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Italian American organized crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, which originated in the city's South Side in 1910. It is part of the larger Italian American Mafia. The Outfit rose to power in the 1920s under the control of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone, and the period was marked by bloody gang wars for control of the distribution of illegal alcohol during Prohibition. Since then, the Outfit has been involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including loansharking, illegal gambling, prostitution, extortion, political corruption and murder. Capone was convicted of income tax evasion in 1931 and the Outfit was next run by Paul Ricca. He shared power with Tony Accardo from 1943 until his death in 1972; Accardo became the sole power in the Outfit upon Ricca's death and was one of the longest sitting bosses of all time upon his death in 1992. Though it has never had a complete monopoly on organized crime in Chicago, the Outfit has long been the most powerful, violent and largest criminal organization in Chicago and the Midwest in general. Unlike other mafia factions such as the Five Families of New York City, the Outfit has been a unified faction since its conception. Its influence at its peak stretched as far as California, Florida and Nevada and it continues to operate throughout the Midwestern United States and Southern Florida, as well as Las Vegas and other parts of the Southwestern United States. Heightened law enforcement attention and general attrition have led to its gradual decline since the late 20th century, though it continues to be one of the major and most active organized crime groups in the Chicago metropolitan area and the Midwestern region.

The early years of organized crime in Chicago, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were marked by the division of various street gangs controlling the South Side and North Side, as well as the Black Hand organizations of Little Italy. In later years, the Outfit consisted of various street crews controlling different territories around Chicago including Elmwood Park, Melrose Park, Chicago Heights, Rush Street, Grand Avenue and Chinatown. Colosimo, also "cultivated deep political connections" after "serving as a precinct captain in the organization of First Ward Alderman Couglin and Kenna, and later [became] the bagman (collector of illegal profits and dispenser of bribes) in the vice laden Levee District, which afforded him with blanket political protection".

When Prohibition went into effect in 1920, Torrio pushed for the gang to enter into bootlegging, but Colosimo stubbornly refused. In March 1920, Colosimo secured an uncontested divorce from his wife, Victoria Moresco. A month later, he and singer Dale Winter eloped to West Baden Springs, Indiana. Upon their return, he bought a home on the South Side. Torrio's organization was made up predominately of ethnic Italians, but had a large contingent of members from other immigrant backgrounds. Torrio's gang also differed from the other Chicago gangs by recruiting from New York's underworld, regularly welcoming that city's ambitious criminals into his organization's ranks. In 1923, William Dever was elected mayor of Chicago, and he began to crack down on Torrio's underworld activities within the city. Losing their political cover, the gang looked to the suburbs for a new base of operations. Torrio ordered Capone to lead a takeover of the town of Cicero, where he was able to corrupt city manager Joseph Z. Klenha. The gang set up dozens of brothels, speakeasies, gambling dens, and other businesses within the town. On April 1st, 1924, Cicero municipal elections were threatening Kenha's leadership. Kenha appealed to Torrio and Capone for their support, which they responded to by terrorizing the opposition and voting public on election day. The gang guarded polling places, ensuring people knew the right way to vote and violently preventing entry to those that did not. They ransacked the local Democratic party campaign headquarters, forcibly detaining the election workers for hours. By that afternoon, the Chicago Police Department was ordered to step in to halt the violence by Cook County Judge Edmund J. Jareki. 70 plainclothes officers, newly deputized as county sheriffs, descended on Cicero. Frank Capone, Al's brother, was killed that evening by detective sergeant William Cusack during an altercation on 22nd Street and Cicero Avenue. Charles Fischetti was also arrested at the scene. Kenha won the election, ensuring the Torrio Capone gang's local immunity into the 1930s. The "Terrible" Genna brothers, as they were known, consisted of Peter, James, Angelo, Tony, Sam and Mike "The Devil" Genna. They were known for their ruthlessness and intemperate disposition. In a fateful step, Torrio either arranged for or acquiesced to the murder of O'Banion at his flower shop on November 10, 1924. This placed Hymie Weiss at the head of the gang, backed by Vincent Drucci and Bugs Moran. Weiss had been a close friend of O'Banion and the North Siders made it a priority to get revenge on his killers. At the end of 1924, the Torrio Capone gang had between 300–400 members, while the North Side gang could count on around 200 soldiers. During the beer wars, the Capone gang's enforcement group was led by "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, and included Tony Capezio, Claude "Screwy" Maddox, Sam "Golf Bag" Hunt, Frank Rio, and others. 1925–1926 were the most violent years of Chicago's "Beer Wars" in which 133 gangsters were murdered. Capone was convicted on three counts of income tax evasion on October 17, 1931, and was sentenced a week later to 11 years in federal prison, fined $50,000 plus $7,692 for court costs, and was held liable for $215,000 plus interest due on his back taxes. Capone later died of heart failure as a result of apoplexy on January 25, 1947.

