Rudy “The Chin” Fratto did not let his latest bid behind bars derail his mob lifestyle according to area sources. The 70 year old Chicago mobster released last November after doing a year behind bars on charges on construction bid rigging is back in his old neighborhood of Elmwood Park reestablishing himself in the local mafia rackets. Fratto became a made man in the Chicago Outfit back in 1998 during a Father’s Day induction ceremony and was mentored by Chicago mafia boss John “Johnny No Nose” DiFronzo a powerful figure in the mob for the last 25 years.

“Rudy Fratto”

Rudy the Chin is known to law enforcement as being prone to violence and has been identified as a suspect in numerous crimes including murder and attempted murder over the years. But he has found a way to stay out of prison for the most part even under close watch by the feds only having served two stints in prison one being his latest along with a tax evasion term back in early 2000′s.
 

During his latest big rigging case Fratto was caught on a wire tap saying “I’m the boss of this area around here , no one else”. The judge in the case claimed that the evidence put forth by the prosecution including the wire tap conversations were not enough to link the Rudy’s reputed Chicago mob status to the bid rigging scheme.

Chicago mafia capo Albert (Albie the Falcon) Vena is said by some to be the most-feared man in the Windy City, a new-and-improved version of Anthony (Tony the Ant) Spilotro, if you will. His emergence the past few years as a major player in the upper-echelon of the city’s mob landscape has reinvigorated his Grand Avenue-based crew, reinstalling a large chunk of the power and prestige it lost in the late 2000s courtesy of the epic Operation Family Secrets bust.

Like Spilotro, Albert Vena is tiny (just a smidge over five feet), but incredibly fearless and extremely deadly. However, unlike Spilotro, the Chicago crime family’s crew-leader in Las Vegas, killed alongside his brother in a grisly 1986 Outfit double-slaying depicted in the Martin Scorsese gangster film classic “Casino,” Vena, 66, knows how to make nice with his superiors in the mob and doesn’t let his ego get the best of him.

“Chicago Mafia gathering”

Vena’s name recently surfaced in the Chicago press due to him being mentioned at the trial of cop-turned-gangster Steve Mandell, convicted in February of attempting to kidnap, torture and murder an enemy and his wife in order to assume control of a Bridgeview strip club and another associate to seize his real estate assets.

Testimony at the trial revealed that FBI agents watched as Mandell lunched with Vena at La Scrola, the one-time favorite haunt of notorious Chicago mob capo and consigliere Joseph (Joey the Clown) Lombardo, Vena’s former boss and mentor, who ruled the city’s Westside and was in charge of the notoriously-rugged Grand Avenue crew for over 30 years. Mandell was caught telling a wired-up associate that he’d gone to Vena for permission to kill an adversary and Vena, someone linked by the government to several underworld slayings, had failed to give him the go-ahead.

Lombardo was nailed in the Feds’ landmark Family Secrets case, convicted at the 2007 trial in the brutal 1974 murder of mafia associate Danny Siefert, a soon-to-be witness for the government against him and several mob cronies, and Vena was selected to replace Joey the Clown as the new “Godfather of Grand Avenue.”

Spilotro, another Lombardo protégé, is alleged to have been part of Lombardo’s hit squad that snuffed out Siefert in broad daylight and in front of his wife and son outside a suburban plastics factory days before a federal trial was set to begin in a Teamsters Union pension-fund fraud case he was slated to be the star witness in.

The double homicide of Spilotro and his brother was also included in the Family Secrets indictment, with Outfit street boss James (Jimmy the Man) Marcello convicted of delivering the siblings to their slaughter at the house of capo Louis (Louie the Mooch) Eboli in June 1986, where they were beaten and strangled to death by a cadre of hit men as revenge for Tony the Ant running amok in Las Vegas and bringing too much heat on the syndicate’s West Coast affairs.

The diminutive, yet dynamic Vena was groomed by a slew of Outfit big shots and reputedly taught to kill by one of the Chicago mafia’s most revered enforcers. Besides Lombardo, Albie the Falcon came up under Northside capos and lieutenants like Vincent (Innocent Vince) Solano, Joseph (Joe the Builder) Andriacchi, Gus Alex and Lenny Patrick. Early on in his underworld career, Vena was placed in Joey the Clown Lombardo’s enforcement wing and schooled by the Clown’s No. 1 strong arm and hit man, Frank (Frankie the German) Schweis, a renowned assassin.

