Milwaukee crime family

The Balistrieri branch of the Chicago Outfit of the American Mafia

Milwaukee Crime FamilyFounded| 1918

|

Founded by| Vito Guardalabene
Founding location| Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Years active| 1918–present
Territory| Greater Milwaukee and some cities in all Wisconsin (as Madison)
Ethnicity| Italians, Italian Americans are made men. Other ethnicities as "associates".
Criminal activities| Skimming, gambling, narcotics, racketeering, murder, extortion, prostitution, bookmaking, bribery, and loan sharking
Allies| Chicago Outfit
Five Families
Rivals| various street gangs in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Crime Family, Balistrieri Crime Family, or Milwaukee Mafia is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] The crime family was considered a branch of the Chicago Outfit. The family's most influential boss was Frank "Mr. Big" Balistrieri, who was greatly involved in the Las Vegas skimming casinos.[2] Today, the crime family is nearly extinct, since Balistrieri died in 1993, with the Chicago Outfit gaining control over some of the illegal rackets in the area.[3]

## Historical leadership[edit]

### Boss (official and acting)[edit]

* 1918–1921 — Vito Guardalabene — died on February 6, 1921, from natural causes.[3][4]
* 1921–1927 — Peter Guardalabene — the son of Vito Guardalabene[3][5]
* 1927 — Joseph Amato — died of natural causes on March 28, 1927.[3][6]
* 1927–1949 — Joseph Vallone — retired from the rackets in 1949 and died of natural causes on March 18, 1952.[7]
* 1949–1952 — Sam Ferrara — in 1952 voted out by his family, so members of the Chicago Outfit forced him to step down.[3]
* 1952–1961 — John Alioto — trained his son-in-law Frank Balistrieri.[3][8]
* 1961–1993 — Frank Balistrieri — imprisoned March 1967-June 1971. In the late 1970s, with his two sons Joseph and John worked with Bonanno crime family capo Michael Sabella. He was imprisoned from 1983 to 1991 for his involvement in Las Vegas skim racket. He died of natural causes on February 7, 1993.[3]
* Acting 1967–1971 — Joseph Balistrieri Sr. — Frank's son and capo, became underboss in 1993.
* Acting 1983–1993 — Peter Balistrieri — Frank Balistrieri's brother and underboss.[3]
* 1993–1997 — Peter Balistrieri — died of natural causes on August 17, 1997[3]
* 1997–2014 — Joseph Caminiti — served as Frank Balistrieri's consigliere; died in January 2014.[3]
* 2014–2024 — Peter "Pitch" Picciurro[9] — died of natural causes on January 6, 2024.[10]

### Underboss[edit]

* 1927–1949 — Steven "Steve" DiSalvo — demoted in 1949, retired in the 1980s, deceased in the 1990s.
* 1952–1961 — Joseph Gumina — moved to Kansas City, deceased in the 1970s.
* 1961–1993 — Peter Balistrieri — became boss.
* 1993–2010 — Joseph "Joey Bal" Balistrieri Sr. — Frank's son, deceased in 2010.

### Consigliere[edit]

* 1927–1952 — Vito Seidita — stepped down, retired in 1971, deceased in 1978.
* 1952–1961 — Carmelo "Charles" Zarcone — demoted in 1961, deceased in 1969.
* 1961–1997 — Joseph "Joe Camel" Caminiti — became boss.
* 1997–2014 — Peter "Pitch" Picciurro — became boss.
* 2014–present — John "Johnny Bal" Balistrieri

## Current members[edit]

After the death of Frank Balistrieri, the Chicago Outfit has taken control of the Milwaukee illegal rackets.[9] The Chicago Outfit had represented the Milwaukee family on the American Mafia Commission

### Administration[edit]

* Boss — Vacant
* Consigliere — John "Johnny Bal" Balistrieri[9] — is the son of Frank Balistrieri, the former boss of the Milwaukee family. John served as lawyer until 1984, when his license was suspended and he was later disbarred. In August 2014, John Balistrieri's application to reinstate his law license was rejected by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[11]

## Former members[edit]

* Peter "Pitch" Picciurro[9] — former family boss, the owner of Pitch's Lounge and Restaurant and blood relative to Frank Balistrieri.[12] The son of Milwaukee mobster John J. Picciurro and cousin to Frank and Peter Balistrieri.

## See also[edit]

* August Palmisano

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Peter J. Devico The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra. (pg.154-156)
2. ^ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Searches Conducted on March 8, 1980 Archived January 2, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jay C. Ambler. "Milwaukee, WI Crime family" (2000) Rick Porrello's American Mafia.com
4. ^ Schmitt, Gavin (25 October 2021). "Vito Guardalabene – Boss of the Milwaukee Mafia". MilwaukeeMafia.com.
5. ^ Schmitt, Gavin (26 October 2021). "Pete Guardalabene – Boss of the Milwaukee Mafia". MilwaukeeMafia.com.
6. ^ Schmitt, Gavin. "Joseph Amato – Boss of the Milwaukee Mafia". MilwaukeeMafia.com.
7. ^ Schmitt, Gavin (26 October 2021). "Joseph Vallone – Boss of the Milwaukee Mafia". MilwaukeeMafia.com.
8. ^ Schmitt, Gavin. "John Alioto – Boss of the Milwaukee Mafia". MilwaukeeMafia.com.
9. ^ a b c d SANTOLO, DIMAIOLO (November 12, 2014). "Milwaukee mafia boss Frank Balistrieri son to remain disbarred". Retrieved 8 January 2022.
10. ^ "Obituaries in Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel". jsonline.com. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
11. ^ Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects crime boss' son John Balistrieri bid to practice law, Journal Sentinel, August 12, 2014
12. ^ Westphal, Caleb (June 2, 2017). "178 consecutive Friday night fish fries and counting: Pitch's Lounge and Restaurant". Milwaukee Record. News Paper. Retrieved 8 January 2022.

