Underworld Histories 2: Chicago

IF YOU were an underworld mobster would you really like the nickname "The Clown", or "The German" – or what about "Mad Sam"?

Then there's "Joe Batters" – sounds like someone who works at a fish and chip shop, doesn't it?

But they are all real-life and real scary members of Chicago's underworld: Joey "The Clown" Lombardo (also known as Lumpy), Frank "The German" Schweihs and Samuele "Mad Sam" DeStefano.

Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo (also known as Big Tuna) was the chief executive of the Chicago Outfit, that city's notorious crime gang founded by none other than Al Capone. According to this doco, Accardo earned the Joe Batters moniker because of "his talent of breaking skulls with a baseball bat".

Underworld Histories 2: Chicago is littered with such marvellously rich quotes which could be discarded as the stuff of comic book gratuitousness if it weren't recorded fact.

Like this quote from a former mob member about an associate who was being tortured with an ice pick: "Billy wouldn't come up with anything, so finally they stuck his head in a vice and they started tightening until . . ."

(OK, look away now, or up to the ceiling, like the camera does in Reservoir Dogs when they're ripping that guy's ear off, because I'm about to give you the end of this quote and it's a bit squeamy. So skip to the next paragraph if you need.)

". . . until his eyeball popped out. Then they cut his throat."

Eeee-yuk. Horrible, horrible stuff . . . but you just have to watch it somehow – like a train wreck. Or like when I saw Huey Lewis from the '80s band Huey Lewis And The News playing the part of celebrity lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway a few years back.

He was awful . . . eye-poppingly awful. It was a wonder a Chicago mobster on vacation in New York didn't open his violin case and rat-a-tat-tat him right there on stage. But back to America's "second city".

Underworld Histories 2: Chicago details the rise and fall of the Outfit from the Prohibition days of the 1920s through to the wild and wicked '60s and '70s and touches on how the city now copes with its bloody heritage, saying law enforcement agencies now have the upper hand on mobsters.

"For the people of Chicago," the narrator (who's Rory O'Shea, by the way, but who really sounds like he's channelling Phil Hartman's Simpsons character Troy McClure) says, "organised crime is the history and the foundation of the city."

The underworld of Chicago was just that. The city is located on the banks of Lake Michigan and in the mid 19th century much of it was built on stilts to avoid flooding. The bullets and bashings went on in the gloomy shadows around those stilts. But there were a few light moments in the history of the Outfit – the classic being Mad Sam DeStefano.

There's some great footage of him arriving for a pre-trial in the mid-1960s.

He's carried into court on a stretcher and he's rambling incoherently through a bullhorn to the crowds outside.

It looks like a scene from Get Smart. But once again, there is a seriousness behind all this.

DeStefano was convicted of rape and sentenced to three years' imprisonment when he was just 18. He was known as Mad Sam for his sadistic torture methods and the way he'd froth at the mouth and laugh uncontrollably when being interviewed by police.

Considered by some to be a devil worshipper, he also built his own sound-proof torture chamber in his basement.

If ever Heath Ledger had needed an archetype for The Joker, then this was the guy.

Actually, come to think of it, Huey Lewis doesn't look too horrendous against these mobsters. Now that's scary.

Thanks to Geoff Shearer

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$5,000 Reward Offered for Capture of Chicago Gangster

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking for the public's help in locating GILBERTO VARGAS, age 31, whose last known address was 6134 North Kedzie in Chicago. VARGAS has been the subject of a nationwide manhunt, coordinated by Chicago FBI's Joint Task Force on Gangs (JTFG), since October of 2008 when he was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago with violation of federal drug laws.

VARGAS is alleged to be a member of the Spanish Cobras street gang and is believed responsible for overseeing the distribution of crack cocaine at various locations throughout the City of Chicago. VARGAS was among 30 suspected gang members and associates who were charged in October of 2008 as the result of an investigation code named "Operation Snake Charmer". VARGAS is one of only two defendants from this investigation, who is still at large.

VARGAS is described as a Hispanic/male, 31 years of age, 6'2" tall, medium build, weighing approximately 180 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and slight facial hair. He is also known to use the street name of "Twin" as he has a twin brother with the same name, Gilberto Vargas. VARGAS has the letters "MOB" tattooed on his left arm and the phrase "Trust no nigga, Love no bitch" tattooed on his stomach.

