Marco D'Amico
Encyclopedia
Marco D'Amico is a Chicago mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit
crime organization. He admitted his role in the Chicago Outfit in federal court in 1995.
and Rush Street
, in Chicago, in 1978.
D'Amico has been arrested twice for DUI's once in 1983 and another time in 1989. In the 1983 DUI D'Amico was charged with aggravated battery in Palatine, Illinois
for biting off a police officers finger during the DUI stop. However the charges was dropped.
For years, however, D'Amico was believed by organized-crime watchers to be the Chicago Outfit
's top sports-gambling figure, and he was frequently spotted at funerals for top mob figures.
On May 20, 1992, D'Amico was brought before a federal grand jury in Chicago after the bombing of a BMW
sports car outside the home in Chicago's West Rogers Park
neighborhood of Sharon Patrick, the estranged daughter of turncoat mobster Leonard Patrick
, who was set to testify for the prosecution against his old boss, mob fixer Gus Alex
.
set to expire, D'Amico was indicted on charges of conspiring to commit robbery, operating sports bookmaking and poker businesses, using extortion to collect gambling debts and "juice" loans, and conspiring to commit racketeering. Also indicted were Richard lantini, who was D'Amico's top aide, and Robert Abbinanti, a truck driver for Chicago's Streets and Sanitation Department who is related to D'Amico by marriage.
D'Amico, who was ordered held without bond, was accused of running an illegal sports bookmaking business from 1978 until 1992, operating an illegal poker business from 1980 until 1991, attempting extortion against corrupt former attorney Robert Cooley
, who was cooperating with authorities and posing as a bookmaker, making "juice," or excessively high, loans at rates of 2 percent a week, extorting "street taxes" from independent illegal bookmakers, and conspiring to rob a moving, high-stakes poker game near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
in late 1989.
After being confronted with incriminating taped evidence and the cooperation of Cooley, D'Amico on May 1, 1995 pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to rob what he had been told was a high-stakes card game in Lake Geneva, in 1989 (in which the take could have been as much as $1 million), running a sports bookmaking business and a high-stakes poker game of his own for years, using extortion to collect gambling debts and "juice" loans, and extorting $1,000-a-month payoffs from former Chicago
police officer Robert Cooley
so Cooley could operate a poker game in a Chicago social club without mob interference.
On October 3, 1995, United States District Judge Blanche M. Manning
sentenced D'Amico to 12 years and 3 months in prison. During his sentencing hearing, D'Amico initially had demanded that the government prove that he was a ranking member of organized crime. However, federal prosecutors had been set to call as many as eight witnesses, including several former mob insiders, to testify that D'Amico was second-in-command in the Chicago Outfit's Elmwood Park "street crew," under John DiFronzo
. Instead, D'Amico abruptly backed off demands that the government prove that he was a "made member" of the Chicago Outfit, and signed a stipulation acknowledging his leading role with the Elmwood Park street crew and its link to the mob. By signing this stipulation D'Amico had admitted to his crimes and received a reduced sentence; by doing so he incriminated his co-defendants in this case through his cooperation with the government.
D'Amico was released from federal prison on July 21, 2005.
. In the 1990s, he moved to Naperville, Illinois
, where he lived with one of his daughters until he went to federal prison. Upon his release from federal prison, he moved to Westchester, Illinois
, where he now resides with his wife. D'Amico has been married to his wife Patricia for 50 years and has 4 children.
D'Amico is said to own vast amounts of real estate in the Chicago area and in other areas such as Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
, Marco Island, Florida
and Mexico
.
D'Amico's cousin, a Chicago police officer Roland "Ricky" Borelli, was part of D'Amico's gambling operation and was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to 10 months in federal prison.
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...
crime organization. He admitted his role in the Chicago Outfit in federal court in 1995.
Chicago Outfit career
D'Amico was arrested for gambling in 1958 and 1968 and also for being a patron in an illegal card game in 1976. He also was involved in a fight at the corner of Oak StreetOak Street (Chicago)
Oak Street is a short street on Chicago's Gold Coast at 1000 North in Chicago's street numbering system, running from 138 east to 648 west in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It ends without crossing the North Branch of the Chicago River...
and Rush Street
Rush Street (Chicago)
Rush Street is predominantly a northbound one-way street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
, in Chicago, in 1978.
D'Amico has been arrested twice for DUI's once in 1983 and another time in 1989. In the 1983 DUI D'Amico was charged with aggravated battery in Palatine, Illinois
Palatine, Illinois
Palatine is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 65,479, making it the sixth-largest community in Cook County and the 16th-largest in the state of Illinois at that time...
for biting off a police officers finger during the DUI stop. However the charges was dropped.
For years, however, D'Amico was believed by organized-crime watchers to be the Chicago Outfit
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...
's top sports-gambling figure, and he was frequently spotted at funerals for top mob figures.
