Daily southtown frank laporte ran a mafia outfit out of. The decline of the chicago heights mob faction also may have coincided with the gradual disappearance of outfit chop shops. With top chicago mob boss dead, outfit looks for new blood. I read it because i live in chicago heights, and i loved reading about all the familiar places his adventures took place. Bentley and sons peter and frank gusenbergs and kachelleks james clark funerals were held there in 1929. The crews origins predate prohibition, when chicago heights was a developing manufacturing center with a large italian immigrant population.
Star newspaper managing editor, who has written a book about covering organized crime in chicago heights. Author matthew luzi, in his book the boys in chicago heights, delves into this history of sneaky drinking and running rum in chicago heights. I was a mob enforcer and somehow got out alive vice. Ashleigh dandrea hager was plucked from his rural west virginia home by an uncle in the 1960s and thrown into an underworld of money, cars, crime, and murder on the streets of chicago heights. Little joe college, the outfit, and the fall of sam giancana, is a memoir by charles charley hager. Inside chicago the outfit mob takedown operation family. Descendent of mobtied laborers union bosses predicts no. Travel into the rich history of chicago heights chicago.
Alleged mobsters in bust ran the gamut from top chieftains. The heart of the book, though, is a fictionalized account of life on chicagos west side in the 50s and 60s. They were killers, bootleggers, robber, but were not as organized or. Book recounts mob in chicago heights and notorious. Chicago isnt big on selling its corrupt past as a tourist attraction, so dont expect to find any gangster tours being advertised to the hordes on michigan avenue. It is part of the american mafia originating in south side, chicago.
Whitepages is the largest and most trusted online phone book and directory. Chicago tribune august 11, 1968, the black p stones of chicago heights june 17, 1969 article part 3 chicago heights, ford heights, dixmoor june 17, 1969 article part 2 chicago heights, ford heights, dixmoor june 17, 1969 article about stones making their way into ford heights, chicago heights and dixmoor area. You know youre from chicago heights public group facebook. Little joe college, the outfit, and the fall of sam giancana. Miller, juxtaposes his early years in west virginia with his life in crime, intricately weaving his own experiences into the fabric of mob life, its many characters, and the murder of giancana. Charles trigger happy12 fischetti 11 august 1891 11 april 195 was a chicago mobster, former capone bodyguard and mafia leader. Since i was born in chicago heights, and our family owned a restaurant there where i spent huge chunks of. Howard abadinsky, author of organized crime louis corsinos book studies recruitment into traditional organized crime. Dating back to the late 19th century, the chicago outfit is.
To evade federal officers and pesky raidsin the event your local law enforcement couldnt be bought offbootleggers during prohibition had to come up with some creative strategies. Binder maintains that the mob has a working relationship with chicago street gangs. He was born in 1930 in the hungry hill section of chicago heights, a south suburb, which was the home to mainly italian immigrants in a heavily italian town. But the mobster was killed because he was a snitch, hager contends in his new book, chicago heights. Barbara paul is a chicago heights historian, author, and director of the chicago heights public library. Another entry in the annals of 20thcenturygangsterfanboy nonfiction, matthew j. I just released a book on a polish gang from buffalo, ny during prohibition. Little joe college, the outfit, and the fall of sam giancana hager, charles, miller, david t. Timeline of organized crime in chicago jump to navigation. Matt luzi, who as a past member of the merry gangster society knows his stuff and has done fine research. Charles chuck panici december 26, 1930 december 20, 2017 was mayor of chicago heights, illinois from 1975 to 1991. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the chicago heights street.
As the book explains, chicago heights sprang up at a crossroads. Notoriously triggerhappy chicago mob hit man and cicero crew lieutenant harry the hook aleman was a suspect in more than a dozen murders in a halfdozen years in the 1970s, imposing order on the windy city streets with his violent antics on behalf of his uncle and outfit power joe ferriola. He was also head of the bloom township republican party from 1978 to 1992. The outfit is a criminal enterprise, its still functioning said john binder, author of the chicago outfit book. Little joe college, the outfit, and the fall of sam giancana, by charles hager features a foreward by louis corsino, a sociology professor at north central. July 2, 1980 chicago mob enforcer and chicago heights crew member william billy the chopper dauber and his wife charlotte are gunned down in their car after leaving a court appearance by the wild bunch, the outfits top hit team. The chicago outfit, also known as the chicago mafia, chicago mob, chicago crime family, the empire, the chicago organization or shortened to the outfit, is an italianamerican organized crime syndicate based in chicago, illinois, usa. Frank logalbo avoided a similar fate by quickly transfering out of the milwaukee crime family and into a chicago outfit regime in chicago heights. The fbi operation that struck at the heart of the new york mafia duration. The chicago outfit is that citys branch of the american mafia. The author is writing about his life and how he remembers it. Chicago heights white pages phone books in illinois il. The chicago heights guys controlled joliet as well as most of the area east of indiana and south of chicago. In november 1924, obanion was gunned down inside schofields after an.
