Background

On October 6, 2008, the remains of Colombo crime family underboss William “Wild Bill” Cutolo were unearthed in a field in Farmingdale, New York. Cutolo, a well-respected gangster, was last seen on May 26, 1999, when he was scheduled to meet with acting family boss Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico.

Although Persio and another man, powerful Colombo mobster John “Jackie” DeRoss, had already been convicted in December 2007 of ordering Cutolo’s murder, the discovery of Wild Bill’s burial site and the recovery of his remains were the final pieces of the puzzle surrounding the betrayal and murder of a mob heavyweight.

Third Colombo War

In many ways, Bill Cutolo was the final casualty of the Third Colombo War. Though open warfare ended in 1993, animosity and mistrust between the two sides lingered.

The Colombo family, which were no strangers to internal family strife, had already been through civil wars in the early 1960s and 1970s. Both of the prior conflicts had involved a rogue faction of the family led by the Gallo brothers.

The Third Colombo War erupted in 1991, when the acting street boss Victor “Vic” Orena refused to abdicate his position to Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico, son of imprisoned family boss Carmine “Junior” Persico. Junior, who was serving life in prison, had originally selected Orena as a placeholder until Allie Boy, who was serving a prison sentence for racketeering, would be released and succeed Junior as boss of the family.

Orena, however, had no intention of resigning his position, and he secretly polled the family's captains to see how many would prefer him as boss over Allie Boy. The family’s consigliere, Carmine Sessa, got word back to Junior, who then ordered Orena’s murder.

On June 20, 1991, Orena arrived home early to his Long Island residence and noticed a car with several Colombo men inside -including Carmine Sessa- parked near his home. Orena managed to drive off, narrowly avoiding the attempted hit.

After that, Orena ordered the murders of Sessa and other Persico loyalists. As the Colombos devolved into open warfare, the split within the family caused its members to have to choose a side. While many hardliners remained loyal to the Persicos, others aligned themselves with Orena.

Among those loyal to Orena was Bill Cutolo, a charismatic and respected captain. Cutolo and his crew, which contained many enforcers and triggermen, were heavily involved in the war and are alleged to have been responsible for several of the shootings and murders that occurred.

Wild Bill

As mentioned, Cutolo and his crew were central figures in the deadly mob war, and though several sources claim there were more than a dozen attempts on his life, the Brooklyn-based gangster emerged from the war unscathed.

In December 1992, Vic Orena was convicted on racketeering charges and sent to prison for life. Shortly after that, the war ended, with Persico maintaining control of the family.

However, the war had been devastating to the Colombo family, with at least a dozen murders and more than 60 members on both sides facing arrests or indictments. Included in these arrests were Wild Bill and six members of his crew, who were arrested in early 1993 on racketeering and murder charges.

In 1994, all seven defendants were acquitted after it was learned that much of the evidence used against them had come from Greg Scarpa, a feared Colombo captain and enforcer who had fought on behalf of the Persicos.

Following Scarpa’s death, it was revealed that he had been an informant for the FBI and that his handler, Lindey DeVecchio, had fed Scarpa information about his rivals that had directly led to their deaths. These revelations were an embarrassment and a disaster for prosecutors and the government. As a result, many other defendants had their cases tossed out or their convictions overturned.

After their acquittals, Cutolo and his crew returned to the Colombo family, which was now firmly in the hands of Carmine Persico. In addition to his mob rackets, Cutolo was involved in labor unions and owned stakes in several legitimate businesses, including clubs and restaurants in New York and Florida.

He was also heavily involved in several charities. He was chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee for “Team Leukemia” and was involved in fundraising for leukemia research. He also paid for the annual holiday party at the National Children’s Leukemia Association in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Cutolo would dress up as Santa while his son, Bill Jr., would hand out gifts to children. In 1988, Cutolo was honored as the National Leukemia Association’s Man of the Year.

Cutolo, who was a Catholic, was also said to have attended mass regularly, and many members of his parish remembered him fondly. He also gained the respect of some within law enforcement who recalled that he acted with class and respect when dealing with them.

Betrayal and Murder

In early 1999, Allie Boy Persico was released from prison and assumed the role of acting boss of the family. In a gesture of peace, Cutolo was promoted to underboss of the family.

However, shortly after Allie Boy’s release, he was arrested on gun possession charges. Knowing that he would likely be returning to prison, he and his father became concerned that the charismatic and well-liked Cutolo could potentially wrest control of the family.

According to sources, on May 26, 1999, just days before his 50th birthday, Cutolo was summoned to a meeting with Allie Boy. Cutolo was dropped off at a park in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where the meeting was set to take place. Shortly after that, he was picked up by three Colombo soldiers who told him the meeting was now going to take place in a house.

After arriving at the house, Cutolo was allegedly taken to the basement and murdered. His body was then wrapped up in a blue tarp and taken to a wooded area near an industrial park in Farmingdale.

Soon after the murder, Jackie DeRoss showed up at Cutolo’s home demanding his loanshark books as well as cash that he believed was hidden there. He was unable to find anything and warned Cutolo’s family not to discuss his disappearance with anyone.

Aftermath

In October 1999, Allie Boy Persico was hit with a new set of federal charges for racketeering, loansharking, and fraud. After completing his sentence for the weapons charges, Persico was sent to New York to face his new charges. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

In February 2002, Jackie DeRoss was convicted on a slew of charges, including racketeering-conspiracy, loansharking, extortion, embezzlement, and fraud. In 2004, while both were in prison, Persico and DeRoss were put on trial for the murder of Bill Cutolo.

The trial resulted in a hung jury, and in 2007, a second trial resulted in convictions for Persico and DeRoss for murder in aid of racketeering and witness tampering. Both men were sentenced to life in prison.

On March 7, 2019, Carmine Persico, who had been locked in federal prison since 1987, passed away at age 85.

Sources:

Scarpo, Ed. “Wild Bill, Colombo War’s Last Casualty.” Cosa Nostra News, 12 November 2012, https://www.cosanostranews.com/2012/10/wild-bills-daughters-mulled-whacking.html

Scarpo, Ed. “Members Of Colombo War Factions (1991-1993).” Cosa Nostra News, https://www.cosanostranews.com/p/members-of-colombo-war-factions-1991.html

“Colombo Organized Crime Family Acting Boss Alphonse T. Persico and Administration Member John J. Deross Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for the Murder of William “Wild Bill” Cutolo and Related Witness Tampering.” The United States Attorney’s Office, 27 February 2009, https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nye/pr/2009/2009feb27.html

Gambardello, Joseph A. & Hurtado, Patricia. “FBI Guilty: Jury finds feds fueled a mob war.” Newsday, 1 July 1995, https://www.newspapers.com/image/707261318/?match=1&terms=colombo%20family

Gambardello, Joseph A. “Colombo Family Has Bloody Past.” Newsday, 17 December 1991, https://www.newspapers.com/image/706380634/?match=1&terms=colombo%20family

Capeci, Jerry & Smith, Greg B. “Call them untouchable: Colombos rebuild on backs of 3 bigs.” Daily News, 4 September 1995, https://www.newspapers.com/image/407079776/?match=1&terms=colombo%20family

Background

In December 1921, an armed robber and convicted cop killer named Tommy O’Connor escaped from jail just days before he was scheduled to be executed, becoming the most wanted man in Chicago.

Despite being hunted by numerous law enforcement agencies, O’Connor managed to continually evade capture, staying a step ahead of the law. For years after his escape, reported sightings of him continued to pour in throughout the Midwest and beyond.

Authorities were so sure that he would eventually be captured that his name was kept on the death list and his gallows remained standing until 1977, when they were finally sold to a Wild West town in Union, Illinois.

The fate of “Terrible” Tommy O’Connor, as he was known by some in the press, remains unknown, and his story is one of the more intriguing tales of the prohibition-era gangsters.

“Terrible” Tommy O’Connor

Tommy O’Connor’s origins are somewhat murky. According to sources, he was born around 1890 in County Limerick, Ireland, and emigrated with his family to the United States as a child.

The family settled in the crime-ridden Maxwell Street neighborhood on Chicago’s Near West Side. The neighborhood, which was known as “Bloody Maxwell,” was a mix of Irish, German, Italian, and other immigrants and was a breeding ground for up-and-coming criminals.

At some point, O’Connor joined the Valley Gang, which was centered around Maxwell and 15th Street. The gang was one of many Irish-American street gangs active in Chicago at the time. They were involved in pickpocketing and armed robberies, and hired themselves out as muscle for other criminals.

Tommy had two brothers and a sister, and though his older brother David “Darling Dave” O’Connor had some questionable acquaintances, Tommy was the only member of the family to get into serious legal trouble.

Illinois Central Station Robbery

On February 2, 1918, four men robbed the Illinois Central Railroad’s Randolph Street station, making off with approximately $2,500. However, the holdup did not go according to plan, and during the course of the robbery, a shootout occurred between the robbers and railroad agent and collector Dennis Tierney, during which Tierney was killed.

In the days after the robbery, one of the robbers, George Raymond, was killed during a gun battle with police on Chicago’s West Side. Another one of them, Harry Emerson, was arrested.

During his confession to members of the state’s attorney’s office, Emerson admitted to his role in the robbery and described in detail how the hastily planned robbery did not go as designed.

The robbers had used a cab, which they hijacked at gunpoint, as transportation, and, according to Emerson, some of the robbers did not stick to their assigned roles, which in part led to the fatal shootout.

According to Emerson, it was Raymond - who was conveniently already dead - who fired the shots that killed Tierney. Emerson also revealed the identities of his other two accomplices, who were previously unknown to police. The two men were James Hanratty, alias Howard, and Tommy O’Connor.

In July 1918, Emerson, fearing a possible death sentence, withdrew his plea of not guilty after the judge ruled that his confession could be admitted into evidence. Instead, he entered a plea of guilty for his role in the murder of Dennis Tierney. He was given a sentence of 30 years in prison.

Murder of Jimmy Cherin

Knowing that Emerson would cooperate against him, O’Connor reached out to a childhood friend named Jimmy Cherin, who had a lengthy criminal record and was known as “The Peacock of the Underworld,” and asked Cherin for a favor.

