Anthony Accardo

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Anthony Accardo (1960)

Anthony "Tony" Joseph Accardo (born April 28, 1906 in Chicago , Illinois ; † May 22, 1992 , ibid) was an American mobster . The Italian-American was the leader of the Chicago Outfit . Originally born as Antonino Leonardo Accardo , he was also known as "Joe Batters" and "Big Tuna".

In contrast to his successor Sam Giancana and other well-known gangsters, Accardo did not expose himself in public, so that he did not make the headlines. Perhaps for this reason too, he cited La Cosa Nostra in Chicago - which is also known as the Chicago outfit - far longer than z. B. Al Capone had done it. His accomplice and predecessor Paul Ricca said that Accardo had already shown more brains before breakfast than Capone over the entire day.

biography

Early years

Accardo grew up in northwest Chicago and began his criminal career as a juvenile pickpocket. He later stole cars. Although he was arrested many times, he was always immediately released without being convicted. In addition, Accardo, along with Anthony "Tough Tony" Capezio, led a small group of young people who roamed the streets of their home district causing unrest. Over time, the gang's activities became increasingly out of order; One of the gang's favorite activities was to steal money from various stores. A member who belonged to this ethnically-mixed group was Lester Joseph Gillis , which in 1934 by FBI boss Hoover as "Baby Face Nelson" to Public Enemy No. 1 was proclaimed.

Criminal career

When alcohol prohibition began in 1920, he was hanging around the Circus Cafe on North Avenue, owned by gangster John Edward "Screwy" Moore , known to many as Claude Maddox . Maddox was a member of the alcohol smuggling gang of Johnny Torrio , the then leader of the Chicago Outfit, and so began working for Accardo under Torrio.

There he soon rose to become an enforcer (en: "Enforcer") and earned the nickname Joe Batters . He was nicknamed by Al Capone when he was accepted into the gang at the age of 20 (and arguably also became Capone's bodyguard) for hitting the heads of insolvent victims with a baseball bat while he was wearing a baseball cap. In the 1930s, Accardo rose to capo , overseeing the outfit's gambling interests . He later acquired the name Big Tuna and is said to have also had something to do with the so-called Valentine's Day massacre .

In 1931 Al Capone was replaced by Frank Nitti , whose successor was Paul Ricca in March 1943 . When he was arrested in 1943 and imprisoned for ten years in 1945, Accardo was his successor, although it is unclear whether he initially worked as a front man for Ricca or acted independently from the start. Possibly the two even formed a leadership duo, in which the weight increasingly shifted to Accardo, because Ricca had been released after three years, but could no longer directly perform managerial tasks, as he was observed by the investigative authorities.

In any case, the outfit expanded considerably under Accardo, u. a. succeeded in gaining control of Las Vegas by rolling back the influence of the " Five Families " from New York City . Most of the western US was probably under the control of the outfit at the time. In the 1950s in Las Vegas began to invest millions in various casinos , such as B. the Riviera , the Stardust and the Tropicana .

Politically, the outfit was covered in his approach by the connection between Joseph P. Kennedy , the father of John F. Kennedy , and Sam Giancana . The Chicago mob backed the election of John F. Kennedy. It was therefore surprising when Robert F. Kennedy cracked down on organized crime . When the FBI began investigating the Cosa Nostra in Chicago, Accardo negotiated a gentlemen's agreement with the other families not to fight each other.

Last years

Even after his replacement as boss, Accardo was still the “ consigliere ” in Chicago after 1962 and thus continued to play an important role in day-to-day business, in other business activities and in contract killings. As z. B. Giancana was arrested in 1965 and then released, it was Accardo and Ricca who deposed him as chief. This made Joseph Aiuppa the new boss. Accardo's word still carried weight afterwards.

As z. B. his house was broken into in January 1977, Accardo gave the order to Aiuppa to murder those involved, including Anthony Spilotro . A number of other murders followed, as anyone who was somehow connected to the break-in was killed. The victims were usually badly mistreated before they died; some were castrated, others had their faces burned. In the logic of the Cosa Nostra, this was the consequence to protect Accardo's reputation ; because a mafioso who could be broken into with impunity could soon have his life stolen.

Tony Accardo was never in custody overnight and died on May 22, 1992 at the age of 86 from multiple organ failure of pneumonia in St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital .

Movie

literature

  • William F. Roemer, Jr .: Accardo: The Genuine Godfather , Ivy Books 1996, ISBN 0-8041-1464-1

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Paul Ricca Head of the “ Chicago Outfit ” of La Cosa Nostra
1945–1956 		Sam Giancana
personal data
SURNAME Accardo, Anthony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Accardo, Anthony Joseph
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American mobster
DATE OF BIRTH April 28, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH May 22, 1992
Place of death Chicago , Illinois