Yah, I don't think he had to work his way up through the rank and file.

Hey cookcounty. Have you ever heard of vito Locasio? I found he was connected to 2 unions, one more than the other."Charge 35: Allowed Mob puppet" Caravetta to select for union meetings a Cicero banquet hall that is a well known mob hangout-owned and/or controlled by members/associates of the Chicago Outfit, and permitted meetings to continue in this establishment when they knew or should have know of Carvetta's ties to organized crime.

IHO Ruling: Charge dismissed as to all parties, no just cause for penalty against charged parties.

Charge 36: Allowed Caravetta to personally benefit from the letting of contracts in that Caravetta drank free at Al's Restaurant and Banquet Hall, 6040 West Cermak, Cicero, Illinois in return for throwing the business to Anthony LoCascio and Sebastian Maniscalco, its proprietors who are associates of mob member Vito LoCascio. (See IBT proposed charges against William T Hogan, p 62, footnote)" http://www.ipsn.org/laborers/local2/charges/Mcgough_vs_bohne_caravetta_et_al.htm http://www.ipsn.org/characters/hogan/hogan_passo_charges.htm

Pudge still in the transit union at least as of date of document . Looks like he had total control of disbursement checks. http://www.dol.gov/olms/regs/compliance/...11_12-11-13.pdf

Is LoCasio still alive? Btw google map it...Al's is still there.

According to some guys on a Teamster forum, Vito LoCascio died in a car accident in the early 2000's.
As to Anthony LoCascio and Sebastian Maniscalco, I do not know how they are associated with Vito. They are the grandchildren of the Al's Pizzaria founder who's widow's obit (Carmela) doesn't list any Vitos. As far as I know they are still alive and in the restaurant business.

How about the "Caravetta" mentioned? The name doesn't sound familiar.

Richard S. Caravetta.

I believe he was politically connected in Cicero during the Loren-Maltese administration.

He still alive? Wonder if he's the owner of that banquet hall...like I said if you google map it..the place is still there.

Al's is a well known Cicero Crew haunt. The food kinda sucks now but was good back in the day

I think he's still alive. He didn't own the banquet hall as far as I know it is still in the LoCascio family hands.

Caravetta was just a stooge. He was hand picked by Pudgy to be business manager of Liuna local #2 when Matassa left that post to be Pres. Caravetta was left behind when they chucked out Pudgy.

A couple of years later they got rid of him.

"Robert Luskin, general executive board attorney for the Laborers International Union of North America, said Caravetta resigned his post as part of a settlement that also brought to an end an investigation into Caravetta's "possible association with organized crime." As part of the settlement, Caravetta made no admission of wrongdoing."

I presume it still is?

Interesting to see Matassa is still treasurer of a large union and has had complaints against him as recently as December 2013. Really goes to show you that these guys never stop and stay so far below the radar, the press rarely even notices them.

It's crazy. But I'm not sure if it's just that he's "under the radar." I honestly believe the Feds have a bigger hard-on for the locals in the Northeast than they do for the Midwestern locals. The LIUNA locals here are under almost as much Federally mandated supervision as the Teamsters. And forget about the fucking IBT locals here. It's just a job now.

The reality is that if the Chicago media or certain politicians had seen this complaint - they would have gone buckwild with stories about mob influence in Chicago unions and demands for Pudgy to step down from lawmakers. No idea how this stayed so quiet.

It's not really a large union.
INDEPENDENT UNION OF AMALGAMATED WORKERS LOCAL 711
2012 income of $85000, most of which goes to Pudgy's $55000 salary, and assets of $11000.

In 2011 they actually took a loss.

I can't figure out who these guys represent. Perhaps they are the union for mobsters.

2102 Form 990 signed by Pudgy

So the outfit are not making new members and is basically allowing itself to become dormant?

I've read the complaint, it is just paperwork stuff.

Not reporting the number of members, or the amount of the average members dues and some bonding issues.
Complaint on Amalgamated 711

But, like I said, it is not a large union.
If the rank and file consisted entirely of the mythical 28 members they would each be paying $60 a week in dues.

Of course they are not letting the thing go dormant. And of course they're making new members. The thing is, the alleged top guy (DiFronzo) may not be recognizing/acknowledging that these guys are being made, and therefore it's not going into the official books. The Outfit is shrouded with mystery & intrigue & always has been. Prior to Nicky Calabrese flipping, the public was posing the same questions they are now. "Is the Outfit dead? Does it even exist??" The Chicago Media also, for whatever reason, has largely refused to report on LCN here throughout the years. What is celebrated & gossipped about out East is the opposite over here. I know berwyn residents that have no idea that the Outfit social club they've been living next to for thirtysome years is Chicago Mafia. It's difficult to explain. Dunno, maybe the people here are just ultra thick..

But anyways, recent busts like the Carparelli indictment & the Mandell indictment show that the Outfit is still a scary entity, with active, traditional Cosa Nostra street crews, that does the vast majority of it's heavy business way out in shit hole white trash south/west suburbs.

If youre looking for a new & improved list of soldiers, it may be a while until another head count like that gets publically released. The feds have had a legendarily difficult time getting Outfit guys near the top to flip.

chicago is crooked and nobody gives a fuck

the locals view chicago corruption "as just another day in chicago"

that's how they stay under the radar, residents don't care so it's easy to stay low

all criminals (races) are intertwined in chicagos political landscape

He's talking about federal interests, not some local bumpkin gossip.

the feds are busting white collar crimes, look at their press releases

Found this on second city cop. http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/2013/06/outfit-what-outfit.html

I haven't seen this posted before still kind of old 13 years. It says Mitria was an elmwood park crew boss, so im guessing he is made. Maybe not. He would be 65 years old now. He was released Jan. 09' http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-...op-police-brass

Posted a thread about this when it happened. There was an article in the suntimes about it. Said the OC unit was there. No word since.

Yup. Not a "large union" at all. And this is hardly "below the radar." An article about Pudgy running that local came out 10 years ago and talked about how the local was small and financially struggling.

I grew up in that neck of the woods. I know the factories out there in decline, but this is a joke.
This union's income wouldn't launder the ashtray change they steal at the local carwash.

It's still a union and other people's incomes/futures. The fact Pudgy is allowed in whatsoever is really nuts and goes to show you he is just using it as an ATM machine. He must have muscle there too for these guys not to just kick him out...

The question is more who is Pudgy kicking up to these days?

Marco and Solly D maybe?

Thats probably about right. Maybe a go between for them. Ive seen on the forums he has drove them both around over the years, Solly D more recently.

Gangland Collum this week stated that Rudy Fratto was made into the Chicago Outfitbon Father's Day 1998, this is the first ceremony we've heard about after the 80's and disproves Nick Calabrese's statement that his ceremony was the last