O’Connor offered Cherin money to get word to another gangster, “Big Joe” Moran, and offer Moran money to have Harry Emerson murdered in prison. O’Connor knew that Emerson was the state’s main witness against him, and without his testimony, the case against him would likely fall apart.

What O’Connor had not counted on was that Jimmy “The Peacock,” who had long been a fixture in Chicago’s criminal underworld, had recently decided to go straight. Cherin had a wife and young daughter and had decided to put the criminal life behind him. He therefore declined O’Connor’s offer.

On January 21, 1919, Cherin and O’Connor were in the backseat of a car while a third man, Louie Miller, was in the driver’s seat. The three men were talking when suddenly, O’Connor pulled out a revolver and shot Cherin three times in the head. O’Connor then ordered a shaken Miller to drive to Stickney, a town just outside the city limits, where they left Cherin’s body.

In a tragic footnote, Cherin’s grieving widow, Gertrude, took her own life and the life of her three-year-old daughter, Adeline, in June 1919. Cherin’s father, who knew that O’Connor was responsible for his son’s murder, swore revenge.

Arrest and Trial

Ever since Emerson’s confession, Chicago police had been earnestly hunting Hanratty and O’Connor. However, they would learn that finding Tommy O’Connor was not an easy feat. He remained in hiding for nearly two years before finally being captured at his home on November 12, 1919.

According to the Chicago Tribune article that reported his capture, O’Connor’s accomplice, James Hanratty, had died while in hiding - though the article does not provide details.

Though he was a suspect in the murder of Jimmy Cherin, O’Connor would first stand trial for the Central Railroad robbery and the murder of Dennis Tierney. In early April 1919, O’Connor went on trial. In a surprising verdict, he was found not guilty. Later that month, with pressure from Cherin’s father, police arrested O’Connor on suspicion of murder.

After a rough interrogation by Chicago police, Louie Miller, who had been present when Jimmy Cherin was murdered, identified O’Connor as the triggerman and agreed to testify against him.

Despite being indicted for murder in January 1921, O’Connor was back on the streets after posting a large cash bail. After leaving jail, he promptly went into hiding.

Murder of Patrick O’Neill

Around 10 p.m. on March 23, acting on a tip, Detective Sergeant Patrick “Paddy” O’Neill and five other detectives approached a house on South Washenaw Avenue on the city’s Southwest Side. It was the home of William Foley, O’Connor’s brother-in-law.

Det. O’Neill and three of the others went around to the back of the house while another detective demanded entry at the house’s front door. A fifth detective stood guard on the front sidewalk.

Suddenly, O’Connor emerged from the back door, shouting at the detectives with a revolver in his hand. He fired five shots at O’Neill, with the final one striking him in the side. As O’Neill lay mortally wounded, O’Connor managed to hop a fence and escape in a Checker cab.

After several blocks, he exited the cab and carjacked a couple after jumping onto the running board of their car. Brandishing two revolvers, O’Connor forced the couple to drive north before ordering the wife to exit the car. After crossing through several suburbs, O’Connor then forced the husband out of the car before driving off.

Detective Patrick O’Neill was pronounced dead approximately half an hour after the shooting.

Manhunt

The manhunt that followed was one of the largest in Chicago’s history. More than a thousand officers, many armed with rifles and riot guns, patrolled the city looking for O’Connor. Many of the neighboring suburbs were also alerted and likewise had officers searching.

Chicago’s police chief Fitzmorris offered a $500 reward for Tommy O’Connor, dead or alive, while another Chicago citizen offered $100 for O’Connor - dead only.

In the aftermath of the shooting, both the Foleys and O’Connor’s mother and father, who were in the house at the time, were arrested, as well as O’Connor’s brother, “Darling Dave.”

Police found clothing as well as holsters and ammunition in the room where O’Connor was staying.

Capture and Trial

Despite the enormous search that was underway, O’Connor managed to remain a fugitive for several months until he was finally apprehended - almost accidentally - by a railroad porter in Minnesota.

When a Pullman porter on the Chicago Great Western Railroad noticed someone sneaking around in one of the railcars while stopped in St. Paul, Minnesota, he confronted the intruder, who turned out to be a semi-drunk Tommy O’Connor.

After being physically removed by the porter, O’Connor was chased down by several yardmen and arrested. When he was searched, O’Connor was found to be carrying three handguns, a rosary, two medals, and other religious items.

When authorities in Chicago learned of O’Connor’s arrest, they wasted no time sending detectives to retrieve him. In fact, the St. Paul city attorney charged the Chicago chief of detectives with kidnapping, due to the fact that O’Connor was scheduled to stand trial for a robbery he had allegedly committed in St. Paul.

Despite these efforts, O’Connor would remain in Chicago and stand trial for the murder of Detective Sergeant Patrick O’Neill. In September 1921, after just two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and sentenced O’Connor to be hanged. It appeared that Tommy O’Connor’s luck had finally run out.

Escape and Disappearance

Following his sentencing, O’Connor’s attorney pressed for a new trial. However, these efforts were denied by the presiding judge, who maintained that he was satisfied with the result. For his part, O’Connor vehemently maintained his innocence.

He claimed that the shots that killed Det. O’Neill were fired by the other Chicago detectives, and although the CPD later dismissed the five detectives for their lack of aid towards O’Neill, there was no evidence that anyone except O’Connor fired the fatal shots.

O’Connor was recorded as saying, “I am innocent. If I were standing before God this minute, I would swear I was innocent.” Despite his protest, O’Connor was scheduled to hang on Thursday, December 15th.

On Sunday, December 11, just four days before he was scheduled to be executed, Tommy O’Connor and four other inmates escaped from the criminal courts building where they were being held. Somehow, O’Connor got his hands on a gun, and he and the other four overpowered the guards.

After making their way out of the jail, the five inmates climbed onto the roof of a shed and jumped over the nine-foot-high wall. One of the escapees, who was a heavyset man, broke both of his ankles and was captured soon after.

Two of the other men fled in a different direction and were later captured. O’Connor, similar to his escape after shooting Det. O’Neill jumped onto the running board of a passing car and forced the driver at gunpoint to speed away.

Then, in a scene straight out of Grand Theft Auto, O’Connor carjacked three more cars after the second one crashed and the third one skidded off the road. Once in the final car, he sped off and was gone.

Aftermath

Once order in the jail was restored, a furious Chief Fitzmorris accused several of the guards of conspiring with O’Connor and the others to escape. Two of them would later be convicted. It is still unclear how O’Connor got hold of a gun, with one of the stories being that it was smuggled inside a pork chop sandwich.

The Sheriff and Chief Deputy agreed that the escaped men may have had some inside help. Sheriff Charles Peters told reporters, “I am going to get to the bottom of this. I haven’t suspended anyone yet - but we might keep some of our guards here as customers. But I won’t do anything until I find out who is at fault.”

On December 17, an unidentified man was found shot and dumped in a creek near Palmyra, Wisconsin. Police believed the victim may have been the driver of the last car that O’Connor hijacked, as the man had not been seen since the day of the escape. The body was also found in only underwear, meaning his killer had likely taken his clothing.

Somehow, despite the immense resources and manpower used to hunt O’Connor and the high-profile nature of the case, he was never located.

For years after his escape, his name would continue to appear in newspapers, usually linked to some sort of robbery or shooting. He was like a ghost, everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

A 1922 article identified him as the bandit who attempted to hold up a train in Iowa. A 1924 article had him hiding out in the Wisconsin woods. A 1926 article claimed he was the lone survivor of a group of bandits who were killed by sheriffs in Los Angeles. However, police in Chicago reported that they had not heard anything to that effect. Another 1926 article had O’Connor robbing a bank in Marseilles, Illinois, while disguised as a woman.

While some of these seem far-fetched, it goes to show that he was still very much in the public eye years after his improbable escape. In fact, his name continued to remain on the death list, and the gallows that had been erected just days before his escape remained standing until 1977, when they were sold to a private buyer and later displayed at Donley’s Wild West Town in Union, Illinois.

Sources:

“Terrible Tommy.” Roger Touhy, Gangster, https://rogertouhygangsters.blogspot.com/2014/06/terrible-tommy.html

Yockel, Michael. “When Harry Met Tommy.” Chicago Reader, 21 December 2000, https://chicagoreader.com/news/when-harry-met-tommy/

“Prisoner Gives Detailed Story of I.C. Murder.” Chicago Tribune, 3 March 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355226322/?match=1&terms=Dennis%20Tierney

“Emerson Gets 30 Years For Tierney Murder.” Chicago Tribune, 13 July 1918, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355143748/?match=1&terms=Dennis%20Tierney

“Thieves Still Falling Out 3 More Dead.” Chicago Tribune, 22 January 1919, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355265081/?match=1&terms=cherin

“Hunted 2 Years As Killer; Found In Home Asleep.” Chicago Tribune, 13 November 1919, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355084764/?match=1&terms=%20tommy%20o%27connor

“Cherin’s Father Jails O’Connor As Son’s Slayer.” Chicago Tribune, 21 April 1920, https://www.newspapers.com/image/349491096/?match=1&terms=%20tommy%20o%27connor

“Police Army Combing City For Murderer.” Chicago Tribune, 24 March 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355006600/

“Slayer Kills Officer; City Combed In Hunt.” Chicago Tribune 24 March 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355006626/?match=1&terms=%20tommy%20o%27connor

“O’Connor To Be In Chicago Jail This Morning.” Chicago Tribune, 30 July 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355100974/?match=1&terms=tommy%20o%27connor

“Pullman Porter Causes Capture Of T. O’Connor.” The Chicago Whip, 6 August 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/900978606/?match=1&terms=tommy%20o%27connor

“O’Connor Found Guilty; Doomed To Die By Rope.” Chicago Tribune, 25 September 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355175184/?match=1&terms=tommy%20o%27connor

“Tommy O’Connor Breaks Jail on Eve of Hanging.” Chicago Tribune, 12 December 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/355172765/?match=1&terms=tommy%20o%27connor

“Slain Man Found In Creek Seen As O’Connor Victim.” Chicago Tribune, 17 December 1921, https://www.newspapers.com/image/354937485/?match=1&terms=tommy%20o%27connor

Background

Though not as well-known as other global organized crime figures like Pablo Escobar and “El Chapo,” India’s Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is an international criminal with a dark and bloody legacy all his own.