In 1931, head of operations Frank Nitti was also convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison; however, Nitti received an 18 month sentence. When Nitti was released on March 25, 1932, he took his place as the new boss of the Capone Gang. Over the next decade, The Outfit moved into labor racketeering, gambling, and loan sharking. Geographically, this was the period when Outfit muscle extended to Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, Kansas City, and especially to Hollywood and other California cities, where The Outfit's extortion of labor unions gave it leverage over the motion picture industry. In the early 1940s, a handful of top Outfit leaders went to prison because they were found to be extorting Hollywood by controlling the unions that compose Hollywood's movie industry, and manipulating and misusing the Teamsters Central States Pension fund. In 1943, the Outfit was caught red handed shaking down the Hollywood movie industry. Ricca wanted Nitti to take the fall. However, Nitti had found that he was claustrophobic, years earlier while in jail for 18 months (for tax evasion), and he decided to end his life rather than face more imprisonment for extorting Hollywood. Ricca then became the boss in name as well as in fact, with enforcement chief Tony Accardo as underboss—the start of a partnership that lasted for almost 30 years. Around this time, the Outfit began bringing in members of the Forty Two Gang, a notoriously violent youth gang. Among them were Sam "Momo" Giancana, Sam "Mad Sam" DeStefano, Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio, and Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri. Ricca was sent to prison later in 1943 for his part in The Outfit plot to control Hollywood. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, along with a number of other mobsters. Through the "magic" of political connections, the whole group of Outfit mobsters was released after three years, largely due to the efforts of Outfit "fixer" Murray "The Camel" Humphreys. Ricca could not associate with mobsters as a condition of his parole. Accardo nominally took power as boss, but actually shared power with Ricca, who continued behind the scenes as a senior consultant—one of the few instances of shared power in organized crime. Accardo joined Ricca in semi retirement in 1957 due to some "heat" that he was getting from the IRS. From then on, Ricca and Accardo allowed several others to nominally serve as boss, such as Giancana, Alderisio, Joey Aiuppa, William "Willie Potatoes" Daddano, and Jackie "the Lackey" Cerone. Most of the front bosses originated from the Forty Two Gang. However, no major business transactions took place without Ricca and Accardo's knowledge and approval, and certainly no "hits". By staying behind the scenes, Ricca and Accardo lasted far longer than Capone. Ricca died in 1972, leaving Accardo as the sole power behind the scenes.

