Unione Siciliane - Citizendia

The Unione Siciliane (or Unione Siciliana) was a Sicilian-American political organization which eventually controlled much of the Italian American vote within the United States during the early twentieth century. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship The organization would be a major source of conflict as underworld figures who, through a series of puppet presidents largely controlled by the Chicago Outfit, fought to control the highly influential organization during Prohibition. The Chicago Outfit shortened to " the Outfit " is a Crime syndicate based in Chicago Illinois, USA. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol

1 History
2 Presidents
3 Further reading
4 References
5 External links

History

The Unione was originally formed in New York's Italian Harlem in the 1880s as a legitimate fraternal organization for Sicilian immigrants. Italian Harlem is a neighborhood in East Harlem in the New York City borough of Manhattan, inhabited by an Italian American population It provided insurance for Sicilians and sponsored social gatherings in New York. Growing in power over the decades, the organization began to become highly influential as many of the city's Italian-American wards provided a considerable amount of support in city elections. By the early 1900s, the organization's influence would expand to other major cities across the country.

In the early 1910s, mobster Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Saietta infiltrated the Unione. Ignazio Saietta aka Ignazio Lupo and Lupo The Wolf ( March 19, 1877 - January 13, 1947) was a Black Hand He eventually brought it under the control of the Morello crime family though a ruthless campaign of murder and extortion. The Morello crime family was one of the earliest crime families to be established in the United States and New York City In 1914, Saietta became Unione president. Saietta would use the organization to expand racketeering, prostitution, extortion, kidnapping, and murder for hire into Italian-American neighborhoods. Installing meat hooks in his office, Saietta was said to have hung his victims on them. He is also alleged to have burned six political opponents alive in his basement furnace. In 1918, After Saietta's imprisonment, Frankie Yale, a New York mobster, would become president of the Unione. Francesco Ioele ( 1893 - July 1, 1928) better known as Frankie Uale or the alias of Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster Yale would feud with former protegee and Chicago rival Al Capone for the presidency throughout the next ten years. Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who This feud ended with Yale’s murder in 1927.

Capone's efforts to gain control of the Unione Siciliana initially failed; he was excluded because he was Neapolitan, not Sicilian, and was a resident of Chicago. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. However, Capone would soon gain control of the Chicago chapter through Capone ally Mike Merlo. Mike Merlo ( January 4, 1880 - November 8, 1924) was a Chicago political figure associated with the Johnny Torrio - Al Capone Following Merlo's death from cancer in 1924, the chapter organization (later renamed the "Italo-American National Union") split into several factions as various underworld groups struggled for control of the organization.

Of these factions, "Bloody" Angelo Genna claimed the presidency following Merlo's death; however, he was murdered the following year by members of the North Side Gang. The Genna crime family was one of the major players in the Chicago gangland wars of the 1920s The North Side family Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was the dominant Irish-American Mafia criminal organization (although a large number of Genna's successor, Samuzzo "Samoots" Amatuna, would be killed by Northsider Vincent "The Schemer" Drucci in a barbershop that same year. Samuel Samuzzo "Samoots" Amatuna ( 1899 - November 13, 1925) was a Chicago mobster and member of the Genna Brothers, who served as president The North Side family Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was the dominant Irish-American Mafia criminal organization (although a large number of Vincent "The Schemer" Drucci (1898&ndash April 4, 1927) was a Chicago mobster during Chicago 's Prohibition era who served a lieutenant During this time, Capone had amassed enough power in Chicago to place Antonio "The Scourge" Lombardo as head of the Unione Siciliane, passing several reforms specifically opening the organization to non-Sicilians. Antonio "The Scourge" Lombardo (1892 &ndash September 7, 1928) was an American Mobster. The longest reigning president in office, Lombardo held considerable influence in Italian-American communities including acting as a negotiator between [Black Hand] kidnappers and victim's families. Although supported by Capone, many members of the organization opposed the reforms as a faction under Capone rival Joe [Aiello] challenged Lombardo, calling for his withdrawal from office. Lombardo's refusal would result in his death on September 7, 1928.

Lombardo's brother Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo would assume the presidency in his brother's place for around four months until his own murder by Joe Aiello and his two brothers after inviting them for dinner at his home on January 8, 1929. Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo (d January 8, 1929) was an organized crime figure and head of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Siciliana Claiming the presidency the next day, Aiello would hold the office for a year and a half until his death by Chicago Outfit gunman on October 23, 1930. The Chicago Outfit shortened to " the Outfit " is a Crime syndicate based in Chicago Illinois, USA. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

After Aiello's death, there were few within the organization who would accept the office and, as the United States entered the Great Depression, the organization gradually disappeared by the end of the decade.

Presidents

New York

1914–1918 — Ignazio Saietta
1918–1927 — Frankie Yale ¹

Chicago

1918?–1921 — Anthony D'Angelo
1921–1924 — Mike Merlo
1925 — "Bloody" Angelo Genna
1925 — Samuzzo "Samoots" Amatuna
1925–1928 — Antonio Lombardo ²
1928–1929 — Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo
1929 — Joseph Giunta
1929–1930 — Joseph Aiello
1929–1934? — Agostino Loverdo
1934–1939? — Phil D'Andrea

Detroit

1913–1930 – Salvatore "Sam" Catonotte

Notes

¹ Shortly following Yale's election as president of the Unione Siciliane, Al Capone would compete for official recognition of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Siciliane. Ignazio Saietta aka Ignazio Lupo and Lupo The Wolf ( March 19, 1877 - January 13, 1947) was a Black Hand Francesco Ioele ( 1893 - July 1, 1928) better known as Frankie Uale or the alias of Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster Mike Merlo ( January 4, 1880 - November 8, 1924) was a Chicago political figure associated with the Johnny Torrio - Al Capone Samuel Samuzzo "Samoots" Amatuna ( 1899 - November 13, 1925) was a Chicago mobster and member of the Genna Brothers, who served as president Antonio "The Scourge" Lombardo (1892 &ndash September 7, 1928) was an American Mobster. Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo (d January 8, 1929) was an organized crime figure and head of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Siciliana Giuseppe "Joe" Aiello ( 1891 - October 23, 1930) was a Chicago bootlegger during the 1920s and early 1930s who had a longstanding bloody During this time the presidency of the "officical" Unione Siciliane is in dispute.

² After Yale's death in 1928, the Chicago chapter under Antonio Lombardo is recognized as the National representative.

References

Fox, Stephen. Blood and Power: Organized Crime in Twentieth-Century America. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1989. ISBN 0-688-04350-X
Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30653-2
Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3

External links

Chicago's Unione Siciliana, 1920 – A Decade of Slaughter (Part One) by Allan May
The Detroit Outfit: Unione Siciliana

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