There just is not good information about the STL family in the 50's, except arrest records and what was reported in the papers. I have not read Daniel Waugh's books, there may be more information there.

In a previous post, you asked about a Micelli being a soldier in the STL. There is a Phillip A. Miceli that has been listed as a soldier in some charts on RD. I don't know if he is alive or deceased, but if he is alive, he has to be around 90 years old now.

I would like to hear more about the guy who got threatened with suits. Please send me a PM.

The 3 gangs in St. Louis had an uneasy alliance, that shifted over time. I understand there was tension between STL and Chicago, primarily bumping into each other and sharing east side rackets. Buster Wortman and Tony Giordano were very close and I understand that tensions were minimal because they shared profits and rackets, which marginalized and pissed off John Vitale. Another key issue during this time was when John Vitale wanted to put a contract on Morris Shenker for a failed real estate investment. Giordano and Wortman both supported Shenker, the contract was not approved and this situation increased the rivalry between Vitale and Giordano.

Jimmy Michael's was originally a Cuckoo, and worked the east side under Wortman, and was thought to be his successor. At some point, he moved more south STL and was aligned with and protected by Giordano. The time point and the reasons for the shift are unclear and debated. The evidence on what happened later is clear - there were major issues over union control (Local 42) between the east side (Chicago) and the STL LCN. Michaels supported John Paul Spica who took over the union, until he was killed by Ray Flynn, who was backed by Chicago. You know the rest of the story.