Vena and Schweis are both considered suspects in the 1983 gangland murder of Teamsters official and high-level mob associate Allen Dorfman, a killing also depicted in the movie Casino.

Schweis was brought down with Lombardo in the Family Secrets case (dying before making it to trial though) and was fiery until his last breath – the German, while frail in appearance, still managed to repeatedly bark at reporters and prosecutors alike in court proceedings that directly preceded his passing.

In the fall of 1992, Vena was indicted on a state murder beef for the gruesome slaying of low-tier Windy City hoodlum, Sam Taglia, charges he was acquitted on at a 1993 trial. Taglia, on the outs with mob leaders over stolen money and scam drug deals, was found stuffed in the trunk of his car in Melrose Park, shot in the head, his throat slit ear-to-ear. He and Vena were seen together in the hours before his unsightly demise.

Showing his feistiness, Vena tried to run over the cops that came to arrest him for Taglia’s murder with his car. Cautious of recording devices, he’s rarely appeared on police wiretaps and is known to keep a relatively low profile around town, especially compared to his predecessor, Joey the Clown, notorious for his witty demeanor and flash-bulb friendly personality.

When Lombardo and Schweis got popped in 2005 in the Family Secrets bust – both going on the lam for almost a year trying to dodge arrest before finally being apprehended – Vena and Vincent (Jimmy Boy) Cozzo, Lombardo’s right-hand man, were running the Grand Avenue crew together, using Lombardo’s longtime driver Christopher (Christy the Nose) Spina as their messenger. After Cozzo died of natural causes in July 2007 and Joey the Clown was convicted three months later, Vena was officially upped to full-fledged capo by semi-retired Chicago Outfit boss John (Johnny No Nose) Di Fronzo.

“Albie Vena is a very serious individual,” retired FBI agent Jack O’Rourke said. “He has the reputation of being both treacherous and reliable. All the heavyweights in the Family trust him very much. In a lot of ways, he’s a throwback. He lives by the code of the old ChicagoOutfit bosses. Most people see him being a big part of the future administration. The pedigree is there, he’s been around a long time.”

Article courtesy of Scott M. Burnstein Author of Motor City Mafia: A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit (Images of America) and other great mafia titles. Be on look out for Scott’s upcoming mafia column and website launch.

Joseph “The Builder” Andriacchi is believed to be the new face of the Chicago Outfit taking over for former mob boss Johnny “No Nose” DiFronzo according to sources. DiFronzo has seen his physical and mental health decline over the last few years forcing him to finally step down as boss of the Chicago mob. Andriacchi filled in for DiFronzo in the early 90′s while he was in prison for several months and has a long history in the Outfit. He is also part of the powerful Cicero Crew of the Chicago crime family.

“Joseph Andriacchi”

The position held in the Outfit today by Andriacchi has changed with time and is no longer a day to day operation type post and more so that of an elder statesman for the crime family. Top ranking Outfit mobsters which now include Albert Vena, Solly DeLaurentis, and James Iandino among others handle daily mob business and act as family advisers and it is unclear if any single Outfit member acts in the traditional role of a mafia boss today. The Outfit ranks have always been handled somewhat differently then other Cosa Nostra families around the country. The new shift in power in the Chicago Outfit will no doubt increase the influence of the Cicero crew among others.

The mafia in Chicago has taken its share of hits from law enforcement over the years and has seen the passing of previous bosses like Anthony Accardo , Paul Ricca, and Joseph Aiuppa but still remains a powerful and influential organized crime empire.

Chicago mobsters Bobby Panozzo and Paul Koroluk of the Outfit’s Grand Avenue crew were stung last week. And the 54-year old Panozzo could be stung again soon……with murder charges.

Operating a sub-group within the Grand Avenue faction, identified as “The P-K Crew” (the pair’s initials), Panozzo and Koroluk, and two subordinates, one being Panozzo’s namesake and 22-year old son, Bobby, Jr, were nabbed last Thursday in a police sting operation by Cook County narcotics detectives for running an elaborate armed-robbery ring targeting unprotected drug houses, as well as engaging in home invasions, arson, burglary, drug trafficking, attempted murder and possibly murder.