On May 20, 1992, D'Amico was brought before a federal grand jury in Chicago after the bombing of a BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
sports car outside the home in Chicago's West Rogers Park
West Ridge, Chicago
West Ridge is one of 77 Chicago community areas. It is a middle class neighborhood located on the far North Side of the City of Chicago. It is located in the 50th Ward...
neighborhood of Sharon Patrick, the estranged daughter of turncoat mobster Leonard Patrick
Leonard Patrick
Leonard "Lenny" Patrick was an American mobster, a member of the Chicago Outfit involved in bookmaking and extortion and later a government informant.Emigrating with his family from England...
, who was set to testify for the prosecution against his old boss, mob fixer Gus Alex
Gus Alex
Gus Alex was a Greek-American mobster and high ranking member of the Chicago Outfit, who succeeded Jake Guzik as the Syndicate's main political "fixer".-Early life:...
.
Indictment, conviction and imprisonment
On November 18, 1994, with a five-year statute of limitationsStatute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
set to expire, D'Amico was indicted on charges of conspiring to commit robbery, operating sports bookmaking and poker businesses, using extortion to collect gambling debts and "juice" loans, and conspiring to commit racketeering. Also indicted were Richard lantini, who was D'Amico's top aide, and Robert Abbinanti, a truck driver for Chicago's Streets and Sanitation Department who is related to D'Amico by marriage.
D'Amico, who was ordered held without bond, was accused of running an illegal sports bookmaking business from 1978 until 1992, operating an illegal poker business from 1980 until 1991, attempting extortion against corrupt former attorney Robert Cooley
Robert Cooley
Robert Cooley is a former Mafia lawyer, government informant and author of the 2004 autobiography, "When Corruption was King."-Early life:...
, who was cooperating with authorities and posing as a bookmaker, making "juice," or excessively high, loans at rates of 2 percent a week, extorting "street taxes" from independent illegal bookmakers, and conspiring to rob a moving, high-stakes poker game near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
in late 1989.
After being confronted with incriminating taped evidence and the cooperation of Cooley, D'Amico on May 1, 1995 pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to rob what he had been told was a high-stakes card game in Lake Geneva, in 1989 (in which the take could have been as much as $1 million), running a sports bookmaking business and a high-stakes poker game of his own for years, using extortion to collect gambling debts and "juice" loans, and extorting $1,000-a-month payoffs from former Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
police officer Robert Cooley
Robert Cooley
Robert Cooley is a former Mafia lawyer, government informant and author of the 2004 autobiography, "When Corruption was King."-Early life:...
so Cooley could operate a poker game in a Chicago social club without mob interference.
On October 3, 1995, United States District Judge Blanche M. Manning
Blanche M. Manning
Blanche M. Manning is a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.-Early life and education:...
sentenced D'Amico to 12 years and 3 months in prison. During his sentencing hearing, D'Amico initially had demanded that the government prove that he was a ranking member of organized crime. However, federal prosecutors had been set to call as many as eight witnesses, including several former mob insiders, to testify that D'Amico was second-in-command in the Chicago Outfit's Elmwood Park "street crew," under John DiFronzo
John DiFronzo
John "No Nose, Bananas, Johnny Bananas" DiFronzo is a Chicago mobster and the reputed boss of the Chicago Outfit.A former enforcer and caporegime, DiFronzo was convicted along with then-current Chicago boss Samuel "Black Sam" Carlisi on federal racketeering charges in 1993, however, the conviction...
. Instead, D'Amico abruptly backed off demands that the government prove that he was a "made member" of the Chicago Outfit, and signed a stipulation acknowledging his leading role with the Elmwood Park street crew and its link to the mob. By signing this stipulation D'Amico had admitted to his crimes and received a reduced sentence; by doing so he incriminated his co-defendants in this case through his cooperation with the government.
D'Amico was released from federal prison on July 21, 2005.
Personal
D'Amico lived for many years in South Barrington, IllinoisSouth Barrington, Illinois
South Barrington is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States south of Barrington, Illinois. The population was 3,760 at the 2000 census. South Barrington is a wealthy suburb of Chicago and home to the famous megachurch Willow Creek Community Church. The village is known throughout the area...
. In the 1990s, he moved to Naperville, Illinois
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
, where he lived with one of his daughters until he went to federal prison. Upon his release from federal prison, he moved to Westchester, Illinois
Westchester, Illinois
Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D...
, where he now resides with his wife. D'Amico has been married to his wife Patricia for 50 years and has 4 children.
D'Amico is said to own vast amounts of real estate in the Chicago area and in other areas such as Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
, Marco Island, Florida
Marco Island, Florida
Marco Island is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States, located on an island by the same name in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Southwest Florida. It is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and 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...
.
D'Amico's cousin, a Chicago police officer Roland "Ricky" Borelli, was part of D'Amico's gambling operation and was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to 10 months in federal prison.