Nicholas Civella
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Civella was a Kansas City, Missouri
mobster who became a prominent leader of the Kansas City crime family
.
and the uncle of mobster Anthony Civella
. Nicholas Civella began his criminal career as a teenager in the Italian "Northeast" neighborhood of Kansas City. Civella's first arrest was at age 10, after which he dropped out of school. Before he reached age 20, Civella had been arrested for auto theft, illegal gambling, robbery, and vagrancy.
In 1932, Civella spent two months in prison for bootlegging
. In 1934 Civella married Katherine, his wife for almost fifty years. He had no children of his own. In the early 1940s, Civella became a Democratic Party
precinct worker on the North Side of Kansas City and became friends with Kansas City crime boss
, Charles Binaggio
.
society during the U.S. Senate Kefauver hearings
. Although Kansas City remained a satellite of the larger Chicago Outfit
criminal organization, Civella attended the ill-fated 1957 Apalachin Meeting
of mob bosses in Apalachin, New York
. Civella's involvement with organized crime led to the Nevada Gaming Commission
listing Civella as one of the first entries in the Black Book, prohibiting him from entering casinos in Nevada. Later, due to his acquaintance with Teamsters president Roy Lee Williams
, Civella played an important role in controlling the Central States Pension Fund of the Teamsters Union and in the skimming of casino gambling profits in Las Vegas, Nevada
.
and subsequently convicted of tax evasion
. In the two Missouri state tax evasion cases, he was convicted and fined $150 in one case, while the other case was dismissed. During this period, Civella built relations with the Cosa Nostra families in St. Louis
, Denver, Milwaukee, and California
.
In 1966, Civella was called to appear before a Clay County, Missouri grand jury. Afterwards, the news media asked him why it took him 15 minutes to address the group. Civella replied that he "stopped in the men’s room," where he "was drawing dirty pictures on the wall." Law enforcement agencies did not appreciate Civella’s humor or his ability to elude conviction. This would result in their constant surveillance of him for the rest of his life.
In the 1977, Civella was convicted of illegal gambling charges and sent to prison. The key to the conviction was a telephone conversation recorded via wiretap during Super Bowl IV
. Whereas the hometown Kansas City Chiefs
were 12-point underdogs to the heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings
, local action favored the hometown team. When Civella phoned his bookie to determine just how much they had lost (almost $40,000), authorities used this recorded call to move on Civella and place him under arrest.
In 1980, Civella was convicted of attempting to bribe a prison official to transfer his nephew Anthony to a minimum-security prison in Texas
.
. Two weeks later, on March 12, 1983, Civella died of lung cancer
in Kansas City. Upon his death, his brother Carl "Cork" Civella
became head of the Kansas City family.
, the character of Vincent Borelli, played by Joseph Rigano
is loosely based on Nick Civella.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
mobster who became a prominent leader of the Kansas City crime family
Kansas City crime family
The Kansas City crime family, also known as the Civella crime family, is a Mafia family based in Kansas City, Missouri.-Early history:...
.
Early life
Giuseppe Nicoli Civella was the son of Italian immigrants in Kansas City. He was the younger brother of mobster Carl "Cork" CivellaCarl Civella
Carl "Cork" Civella was the leader of the Kansas City crime family following the death of his brother, long-time crime boss Nicholas Civella, after heading day-to-day operations during the mid-1970s....
and the uncle of mobster Anthony Civella
Anthony Civella
Anthony Thomas "Tony Ripe" Civella was a Kansas City, Missouri mobster who was head of the Kansas City crime family.Anthony was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His criminal record started in 1952...
. Nicholas Civella began his criminal career as a teenager in the Italian "Northeast" neighborhood of Kansas City. Civella's first arrest was at age 10, after which he dropped out of school. Before he reached age 20, Civella had been arrested for auto theft, illegal gambling, robbery, and vagrancy.
In 1932, Civella spent two months in prison for bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
. In 1934 Civella married Katherine, his wife for almost fifty years. He had no children of his own. In the early 1940s, Civella became a Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
precinct worker on the North Side of Kansas City and became friends with Kansas City crime boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
, Charles Binaggio
Charles Binaggio
Charles Binaggio was a Missouri gangster who became the boss of the Kansas City crime family and concocted a bold plan to control the police forces in Kansas City, Missouri and St...
