Jonnynonos, Thank you. This is what I've been saying but a couple of guys find it hard to believe. The bottom line is that Noone can say for sure how many poker machines there are on the North Side. Compared to the South Side, it would be far less. The point is that IF there are some on the North Side, DiFronzo etc. doesn't want to even know about them.
Side note: There are some in Melrose Park which is technically on the North Side. However, any street rackets in Melrose park are controlled by Cicero.

I completely agree with everything you've been saying on these forums, particularly about DiFronzo.

It's just I've repeated myself saying the same thing for so long I guess I don't have much to say about it!

Google image the Redwood Lounge in Bridgeport. (Now closed.)

That is the kind of places these things were at.

It literally looks like a blue collar lounge from, at the latest, the early 60s.

Joe Fosco (I know everyone hates him, but still) once said that most of the people gambling with the mob bookies these days are just old men who don't want to bother with a computer.

The nature of the establishments at the video poker places I've seen suggests the same thing... and keeping in line with the theory that the whole thing is aged to the point of almost complete decrepititude.

To echo what Chicago has been saying, it seems the North Side guys (i.e. the Elmwood Park crew) are more interested in legit or quasi-legit stuff now. Of course we all know about DiFronzo's companies, D&P Construction and JKS Ventures. Involvement in the trade show business is also evident. Law enforcement has said the North Side also likes to invest in strip clubs and restaurants. And then, for what it's worth, there was Fosco's allegations about the DiFronzos and Central Grocers. It's hard to ignore the lack of examples of street rackets involving Elmwood Park guys in recent years.

somebody up north should get everything in line before difronzo dies

because cicero or the southside is gonna try to take advantage

Cook County, Google I-Team Lunch with No Nose. It has Chuck Goudie trying to interview DiFronzo back in 2009. It's hysterical. Chuck Goudie, The newsman, calls every made guy in Chicago a Boss. According to him, Everyone in Cook County is a Boss. Secondly, he sensationalizes the whole thing by saying it's a meeting of the upper crust of the Outfit. John DiFronzo would NEVER have a meeting like that in a public place. NEVER. Secondly, look who's at the lunch meeting at the Loon Café: John DiFronzo, Pete DiFronzo, Joe DiFronzo & Marco D'Amico. Johnny, his 2 Brothers & Marco. All deactivated men with Elmwood Park who don't give a shit about the Outfit.
If you'll notice, there's NO ONE there from Cicero or 26th St. Hardly a Mob meeting. LOL. Chuck Goudie will do anything to get people to watch him on Television. I love it when Goudie asks DiFronzo if Marco D'Amico was there eating pizza with him, and DiFronzo tells Goudie he doesn't know Marco. It's great entertainment.

Here's the video Chicago is talking about if anyone hasn't seen it - http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=6705293

Thanks Camarel for posting the video the proper way on here. You're probably more computer savvy than me. LOL.

I'm surprised someone hasn't already. Seems like a huge void is just waiting to be filled. If Difronzo hasn't been really active in like 10 years, what's the hold up? Perhaps it's a lack of someone to fill the void? I can't see another family just sitting around and dying because the boss decided to hang it up. Perhaps the southern group has taken over up there and they just stay away from anyone associated with DiFronzo.

Jonnynonos and Chicago,

You guys are great. I have been saying similar things about the Outfit on mob forums for about three years now, but not based on any firsthand knowledge or anything; my statements have always been stuff that I just inferred from the cases that are actually made in the 21st century. It is gratifying to see that others actually in Chicago can back up my hunches, and that I'm not completely full of crap.

To his credit, IvyLeague has also been realistic about the Outfit.

I remember everyone making such a big deal out of Family Secrets when it happened, but to me it was like some weird tough-on-crime circus held by the government to show to the public that they were still serious about taking down criminals. But to me the best way to describe what it was like was a "dinosaur hunt", if that makes sense. I know the defendants in that case weren't the kind of people you should feel sorry for, but I almost did.

Those convictions would be a great thing to have on your resume if you're a cop or a prosecutor though! "I took down the heirs of Al Capone!" So badass!

Chuck Goudie is unintentional comedy gold. The way DiFronzo just looks at him in that stupid ambush interview is hysterical.

Ivan, You're absolutely correct. The Family Secrets Trial was largely a 'Dog and Pony' Show put on by the Government.
Joey Lombardo already had retreated from the Outfit many years prior. Frank Calabrese was ALREADY in prison and off the streets. The other guys were insignificant and were convicted of crimes they did years ago.
The only guy they got who MEANT ANYTHING was JIMMY MARCELLO. Jimmy is the guy who could have invested some of his money, commanded leadership and made some new men. He is REALLY the only guy they got that hurts the CURRENT Outfit. When Jimmy went away in 1993 with Carlisi, the Government ordered him to make $12 Million Dollar restitution in the form of Money and property! Jimmy made a lot of money for himself and knows the streets.

As far as DiFronzo is concerned. Back in 1986 when the Spilotro Brothers were killed, He was the Boss of Elmwood Park and the Underboss of the ENTIRE Outfit. Auippa and Cerone ordered the murders before they went to prison and Carlisi & DiFronzo carried them out. Everybody knows it but nobody can prove it. You cannot convict a man SOLEY on the word of an informant. There has to be at least one other strong piece of evidence to go with it. However, I am surprised the Government didn't even try. WHAT DID THEY REALLY HAVE TO LOSE? Unless they're putting something together right now?

Lastly, either DiFronzo is the smartest, luckiest, most politically connected Boss in the History of the very once proud Outfit, or he is a dry snitch and has made a deal to be left alone in return for retreating with the top men in his crew so they can all be left alone. It's one or the other. Take your choice.

