Joseph DiVarco
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Little Caesar" DiVarco (December 17, 1910–1986) 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.
As an associate of North Side caporegime
Vincent Solano
, DiVarco later oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Rush Street
crew. During the 1970s and 1980s, these activities included illegal gambling, loan sharking, extortion
, protection, "street tax" collections, and the operation of several adult bookstore operations. DiVarco, along with James Alegretti watched over all the Outfit-owned night clubs, gambling halls, and brothels in the area. He was basically under the rule of Ross Prio
. DiVarco was said to have performed many hits for Outfit boss Sam Giancana
. After Giancana was murdered, DiVarco's power waned.
In 1983, Solano ordered DiVarco to murder mobster Ken Eto
. Eto had recently been convicted on gambling charges and Solano was worried about him testifying for the authorities. Two hitmen, Jasper Campise and John Gattuso, a Cook County, Illinois
sheriff's deputy, ambushed Eto in his car and shot him three times in the head. However, the two men had improperly packed their own ammunition and the shots did not penetrate Eto's skull. Eto survived and became a government witness. In retribution for the botched hit, DiVarco was stripped of his power and the two hitmen were murdered.
Federal authorities learned of DiVarco's role in the Chicago Outfit through undercover surveillance
, government informants, and cooperation with other state and federal agencies. In 1985, DiVarco was convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
(RICO) violations and running a sports betting operation. He was sentenced to ten years in prison.
In 1986, Joseph DiVarco died in federal prison.
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...
who was involved in numerous street rackets.
He and Big Joe Arnold were partners in a local haberdashery during the 1960s.
As an associate of North Side 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...
Vincent Solano
Vincent Solano
Vincent Solano was a gangster, a caporegime for the Chicago Outfit who ran a corrupt Laborers Union local in Chicago.A longtime organized crime figure on Chicago's North Side, Solano served as chauffeur and bodyguard to mobster Ross Prio...
, DiVarco later oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Rush Street
Rush Street (Chicago)
Rush Street is predominantly a northbound one-way street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
crew. During the 1970s and 1980s, these activities included illegal gambling, loan sharking, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, protection, "street tax" collections, and the operation of several adult bookstore operations. DiVarco, along with James Alegretti watched over all the Outfit-owned night clubs, gambling halls, and brothels in the area. He was basically under the rule of Ross Prio
Ross Prio
Ross Prio was a Chicago mobster and high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit criminal organization from the 1930s until the early '70s, when he died.-Early years:...
. DiVarco was said to have performed many hits for Outfit 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...
. After Giancana was murdered, DiVarco's power waned.
In 1983, Solano ordered DiVarco to murder mobster Ken Eto
Ken Eto
Ken Eto , also known as Tokyo Joe and "The Jap", was a Japanese-American mobster with the Chicago Outfit and eventually an FBI informant who ran Asian gambling operations for the organization...
. Eto had recently been convicted on gambling charges and Solano was worried about him testifying for the authorities. Two hitmen, Jasper Campise and John Gattuso, a Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
sheriff's deputy, ambushed Eto in his car and shot him three times in the head. However, the two men had improperly packed their own ammunition and the shots did not penetrate Eto's skull. Eto survived and became a government witness. In retribution for the botched hit, DiVarco was stripped of his power and the two hitmen were murdered.
Federal authorities learned of DiVarco's role in the Chicago Outfit through undercover surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
, government informants, and cooperation with other state and federal agencies. In 1985, DiVarco was convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...
(RICO) violations and running a sports betting operation. He was sentenced to ten years in prison.
In 1986, Joseph DiVarco died in federal prison.