“Robert Panozzo, 54, Paul Koroluk, 55, Panozzo’s son, Robert Panozzo, Jr., 22, Maher Abuhabsah, 33, and Koroluk’s wife, Maria Koroluk, 53″

The racketeering and home invasion charges carry maximum 60-year prison sentences. Using tips from street gang members, a police radio scanner and stolen police uniforms, the P-K’s raided a series of area drug houses before the cops could. Their traditional home invasions were brutal and bloody; Panozzo chopped off one victim’s ear for lying to him in the midst of Panozzo robbing him.

The robbery crew was caught in the act, set-up by the cops and tricked into thinking they were ripping off a 45-kilo shipment of cocaine from a stash house on South Brandon Avenue in the city’s Hegewisch district, when in fact they were walking into a carefully-planned bear trap, the culmination of an investigation called, “Operation Crew Cut”.

Walking out of the purported stash house early Thursday morning, Panozzo, Koroluk and their associates were met by a swat team of Chicago police officers.Panozzo and the half-Polish, half-Italian Koroluk, 55, are both Chicago mafia Grand Avenue mob crew veterans, first reporting to Joseph (Joey the Clown) Lombardo, currently imprisoned, and now taking orders from Albert Vena, Lombardo’s replacement as capo of the city’s Westside.

Sources close to the investigation, say Vena, a person dubbed “the most dangerous gangster in Chicago” by organized experts, the Windy City media and fellow mobsters alike, was “very close” to be indicted in the case, too. FBI wiretaps and street informants tie Vena to pocketing a percentage of the scores Panozzo and Koroluk were taking down.

Gangster running buddies for years, Panozzo and Koroluk were groomed in the art of robbery by Joey the Clown himself. The pair came up in a Lombardo-overseen burglary crew headed by his driver, James (Jimmy Legs) D’Antonio. FBI documents related to D’Antonio claim that Panozzo and Koroluk actually went along on the final actual robbery job the Clown personally participated in during an early 1980s jewelry store heist. By that time, Lombardo was already a capo and according to the report took a liking to Panozzo, nicknaming him “Bobby Pinocchio” for his talent for deception. The young Panozzo and Koroluk are alleged to have acted as look-outs on the job.

The P-K crew has been on law enforcement’s radar for the past couple years. In 2012, crew members Louie Capuzi and Frank Obrochta, were nailed on charges of burglary, home invasion, insurance fraud and prostitution and are currently awaiting trial.

Last fall, Chicago Police discovered Panozzo and Koroluk tried to put a murder contract on a witness in a forthcoming home invasion case. Then in the winter, Panozzo and Vena were mentioned at the trial of Windy City cop-turned-mobster Steve Mandell, convicted in February of attempting to kidnap, torture and eventually murder a pair of associates and one of their wives, in a ploy to assume control of one associate’s strip clubs and the other’s real estate assets. Testimony and FBI surveillance photos revealed that Panozzo and Mandell dined with Vena at Vena’s favorite Italian eatery, La Scrola (also a “forever fav” of the Lombardo when he was on the streets).

Part of the indictment against Panozzo released Saturday quotes a confidential federal informant as accusing Panozzo of the murder of an elderly woman back in 1987, a homicide he is said to have bragged about. The informant said the murder was preceded by the woman signing over her property to Panozzo and concluded with him allegedly killing her by throwing her down three different flights of stairs in her apartment building.

Law enforcement sources in the Windy City tell the Mob Insider that a first-degree homicide charge against Panozzo could be added to the indictment before the case hits trial and that the FBI and Chicago PD detectives are investigating Panozzo’s connection to a currently unsolved October 1987 murder that took place in an apartment complex on W. Ohio Street and matches the informant’s description of events.

Less than a decade ago, Panozzo and Koroluk were arrested and convicted on similar burglary charges and were sentenced to seven-year prison bits in 2006. A source close to the Grand Avenue crew claims Panozzo also helps Vena, someone he’s very close to, look after the crew’s loan sharking business and that he has a reputation on the city’s Westside as a “tough-as-nails collector.”

One of the street gangs feeding the P-K gang with information on what drug houses to rob was allegedly the C-Notes, according to the Chicago Crime Commission, a longtime “Outfit JV team,” that Vena was once a member of and maintains close ties with.

Retired Chicago PD organized crime investigator Robert McDonald used to keep tabs on Panozzo and Vena in the 1980s.

“We’d watch Lombardo’s young guys and Bobby and Albie were two you always knew weren’t guys you messed with, they were the type of individuals that really enjoyed the work, took pleasure in inflicting pain,” he said. “Lombardo knew there was always room in the Chicago Outfit for guys like that and he made sure they were utilized from a young age.”

