Sam Battaglia
Encyclopedia
Samuel "Teets" Battaglia (June 30, 1908 – January 8, 1973) was a Chicago mobster and high-level member of the Chicago Outfit
criminal organization.
, son of Venetian
immigrants Salvatore Battaglia and Giuseppa Scaletta. He is the brother of Mary, Sarah, James, Anthony, Joseph and August. He stood at 5'8 and weighed 140 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He was the husband to Angela Rose who bore him two children. In 1924, Battaglia joined bosses Johnny Torrio
and Al Capone
in the Chicago Outfit
at the start of the gang war against the mostly Irish North Side Gang
, which was under boss Dean O'Banion
. By the late 1930s, Battaglia had become a high ranking member of The Outfit and a formidable loan shark
. Debtors behind in their payments would be brought to Battaglia in the back room of the Casa Madrid restaurant, in Chicago, where they would be severely beaten or kil
led. Supposedly Battaglia's nickname "Teets" came from one such encounter. Another mobster was questioning Battaglia's handling of a debtor and Battaglia yelled back at him, "Shaddup, or I'll bust ya in da teets!"
that included over 12 counts of burglary
, rob
bery, and murder
(he was a suspect in seven homicide
s). A close associate of Outfit boss Giancana, Battaglia was considered as Giancana's successor once he stepped down. While testifying before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations
investigations on organized crime
, Battaglia pleaded the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
over 60 times.
As long-time Outfit leader Antonino ("Tony," "Joe Batters") Accardo
's stepped away from the limelight to shield himself in the 1950s, Battaglia struggled for power along with rivals Giancana and Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri
. However in 1967, Battaglia was convicted of extortion
and sentenced to 15 years in prison. With Battaglia in prison and Giancana, "ex-communicated," so-to-speak, and in Mexico, Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio
took over as day-to-day boss.
Samuel Battaglia was temporarily released from prison because of the death of his wife and one of his children. He was released only in order to attend the funeral, under close FBI and police surveillance. He eventually died in 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...
criminal organization.
Early career
Born in Kenosha, WisconsinKenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
, son of Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
immigrants Salvatore Battaglia and Giuseppa Scaletta. He is the brother of Mary, Sarah, James, Anthony, Joseph and August. He stood at 5'8 and weighed 140 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He was the husband to Angela Rose who bore him two children. In 1924, Battaglia joined bosses Johnny Torrio
Johnny Torrio
John "Papa Johnny" Torrio , also known as "The Fox", was an Italian-American mobster who helped build the criminal empire known as the Chicago Outfit in the 1920s that was later inherited by his protege, Al Capone...
and Al Capone
Al 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...
in 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...
at the start of the gang war against the mostly Irish North Side Gang
North Side Gang
The North Side family Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was the dominant Irish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early to late 1920s and principal rival of the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone organization, later known as the Chicago Outfit.- Early...
, which was under boss Dean O'Banion
Dean O'Banion
Charles Dean O'Banion was an Irish-American mobster who was the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone during the brutal Chicago bootlegging wars of the 1920s...
. By the late 1930s, Battaglia had become a high ranking member of The Outfit and a formidable loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
. Debtors behind in their payments would be brought to Battaglia in the back room of the Casa Madrid restaurant, in Chicago, where they would be severely beaten or kil
Kil
Kil or KIL may refer to:*Kil, Värmland, the principal town and seat of Kil Municipality, Sweden*Kil, Nacka, a village in Nacka Municipality, Sweden*Kil Municipality in Värmland County, Sweden...
led. Supposedly Battaglia's nickname "Teets" came from one such encounter. Another mobster was questioning Battaglia's handling of a debtor and Battaglia yelled back at him, "Shaddup, or I'll bust ya in da teets!"
Outfit member
By 1950, Battaglia had an extensive criminal recordCriminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
that included over 12 counts of burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, rob
Rob
Rob or ROB may refer to:*The shortened form of Robert or Robin*R.O.B., an abbreviation of "Robotic Operating Buddy", an accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985*ROB 64, an important robot character in the Star Fox series...
bery, and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
(he was a suspect in seven homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s). A close associate of Outfit boss Giancana, Battaglia was considered as Giancana's successor once he stepped down. While testifying before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
investigations on organized crime
Organized 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...
, Battaglia pleaded the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
over 60 times.
As long-time Outfit leader Antonino ("Tony," "Joe Batters") Accardo
Tony Accardo
Antonino Joseph Accardo , also known as "Joe Batters" or "Big Tuna", rose from small-time hoodlum to the position of day-to-day boss of the Chicago Outfit in 1947, to ultimately become the final Outfit authority in 1972, until his death...
's stepped away from the limelight to shield himself in the 1950s, Battaglia struggled for power along with rivals Giancana and Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri
Fiore Buccieri
Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri was a Chicago mobster and member of the Chicago Outfit who specialized in loansharking.-Early years:...
. However in 1967, Battaglia was convicted of extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
and sentenced to 15 years in prison. With Battaglia in prison and Giancana, "ex-communicated," so-to-speak, and in Mexico, Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio
Felix Alderisio
Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio was a prominent enforcer, bagman, hitman and burglar for the Chicago Outfit, serving as an underboss to Salvatore Giancana during the 1960s and as boss for a short time from 1967 before being sent to prison in 1969 and dying there.-Early life:Alderisio began his...
took over as day-to-day boss.
Samuel Battaglia was temporarily released from prison because of the death of his wife and one of his children. He was released only in order to attend the funeral, under close FBI and police surveillance. He eventually died in prison.
Further reading
- Binder, John J. The Chicago Outfit. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7385-2326-7
- Giancana, Sam and Chuck. Double Cross: The Explosive, Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America. New York: Warner Books, 1992. ISBN 0-446-51624-4
- Ovid, Demaris. Captive City: Chicago in Chains. New York: Lyle Stuart, 1969.
External links
- Battaglia Brothers by John William Tuohy
- Chicago Sun-Times: A century of Chicago mob bosses