Joseph Aiuppa
Encyclopedia
Joseph John Aiuppa (December 1, 1907 – February 22, 1997), also known as "Doves," "Mourning Doves," "O'Brien," or "Joey Doves," was a Chicago mobster who became a leader of the Chicago Outfit
.
, the eldest son of Simone Aiuppa (1883-1934) and Rosalia (1886-1968), Italian immigrants from Lascari
, Province of Palermo
, Sicily
.
During the 1920s, former boxer, Aiuppa rose through the ranks of the Outfit, beginning as a driver for higher ranking Outfit leaders such as Tony Accardo before graduating to operating several gambling establishments in Cicero, Illinois
. These clubs included bookmaking establishments and underground casinos with secret entrances. In the early 1930s, Aiuppa managed Taylor & Company, ostensibly a furniture manufacturer though in actuality a front for the manufacture of illegal slot machines.
infamous conviction for tax evasion, Aiuppa was convicted in 1966 for the unlawful possession and transportation of mourning doves across state lines. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
it is illegal to possess more than 24 doves per person outside of hunting season; however, in September 1962, as part of Robert Kennedy's crackdown on the Chicago Outfit, FBI agents in Kansas
searching Aiuppa's car discovered 563 frozen doves. Following a series of appeals, Aiuppa was eventually sentenced in August 1966, and received a 3-month jail sentence and a $1000 fine.
to kill Giancana. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) suspected that the Outfit killed Giancana because he refused to share his offshore gambling profits from Mexico
. Another murder theory states that Giancana's murder was connected to the U.S. Senate's investigation into the alleged CIA role in the conspiracy to assassinate Cuba
leader Fidel Castro
.
Roselli himself was also killed soon afterward for apparently being too forthcoming in the Church Committee
hearings, which were being held at this time.
casinos and received 28 years in prison. In June 1986, Tony "The Ant" Spilotro and his brother Michael
were found beaten and buried alive in a cornfield five miles away from Aiuppa property near Morocco, Indiana
. It was commonly assumed that the Outfit ordered Tony Spilotro's murder because of his misbehavior in Las Vegas. However, it was also rumored that Aiuppa ordered the executions because he blamed Spilotro for the skimming conviction.
In 1996, Aiuppa was released from prison. On February 22, 1997, Joseph Aiuppa died of natural causes at Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois
. He was buried at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois
.
, actor Pasquale Cajano
's character, "Remo Gaggi," is loosely based on Aiuppa. The Spilotro murders are also recreated in this film.
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
.
Early career
Joseph Aiuppa was born in Melrose Park, IllinoisMelrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland...
, the eldest son of Simone Aiuppa (1883-1934) and Rosalia (1886-1968), Italian immigrants from Lascari
Lascari
Lascari is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about 50 km east of Palermo...
, Province of Palermo
Province of Palermo
The Province of Palermo is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. The Province of Palermo has 82 comuni , 1,239,272 inhabitants, and is 4,992 km² .-External links:...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
During the 1920s, former boxer, Aiuppa rose through the ranks of the Outfit, beginning as a driver for higher ranking Outfit leaders such as Tony Accardo before graduating to operating several gambling establishments in Cicero, Illinois
Cicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
. These clubs included bookmaking establishments and underground casinos with secret entrances. In the early 1930s, Aiuppa managed Taylor & Company, ostensibly a furniture manufacturer though in actuality a front for the manufacture of illegal slot machines.
Joey "Doves"
In a move reminiscent of Al Capone'sAl Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
infamous conviction for tax evasion, Aiuppa was convicted in 1966 for the unlawful possession and transportation of mourning doves across state lines. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 , codified at , is a United States federal law, at first enacted in 1916 in order to implement the convention for the protection of migratory birds between the United States and Great Britain...
it is illegal to possess more than 24 doves per person outside of hunting season; however, in September 1962, as part of Robert Kennedy's crackdown on the Chicago Outfit, FBI agents in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
searching Aiuppa's car discovered 563 frozen doves. Following a series of appeals, Aiuppa was eventually sentenced in August 1966, and received a 3-month jail sentence and a $1000 fine.
Giancana murder
In June 1975, Aiuppa allegedly conspired with Johnny 'Johnny Handsome' RoselliJohn Roselli
John "Handsome Johnny" Roselli , sometimes spelled John Rosselli, was an influential mobster for the Chicago Outfit who helped them control Hollywood and the Las Vegas Strip. Roselli was also involved with the Central Intelligence Agency plot to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro in the early 1960s...
to kill Giancana. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) suspected that the Outfit killed Giancana because he refused to share his offshore gambling profits from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Another murder theory states that Giancana's murder was connected to the U.S. Senate's investigation into the alleged CIA role in the conspiracy to assassinate Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
leader Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
.
Roselli himself was also killed soon afterward for apparently being too forthcoming in the Church Committee
Church Committee
The Church Committee is the common term referring to the United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, a U.S. Senate committee chaired by Senator Frank Church in 1975. A precursor to the U.S...
hearings, which were being held at this time.
Conviction and retaliation
In 1986, Aiuppa was convicted of skimming profits from Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
casinos and received 28 years in prison. In June 1986, Tony "The Ant" Spilotro and his brother Michael
Michael Spilotro
Michael Peter "Micky" Spilotro was the brother of Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro and was an associate of the Chicago La Cosa Nostra organized crime organization referred to as "The Outfit".-Family background:...
were found beaten and buried alive in a cornfield five miles away from Aiuppa property near Morocco, Indiana
Morocco, Indiana
Morocco is a town in Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,129 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Morocco is located at ....
. It was commonly assumed that the Outfit ordered Tony Spilotro's murder because of his misbehavior in Las Vegas. However, it was also rumored that Aiuppa ordered the executions because he blamed Spilotro for the skimming conviction.
In 1996, Aiuppa was released from prison. On February 22, 1997, Joseph Aiuppa died of natural causes at Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
. He was buried at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois
Hillside, Illinois
Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,155 at the 2000 census.One notable landmark in Hillside is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. On the grounds of the cemetery are the graves of a number of organized crime figures, such as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion...
.
In popular culture
In the 1995 film CasinoCasino (film)
Casino is a 1995 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese...
, actor Pasquale Cajano
Pasquale Cajano
Pasquale Cajano was an Italian-American film actor. After two uncredited cameo appearances in The Age of Innocence and Where Evil Lies, his friend Martin Scorsese cast him in the 1995 crime drama Casino as Chicago Outfit boss Remo Gaggi, a character inspired by the real-life Joseph Aiuppa.After...
's character, "Remo Gaggi," is loosely based on Aiuppa. The Spilotro murders are also recreated in this film.