Article courtesy of Scott M. Burnstein Author of Motor City Mafia: A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit (Images of America) and other great mafia titles.

Mario Rainone a one time enforcer for the Chicago mafia has been sentenced to fifteen years behind bars after being convicted on felony weapon possession charges. He previously did a 17 year term on racketeering charges and is currently in prison serving a 7 1/2 year bid for burglary. As part of the Chicago Outfits north side crew he was often involved in various mob scheme’s including shaking down restaurants and bars.

“Mario Rainone”

In mob circles Rainone was known as “the Arm” because of his skills and talents at muscling people. Considering his long criminal past it seems like he may have gotten off with a bit of a break getting only an added 15 years as the government was looking for upwards of 25 years. Rainone says that he left the Chicago mob back in 1989 after learning he was actually the target of a hit he was sent to carry out.

The Chicago mafia also known as the Chicago Outfit has been on the decline over the years according to most the mob in the “Windy City” is far from done. A new crop of Chicago mob leaders is now in place going into the new year and it seems like business as usual even if things are not exactly as they once were at the height of their power. Michael “Fat Mike” Sarno has stepped down from his role of acting boss leading to Salvatore “Sally D” DeLaurentis taking over as the families new acting boss according  sources of Scott Burnstein and his Gangster Report site.

“Salvatore DeLaurentis“

Seems Sally D earned his promotion while crushing a beef between young Cicero crew members and the old guard of the Chicago mafia last year which could of gotten ugly. The problem seemed to have developed between some younger Sarno loyalists and the older members of The Outfit pecking order. Now with a new acting boss in place the Chicago mob seems to have thing back in order and settled and ready to move forward doing business as usual.

“Salvatore Cataudella (right)“

Along with DeLaurentis sources also believe that Salvatore “Sammy Cards” Cataudella is the new syndicate underboss and John “Pudgy” Matassa Jr has taken over as acting consigliere of the mob in Chicago for Joseph “Joe the Builder” Andriacchi a mob elder statesman.

“John Matassa Jr.“

Louis Marino also known as “Louie Tomatoes” has recently been put in control of Chicago Mafia rackets in the north side suburbs of The Windy City. Marino recently finished up doing 25 years in prison when he was released last October. The 82 year old mobster has been rewarded for his loyalty to the mob with his promotion to “street boss” of the north suburb region. He was appointed to his new leadership position by current Chicago mob acting boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis according to mafia news from Scott Burnstein and his Gangster Report.

“Louis (Louie Tomatoes) Marino“

According to sources the octogenarian mobster has no intentions of retiring anytime soon but his son Dino Marino a Chicago Outfit button man is allegedly being groomed to eventually take his place. Both Louie Tomatoes and Solly D came up together in the mafia under former Cicero crew capo Ernest Infelise and former bosses Sam Carlisi and Joseph Ferriola.

Both mobsters were known and feared as mob enforcers for the Cicero crew back in the 70’s and 80’s according to reports. When mobster Joseph Amato retired Solly D and Louie took over the Lake and McHenry County loansharking and gambling operations before being pinched in a RICO bust. DeLaurentis held the position of north suburbs street boss before taking over day to day operations for the mafia in Chicago as acting boss sometime in 2013.

Paul Carparelli a lieutenant in the Chicago Mafia is awaiting trial on federal extortion charges and is now in more hot water. Carparelli had his bond rescinded following charges of employing intimidation tactics in an attempt to dissuade a witness from testifying in his upcoming trial. According to court documents he spotted an associate of a witness and approached him in a parking lot telling him the witness was a rat and he knows what happens to rats. He will now spend the rest of his upcoming time awaiting trial which is set to begin this summer behind bars.

“Paul Carparelli“

Carparelli known as a tough guy in the mob is allegedly part of the infamous Chicago Outfit Cicero crew. The 46 year old mobster and six co-defendants were charged in 2013 with extorting businesses in various states. He was caught on wiretaps making no apologies for being a mobster saying “I’ve been with the Outfit my whole life, I’m not about to change now,” he was caught on an FBI wiretap telling a friend. “This is what I’m made of and this is where I come from and I’m fucking proud of it.”

He also has links to Chicago mob boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis who took the reigns of the family back in 2013 after the imprisonment of Michael “Fat Mike” Sarno. Carparelli is believed to be part of the regime of a Lake County Cicero crew sub crew which is in heart of the DeLaurentis powerbase. He was also caught on wiretap bragging about taking 10 thousand dollars from DeLaurantis to break a debtor’s legs.