## Further reading[edit]

* Schmitt, Gavin. Milwaukee Mafia. Arcadia, 2012. ISBN 0738594431
* Schmitt, Gavin. The Milwaukee Mafia: Mobsters in the Heartland. Barricade Books, 2015. ISBN 978-0962303265

## External links[edit]

* American Gangland: Balistrieri Crime Family
* Dieland: The Milwaukee Family
* Milwaukee Mafia

* v
* t
* e

Italian-American Mafia

* List of Mafia crime families
* Mafia bibliography

Families|

| Five Families of
New York City|

* Bonanno
* Calabrian group
* Motion Lounge crew
* Sicilian group
* Colombo
* Gambino
* Baltimore Crew
* Ozone Park Boys
* Genovese
* 116th Street Crew
* Broadway Mob
* Greenwich Village Crew
* New Jersey faction
* Lucchese
* Jersey Crew
* Tanglewood Boys
* Vario Crew

|

East Coast|

* Buffalo
* DeCavalcante (Northern New Jersey)
* Patriarca (New England) (Angiulo's Boston crew)
* Philadelphia (10th & Oregon Crew)

Midwestern/Western|

* Chicago
* Detroit
* Kansas City
* Los Angeles

Mostly defunct|

* Bufalino (Northeastern Pennsylvania)
* Cleveland
* Colorado
* Dallas
* Genna (Chicago)
* Galveston (Houston)
* Lanzetta (Philadelphia)
* Morello (Italian Harlem)
* D'Aquila (Little Italy, Manhattan)
* New Orleans
* Milwaukee
* Pittsburgh
* Rochester
* San Francisco
* San Jose
* Seattle
* St. Louis
* Trafficante (Florida)

Structure|

| Chain of command|

* The Commission
* Boss
* Underboss
* Consigliere
* Caporegime
* Soldato
* Associate

|

Members (made men)|

* List of Italian-American mobsters
* List of Italian-American mobsters by organization

Terms|

* Initiation ritual
* Made man
* Bagman
* Black Hand
* Black Hand in Chicago
* Vendetta
* Capo dei capi (boss of bosses)
* Mustache Pete
* Omertà
* One-way ride
* Sixth Family
* Zips

Events|

| Meetings|

* Atlantic City Conference (1929)
* Havana Conference (1946)
* Apalachin meeting (1957)
* Palermo Mafia summit (1957)

|

Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

Wars|

* Mafia–Camorra War (1914–1917)
* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Trials|

* Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987)
* Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986)

Closely related
and affiliated
organizations|

| Active|

* Camorra
* Commisso 'ndrina
* Cotroni crime family
* The Corporation or Cuban Mafia
* Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan
* Inzerillo Mafia clan
* Jewish Mafia
* Luppino crime family
* Musitano crime family
* 'Ndrangheta
* Papalia crime family
* Philadelphia Greek Mob
* Rizzuto crime family
* Sacra Corona Unita
* Sicilian Mafia
* Siderno Group
* South Brooklyn Boys
* Stidda
* Unione Corse
* Velentzas Organization
* Winter Hill Gang

|

Defunct|

* Broadway Mob (Originally Jewish and Italian; absorbed by Genovese family)
* Bugs and Meyer Mob (Jewish, absorbed by Murder Inc.)
* Bumpy Johnson gang
* New York Camorra
* Los Angeles crime family (Both an American Mafia and Jewish Mafia family)
* The Council
* Dutch Schultz Mob
* East Harlem Purple Gang (Semi-independent, most closely affiliated with Genovese family)
* Five Points Gang
* Forty-Two Gang
* Italian-American National Union
* Marat Balagula gang (Russian mafia, affiliated with Lucchese)
* Murder, Inc. (Italian and Jewish, closely affiliated with or part of the American Mafia)
* National Crime Syndicate (Mostly Italian and Jewish)
* Rudaj Organization (Albanian mafia)
* Tanglewood Boys (Semi-independent Italian-American gang, affiliated with Lucchese family)
* Westies (largely defunct)

Other topics|

| Government
operations|

* Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia
* Operation Family Secrets
* Operation Old Bridge
* Operation Solare
* Operation Underworld
* Operation Wasteland

|

Crimes|

* French Connection
* Hired Truck Program
* Lufthansa heist
* Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

Related articles|

* Barrel murder
* Buster from Chicago
* Cement shoes
* Shotgun Man

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