Best Mob Movie List

The Godfather (1972) - Not only is it the best Mob movie of all time, it's one of the best movies period.

Goodfellas (1990) - Martin Scorcese at his best. Lost the Best Picture Oscar to Dances With Wolves. A winner in any other year.

The Godfather Part II (1974) - The only sequel to win a best picture Oscar. Yes, it's that good.

Donnie Brasco (1997) - Stars Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Enough said!


Scarface (1983) - Brian DePalma's best film. By the way, Al Pacino would like you to meet his friend.

A History of Violence (2005) - A graphic illustration of what might have happened had Charles Manson visited Mayberry- only darker! William Hurt is phenomenal here.

The Departed (2006) - The question of whether a definitive list of Scorsese pictures will include The Departed has been answered. It's brilliant!

On the Waterfront (1954) - One of the best films of all time. Brando displays one of the best acting performances ever to be captured on film.


Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Quentin Tarantino's best film? Mr. Pink thinks so.

Casino (1995) - Another Scorcese Mob film. Not as good as Goodfellas, but still pretty damn good!

A Bronx Tale (1993) - DeNiro's directorial debut. And a fine debut it is. And he stars in the film too.

The Untouchables (1987) - Elliot Ness cleans up the Chicago underworld. Directed by Brian de Palma, written by David Mamet, starring Kevin Costner. How's that for firepower?

The Dark Knight (2008) - Heath Ledger's performance aside, it's just a great movie. Not really as much a superhero tale as it is a brilliant crime drama that happens to feature a superhero.

Carlito's Way (1993) - De Palma and Pacino sure know their way around a gangster flick!


Pulp Fiction (1994) - Tarantino's sophomore effort. No sophomore slump here! Style and verve that have been copied ever since.

Heat (1995) - The first time De Niro and Pacino acted together. Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry.

Jackie Brown (1997) - Another Tarantino classic. Hip, stylish and pure Tarantino!

Boondock Saints (1999) - Little known, but a huge cult classic.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - Not a Mafia movie, but a gangster flick nonetheless. One of the most controversial films of the 1960s. And there was a lot of controversy in the 60s! Towards the top of many "best films of all times" lists.

Miller's Crossing (1990) - Lust, vengeance, and Ireland! All the things that make a good Mob movie!

Analyze This (1998) - A change of pace for a gangster pic, but worth the look anyway. Good to see De Niro do levity.

The Sopranos (2000- 2007) - Sure, it's not a movie, but it's the best show on TV, so it deserves a mention here. Will unfortunately typecast Gandolfini to the point of unrecoverability.

Road to Perdition (2002) - A Sam Mendes masterpiece. It's a cold, brooding noir piece with violence, intrigue, style and of course the father son dynamic.

The Top 5 Most Corrupt U.S. Police Officers Of All-Time

September 29, 2011

Police corruption is a major problem in the United States. Some police officers turn bad to make money through ripping off drug dealers and even dealing drugs themselves. Some try and cover up their own acts of brutality, murder and even torture. Police corruption happens in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans and every major U.S. city and is conducted by officers of all races, creeds and colors. Here is our list of the top 5 most corrupt U.S. police officers of all-time.

- Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa -

5. Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa worked for the NYPD but in reality, they worked for the mafia. Caracappa was a member of the Organized Crime Homicide Unit investigating the very people he was working for. The two former partners were taking orders for the Lucchese crime family and served as hitmen as well as moles in the NYPD. In 2006,  Eppolito and Caracappa were convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, extortion and eight counts of murder and conspiracy.

- Joseph Miedzianowski -

4.  Joseph Miedzianowski Joseph Miedzianowski was a Chicago police officer labeled as the most corrupt cop. Miedzianowski served as both police officer and drug kingpin using his knowledge of the streets and gangs to shake down drug dealers. For most of his 22-year career, Miedzianowski would run the Chicago Gangs Unit, while running his own drug gang at the same time. Miedzianowski would be convicted of 10 counts including drug conspiracy and racketeering in 2001.

- David Mack And Rafael Perez -

3. David Mack And Rafael Perez David Mack and Rafael Perez worked together for the LAPD Rampart division, but also worked for Death Row Records and were members of the Bloods gang. Mack would receive the LAPD Medal Of Honor for killing a drug dealer who allegedly pulled a gun on him. But he would also later be  convicted of robbing a bank and be implicated in the murder of rapper, Notorious BIG. Perez shot and framed an unarmed gang member during his tenure, and stole eight pounds of cocaine from an LAPD evidence locker.