Michael “Mikey” Davis a long time powerful associate of the Chicago mafia has been found guilty on charges of extortion and now faces up to 40 years behind bars. The trial featured some of the biggest names of the Chicago Outfit ranks including former bosses John DiFronzo and Peter DiFronzo and current alleged Chicago mob boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis. Davis has strong ties to the DiFronzo brothers going back years and according to prosecutors maintained a business relationship with DeLaurentis.

“Michael Davis and Peter DiFronzo“

Davis back in 2013 threatened a deadbeat debtor named R.J. Serpico and then tried to hire a group of goons to break the guys legs. After threatening Serpico himself and still not getting paid he went to fellow mob associate Paulie Carparelli to set up an assault to turn up the heat in efforts to recover the $300,000 he says he was owed. But the man enlisted to set up the assault was an FBI snitch who had turned rat after he was himself nabbed months later in a different extortion plot.

“Michael Davis“

None of the Chicago mafia leaders who were named in the trial were charged with any wrong doing but it did shed some added light on the ranks of the mafia in Chicago. The DiFronzo brothers and Solly D were all at some point reputed leaders of the Elmwood Park crew who made their way through the ranks to become part of the Chicago mob hierarchy.

“Salvatore DeLaurentis“

Paul Carparelli a reputed member of the Chicago mafia has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison on extortion charges. He was arrested back in 2013 for the series of extortion plots which involved top enforcers going around the country confronting deadbeat businessmen and debtors. The feds recorded various conversations from 2011 to 2013 between Carparelli and George Brown his top enforcer which included extortion, collections, beat downs, and other mafia business. Unknown to the Chicago mobster at the time was that Brown had turned rat and was cooperating with the feds.

“Paul Carparelli“

Prosecutors were seeking a sentence of up to 11 years for Carparelli arguing that he was looking to rise through the ranks of the Chicago mob. According to court documents he saw a chance to advance within the organized crime family after several leaders of the Cicero crew had been convicted and in prison. His lawyer argued that his client was simply a “wannabe” and the claims of his mob ties were overblown leading the feds to believe he was connected. The defense asked the court for as little as probation for the defendant saying he was playing a role and had simply watched too many mob movies.

Even with the lighter sentence, than expected U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman told the alleged mobster, it was clear he took pleasure in the discomfort and fear of others. The judge also noted that his crimes were violent and that the public safety was at risk. With time served being credited the reputed wiseguy could be released from prison in as early as two years.

According to reports Chicago mafia acting boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis has promoted veteran mobster Albert Vena to Outfit street boss.

Vena has been handling the day to day operations acting as an intermediary between Solly D and the Chicago mob capos for months now. He leads the infamous Westside Grand Avenue crew and even though his crew has been under siege by the feds over the last few years he has been able to avoid any indictments. DeLaurentis took control of the Chicago Outfit back in 2012 in place of aging mob boss John DiFronzo and has been reorganizing the families hierarchy according to reports from sources of Scott Burnstein and his gangsterreport.

The now 67-year-old Vena will remain a capo of his Westside crew while handling his new street boss gig. Vena has long been a feared Outfit wiseguy and he has been called “the most dangerous man in Chicago” by the media and FBI informants. Vena operates from his Richard’s Bar headquarters and is often seen dining next door at La Scarola restaurant next door. Along with Solly D and Vena also known as “Albie the Falcon” the current Chicago mob hierarchy also includes consigliere Marco D’Amico and underboss Salvatore Cataudella.

The mafia in Chicago has been seen as a declining organization over the last decade or so but has seemingly stabilized in the last couple of years and may be rebuilding and re-establishing itself at least to some extent under its new leadership. Along with what seems to be a stable hierarchy the Chicago Outfit also has capable capos in place including alleged Elmwood Park crew skipper Rudy Fratto and Cicero crew capo James Inendino. The Outfit will never see the power and influence it commanded in its heyday but the mafia today in Chicago may be rejuvenated to some extent and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Charles (Chuckie) Russell a reputed soldier in the Chicago mafia was captured on undercover recordings bragging about a plan to rob an elderly suburban lawyer according to prosecutors.