During the 1960 presidential election, many claim that the Mafia, and in particular, the Chicago Outfit, boosted candidate and president John F. Kennedy. The strategy for boosting votes for Kennedy essentially ran through the mafia controlled unions, physically threatening those who did not vote for Kennedy. It was even said that Joseph Kennedy held a meeting with mob boss Sam Giancana before the election. Supposedly the Kennedys and the Mafia agreed that if John were elected president, he would lighten the pursuit of authorities on the mob group. However, after the election, President Kennedy turned on Giancana. Theories say this is what led to his and Robert Kennedy's assassination. Further, many believe the Outfit was involved in a Central Intelligence Agency–Mafia collusion during Castro's overthrow of the Cuban government. In exchange for its help, the Outfit was to be given access to its former casinos if it helped overthrow Fidel Castro in Operation Mongoose or Operation Family Jewels. The Outfit failed in that endeavor and faced increasing indictments under the administration of President John F. Kennedy (JFK). The Outfit reached the height of its power in the early 1960s. Accardo used the Teamsters pension fund, with the aid of Meyer Lansky, Sidney Korshak, and Jimmy Hoffa, to engage in massive money laundering through the Outfit's casinos. The 1970s and 1980s were a hard time for the Outfit, as law enforcement continued to penetrate the organization, spurred by poll watching politicians. Off track betting reduced bookmaking profits, and illicit casinos withered under competition from legitimate casinos. Activities such as auto theft and professional sports betting did not replace the lost profits. The Outfit controlled casinos in Las Vegas and "skimmed" millions of dollars over the course of several decades. Most recently, top mob figures have been found guilty of crimes dating back to as early as the mid 1960s. It has been rumored that the $2 million skimmed from the casinos in the Court case of 1986 was used to build the Old Neighborhood Italian American Club, the founder of which was Angelo J. "The Hook" LaPietra. Allen Dorfman, a key figure in the Outfit's money embezzlement operations, was investigated by the Department of Justice. In 1982, the FBI wire tapped Dorfman's personal and company phone lines and was able to gather the evidence needed to convict Dorfman and several of his associates on attempts to bribe a state senator to get rid of the trucking industry rates. If Dorfman had succeeded, the Outfit would have seen a huge gain of profit. This was known as Operation Pendorf and was a huge blow to the Chicago crime syndicate. Operation GAMBAT (GAMBling ATtorney) proved to be a crippling blow to the Outfit's tight grip on the Chicago political machine. Pat Marcy, a made man in the Outfit, ran the city's First Ward, which represented most of downtown Chicago. Marcy and company controlled the circuit courts from the 1950s until the late 1980s with the help of Alderman Fred Roti and Democratic Committeeman John D'Arco Sr. Together, the First Ward fixed cases involving everything from minor traffic violations to murder. Attorney and First Ward associate Robert Cooley was one of the lawyers who represented many mafiosi and associates in which cases were fixed. As a trusted man within the First Ward, Cooley was asked to "take out" a city police officer. Cooley was also an addicted gambler and in debt, so he approached the U. S. Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force, declaring that he wanted to "destroy Marcy and the First Ward". Cooley was soon in touch with the FBI and began cooperating as a federal informant. Through the years, he maintained close ties to Marcy and the big shots of the First Ward. He wore an electronic surveillance device, recording valuable conversations at the notorious "First Ward Table", located at "Counselor's Row" across the street from Chicago City Hall. The results in Operation Gambat (Gambling Attorney) were convictions of 24 corrupt judges, lawyers, and cops. Accardo died in 1992. In a measure of how successfully he had managed to stay out of the limelight, he never spent a day in jail (or only spent one day, depending on the source) despite an arrest record dating to 1922. Chicago's transition from Accardo to the next generation of Outfit bosses has been more of an administrative change than a power struggle, distinct from the way that organized crime leadership transitions take place in New York City.

Higher law enforcement investigations and general attrition led to the Outfit's gradual decline since the late 20th century. The Old Neighborhood Italian American Club is considered to be the hangout of Old Timers as they live out their golden years. The club's founder was Angelo J. LaPietra "The Hook", who was the main Council at the time of his death in 1999. On April 25, 2005, the U. S. Department of Justice launched Operation Family Secrets, which indicted 14 Outfit members and associates under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), including Joseph Lombardo, Nicholas Calabrese, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James Marcello. U. S. District Court Judge James Zagel presided over the Family Secrets trial. The federal prosecutors were Mitchell A. Mars, T. Markus Funk, and John Scully. Facing a life sentence, Nicholas Calabrese became the first "made" member of the Chicago Outfit to become a witness for the federal government. From 1996 to 2018, the Chicago Outfit was believed to be led by John DiFronzo. As of 2021, the Chicago Outfit is believed to be led by Salvatore "Solly D" DeLaurentis.