- Jon Burge -

2. Jon Burge Jon Burge is a former Chicago Police Department detective who oversaw the torture of hundreds of Black men resulting in false confessions between 1972 and 1991. Burge would burn suspects with radiators and cigarettes, and electrocute their testicles. Although Burge was protected by the statute of limitations for his crimes, he was convicted for lying about the torture in January of this year.

- Robert Gisevius, Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso -

1. Robert Gisevius, Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso Robert Gisevius, Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso were members of the New Orleans police department during Hurricane Katrina. They were charged with first degree murder for killing seventeen-year-old James Brissette who was innocent and unarmed during Hurricane Katrina on the Danzinger bridge. Brisette was simply looking for shelter in the Hurricane and cops pounced on him. Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso were found guilty of falsifying reports and false prosecution in the conspiracy to cover-up the shooting and may face the death penalty.

Source: newsone.com

Tony Spilotro Chicago Perp Walk

Operation Family Secrets

Operation Family Secrets was an FBI investigation of mob related crimes in Chicago. According to the FBI it was one of the most successful investigations of organized crime done by the FBI ever.^[1] The investigation and trial was accurately dubbed "Family Secrets" because of the betrayal within the Calabrese family. The son, Frank Calabrese, Jr., and brother, Nick Calabrese, of a Chicago Outfit mob hit man, Frank Calabrese, Sr. provided testimony that was instrumental to the success of Operation Family Secrets. The investigation led to indictments of 14 defendants affiliated with the Chicago Outfit, which has been one of the most prolific organized crime enterprises in the United States.^[2] The most heinous of their crimes investigated were the 18 murders and one attempted murder that took place over the span between the years 1970 and 1986. All of the murders and other crimes being charged to the defendants were allegedly committed to further the Outfit's illegal activities such as loansharking, bookmaking and protecting the enterprise from law enforcement. Operation Family Secrets was a milestone in the FBI's battle against organized crime in the city of Chicago that will have a significant effect on the operations of the Chicago Outfit, but it did not end the Outfit's reign in Chicago. The FBI and local law enforcement agencies will continue their efforts to eradicate organized crime in Chicago.^[3]

Contents [hide] 1 Murder Table 2 The Investigation 2.1 Frank, Jr.'s Letter to the FBI 2.2 Nick Calabrese's Cooperation with Federal Agents 3 The Trial 3.1 Sentencing 4 Notes

[edit] Murder Table

The following list is of the murders committed as objectives of the Chicago Outfit that were investigated in Operation Family Secrets.^[4]

Date of Murder	Killer(s)	Victim(s)	Location of Murder
August, 1970	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Michael "Hambone" Albergo	Chicago, Illinois
September 27, 1974	Joseph Lombardo and Frank Schweihs	Daniel Siefert	Bensenville, Illinois
June 24, 1976	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Paul Haggerty	Chicago, Illinois
March 15, 1977	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Henry Cosentino	Chicago, Illinois
January 16, 1978	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	John Mendell	Chicago, Illinois
January 31, 1978	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Donald Renno and Vincent Moretti	Cicero, Illinois
July 2, 1980	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	William Dauber and Charlette Dauber	Will County, Illinois
December 30, 1980	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	William Petrocelli	Cicero, Illinois
June 24, 1981	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Michael Cagnoni	DuPage County, Illinois
September 13, 1981	James Marcello	Nicholas D'Andrea	Chicago Heights, Illinois
April 24, 1982	James Marcello and Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Individual A	Lake County, Illinois
July 23, 1983	Frank Calabrese, Sr.	Richard D. Ortiz and Arthur Morawski	Cicero, Illinois
June 6, 1986	Frank Schweihs and Paul Schiro	Emil Vaci	Phoenix, Arizona
June 14, 1986	James Marcello	Anthony Spilotro and Michael Spilotro	DuPage County, Illinois
September 14, 1986	Nicholas Calabrese and Frank Calabrese, Sr.	John Fecarotta	Chicago, Illinois

