Burnstein Op-Ed: Reports Of Chicago Mob Legend Jimmy I’s Role As Informant Missing Context, Rewarding FBI For Hypocrisy, Bad Faith

https://gangsterreport.com/burnstei...t-rewarding-fbi-for-hypocrisy-bad-faith/

February 28, 2023 — Everyone needs to pump the breaks here when it comes to what to make of media revelations of recently-deceased Chicago mob underboss Jimmy Inendino’s cooperation status, deliberately and quite indelicately reported on Monday night during Inendino’s wake in Hillside. There’s a lot to unpack here and the headlines people are consuming and even portions of the reporting itself, are lacking critical context.

“Jimmy I” is a genuine street legend in the Windy City. He was revered by many people. This clearly doesn’t sit well with the FBI in Chicago. They obviously leaked the four-decade old internal federal document to ABC’s Chuck Goudie — the top mob reporter in the city –, which states Inendino provided information to the FBI on two occasions, once in the 1960s and once in the early 1970s, that made its way into “302s” (intelligence memos drafted and filed by FBI agents detailing information from sources).

The feds in Chicago don’t make many big mob busts these days. Maybe that was because for 30 years, the FBI in Illinois was actually protecting the man that should have been its No. 1 target. But I’m getting ahead of myself. We’ll get to that later.

Wanting to gloss over the fact that Inendino did nearly 20 years in federal prison in the years after those 302s were filled out, Uncle Sam had ants in his pants in the days following Jimmy I’s death from cancer last Thursday, wanting desperately to wreck Inendino’s shiny reputation as a stand-up guy and for all intents and purposes, take a giant shit on his grave. Congrats, fellas, mission accomplished.

Imagine the guy they were protecting was Johnny Difronzo.

Still a informant

Too bad John Drummond wasn't still alive, he'd vouch that Inendino was a stand up guy...He was the John Miller of Chicago !!

If he did 20 years, he couldn't have been much of one.

Plenty of informants do long stints in jail

Well, I haven't seen much of that from all of my readings. Seems to me like that would put the feds in a compromising position. He could easily say well if you're going to make me do 20 years, I'll expose you for allowing me to do criminal activities in exchange for intel. Whenever you have high-value informants, you reward them for their information, not punish them. It doesn't make sense.

It doesn’t make sense cause it’s bullshit. He played the Feds and beat them at their own game which is why they released this story on the evening of his wake.

He could not easily do that at all. How exactly? Give us a roadmap to that victory party

It's classic police tactics to stir up unrest in the underworld.

Exactly Hollander, and unfortunately people like some in this thread will believe it, blindly.

Correct. Bunch of bozos.

Well you don't read that much. This was a time when Inendino was just an Associate too.

Can anyone post what and who he informed on here? Are the fbi memos public? Don’t forget L.E can be very optimistic and are quick to provide CI codes even when nothing compromising has been said. Why did he serve 20 years if he was a “valued long term 50 year informant.” Why such unprofessionalism to out him as soon as he passes? Why was he allowed to stay on the street for decades after this without it coming out if he stopped cooperating decades ago? Keep sceptical until proven regardless of a journalists article.

Could be true or could be BS like the time they “leaked to the press” that Neil Dellocroce was a rat just as he died. I’m sure any mob historian would say that Neil wasn’t a rat.

Or lucky who cooperated to get himself off the babania charge but only compromised himself? Lucky obviously wasn’t a rat.

Didn’t someone try saying carmine Persico was a rat the other day? If that was true he would be the most unsuccessful rat of all time as he served his life in prison.

Some of this stuff needs context before sweeping statements are made.

Again i have to agree with Rush here.....the FBI can put my name on a piece of paper and say im a rat after just questioning me and put it in a 302 file if that was there policy to do so back then...today its different im sure......and again between Johnny and Jimmy....yes they didnt shit on DiFronzo like they did with Jimmy yesterday ....why....because No Nose was there golden boy for years....and Jimmy they just had ahold of for a certain time....DiFronzo doing 18 months compared to Jimmy doin 18 years....makes a difference in circumstance.

If Jimmy was a rat he played the FBI for the suckers they are. So they sent him away for 20 years and then spit on his grave when he died.

Jimmy was no rat and that my friends is a fact.

All we have is this memo that says he informed for a few years in the 1960s and the 1970s. As already said being a informant doesn't guarantee you immunity from prosecution. He wasn't a 50 year informant he informed for 5 years. It's pretty obviously the memo came from a former agent or someone who was given the document in the 1980s and they shared it with ABC7. Feds don't just reveal informants when they stop informing or when they die. All of your sceptical questions were just easily explained.