In addition to being an organized crime boss and drug kingpin, he was designated as a global terrorist in 2003 by both India and the United States. Ibrahim led a violent crime syndicate known as D-Company. By the 1980s, Dawood and his syndicate were already deeply established in smuggling, extortion, and narcotics.

After being accused of masterminding the 1993 Mumbai bombings, Dawood disappeared. Today, more than 30 years later, he remains a fugitive with his name still on international terror lists and his whereabouts still unknown.

Humble Beginnings

Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar was born on December 26, 1955, in Khed, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India. His family was part of the Konkani Muslim community. His father, Ibrahim Kaskar, worked as a head constable with the Mumbai Police (then known as the Bombay Police), and his mother, Amina Bi, was a homemaker.

The family was large and poor. Dawood had several siblings, including an older brother, Shabir Ibrahim Kaskar. The children grew up in Dongri, a highly populated area in South Mumbai, near the Bhendi Bazaar. The family, though respected for the father’s position, struggled financially.

Dawood greatly admired his older brother, and as Shabir began to become involved in crime, Dawood followed him. After Dawood dropped out of high school, he and Shabir drifted into petty crime. The brothers sold smuggled goods, cheated unsuspecting buyers, got into street fights, and committed fraud.

One of their main scams, called “Alta-palti,” involved shoppers being given boxes that supposedly contained luxury watches or other smuggled items, but after payment, the box contained something else, often a stone.

Though their father tried to get his sons to find legitimate work, the boys preferred the allure of “easy money” and a life of crime on the streets.

Criminal Organization

By the mid-1970s, Dawood and Shabir were working with a local smuggler known as Bashu Dada, who was friendly with Dawood’s father. However, in 1976, there was a falling out between Dada and the Kaskar brothers, and Dawood, Shabir, and some of their friends attacked Dada with empty bottles.

After that incident, Dawood and Shabir broke away and began to build their own gang. The two brothers had a reputation for being fearless and clever, so they were quick to organize other young men from Dongri who were eager to prove themselves.

Due to India's strict import regulations, Dawood and Shabir's gang were actively involved in smuggling gold, silver, and banned products, all of which were in high demand. Their primary source of money and power shifted to smuggling at the time.

They fought with more established gangs, particularly the fearsome Pathan gang, which at the time controlled parts of South Mumbai. On February 12, 1981, Shabir was murdered by members of the Pathans in a gang attack at a gas station in Prabhadevi, Mumbai.

Rise of D-Company

Devestated by the murder of his brother but determined to continue on, Dawood assumed leadership of the gang. The group became known by the media and law enforcement as “D-Company” since it was now led by Dawood. By 1986, D-Company was one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mumbai, after taking out almost all of the Pathan gang's leadership.

Extortion now became a regular source of money for the gang. D-Company would demand "protection money" from small businesses, shopkeepers, and landlords. Smuggling routes brought in everything from consumer electronics to drugs, using Mumbai's busy port as a gateway.

Alongside smuggling and extortion, narcotics trafficking became one of the biggest revenue streams. Heroin was smuggled into India, often routed through Pakistan, and then sent to Europe and other places.

At its peak, D-Company’s network stretched into Bollywood. Film financiers and producers were pressured or enticed into taking money from Dawood’s associates, thereby giving him influence in India’s most glamorous industry.

According to Indian law enforcement, D-Company began to play a role in fixing cricket matches, using its global betting network to manipulate outcomes.

International Connections

Dawood understood that to stay ahead, his operations needed safe cover and reach beyond India. He began cultivating connections in the Middle East, especially in Dubai, and built links with underworld figures in Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Through these networks, the group moved contraband across borders and laundered money through hawala (an informal money transfer outside the formal banking system)

D-Company’s reach was so extensive that its influence extended to countries far beyond India, spanning the Gulf states, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Dawood’s ability to run his empire across continents made him unusual among Indian criminals of that era.

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In November 2007, a dangerous drug kingpin casually walked out of the North Fraser Pretrial Facility in British Columbia wearing a janitor’s uniform. Omid ‘Nino’ Tahvili escaped prison to become one of the world’s most elusive fugitives, still at large to this day.

Origins of a Kingpin

Born on October 31, 1970, Omid Tahvili, like many immigrants at the time, left his native Iran in 1994 to begin a new, prosperous life in Canada with his wife and children.

However, his carefully crafted image as a family man earning an honest living as a blue-collar worker and later a successful businessman eventually fell apart, as the temptations of fast money and exploiting others overcame him. Tahvili did not hesitate to take advantage of the illicit opportunities that presented themselves.

It began with drugs. In November 2000, Tahvili and his brother-in-law were caught with three kilograms of cocaine in a coordinated bust led by the Vancouver Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Tahvili’s brother-in-law took the fall and was given a plea bargain. The duo’s gamble on the already overwhelmed and loophole-ridden Canadian justice system proved effective. After Tahvili pleaded not guilty, authorities could not establish a solid connection to the drugs, and the fledgling kingpin walked free.

However, Tahvili was still on the radar of law enforcement, and according to the RCMP, by 2003, he had dozens of Iranian immigrants working for his organization.

Scam Operation

At the same time that he was allegedly trafficking drugs, Tahvili was involved in electronic fraud. His victims were vulnerable senior citizens.

The early 2000s saw a dramatic shift in technology and communications. The world was changing fast, leaving many gullible and uninformed citizens prey to elaborate telemarketing and mail scams. Law enforcement and legislation were also slow to keep pace with these rapid developments, which provided fertile ground and valuable time for criminals like Tahvili to profit.

Tahvili and his fellow scammers would call senior citizens and claim they had won the lottery. However, in order to receive their winnings, the unsuspecting victims were coerced into paying hidden fees and mysterious taxes before they could claim their “payout.” Many of these victims, who were located in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, handed over their life savings and ended up bankrupt as a result.

Sadly, when the FBI and other law enforcement entities eventually caught wind of Tahvili’s activities, more than enough damage had been done. The scamming enterprise raked in over three million dollars during a three-year period before Tahvili’s arrest warrant for numerous counts of fraud was finally issued in early 2003 by a federal court in the Central District of California.

Arrest

However, Tahvili remained in Canada, evading arrest and extradition while continuing his criminal operations. He showed little concern for the authorities, despite the gravity of his crimes. This growing audacity prompted him to commit further offences, such as the kidnapping and sexual assault of the brother-in-law of a man who allegedly stole money from him and fled to Vietnam.

What Tahvili did not know was that the authorities were waiting for a moment like this to make their move. The RCMP located the assaulted man, who provided crucial information about Tahvili’s criminal network.

Tahvili was successfully apprehended in July 2005, and police uncovered corroborating evidence in the form of thousands of dollars in cash scattered across several cities.

Tahvili was jailed in the maximum-security North Fraser Pretrial Centre in British Columbia. He was ordered extradited to the United States in May 2007. However, his lawyer, Amandeep Singh, a high-profile Canadian attorney, was able to delay the proceedings by appealing to the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

Escape

While awaiting his sentence in North Fraser Pretrial Facility, Tahvili managed to exploit the human weaknesses of the staff responsible for his custody. He bribed an officer named Edwin Ticn with $50,000 to assist in his escape. Ticn himself even escorted him out. Tahvili dressed up as one of the cleaning staff, walked past hundreds of security cameras, and exited through the front door.

Ticn, however, was not as fortunate. He was arrested just hours after the escape and later sentenced to three years in prison. The prosecution had requested a sentence of five to ten years; however, the judge took into consideration Ticn’s problems with alcohol and gambling, finding that they factored into his decision to help Tahvili.

Fugitive Status

Since his jailbreak, Tahvili has not been seen or heard from again, apart from a few communications with his lawyer, his now-ex wife, and a voicemail to law enforcement from an unknown location. These actions were intended to confuse law enforcement, lawyers, and judges, as well as to buy him time.

The general consensus is that he probably returned to his homeland. Given the geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States, extradition remains nearly impossible.

Because of his mastery in manipulation and extensive networks with crime groups throughout Canada and the United States, the FBI placed him on their most wanted list, alongside the now deceased Osama Bin Laden, the now deceased Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, Indian drug lord Dawood Ibrahim, and now imprisoned Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

The official warning from the FBI states, “Tahvili may travel throughout Europe, Canada, or the Middle East. He may have a moustache and goatee. Tahvili is considered extremely dangerous.” He also bears several tattoos, including those of a spiked spiral, a Celtic cross, and a child on each arm.

Omid Tahvili has been on the run for over 17 years and is wanted in both Canada and the United States.

Sources:

“Convict on the loose but public not at risk: RCMP.” CBC News, 16 November 2007, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/convict-on-the-loose-but-public-not-at-risk-rcmp-1.630764

“Prison guard gets 3 years for aiding escape.” CBC News, 8 August 2008, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/prison-guard-gets-3-years-for-aiding-escape-1.750285

Vardi, Nathan. “In Pictures: The World's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives.” Forbes, 13 May 2010, https://www.forbes.com/2010/05/13/bin-laden-joaquin-guzman-dawood-ibrahim-business-world-most-wanted_slide.html

Background

In the early morning hours of January 12, 1991, three men walked into an after-hours gambling club at 85 Tyler Street in Boston’s Chinatown and opened fire on six men playing cards.

When the gunsmoke cleared, five men lay dead and a sixth critically wounded. The murders, which came to be known as the “Chinatown Massacre,” shook the residents of Chinatown as well as the city at large.

Though Asian gangs had been a presence in Boston since at least the 1970s, this level of wanton bloodshed was almost unheard of.

Information provided by the surviving witness identified three men who were all Vietnamese nationals as the shooters. Two of the suspects were eventually located and prosecuted. The third, however, has managed to evade capture for more than three decades.