In appealing to the public for help in locating VARGAS, Mr. Grant announced that a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to his location and arrest. Anyone recognizing VARGAS or having any information as to his current whereabouts is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700.

VARGAS has an extensive criminal record, including charges for crimes of violence, and as such should be considered "Armed and Dangerous".

The Chicago FBI's Joint Task Force on Gangs is comprised of FBI Special Agents and Detectives from the CPD, Gang Crimes Unit.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Upper Level Black Mafia Gangster Pursued by U.S. Marshals on America's Most Wanted

Paul Buford: Deputy U.S. Marshals in Detroit say they're hot on the trail of an elusive gang member, wanted for his role in the upper echelon of the Black Mafia Family criminal organization. Paul Buford has a long, violent criminal past, and he's the only fugitive not yet captured as a result of the DEA's first wave of national BMF arrests.

Darryl Crenshaw: Deputy U.S. Marshals say accused Connecticut girlfriend-killer Darryl Crenshaw slipped into Mexico to escape from authorities. But an AMW tipster remembered seeing that familiar face in a Mexican jail -- and helped take Crenshaw down.

Marjan Rroku: When two teenage Albanian sisters met Marjan Rroku at a Bible study group, they thought he was a great guy. But five years later, he had taken the life of one sister and sent the other fleeing to the US. After a close encounter on a Washington D.C. Metro train, police fear the killer is in pursuit again.

Jose Sastre-Cintron: Police say when a man known as Jose Sastre-Cintron proudly flashed his gun at a house party in Harrisonburg, Va., people knew there'd be trouble. But no one could have guessed just how much: before the melee was through, cops say Sastre-Cintron would shoot an 18-year-old girl, steal a car, and disappear into the night.

Greg Adrian: Cops in the City Of Angels are on the lookout for a father accused of physically and sexually abusing his own 12-year-old daughter in November of 2007. When Adrian's daughter blew the whistle on his latest string of abuse, police say he fled to Vegas. Now, Los Angeles detectives believe that Adrian is in the north Las Vegas area and could be traveling in a 1990's, red, 4-door Honda sedan.

Danny Williams: Cops say that Danny Williams shot two unarmed men after a neighborhood barbecue. Now, police need your help to get this armed and dangerous thug off the streets.

Unknown Sandra Brady Killer: It was one of New Mexico's most mysterious unsolved Jane Doe cases: a pair of hikers found a murder victim, buried in a shallow grave in the unforgiving desert. But when AMW brought you the story two weeks ago, a tipster called our hotline and helped cops crack the case. The "Boots" Jane Doe now has a name: Sandra Jean Brady.

Robert Fisher: Cops in Scottsdale, Ariz. say Robert Fisher murdered his entire family and blew up their home to cover his tracks. Police are working a few promising leads and they're re-analyzing some of the physical evidence recovered from Fisher's abandoned getaway to get a better DNA profile.

Unknown Phillip Washington Killer: Dallas money courier Phillip Washington, 50, was brutally killed while he made his last stop of the night a year ago, and his tragic death was caught on surveillance tape. Now, one of his old friends -- a prominent local journalist -- has come to AMW.com to get his family some justice.

Cameron Pitre: According to cops, Cameron Pitre murdered his ex-girlfriend on Nov. 23, 2008. Police say Pitre had become increasingly hostile, and Ashley Hardey, his ex-girlfriend, was very cautious in his company. Despite her wariness, Ashley was murdered when police say Pitre forced his way into Ashley's home and shot her multiple times.

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Mob Connected to Multi-State Theft Ring?

There were new details Wednesday about possible mob connections to a multi-state theft ring broken up by Pennsylvania State Police.

Fox 29's Dave Schratwieser reports one of the defendants offered to wear a wire against the local mob and name names -- some very familiar names.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett mentioned possible mob connections to the theft ring. But now court documents and mob experts gave Fox 29 News an inside look at what those connections might be and where they might lead.

Authorities were tight-lipped about possible mob connections during Tuesday's takedown of an interstate theft ring that victimized area golfers, but they didn't deny a potential link. "There's a potential organized crime component, but we can't go into any great detail at this point on that," Corbett said.

The ring allegedly stole credit cards from golfers' cars at local country clubs to finance a $100,000 high-end shopping spree. Troopers wouldn't get specific, but court documents obtained by Fox 29 say accused ringleader Michael Pacitti offered to take troopers on a guided tour of the local mob.

