Forty-Two Gang
Encyclopedia
The Forty-Two Gang was a teenage street gang in Chicago during Prohibition. Like Brooklyn
's Italian and Jewish street gangs of Brownsville
and Ocean Hill
, the Forty-Two Gang served as a "farm team" for future members of the Chicago Outfit
. Forty-Two gang members included future syndicate members Sam "Teets" Battaglia
, Louis "Cockeyed Louie" Fratto
also known as Lew Farrell, Felix Alderisio
("Milwaukee Phil"), Samuel DeStefano
("Mad Sam"), Charles "Chuckie" Nicoletti
, Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri
, Albert Frabotta, William "Smokes" Aloisio
, Frank "Skids" Caruso, William Daddano
("Willie Potatoes"), Joe Caesar DiVarco
, Rocco Potenza, Leonard Gianola, Vincent Inserro and brothers Leonard and Marcello Giovanni Caifano ("John Marshall").
The gang's history has been well documented and researched. In 1931, sociologists at the University of Chicago
determined that of the original forty-two Gang members, over thirty had been killed, seriously wounded or imprisoned on a variety of charges, including murder, armed robbery and sexual assault
.
, a neighborhood known as "the Patch," on the city's West Side. That neighborhood, labelled by Jane Addams as the "Hull House Neighborhood" when she and Ellen Starr opened (1889) the first settlement house in the United States, eventually became known as the Legendary Taylor Street, the port-of-call for Chicago's Italian American immigrants (see Taylor Street Archives). From the beginning, the gang become notorious for a number of different crimes: vandalism, petty theft, car stripping, stealing of carts or horses from the stables of local fruit peddlers (sometimes reportedly killing stolen horses to supply horse meat), burglary of cigar stores and staging armed hold-ups of prominent nightclub
s.
The Forty-Two Gang soon emerged as one of the most violent gangs in the city; however, they suffered heavy losses as the result of wars with rival gangs. The gang also had a high rate of arrests regarding their frequent murders of robbery victims, suspect
ed informants and police officers.
. One day, Major William J. Butler
, commander of that facility, received the following threat from a gang member. "Unless you let our pals go, we'll come down there and kill everybody we see. We've got plenty of men and some machine guns." Butler was inclined to dismiss it; however, Chicago police officials advised him to take it seriously. After arming himself, Butler called up the Illinois State Militia to defend the reformatory.
Several days later, three gang members led by "Crazy" Patsy Steffanelli were caught outside the reformatory walls. Once taken into custody, the boys bragged that they were a scouting party sent to infiltrate machine gunners into the facility.
The St. Charles incident was widely covered by the Chicago press. Many critics called for a tougher stance against juvenile offenders; the Chicago Tribune
declared that the only decision facing authorities was whether to sentence gang members to Joliet Prison
or send them to the electric chair
.
ging gangs, specifically Al Capone
's Chicago Outfit. Gang members frequently committed robberies just so they could blow wads of money in the Outfit's speakeasies
and other underworld
hangouts. The Outfit would occasionally hire gang members as beer runners or truck drivers; however, they were generally considered too risky to have around.
However, one Forty-Two Gang member did stand out--Sam "Momo" Giancana
. Giancana had built a reputation as a skilled wheelman who was calm under pressure. Giancana became the first Forty-Two member to join the Outfit. He eventually became a protégé of Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo
and Paul "The Waiter" Ricca
. With his induction, Giancana was able to eventually bring a number of his fellow gang members into the Outfit. Giancana became operating head of the Outfit in 1957, and many of the former Forty-Two members would go on to rule the Outfit well into the 1970s.
While the Outfit welcomed Giancana and other Forty-Two members, it was less hospitable to some others. Paul Battaglia, an early gang leader, robbed many illegal horse betting rooms and handbooks during the mid-1930s. The Outfit eliminated him due to his interference in their operations.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
's Italian and Jewish street gangs of Brownsville
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
and Ocean Hill
Ocean Hill, Brooklyn
Ocean Hill is a subsection of Bedford-Stuyvesant in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Founded in 1890, the neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 3 and Brooklyn Community Board 16. The ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11233...
