The answer is no. There have been a couple fanboys lately who have come on here to try and convince knowledgeable people that the Grand Ave Crew is still Grand.

The once prestigious Grand Ave Crew under Outfit Boss Joey Lombardo is not a functioning organization anymore. Joey Lombardo, one of the Two Top Bosses in the Outfit along with his partner John DiFronzo, (Boss of Elmwood Park Crew) retreated from the street rackets many years ago. That's why when Jimmy Marcello temporarily got out of prison several years ago, the Feds said that Jimmy Marcello (Boss of Cicero)
was the Top Boss of the Outfit.

The Feds also stated that DiFronzo and Lombardo were Marcello's Senior Advisors which would make logical sense. The real scenario was that DiFronzo and Lombardo, who were both very close, had made the choice a few years prior that they were out of the Street rackets for good.
Their men slowly phased themselves out of it because DiFronzo and Lombardo could not afford to be around it in anymore.

There are many ways to earn in Chicago besides Bookmaking, Poker Machines and Loan Sharking. LOL.
Nobody starved. There were ways to earn that were much more legitimate with maybe some White Collar attached to it.

DiFronzo is literally worth millions. (You know how I hate exaggerations) and Lombardo owns a lot of Property and other legitimate things.

Lombardo's plan was working until the Family Secrets Trial came up. DiFronzo tried to help Lombardo but there wasn't much that could be done when the Feds had some DNA evidence to tie Lombardo into a 1974 murder. Lombardo was convicted.

There are only a very small handful of made Grand Ave men left along with a few higher level Associates and they are either connected legitimately to Elmwood Park or are available if needed for some other reason.

There really is no Grand Ave Functioning crew with a Boss, made men and Soldier/Associates like in the old days.

In the old days there were 6 crews:
Cicero
Elmwood Park
26Th St.
Grand Ave.
North Side/ Rush St.
Chicago Heights

Presently there are really only 3:
Elmwood Park (retreated) includes a couple Grand Ave men
Cicero
26Th St.

grand ave is definitely the smallest of the crews today. But they're definitely not extinct. Still have some feared guys around today. And I would put the heights as a sub crew of 26th street.

Nicky, I agree about a few guys still around, but there really under Elmwood Park's control.

In other words, Albie Vena is not a Boss with a crew of made men like Cicero or 26th st.
He is a made guy who really answers to Elmwood Park. See what I'm saying?
Same with Chicago Heights. There are a couple of made guys down there but they answer to Cicero or 26th St depending upon their Function.

All I know is that in 2011 the FBI said the Outfit had "two or three crews." Of the remaining 4 previously mentioned in 2007, Grand Avenue seems to be the most likely one to have gone by the wayside. Forget any so called sub-crews. Elmwood Park in the north and Cicero and 26th Street in the south seem to be the most likely.

Ok, I was thought you meant there is no activity with the grand ave guys. I agree probably not much organization with them but definitely activity. Would you put the heights and grand on the same level today? Grand probably has more influence.

Their is very little information on The Rockford, IL Crew but I for one know they are still very much alive and kicking money up. I'm interested in knowing which Crew or to whom they kick up to in Chicago.

I agree logo, if I had to guess which crew Rockford kicks up to I would think it's Cicero.

There was a bookmaking bust involving them back in 2006. That's about it as far as recent events go.

What's the role of Jimmy Inendino today? Is he a grand ave guy? He has been around forever, is a very tough and feared guy.

Cicero, cbronx

Jimmy Inendino could very well be called the boss of the entire Chicago Outfit, although, as Chicago has pointed out, the Outfit is controlled by a "panel", or duo, rather than one individual.

And yes, Jimmy I is a very feared, very tough capo, with an extremely illustrious past: he was a member of the Wild Bunch, along with Harry Aleman, Butchie Petrocelli, and others, without a doubt the most feared, violent crew of their particular era. They were Taylor Street kids, some of the last real gangsters to come from that area.

Nevertheless, Jimmy I is a very charismatic, friendly man in public, slightly reserved, who treats his men well & keeps things under tight wraps.

Nicky Eyes, There's some activity with Grand, But it is more legit than anyone operating in Chicago Heights area because like I said, any Grand Ave guys left over answer to Elmwood Park in one way or another.