The 67-year-old wiseguy was formerly arrested on gun charges after he allegedly showed up to purchase eight guns from an undercover federal agent at a South Loop deli according to Chicago tribune report. Russel is an alleged member of the infamous Grand Avenue crew of the Chicago Outfit currently led by his brother-n-law Albert Vena who also serves as Cosa Nostra families street boss. The widely feared mafia crew has been led in past by mafia heavyweights such as Joey (The Clown) Lombardo but has fallen on hard times of late losing multiple members in recent cases.

“Charles (Chuckie) Russell”

According to the report, a confidential informant tipped off the A.T.F. about Russell bragging that he was a high-ranking member of the Chicago mob. He told the informant during a meeting at a coffeehouse that he was the leader of a prolific burglary gang called the “Bishop boys” that was responsible for lots of burglaries and home invasions. In December the informant set up a meeting with Russell and an undercover agent who secretly recorded Russell talking about his plans for the upcoming robbery of the lawyer. He believed that there could have been as much as $750,000 in cash in the lawyers home safe and that he had been casing the house for years along with an ex-girl who was on the inside and knew the location of the safe and other valuables.

In court filing Russell was quoted as telling the informant “Nothing gets my juices flowing like putting a gun to someone’s head, taking their stuff, and making it mine, It will be a great Christmas, I’m telling you.” He also was quoted as telling the informant and undercover during their meeting “If he doesn’t open it, we’re gonna make him open it,” Russell said, according to the complaint. “They always open for me, believe me. I bring my butane torch, put it on the bottom of their feet, they open it.” Russell wanted the two men to help with the robbery telling them his crew would be equipped with the proper tools to avoid detection including police scanners.

Russell then talked to the undercover agent about a plan to purchase firearms from him. A second meeting was set up between the three men at an Inn in Jefferson Park where the alleged mobster gave the agent a list of guns he was looking for that included AK-47’s and Uzi’s. He also handed the agent a driver’s license of a man then showed him a cell phone photo of a bullet-riddled car which Russell said was “some decent work” of his saying the guy was “no longer with us.” He went on to say “All (expletive) blood and brain all over the (expletive) seat, Went right through his head and out that side. Take (the car) and drop it off in the black community, and someone else gets caught with it” according to the complaint. Chicago PD would later confirm the man depicted on the license was indeed killed in November.

The recording also captured Russell saying “The fun for me is the score, That’s how I get my adrenaline. … You know how long it takes to come to down for me? I counted money one night for so long my hands were filthy.”  He has a long criminal past including an aggravated criminal sexual assault conviction back in 1992 that landed him a 35-year prison sentence. He beat an attempted murder charge in that same case and was let out on parole back in 2011. Russell’s arrest is the latest blow to the mafia crew but may not be the last as rumors continue to swirl about potential indictments which may involve Vena who has been in the feds crosshairs for some time now.

Taking down the Chicago Mafia is once again a top priority for the Feds according to Jeffrey Sallet the newly installed head of the FBI in Chicago.

In a recent interview, the new Special Agent In Charge said “The Chicago Outfit? We haven’t forgotten about you,” pledging to refocus the fight against organized crime. The last major mafia case in Chicago happened over a decade ago but Sallet says the Chicago Outfit is still a force and cannot be overlooked. The 2005 Family Secrets case took down most of the Cosa Nostra families hierarchy but after a decade-long lull in major cases, the mafia in Chicago has had a chance to rebuild its ranks.

Sallet is considered to be an expert in mafia investigations and has worked in New York, Boston, and New Orleans. He helped take down over 100 La Cosa Nostra figures including leading members of the Bonanno crime family of the New York Mafia. He also worked on the capture of fugitive Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger. The lack of cases and headlines surrounding the Chicago mob in recent years has lead many to believe the declining organization was on its deathbed. But during his interview with the ABC7 I-Team Sallet said: “The Chicago Outfit is 100 years old, so when you look at an organization that is 100 years old and says we’re not going to work those guys because they’re done, would be a huge mistake.”

“Mob guys or Outfit guys whatever you want to call them are resilient,” said Sallet. “Where there is an opportunity to make money, they will engage. The reason they don’t kill people the same way they did 25 years ago is because it’s bad for business.” The faces of those leading the Chicago Mafia have changed but they are still engaged in plenty of mob rackets and remain a viable and profitable organization. These new Chicago mafia leaders which include alleged acting boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis, street boss Albert Vena, consigliere Marco D’Amico and underboss Salvatore Cataudella could be under fire sooner rather than later. There could be some interesting Chicago Mafia news on the way!

