Gangland Wire Crime Stories

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In 1981, 10 year old Paul Scharff was awakened and told the news that his father, Ron Scharff, was killed by unknown persons at his McHenry County neighborhood tavern. Twenty-eight years later, Paul receives a call telling him who killed his father. In this story, we learn that sometimes the bad guys are the good […]

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In the second episode, Aaron and I discuss the mystery of what happened to the Marlborough Diamond. The listener will learn about the subsequent investigation and arrest of The Monk and The Brain in another audacious scheme long after the Marlborough Diamond caper. In what may be their last crime outside of prison, the 72

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In this new two part series, I tell about Chicago Mob associates Jerome “Jerry” “The Monk” Scalise and Arthur “The Brain” Rachel. These two guys were master criminals of the Chicago Underworld. Some claim that in the Michael Mann film Thief, the James Caan character, known only as Frank, was modeled on Scalise and the

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For this third segment on Joey Doves, I have gone back to my Freedom of Information Act documents on his criminal history. Aaron and I discuss raids on two clubs he owned.  The Frolics and the Magic Lounge were in the 4800 block of Cermak Road, Cicero, Illinois. From the F.B.I. documents, I learned they

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In this episode, Aaron and I examine exactly how Aiuppa got the nickname, Joey Doves. Most mob fans know he got caught with several hundred dead doves while on a hunting trip in Kansas. We will tell you where in Kansas, who he was hunting with and exactly how this Federal Gaming Law violation went

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I recently did a short written blog piece on Joey Doves. Aaron and I did a two-part episode on Joey Doves on Gangland Wire Crime Stories. In this first segment, we examine Aiuppa’s early criminal career. One unusual aspect is something I found in his FBI file.  The FBI believe he had a relationship with

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In the second segment, Bill Ouseley tells about Chicago mobster,  Charles “Cherry Nose” Gioe and his connection to Nick Civella and the 1950s KC Mob Boss, Anthony “Tony” Gizzo. Gizzo was made famous during the Estes Kefauver hearings when asked how much money he usually carried and he pulled a stack of hundred dollar bills from

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In this third and final segment, we learn about Nick Civella, Carl “Tuffy” DeLuna and their relationship with Joseph “Joey Doves” Aiuppa and the Chicago Outfit. Nick Civella teamed up with the Chicago, Milwaukee and Cleveland Mobs to influence a 62 million dollar Teamster’s Pension Fund loan and finance a man named Allen Glick to

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In the first of three episodes, Aaron and I invite retired F.B.I. Agent Bill Ouseley to discuss the connection between the Chicago Outfit and the Kansas City crime family. We will discuss the early days of Nick Civella’s criminal career and how his trouble with the Kansas City La Cosa Nostra forced him to flee

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Shoplifting seems like a crime done by kleptomaniacs, dysfunctional movie stars or teenagers. Well, there is a huge contingent of professional shoplifters working stores somewhere in the world,as you read this blog. In criminal lingo, a shoplifter is known as a “Booster.” Mostly, they are drug addicts trying to feed their habit. Most work in