John DiFronzo

John DiFronzo (December 13, 1928 – May 27, 2018), nicknamed "No Nose", was an American mobster and the reputed former boss of the Chicago Outfit.[1]

John DiFronzo
Born	December 13, 1928
Died	May 27, 2018 (aged 89) River Grove, Illinois, US
Other names	Johnny Bananas, No Nose
Occupation	Crime boss
Relatives	Peter DiFronzo (brother)
Allegiance	Chicago Outfit

Criminal history

DiFronzo, a former enforcer and caporegime, first appeared in the criminal record in 1949. He got the nickname "No Nose" because he sliced off part of his nose while jumping through a window during a 1949 clothing store burglary. Reportedly, the police gave him back the missing part which was almost perfectly restored.[2] In 1950, DiFronzo served two years in prison for burglary.

DiFronzo was a suspect in the unsolved 1952 murder of Charles Gross, a West Side politician with suspected ties to organized crime. He was a member of the Three Minute Gang, and identified as a member of a loansharking operation along with former Chicago police officers Albert Sarno and Chris Cardi in 1964. Imprisoned syndicate leader Joseph Aiuppa chose DiFronzo to head criminal operations in Chicago's western suburbs over acting syndicate boss Joseph Ferriola. Eventually, he became one of several de facto leaders running The Outfit in Chicago.

His brother, Peter DiFronzo, a made-man, was convicted of warehouse burglary in 1963.[3]

In 1993, DiFronzo was convicted along with Chicago boss Samuel "Black Sam" Carlisi, his gambling capo Donald "The Wizard of Odds" Angelini, and four other men of federal racketeering charges for attempting to subterfuge gambling operations at the Rincon Reservation near San Diego.[4] The 1993 conviction was reversed on appeal, however, and DiFronzo was released from prison in 1994.[5]

In 2009, DiFronzo, Rudy Fratto and several others were named in a civil lawsuit by Joseph Fosco, the son of late Teamsters treasurer Armando Fosco, alleged to have tried to extort $400,000 from Fosco.[6]

DiFronzo died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on May 27, 2018.[7][8]

Further reading

• Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
• Mannion, James. 101 Things You Didn't Know About The Mafia: The Lowdown on Dons, Wiseguys, Squealers and Backstabbers. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2005. ISBN 1-59337-267-1
• Wilkins, David E. American Indian Politics and the American Political System. Oxford: Rowman & Littleton Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0-7425-5346-9
• United States. Congress. House. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Implementation and Enforcement of the Indian Gaming Regulatory ACT, Public Law 100-497. 1992. ISBN 0-16-039224-1
• Devito, Carlo. The Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4848-7
• Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
• Coen, Jeff. Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-56976-545-6
• Complete John DiFronzo Mob Article Archives (TheChicagoSyndicate.com)

References

1. "Who's Who in Chicago Outfit for 1997 ISPN-97-10-12". Ipsn.org. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
2. Roemer, Jr., William F. (1996). Accardo : The Genuine Godfather (1st Ballantine Books ed.). New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0804114641.
3. "I-Team Report: Lunch with 'No Nose' | abc7chicago.com". Abclocal.go.com. March 12, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
4. Eidsmoe, John "Legalized Gambling: America's Bad Bet", page 68
5. "Federal Bureau of Prisons". Bop.gov. July 19, 1994. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
6. "Reputed mobster charged with tax evasion in new case". Chicago Breaking News. September 29, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
7. "Chicago mob boss John "No Nose" DiFronzo dead at 89". ABC7 Chicago. May 29, 2018.
8. "With top Chicago mob boss dead, Outfit looks for new blood". ABC7 Chicago. June 1, 2018.