“Sky Dragon”

During the 1970s, Stephen Tse, known as “Sky Dragon,” relocated from New York to Boston and soon became a major player within the Chinatown criminal underworld. The Hong Kong-born Tse joined the On Leong Tong association but was later expelled.

In the early 1980s, Tse founded the Ping On, which would control much of the criminal activity and rackets within Chinatown, including gambling and extortion. His organization operated independently of the more formal and well-organized tong societies.

Tse had well-established connections in the local Chinese community as well as with established criminal networks overseas. In 1984, Tse was subpoenaed to testify before the President’s Commission on Organized Crime. Although he was granted immunity if he testified, Tse refused to answer questions and was found in contempt, resulting in a 16-month jail sentence.

By the time he was released, the landscape of Chinatown had changed, and he was forced to cooperate with rival gangs and cede territory. In 1988, Tse had a disagreement with a man named Cuong Khanh Luu, which led to Tse ordering Luu’s murder.

On December 29, 1988, two hitmen shot at Luu and an associate using automatic weapons; however, neither man was hit. Tse fled to Hong Kong soon after the failed assassination attempt.

Power Struggle

During Tse’s absence, his chief lieutenant, Michael Kwong, was shot to death inside his Arlington Heights restaurant. Following Kwong’s death, other members of the Ping On were indicted on racketeering charges, which virtually wiped out the gang.

This left a power struggle between rival gangs vying for control of Chinatown.

Tyler Street Shootings

It was during this struggle for control that one of the most infamous crimes in the city’s history occurred. Hung Tien Pham, a Vietnamese national of Chinese heritage, and two accomplices, Nam The Tham and Siny Van Tran, who were also Vietnamese born, forced their way into an after-hours gambling club at 85 Tyler Street.

The three men had rushed past the club’s lone security guard and entered the main room. Once inside, they forced all six men onto their knees and shot each man at least once in the head.

Five of the men were killed while the other one, though badly wounded, managed to survive and was later able to identify the killers.

It would later come to light that the intended targets were Yu Man Young, who managed the club and was an associate of Ping On and Cuong Khanh Luu, the same man who had survived an assassination attempt years earlier.

Fortunately for Young, the shooters ran out of bullets before they could shoot him. However, Luu and four other men were killed. Pak Wing Lee, who was badly wounded, managed to get to the back door and shout for help. A security guard at nearby New England Medical Center saw Lee and alerted the police.

After making entry into the club, the police came upon the horrific scene inside. Lee was taken to the hospital, where he remained under police guard.

Investigation

Thanks to Lee’s cooperation, the three shooters were identified, and a manhunt was underway to capture them. After the killings, Pham Tham and Tran drove to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to gamble and then went to New York, where they then flew to Hong Kong.

Eventually, Tham and Tran turned up in China, where they were locked up for drugs and other crimes. After negotiations with the Chinese government, Tham and Tran were extradited via Hong Kong in exchange for a Chinese national who was wanted in China for high-level fraud charges.

In October 2001, Tham and Tran were deported to Hong Kong and then extradited to the United States in December 2001. In October 2005, both men were convicted of five counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to five consecutive life sentences.

Hung Tien Pham

Hung Tien Pham, who allegedly orchestrated the killings, remains a fugitive. He had been described as a “rising star” in the Chinatown criminal underworld during the 1980s. He was a member of Ping On, with his own crew and a number of gambling houses under his control.

Pham reportedly had ties to other criminal networks in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto. He was known to have a flashy lifestyle and enjoyed expensive cars, gambling, and spending money. He was last seen in Thailand in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Today, Pham would be 65 years old. He is approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed between 115 and 135 pounds. In January 2021, on the 30th anniversary of the massacre, the FBI announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Sources:

MacNeill, Arianna. “30 years ago, three men shot six others in Chinatown. Today, 1 is still on the run.” 12 January 2021, Boston.com, https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2021/01/12/fbi-releases-information-reward-in-30-year-old-homicide/

“Boston Chinatown Massacre $30,000 reward for fugitive on anniversary of 1991 quintuple murders.” 12 January 2021, FBI.gov, https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/30000-reward-for-fugitive-on-anniversary-of-1991-boston-chinatown-massacre-011221

“HUNG TIEN PHAM.” 12 January 2021, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/murders/hung-tien-pham

“The Chinatown Massacre: One of Boston's Deadliest Crimes, 30 Years Later.” NBC10 Boston, Uploaded 3 August 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCf4DGgYk6k

Background

In previous articles, Tales From the Underworld covered the rise and fall of South Boston gangster and racketeer James “Whitey” Bulger and his unholy alliance with the FBI. For more than 16 years, Bulger remained one of the most wanted fugitives in the United States.

Bulger went on the run in 1994 after being tipped off by his FBI handler, John Connolly, about impending indictments. He was eventually arrested in June 2011 in Santa Monica, California, and extradited to Boston to stand trial in federal court for a litany of crimes.

In August 2013, Bulger was found guilty on multiple racketeering and murder charges and was given two life sentences.

In October 2018, Bulger was moved from a federal prison in Florida to the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma and was then transferred to United States Penitentiary Hazelton, in West Virginia. The prison, known as “Misery Mountain,” has a well-earned reputation for violence.

On October 30, less than 24 hours after he arrived at USP Hazelton, the 89-year-old wheelchair bound gangster was beaten to death by other inmates.

Bulger’s Killers

The investigation into Bulger’s murder dragged on for several years, until finally, in August 2022, three inmates were charged. The three men, Foitos “Freddy” Geas, 55, Paul DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, 36, were all indicted on first-degree murder charges.

Rather than proceed to trial, in May 2024, the three men reached a plea agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of West Virginia.

Sean McKinnon, who was serving time at USP Hazelton for firearms convictions at the time of Bulger’s death, had already been released by the time he was indicted in August 2022.

In June 2024, McKinnon pled guilty to lying to federal agents. In exchange, prosecutors dropped charges related to Bulger’s murder. McKinnon was sentenced to 22 months, and since he had been locked up since August 2022, he was credited with time served and released

Paul J. DeCologero was serving time at USP Hazelton after being convicted of racketeering and witness tampering. DeCologero was part of a North Shore drug organization with alleged mafia ties.

In 2006, DeCologero was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement in the organization and for witness tampering surrounding the investigation of a 19-year-old woman who was murdered by members of the gang in 1996.

In August 2024, federal prosecutors agreed to drop charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his involvement in Bulger’s death. In exchange, DeCologero pled guilty to assault resulting in great bodily injury. He was then sentenced to 51 months.

Foitos “Freddy” Geas

As part of his plea agreement, Foitos “Freddy” Geas admitted that he beat Bulger to death after an argument inside Bulger’s cell in the early morning hours of October 30, 2018.

Prison surveillance footage shows Geas and DeCologero entering Bulger’s cell shortly after 6:00 a.m. and exiting approximately six minutes later. Geas admitted to striking Bulger repeatedly in the head, after which he and DeCologero placed Bulger’s body on his bed and covered it with blankets.

Bulger was found unresponsive by prison staff shortly after 8:30 a.m. Bulger’s cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head.

As part of his plea agreement, Geas was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter and 10 years for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. However, these sentences were merely a formality because Geas was already serving a life sentence.

Foitos “Freddy” Geas and his brother Ty were raised in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and became mob enforcers for Anthony Arillota, a member of the Springfield faction of the New York-based Genovese crime family.

In 2003, Aritolla, Geas, and others conspired to murder Genovese captain Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, who was the boss of the Springfield faction of the family. On November 23, 2003, Bruno was shot to death after leaving a Springfield social club.

The killer was soon identified as Frankie Roche. Described as a “fringe player” in the city’s rackets, Roche was a one-time cellmate of Geas.

That same year, Arillota allegedly recruited Geas and others to kill Arillota’s brother-in-law, Gary Westerman, a local drug dealer who disappeared in November 2003. His remains were found in April 2010.

Following their arrests, both Roche and Arillota agreed to cooperate and testify against the Geas brothers in exchange for lighter sentences. In September 2011, Foitos and Ty Geas were sentenced to life in prison in a U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

BOP Negligence

Perhaps the most significant outcome for the United States government and the Federal Bureau of Prisons regarding the plea agreements was the fact that there would not be a trial.

Had there been a trial, many questions would have likely been raised, such as why Bulger, who was in poor health, was suddenly transferred to a penitentiary with a well-known reputation for violence, and placed into the general population when he had previously been held in segregation units for his protection.

Since the news of Bulger’s longtime relationship with the FBI was common knowledge and had been well documented, prison officials were certainly aware that he would have been a target.

By placing Bulger in close proximity to Geas, the BOP was, at best, incredibly negligent and, at worst, maliciously deliberate.

Nathan Chambers, one of Geas’s lawyers, commented, “Although BOP’s conduct was shocking, there’s nothing I can say today that is going to lead to reforms by BOP.” Chambers also called prison officials’ conduct “not only egregious, but purposeful.”

Retired Massachusetts State Police detective lieutenant Steve Johnson, who spent decades investigating Bulger and helped convict him, said, “A trial would have been a better way to figure out what really happened…(now) It just goes away, which is what everybody in the federal government wanted to happen to begin with.”

Sources:

Murphy, Shelley. “In ‘final chapter,’ Bulger’s killer sentenced to 25 years.” The Boston Globe, 7 September 2024, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1118285794/?match=1&terms=geas

Barry, Stephanie. “Chapter closes in Bruno Killing.” The Republican, 13 September 2011, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1076240729/?match=1&terms=geas

Raby, John. “Inmate sentenced for role in prison killing of Boston gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.” PBS, 1 August 2024, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/inmate-sentenced-for-role-in-prison-killing-of-boston-gangster-james-whitey-bulger

Helmore, Edward. “Accused lookout in James ‘Whitey’ Bulger prison killing gets time served.” The Guardian, 17 June 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/17/james-whitey-bulger-lookout-sean-mckinnon-sentenced

Background

In 1963, a member of New York’s Genovese crime family named Joseph Valachi made a stunning decision. Valachi testified before a Senate hearing on organized crime headed by Arkansas Senator John McClellan.