[edit] The Investigation

[edit] Frank, Jr.'s Letter to the FBI

The investigation began on July 27, 1998 when Frank Calabrese, Jr. wrote a letter to the FBI saying he wanted help put his father in jail. The letter was sent without warning from the federal correctional facility in Milan, Michigan where both Frank Jr. and Sr, were incarcerated since 1995 when four members of the Calabrese family had been sentenced for collecting juice loans and racketeering an auto repair business. In his letter Frank Jr. requested a face-to-face meeting in which he planned to give the FBI information about his father's crimes, business of the Chicago Outfit street crews, and the murder of John Fecorotta.^[5] Frank Jr.'s letter read, "This is no game. I feel I have to help keep this sick man locked up forever."^[6] Frank, Jr. and his father had rough patches in their relationship over the years. Frank, Jr. had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from his father which he blew away on a cocaine addiction and a bad business decision.^[7] In the wake of his son's disloyalty, Frank Sr. allegedly forced a gun to his son's head and threatened to kill him.^[8] This and many other instances of Frank, Sr.'s abuse and poor fathering of his sons contributed to Frank, Jr.'s desire to help the FBI bring him down for hard time. Frank Calabrese, Jr. volunteered to record conversations he had with his father while they were imprisoned. Frank Jr. wore a pair of headphones around his neck that the FBI fitted with hidden a microphone to record conversation between the father and son. It was not difficult for Frank Jr. to direct his conversations in the prison courtyard and recreational facilities with his father towards information that would benefit the FBI's quickly assembling investigation. Frank Sr. would tell his son in a bragging manner about criminal activities of his past.

[edit] Nick Calabrese's Cooperation with Federal Agents

Federal agents Michael Maseth, Tom Bourgeois, and Michael Hartnett were assigned to the investigation. They began to put together pieces of information on the Fecarotta murder. Frank Sr. spoke nervously to his son about a pair of gloves that were mistakenly left on the scene of the Fecorotta murder by his brother Nick Calabrese. Frank Sr. knew the gloves were enough evidence to convict his brother for murder and he feared that his brother would turn on the Outfit in order to receive a lighter sentencing. The FBI took this information and reopened the unsolved Fecoratta case. Agents Bourgeois and Hartnett went to visit Nick Calabrese who they had put in jail a few years earlier to pursue him as the suspect in the Fecarotta murder case. When the investigation team had a sample of DNA taken from Nick, Nick's vulnerability became apparent. With his DNA matching that of the gloves used in the Fecarotta murder Nick Calabrese knew he was going down and was willing to betray the criminal organization he belonged to along with his brother. Nick cooperated with the FBI for months by giving depositions about the murders that he witnessed, took part in, and was told about. He also gave the government key information about how the Chicago Outfit operated.

[edit] The Trial

The FBI turned in a 43-page indictment that was created by the Family Secrets investigation in April 2005. Operation Family Secrets was unprecedented for the fact that it named the entire Chicago Outfit as a criminal enterprise. Assistant United States Attorneys T. Markus Funk, Mitchell Mars and John Scully would represent a the United States in the case. After more than two years, in June 2007 the Family Secrets trial began. Judge James Zagel would hear the case. The evidence was presented between June 28, 2007 and August 8, 2007. The trial included testimony from more than 125 witnesses and over 200 pieces of evidence.^[9] For Calabrese Sr., James Marcello, Joseph “The Clown” Lombardo, Paul “The Indian” Schiro, and Anthony “Twan” Doyle who the five main defendants the trial ended on August 30. The five men were found guilty on all counts for conspiracy and criminal acts of racketeering. Of the other nine defendants six plead guilty, two died before trial (Frank Saladino and Michael Ricci), and lastly Frank "The German" Schweihs was too ill to stand trial.^[10]

[edit] Sentencing

"Joey the Clown" Lombardo, 80; Frank Calabrese, Sr., 71; and James Marcello, 66, were all sentenced the maximum penalty of life in prison for their convictions which included murder.^[11] After admitting his contribution in 14 murders, Nick Calabrese was sentenced to only 12 years in prison, a light punishment rewarded because of unprecedented cooperation. Anthony Doyle, 64, and Paul Schiro, 71, were the only defendants who were not convicted of murder. The Family Secrets trial was a spectacle that added to the reputation for mob history that the city of Chicago has held for a long time.

