Prohibition-era Chicago crime family
Criminal organization
The
Genna crime family
(
Italian pronunciation:
[?d??nna]
), was a
crime family
that operated in
Prohibition-era
Chicago. From 1921 to 1925, the family was headed by the six Genna brothers, known as the
Terrible Gennas
.
[1]
The brothers were
Sicilians
from the town of
Marsala
and operated from
Chicago's Little Italy
and maintained control over the
Unione Siciliana
.
[1]
They were allies with fellow Italian gang the
Chicago Outfit
. After a bloody war led to their demise in the 1920s, the gang was eventually absorbed by the Chicago Outfit.
The Genna brothers
[
edit
]
The Genna brothers consisted of six
Sicilian
brothers.
Vincenzo "James" Genna
was the leader of the gang.
Angelo "Bloody Angelo" Genna
, the youngest of the six, was the family's primary enforcer, and participated heavily the 19th ward political wars of the late 1920s.
Mike "The Devil"
was generally kept busy with low-level violent tasks.
Antonio "The Gentleman" Genna
remained aloof from the day-to-day gang activities, preferring to remain behind the scenes. Sam Genna oversaw the gangs political connections and Peter ran a saloon.
[2]
In 1919, the Gennas became involved in
bootlegging
; they obtained a federal license to legally manufacture
industrial alcohol
, which they sold illegally.
[3]
The Genna brothers operated from
Chicago's Little Italy
, bordered by the Chicago River in the east, Kinzie street in the north, Kedzie avenue in the west, and Roosevelt road in the south.
[3]
At the onset of Prohibition, the Genna gang was a member of Torrio's beer cartel, agreeing to sell its alcohol only within its territory. By 1924, the Genna brothers had begun selling their extra alcohol at cut-rate prices outside their territory.
[3]
This produced a clash with the North Side Gang leader
Dean O'Banion
, who went to
John "Johnny The Fox" Torrio
and
Unione Siciliana
boss
Mike Merlo
to punish the Gennas for breaking the deal.
[3]
Torrio failed to act and O'Banion and his gang began hijacking shipments of booze that belonged to the Genna brothers.
[3]
In May 1924, O'Banion set Torrio up to be arrested at the Sieben Brewery, kicking off the "Beer Wars". Merlo, who had been key in keeping the peace, died in November 1924. The next day, Genna hitmen
John Scalise
and Albert Anselmi, joined by
Frankie Yale
, shot and killed O'Banion at his flower shop.
[2]
Gang war
[
edit
]
After O'Banion's murder, the new North Side Gang leader,
Hymie Weiss
, negotiated a temporary truce with the Gennas. The North Siders focused on attacking the Torrio-Capone gang, first shooting up Al Capone's car in January 1925, then nearly killing Torrio in an ambush outside his home later that month. After leaving the hospital, Torrio fled to Italy, leaving
Al Capone
as boss.
By spring 1925, North Side Gang was targeting the Genna brothers. First, Bloody Angelo Genna was killed on May 27, 1925, after a high-speed car chase, then shot him to death.
[3]
On June 13, 1925, Mike Genna was gunned down by police after a shootout with the North Siders.
[3]
Antonio Genna was shot to death on July 8, 1925, in an ambush. The remaining three brothers Jim, Sam, and Pete fled Chicago.
[3]
D'Andrea and the Unione Siciliana
[
edit
]
Anthony D'Andrea
was a
Sicilian Mafia
boss in
Chicago's Little Italy
. His closest allies were the Genna brothers, who operated illegal gambling clubs and salons in his territory.
[1]
In 1919, D'Andrea became president of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Siciliana, an organization dedicated to helping poor Sicilian immigrants. D'Andrea wanted more political power, and ran to become
alderman
of Chicago's 19th Ward, which included Little Italy. This started the
Aldermen's Wars
between D'Andrea and John Powers, an Irish saloon-keeper who was the sitting alderman. On May 11, 1921, D'Andrea was shot and killed while entering his apartment.
Joe Aiello and the last fight
[
edit
]
Giuseppe "Joe" Aiello
and his brothers Salvatore "Sam" and Pietro "Peter" declared themselves bosses of the old Genna brothers territory of
Little Italy
.
[4]
The Aiello brothers had an alliance with the
Castellammarese Clan
boss
Salvatore Maranzano
and close connection to the
North Side Gang
.
[4]
The brothers attempted to murder
Al Capone
and become the most powerful organization in Chicago. Giuseppe Aiello was murdered in 1930 and Capone took over all Italian organized crime.
[4]
Members of Chicago's Sicilian Mafia
[
edit
]
Bosses
[
edit
]
Other members
[
edit
]
Rival
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Capeci, Jerry.
The complete idiot's guide to the Mafia
pg.82-84
- ^
a
b
Binder, John J. (2017).
Al Capone's Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago during Prohibition
. Prometheus.
ISBN
978-1633882850
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
"La Cosa Nostra database: Genna Brothers"
Brothers
- ^
a
b
c
The true and complete story of 'machine gun' Jack McGurn
by Amanda Jayne Parr
pg.244
- ^
Reppetto, Thomas A.
American Mafia: a history of its rise to power
pg.69
- ^
Lombardo, Robert M.
The Black Hand: Terror by Letter in Chicago
pg.86
- ^
After Capone: the life and world of Chicago mob boss Frank "the Enforcer" Nitti
By Mars Eghigian, Jr., Frank Nitti
pg.142
- ^
Critchley, David
The origin of organized crime in America: the New York City mafia, 1891-1931
pg.56
- ^
Lombardo, Robert M.
The Black Hand: Terror by Letter in Chicago
pg.94
- ^
Parr, Amanda Jayne
The True and complete story of 'machine gun' Jack McGurn
pg. 37
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