Name and nickname(s) Image Tenure Notes Vincenzo Colosimo 1910 1920 Murdered on May 11, 1920. John D. Torrio 1920 1925 Retired in 1925 after an assassination attempt. Alphonse "Al" Capone 1925 1931 Sentenced for tax evasion in 1931. Frank Nitti 1931 1943 Committed suicide in 1943. Paul Ricca 1943 1947 Sentenced for extortion in 1943; stepped down in 1947. Anthony "Tony" Accardo 1947 1957 Stepped down in 1957, becoming a "shadow executive" of the mob. Salvatore "Sam" Giancana 1957 1966 Fled to Mexico to avoid imprisonment in 1966, deposed by Ricca and Accardo. Samuel Battaglia 1966 1967 Sentenced for violating the Hobbs Act in 1967. Felix Alderisio 1967 1971 Sentenced for extortion in 1967–1969, deceased in 1971. Joseph Aiuppa 1971 1986 Sentenced for skimming in 1986. Samuel Carlisi 1986 1996 Sentenced for racketeering in 1993–1994 and 1996, deceased in 1997. John Monteleone 1997 2001 Former caporegime of 26th Street/Chinatown crew before becoming boss. Died in January 2001. James Marcello 2001 2006 Sentenced in 2007, imprisoned for life in 2009. Michael Sarno 2006 2010 Convicted in 2010 and in 2012 sentenced to 25 years in prison. Salvatore DeLaurentis 2010 Present