, the Forty-Two Gang served as a "farm team" for future members of the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
. Forty-Two gang members included future syndicate members Sam "Teets" Battaglia
Sam Battaglia
Samuel "Teets" Battaglia was a Chicago mobster and high-level member of the Chicago Outfit criminal organization.-Early career:...
, Louis "Cockeyed Louie" Fratto
Louis Fratto
Louis Thomas Fratto , born Luigi Tomaso Giuseppi Fratto, also known as "Lew Farrell" and "Cock-eyed", was a labor racketeer and organized crime figure in Chicago, Illinois, from the 1930s to 1960s. Fratto was allegedly shifted over to become Des Moines, Iowa's, top crime boss in about 1940, until...
also known as Lew Farrell, Felix Alderisio
Felix Alderisio
Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio was a prominent enforcer, bagman, hitman and burglar for the Chicago Outfit, serving as an underboss to Salvatore Giancana during the 1960s and as boss for a short time from 1967 before being sent to prison in 1969 and dying there.-Early life:Alderisio began his...
("Milwaukee Phil"), Samuel DeStefano
Sam DeStefano
Sam "Mad Sam" DeStefano was an Italian-American gangster who became one of the Chicago Outfit's most notorious loan sharks and sociopathic killers. Chicago-based Federal Bureau of Investigation agents such as William F. Roemer, Jr., considered DeStefano to be the worst torture-murderer in the...
("Mad Sam"), Charles "Chuckie" Nicoletti
Charles Nicoletti
Charles "Chuckie" Nicoletti, also known as "The Typewriter" "Chuckie Typewriter" , was a top Chicago Outfit hitman under Outfit boss Sam "Mooney" Giancana before and after Giancana's rise and fall.-Early years:...
, Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri
Fiore Buccieri
Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri was a Chicago mobster and member of the Chicago Outfit who specialized in loansharking.-Early years:...
, Albert Frabotta, William "Smokes" Aloisio
William Aloisio
William "Smokes" Aloisio was a Chicago mobster and "hitman" for the Chicago Outfit.A former member of the Forty-Two Gang in Chicago, Aloiso's arrest record dated back to 1928. In 1945, Aloisio was sentenced to five years at Leavenworth Penitentiary, in Leavenworth, Kansas, for helping his brother...
, Frank "Skids" Caruso, William Daddano
William Daddano, Sr.
William Daddano, Sr. , also known as "William Russo" and "Willie Potatoes," was a top enforcer and loan shark for the Chicago Outfit and a participant in some high-profile robberies.-Early years:...
("Willie Potatoes"), Joe Caesar DiVarco
Joseph DiVarco
Joseph "Little Caesar" DiVarco was a Chicago mobster with the Chicago Outfit who was involved in numerous street rackets.He and Big Joe Arnold were partners in a local haberdashery during the 1960s....
, Rocco Potenza, Leonard Gianola, Vincent Inserro and brothers Leonard and Marcello Giovanni Caifano ("John Marshall").
The gang's history has been well documented and researched. In 1931, sociologists at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
determined that of the original forty-two Gang members, over thirty had been killed, seriously wounded or imprisoned on a variety of charges, including murder, armed robbery and sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
.
Early history
The Forty-Two Gang started in 1925, with twenty-four members (some as young as nine years). The boys supposedly named their gang after Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, claiming they were one better than their fictional namesakes. The gang came from Chicago's Little ItalyLittle Italy, Chicago
Little Italy is a neighborhood on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. The current boundaries of Little Italy are Ashland Avenue on the west and Morgan Street on the east — bracketed by Harrison Street on the north and Roosevelt Road; i.e., 12th Street, on the south...
