Balistrieri, Frank P. (1918-1993)

b. Milwaukee, May 27, 1918.
d. Milwaukee, Feb. 7, 1993.

Frank Peter Balistrieri was the best known of Milwaukee's Mafia bosses and the most targeted by law enforcement.

Balistrieri was also the first local Mafia boss who was born in the United States. He was born in Milwaukee in 1918, the son of immigrant Mafiosi Joseph Balistrieri of the Town of Aspra near Santa Flavia, Sicily. He grew up in the city's Third Ward "Little Sicily" neighborhood around the intersection of Jefferson and Detroit Streets. (Detroit Street was later renamed St. Paul Avenue.)

FBI heard conflicting reports about Balistrieri's selection as boss. Some said that Alioto had trained him for the post through years and handed him the reins in December 1961 or January 1962. Others said that Alioto went into retirement at that time opposed to the idea of Balistrieri becoming boss, preferring someone older and more experienced. (FBI heard that Alioto was angered by a Balistrieri romantic relationship outside of his marriage to Alioto's daughter.)

As Balistrieri advanced in the local Mafia, he opened night clubs and gambling spots and attempted to monopolize jukeboxes and coin-operated vending machines. The success of one of his gambling ventures brought him into conflict with boss Sam Ferrara in 1952. Ferrara wanted a piece of the Balistrieri-run Ogden Social Club gambling hall. When Balistrieri resisted, Ferrara ousted him from the crime family.

Balistrieri's father-in-law John Alioto, a capodecina in the Milwaukee organization, brought a protest to the leaders of the Chicago Outfit. Since the establishment of the Mafia's Commission system in the early 1930s, Chicago had been responsible for overseeing Milwaukee. Outfit bosses ruled that Ferrara exceeded his authority and ordered him to step down. The Outfit then installed Alioto as the new boss.

Alioto reportedly groomed Balistrieri as his successor but seems to have had second thoughts as he retired in 1961-62. Alioto was upset by a Balistrieri romantic relationship outside of his marriage to Alioto's daughter. The break between the two men became so severe that Alioto did not attend the funeral of Balistrieri's father in 1971.

As boss, Balistrieri sought to increase the crime family's wealth and influence by assessing a street tax on gambling racketeers and a number of legitimate businesses. He brought in Joseph Gurera and Buster Balestrere from Kansas City (the Balistrieris of Milwaukee and the Balestreres of Kansas City are related) to enforce that protection racket.

He angered segments of his organization by elevating the newcomer Gurera to capodecina rank, as well as by doing away with the "sagia," a leadership panel used by Alioto for dispute resolution, and by acting in an autocratic manner. Balistrieri was protected against rebellion through his close relationship with Chicago Outfit leaders, particularly Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio.

He could not protect himself against the U.S. government, however. In the late 1960s, he was sentenced to two years in federal prison for tax evasion. In the 1980s, his participation in extortion and Las Vegas casino skimming rackets were exposed. In 1984, he was sentenced to thirteen more years in federal prison. (His sons, Joseph P. and John J. Balistrieri, were also convicted of extortion and served time in federal prison.) During this imprisonment, Balistrieri's brother Peter stood in for him as acting boss.

Frank Balistrieri was released from federal prison at Butner, North Carolina, in 1991. He died of a heart attack in 1993.

Sources:
  • "Balistrieri given 13 years," Oshkosh WI Northwestern, May 30, 1984, p. 3.
  • "Balistrieri goes to grave denying being mob boss," Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, Feb. 8, 1993, p. 2.
  • "Feds clean up union," Oshkosh WI Northwestern, Aug. 25, 1996, p. 15.
  • "Genealogy search," Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries, cemeteries.org.
  • Joseph Balistrieri Naturalization Petition, U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Wisconsin, Vol. 111, No. 15152, certificate no. 5199880, filed May 20, 1941, approved July 17, 1941.
  • Le Grand, Alexander P., "La Cosa Nostra," FBI report, file no. 92-6054-640, NARA no. 124-10287-10189, May 28, 1964.
  • Reed, Carlyle N., "La Cosa Nostra," FBI report, file no. 92-6054-2105, NARA no. 124-10293-10341, Sept. 11, 1967.
  • Schmitt, Gavin, Milwaukee Mafia: Images of America, Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
  • Schmitt, Gavin, The Milwaukee Mafia, Fort Lee NJ: Barricade Books, 2014
  • Social Security Death Index, 388-18-0128, died Feb. 7, 1993.
  • United States Census of 1920, Wisconsin, County of Milwaukee, City of Milwaukee, Enumeration District 42.

See also:

Balistrieri, Peter F. (1919-1997)

b. Milwaukee, Sept. 12, 1919.
d. Milwaukee, Aug. 16, 1997.

As boss Frank Balistrieri headed  off to prison for a long sentence in 1984, his brother Peter Frank Balistrieri took temporary control of crime family operations.

Frank and Peter were sons of Milwaukee Mafioso Joseph Balistrieri, a native of the Town of Aspra, near Santa Flavia and Bagheria in Palermo Province, Sicily. During his brother's reign as boss, Peter served as a capodecina over a younger Milwaukee Mafia faction.

Frank Balistrieri and his two sons, Joseph P. Balistrieri and John J. Balistrieri, were convicted of extortion in 1984. Frank was sentenced to thirteen years in prison and a $30,000 fine. His sons were sentenced to eight years, later reduced to five years.