Chicago heights was long the seat of one of the major street crews of the chicago outfit, but its importance has often been overlooked and misunderstood. This book focuses on the chicago heights crew, one of the five street crews of the chicago outfit. Take henry pilottos plaque off the wall of chicago heights police department. The rebellion was put down with the murders of john ditrapani and jack enea in 1954. Matt luzi, who as a past member of the merry gangster. The south suburbs, centered around the mecca of illegal stills, chicago heights, lined up with capone in 1926 after he helped the nonsicilian gangsters there gain control from the local sicilian gang. In this riveting true story of coming of age in the chicago mob, charles charley hager is. Alfred pilotto aka orfeo jerrer pilotas geni profile. Chicago heights gangsters chicago heights, my kind of town. Good local read for sure but written at a simple level.
The cover of the book chicago heights little joe college, the outfit and the fall of sam giancana is pictured. The book includes hundreds of mobmovie quotes and lists of the mob films that the authors would like to have made and others they believe should get whacked. Charlie hager, a native of mingo county, writes the book about his years working. Chicago heights audiobook by charles hager, david t. His gambling joint, the store, was considered by some, whom the author of the book doesnt name, to be chicagos, unofficial city hall.
Descendent of mobtied laborers union bosses predicts no change ipsn july 16, 1997 anthony esposito, the 26yearold descendent of the mainline mafia family that ran chicagos politically connected laborers union for some 30 years, believes the current trusteeship action against the bruno caruso crew will result in no change in attempts to end mob control of that long. They were polishamericans, however, they grew up in the italian section of chicago heights, illinois. Winner, ishs best of illinois history award, 2019 in this riveting true story of coming of age in the chicago mob, charles charley hager is plucked from his rural west virginia home by an uncle in the 1960s and thrown into an underworld of money, cars, crime, and murder on the streets of chicago heights. This book chronicles his escape from poverty and want to relative prosperity as an underling in the chicago mob. Its modern organization dates to the beer wars of prohibition and its most notorious leader, al capone. The godfather is a favorite, but black caesar gets low marks.
Chicago heights is part ragstoriches story, part murder mystery, and part redemption tale. Born in chicago and moved to blue island, dauber was brought into the chicago crime syndicate by mobster james jimmy the bomber catuara, who operated illegal gambling and vice in chicagos southside. He allegedly controlled the rackets on the south side of chicago, the south suburbs, and parts of northern indiana al capones old stomping grounds. This book is their second joint effort for the images of america series. Billy dauber june 30, 1935july 2, 1980 was a chicago mobster, hitman and associate in the chicago outfits south side chop shop ring. For those interested in the history of the chicago mob, al capone, and the city of chicago heights, the first and only book that covers it is the most detailed and accurate history that there will probably ever be. Bulls assistant coach turns love of mob flicks into book. Pilotto survived and was ultimately convicted in the insurance fraud scheme. Albert caesar tocco august 9, 1929 september 21, 2005, was a highranking member of the chicago outfit during the 1970s and 1980s. Matthew luzis greatgreat uncle frank laporte was an enforcer for al capone and ran a mafia outfit out of chicago heights, history that luzi set out to document in his new book, the boys in chicago heights. Dominic candeloro is the assistant to the mayor of chicago heights, as well as an author and historian. Stones were attempting to take control of a new community center being built. In july 1981 pilotto was shot by mob hit men while playing golf.
Read chapter one of controversial chuck panici book. His book is a must for anyone interested in organized crime in chicago and its environs. He continued to reside in milwaukee under chicago protection. This book focuses on the chicago heights crew, one of. The chicago outfit also known as the outfit, the chicago mafia, the chicago mob, the south side gang, or the organization is an italianamerican organized crime syndicate based in chicago, illinois, which dates from the 1910s. From the slot machine trust of the early 1900s to the prolific prohibition era bootleggers allied with al capone, and for decades beyond, organized crime in chicago heights, illinois, represented a vital component of the chicago outfit. One day, he donned a groucho marxstyle nose and glasses and cooked sausages in the plateglass window of a local lunch joint he bought into, she said. Neighbor news travel into the rich history of chicago heights. In this riveting true story of coming of age in the chicago mob, charles charley hager is plucked from his rural west virginia home by. It has a seat, along with the five families of new york city, on the commission that governs the italian mob in. Tuesdays 29count indictment of reputed mob gambling figures runs the.