, a neighborhood known as "the Patch," on the city's West Side. That neighborhood, labelled by Jane Addams as the "Hull House Neighborhood" when she and Ellen Starr opened (1889) the first settlement house in the United States, eventually became known as the Legendary Taylor Street, the port-of-call for Chicago's Italian American immigrants (see Taylor Street Archives). From the beginning, the gang become notorious for a number of different crimes: vandalism, petty theft, car stripping, stealing of carts or horses from the stables of local fruit peddlers (sometimes reportedly killing stolen horses to supply horse meat), burglary of cigar stores and staging armed hold-ups of prominent nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s.
The Forty-Two Gang soon emerged as one of the most violent gangs in the city; however, they suffered heavy losses as the result of wars with rival gangs. The gang also had a high rate of arrests regarding their frequent murders of robbery victims, suspect
Suspect
In the parlance of criminal justice, a suspect is a known person suspected of committing a crime.Police and reporters often incorrectly use the word suspect when referring to the...
ed informants and police officers.
Rebelling against authorities
In 1928, a number of Forty-Two Gang members were being held at the Illinois state boys' reformatory,http://www.listphile.com/StCharles_LocalHistory/Illinois_School_for_Boys_Illinois_Youth_Center in St. Charles, IllinoisSt. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane and DuPage counties of Illinois, United States, and is roughly west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs...
. One day, Major William J. Butler
William J. Butler
William J. Butler was an Irish silent film actor. He appeared in 262 films between 1908 and 1917.Butler, an Irish immigrant to the United States, moved his family from Ohio to Hollywood, California, in 1908. At the age of 48, he wanted to get involved in a new industry called motion pictures. He...
, commander of that facility, received the following threat from a gang member. "Unless you let our pals go, we'll come down there and kill everybody we see. We've got plenty of men and some machine guns." Butler was inclined to dismiss it; however, Chicago police officials advised him to take it seriously. After arming himself, Butler called up the Illinois State Militia to defend the reformatory.
Several days later, three gang members led by "Crazy" Patsy Steffanelli were caught outside the reformatory walls. Once taken into custody, the boys bragged that they were a scouting party sent to infiltrate machine gunners into the facility.
The St. Charles incident was widely covered by the Chicago press. Many critics called for a tougher stance against juvenile offenders; the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
declared that the only decision facing authorities was whether to sentence gang members to Joliet Prison
Joliet Prison
Joliet Correctional Center was a prison in Joliet, Illinois, United States from 1858 to 2002. It is featured in the motion picture The Blues Brothers as the prison from which Jake Blues is released at the beginning of the movie...
or send them to the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
.
The Forty-Two Gang & the Chicago Syndicate
The press coverage and media attention on the 42ers caught the notice of the city's bootlegRum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
ging gangs, specifically Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
's Chicago Outfit. Gang members frequently committed robberies just so they could blow wads of money in the Outfit's speakeasies
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
and other underworld
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
hangouts. The Outfit would occasionally hire gang members as beer runners or truck drivers; however, they were generally considered too risky to have around.
However, one Forty-Two Gang member did stand out--Sam "Momo" Giancana
Sam Giancana
Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966...
. Giancana had built a reputation as a skilled wheelman who was calm under pressure. Giancana became the first Forty-Two member to join the Outfit. He eventually became a protégé of Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo
Tony Accardo
Antonino Joseph Accardo , also known as "Joe Batters" or "Big Tuna", rose from small-time hoodlum to the position of day-to-day boss of the Chicago Outfit in 1947, to ultimately become the final Outfit authority in 1972, until his death...
and Paul "The Waiter" Ricca
Paul Ricca
Paul Ricca, also known as "The Waiter" , was a Chicago mobster who served as the nominal or de facto leader of the Chicago Outfit for forty years.-Early life:...
. With his induction, Giancana was able to eventually bring a number of his fellow gang members into the Outfit. Giancana became operating head of the Outfit in 1957, and many of the former Forty-Two members would go on to rule the Outfit well into the 1970s.
While the Outfit welcomed Giancana and other Forty-Two members, it was less hospitable to some others. Paul Battaglia, an early gang leader, robbed many illegal horse betting rooms and handbooks during the mid-1930s. The Outfit eliminated him due to his interference in their operations.