It was the first time that a member of the American mafia had openly discussed or acknowledged the existence of the organization. Valachi proved to be a wealth of information. He named names and provided a detailed description of the organization's structure, members, and inner workings.

Having become a made man in 1930, Valachi possessed decades of knowledge and information that had previously been unknown to the authorities. Portions of the hearings were televised, giving the American public a glimpse into a shadowy and secretive world.

Source Material

The following year, in 1964, the Justice Department encouraged Valachi to put his story in writing, believing that some of the information could be useful to law enforcement.

After the manuscript was finished, author Peter Maas was tasked with editing it. Maas was granted exclusive access to Valachi in order to interview him.

The finished product, which was titled The Real Thing, was authorized for public release by U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach; however, after a meeting with President Johnson, Katzenbach reversed course and attempted to halt the publication of Valachi’s memoirs.

Maas was stopped from publishing the book. However, he was able to publish a third-person account based on his interviews with Valachi. His book, titled The Valachi Papers, was published in 1968.

Film Overview

The Valachi Papers, directed by Terence Young and based on Peter Maas’s 1968 book of the same name, was released in December 1972.

The film had originally been scheduled for release in 1973; however, the studio moved its release date up, hoping to capitalize on the recent success of The Godfather, which had been released earlier that year and had been a major hit.

In hindsight, this was probably not a good move, as the film was overshadowed by Coppola’s iconic film. Fair or not, because both films were released so close to one another, and dealt with a similar subject, The Valachi Papers was often measured against The Godfather, and inevitably fell short.

The film stars legendary movie tough guy Charles Bronson in the role of Joe Valachi. At the beginning of the film, Valachi, who is serving a sentence on a narcotics conviction, learns that his boss, Vito Genovese, who is locked up in the same prison, believes Valachi is an informant and marks him for death.

In the prison yard, Valachi beats a man to death with a pipe, mistakenly believing that the man was a Genovese hitman. However, it is a case of mistaken identity. When he learns of his mistake, Valachi reluctantly agrees to cooperate with the government in order to be placed in protective custody and avoid a death sentence.

From there, the story is told in a series of flashbacks, starting from Valachi’s days as a young hoodlum who meets several mobsters, including Anthony “Tony Bender” Strollo, who introduces Valachi to their boss, Salvatore Maranzano.

The film depicts many of the events of the “Castellammare War” in the early 1930s and Valachi’s initiation into the mafia. The film alternates between the present, where Valachi is being interviewed by a federal agent, and the events he describes, which are presented in flashbacks.

Overall, the film is very ambitious and attempts to cover more than 30 years’ worth of events in two hours, and the result often comes across as clumsy and rushed. A lot of the acting and dialogue is superficial and one-dimensional.

There are also several notable mistakes, such as a scene that is set in the late 1920s, where the World Trade Center can be seen in the background. Another scene set in the early 1930s shows contemporary cars from the 1960s and 70s driving alongside the character’s 1930s Packard.

In the end, both Valachi and Genovese died in prison.

Closing Thoughts

Joe Valachi would likely have lived and died in obscurity, as many mobsters before and after him had, were it not for his decision to expose the mafia after his boss, Vito Genovese, left him with little choice.

During his Senate testimony, Valachi lamented the circumstances in his life that brought him into the mafia, stating that his reason for testifying was revenge against an organization he had given his life to and killed for, which had marked him for death without cause.

Valachi remarked that his life in Cosa Nostra had brought him nothing but misery.

Sources:

The Valachi Papers (1972), IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068341/

“The Congress & Cosa Nostra - Joe Valachi Hearings (1963).” MOBFAX, Uploaded 22 October 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldQQfPowgjY

Henry, Larry. “Joseph Valachi’s autobiography reveals Mafia’s inner workings.” The Mob Museum, 8 August 2023, https://themobmuseum.org/blog/joseph-valachis-autobiography-reveals-mafias-inner-workings/

Background

The 1960s were a turbulent decade for Boston’s criminal underworld. This era is commonly referred to as the “Boston Gang Wars” and led to dozens of gangland murders in Boston and the surrounding suburbs.

One of these warring factions was the Winter Hill gang based in Somerville. Though mainly comprised of Irish American gangsters, the gang also had members and associates of other ethnicities, including brothers Stevie “The Rifleman” and Vincent “The Bear” Flemmi, and Joe “The Animal” Barboza.

As their nicknames imply, these were some dangerous individuals who were known by law enforcement to be killers. In addition to their ties to Irish American gangsters, Barboza and the Flemmi brothers also had connections to New England’s Italian mafia headed by Providence, Rhode Island-based boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca, and his Boston-based underboss Gennaro “Jerry” Anguilo.

It was because of these connections that Barboza and the Flemmi brothers were approached by FBI agents to become informants. It would be this unholy union of corrupt FBI agents and Joe Barboza, a known mob enforcer and hitman, that would cost Joe Salvati three decades of his life.

“The Animal”

Joseph Barboza was born in 1932 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. As a young man, he pursued a career as a boxer, fighting under the name ‘Baron’, which he would legally change his name to in 1964.

After his boxing aspirations fizzled out, Barboza worked various odd jobs, including as a longshoreman. He also began associating with the local criminal element, which led him to serve around eight years in prison during the 1950s.

By the early 1960s, Barboza had earned a reputation as a tough and fearsome individual. Because of this, he was used by both the Winter Hill gang and the New England mafia as a debt collector, legbreaker, and hitman.

Edward Deegan Murder

Born in 1930, Edward “Teddy” Deegan was a small-time career criminal from Boston who specialized in burglaries. Though there has been speculation about why Deegan was murdered and who gave the okay, by the winter of 1965, Deegan had made some powerful enemies within the New England underworld.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on March 12, 1965, Deegan was lured to an alleyway in Chelsea, Massachusetts, under the guise of committing a burglary. About an hour and a half later, Deegan’s bullet-riddled body was discovered.

Recruiting “The Animal”

Though the police had their suspicions, the murder of Teddy Deegan became just another unsolved homicide until a year later, when FBI agents, including H. Paul Rico, came to Barboza with a proposition.

They informed Barboza that they were aware of his involvement in the murder of Teddy Deegan and offered him a way out. By this time, Barboza had fallen out with the mafia, and there were rumors that he was next to be killed.

If Barboza agreed to testify against his accomplices in the murder and agreed to testify at later trials against high-ranking mafia members, he would receive a significantly reduced sentence.

Fall Guy

With a chance to save himself and exact some revenge on the organization that had turned on him, Barboza agreed to the offer.

However, he insisted that he would not implicate his friend Vincent Flemmi, who was one of the killers. Instead, Barboza substituted a local neighborhood guy named Joe Salvati, who had nothing to do with Deegan’s murder.

It is unclear why Barboza chose to include Salvati. It has been speculated that Salvati owed him a gambling debt and had not paid him, or perhaps because Barboza had seen him out earlier that night, and knew he did not have an alibi at the time the murder took place.

In May 1968, Joe Salvati was found guilty of accessory to murder based solely on the testimony of Joe Barboza. Salvati and another man, Roy French, were sentenced to life in prison, while the other four defendants were sentenced to death. However, after Massachusetts abolished the death penalty, their sentences were commuted to life in prison.

In 1970, Barboza testified at the trials of Patriarca and Angiulo. Ironically, even with all of the deception required to have Barboza testify, Angiulo was found not guilty. Years later, one of the jurors on the case remarked that he did not find Barboza to be a credible witness. “He didn’t help the state at all. He wasn’t reliable.”

After serving his reduced sentence, Barboza went into hiding. His past finally caught up with him on February 11, 1976, when he was gunned down on a San Francisco street.

Doing Time

Meanwhile, Joe Salvati was serving his sentence at the notoriously harsh Walpole prison, about 25 miles outside of Boston. The prison had a reputation for violence among inmates and mistreatment by prison staff.

Salvati kept to himself and spent a lot of time alone in his cell. One of the things that kept him going was the support of his wife Marie and their young children. Marie did what she could to keep the family going and support her husband. She and the kids would visit often.

Breakthrough

About a decade into his sentence, a defense attorney named Victor Garo examined the facts of Salvati’s case and was stunned to learn that he had been convicted based entirely on the testimony of Joe Barboza.

Garo eventually took the case pro bono and began researching. A breakthrough occurred when Garo discovered a long-suppressed police report where a reliable informant named Barboza and Vincent Flemmi as two of the individuals who murdered Deegan.

The more he dug, the more apparent it became that FBI agents had deliberately suppressed information and knowingly allowed Salvati to be framed and convicted so that they could continue to use Barboza and Flemmi as informants to go after the mob.

Exoneration and Lawsuit

Finally, in 1997, Garo secured Salvati a parole commutation. Then, in 2000, Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, who was the chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, began a probe into the Boston FBI office and its practices.

Unsurprisingly, the investigation was met with resistance. The Bush administration initially tried to suppress documents, claiming executive privilege. Eventually, however, the documents were released and laid bare the disturbing truth.

FBI agents had knowingly allowed an innocent man to be convicted and sentenced to life in prison so that they could keep their murderous informants on the streets.

In 2007, U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner agreed with these findings and awarded the Salvatis and the families of the other men convicted over $100 million in damages from malicious prosecution.

It was a stinging rebuke of the FBI and the U.S. Government and a reminder that those who are sworn to uphold the law must be held to a higher standard.

Sources:

Goodwin, Jan. “The Exonerated.” Readers Digest, March 2008, https://www.jangoodwin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/exonerated.pdf

Nayer, Melanie. “FBI Documents Acknowledge Barboza’s Guilt and Association with Deegan Murder.” The New Bedford Standard Times, 2 March 2002, https://www.bu.edu/washington/2002/03/02/fbi-documents-acknowledge-barbozas-guilt-and-association-with-deegan-murder/

“FBI rebuked for wrongful convictions in mob case.” Deseret News, 27 July 2007, https://www.deseret.com/2007/7/27/20031935/fbi-rebuked-for-wrongful-convictions-in-mob-case/

Background

On May 11, 2002, Joseph Bonanno, the 97-year-old patriarch of New York’s Bonanno crime family and one of the original bosses of “the five families” died while in unofficial exile in Tuscon, Arizona.