Rudolph "Rudy" Fratto – Capo of the Elmwood Park Crew; Peter DiFronzo was the captain before his death in December 2020. Rudy Fratto became Caporegime by 2021. Fratto was born in 1943. He was first identified as a member of the Chicago Outfit in 1997. In October 2009, he pleaded guilty to tax evasion. In September 2012, he was sentenced to 1 year imprisonment for bid rigging $2 million in forklift contracts for a pair of trade shows at McCormick Place. Theories have arisen that he and Michael "Mags" Magnafichi have been running the crew jointly as co capos, though sources dispute this as Magnafichi has reportedly not been active in years. Louis "Louie" Rainone – Capo of the Cicero Crew. In 2012, Rainone's business the Roosevelt Gold Exchange was robbed by five suspects. Christopher "Christy the Nose" Spina – Capo of the Grand Ave Crew. Spina was a long time member of the Grand Avenue Crew and a close associate of Albert Vena. He was also the driver of Joey Lombardo and at one time he worked for Chicago's Bureau of Signs and Markings. In 1993, Spina lost his foreman job at the First Ward sanitation yard when the City of Chicago stated he was chauffeuring Joseph Lombardo around. Frank "Toots" Caruso – Capo of the 26th Street/Chinatown Crew. He was involved in the February 7, 1985 murder of bookmaker Hal C. Smith, the body was recovered 3 days later in the trunk of his car. In 1990, he was indicted and later convicted in the Good Ship Lollipop case, a large scale racketeering and murder indictment alongside Ernest Infelice, Solly DeLaurentis, Harry Aleman, James Nicholas and William DiDomenico. He was released in 2016 after serving 25 years in prison. Michael Carioscia: born 1933. In December 1950, he was arrested on charges of armed robbery and was sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment, he was released in 1954. He was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment in October 1961 on narcotics charges after he and Armando Pennacchio made three sales of a large quantity of heroin to an undercover FBN officer. He has a brother named Frank. Dominick "Mennie" Cassano: Elmwood Park soldier and brother of Gino "Mean Gene" Cassano and Angelo "The Angel" Cassano (deceased). He and his brothers were convicted of attempted murder in 1993. Joseph "Joe Kong" Cullotta: Grand Avenue crew soldier and younger brother of Frank Cullotta. Anthony "Tony" Dote: In November 1994, he was indicted on charges of racketeering and illegal gambling. He pleaded guilty to the charges in 1996 and was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment. Nicholas "Nick" Ferriola: born in 1977. He is the son of Joseph Ferriola. He was sentenced by U. S. District Judge James Zagel in 2008 to 3 years in federal prison for his role in the Family Secrets case, he was accused of extortion and illegal sports gambling charges over an 8 year period, Ferriola admitted to earning over $150,000 per month. He served as a trusted confidant to Frank Calabrese Sr. during the operation including after Calabrese's life imprisonment sentence in 2009. Gary "Gags" Gagliano: Gagliano is the nephew of Joseph Gagliano, a close associate of Jackie Cerone. He is a member of the Elmwood Park Crew. Michael "Jaws" Giorango: former associate of the Chicago Heights crew. He pleaded guilty to operating a bookmaking ring in the suburbs of South Chicago in 1989 and used threats of violence to collect unpaid debts including threats of beatings, bombings and robbery. In 1990, he was sentenced to prison and served 4 years. In 2010, reports linked him and Alexi Giannoulias, the 72nd Democratic Illinois treasurer, to a $11–20 million loan. In 2004, he was sentenced to six months of intermittent confinement and three years of probation for prostitution charges in Miami. He was granted early release from probation in 2008. In 2010, he filed for bankruptcy protection and listed assets and liabilities between $500,000 and $1 million. His case was dismissed in 2013. Dino Marino: Son of Louis "Louie Tomatoes" Marino and driver of Solly D. He was arrested for a no show job as Health Department inspector for the Town of Cicero. John "Pudgy" Matassa: former captain and former secretary treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711 and outfit soldier. Robert “Bobby Pinocchio” Panozzo: Panozzo is a former member of the C Notes street gang and soldier of the Grand Avenue crew. He was sentenced to 18 years on state racketeering charges on January 8, 2019. Joseph Jerome "Jerry" Scalise: Outfit soldier, best known for stealing the Marlborough diamond. Currently incarcerated. Michael "A1 Mike" Zitello: Cicero soldier and bookmaker. He is a former protege of Louis "Louie Tomatoes" Marino.

Dominic Buttitta: Outfit soldier, Strip Club owner and father of fellow mobster Anthony Buttitta. They both where arrested by the FBI for an illegal internet gambling business. Anthony Buttitta: Outfit soldier and son of fellow mobster Dominic Buttitta. They both where arrested by the FBI for an illegal internet gambling business. Paul "Paulie" Carparelli: Cicero crew, debt collector and high ranking member of Twelfth Street Players gang. Frank Caruso Jr.: son of 26th Street crew Capo Frank "Toots" Caruso was arrested for beating a black boy in 1998. Michael "Mickey" Davis: Close associate of Salvatore DeLaurentis. In June 2015, he was found guilty of extortion and was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment. Carlo "The Fat Man/Carl D" Dote: Elmwood Park soldier, cafe owner and bookmaker. Gioacchino "Jack" Galione: Elmwood Park associate he and Gene "Mean Gene" Cassano where on trial for assaulting Luigi Mucerino over a $10,000 juice loan. The charges where later dismissed. Paul Koroluk: joint leader of the P K street crew. The crew is named after the leaders Robert Panozzo Sr. and Koroluk. The P K crew posed as police officers to rob drug houses on Chicago's South and West Sides. Koroluk is currently serving an 18 year prison sentence on RICO charges. Rocco "Rocky" Lombardo: Lombardo is the brother of Joseph Lombardo, former Chicago Outfit Consigliere. In 2007, he was sentenced to 5 years probation for tax fraud. Frank Orlando: At his trial, the FBI alleged Orlando introduced printing firm owner Mark Dziuban to Paul Carparelli to discuss extortion attempts. In 2014, he was sentenced to almost 4 years in prison on extortion charges. Rick Rizzolo: Strip Club owner and Outfit soldier in Las Vegas. Filippo "Gigi" Rovito: Burr Ridge restaurant owner was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for kidnapping and rape in 1997. He was hired by Mickey Davis to arrange the beating of R. J. Serpico the owner of Ideal Motors, a used car dealership in Melrose Park. R. J. Serpico had a $300,000 debt by Salvatore DeLaurentis. The beating never happens because one of the man who Gigi has hired, George Brown was an FBI informant. Emil "Nick The Badge" Schullo: Former Cicero Police chief. He was convicted in 2002 in a federal racketeering case alongside Chicago Mafioso Michael (Big Mike) Spano and then Cicero Mayor Betty Loren Maltese. He awarded a contract to a security company owned by Spano. Anthony Volpendesto: Volpendesto was convicted along with Michael Sarno and Outlaws member Mark Polchan in 2014 for running the illegal gambling establishment "C&S Amusements" in Cicero. His father was the mobster Sam Volpendesto.

