Interesting guy who clearly was not popular with many outside the Giancana faction. Lombardo allegedly being the hitter on him is kind of surprising, as I never imagined him as a real violent guy, but he obviously was a serious person. A clown he was not!
The problem with guys like Cain, Roselli, Nicoletti etc. was they all thought that Giancana and Ricca will be at the top of the organization forever, but they obviously thought wrong. The old mob also used to have its own inner "politics" and "parties", and so Giancana's "party" obviously lost. When I say "party", Im not talking only about Giancanas Taylor St/Cicero crew, but instead im talking about alliances and betrayals between different crews. After all they used to be one big crime family.
As for Cain's killers...i think there were three guys...two being involved directly in the murder, while the third guy was waiting in the getaway car. Sources say that the third guy was allegedly Harry Aleman, which means that the bosses allegedly sent three of their best hitmen to execute the murder contract. So i place my bet that it was either the German or Aleman who was waiting outside behind the wheel, while Lombardo was one of the two hitmen who pulled the trigger. At the beginning of 1974 Lombardo was allegedly elevated to capo and I dont see any other reason regarding the alleged promotion.
Pardon my ignornace, but who were guys like Cain, Nicoletti, Roselli, English with in terms of crew? Ex: Elmwood park, Ciciero, 26th st, Grand Ave, etc?
I, for some reason, thought Joey had been a captain prior to '74.
Thats a good question regarding which crew those fellas belonged to, and it can be quite complicated if we go all the way back before the Giancana or Accardo eras, and so thats why my answer will be from the early 1950s onward.
For example, after the elimination of some of the old and large west side crews, the Campagna/Giancana Taylor St/Cicero crew absorbed most of the surviving members, areas and rackets, thus becoming the largest and most powerful group within the Outfit. By the late 40s or early 50s, Giancanas old Taylor St associates such as Battaglia and Daddono formed their own crews, with Battaglia taking over DeGrazia's old Melrose Park-Grand Av crew, while Daddono received DuPage, McHenry and Kane counties, which previously belonged to some of the late or former Northwest capos, and also kept some interests in Cicero. When Giancana became underboss in 1947, his Taylor-Cicero capo was first Fat Lenny Caifano but after his demise in 1951/52, his spot was inherited by Buccieri.
So, Nicoletti, Alderisio, Gianola, Pranno, Amabile, Lombardo, the German etc. belonged to the Grand Av-MP crew first under Battaglia and later under Alderisio, followed by Nicoletti and in the end Lombardo. Guys like Battaglia, Nicoletti and Alderisio also had direct contact with Giancana.
The English bros were also direct with their boss and old neighbor, but they either started under Daddono or Buccieri, or they later switched crews especially when Daddono went to jail and his crew was almost completely dismantled.
Cain was also direct with Giancana and his capos, but he belonged to the old First Ward-South Side crew under Ferraro, Alex and Marcy.
As for Roselli...we already know that he switched families in 1956/57, by transferring his membership from LA to Chicago and in fact, it was allegedly Giancana who brought him in because Roselli already knew the leaders of the old Taylor St crews, including Ricca. We also know that Roselli was direct with Giancana and was also his rep in Vegas and around the west coast, but Im not quite sure on who was his capo in Chicago during Giancanas reign. It is also possible that he didnt have a capo above him since he was already a member of the Mafia before going to Chicago, but I doubt that because in 1967/68 or when Giancana fled the country and also had problems with most of his old associates, Roselli was allegedly placed under Frank LaPorte who at the time still controlled the Chi Heights-Indiana group and was also a "emissary" between LA and Chicago. So, if you ask me, it is possible that previously Rosellis "unofficial" capo was Buccieri who in turn didnt have much control over Roselli, obviously because Johnny mainly took orders directly from the boss himself.
All of those direct contacts from soldiers who belonged to several different crews, formed Giancana's "political party".
