Cool. Thanks. I've seen most of those except the ipsn article.

The thing that always made it harder about learning stuff about the outfit is the lack of books. There either stuff about the 40-60's in Chicago or Spilotro in Vegas stuff.

Reading the family secrets books were a breath of fresh air for chicago stuff.

Here's some of the more notable Outfit-related cases over the past decade -


Bookmaking bust
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-...-police-officer

Carusos, Lombardo Jr. kicked out of the Laborers Union
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-...ion-union-ousts

The Cicero embezzlement scheme
http://www.ipsn.org/cicero/default.htm

Bingo game scheme
http://www.ipsn.org/bingo.php

Crazy Horse Too strip club in Vegas
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/FedsRaidMobbedUpBoobBar.html

Hired Truck Program scandal
http://www.ipsn.org/hired_truck_scandal/default.htm

Family Secrets indictment
http://www.ipsn.org/indictments/indictments-oc/default.htm

Video poker machines seized
http://www.suffredin.org/news/newsitem.asp?language=english&newsitemid=3551

Sarno, etc. indictment
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=6836820

Rudy Fratto indictment
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-...t-mob-contracts

Nice. Thanks.

Here's an article I found recently, that I never read before about the unions. You probably have though. Was the most informative about the outfit and unions I have ever read.

http://www.ipsn.org/stier_anderson__malone_reports.htm#The_Persistent_Threat_of_the_Chicago_Outfit

The interesting thing about the Stier report is, if you go through it, most of the mob-related labor racketeering and corruption examples cited seem to be of a residual nature.

Local 330 (associating with organized crime figures)

Local 714 (bid-rigging; put under trusteeship in 2008)

Local 726 (extortion of union members for jobs by former foreman who was an Outfit associate)

Local 727 (business agent had possible mob ties; embezzlement from vision/dental plan)

Local 743 (banned official possibly still have ties to local; current official may have entered into sham CBA's and is involved in video poker business, rigged elections)

Local 781 (banned official may still have contact with local; local may be engaged in business with a benefit service provider run by the son of a slain Outfit associate)

Local 786 (local official and benefits administrator associating with organized crime figures; misappropriation of union funds; Outfit control of a major local provider; use of non-union labor and failure to contribute to benefit funds)

Just to highlight the point of this topic. Over on Dapper Don's blog there is an article naming the 15 most powerful crime bosses in the world. John DiFronzo is number 15 and described as running "one of the largest crime syndicates in the US" Really? This guy is the 15th most powerful crime boss in the world??

Ps, Dapper Don I know this not necessarily your views, its just an article I saw on your blog.

That is correct Nickyscarfo

does anyone have any info on any family operations outside of chicago? ive heard that they have taken over some of the remaining rackets in milwaukee, and that they might still have some low level bookmaking/loansharking operations left in vegas but anywhere else? anything in south florida?

Maybe bookmaking from outside of Chicago, but I'd say that's it.
The Milwaukee family was always interesting

I don't believe the Outfit has any crews elsewhere, if that's what you mean. You read about it having operations in south Florida but, except for maybe some guys going down there to retire, I've never seen any examples. But there are cases that pop up here and there...

Back in 2000 there as an Outfit-connected jewelry theft ring that pulled of scores in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Texas, Arizona, and California.

In 2003 there was the Crazy Horse Too strip club raid in Las Vegas.

In 2005 an Outfit-connected lawyer was reported to be an investor in a tribal casino boat off the coast of Mexico.

In 2006 there was that bookmaking bust in Rockford.

And, of course, we've always heard about Outfit associate, Michael Posner, and his hotel-casinos down in Aruba. But my understanding it they're relatively small. Not like Caesars Palace or the Mirage.

Going from memory on a RD Outfit chart they have some operatives over in Rockford, though its just a few guys, no capo leading it. Also, some offshore bookmaking I'm sure because they've connected guys from Aruba to DiFronzo.

Not sure what happened with Milwaukee but no one has technically listed them as defunct yet, although no doubt they most definitely are. Nicholas is right, Milwaukee is interesting. You could probably write a book on criminal psychology by reading up on Frank Balistrieri. He was absolutely, positively motivated by the need to lord over and dominate all those within his sphere. Despite arguably being a little less powerful than Felix Alderisio, he dubbed himself 'the most powerful man in Milwaukee' and matter of factly threatened the life of Pat Conte, the biggest heroin dealer in the world at the time. He got off on the smug sense of satisfaction and would often berate his own employees.

Aside from the little bit in the AmericanMafia.com article, I've never seen any examples of the Outfit actually operating in Milwaukee. In fact, I haven't seen any mob news out of Milwaukee in at least the last 25 years. I don't think the feds have to actually state a specific family is defunct. You just have to look at the ones they still view as viable. The ones not on those lists aren't hard to guess about.

I have to agree with Ivy. Just because no one states that a specific family is defunct doesn't mean that's not the case. There hasn't been a case there in a long time. That should be indicative of the state of current affairs.

http://media.wgnradio.com/media/mp3file/...ll_70455696.mp3

This is an absolute must listen for anyone interested in The Chicago Outfit, Henry Hill and Mafia in general. It aired on WGN Radio early this morning.

decent listen, nice to know the outfit has about 200-300 made guys

Thanks, Dap - I thought it was very interesting as well. They also said The Outfit had about 1000 associates.