Beefers and Rat Snitches

Listing of the Mob Rats, Snitches and Beefers

Richard Cain
(Sam Giancana's former driver)
His role in Cook County Sheriff's History

John Christopher (Operation Silver Shovel)

Robert Cooley (Operation Gambat)

Salvatore "Sammy The Bull" Gravano
(beefed on New York's Gambino Family Boss John "The Dapper Don" Gotti)


Henry Hill (Goodfellas fame)

Joseph "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi
Florida member of the Gambino Family

William "B.J." Jahoda (Cicero, Illinois)
See Ernest Rocco Infelise


Angelo Lonardo
Cleveland Underboss & Snitch

Philip Leonetti
(Philadelphia/Atlantic City Mob)

Michael Raymond

Terry Salem
(Las Vegas Mob pal & rat)

Louis Shumway
Al Capone Accountant & Snitch

Joseph Valachi
Genovese Soldier who turned on his bosses in 1963

Cameron Crawford
Arizona Snitch 2012

Anthony Accardo

Birth:	Apr. 28,   1906
Death:	May 22,  1992
Organized Crime Figure. Born in Chicago, Illinois in  1906, he joined the city's organized crime family, the "Outfit," during  the late 1920s. He served under three bosses (Alphonse  Capone, Frank  Nitti, and Paul  Ricca), before becoming the boss himself. He expanded the Outfit's  influence to most of the western states, eventually succeeding in  allowing the Outfit total independence from the eastern mobs which had  their own ruling commission and territories. Anthony Accardo, who was  also known as the "Big Tuna," ruled the family from approximately 1943  until 1957, when he abdicated leadership to his underboss, Sam  (Momo) Giancana. When Giancana went to prison in 1965, he returned  to full control untiL  the early 1970s, when his new underboss Joseph  Aiuppa took the reigns - always with his supervision. His years on  the Chicago throne were remarkable by their brutality and bloodshed,  particularly on violators of the drug ban enforced in the city. He,  unlike other mob bosses throughout history, was serious about this rule.  When the Chicago leadership was decimated by Las Vegas casino skimming  convictions in the mid-1980s, he returned to the fold and reinstated a  new administration, remaining in the background to survey their  management. When he passed away in 1992, the family he had turned into a  vast army of money-making killers was a shell of its former self.

Noteable Mob Hits

Big Jim Colosimo -- killed in his own cafe at 22nd and Wabash Avenue on May 11, 1920. Colosimo was then the top mob boss of Chicago. His death, believed ordered by underlings Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, Colosimo's nephew, made way for Capone's rise as Chicago's number one mobster. Colosimo ha dbrought Torrio and Capone to Chicago from New York. The FBI believes Colosimo was set up for the murder by a friend and guard, Big Jim O'Leary, with help from Torrio. O'Leary is the son of the Mrs. O'Leary whose cow is believed to have knocked down a lantern that started the famous Chicago Fire many years before. Colosimo was waiting at his restaurant with O'Leary alegedly preparing for a business meeting. The unknown gunman, believed to be Capone, fired two shots from behind a glass-paneled telephone booth, hitting Colosimo in the head once. See Genesis of Organized Crime in Chicago.

Dion "Deanie" O'Bannion -- The North Chicago gang boss was murdered in October, 1926 outside Holy name Cathedral, 735 N. States Street.

St. Valentine's Day Massacre -- Seven members of the Bugs Moran gang were gunned down allegedly by members of the Capone Gang. Capone was vacationing in Florida when the gunmen, preceded by three men dressed in Chicago Police Uniform, lined up the seven victims against the wall of this garage at 2122 N. Clark Street on Feb. 14, 1929. As the police stepped back, the two gunmen walked from behind and unloaded their machine guns into the backs of the unsuspecting Moran gang members. One of the men was the car mechanic employed at the garage. Capone's real target was George "Bugs" Moran, who happened upon the garage late, as the killers, wearing police uniforms, walked into the garage. Six of the victims died immediately, a seventh, Frank Gusenberg, lived for a few hours, declaring on his dying breath, "Coppers done it."

Jake Lingle -- He was a mob controlled reporter who worked at the Chicago Tribune, shot dead on June 9, 1930 in the Illinois Central Station at Randolph and Michigan Avenue. Lingle was owned by Chicago's Al Capone, working openly on his payroll while working for the Tribune. Lingle had once bragged, "I fixed the price of beer in this town!" Capone could put up with Lingle's boasts and flamboyance, but not his treachery. Lingle had taken $50,000 from Capone to influence a dog track operation, but never delivered. Capone had given Lingle a diamond studded belt buckle he was wearing when he body was found. Said Capone, "Jake was a dear friend of mine."