Nearly forty years prior, the wily Bonanno had been ousted from “the Commission”, the American mafia’s governing body. Made up of the heads of New York City’s five families, as well as select bosses from other U.S. crime families, the panel served to carve out territory and rackets, mediate disputes, and arbitrate decisions while trying to avoid bloodshed.

Bonanno’s legendary scheming, conniving, and double-crossing ways had finally made him a pariah amongst his fellow rackteers. Even still, as a sign of respect for the legendary boss some called “Joe Bananas”, he was instead sent into exile for behavior that 99% of other mobsters would be killed for.

Yet, Bonanno would remain a thorn in their side even while living across the country. In 1983, Bonanno published his autobiography, “A Man of Honor.” It would be this book that an ambitious young prosecutor named Rudolph Guliani would use as the foundation to break up The Commission and send its members to prison.

Early Years

Like many of the other first wave of American mafia bosses, Joseph Bonanno immigrated to the United States as a child.

His family traced their roots to Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, which was a notorious stronghold of Sicilian organized crime. Bonanno’s uncles and other family members were already heavily entrenched in crime by the time he was born in January 1905.

In fact, due to the high numbers of individuals who originated from this region, the New York City gang war during the late 1920s and early 1930s was referred to as “The Castellammarese War.”

This conflict has been covered extensively in previous articles, but for a brief summary, the “war” involved two sides. One side was led by Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria, and the other was headed by Salvatore Maranzano.

In the trenches on each side were young, ambitious hoodlums just like Bonanno. People like Salvatore “Charlie Lucky” Luciano, Frank Costello, Albert Anastasia, Joe Profaci, Tommy Lucchese, Joe Adonis, Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino, and others.

These individuals would go on to become some of the most powerful organized crime figures in the nation.

As the bloody war raged on, soldiers on both sides were secretly conspiring to eliminate their old school bosses and usher in more modern and efficient ways to expand their rackets and make money.

Masseria’s betrayal and murder was orchestrated by his top lieutenant Luciano on April 15, 1931. Following Masseria’s murder, Maranzano’s soldiers, Bonanno among them, agreed to assist Luciano in setting up and murdering Maranzano.

Double Crossing Maranzano

Prior to Masseria’s murder, Luciano had secretly made an arrangement with Masseria’s hated rival, Salvatore Maranzano. It was agreed upon that if Luciano arranged for the death of Masseria, he would be allowed to take over Masseria’s rackets and would be given the number two position under Maranzano.

However, not long after this, Maranzano called a meeting of the bosses where he unequivocally declared himself to be “Boss of Bosses.” Maranzano also made sure that many of the most lucrative rackets in the city stayed within his family.

Having already begun to sour on Maranzano’s leadership, things came to a head for Luciano in September 1931 when he learned from fellow mobster Tommy Lucchese that Maranzano was planning to have him murdered.

Acting first, Luciano dispatched four Jewish gunmen to Maranzano’s Manhattan office. The men posed as government tax agents, and because they were not Italian, Maranzano did not suspect a setup.

Once inside Maranzano’s office, the men viciously stabbed him numerous times before shooting him to death.

Joe Bonanno would later claim that he had no prior knowledge of Luciano’s plan to have Maranzano murdered, saying that he made no attempt at retaliation because he did not want to disturb the peace.

However, those familiar with Bonanno’s Machavellian cunning may find this hard to swallow.

Read more

Background

On October 31st, 1973, Mountjoy Prison in Dublin, Ireland, became the scene of one of the most daring prison escapes in history. This prison was home to numerous members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), including several high-ranking officials.

The intense political pressure created tension in the prison population, with other prisoners fearing a potential attack from the IRA in an attempt to free their members from captivity. The prison doubled down on security measures, but even their best effort was not enough to stop the larger-than-life escape.

A Bold Plan

The IRA, desperate to free their leadership, put forward a bold and unconventional plan. Typically, prison escapes happen when inmates dig secret tunnels, bribe guards, or take advantage of the chaos during a prison riot to slip out undetected. Rather than using these traditional means, the IRA devised a plan that sounded like it came straight from a Hollywood movie:

They would evacuate their leaders via a daring helicopter rescue.

The IRA sent a member posing as a film director to rent an Aérospatiale Alouette II helicopter, claiming he wanted to use it to scout locations for an upcoming movie. Once in the air, the helicopter was hijacked by IRA members who threatened pilot Thompson Boyes at gunpoint.

They then forced Boyes to fly to Mountjoy Prison, where he was to land in the exercise yard, where Twomey, O’Hagan, and Mallon would be waiting for their lift.

The plan required precision and careful attention to detail. The IRA had to coordinate with their members on the inside to ensure the three leaders would be in place in the yard at the correct time. Even a minute or two late, and the entire plan would crumble.

The prisoners were in the exercise yard watching a football match when the helicopter began its descent. Though one of the guards spotted the chopper, he did not react, believing that it contained Ireland’s Minister of Defence.

Suddenly, the prison’s guards were surrounded and attacked by inmates as the helicopter made its landing. In the confusion, IRA Chief of Staff Seamus Twomey and senior members J.B. O’Hagan and Kevin Mallon boarded the chopper and made their escape.

The guards attempted to fire on the helicopter, but it was too late.

The helicopter then flew to another area of the city, where the pilot was released unharmed, and the three escaped prisoners were then shuffled through a network of IRA safe houses to keep them protected from being recaptured.

Public Embarrassment

Just like that, three of the most high-profile inmates of Mountjoy Prison had vanished into thin air in broad daylight.

This bold and shocking escape was a severe embarrassment for the Irish government, which had failed to keep these high-profile prisoners secure. A massive manhunt immediately followed the escape.

Over 20,000 members of the Irish Defence Forces and the Gardaí participated in the search. Despite their best efforts, the IRA’s impressive level of coordination and organization thwarted the government’s attempts to locate the inmates.

The Irish government faced substantial scrutiny in the aftermath of the escape. To bolster failing confidence in the prison system, the Irish government quickly enacted wide-sweeping reforms to enhance prison security, including preventative measures to block future aerial escapes.

Authorities meticulously investigated leads to understand how this escape had been executed and attempted to identify all participants involved. Unfortunately, the IRA was rather thorough in covering their tracks, and the investigations produced little evidence.

Aftermath

Kevin Mallon was captured in December 1973 and later escaped during a mass breakout in August 1974. He was then recaptured in January 1975. J.B. O’Hagan was arrested in early 1975. He was given an additional two-year sentence for his escape.

Seamus Twomey managed to evade capture until December 1977, when he was recaptured in Dublin. He served the remainder of his sentence and was released in 1982.

Legacy of Defiance

The Mountjoy Prison escape became a symbol of the IRA’s defiance and resourcefulness. To the IRA’s members and sympathizers, this escape served as a triumphant victory in the face of British and Irish authoritative control.

To their opponents and enemies, it was a harsh reminder that the IRA can and will challenge the power of the state, even from behind bars.

The high-stakes escape remains a defining moment in the history of Ireland and has captivated historians and true crime enthusiasts alike. The story serves as a stark reminder of a volatile era when even high-security prisons were not enough to hold those who were determined and defiant enough to escape.

Sources:

An Phoblacht. “Helicopter Escape from Mountjoy Prison: A Republican Triumph.” Republican News, 2022, https://republican-news.org/current/news/2022/11/helicopter_escape_from_mountjo_1.html.

BreakingNews.ie. “Man Behind Helicopter Hijacking That Airlifted IRA Prisoners Out of Mountjoy Shares Story.” Breaking News, https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/man-behind-helicopter-hijacking-that-airlifted-ira-prisoners-out-of-mountjoy-shares-story-1181666.html.

The Independent. “The Indo Daily Revisited: The Mountjoy Prison Helicopter Escape and the Manhunt That Followed.” Independent.ie, https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-indo-daily/the-indo-daily-revisited-the-mountjoy-prison-helicopter-escape-and-the-manhunt-that-followed/a1649976464.html.

Wikipedia contributors. “Mountjoy Prison Helicopter Escape.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountjoy_Prison_helicopter_escape.

Background

In the early 1980s, Colombia was a country at war with itself. Cities were bustling with life during the day, but fear ruled the night. Guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the April 19 Movement (M-19) waged war against the government, claiming to fight for social justice.

But for everyday Colombians, these groups, driven by Marxist ideologies, sought to overthrow the state, leading to widespread violence and instability.

Rise of the Medellín Cartel

Amidst this chaos, the Medellín Cartel emerged as a dominant force in the country’s drug trade. Founded by notorious figures such as Pablo Escobar, the Ochoa brothers (Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio), and Carlos Lehder, the cartel capitalized on the global demand for cocaine.

Their operations were vast, involving the cultivation, processing, and distribution of cocaine on an unprecedented scale. The cartel's influence penetrated various facets of Colombian society, including the economy and politics, often blurring the lines between legitimate and illicit enterprises.

Innovative smuggling methods facilitated the cartel's rapid ascent. They employed a strategy of "plata o plomo," meaning silver or lead, offering bribes to officials and resorting to violence against those who resisted.

This approach allowed them to infiltrate political institutions, law enforcement, and even the judiciary, further entrenching their power within the country.

Formation of MAS

As the cartel's wealth and power rapidly grew, so did the threat from guerrilla groups. Organizations like FARC and M-19 frequently resorted to kidnapping members of affluent families, politicians, and cartel associates to fund their activities and exert pressure on the government.

This surge in abductions created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity across the nation.

On March 13, 1981, Martha Nieves Ochoa Vásquez, sister to the prominent Ochoa brothers of the Medellín Cartel, was abducted by the M-19 guerrilla group outside her university in Medellín. This bold kidnapping was a direct challenge to the cartel's authority and a personal affront to the Ochoa family.

The M-19 group demanded a ransom of $12 million for her release. However, the Medellín Cartel leaders, including Pablo Escobar and Gustavo Gaviria, refused to comply with the ransom demands. In response, the Medellín Cartel convened an urgent meeting.