"You've got an individual who was willing to give up some information, wear a wire, talk about organized crime, talk about drug dealing, talk about robberies," Inquirer mob reporter George Anastasia said.

Pacitti told troopers he would "do whatever's necessary" to stay out of jail. He promised to name names, but sources said he never mentioned mob boss Joe Ligambi or his top lieutenants. "It's intriguing because it's just another part of a big pot that's bubbling here," Anastasia said.

According to the court documents, after Pacitti offered to wear a wire against the mob in Philadelphia, he changed his mind, but then offered to give troopers information about one of his co-defendants and his ties to a well-known mobster under investigation across the bridge, in New Jersey.

That mobster was Nicky Scarfo Jr., the target of a wide-sweeping FBI probe. Pacitti said he could connect theft ring suspect Todd Stark to Scarfo. Starks' name already surfaced in that case and sources said he could face federal charges.

"This is all part of an ongoing investigation, an ongoing game, and these guys are caught in the middle of it," Anastasia said.

Sources said Pacitti's documented, but unsuccessful offer to help troopers paints him into a corner with both the mob and investigators. It's still unclear how much he really knows.

Stark on the other hand could be feeling the heat. State police said he and his co-defendants remain behind bars on $50,000 bail.

Thanks to Fox 29

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Are the Mafia and the CIA Conspiring to Silence an American in Canda?

An American man claiming the Mafia and the CIA are conspiring to silence him -- just as they killed his father and grandfather -- was denied refugee protection in Canada because he could not prove the conspiracy in court.

The complicated tale of Michael Ellero, 44, of Phoenix, is told in some 700 pages of self-penned prose, a treatise he claims documents his work for the U. S. Department of Justice, payments by the Mafia to relatives of Hillary Clinton, and a nefarious campaign to destroy him after reporting office misdeeds to his boss -- including the involvement of a lawyer in the death of a colleague.

He claims the CIA used psychological tricks against him and the FBI was investigating his mysterious uncle, who had multiple identities. "My grandfather was killed, my father was killed, and [then] I learned that there was an attempt against me," Mr. Ellero wrote in documents presented in the Federal Court of Canada, seeking emergency permission to stay in Canada.

Family members were coerced to co-operate with the Mafia, his phone calls were intercepted, documents were stolen from his bedroom and his job applications were inexplicably ignored, he said.

He did not get a chance to make his full case, however, because of another alleged conspiracy, this one by Canadian officials, he claimed: He was not permitted to enter his treatise into evidence and portions of the audio recording of his refugee hearing were erased.

Further, he is indignant that a Canadian immigration official suggested he might have a mental problem.

Mr. Ellero came to Canada in 2005 and a month later made a claim for refugee protection.

"Allegedly, his opponents are fearful that the book he has written will be published in due course, thereby exposing the corruption 'in the federal government and elsewhere in the United States,' " Justice Michel Shore wrote in his 17-page ruling. "[He] claims he did not seek state protection from the U. S. authorities because he believes that the police cannot provide physical protection for him against 'the evil and perils of the world.' "

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) rejected his claim two years ago because he was found not to be credible. He appealed to the Federal Court to overturn that decision but was denied; he then made an unsuccessful motion for that decision to be reconsidered.

He next claimed that returning him to the United States would place his life in danger. Officials found "no substantial grounds to believe" such a fate awaited him. Mr. Ellero once again took his case to the Federal Court, asking that his pending deportation be halted.

After a hearing in Ottawa last month at which Mr. Ellero represented himself, Judge Shore denied his appeal. "An applicant's subjective fear of returning to his/her country does not constitute irreparable harm. Objective evidence of harm related to danger must be demonstrated," he ruled. "The applicant has not shown that he would be subject to a serious likelihood of jeopardy to his life, liberty or security as a result of the removal."

On Dec. 19,Mr. Ellero was turned over to U. S. officials south of Ottawa. He was inspected by U. S. border guards and released, said Kevin Cosaro, a spokesman for U. S. Customs and Border Protection.

Giovanna Gatti, a spokeswoman for the IRB, declined to comment on the specifics of Mr. Ellero's complaints, but said the Federal Court is the appropriate venue for anyone disputing the handling of their case.

Mr. Ellero could not be reached for comment.

Thanks to Adrian Humphreys

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