Excellent write up of an interesting and important subject. I don’t know if his membership has ever been confirmed, but I strongly suspect that US representative from Illinois (1957-1965) Roland Libonati was a Chicago member. He was at the least an associate going back to Capone. Prior to his term as US congressman, Libonati had served in the IL House and Senate. I’m sure Rick Warner told you about other Chicago members who held elected offices in the city, such as Aldermen Vito Marzullo and Fred Roti. Roti, the son of Calabrian Chicago capo Bruno Roti, was 1st Ward Alderman. As the old 1st Ward encompassed the downtown Loop area and City Hall, Roti and his partner Pat Marcy (1st Ward Democratic Commiteeman) effectively controlled building projects in the Loop and city services departments on behalf of the Chicago mafia. Marcy and Roti, under the direction of the Chicago Outfit’s admin, functioned as a shadow government and exemplified the degree of interpenetration of the mafia and Chicago’s infamous Democratic political “machine”, a state that endured until the 1st Ward corruption apparatus was smashed by the Feds in the early 1990s and the old 1st Ward redistricted out of existence.
Thank you for the info. I'm glad people can comment here. On one hand the Chicago organization was as Americanized as any Family has ever been, yet some of the same old patterns played out, like bringing politicians into the Family.
Warner mentioned how the early Chicago Heights boss Antonio SanFilippo was another involved in politics and I've seen former Illinois State Representative John Merlo described as the son of early Chicago boss Michele Merlo, though I haven't verified the relation. Cosa Nostra bosses and their relatives being involved in politics directly, rather than simply inducting a random Italian politician, fits the early trend of Sicilian bosses and important members holding political office themselves.
I believe the mafia's true goal was synthesis with political power more than a desire to "control" or "influence" politics (though they welcomed that as well). I don't necesarily believe all of the politicians in Cosa Nostra were participating in significant criminal conspiracies, either. Researching Louis Boschetto, I was left with the feeling that he likely condoned or participated in some of the localized Rock Springs corruption, but this didn't necessarily scale up to his role as a US Senator. Obviously many unknowns.
Excellent write up of an interesting and important subject. I don’t know if his membership has ever been confirmed, but I strongly suspect that US representative from Illinois (1957-1965) Roland Libonati was a Chicago member. He was at the least an associate going back to Capone. Prior to his term as US congressman, Libonati had served in the IL House and Senate. I’m sure Rick Warner told you about other Chicago members who held elected offices in the city, such as Aldermen Vito Marzullo and Fred Roti. Roti, the son of Calabrian Chicago capo Bruno Roti, was 1st Ward Alderman. As the old 1st Ward encompassed the downtown Loop area and City Hall, Roti and his partner Pat Marcy (1st Ward Democratic Commiteeman) effectively controlled building projects in the Loop and city services departments on behalf of the Chicago mafia. Marcy and Roti, under the direction of the Chicago Outfit’s admin, functioned as a shadow government and exemplified the degree of interpenetration of the mafia and Chicago’s infamous Democratic political “machine”, a state that endured until the 1st Ward corruption apparatus was smashed by the Feds in the early 1990s and the old 1st Ward redistricted out of existence.
Thank you for the info. I'm glad people can comment here. On one hand the Chicago organization was as Americanized as any Family has ever been, yet some of the same old patterns played out, like bringing politicians into the Family.
Warner mentioned how the early Chicago Heights boss Antonio SanFilippo was another involved in politics and I've seen former Illinois State Representative John Merlo described as the son of early Chicago boss Michele Merlo, though I haven't verified the relation. Cosa Nostra bosses and their relatives being involved in politics directly, rather than simply inducting a random Italian politician, fits the early trend of Sicilian bosses and important members holding political office themselves.
I believe the mafia's true goal was synthesis with political power more than a desire to "control" or "influence" politics (though they welcomed that as well). I don't necesarily believe all of the politicians in Cosa Nostra were participating in significant criminal conspiracies, either. Researching Louis Boschetto, I was left with the feeling that he likely condoned or participated in some of the localized Rock Springs corruption, but this didn't necessarily scale up to his role as a US Senator. Obviously many unknowns.