| Francesco Nitto | |
| Born | January 27, 1888 Sicily, Italy |
|---|---|
| Died | March 19, 1943 (aged 55) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Francesco Raffaele Nitto, better known as, "Frank 'The Enforcer' Nitti" (January 27, 1888 – March 19, 1943) was an Italian-American gangster, one of the top henchmen of Alphonse "Big Al," "Scarface" Capone and later the front man for the mob Capone created, the Chicago Outfit. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For other uses see Gangsta. A gangster is a criminal who is or at some point almost invariably becomes a member of a persistent violent Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who The Chicago Outfit shortened to " the Outfit " is a Crime syndicate based in Chicago Illinois, USA.
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Early life and prohibition
Frank Nitti was born in Sicily in the 1880s; his gravestone lists his birth year as 1888, but his US immigration documents say 1883. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of Electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term He emigrated to New York City after the end of World War I, and later moved to Chicago, where he set up business as a barber, with a profitable line as a small-time jewel thief and fence on the side. "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. The City of New York World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. A barber (from the Latin barba, " Beard " is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair give shaves, and trim In Criminal law, theft (also known as stealing or filching) is the illegal taking of another person's Property without that person's freely-given In law enforcement a fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale in a (usually legitimate market Nitti built an extensive network of associates in the Chicago underworld, and eventually came to the attention of Chicago crime boss John "Johnny The Fox" Torrio. A crime boss is a person in charge of a Criminal organization. John "Papa Johnny" Torrio, aka "The Fox" (born Giovanni Torrio) (February 1882 &ndash April 16 1957 was an Italian-American
Under Torrio's successor, Al Capone, Nitti's reputation soared. Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who Nitti ran Capone's Prohibition-busting liquor smuggling and distribution operation, importing whiskey from Canada and selling it through a network of speakeasies around Chicago. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol Whisky (uisge-beatha or whiskey (uisce beatha or fuisce) refers to a broad category of Alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A speakeasy was an establishment that surreptitiously sold Alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920-1933 Nitti was one of Capone's top lieutenants, trusted for his leadership skills and business acumen. In fact, Capone thought enough of Nitti that when he briefly went to prison in 1929, he named Nitti as a member of a triumvirate that ran the mob in his place. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The term triumvirate (from Latin, "of three men" is commonly used to describe a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals Nitti was head of operations, with Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik as head of administration and Tony "Joe Batters," "Big Tuna" Accardo as head of enforcement. Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik ( May 20, 1886 &ndash February 21, 1956) was the financial and legal advisor and later political Antonino "Joe Batters" Accardo aka "Big Tuna" (April 28 1905 - May 22 1992 rose from a small-time hoodlum to the position of day-to-day boss of the
Despite his nickname "The Enforcer", Nitti used Mafia "soldiers" and other underlings to commit violence rather than do it himself. Not that Nitti was averse to using firearms - he had, in earlier days, been one of Capone's most trusted personal bodyguards - but as he rose in the organization, his business instinct dictated that he must personally avoid the "dirty work" - that was what the hitmen were paid for.
The Outfit under Nitti
In 1931, both Frank Nitti and Al Capone were convicted of income tax evasion and sent to prison. Tax avoidance is the legal utilization of the Tax regime to one's own advantage in order to reduce the amount of tax that is payable by means that are within the law However, Nitti only received an 18-month sentence while Capone was sent away for 11 years. Nitti was not a troublesome prisoner, but he found the year-and-a-half confinement in a cell horrifying because of the closed-in space. When Nitti was released in 1932, the media hailed him as the new boss of the Capone Gang. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar.
In truth, however, Nitti was only a front man. According to crime reporter and Mafia expert Carl Sifakis, "it was ludicrous" to expect people such as Felice "Paul 'The Waiter' Ricca" DeLucia, Tony Accardo, Jake Guzik and Murray "The Camel" Humphreys to take orders from Nitti. Paul "The Waiter" Ricca ( 1897 - October 11, 1972) was an Italian American Mafia figure and the boss of the Llewelyn Morris Humphreys ( 1899 - November 23, 1965) was a Chicago Mobster of Welsh descent who was the chief political By all accounts, Ricca had the real power by at least 1932 and was clearly the de facto boss by 1939, even though he was technically Nitti's underboss. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Capo Bastone or " Sotto Capo " known as the " Underboss " is second in command to the Capo Crimini. Ricca frequently overruled Nitti's orders by saying, "We'll do it this way. Now let's hear no more about it!" When Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky organized the National Crime Syndicate that year, they considered Nitti a human cipher. Charles "Lucky" Luciano (born Salvatore Lucania; November 24 1897 – January 26 1962 was a Sicilian Mobster. Meyer Lansky (born Majer Suchowliński, July 4, 1902 &ndash January 15, 1983) was a gangster who with Charles The National Crime Syndicate was the name given by the press to a loosely-organized multi-ethnic Organized crime Syndicate, started in the 1930s by Charlie In Cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an Algorithm for performing Encryption and Decryption &mdash a series of well-defined steps Lansky and Luciano dealt with Ricca, not Nitti, as the boss of the Capones. [1]
With Nitti as the front man, the Chicago Outfit branched out from prostitution and gambling into other areas, including the control of labor unions (which led to the extortion of many businesses). The Chicago Outfit shortened to " the Outfit " is a Crime syndicate based in Chicago Illinois, USA. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Extortion, outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person Unlawfully obtains either money property or services The mob became more streamlined at this time, and earned huge amounts of profit.