Recognizing the need for decisive action, they decided to form a paramilitary group named Muerte a Secuestradores (MAS), which translates to "Death to Kidnappers." The primary mission of MAS at that time was to secure Martha's release and to send a clear message to deter any future kidnappings.

The cartel swiftly mobilized its extensive resources to bring MAS to life. They recruited and began to arm individuals, many with law enforcement and military combat backgrounds. The group also found support beyond the cartel from wealthy landowners and businessmen who shared concerns over the escalating threat of guerrilla groups and decided to collaborate with MAS.

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Background

Though he did not live to see age fifty, former Serbian businessman and accused war criminal Željko Ražnatović, better known as Arkan, had quite an eventful life.

At the time of his death in January 2000, Arkan was under indictment for numerous crimes committed while acting as leader and supervisor of the Serbian Volunteer Guard, also known as “Arkan’s Tigers.”

Arkan and his men were accused of war crimes, including mass murder, rape, cruel treatment, inhumane acts, and other “grave breaches” of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Arkan and his “Tigers” were involved in several of the ethnic conflicts that resulted from the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Early Years

The man who would come to be known as Arkan was born on April 17, 1952, in the border town of Brežice in the Socialist Republic of Slovenia. Željko’s father, Veljko, was a decorated officer in the Yugoslav Air Force.

Though he respected and even wanted to emulate his father’s career, the pair’s relationship was strained, with patterns of physical abuse and strict military-like discipline in the home.

The frequent absence of Veljko due to the demands of his career also put distance between him and Željko. Veljko’s career also caused the family to relocate several times, with the family eventually settling in Belgrade, which Željko considered his hometown.

By his early teenage years, Arkan had seemingly abandoned his desire to follow his father’s career path and instead had taken to crime.

International Criminal

Arkan’s first arrest was in 1966 for purse snatching. After spending time in a juvenile detention center, his father, Veljko, attempted to sign his son up for the Yugoslav Navy. However, the young thief instead fled to Paris.

In 1969, having worn out his welcome in France, he was deported back to Yugoslavia, where he spent further time in a detention center. While incarcerated, Arkan formed a prison gang, perhaps an early indication of his ability to organize and lead hard men.

After his release in the early 1970s, Arkan plied his criminal trade in Western Europe, committing numerous armed robberies and other illicit activities. His network of criminal contacts included many established and feared Yugoslavian gangsters.

His name “Arkan” originated from a name he used on a forged passport as he traveled Western Europe. During the 1970s, he committed jewelry and bank robberies in numerous countries, including Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands, West Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Arkan often left a rose on the counter as a calling card during his robberies.

Escape Artist

Arkan was arrested and jailed many times throughout the 1970s. He also pulled off numerous jailbreaks, including a 1979 escape from Verviers Prison in Belgium. He eluded law enforcement for nearly four months, during which time he committed at least five more armed robberies.

In May 1981, he escaped from a prison in Amsterdam after someone passed him a gun. The following month, Arkan was wounded in a shootout with police during yet another robbery.

According to reports, he managed to escape the prison hospital by jumping out a window, assaulting a pedestrian, and taking his clothing. In April 1983, Arkan escaped from Thorberg Prison in Switzerland.

By May 1983, Arkan was back in Belgrade and one of Interpol’s most wanted men.

Protected Asset

After his return to Belgrade, Arkan continued his criminal lifestyle. After a bank robbery in Zagreb, where the robbers left a rose on the counter, attention quickly turned to Arkan.

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Background

Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri, Tony Batts, Charlie “Cement” Charlie Nuts, Rosato brothers hood, associate, mobster, thief, tough guy, escaped convict, himself. These are some of the movie and television roles played by beloved actor and tough guy Tony Sirico over his more than four decades in show business.

To say that the Brooklyn-born actor was typecast would probably be an understatement. However, it is unlikely that Siroco minded, considering that acting probably saved his life. Tony Sirico had an on-screen presence that oozed authenticity and menace.

That’s because prior to becoming an actor, Tony Sirico was a street guy who, by his own admission, was involved in extortion, armed robberies, ripping off bookmakers, and numerous assaults and street fights, which eventually led to him being shot and serving time in prison.

Early Life and Criminal Activity

Born on July 29, 1942, Genaro Anthony Sirico Jr. was raised in Brooklyn, New York. As a youth, he was known by the nickname “Junior.” During a 1989 interview, Sirico was asked what people called him.

“I’m stuck with the name Junior.” And you don’t like it? Sirico replied dryly, “I’m 45 years old. Would you like it?”

It was in his Bensonhurst, Brooklyn neighborhood where Sirico began to run afoul of the law. He described how he and his mostly Italian neighborhood friends fought with local Black and Irish youths.

During one of these confrontations, Sirico was shot in the back and leg by a group of Irish kids on the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Fortunately, the wounds were not life-threatening.

Sirico recalled that he worked construction as a young man during his first marriage, but after an affair with a woman in his neighborhood, Sirico’s marriage ended.

After this, he says he began to hang around with the wrong crowd and soon found himself living a life of crime, from carrying guns to armed robberies, assaults, and extortion.

Sirico’s gangster lifestyle saw him arrested nearly 30 times, with convictions for extortion, coercion, and felony weapons possession. “I was a pistol-packing type of guy,” he recalled.

He also liked to use disguises during his robberies. “When I would rob a place, I’d be mustached up, wigged up,…everything!”

Incarceration and Acting Career

After a February 1970 arrest, Tony Sirico was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison. During his trial, prosecutors called Sirico “An antisocial character who has been virtually unemployed for the last couple of years, yet he drives in expensive cars and wears expensive clothes.”

Sirico ended up serving 20 months of his sentence in New York’s notoriously harsh Sing Sing prison. While incarcerated, he decided to make a change in his life after watching a prison performance given by a traveling troupe of ex-convicts.

He recalled that the actors not only made him laugh but also gave him hope. “I told myself, I can do that.” When he was released, Sirico reached out to a friend of his, actor Ricard Castellano, who famously portrayed the role of Clemenza in The Godfather film.

Notable Roles

In fact, one of his first acting roles was an uncredited part in The Godfather II. Sirico excelled at playing street-wise tough guys. With his heavy Brooklyn accent and slicked-back hair, he gave any role he played instant credibility.

In the early 1990s, Sirico struck up a friendship with filmmaker Woody Allen, who cast the former criminal in several of his films, including 1994’s Bullets Over Broadway, 1995’s Mighty Aphrodite, 1996’s Everyone Says I Love You, and 1997’s Deconstructing Harry.

Both men bonded over their shared experiences growing up in Brooklyn during the 1950s and 60s.

However, it was his iconic role as Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri in the critically acclaimed HBO mafia drama The Sopranos that made Sirico a household name.

Consistently a fan favorite, Sirico nailed the role of a conniving, morally bankrupt mobster who is only concerned with himself and his status among his underworld peers.

Reportedly, Sirico only agreed to take the part under the condition that his character never became a rat. He was also one of the few characters to survive until the end of the series.

The Sopranos ended in 2007, and Sirico continued to act for the next decade-plus, appearing in many television and film roles and even guest-voiced characters on animated series like Family Guy, American Dad, and The Fairly Odd Parents.

Health Problems and Passing

Around 2019, health problems began to take their toll, and then, in July 2022, it was announced that Tony Sirico had passed away at a facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 79 years old.

Sources:

“THE SOPRANOS - Tony Sirico's real life MAFIA past - “PAULIE WALNUTS” actor's criminal history!” Youtube, Uploaded by OC SHORTZ - Organized Crime Shortz, 21 May 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1O4Y4kHhzE

“Tony Sirico (Paulie Gualtieri from The Sopranos) interview in 1989.” Youtube, Uploaded by angklungeds, 17 October 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxddINwarJk

Background

In the opening of the iconic film The Godfather, the audience is introduced to the characters as they celebrate the marriage of family patriarch Vito Corleone’s daughter, Connie.

The atmosphere is festive, with children running and playing while adults sip their drinks and mingle.

The audience is then introduced to a character named Johhny Fontane. Fontane, a handsome Italian crooner, is performing for the bride and groom and all of their guests.

Michael Corleone’s fiancée Kay is astonished that someone as famous as Fontane would be performing at a wedding, not yet fully realizing the depth of the Corleone’s power and influence.

Then Michael, in a rare display of honesty and candor, explains to Kay how his father had a big role in Fontane’s success and career.

He goes on to explain that Fontane is Vito’s godson, and when Johnny was first starting out, he signed a bad contract, and as he became more successful, he wanted to be released from his contract.

So Vito went to see the band leader who held Fontane’s contract and offered to buy out Fontane’s contract for $10,000. The band leader refused.

The following day, Vito returned with his henchman Luca Brasi, and within an hour, the man had signed away Fontane’s contract for a thousand dollars.

A stunned Kay asked, “Well, how’d he do that?”

Michael: “My father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

Kay: “What was that?”

Michael: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head and assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on that contract.” “That’s a true story.”

The Real Johnny Fontane

Johhny Fontane is famously based on singer and actor Frank Sinatra. Sinatra’s legendary career spanned decades. From his chart-topping hits to leading man status in major Hollywood films to his wild escapades with the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra was one of the most notable American entertainers ever.

However, like his on-screen counterpart Johhny Fontane, Sinatra was rumored to be friendly with some very powerful figures in the world of organized crime.

In fact, the story that Michael tells Kay about Fontane’s contract was based on a story in which powerful Genovese mobster Willie Moretti held a gun to big band leader Tommy Dorsey’s head to get Sinatra released from his contract.

This event is perhaps eluded to in the film when Michael ends with, “That’s a true story.”

It should be noted that Frank Sinatra was Willie Moretti’s godson.

Beginnings

Frank Sinatra’s story began in Hoboken, New Jersey, on December 12, 1915. The son of Italian immigrants. His father was a boxer who later joined the Hoboken Fire Department, becoming a captain.

Frank’s mother Dolly’s strong-willed and driven personality was said to have had an influence on young Frank’s personality.

