Al Capone vs. Joe Aiello: The War for Control of the Unione Siciliana Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) was an Italian American gangster born in Brooklyn, New York. He became the leading figure of the Chicago Outfit during Prohibition, a period when the ban on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages turned bootlegging into one of the most profitable criminal activities in the United States. Under his leadership, the organization was also involved in gambling, loan sharking, prostitution, extortion, and political corruption. Among Capone’s most important enemies was Giuseppe “Joe” Aiello (September 27, 1890 – October 23, 1930), a bootlegger and leader of a prominent Sicilian criminal organization in Chicago. Born in Bagheria, Sicily, Aiello immigrated to the United States at a young age and, together with members of his family, initially became involved in the food business. During Prohibition, the family’s businesses began supplying sugar—a raw material used in the illicit production of alcoholic beverages—and Aiello expanded his activities into bootlegging and other illegal enterprises. The rivalry between the two men intensified over control of the Unione Siciliana, a mutual-aid and representative organization for Sicilian immigrants that had become deeply influenced by organized crime in Chicago. The organization held political and social importance within the Italian community and also became a tool of influence in Chicago’s underworld. Antonio Lombardo and the Unione Siciliana Antonio “Tony the Scourge” Lombardo (November 23, 1891 – September 7, 1928) was a Sicilian immigrant who settled in Chicago and built a career in the wholesale food business. He became associated with Al Capone and, after Johnny Torrio’s retirement, served as Capone’s consigliere. In November 1925, Lombardo became president of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Siciliana. The term consigliere, used to describe Lombardo, referred to a high-ranking adviser within a criminal organization, whose role was to advise the boss and, in certain situations, represent him in negotiations. Lombardo’s rise deeply angered Joe Aiello, who also wanted control of the Unione Siciliana. Aiello believed that Capone had been responsible for Lombardo’s appointment and resented Capone’s growing influence over an organization traditionally associated with Sicilians. Aiello broke off his personal and business ties with Lombardo and openly confronted Capone. The struggle for control of the Unione Siciliana gradually developed into a war of assassinations, conspiracies, and alliances among different criminal factions. One of Aiello’s allies was Jack Zuta (1888 – August 1, 1930), an accountant and political fixer connected to Chicago’s underworld. Zuta had worked for Capone during the 1920s and helped move money and arrange political connections for the organization. During the war between Capone and the North Side Gang, Zuta defected to Bugs Moran’s faction, becoming an enemy of his former employer. A fixer is someone employed to solve problems, broker deals, establish contacts, or use political and social connections to benefit an organization. Attempts to Kill Capone Beginning in the spring of 1927, Aiello began plotting to eliminate both Lombardo and Capone. One of the best-known stories involves the Bella Napoli Café, a restaurant associated with Joseph “Diamond Joe” Esposito and frequented by Capone. According to accounts of the incident, Aiello offered the restaurant’s cook between $10,000 and $35,000 to poison a soup intended for Capone and Lombardo. The cook, however, reportedly revealed the plot to Capone. In response, men associated with the Chicago Outfit attacked the Aiello family’s bakery on West Division Street on May 28, 1927. More than 200 shots were fired at the establishment, wounding Antonio Aiello, Joe’s brother. Joseph “Diamond Joe” Esposito Joseph “Diamond Joe” Esposito (October 6, 1871 – March 21, 1928), born Giuseppe Esposito, was a Chicago politician and criminal. He became the political boss of the 19th Ward and one of the first Italian Americans to serve as an alderman in the city. During Prohibition, he used his political influence to protect interests connected to bootlegging, extortion, and other criminal activities. Esposito had been associated with Johnny Torrio’s circle but later became a rival of Capone. On March 21, 1928, he was assassinated in a shooting outside his home. During the summer and fall of 1927, several gunmen hired by Aiello to kill Capone ended up dead. Among those associated with the attempts were Anthony Russo and Vincent Spicuzza. Aiello reportedly offered a $50,000 bounty for Capone’s death. One of the men who reportedly tried to collect the bounty was Ralph Sheldon, a former ally of Capone. Sheldon attempted to attack Capone and Lombardo, but Capone’s intelligence network uncovered the conspiracy. The gunman was shot outside a hotel on the West Side but survived. In November 1927, Aiello also reportedly organized machine-gun attacks on Lombardo’s home and a tobacco shop frequented by Capone. The plans were discovered by police after an anonymous tip. Among those arrested was Milwaukee gunman Angelo La Mantio. Receipts found on La Mantio reportedly helped police connect him to the plots against Capone and Lombardo. Aiello was eventually arrested and taken to the South Clark Street police station. The arrest produced one of the most characteristic scenes of Chicago’s gang wars: Capone sent nearly two dozen armed men to remain outside the police station. Reporters and photographers gathered at the scene, expecting a possible assassination. Aiello was eventually released and given a police escort. Later, claiming health problems, his lawyer managed to prevent him from appearing in court. Aiello fled with members of his family to Trenton, New Jersey, where he continued plotting against Capone and Lombardo. The Murder of Antonio Lombardo The war entered a new phase on September 7, 1928. Antonio Lombardo was assassinated in Chicago along with his bodyguard, Joseph Ferrara. Authorities and historians attributed the attack to men associated with the alliance between Joe Aiello and the North Side Gang. Lombardo’s death further intensified the war between Capone and Aiello and contributed to the escalation of violence that would characterize Chicago in the late 1920s. The Anselmi, Scalise, and Giunta Conspiracy In May 1929, Frank Rio, one of Capone’s bodyguards and trusted associates, discovered a conspiracy involving three members of the Chicago Outfit itself: Albert Anselmi, John Scalise, and Joseph “Hop Toad” Giunta. According to the traditional version of the story, the three men had been persuaded by Aiello to betray Capone and attempt to take control of the organization. The most famous version of the story claims that Capone gathered the three men, brutally beat them with a baseball bat, and then ordered their execution. The episode became famous after being portrayed in the 1987 film The Untouchables. However, this story should be presented with caution. Some researchers believe that the baseball-bat episode may have been exaggerated or even transformed into a legend by the Mafia itself in order to enhance Capone’s reputation as a ruthless boss. The End of Joe Aiello In 1930, after years of conspiracies, Capone decided to eliminate his rival once and for all. Aiello continued searching for protection and safe places where he could escape the men of the Chicago Outfit. For a time, he was connected to Rochester, New York, where he had ties to Stefano Magaddino, a powerful organized-crime boss in Buffalo. Capone’s men even planned to kill him in Rochester, but Aiello returned to Chicago before the plan could be carried out. Increasingly concerned about his safety, Aiello eventually hid in the apartment of Pasquale “Patsy Presto” Prestogiacomo, treasurer of the Unione Siciliana, on North Kolmar Avenue. On October 23, 1930, Aiello left the building to get into a taxi. According to accounts of the assassination, a gunman opened fire from a window across the street. Aiello was struck repeatedly and attempted to escape by running around the corner. However, he ran directly into the line of fire of a second gunman, who also opened fire. Aiello died that day at the age of 40. Some sources report that he was struck by 59 bullets. His death is generally attributed to an ambush ordered by Capone, although, as with many murders in Chicago’s underworld, direct responsibility was never established in court. Joe Aiello’s death brought an end to one of the bloodiest struggles for control of the Italian American underworld in Chicago during Prohibition. Alex