On December 19, 1932, a team of Chicago police headed by Detective Sergeants Harry Lang and Harry Miller, raided Nitti's office, in Room 554, at 221 N. RAID — which stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks,or alternatively Redundant Array of Independent Disks (a less specific name and thus now the LaSalle (Blvd. ). Lang shot Nitti three times in the back and neck. He then shot himself (a minor flesh wound) to make the shooting look like self-defense, claiming that Nitti had shot him first. Court testimony later revealed that the murder attempt was personally ordered by newly-elected Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. The Mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest City in the United Anton (Tony Joseph Cermak, in Czech Antonín Josef Čermák, (ˈantɔɲiːn ˈjɔzɛf ˈtʃ͡ɛrmaːk ( May 9, 1873 &ndash March Cermak wanted to push out the Capones in favor of gangsters who answered to him. [1]
Unfortunately for Cermak, Nitti survived the shooting. In February 1933, Nitti was acquitted of attempted murder. In Criminal law, an acquittal is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict During that same trial, Miller testified that Lang received $15,000 to kill Nitti. Another uniformed officer who was present at the shooting testified that Nitti was gunned down unarmed. Harry Lang and Harry Miller were both fired from the police force and each fined $100 for simple assault. Assault is a Crime of Violence against another person. In some Jurisdictions including Australia and New Zealand,
Two months later, Cermak was shot and killed by Giuseppe Zangara, a Calabrian immigrant. Giuseppe Zangara ( September 7, 1900 &ndash March 20, 1933) attempted to kill United States President -elect Franklin Delano Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term At the time, Cermak was talking to President-elect Franklin Roosevelt. A President-elect is a Political candidate who has been elected President but who has not yet taken office as it is still occupied by the Outgoing Most historians believe that Zangara intended to kill FDR, but missed and hit Cermak instead. However, others believe that Nitti ordered a hit on Cermak, and the contract eventually went to Zangara. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law Zangara had been known as one of the Italian Army's best marksmen before coming to the United States, leading to speculation that Cermak had been the intended target after all. A marksman is a person that is skilled in Precision shooting, using projectile weapons such as with a Rifle but most commonly with a Sniper rifle, [1]
Downfall and death
In 1943, many top members of the Chicago Outfit were indicted for extortion. These individuals included Nitti, Ricca, Louis "Little New York" Campagna, Ralph Pierce, Filippo "John 'Handsome Johnny' Roselli" Sacco, Nick Circella, Phil D'Andrea, and Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe. Louis "Little New York" Campagna (1900 &ndash 1955 was a New York mobster and a high ranking member of the Chicago Outfit for over three decades There is also a professional wrestler named John Roselli John "Handsome Johnny" Roselli (sometimes spelled Rosselli Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe (died August 18, 1954) was a lieutenant in the Chicago Outfit criminal organization and a partner in the The Outfit was accused of trying to strong arm some of the largest Hollywood movie studios, including MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, and RKO Radio Pictures. A movie studio (aka film studio) is in the established sense of the term a company that distributes films. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company The studios had cooperated with The Outfit to avoid union trouble stirred up by the mob.
At a meeting of Outfit leaders at Nitti's home, Nitti underboss Ricca angrily blamed Nitti for the indictments. Ricca said that since this had been Nitti's scheme and that the FBI informant, Willie Bioff, had been Nitti's trusted associate, Nitti should take the fall for the Outfit and go to prison. William Morris ("Willie" Bioff ( 1900 - November 4, 1955) was an American Organized crime figure who operated as a labor A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of A severe claustrophobic as a result of his first prison term, Nitti dreaded the idea of another prison confinement. Claustrophobia (from Greek κλειστο closed is the fear of enclosed spaces It was also rumored that he was suffering from terminal cancer at this time. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled For these or other reasons, he ultimately decided to take his own life.
