St. Louis crime family
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis crime family, also known as the Giordano crime family, is an American Mafia
crime family
based in St. Louis, Missouri
, United States
.
in St. Louis, there were seven different ethnic gangs; the Green Ones, the Pillow Gang, the Egan's Rats
, the Hogan Gang, the Russo Gang, the Shelton Gang
and the Cuckoos all fighting to control illegal rackets in the city. The seven rival gangs continued fighting until the end of Prohibition. By this time, the various Mafia factions now functioned as one family.
became boss and declared independence from the Kansas City crime family. In the 1970s, Giordano along with Detroit mobsters
Anthony Joseph Zerilli
and Michael Polizzi attempted to gain control of the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. They failed and all three men were convicted of conspiracy. In 1975, Giordano was sent to prison, his nephew Vincenzo Giammanco became the acting boss until Giordano was released in December 1977. On August 29, 1980, Giordano died from cancer in his St. Louis home.
The Russo Gang — was a splinter group of the Green Ones, led by Tony Russo, they were allies to Pillow gang leader Fresina. After the murders of Giannola and Palazzolo they fought with Fresina's gang and by 1928 the three remaining Russo brothers fled St. Louis.
The Pillow Gang
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
crime family
Crime family
A crime family is a term used to describe a unit of an organized crime syndicate, often operating within a specific geographic territory. The term is used almost exclusively to refer to units of the Mafia, both in Sicily and in the United States, although it is occasionally used to refer to other...
based in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Prohibition era
Mafia activity was recorded in St. Louis as early as the mid-1890s. By the early 1910s, the recognized Mafia boss in St. Louis was Dominick Giambrone. During the prohibition eraProhibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
in St. Louis, there were seven different ethnic gangs; the Green Ones, the Pillow Gang, the Egan's Rats
Egan's Rats
Egan's Rats was an American organized crime group that exercised considerable power in St. Louis, Missouri from 1890 to 1924. Its 35 years of criminal activity included bootlegging, labor slugging, voter intimidation, armed robbery, and murder...
, the Hogan Gang, the Russo Gang, the Shelton Gang
Shelton Brothers Gang
The Shelton Brothers Gang was an early Prohibition era bootlegging gang based in southern Illinois. They were the main rivals of the famous bootlegger Charles Birger. In 1950 the Saturday Evening Post described the Sheltons as "America's Bloodiest Gang"....
and the Cuckoos all fighting to control illegal rackets in the city. The seven rival gangs continued fighting until the end of Prohibition. By this time, the various Mafia factions now functioned as one family.
Giordano and the Detroit family
After Tony Lopiparo's death, Anthony GiordanoAnthony Giordano
Antonio Rico Giuseppe Giordano was the boss of the St. Louis crime family.-Early life:Anthony Giordano, nicknamed "Tony G", was born June 24, 1915 in St. Louis, Missouri. He married Catherine P. Burns, and together they adopted a son named William Giordano.-St...
became boss and declared independence from the Kansas City crime family. In the 1970s, Giordano along with Detroit mobsters
Detroit Partnership
The Detroit Partnership, also known as the Detroit crime family, Detroit Combination, Detroit Mafia, Detroit Outfit or Zerilli crime family is an American Mafia crime family based in Detroit, Michigan...
Anthony Joseph Zerilli
Anthony Joseph Zerilli
Anthony Joseph Zerilli is an Italian-American mobster from Sterling Heights, Michigan who is the reputed underboss of the Detroit Partnership criminal organization, which is part of Cosa Nostra.-Early years:...
and Michael Polizzi attempted to gain control of the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. They failed and all three men were convicted of conspiracy. In 1975, Giordano was sent to prison, his nephew Vincenzo Giammanco became the acting boss until Giordano was released in December 1977. On August 29, 1980, Giordano died from cancer in his St. Louis home.
Trupiano era
In 1982, Matthew Trupiano took over the family. He was a powerful boss and was president of Local 110 of the Laborers Union. Trupiano was charged with conducting an illegal gambling operation and with labor racketeering, including the embezzlement of union benefit funds. He was found guilty and sent to three years in prison in 1992. Trupiano died on October 22, 1997.Current Position
Currently, the St. Louis crime family has stayed under the radar of both local and federal authorities. It is alleged that Anthony "Nino" Parrino is the current boss of the St. Louis crime family.Bosses (official and acting)
- c.1890's-1912 — Unknown
- c.1912-1923 — Dominick Giambrone – fled; murdered, 1934.
- 1923-1927 — Vito Giannola
- 1928-c.1937 — Frank Agrusa
- c.1937-1943 — Thomas Buffa
- 1943-c.1950 — Pasquale Miceli
- c.1950 — Vincent Chiapetta
- c.1950-1960 — Anthony "Tony Lap" Lopiparo – was the son of a St. Louis mobster, he died in 1960.
- 1961-1980 — Anthony "Tony G." GiordanoAnthony GiordanoAntonio Rico Giuseppe Giordano was the boss of the St. Louis crime family.-Early life:Anthony Giordano, nicknamed "Tony G", was born June 24, 1915 in St. Louis, Missouri. He married Catherine P. Burns, and together they adopted a son named William Giordano.-St...
– as boss he declared independence from the Kansas City family. Imprisoned 1975-1977, he died on August 29, 1980 from cancer- Acting 1975-1977 — Vincenzo "Jimmy" Giammanco – was Giordano's nephew
- 1980-1982 — John "Johnny V." Vitale.John Vitale (mobster)John Joseph Vitale was a Sicilian-American boss and underboss of the St. Louis crime family. During his lifetime, Vitale allegedly was the boss of the St. Louis crime family on two separate occasions.-Early life:...
– he died on June 5, 1982 - 1982-1997 — Matthew "Mike" Trupiano, Jr.Matthew TrupianoMatthew M. "Mike" Trupiano, Jr. was the boss of the St. Louis crime family from 1982 to 1997.-Early life:Matthew Trupiano was born on November 8, 1938 in Detroit to a Sicilian-American family....
– was Giordano's nephew from Detroit; he died in 1997 - 1997–present — Anthony "Nino" Parrino
Historical Italian gangs in St. Louis
The Green Ones (Sicilian gang)- 1919-1927 — Vito Giannola – leader, murdered on December 28, 1927
- Member — John Giannola – fled, died 1938
- Member — Alfonse Palazzolo – murdered on September 9, 1927
The Russo Gang — was a splinter group of the Green Ones, led by Tony Russo, they were allies to Pillow gang leader Fresina. After the murders of Giannola and Palazzolo they fought with Fresina's gang and by 1928 the three remaining Russo brothers fled St. Louis.
The Pillow Gang
- 1911-1927 — Pasquale Santino – murdered
- 1927-1931 — Carmelo Fresina – murdered
- 1931-1943 — Thomas Buffa – murdered in 1947 in Lodi, California