James Torello
Encyclopedia
James Vincent "Turk" Torello (December 1930 - April 1979 Woodridge, Illinois
) was an Italian-American mobster who became a caporegime
and leading enforcer for the Chicago Outfit
during the mid-to-late 1970s.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Torello's first arrest was in 1945; his rap sheet would eventually include convictions for auto theft, armed robbery, burglary
and hijacking
. Torello would serve two years in federal prison for violating firearm
s laws. Torello would serve as capo of the South Side/26th Street crew. Union boss and mob associate John Serpico would later testify after turning informant that he and Torello were born on the same street and lived half a block away from one another.
In the late 1960s, Torello sent Robert "Bobby the Beak" Siegel to Las Vegas to help collect $87,000 from an associate of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal
, the Outfit agent at the Stardust Hotel & Casino
. This story was related by Siegel at the "Family Secrets" organized crime trial, in Chicago, in the summer of 2007.
On another occasion, an angry mob boss Sam Giancana
dispatched Torello and mobster Jackie Cerone
to kill Outfit member Frank Esposito, in Florida
. Luckily for Esposito, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) secretly recorded Giancana's conversation and warned Esposito. He then settled his dispute with Giancana and the hit was canceled. According to tape recordings, Torello and his killers had planned to murder Esposito, cut him up in small pieces and feed them to the shark
s off the Florida coast.
By the early 1970s, Torello had become a high ranking member within the Outfit. In 1973, with the death of Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri
, Torello became the Outfit's chief enforcer. He also became involved in loan shark
ing, illegal gambling and pornography
.
In April 1979, James Torello died of cancer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
in Chicago. He was 49.
Woodridge, Illinois
Woodridge is a suburb of Chicago, located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois with portions in Will County and Cook County. It uses the 630 and 331 area codes. The population was 30,934 at the 2000 census. A special census commissioned in 2003 put the population at 33,253...
) was an Italian-American mobster who became a caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
and leading enforcer for 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...
during the mid-to-late 1970s.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Torello's first arrest was in 1945; his rap sheet would eventually include convictions for auto theft, armed robbery, burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and hijacking
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
. Torello would serve two years in federal prison for violating firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s laws. Torello would serve as capo of the South Side/26th Street crew. Union boss and mob associate John Serpico would later testify after turning informant that he and Torello were born on the same street and lived half a block away from one another.
In the late 1960s, Torello sent Robert "Bobby the Beak" Siegel to Las Vegas to help collect $87,000 from an associate of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal
Frank Rosenthal
Frank Lawrence "Lefty" Rosenthal was a professional sports bettor, former Las Vegas casino executive and organized crime associate. The film Casino is loosely based on his life.-Early years:...
, the Outfit agent at the Stardust Hotel & Casino
Stardust Resort & Casino
The Stardust Resort & Casino was a casino resort located on along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada.The Stardust opened in 1958, although most of the modern casino complex was built in 1991. At its March 13, 2007 demolition it was the youngest undamaged high-rise building to ever be...
. This story was related by Siegel at the "Family Secrets" organized crime trial, in Chicago, in the summer of 2007.
On another occasion, an angry mob boss Sam Giancana
Sam Giancana
Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966...
dispatched Torello and mobster Jackie Cerone
Jackie Cerone
John "Jackie The Lackey" Cerone was a Chicago mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit, during the late 1960s. He was the younger brother of mobster Frank "Skippy" Cerone and father of lawyer, John Peter Cerone and husband to the late Clara Cerone.He was born to John Cerone Sr. and Rose Valant. He...
to kill Outfit member Frank Esposito, in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Luckily for Esposito, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) secretly recorded Giancana's conversation and warned Esposito. He then settled his dispute with Giancana and the hit was canceled. According to tape recordings, Torello and his killers had planned to murder Esposito, cut him up in small pieces and feed them to the shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s off the Florida coast.
By the early 1970s, Torello had become a high ranking member within the Outfit. In 1973, with the death of Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri
Fiore Buccieri
Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri was a Chicago mobster and member of the Chicago Outfit who specialized in loansharking.-Early years:...
, Torello became the Outfit's chief enforcer. He also became involved in loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
ing, illegal gambling and pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
.
In April 1979, James Torello died of cancer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. It is the second tallest hospital in the United States and the fourth tallest hospital in the world...
in Chicago. He was 49.
Further reading
- United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime in Chicago: Hearing Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1983.http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC09599763&id=7I5LFfsYSl4C&q=James+Turk+Torello&dq=James+Turk+Torello&pgis=1
- United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Professional Motor Vehicle Theft and Chop Shops: Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1980.http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC06254124&id=laHEAf_EeGMC&q=James+Turk+Torello&dq=James+Turk+Torello&pgis=1