Reputed Chicago Mafia soldier Charles “Chuckie” Russell has passed away according to recent federal court filings.

According to reports the 70-year-old mobster was suffering from prostate cancer and had recently been moved to a hospice facility. Russell was schooled in the ways of the mafia by his longtime mentor and former Chicago mob enforcer Frank (Frankie The German) Schweihs. In his prime, Chuckie was a feared figure within the cities Cosa Nostra family known for being one of the cities most prolific thieves and a reputed hitman. He was a member of the infamous Grand Avenue crew serving under his brother-n-law and alleged Outfit street boss Albert Vena.

“Charles (Chuckie) Russell”

Russell was arrested back in 2016 after buying a bundle of eight weapons from an undercover ATF agent. The agent with the help of an undercover federal informant was able to get close to Russell. He enlisted their help in a plot to rob hundreds of thousands of dollars from a former attorney. During the investigation, secretly recorded conversations captured Russell bragging about pulling off thousands of robberies and even killing a man. According to Russell his method of choice to convince his victims to open their safes was to was a butane torch to the bottom of their feet.

He also said during a conversation “Nothing gets my juices flowing like putting a gun to someone’s head, taking their stuff and making it mine.” He was immediately arrested in December of 2016 after he purchased either guns including an AK-47 and a submachine gun from the undercover agent. He would eventually plead guilty to a single gun possession charge and was awarded bond due to his medical condition. He was ordered to home confinement at his longtime girlfriends home in suburban Chicago. She is a niece of former Chicago Outfit enforcer Tony (The Ant) Spilotro.

Charles “Chuckie” Russell passed away before he could be sentenced for his remaining crime. Because of his previous convictions which included murder and rape he would have been facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years behind bars.

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Mario Rainone a one-time enforcer for the Chicago mafia has been sentenced to fifteen years behind bars after being convicted on felony weapon possession charges.

He previously did a 17-year term on racketeering charges and is currently in prison serving a 7 1/2 year bid for burglary. As part of the Chicago Outfits north side crew, he was often involved in various mob scheme’s including shaking down restaurants and bars.

“Mario Rainone”

In mob circles Rainone was known as “the Arm” because of his skills and talents at muscling people. Considering his long criminal past it seems like he may have gotten off with a bit of a break getting only an added 15 years as the government was looking for upwards of 25 years. Rainone says that he left the Chicago mob back in 1989 after learning he was actually the target of a hit he was sent to carry out.

The post Chicago mafia enforcer get 15 years in prison appeared first on About The Mafia.

The Chicago mafia also known as the Chicago Outfit has been on the decline over the years according to most the mob in the “Windy City” is far from done.

A new crop of Chicago mob leaders is now in place going into the new year and it seems like business as usual even if things are not exactly as they once were at the height of their power. Michael “Fat Mike” Sarno has stepped down from his role of acting boss leading to Salvatore “Sally D” DeLaurentis taking over as the families new acting boss according to  sources of Scott Burnstein and his Gangster Report site.

“Salvatore DeLaurentis“

Seems Sally D earned his promotion while crushing a beef between young Cicero crew members and the old guard of the Chicago mafia last year which could of gotten ugly. The problem seemed to have developed between some younger Sarno loyalists and the older members of The Outfit pecking order. Now with a new acting boss in place the Chicago mob seems to have thing back in order and settled and ready to move forward doing business as usual.

“Salvatore Cataudella (right)“

Along with DeLaurentis sources also believe that Salvatore “Sammy Cards” Cataudella is the new syndicate underboss and John “Pudgy” Matassa Jr has taken over as acting consigliere of the mob in Chicago for Joseph “Joe the Builder” Andriacchi a mob elder statesman.

“John Matassa Jr.“

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Louis Marino also known as “Louie Tomatoes” has recently been put in control of Chicago Mafia rackets in the north side suburbs of The Windy City.

Marino recently finished up doing 25 years in prison when he was released last October. The 82-year-old mobster has been rewarded for his loyalty to the mob with his promotion to “street boss” of the north suburb region. He was appointed to his new leadership position by current Chicago mob acting boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis according to mafia news from Scott Burnstein and his Gangster Report.