Peter Balistrieri presided over a period of great decline in the Milwaukee Mafia. Frank was released from prison in 1991 and died two years later. Peter died in 1997.

Sources:
  • "Balistrieri given 13 years," Oshkosh WI Northwestern, May 30, 1984, p. 3.
  • "Balistrieri goes to grave denying being mob boss," Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, Feb. 8, 1993, p. 2.
  • "Feds clean up union," Oshkosh WI Northwestern, Aug. 25, 1996, p. 15.
  • "Genealogy search," Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries, cemeteries.org.
  • Joseph Balistrieri Naturalization Petition, U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Wisconsin, Vol. 111, No. 15152, Certificate no. 5199880, filed May 20, 1941, approved July 17, 1941.
  • Le Grand, Alexander P., "La Cosa Nostra," FBI report, file no. 92-6054-640, NARA no. 124-10287-10189, May 28, 1964.
  • Reed, Carlyle N., "La Cosa Nostra," FBI report, file no. 92-6054-2105, NARA no. 124-10293-10341, Sept. 11, 1967.
  • Schmitt, Gavin, Milwaukee Mafia: Images of America, Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
  • Schmitt, Gavin, The Milwaukee Mafia, Fort Lee NJ: Barricade Books, 2014.
  • Social Security Death Index, 388-18-0128, died Feb. 7, 1993.
    United States Census of 1920, Wisconsin, County of Milwaukee, City of Milwaukee, Enumeration District 42.
See also:

Alioto, John (1888-1972)

b. Porticello, Santa Flavia, Sicily, Aug. 25, 1888.
d. Milwaukee, Aug. 27, 1972.

Alioto was the only boss of the Milwaukee Mafia to be installed by forces outside of the crime family. His reign marked the return to power of a faction originating in Santa Flavia, Sicily, after a quarter-century of diminished status.

After reaching Milwaukee in the 1900s, Alioto advanced through the local Outfit and formed alliances within the Santa Flavia faction. He served time in prison in the 1930s, following convictions for forgery and larceny. He and his wife Catherine raised a large family on Van Buren Street.

Two younger Mafiosi married into the Alioto family: Joseph Caminiti (a former Aiello Mafia member in Chicago who fled to Milwaukee following the unsuccessful war with Capone) married his daughter Mary; Frank Peter Balistrieri married his daughter Antonina "Nina."

A pivotal moment for Alioto and the Milwaukee Mafia occurred in 1952, when then-boss Sam Ferrara quarreled with Alioto son-in-law Frank Balistrieri. The cause of the quarrel reportedly was a Ferrara effort to acquire an ownership share in Balistrieri's Ogden Social Club gambling hall. Irritated by Balistrieri's resistance, Ferrara expelled Balistrieri from the Milwaukee Mafia. This briefly fractured the Milwaukee underworld and caused the involvement of Chicago Outfit leaders, responsible for overseeing Milwaukee under the Commission system established in the early 1930s.

A panel of Chicago gangsters - the FBI reported Anthony Accardo, Rocco Fischetti and Sam Giancana took part - ruled that Ferrara had abused his authority. The Chicagoans demoted Ferrara and installed John Alioto as new boss. The decision of Chicago Outfit leaders restored the power of the Milwaukee Mafia's founding Santa Flavia faction.

The Alioto administration included underboss Joe Gumina and lieutenants Mike Mineo, Pasquale Migliaccio, John DiTrapani and Frank Peter Balistrieri (restored to Mafia membership following the removal of Sam Ferrara as boss). During his reign, disputes within the family were resolved by a leadership panel, called "sagia."

Shortly after becoming boss, Alioto was faced with an insurrection. John DiTrapani, relative and godson of ex-boss Sam Ferrara, plotted with Frank LoGalbo and Jack Enea to take control of the crime family. The rebellion was put down with the murders of John DiTrapani and Jack Enea in 1954. Frank LoGalbo avoided a similar fate by quickly transfering out of the Milwaukee crime family and into a Chicago Outfit regime in Chicago Heights. He continued to reside in Milwaukee under Chicago protection.

It appears that Joseph Caminiti became an Alioto lieutenant following the murder of DiTrapani.

Alioto entered retirement around December 1961 or January 1962. Frank Balistrieri succeded him as boss. Alioto died of natural causes in 1972 at the age of 83. Following a funeral Mass at St. Rita's Church, he was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Sources:
  • "Balistrieri goes to grave denying being mob boss," Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, Feb. 8, 1993, p. 2.
  • "Death notices," Milwaukee Sentinel, Aug. 28, 1972, p. 14.
  • "Executive clemency denied 74 Badger state prisoners," Green Bay WI Press-Gazette, June 30, 1936, p. 19.
  • Le Grand, Alexander P., "La Cosa Nostra," FBI report, file no. 92-6054-640, NARA no. 124-10287-10189, May 28, 1964.
  • Reed, Carlyle N., "La Cosa Nostra," FBI report, file no. 92-6054-2105, NARA no. 124-10293-10341, Sept. 11, 1967.
  • Social Security Death Index, 387-40-5134, Aug. 1972.
  • United States Census of 1920, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Ward 3, Enumeration District 40.
  • United States Census of 1930, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Ward 3, Enumeration District 26.
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