Machine Gun Jack McGurn -- He was Capone's chief hitman, one of two people identified as a triggerman in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. He was gunned down himself at a bowling alley in February 13, 1936 on Milwaukee Avenue. Although he had once built a career as a nightclub owner and one of Capone's toughest killers, McGurn found himself penniless and abandoned. Although many suspected the hit was ordered by Capone, who felt McGurn had become a liability, the two killers are believed to have beenr emnants of the old Moran gang, who placed a comic Valentine in the victim's left hand that read: "You've lost your job; You've lost your dough; Your jewels and handsome houses. But things could be worse,y ou know. You haven't lost your trousers."

Richard Cain -- He served dual roles as an informant for the FBI and as a corrupt Chicago Cop working for the mob. He was killed in a sandwich shop at 1117 W. grand Avenue., on Dec. 20, 1973. A pair of unknown assailants had walked into the sandwich shop and blew away Cain's face in a hail of gunfire. A third gunman was stationed outside the shop communicating with a walkie talkie on guard for a potential surprise police bust.

Sam Giancana -- Certainly not the highest ranking member of the mob killed by his own mob family. But Giancana, who ran Chicago for years until his relations with a famous Vegas showgirl made him into a liability for the mob, was the highest ranking Chicago mobster murdered, killed in the basement of his home in Oak Park on June 19, 1975, most likely by someone he had known and had trusted as a close friend. Giancana had been exiled by the US government to a South American republic and had just returned to the states. Giancana had invited his killer into his home. He was murdered as he was frying sausage and preparing dinner for himself and his guest.

Allen Dorfman -- A crooked insurance executive, he was gunned down by his mob associates as he walked to his car outside a Lincolnwood hotel parking lot on Jan. 21, 1983. The mob was fearfull that Dorfman, sought as a witness by an FBI grand jury probe of organized crime and mob infiltration of Las Vegas, would "beef."

Anthony and Michael Spilotro -- Tony "The Ant" Spilotro was the mob's man in Las Vegas. His and the body of his brother Michael were found buried in a cornfield in Indiana on June 23, 1986. Spilotro's hit was reputedly ordered by Ferriola during a meeting at the Czech Restaurant that included Ernest Rocco Infelise and other mob leaders. The Chicago Laborers District Council Trusteeship Hearings transcripts revealed that Albert Tocco  and Dominic Palermo of Laborers local 5 in Chicago Heights, (McGough's local) was in on the hit, depicted gruesomely in the movie "Casino". Tocco's  wife "Betty" had to pick him up near the crime scene at a public phone booth. He had to use the phone to call her for a ride home after his accomplices left him in the corn field when they fled the burial scene. See Agent Pecoraro testimony in Chicago Laborers District Council Trusteeship hearings. With friends like that, who needs enemies. "Betty", a reliable informant, later led FBI agents to the phone booth and related what she was told happened.

Cermak's House...Historic Landmark

Houses have histories, and the American Foursquare at 2348 S. Millard is connected to the only foreign-born mayor in Chicago history.

The 2 1/2 -story home was the residence of Anton Cermak from 1923 until his death in 1933. State officials said Wednesday that the National Park Service has placed the home on the National Register of Historic Places.

“This house is the only remaining structure that is closely associated with Mayor Cermak, and it is where he lived during the most important years of his political career,” said Jan Grimes, director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which runs the national register program in the state.

Understanding the potential of ethnic and racial voting coalitions, Cermak is credited with creating the Democratic Machine that ruled local politics for more than 50 years. Cermak was an alderman, Cook County Board president and Cook County Democratic chairman before he was elected mayor in 1931.

Records show his former home has been owned for years by Martha Miranda and Albert Vazquez. They could not be reached for comment.

The Lawndale home’s recognition as a historic site makes the owners eligible for tax incentives and grants for renovations. It is not a guarantee against demolition.

Cermak was born in 1873 in the current Czech Republic and came to Chicago with his parents a year later. His foreign birth was an issue in the mayoral race, with incumbent “Big Bill” Thompson making fun of his name and humble origins, calling him “Pushcart Tony.”

Cermak replied, “It’s true I didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but I came over as soon as I could.”