Name Date Rank Reason Carmen Trotta March 21, 1970 Associate Trotta, an Outfit associate, was shot to death in Lyons, Illinois. Unknown who or why he was killed. Michael Albergo August 1970 Associate The Chicago Outfit were worried Albergo, a Chicago Outfit associate and enforcer, would cooperate after being charged and arrested for loansharking. It is believed Frank Calabrese was the killer. Robert Pronger June 17, 1971 Associate Pronger was a NASCAR driver and car racing champion. He disappeared in 1971 and believed to be murdered by William Dauber and Steve Ostrowsky. Sam Cesario October 19, 1971 Soldier Cesario managed to get himself into a relationship with the girlfriend of Felix Alderisio, former Chicago Outfit boss and underboss to Sam Giancana. It is believed Cesario was shot and killed by Harry Aleman and another man. Richard CainDec 30, 1973AssociateEx Cook County chief investigator officer shot twice with a shotgun in Rose's Sandwich Shop at 1117W. Grand Avenue by two assailants. Carlo DeVivoJan 16, 1975A Bookmaker shot by two assailants when he stepped out from his car in front of his home at 3631 N. Nora Avenue. James "Jimmy the Bomber" Catuara July 28, 1978 Captain Shot dead aged 72 in Cook County, Illinois behind the wheel of a Cadillac, paving the way for Albert Tocco to grab complete control of the Chicago Heights crew and the Outfit's lucrative chop shop tax. Catuara's crew allegedly oversaw illegal gambling and prostitution. Michael Volpe October 5, 1978 Associate Accardo's longtime housekeeper vanishes. The FBI alleges his disappearance is in connection to Volpe's testimony to a federal grand jury five days previous. Anthony "Little Tony" Borsellino May 22, 1979 Soldier Borsellino, known as a Chicago Outfit hitman, was found shot five times in the back of the head and dumped in a Frankfort farm field. He was killed as a result of falling out with Gerry Scarpelli. Timmy O'Brien May 23, 1979 Associate O'Brien, a salvage yard owner and former friend and business partner of Richie Ferraro is found shot to death in the trunk of his car in Blue Island, Illinois.

The Chicago Outfit has a long history of portrayal in Hollywood as the subject of film and television.

Cooley, Will (2017). "Jim Crow Organized Crime: Black Chicago's Underground Economy in the Twentieth Century", in Building the Black Metropolis: African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago, Robert Weems and Jason Chambers, eds. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 147–170. (Published for the traveling exhibition of Lombardi's work, Mark Lombardi Global Networks).