“Louis (Louie Tomatoes) Marino“

According to sources the octogenarian mobster has no intentions of retiring anytime soon but his son Dino Marino a Chicago Outfit button man is allegedly being groomed to eventually take his place. Both Louie Tomatoes and Solly D came up together in the mafia under former Cicero crew capo Ernest Infelise and former bosses Sam Carlisi and Joseph Ferriola.

Both mobsters were known and feared as mob enforcers for the Cicero crew back in the 70’s and 80’s according to reports. When mobster Joseph Amato retired Solly D and Louie took over the Lake and McHenry County loansharking and gambling operations before being pinched in a RICO bust. DeLaurentis held the position of north suburbs street boss before taking over day to day operations for the mafia in Chicago as acting boss sometime in 2013.

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Paul Carparelli a lieutenant in the Chicago Mafia is awaiting trial on federal extortion charges and is now in more hot water.

Carparelli had his bond rescinded following charges of employing intimidation tactics in an attempt to dissuade a witness from testifying in his upcoming trial. According to court documents he spotted an associate of a witness and approached him in a parking lot telling him the witness was a rat and he knows what happens to rats. He will now spend the rest of his upcoming time awaiting trial which is set to begin this summer behind bars.

“Paul Carparelli“

Carparelli known as a tough guy in the mob is allegedly part of the infamous Chicago Outfit Cicero crew. The 46 year old mobster and six co-defendants were charged in 2013 with extorting businesses in various states. He was caught on wiretaps making no apologies for being a mobster saying “I’ve been with the Outfit my whole life, I’m not about to change now,” he was caught on an FBI wiretap telling a friend. “This is what I’m made of and this is where I come from and I’m fucking proud of it.”

He also has links to Chicago mob boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis who took the reigns of the family back in 2013 after the imprisonment of Michael “Fat Mike” Sarno. Carparelli is believed to be part of the regime of a Lake County Cicero crew sub crew which is in heart of the DeLaurentis powerbase. He was also caught on wiretap bragging about taking 10 thousand dollars from DeLaurantis to break a debtor’s legs.

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Michael “Mikey” Davis a long time powerful associate of the Chicago mafia has been found guilty on charges of extortion and now faces up to 40 years behind bars.

The trial featured some of the biggest names of the Chicago Outfit ranks including former bosses John DiFronzo and Peter DiFronzo and current alleged Chicago mob boss Salvatore “Solly D” DeLaurentis. Davis has strong ties to the DiFronzo brothers going back years and according to prosecutors maintained a business relationship with DeLaurentis.

“Michael Davis and Peter DiFronzo“

Davis back in 2013 threatened a deadbeat debtor named R.J. Serpico and then tried to hire a group of goons to break the guys legs. After threatening Serpico himself and still not getting paid he went to fellow mob associate Paulie Carparelli to set up an assault to turn up the heat in efforts to recover the $300,000 he says he was owed. But the man enlisted to set up the assault was an FBI snitch who had turned rat after he was himself nabbed months later in a different extortion plot.

“Michael Davis“

None of the Chicago mafia leaders who were named in the trial were charged with any wrong doing but it did shed some added light on the ranks of the mafia in Chicago. The DiFronzo brothers and Solly D were all at some point reputed leaders of the Elmwood Park crew who made their way through the ranks to become part of the Chicago mob hierarchy.

“Salvatore DeLaurentis“

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Paul Carparelli a reputed member of the Chicago mafia has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison on extortion charges. He was arrested back in 2013 for the series of extortion plots which involved top enforcers going around the country confronting deadbeat businessmen and debtors.

The feds recorded various conversations from 2011 to 2013 between Carparelli and George Brown his top enforcer which included extortion, collections, beat downs, and other mafia business. Unknown to the Chicago mobster at the time was that Brown had turned rat and was cooperating with the feds.

“Paul Carparelli“

Prosecutors were seeking a sentence of up to 11 years for Carparelli arguing that he was looking to rise through the ranks of the Chicago mob. According to court documents he saw a chance to advance within the organized crime family after several leaders of the Cicero crew had been convicted and in prison. His lawyer argued that his client was simply a “wannabe” and the claims of his mob ties were overblown leading the feds to believe he was connected. The defense asked the court for as little as probation for the defendant saying he was playing a role and had simply watched too many mob movies.

Even with the lighter sentence, than expected U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman told the alleged mobster, it was clear he took pleasure in the discomfort and fear of others. The judge also noted that his crimes were violent and that the public safety was at risk. With time served being credited the reputed wiseguy could be released from prison in as early as two years.

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