Chicago was divided in many different independent criminal groups or gangs of Italian immigrants.They were mostly involved in extortion and murder(and maybe in prostitution).Part of the Sicilian criminal population was involved in black hand activities and part was involved in the Unione Siciliani.The Unione Sicilani was not a criminal organization but it was,sort of controlled by them.The political bosses were mostly killing each other for the top spot.The first big Sicilian political boss was MIke Merlo and the first big independent Sicilian gangs were the Aiello's and the brutal Gennas.The point these gangs were not allies.For example,the Gennas were good killers alright but they were very bad for business.MOst of these gangs were very greedy and could not be organized.During prohibition some of them were exterminated and some of em joined forces with the Camorra and then became organized criminals.THe Aiello's were the last Sicilian "crime family" in Chicago.

After Merlo's death the Camorra or the Torrio/Capone gang took over in Chicago and held its power until the late 40's.Accardo was the first Sicilian boss of Chicagos underworld after 2 decades.But then again he always took advice or orders from an older camorrista,Paul Ricca.Same goes for Giancana...

For what it's worth I heard a similar story on the Capone slashing incident. To be honest it was a quick conversation I myself never really gave a shit about Chicago. Anywho I heard Capone got his face slashed and and couldn't stay in NY anymore because he lost all respect on the street. Exact words "he was a mutt and got chased". Don't know how accurate that is but I heard it from I believe to be a reliable source.

Wrong.He was brought to Chicago for a purpose.Al used to go back and forth to NY.He was a well connected guy and theres no chancethat he got chased from NY.

In December 1925,Al Capone left Chicago and went to New York City,for two reasons:his son Sonny, whose severe left ear infection required medical attention(wich was also his alibi) and Frankie Yale,whose New York enterprises were threatened by a gang of New York Irish White Handers.He was involved in the Christmas Day massacre.THree guy were dead and after that Capone came back to Chicago

Capone in Chicago and Capone in New York is apples and oranges.

Al was in the right place at the right time when he hooked up with Torrio. Had Colosimo decided to get with the times and branch out into more lucrative rackets,the events that ultimately made Capone Boss probably wouldn't have happened. His rule can be attributed to a series of lucky breaks as opposed to a scheming master plan to become Boss.

Had Al stayed in New York,there's nothing to indicate that he would have risen to any kind of powerful position.

It's much like the Gotti situation. Had Gotti hooked up with the Genovese or Colombo Families,he would not have wound up as a Boss.

In both these cases,the Boss Became Boss because of a unique set of events that would not have happened under other circumstances.
Just because they became a Boss doesn't mean that they were destined to be such.

Capone was destined to be a boss,because he was goin with the "modern times",he was smart,very ruthless guy and made a few smart moves.Torrio srewed Colosimo and the same hapend to him.Al had a army of young loyal criminals behind him and took the Outfit on a higher level.There was no "luck" involved at all

Al Capone would have been a "headache" for NY. What do u do with a headache? You try to get rid of it. He would've been clipped. Best to send him out to Chicago where he can make money for NY & be outta their hair. Plus he was Napolitano and back then the old timers were made up of all Sicilian bosses. The Sicilians beat out the Camorra Navy Street crew n took over all their territory.
Luciano/Genovese crew was the exception who were made up of Sicilians, Calabrians, Napolitanos, and Jews...or anyone who could make them money.

My grandfather actually grew up in an Italian Harlem orphanage too until his cousins bought him out . He was born in 1918 and recently died in 2012 at 94. In 1931 he was driving prohibition trucks, lol, ended up in the teamsters as a trucker . Would love to go back in time to Italian Harlem.

Sorry for the news on your grandfather DB....Wow 94 he must have lived a charmed life, God blessed him....Italian Harlem was doing the Harlem Shake back then, I'm sure it was a good time.

They have a great short video on Pleasant Avenue. Let me find it and I will post it.

Wow 116st crew were a very powerful bunch. Sorry about ur grandpa.

Here's vid

http://youtu.be/3K_3X3uU8iI

I've seen that. Nice. I've lived in the Bronx for over fifty years. But my Dad grew up at 325 Pleasant, and my grandparents lived in that building from practically the day they got off the boat until the day each of them died. Roughly fifty years in a rented apartment. Try getting that deal today.

Like I said, I'm a Bronx guy. But I spent so much time on Pleasant growing up that it's a huge part of me. We're still there a few times a year because my Dad, who's almost 85 now, is still on the Giglio committee at Mount Carmel.

My parents were married in that Church in '58, I popped out a year later, then we moved up to 187th and Hoffman in the Bronx. But my grandparents stayed, and we kept going back. But the neighborhood doesn't even resemble "Italian Harlem" anymore. The 2010 census had it over 85 percent Latino. And the truth is, it was being swallowed by "Spanish Harlem" as far back as the late '60s, early '70s.

And welcome to the board, Alfano. I'm sorry for the long winded reply. But the video puts my family in mind, and my Pop is getting on in years now, so I may have gotten carried away .

Thnx for the welcome. It's so nice to keep our Italian traditions. My family was from Naples lived on Mulberry St then moved over to Hoboken n finally settled in cliffside park, fairview & fort lee. So glad to hear you go back to keep the memories n traditions of ur family alive.

Yes, that was also a common jump. Lower Manhattan to Jersey or Staten Island. My uncle had an apartment on Baxter Street, directly opposite the back entrance of Most Precious Blood Church. Needless to say, I spent too much time in that neighborhood too .

He ended up owning the building, but sold it before the gentrification. He's dead now, anyway. But that would have been a nice little score for him. A studio in that neighborhood will run you at least $2,500 a month today. Yuppie City. It's insane when you think of what the rents used to be.

I know what you mean. The first thing my gr gramps did when he had money was buy property an apartment building that housed 8 families and had two stores. My grandma lived their 90 years until the family sold the building. She died 4 yrs later:(That neighborhood is no longer Italian I just went back in March.
They used to have the feast right on their street until they moved it over to Brooklyn.
Lot of wiseguys in the neighborhood back when it was 90% Italian.

Nope, I'm down there all the time because one of my own properties is in the Village. It's long gone. You walk that neighborhood today, and you're much more likely to bump into an interracial gay couple than a bookmaker .

But times change, demographics change. Nothing you can really do except hold on to the memories (in a healthy way, not like some nut living in the past ).

Okay, back on track. I think someone said something about Al Capone in this thread . . . .

Oh yea Al Capone
Boss or no boss?

I appreciate the condolences fellas but it's all good , at 94 it's more of a celebration than sadness, tough old man tho , he worked until he was 86 and even then he was forced out as he was almost running over people on a daily basis , lol . Anyway from what he told me , if you were Italian , old Italian Harlem seemed like the place to be . Kind of wish I could of seen and felt it . Apparently wise guys were every where and every family had someone involved .