The day before his scheduled grand jury appearance, Nitti shared breakfast with his wife in their Riverside, Illinois home at 712 Selborne Road. In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. Riverside is an affluent suburban village in Cook County, Illinois, a significant portion of which is included in Riverside Landscape Architecture District As his wife was leaving for church, Nitti told her he planned to take a walk. After his wife left, Nitti began to drink heavily. He then loaded a . 32 caliber revolver, put it in his coat pocket, and walked five blocks to a local railroad yard. Two railroad workers (William F. Sebauer and Lowell M. Barnett) spotted Nitti walking on the track of an oncoming train and shouted a warning. They thought the train hit him, but Nitti had managed to jump out of the way in time. Then two shots rang out. The trainmen first thought Nitti was shooting at them, but then realized he was trying to shoot himself in the head. The two bullets went through his hat. Nitti finally sat on the ground against a fence and, with the railroad workers watching from a distance, shot himself in the head. Frank Nitti died on an Illinois Central railroad siding in North Riverside, Illinois on March 19, 1943. The Illinois Central, sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes North Riverside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
References in film
- Bruce Gordon plays Nitti in the 1959 television series The Untouchables. Bruce Gordon (born February 1 1916) is an American Actor best known for playing Frank Nitti in the ABC Television The Untouchables is the name of a television series that ran from 1959 to 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company. This famous series depicted Treasury Department officer Eliot Ness's version of his struggle against the Outfit after Capone goes to prison. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. Eliot Ness ( April 19, 1903 &ndash May 16, 1957) was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce
- Nitti is played by Harold Stone in Roger Corman's 1967 film, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Harold J Stone ( March 13 1913 – November 18 2005) was an American film and television Character Roger William Corman (born April 5 1926) sometimes nicknamed "King of the Bs" for his output of B-movies (though he himself rejects this as inaccurate The St Valentine's Day Massacre is a 1967 Film based on the 1929 Chicago gang shootings of the St
- Sylvester Stallone plays Nitti in the 1975 film Capone, directed by Steve Carver. Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (born July 6 1946 is an American Actor, director, producer and Screenwriter. Capone ( 1975) is an American crime film directed by Steve Carver and the film stars Ben Gazzara, Harry Guardino, Susan Blakely
- Nitti also appears in Brian DePalma's 1987 movie The Untouchables, in which actor Billy Drago portrays him as Capone's hitman. Brian De Palma (born Brian Russell DePalma on September 11 1940 in Newark New Jersey) is an American Film director. The Untouchables is a 1987 crime drama film based on the 1959 television series, and follows Eliot Ness 's Autobiographical Billy Drago (born September 18, 1949) is an American Actor. Biography Personal life Drago was born William Eugene In the film, Nitti kills two of the members of the Untouchables before being thrown off a building by Eliot Ness and into a car, played by Kevin Costner. Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American Actor, producer and Academy Award -winning director Most everything about Drago's character was inconsistent with Nitti in real life.
- Nitti is portrayed by Anthony LaPaglia in the 1988 TV film Frank Nitti: The Enforcer. Anthony M LaPaglia (ləˈpɑːljə born 31 January 1959 is an Australian actor best known for his role as FBI agent Jack Malone on the American TV series This film offers a relatively sympathetic portrayal of Nitti, emphasizing his double life as a gangster and devoted family man.
- Stanley Tucci's portrayal of Nitti in the 2002 film Road to Perdition is much closer to the historical Nitti than Drago's character in The Untouchables film, although the events depicted in The Road to Perdition are fictional. Stanley Tucci Jr (born 11 November 1960) is an American Golden Globe - and Emmy Award -winning Screen Actors Guild - and Road to Perdition is a 2002 period drama directed by Sam Mendes. Tucci plays Nitti as Capone's ruthless, but levelheaded advisor/right hand man who assigns the violent criminal acts to his underlings. This characterization differs from Drago's Nitti, a violent sociopath who personally (and enthusiastically) performs Capone's dirty work.
- In 1997 the mexican lucha libre promotion Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion introduced on its roster a new 3-man masked tag team, called Los Hampones. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA (Spanish for "Assistance Consulting and Administration" is a Lucha Libre Professional wrestling promotion Two of these wrestlers got gimmicks with the names of Frank Nitti and Al Capone and masks and clothes with facial traits similar to the ones of these gangsters. Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who The third member, El Goyo was related to a mexican thug bent on looting and pillaging on peasants during the Mexican Civil War. The Mexican Revolution (Revolución Mexicana was a major armed struggle that started with an uprising led by Francisco I
References
- ^ a b c Sifakis, Carl (1987). The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York City: Facts on File. The City of New York ISBN 0816018561.
Further reading
- Binder, John J. The Chicago Outfit. Arcadia Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7385-2326-7
External links
- Crime Magazine: The First Shooting of Frank Nitti by Allan May
- Gambino.com - Frank Nitti
- My Al Capone Museum: Frank Nitti
- Seize The Night: Frank Nitti
- Federal Bureau of Investigation - Freedom of Information Act: Frank Nitti
- Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti at Find A Grave
- Frank Nitti at Encyclopædia Britannica
| Preceded by Al Capone |
Chicago Outfit Boss 1932-1943 |
Succeeded by Paul Ricca |
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