.
Rise to power
By the 1950s, Civella dominated criminal activity in Kansas City. In 1950, he was identified as a figure in the organized crimeOrganized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
society during the U.S. Senate Kefauver hearings
Kefauver hearings
The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was a special committee of the United States Senate which existed from 1950 to 1951 and which investigated organized crime which crossed state borders in the United States...
. Although Kansas City remained a satellite of the larger 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...
criminal organization, Civella attended the ill-fated 1957 Apalachin Meeting
Apalachin Meeting
The Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held on November 14, 1957, at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. The meeting was attended by roughly 100 Mafiosi from the United States, Canada, and Italy...
of mob bosses in Apalachin, New York
Apalachin, New York
Apalachin is a census-designated place within the Town of Owego in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,126 in the 2000 census. It is named after the Apalachin Creek. Apalachin means From where the messenger returned in the Lenape.Apalachin is in the southeast part of the...
. Civella's involvement with organized crime led to the Nevada Gaming Commission
Nevada Gaming Commission
The Nevada Gaming Commission is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of casinos throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. It was founded in 1959 by the Nevada Legislature....
listing Civella as one of the first entries in the Black Book, prohibiting him from entering casinos in Nevada. Later, due to his acquaintance with Teamsters president Roy Lee Williams
Roy Lee Williams
Roy Lee Williams was an American labor leader who was president of the Teamsters from May 15, 1981, to April 14, 1983.-Early life and career:...
, Civella played an important role in controlling the Central States Pension Fund of the Teamsters Union and in the skimming of casino gambling profits in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Arrests and convictions
In 1959, Civella was sent a summons before a grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
and subsequently convicted of tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. In the two Missouri state tax evasion cases, he was convicted and fined $150 in one case, while the other case was dismissed. During this period, Civella built relations with the Cosa Nostra families in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Denver, Milwaukee, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
In 1966, Civella was called to appear before a Clay County, Missouri grand jury. Afterwards, the news media asked him why it took him 15 minutes to address the group. Civella replied that he "stopped in the men’s room," where he "was drawing dirty pictures on the wall." Law enforcement agencies did not appreciate Civella’s humor or his ability to elude conviction. This would result in their constant surveillance of him for the rest of his life.
In the 1977, Civella was convicted of illegal gambling charges and sent to prison. The key to the conviction was a telephone conversation recorded via wiretap during Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
. Whereas the hometown Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
were 12-point underdogs to the heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, local action favored the hometown team. When Civella phoned his bookie to determine just how much they had lost (almost $40,000), authorities used this recorded call to move on Civella and place him under arrest.
In 1980, Civella was convicted of attempting to bribe a prison official to transfer his nephew Anthony to a minimum-security prison in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Death
In February 1983, Nicholas Civella received a medical release due to poor health from the Federal Medical Center, a prison medical facility, at Springfield, MissouriSpringfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
. Two weeks later, on March 12, 1983, Civella died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in Kansas City. Upon his death, his brother Carl "Cork" Civella
Carl Civella
Carl "Cork" Civella was the leader of the Kansas City crime family following the death of his brother, long-time crime boss Nicholas Civella, after heading day-to-day operations during the mid-1970s....
became head of the Kansas City family.
Fictional Portrayals
In the Martin Scorsese film CasinoCasino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, the character of Vincent Borelli, played by Joseph Rigano
Joseph Rigano
Joseph Rigano born 1933 is an Italian-American character actor.He often plays stereotypical mobsters in films such as Casino, Analyze This and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. He is often recognized for his hoarse, wheezy voice....
is loosely based on Nick Civella.
Further reading
- Pileggi, Nicholas, and Shandling, Larry, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas Simon & Schuster (October 12, 1995) ISBN 0-684-80832-3
- Neff, James. Mobbed Up: Jackie Presser's High-Wire Life in the Teamsters, the Mafia, and the FBI. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1989 ISBN 0-87113-344-X.
External links
- NewYorkTimes.com - Reputed Mob Leader Paroled
- The Mob in Decline - A Special Report: A Battered and Ailing Mafia Is Losing Its Grip on America by Selwyn Raab
- Americanmafia.com - Nick Civella: Kansas City Chief by Allen May, Crime Historian (January 31, 2000)
- Nick Civella at Find-A-Grave