Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS | More
Carlo Morelli was born in the Italian section of Chicago known as the Patch. While we often tell negative stories about young men who came out of the Patch, this episode and the next episode will tell about a talented young man of Italian descent who overcame the negative influences of the culture and how he overcame and grew up to have a long and successful career in fashion design, the hospitality business and finally as a chef and television host. In this and the next episode, Mr. Morelli recounts how the Chicago Outfit affected his early life. In this episode Aaron and I learn about Mr. Morelli’s almost disastrous confrontation with the most brutal and vicious Chicago Outfit loan shark of all times Mad Sam DeStefano. At the tender age of 11 years, Carlo Morelli won a citywide art festival and an art scholarship to the Chicago Art Institute. During these years, he lived in the famous old Maryland Hotel an area close to the near north side entertainment and bar are along Rush street. By this time in the 1960s, the North Rush Street area had taken on a seediness like most American cities during that time. Like other downtown hotels, people down on their luck, prostitutes, strippers, small time criminals and men seeking cheap rooms for assignations were the primary residents. Although small, the rooms were cheap at less than $200.00 monthly.
Much like 42nd Street in Times Square, this Rush street area that once saw posh supper clubs now was host to adult movie theaters and strip clubs that were actually thinly-disguised places of prostitution. Of course, the Outfit was very prevalent and controlled the area’s clubs. The Chicago cops found this area to be a lucrative source of bribes to leave the clubs alone by not enforcing liquor laws and parking restrictions around certain establishment along with other little corruptions. At age 15, Carlo Morelli had the chutzpah to live and prosper in this atmosphere. He made friends with the strippers and prostitutes by using his costume design and repair skills to save them a lot of money with their wardrobes.
In a supper club known as Meo’s Norwood House, in the Northwest suburb of Norridge, the wife of one of the owners had an idea to promote a weekly lingerie fashion show for the benefit of the wise guys who frequented this place. At that time and for many years after, Chicago Outfit bosses Anthony Accardo and Paul Ricca met their in a corner table and most Outfit decisions at that time were made at that table.
Ms. Meo sought the help of young Carlo Morelli to create original lingerie and other sexy garments to attract the Outfit men. Many mob girl friends who were also strippers were employed as the runway models. When a mob guy’s girl friend appeared on stage, the men would buy the outfit. In one case, the new girl friend of Sam DeStefano made a miscalculation that brought down the wrath of Mad Sam onto her and our friend Carlo Morelii.
Well, Mr. Morelli survived this and other brushes with the Outfit and by the age of 23, he held a much acclaimed International Debut of Fashion and quickly launched The House of Carlo fashions. His fashion career led him to Hollywood where he was a wardrobe and costume designer on productions such as The Dean Martin Show, The Perry Como Show, Red Skeleton, Bonanza, and Hogan’s Heroes, and feature films, The Son’s of Katie Elder, War Lord, and Harlow! Click here to learn more about Carlo Morelli.
Don’t forget to listen to Aaron on the Big Dumb Fun Show.
To go to the our store click here
To rent Gangland Wire, the documentary, click here
To subscribe on iTunes click here, give me a review and I will send you a link to see the film for free.
Thank you for this podcast concerning Mr. Morelli and Meo’s Norwood house. I am the grandson of Mr. And Mrs Meo. Alfred was my grandfather and Tripolina was my grandmother.
I am 54 years old, son of alfred jr. feel free to vet me. I understand. Just wanted to say I enjoyed hearing these names. Places.
I was young but I remember these people as kind friends of my grandparents.
Thanks again for the memories
Best ,
Frank A.Meo
Frank, thank you for your reply. I am emailing you. I am very interested in the day-to-day events around your folk’s restaurant.
Frank, thank you for your reply. I am emailing you. I am very interested in the day-to-day events around your folk’s restaurant.
Loved hearing about my grandmother Tripolina aka Trip I am also the granddaughter of Alfred Meo and Tripolina their daughter Victoria was my mother I was young but remember everything it was normal to see Tony Accardo and some of the other guy’s to me growing up they were family they used to give me $20 to smile to see my dimples looking back just makes me smile the restaurant was home to me and my brother Frank is my cousin my mom’s younger brothers son life is so different from then at that age I didn’t know what was going on I just wanted to get into the room they would have dinner in (meetng’s) I enjoy hearing anything about my grandparents and the restaurants thank you Victoria
Thank you so much for your story. I am glad I could bring back some good memories.
Loved hearing about my grandmother Tripolina aka Trip I am also the granddaughter of Alfred Meo and Tripolina their daughter Victoria was my mother I was young but remember everything it was normal to see Tony Accardo and some of the other guy’s to me growing up they were family they used to give me $20 to smile to see my dimples looking back just makes me smile the restaurant was home to me and my brother Frank is my cousin my mom’s younger brothers son life is so different from then at that age I didn’t know what was going on I just wanted to get into the room they would have dinner in (meetng’s) I enjoy hearing anything about my grandparents and the restaurants thank you Victoria
I appreciate this insight on my families history. I’m the 2nd son of Alfred Jr. For years I had no idea of my families history on my father’s side. I always wished to know my grandparents better on my father’s side. Thank you for putting my family in a positive light….