Chicago SunTimes July 29, 2001

Who's Chicago's godfather?

BY ABDON M. PALLASCH LEGAL AFFAIRS REPORTER

Since the death nine years ago of Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo, Chicago's mob has been without an official "godfather,'' mob watchers here say.

The Chicago Crime Commission lists John ''No Nose" DiFronzo, 72, as the boss of the Chicago Outfit. DiFronzo owned Northwest Side car dealerships and other businesses and reportedly earned his nickname in 1949 when a police bullet took part of his nose off in a botched armed robbery attempt. He has 26 arrests and four convictions under his belt.

The Combined Counties Police Association suspects Joey ''the Clown" Lombardo, 72, actually is the boss but that he lets people think DiFronzo is the boss to confuse the feds.

Still others would give the crown to Joe ''the Builder" Andriacchi, 68.

''That's the beauty of the Chicago Outfit: Nobody can even figure out who's the head of it,'' said Howard Abadinsky, a mob expert and professor at St. Xavier University. ''I'm impressed with their ability to keep that information secret. Contrast them to New York families where information leaks out like a sieve all the time.''

Whichever man is in charge, the bookmaking, union infiltration and political fixing go on, police say. Accardo reportedly advised his deputies to avoid attention-grabbing street killings. Instead of whacking delinquent bettors, the mob cuts them off as a regular bank would, Abadinsky said.

"Obviously [the mob] is still here," Abadinsky said. "They're just smart enough to keep a low profile with violence. The absence of violence has made the Outfit much more successful.''

DiFronzo was running the day-to-day operations of the mob as Accardo died and Lombardo served a prison sentence for trying to bribe former U.S. Sen. Howard Cannon (R-Nev.). Lombardo's exploits served as fodder for the movie "Casino." Lombardo could have retaken the reins when he got out of the joint.

The U.S. attorney's office continues to churn out indictments against alleged mobsters.

Mob associate John Serpico, 70, former president of the Central States Joint Board union organization, was convicted this month for his role in a scheme to get favorable personal loans from banks in return for depositing union funds he controlled.

Anthony Centrachio, 72, whom the Crime Commission considers the boss of the West Side and DuPage County branches of the mob, is awaiting trial on charges he bribed public officials to protect the mob's video gambling interests in the west suburbs.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001

Answers

Tony Accardo was "Joe Batters"? I always thought he was "Big Tuna". I am so out of it.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.

Not out of it at all Lars.

http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/2795.html

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), July 31, 2001.

Thank you Carlos. I thought I was losing my mind.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), July 31, 2001.