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Rockford crime family
Foundedc. 1920; 104 years ago (1920)
FounderAntonio Musso
Founding locationRockford, Illinois, United States
Years activec. 1920–2005
TerritoryRockford metropolitan area, Illinois
EthnicityItalians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates
Membership (est.)Unknown
Criminal activitiesGambling, bookmaking, loan sharking, racketeering, assault, murder, armed robbery, extortion, and bribery
Allies
RivalsVarious gangs

The Rockford crime family, also known as the Zammuto crime family, was an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Rockford, Illinois.[1][2] In 1960, the FBI confirmed that the Rockford family had remained an independent crime family, even though they were within close distance to the powerful Chicago Outfit.[2][3]

History

[edit]

The earliest known Mafia boss in Rockford was Antonio Musso, who established his group during the Prohibition era.[2][4] Musso would step down as boss in 1957, due to ill health and was replaced by Joseph Zammuto.[2]

When Joseph Zammuto took over as boss, the Rockford family consisted of fourteen made members.[1][2] Born in Aragona, Sicily, in April 1896, Zammuto emigrated to Rockford, Illinois with his family in 1913.[2] As a young man Zammuto joined Musso's Mafia group and rose to power through prohibition running an illegal bootlegging operation.[5] During his time in Rockford, Zammuto amassed significant wealth as a mobster and, in 1954, he purchased the Dr. Pepper bottling plant in the city.[2] In 1957, New York State police suspected that Zammuto attended the notorious Apalachin meeting after they discovered his hotel reservation.[2] During the late 1950s, many associates of the Chicago Outfit began relocating to Rockford to join Zammuto's Mafia family.

In October 1960, the FBI wiretapped a conversation between Chicago outfit underboss Frank Ferraro and Jackie Cerone.[3] The wiretap revealed that Cerone received a phone call from Rockford boss Zammuto, who wanted to setup a meeting, Cerone immediately called Outfit boss Sam Giancana, but was unable to reach him and spoke with Ferraro instead.[3] It was concluded by the FBI that Ferrao did not known the boss of the Rockford family, confirming that there was little connection between the two crime families.[3]

By 1961, Zammuto's administration included the new underboss Frank Buscemi, and his longtime and loyal consigliere Joseph Zito.[1] The relationship between Zammuto and Frank Buscemi grew stronger after Zammuto's son married Buscemi's sister.[6] Zammuto's consigliere Joseph Zito was a brother to the Springfield Mafia boss Frank Zito.[7] Zito had arrived in America during Prohibition along with his brother-in-law Jasper Calo, and his brothers settling in Springfield before moving he relocated to Rockford.[7] The FBI spent many years investigating Joseph Zito as he traveled between Rockford, Springfield, Milwaukee, New York, California, and Italy.[7]

As boss Zammuto maintained close ties and friendships with Chicago Outfit boss Joseph Aiuppa and Milwaukee family boss Frank Balistrieri.[5] By 1974, Joseph Zammuto stepped down as boss, and was replaced by his closet alley Frank Buscemi.[2] Zammuto continued to serve as a family adviser, while traveling between his homes in Rockford and Hollywood, Florida.[6][5]

As the new boss Frank Buscemi continued controlling many illegal rackets in the Rockford area.[6] Buscemi had started his criminal career in Chicago before moving in 1959, to Rockford, which caused some distrust amongst the senior members of the family.[5] Buscemi was able to overcome this distrust in the family through his ties to Joseph Zito and Jasper Calo, who were both longtime members of the Rockford family.[5][1] He rose to power becoming underboss of the family and threw controlled a vending machine business in the basement of the Aragona Club.[6] In 1980, retired boss Joseph Zammuto's son passed away and mobsters from all over Chicago, Springfield and Milwaukee attended the funeral.[5] Over the years Buscemi continued to grow in power by expanding into many legal businesses.[5] In 1981, longtime consigliere Joseph Zito died of natural causes.[7] On December 7, 1987, boss Buscemi died of natural causes.

Longtime member Charles Vince became the family's new boss, after Buscemi's death.[8] Vince had risen to power during the 1950s, by controlling the family's illegal gambling rackets.[5] He also kept close ties and friendship with Bonanno crime family capo Anthony "Tony" Riela, from New Jersey. In 1981, the FBI revealed that Vince had become Rockford's Underboss and had been working with Milwaukee family boss Frank Balistrieri in a number of illegal rackets.[5] On May 18, 1990, retired boss Joseph Zammuto died of natural causes. Vince continued to rule as Rockford's boss until January 24, 1994, when he died of natural causes.[9]