You know, I almost posted this opinion myself, but I wasn't 100% sure if it was true. Did he actually have intent of rebuilding the Outfit? I half suspect that even he knew that it was time to hang it the fuck up, but I don't know the whole story with him.

Jimmy Marcello is a real gangster of the old type. He was going to try and rebuild the very once proud Outfit into something better than the current state. He and DiFronzo were not close. As I said on another post, it was known on the streets that when Jimmy got out temporarily in 2001, it was said that Elmwood Park (DiFronzo), didn't want to eat with Cicero (Marcello).

that's because they were wondering how the fuck he got outta jail

Funny cookcounty, maybe we're looking at this whole chicago thing wrong, maybe difronzo purposely went white collar so the street guys can have a place to hide thier money

Cook County, Jimmy Marcello did about 9 years in jail from 1993 to about 2001 or 2002. He got out of jail because HE SERVED ALL HIS TIME.

I think Jimmy was also the one they thought had the biggest chance of getting out on appeal, but no dice.

If you remember after the trial everyone else thought that Calabrese Sr.'s awful testimony sunk everyone else, that is why they all wanted separate trials.

Regarding Secrets, yes they were all old, but it really wasn't the feds going on a witch hunt. Calabrese Jr. approached THEM about flipping. Then they ran DNA on the Fecerrota glove and had Nick by the neck, and he flipped.

So they went after everyone they could. That's what they do.

Frank Jr liked Nick though so why did he give him up? People always said he just wanted to put his dad away.

You are right but I can't really remember how it all went down. I think he said he really regretted getting his uncle involved but can no longer the blow by blow of how it happened.

Calabrese Jr. talks about it extensively in his book but, like I said, I can't remember.

You're both right. It was Frank Jr. who wrote the letter to the Feds in 1998 or 1999 that started the whole ball rolling. Then, Nick flipped later.
Why did Frank Jr. write the letter?
Answer: He had stolen about $600,000 Dollars from his father's stash of cash. He didn't want to face his father so it was easier for him to keep him in jail. Frank Jr. was a drug user so he had that lying manipulating addict personality.
That was the bottom line for the reason Frank Jr. wrote the letter.
I have no idea of his drug usage presently. But, once an addict etc....

That's what it was. It was actually Calabrese Sr. who started talking about the gloves. He spilled to Jr. in the prison yard on the wire. Feds went and got them from evidence.

I think Jr. in his book goes through all the angst he went through, etc., but don't really remember the details.

I thought he got out of jail in 2003?

Cook County, Yeh, it could have been 2003, I don't have all those dates memorized. LOL.
Ivy probably knows.
Anyway, the point is that Marcello did several years in jail. When he got out, it was understood that he was the Boss. DiFronzo did not want any part of it.

A few weeks ago Johnnynonos was talking about Joe Lombardo and I made the erroneous statement that "there was a mountain of evidence against him." There was not. I followed the FS trial and I don't know what I was thinking . Musta hit my head on something.

Jimmy Marcello was in about the same position as Lombardo. If memory serves me well, I believe all the govt had was Michael Spilotro's daughter recognizing his voice out of a recording of 5 or 6 people. Of course they had Nick Calabrese. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Zagel opioned that Marcello had more ability than his co-defendants. Zagel also would not allow a voice identification expert to testify, saying he had nothing to offer the jury that would be relevant.

I listened to the oral arguments from the Seventh Court Of Appeals (online) and to be very frank, I was surprised at the weak presentation by the govt. It was very, very weak. Apparently they had put all their eggs in one basket with N. Calabrese and thought his testimony would result in convictions, and it did.

The three judge panel of Posner, Woods, and (cant't remember the 3rd one) upheld the district court's decision by a 2-1 vote, with Diane Wood dissenting. This was an interesting case because of the double jeopardy issue. Marcello and Calabrese had both done time for some of the crimes that were included in the indictment. But there were additional charges. IMO there appeared to be two issues: 1. Where does one conspiracy stop and another begin? 2. Did Marcello and Calabrese operate as independent street crews or did they commit crimes for The Outfit ? Posner and the other judge felt that crimes were committed by two different entities ( Street Crews and The Outfit) but by the same people. Judge Wood disagreed.

In my opinion these guys got what they deserved, BUT when you take a really hard look at the entire case, the govt may have been very lucky. Both Marcello and Calabrese had "pulled time" for some of the charges the govt presented, and the overlapping of conspiracy cases (RICO included), was certainly questionable.

It was Micheal Spilotro's daughter who identified Marcello's voice. Also, besides Nick Calabrese's testimony, they proved that Marcello had been paying Nick Calabrese's Family $4,000 a month as hush money.
Joey Lombardo's fingerprints were on some kind of registration that they found in the victim's car.

Yep, Spilotro's daughter. Got the two Michaels mixed up. I believe Michael Marcello was released from prison last Sept. Hope he goes straight.

There's a good summary on this forum/board about the FS trial.

They also had Lombardo bragging about the Seifert hit on a golf course, and perhaps a couple more witnesses.

Marcello was convicted of much more than the Spilotro murder, but, regarding that conviction, I think the above is pretty much correct in terms of the evidence: The voice ID and the Calabrese testimony.

Currently the FBI has 2 squads and 36 FBI agents chasing the 5 ny families
In Chicago they have one squad with 12 agents chasing the entire Chicago outfit

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/29/nyregi...mc=rss&_r=0

Looks like business will pick up for the N.Y. Families.

Listed below is a link to Chicago FBI that I posted a while back. Who knows for sure about all these figures?

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/12/grant-organized-crime-alive-and-well-in-chicago/

Thanks for the info.

i'm appalled that you ain't include me in your rant

go pull a George Zimmerman if that's how u feel deep down in ur heart