Cermak died in 1933 from an assassin’s bullet fired as the mayor was shaking hands with President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Miami. Cermak had rankled the Chicago mob as mayor, but gunman Giuseppe Zangara said his target was FDR, who was unhurt........Lol

Chicago Beef...Mob Style

YOU WANTED THE RECIPE ??  HERE IT IS.............
The Italian beef sandwich is serious business in Chicago.   We're not fooling around here.  Everyone has their favorite place. Once  people make up there mind that's it.  There's no changing it.

Let's separate the favorites by territory.  Taylor Street has Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, Elmwood Park has Johnnie's Beef, River North has Mr. Beef, Buona Beef in Berwyne and Max's Famous Italian Beef on North Western Ave., AND my FAVE Frannies in Schiller Park, just to name a few.Where I come from many of us grew up with Al's.  After trying all the rest Al's still remains my favorite.
Now  that I touched on the legendary Chicago Italian beef sandwich lets get  to my not so famous recipe. You can try it at home.  It's good and  you'll enjoy it but don't even tell me the ones I mentioned are better,  I'm sure they are.  They've been making them a lot longer than I have.
Still I guarantee this Italian beef sandwich will be one of the best home recipes you'll make.

INGREDIENTS 5 pound rump roast 6 cloves of garlic chopped fine 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp of dried basil 1 tsp of dried thyme 1 onion slice 2 cups of beef broth 1/2 cup of red wine 1/2 cup of water 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 tsp salt 3 red and green bell peppers Italian Rolls PREPARATION Mix garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub mixture into beef.  Massage it thoroughly. Like you're on a date. Place the beef in a large plastic bag and add 1 cup of broth, wine and onion. Let marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees Place roast in a roasting pan and pour the marinade over the roast. Add the remaining broth and water. Roast with no  lid for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours turning once within that time. Remove roast and let stand till cool. Reserve juice. Slice beef thin on a meat slicer.  If you don't have a slicer, get one.  You'll use it for a lot more things than roast beef. Place beef in juice. Cut peppers into slices and saute in oil until done.Slice  your rolls and pile on that juicy beef.  Add sweet peppers or  giardinera and eat.  Don't forget those napkins.  In the summer, try  this recipe on a grill.  Oh my goodness!

Little Italy Chicago

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Exterior view (in 1909) of the storefront office of P. Schiavone & Son, bankers and steamship agents, located at 925 South Halsted Street.Little Italy is located in the Near West Side community area of the city of Chicago, Illinois. It encompasses a 12 block stretch of Taylor Street east of Ashland Avenue and the streets to the north and south for several blocks in each direction. The neighborhood lies between the Illinois Medical District to the west and the University of Illinois at Chicago to the east. It is a neighborhood of strongly Italian influence.

Little Italy never had a concentration of Italian-Americans that constituted a majority.[1] Other ethnicities have always been present in the area known as "Little Italy."[2] Nonetheless, the neighborhood was given its name due to the strong influence of Italians and Italian culture on the neighborhood throughout the 19th and 20th century.

Though the Italian population declined throughout the late 20th century, many Italian restaurants and groceries remain in the formerly prominent Taylor Street corridor.[3] The neighborhood also hosts the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame as well as the historic Roman Catholic churches Our Lady of Pompeii, Notre Dame de Chicago, and Holy Family  1940s to present Italians began arriving in Chicago in the 1850s in small numbers. By 1880, there were 1,357 Italians in the city.[4] By the 1920s, Italian cookery became one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in America, spawning many successful bakeries and restaurants—some of which prospered for generations and continue to influence the Chicago dining scene today.[3] By 1927, Italians owned 500 grocery stores, 257 restaurants, 240 pastry shops, and numerous other food related businesses that were concentrated in the Italian neighborhoods.[3] One success story is that of the Gonnella Baking Company, Chicago’s largest producer of Italian bread and rolls.[5]

The immigration of Italians accelerated throughout the late 19th century and into the early 20th century. Chicago's foreign-born Italian population was 16,008 in 1900 and peaked at 73,960 in 1930.[4] The largest area of settlement was the Taylor Street area, but there were also 20 other significant Italian enclaves throughout the city and suburbs.