Sinatra became interested in music at a young age, and though it was his father’s desire for Frank to obtain an education, Sinatra found himself expelled from high school for “general rowdiness.”

He then enrolled at Drake Business School but dropped out less than a year later. Sinatra found himself working odd jobs, while at the same time beginning to sing and perform in local clubs in New York and New Jersey.

Though unable to read music, Sinatra learned by ear and, by the mid-1930s, was singing in local groups.

Frank eventually caught on with the Tommy Dorsey band. Dorsey became like a father figure to Sinatra and had a big influence on his career and even his style and mannerisms.

Ironically, Sinatra even asked Dorsey to be godfather to his daughter Nancy.

Sinatra began to see success with a string of hits in the early 1940s. It was shortly after this that Willie Moretti allegedly intervened on Sinatra’s behalf and threatened Dorsey into releasing Sinatra from his contract.

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Background

During the 1920s and 1930s, America went through several major transitions, beginning with the passage of the Volsted Act in 1919, which made the transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages illegal. The law which became known as prohibition went into effect in January 1920.

The law’s intention may have been noble, but this was the roaring 20s, and Americans wanted to drink. The law created a vacuum that came to be filled by those willing to take risks to facilitate the first law of economics: supply and demand.

Because of the overwhelming demand for booze, many enterprising small-time criminals became wildly successful by stepping into the breach and supplying the demand.

From north to south and coast to coast, bootleggers, rumrunners, distillers, drivers, and others all skirted the law and risked their freedom and sometimes their lives for a piece of the enormous profits there to be had.

By the time prohibition ended, the high-flying 20s had given way to the bleak reality of the Great Depression, and with it came a new breed of outlaw. Depression-era gangsters like Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly, and more crisscrossed the Midwest, robbing banks and committing other crimes to fund their nomadic lifestyles.

In southern Illinois, a criminal organization known as the Shelton Gang acted as a sort of bridge between the two eras.

Origins

The three Shelton brothers, who would later form the core of the gang, began their lives on a 120-acre farm in Wayne County, Illinois. Carl (b.1888), Earle (b.1890), and Bernie (b. 1898) were three of Ben and Agnes Shelton’s ten children, and at a young age, the three boys showed a proclivity for criminal behavior.

As teens, the brothers became involved in larcenies and thefts while going back and forth for short jail stays.

Things changed, however, with the onset of prohibition. The brothers saw the enormous potential of becoming involved in the illegal booze trade. They packed up and moved their operations to East St. Louis, Illinois, a larger city and territory.

With Carl as the soft-spoken leader, Earle was adept at networking and making connections and contacts, and younger brother Bernie acted as the gang’s enforcer and muscle.

From there, the Shelton Gang’s numbers increased to more than 50 men. The Sheltons continued to expand their territory throughout southern Illinois, forming a dominant grip on bootlegging and gambling within the region.

Rivalry with Charles Birger

Early into their run as bootleggers, the Shelton Gang formed close ties with another bootlegging gangster named Charles Birger. Sources indicate that the alliance began strong; however, by 1925, the relationship had soured, and the two rivals went to war.

Accounts vary, with some sources claiming the Sheltons moved against Birger first, while others claim that Birger became resentful of the Sheltons and acted first.

Regardless of the origin, the war was violent and disruptive for both sides, with murders and bombings becoming a regular occurrence. The mayhem became so much that both sides created homemade armored trucks that acted as crude tanks.

The violence left no one safe, as houses were firebombed, family members were shot, and bodies continued to pile up in the street.

The war with Birger finally ended when Birger snitched to the police about a prior unsolved mail carrier robbery the Sheltons had committed. The Shelton brothers received a 25-year sentence.

In 1928, Charles Birger was executed for his role in a murder-for-hire plot.

War with the KKK

The Shelton Gang had always fiercely protected what they viewed as theirs. Prior to their feud with Charlie Birger, the Shelton brothers clashed with another notorious foe: The Ku Klux Klan.

Even though it was a northern state and the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, in the early 1920s, southern Illinois had a sizable KKK population, many of whom were pro-prohibition and anti-bootlegger.

The Klan routinely attacked and assaulted bootleggers, speakeasies, and those who purchased illicit alcohol. After several violent clashes with deaths on both sides, the Klan retreated, leaving southern Illinois in the hands of the Sheltons.

Rebranding

The Sheltons received an early release from prison, and by the early 1930s, they had relocated to Peoria, Illinois. The brothers were hired by a man named Clyde Garrison to act as his bodyguards and muscle.

This was in response to a kidnapping attempt on Garrison by rival gangsters that left his wife killed.

For a time, Garrison and the Sheltons had a good working relationship. However, similar to Charles Birger, after some time, the relationship soured. However, unlike Birger, Garrison did not attempt to go to war with the Sheltons, rather, he left Peoria.

For the next decade-plus, the Sheltons ran Peoria as well as other regional territories. They had working relationships with the police and city government, while many of the citizens turned a blind eye.

With the necessary people bribed, the Sheltons were free to operate as they pleased in Peoria. Whereas bootlegging used to be their primary source of income, in Peoria, gambling and prostitution were the gang’s bread and butter.

The gang was also greatly feared and had developed a reputation for violence. One resident recalled, “you couldn’t spit in Peoria without the Shelton’s okay.” The Sheltons also took advantage of Peoria being a “wide open city,” meaning that it was not under the control of any mob syndicate.

The brothers had an agreement with longtime Peoria mayor E.N. Woodruff. However, by the early 1940s, attitudes in Peoria had changed, and many of the citizens were unhappy that the city had gained such a prominent reputation for sleaze and vice.

End of the Shelton Gang

This attitude shift was felt at the ballot box as Woodruff stunningly lost his reelection bid, thus ending his run as the city’s longest-serving mayor.

Now, without their political protection, the Sheltons were told in no uncertain terms that their activities would no longer be tolerated.

The Sheltons took heed and moved their operations beyond the city limits into Peoria County, where officials were more lenient.

Bernie Shelton purchased The Parkway Tavern outside city limits as a base of operations.

By late 1947, Carl Shelton had announced his plans to retire from crime. His words were met with skepticism by some. However, he would never get the chance. On October 23, 1947, as Carl drove with a friend near the family farm, he was ambushed by a barrage of gunfire from an unknown car. He died at the scene.

Some have speculated that the murders were contracts ordered by the Chicago Outfit, who were seeking to take control of Peoria and the surrounding areas.

Then, in July 1948, family enforcer Bernie Shelton was shot to death outside of his tavern.

Earle, the remaining Shelton brother, was shot on several different occasions and had his barn burned down.

Finally, having had enough, Earle, his mother, sister, and several in-laws moved to Florida, where they lived out their days in peace, with Earle passing away in 1986 at age 96.

Sources:

Luciano, Phil. “In a hail of gunfire, Shelton Gang was driven out of Illinois.” The McDonough County Voice, 3 July 2008, https://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/story/news/2008/07/03/in-hail-gunfire-shelton-gang/46805409007/

Hutchcroft, Joel J. “A Bloody Band of Bootleggers: The Shelton Brothers Gang.” Shooting Times, 6 October 2021, https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/bloody-band-bootleggers-shelton-brothers-gang/452661

“Peoria and The Shelton Gang.” Peoria Magazine, 1 October 2022, https://www.peoriamagazine.com/archive/ibi_article/2012/peoria-and-shelton-gang/

McAndrew, Tara. “Booze, Blood And Bombs: Prohibition In Southern Illinois.” NPR Illinois, 13 August 2020, https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2020-08-13/booze-blood-and-bombs-prohibition-in-southern-illinois

Just Prior to the formation of The Commission and the five families, there was a bloody gang war raging in New York. The two sides were led by old-world mafiosi named Salvatore Maranzano and Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria.

Known as the Castellammarese War, The bloody conflict led to bodies in the street and a lot of attention from police and the press. Many of the participants in the conflict would later go on to prominence as some of the most infamous and well-known mobsters of the twentieth century.

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On June 28, 1971, Joe Colombo, namesake of the Colombo crime family, one of New York City’s five mafia families, was shot several times while he was addressing a crowd during the Italian Unity Day rally in New York’s Columbus Circle.

The shooter, who was identified as Jerome Johnson, a black man from Newark, New Jersey, was immediately shot and killed by Colombo’s bodyguards.

Colombo would survive the shooting. However, he was paralyzed and ostensibly brain-dead. He would languish until his death in May 1978.

Though a police investigation would conclude that Johnson acted alone and independently, many within the insular world of organized crime believed that Johnson had acted at the behest of one of Colombo’s disgruntled mafia soldiers.

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Captured

In June 2011, James Joseph Bulger Jr. was arrested by the FBI.

Better known by his nickname “Whitey,” a reference to his blond hair, Bulger had spent the previous sixteen years on the run from the law. He’d worked as an FBI informant since the 1970s and provided US law enforcement with valuable intelligence on his rivals, the New England mafia’s Patriarca family.

But Bulger was certainly no innocent–he had been the leader of the notoriously violent Winter Hill Gang, amassing a long criminal history of his own.

For a time, his FBI handler, John Connolly, protected him from criminal prosecution in exchange for information on the Patriarcas.

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Martin Scorsese’s 1990 gangster film Goodfellas is considered by most to be a classic in the genre. Many place it alongside The Godfather as a masterpiece in American film.

The characters are brought to life through the brilliant acting of a very talented ensemble cast.

Though the film stars Ray Liotta, the performances of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are arguably even more memorable and iconic, with Pesci winning that year’s Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The film was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards.

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The 1997 film Donnie Brasco received high praise from critics and audiences alike for its gritty and realistic portrayal of mafia life in New York during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The film, which stars Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay as well as acclaim from movie critics Siskel and Ebert, who gave the film two thumbs up and praised Pacino’s acting, calling it one of his finest performances.

Depp portrays the title character “Donnie Brasco” which was the alias used by undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone as he attempted to infiltrate and gain intelligence on the New York mafia.

The making of the film was aided by having Joe Pistone on hand as a consultant. He was on set for the duration of the filming and assisted Depp in rendering an accurate portrayal.

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