1) A couple left over made guys from the North Side Rush St. crew ended up under Elmwood Park

2) A couple left over made guys from Chicago Heights ended up under Cicero or 26th St depending upon their function.

3) A couple left over made guys from Grand Ave ended up under Elmwood Park.

Bottom line, the F.B.I. Report from 2011 seems to be accurate.
The reason why they said 2 or 3 Crews is because the line between Cicero and 26th street sometimes get blurred.

I went to school with alot of the Rockford guys kids. Played Bocci with a majority of them

Ok, lets do a little math here, if the outfit is being ran by a panel and elmwood park is basically retired, that leaves 2 crews ciscero and 26th, my question is who does the panel consist of besides the bosses of the 2 most active crews???

My guesses are these..Jimmy Inendino ( chairman)..Salvatore DeLaurentis ( top advisor)..Salvatore Cataudella ( Cicero ), Toots Caruso (26th Street)

Should the main question be can the Outfit last 30 more years?

I think it will be around in some capacity in 30 years. I think Ivy League is right when he stated in another thread that Cicero and 26th Street will be consolidated into one crew. There's too much vice and too many ways to make money for them to disappear completely but I expect their power to continue to erode.

12thStreet,
Do u think all 3 crews will be consoildated into 1 crew?

I think they're already down to 2 frankly. There are some guys left from EP and Grand Avenue but for the most part I think they have retreated like Chicago says. An example of an EP guy who hasn't taken to the white collar stuff to well would be Rudy Fratto. From Grand Avenue, Albert Vena is a feared guy.t

What I would like to know more about is the understanding that must have taken place between DiFronzo/Lombardo and Monteleone/Marcello back in the 90's when this split/retreat took place. Were some of the street guys in Elmwood Park/Grand Avenue given the choice to go with 26th Street/Cicero if they chose? It's said Marco D'Amico was given that choice when he got out of the joint but he is a high level guy. CHICAGO? Where are you? Lol ..:)

Here's a question: You guys think they'll ever knock anyone down again?

They probally already did, we will find out about it in 5 years maybe

I doubt it. The vast majority of people who get killed are other mobsters, most of whom are known to law enforement and thus the press.

They still kill people lol they just don't blow people away in broad daylight with shotguns anymore. People just disappear now. Anthony Zizzo is an example of that. A drug dealer named Anthony Catalano disappeared in similar fashion 4 years ago and that has Outfit hit written all over it as well. Michael DeFillipis another drug dealer killed a few years back though he didn't disappear-he was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in his condo near Grand and Harlem. Catalano and DeFillippis weren't Outfit guys-but they were indeed connected guys. Chiaramonti and Jarrett were the last guys left in the street publicly

This was another Outfit murder...this time a guy known as "Georgeous Georgie"
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-...rebral-injuries

George was a major gambler and bookmaker. If it doesn't flat-out say "Outfit murder" or if the FBI doesn't release a statement, then it doesn't count.

The last three known outfit murders of made men or soldiers are unsolved. Jarrett, The Hatch and Zizzo.

Would the outfit think they have a good chance getting caught if they commit another murder? That's the ultimate question.

I know this is incredibly vague, but wasn't there a question about a fire at a local restaurant that killed its owner? Story was he was connected, but I can't remember his name or the name of the restaurant.

Whether or not they've knocked anyone down lately...I find it interesting that people think we'd know about all of them.

This is really interesting, good stuff.

Here are a few additional Grand Avenue Crew spots:

This was Christy & Albert's Bar a few years ago that got written up in Chicago Magazine and quoted Christy:
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/April-2008/Drink-Local/
lol Alex Dana...everyone should listen to Fosco's podcast today for some good stories about that guy. Now the bar operates as Aberdeen Tap and Christy and Albie regularly hold court here: http://www.theaberdeentap.com/

This is Cozzo's pool hall about a block away from Aberdeen:
http://www.sportunion.us/company-city-pool-hall-food-spirits-in-chicago-il-22316

Phil's sister ran this while he was locked up. There was a nice party here a few weeks ago because Phil recently came home.

They also own a piece of the Burger Baron:
http://www.burgerbaron.net/

Robert Cooper was convicted of murdering Chiarmonti, and there is virtually no doubt Anthony Calabrese, who is essentially in prison for life for other stuff, is also guilty.

Regarding DePhilippis and Catalano... so what is it, they are making guys 'disappear' or they are bludgeoning guys to death?