200-400 members and 1,000 associates of the Outfit? Where do these numbers come from? Especially when an "expert" is quoting them. Good grief.

And incidentally, when was Chicago ever the "Mafia capital" of America?

there all done, theres a 100+ kids still in belief of the colombo family and with sticks guns and steriods there not going nowhere. chicago unless italy intervines its over. the kings and vice lords+pimps+every other set run chi town

Chicago is not even close to a top dog in crime in Chicago but they still have anywhere from 28-50 made members so there still there just not in the traditional sense and how long they will be there is anyones guess but the gangs will never get into loansharking,gambling,unions,or construction bid rigging so they still have there place. Also the Colombos along with the other 4 families in new york will be the last to go so the colombos will be around for awhile and the new generation some are into steriods and drugs but out of the new generation they will still find guys that can make money and not rat although the number of guys of that caliber is and continues to get smaller

The VL's and pimps run Chicago????

Chicago has at least 100+ kids that still believe in it.

There will always be people that believe that in it, it just depends on how smart/tough they are.

Since the gangs won't get into that stuff, that's why the outfit or whatever it is now will always be around. As long as there is people that want to gamble, people that need loans and unions, there will be organized crime in Chicago.

IVY all joking aside I don't know what red tape you'd have to get threw but with all this information you have stored you should write a book or encyclopedia

Which I'm currently in writing....

at least they think they do no political connections leaves the street guys where they will remain

A funny thing happened to The Outfit in Chicago over the last 20 years...guys with legitimate businesses suddenly saw the economic benefits of a booming economy. And a prosperous business in a booming economy isn't just a source of legitimate wealth, it can be a great place to launder money, especially if you have interests in more than one business in a vertical industry. And it's my understanding that the guys on the north side are heavily invested in legit businesses (on top of their daily mob activities) while the guys on the south side rely more heavily on traditional mob activities.

Regardless of the number of members in Chicago, you have a number of Outfit members in their 50's and 60's enjoying a very comfortable lifestyle and I really don't think they want their applecart upset.

In the words of Stringer Bell, "We're the bank..."

Yes they are...but they still claim their corners, albeit quietly.

The IPSN web site and the laborers union web site were real eye-openers when I stumbled on those a couple of years ago. Excellent resources for information on Chicago.

Hy Larner. No reason for mentioning his name other than to make a gratuitous reference to one of the more enigmatic people in Outfit history...

tony b.

its over, all the gangs in the north east call chi town the motherland which it is across the map. but there lcn is dead buy my guess, maybe rich kids trying to follow in there great gran parents steps.the kid who recorded his gangster father killed it, in then he wrote a book. i want to read about colombo's whitey bulger frankie blue eyes another scarpa getting swept under the rug. i hope his victims familys put in there lawsuits, you know how that goes.

Well, Nick Calabrese was the one that really helped bring about the "Family Secrets" case. Frank Jr. helped too, of course. But it's not like they, or that case alone, was the final nail in the Outfit's coffin. Just the latest nail. The Outfit is still there. Albeit, simply one of the smaller remaining families outside New York.

Here's a statement by T.Marcus Funk, former Federal Prosecutor about the outfit.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=7779664

Some may have seen it before, some may have not. Don't know how old it is but it took place after the Family Secrets trial.

Basically agreed. The Chicago Outfit is not anywhere what it used to be. They downsized from 6 street crews to 4. The number of ACTIVE made guys on the street, according to Nick Calabrese, was about 60. However, that was many years ago. The Number of active made guys is probably 40 or less. The Feds estimated 28, however, they don't know all the made guys. There are 'sleepers' in Chicago. Chicago Outfit never had a lot of made guys like the New York Families, even in their heyday back in the 1960's and 1970's. The soldiers in each crew work under made guys. it takes many, many years to become a made guy in The Outfit. The Made guys in the past were equal to the 'Captains' in the New York Families. Collectively, New York has always been the Strongest Mafia City in America. After New York, was Chicago. Presently in 2013, it's hard to say how strong the Outfit really is because of the intense secrecy. There has only been ONE made man informant in the history of the Outfit. The Outfit still has some power but it is more concentrated in Union activity, Construction, and offshore bookmaking along with legitimate business. The traditional street rackets of Bookmaking, Loan Sharking and Poker machines still exist but to a much lesser degree. In particular, the Loan Sharking racket is at a very low level. In Bookmaking, when a bettor gets way behind in payments, the Outfit tends to cut them off from any further betting rather than trying to collect with heavy muscle like the past. It's simply too risky. The Outfit is afraid to kill anybody which really shows a sign of weakness. There have been only 3 Outfit related hits in 13 years.

Does the outfit engage in drug trafficking at all? Or is it all really Gambling and Loan Sharking, bid rigging e.t.c.?

No, Drug trafficking is a big no no in Chicago. However, there has been one way around it. There have been a few made guys, (more in the past) who would LOAN money out to a drug trafficker in the form of a juice loan. Then a couple of soldiers in the crew would be the collectors of the payments. That was and is how they get around that rule. There is no hands on drug trafficking. IF it was ever done hands on, and the bosses knew about it, the person would be killed. Willie Messino's nephew (Chris Cardi) Outfit soldier who worked under Willie as a collector, went to jail years ago for 'hands on' drug trafficking on the side. When he got out of prison, he was shot and killed at a hot dog business his wife. Willie couldn't say anything about it.