After Vince's death, Sebastian Gulotta took over the family becoming boss. Gulotta was a longtime member of the Rockford family having been inducted into the family during Zammuto's reign.[5] During his time in the family Gulotta became power mobster controlling a number of illegal rackets.[5] Gulotta maintained close friendships with Zammuto and Milwaukee boss Frank Balistrieri.[5] On March 15, 2000, Gulotta died of natural causes.[9]

With the support of the Chicago Outfit longtime Rockford member Frank "Gumba" Saladino became the boss.[10] In the 1970s, Saladino associated himself with the Chicago Outfits South Side/26th Street crew and committing many contract murders for the Chicago Outfit.[11][12] On April 25, 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice launched Operation Family Secrets which indicted Frank Saladino alongside thirteen Chicago Outfit members and associates under the RICO Act, including Joseph Lombardo, Nicholas Calabrese, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James Marcello.[12] During the indictment arrests, Frank Saladino was discovered dead of natural causes in a hotel in Hampshire, Illinois, where he was living with nearly $100,000 in cash and checks.[13][14]

Historical leadership

[edit]

Boss

[edit]
  • 1920s–1957 – Antonio "Tony" Musso – stepped down from health issues [2]
    • Acting 1957 – Gaspare "Jasper" Calo – stepped down
  • 1957–1974 – Joseph P. Zammuto [2] – died on May 18, 1990
  • 1974–1987 – Frank J. Buscemi [2] – died on December 7, 1987
  • 1987–1994 – Charles Vincent "Charlie Vinci" Vince – died January 24, 1994
  • 1994–2000 – Sebastian J. "Knobby" Gulotta – died on March 15, 2000 [9]
  • 2000–2005 – Frank "Gumba" Saladino – died April 2005 [14][13]

Underboss

[edit]
  • 1930s–1961 – Gaspare "Jasper" Calo – retired to Sicily [3] died July 1973
    • Acting 1960–1961 – Frank J. Buscemi – became underboss
  • 1961–1974 – Frank J. Buscemi – became boss[1][2]
  • 1974–1987 – Charles "Vinci" Vince – became boss

Consigliere

[edit]
  • 1957–1981 – Joseph "Diamond Joe" Zito[1] – died in 1981[7]
  • 1981–1990 – Joseph Zammuto – died on May 18, 1990

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Inserra, Vincent L. (September 18, 2014). C-1 and the Chicago Mob. Xlibris US. pp. 57–58. ISBN 9781493182770. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Newton, Michael (January 10, 2014). The Mafia at Apalachin, 1957. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. pp. 98, 197. ISBN 9780786489862. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e FBI. "FBI Notes La Cosa Nostra (11-13-1964)" (PDF). FBI. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  4. ^ Machi, Mario. "Rockford, Il". American Mafia. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Schafer, Tom (1981). "Profiles: Rockford's top "family" men". Gannett news Service. Newspaper. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Schafer, Tom (April 1980). "The mob in Rockford: local underworld simple network with roots planted in time of economic needs". Gannett news Service. Newspaper. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Schafer, Tom (April 1980). "The Mob in Rockford: In pursuit of 'Diamond Joe' FBI trailed Joseph Zito across the country for a decade". Gannett news Service. Newspaper. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  8. ^ Bureau of National Affairs (1986). Media Law Reporter Volume 11. Bureau of National Affairs. p. 1959. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Most Recent Version of FBI RIDS "Dead List"" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  10. ^ Sam Giancana, Scott M. Burnstein (March 2010). Family Affair Greed, Treachery, and Betrayal in the Chicago Mafia. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 9781101185575. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  11. ^ Coen, Jeff (September 2010). Family Secrets The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. p. 175. ISBN 9781569765456. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b United States Attorney Northern District of Illinois (25 April 2005). "14 DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR ALLEGED ORGANIZED CRIME ACTIVITIES; "CHICAGO OUTFIT" NAMED AS RICO ENTERPRISE IN FOUR-DECADE CONSPIRACY ALLEGING 18 MOB MURDERS AND 1 ATTEMPTED MURDER Seven defendants allegedly committed or agreed to commit murders between 1970-1986" (PDF). U. S. Department of Justice. U. S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b Huffstutter, P.J. (26 April 2005). "Reputed Mob Figures Hitwith Charges". LA Times. New Paper. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  14. ^ a b Rhodes, Steve (3 October 2005). "The Lost Don When FBI agents showed up last spring to arrest the Chicago mob boss Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, there was a problem: he wasn't there, and he hasn't been seen since. But Lombardo is more than a vanishing act. He's one of a vanishing breed—a last link to the Chicago Outfit's blood-spattered heyday". Chicago magazine. News. Retrieved 27 July 2024.

References

[edit]
  • Inserra, Vincent L. C-1 and the Chicago Mob. Xlibris US, 2014. ISBN 9781493182770
  • Newton, Michael. The Mafia at Apalachin, 1957. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2014. ISBN 9780786489862


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