Some of this just needs logical people reading it

I dont think he had anything to do with putting away Aiuppa or Cerone,Lapietra or Lombardo over the skim.Or Civella.Maybe he had no knowledge on Vegas.Ok so they are saying it was just in the 70's.I wouldnt jump to any conclusion on this.I mean they also said Dellaroce was a rat which is also bullshit

BREAKING NEWS...... THE U.S. Gov't are a bunch of LYING, CHEATING, UNDER-HANDED SCUMBAGS.... That LIE to us on a DAILY BASIS.
Do we even really have to talk about the "FAKE NEWS MEDIA" lets save our breath.

Just because the feds say its true does not make it true...

I say we wait to see the 302's and than make the call.

Thanks for responding, interesting points but obviously a memo to say he “informed” for a few years isn’t proof for me. I would need to see what and who he informed on which I think is fair. And yes as you said feds don’t reveal informants when they stop informing or die but in this case they have immediately whilst he is being buried via a journalist. Seems abnormal and smells odd. If they can reveal his informant status as casually as that, then they can release full info/proof showing what he done like they’ve done with scarpa etc. I mean who is left from the 60s where that info would need to be redacted.

And no being an informant doesn’t guarantee you immunity but Jesus what goodwill could he have curried when he is being hit with 20 year sentences lol. Must’ve been a useless informant or maybe he told them what he had for dinner a few times and they’ve given him the CI codes they like to chuck about lol.

From a logical perspective and knowing (not debating) that LE can tell fibs or embellish to suit an agenda - I would need to see actual proof, not just a memo saying generically he done something - what did he actually do. I don’t even know much/ or care research wise about the outfit so no horse in this race for me, just my honest opinion

So yes you’ve provided explanations but there is nothing there to counter any scepticism whatsoever.

Good point BH. If, and when, the #302 reports are released, that will, once and for all, put this matter to sleep one way or the other.

Dellacroce was probably a rat though. Lombardozzi was another one

Why do you keep saying they like it was the FBI that released it? The FBI doesn't release documents unredacted like this. It's clear it came from a former agent or other former law enforcement who was given the document whenever it came out. A lot of guys could be alive still Solly D for a example. The Scarpa situation is totally different than this.

Considering he was given a 25 year sentence in the 1970s and got out in 10 I would call that a break if it even is. By the time he was sentenced for anything he wasn't informing anymore according to the memo. He can't just cash in IOUs to the federal government

Everything I listed did counter your scepticism. You asked why he was convicted? Well he wasn't an informant when he was convicted and informing doesn't give immunity. You asked why he was on the street for decades without this coming out? Well they don't reveal your identity after you stop informing. All your sceptical questions were answered with definitive answers.

I don't understand why this is so hard for some to believe it. Some rather believe it's a conspiracy by the FBI to stir up distrust among the remaining wiseguys. So here's some insight a FBI office that doesn't even have LCN as a priority anymore isn't going to the trouble for all of this.

The FBI will release an unreacted report if they fell it helps stir things up, or if it hurts people the want to hurt. The FBI has always done as it pleases. They often use reporters through leaks. As for Dellacroce, that was not a document, t was people in LE telling reporters that right after Dellacroce died. It was untrue, they just find it funny to that.

Okay so your theory is an elderly former fbi agent has kept a memo in his attic for 50+ years to then release it to a journalist when some wiseguy dies in his old age? Doesn’t ring true. And wouldn’t this also put the former agent at risk of prosecution for releasing confidential documents? I would counter that if anything is released it’s from or with blessing of feds.

Wasn’t it a non violent offense? People get parole early and I don’t know what the rules were back then in terms of earliest opportunities for parole etc so I can’t comment. Not saying it would be an IOU but if he was a proper informant wouldn’t he have informed to try to get out of it? In for a cent in for a dollar? Maybe maybe not.

And these wise guy cases will always make careers so it’s always on the radar of LE - period.

This isn’t a JFK elaborate conspiracy, I’m just not taking a “memo” saying someone was an informant and had a CI code as gospel. I would need context, proof of who and what he done. Obviously.
Could just as easily be some BS put out there to “tickle the wires”.

This is complete BS. The man served out 2 MAX prison sentences after he “cooperated”
Total BS

Well said!!!

It's not well said. It's a false belief that informing guarantees your immunity from prosecution or grants you some kind of break from the government no matter how long after the fact. People keep choosing to believe that even though there's examples of the opposite happening.

I want you to sit back take a deep breath and realize that Jimmy I was not a rat. I know you will lose sleep over that being the truth.

Only people losing sleep are fanboys with Mafia idols and Ralphie. Here's where both sides of this stand

On the side that believes Jimmy I was a informant there's a FBI memo that says Jimmy I was a informant between 1965-1969 and 1974-1975 and the information he gave was on hijackings.

On the side that believes he wasn't a informant there's nothing except broken hearts, excuses, denial and a bunch of crazy conspiracies with nothing to back it up.

I think we can all agree on this is where we stand