1940s to present
Following World War II, several developments hindered the cohesion of the community. The construction of the Eisenhower Expressway and the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical district forced many to move. The establishment of the Circle Campus of UIC in the 1960s by Mayor Richard J. Daley further dispersed the community. During the construction of the 100-acre UIC campus, 200 businesses and 800 homes were bulldozed in Little Italy, with 5,000 residents displaced.[6]

By the end of the 20th century, Little Italy was one of many formerly high-profile elements of the city’s geography that had become a mere shadow of itself.[7] Few long-time residents are left in the community. Census data for the Taylor Street Little Italy tract showed only 1,280 people reporting Italian as their primary ancestry in 1990. In 2000, the number was 1,018.[8] However, Chicago’s foodways continue to rely on their roots in the intimate neighborhood cuisines, including cuisine from the surviving Italian restaurants in the formerly prominent Taylor Street corridor.[3]


Recent gentrification
Rents in the area have risen in the past few decades due to an influx of condominiums, townhouses, and the proximity of Little Italy to UIC and the Loop. An example of this gentrification: in the 1990 census, no homes in the Little Italy sample area were reported to be worth more than $400,000. By contrast, according to the 2000 census, 62 homes were reportedly worth more than $500,000, and 13 of those were worth at least $1 million.[8].


Landmarks
Two of the more significant landmarks of Little Italy were the Catholic churches of Our Lady of Pompeii and Holy Guardian Angel founded by Mother Cabrini.[9] Holy Guardian Angel was the first Italian congregation in Chicago. The parish was established in 1898, and the church was built on Arthington Street in 1899. Due to the burgeoning population, a second major Italian church, Our Lady of Pompeii, was founded in 1911.[10] The Holy Guardian Angel Church was razed for the construction of the expressway system.[11] The Our Lady of Pompeii Church is now a the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii.

Hull House, Jane Addams' settlement house known for its social and educational programs was also located within the Little Italy area.

In recent years, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (founded in 1977 in Elmwood Park, Illinois) was relocated to a new building in Little Italy.


Other "Little Italies" in Chicago

A three story apartment house and a one story dwelling in Little Hell in September 1902.Several other areas in Chicago had significant Italian populations aside from Taylor Street, which has popularly been known as Chicago's "Little Italy."


Little Sicily or "Little Hell"
In the 22nd Ward on the city's Near North Side, a Sicilian enclave known alternately as "Little Sicily" and "Little Hell" was established in an area formerly populated by Scandinavians.[12] It was considered the most colorful Italian neighborhood,[9] and was home to 20,000 Italians by 1920.[9] However, the neighborhood no longer exists today due to the construction of the Cabrini-Green public housing projects on the site during and after WWII. By the mid 1960s, the rising violent crime rate and other social problems that came as a result of the housing projects caused an exodus of many of the original inhabitants of the area.[12]


"Heart of Italy"
On the city's South Side, a community centered on 24th and Oakley called "Heart of Italy" or "Little Tuscany" is composed mostly of Northern Italian immigrants. This neighborhood is home to the yearly Festa Pasta Vino, an Italian food and wine festival that claims to be "Chicago’s largest celebration of Italian culture".[13]


References
^ a b Grinnell, Max. "Encyclopedia of Chicago "Little Italy"". Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved on 2007-02-07.
^ Binford, Henry C., "Multicentered Chicago", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, p. 548-9, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
^ a b c d Poe, Tracy N., "Foodways", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, p. 308-9, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
^ a b Vecoli, Rodolph J., "Italians", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
^ Kraig, Bruce, "Food Processing", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, p. 304, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
^ Leroux, Charles, "Cold Shoulder: UIC and its neighborhood are thriving but the two have yet to embrace", Chicago Tribune, September 25, 1991.
^ Binford, Henry C., "Multicentered Chicago", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, p. 552, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
^ a b Paolini, Matthew and Craig Tiede, "Economic upswing in Little Italy comes with a price" Medill News Service. December 1, 2005.
^ a b c Candeloro, Dominic (2006). "[http://www.virtualitalia.com/ch/chicago_italians1.shtml chicago's italians immigrants, ethnics, achievers, 1850-1985 - part 1]". virtualitalia.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
^ Candeloro, Dominic Lawrence Chicago's Italians: Immigrants, Ethnics, Americans p. 24
^ Candeloro, Dominic (2006). "[http://www.virtualitalia.com/ch/chicago_italians2.shtml chicago's italians immigrants, ethnics, achievers, 1850-1985 - part 2]". virtualitalia.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
^ a b Seligman, Amanda, "Cabrini-Green", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
^ "Chicago's Festa Pasta Vino". Retrieved on 2007-02-08.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia