Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
James T. Licavoli
James T. Licavoli (born Vincentio Licavoli; August 18, 1904 − November 23, 1985), also known as "Jack White" or "Blackie", was an American mobster based in Cleveland, Ohio, who became boss of the Cleveland crime family in 1976. In 1982, Licavoli became one of the earliest organized crime figures to be convicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act).
Vincentio Licavoli was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 18, 1904, the third of four children of Dominic and Girolama Licavoli. They immigrated to the United States from Sicily and eventually settled in St. Louis. In St. Louis, James Licavoli, along with his cousins, Peter and Thomas also known as "Yonnie" were members of the Russo Gang.
On October 6, 1926, Licavoli was shot in the leg and arrested after a wild chase and shootout with St. Louis Police. Though he had fired on the police, Licavoli was charged merely with carrying a concealed weapon and even that charge was dropped. On August 9, 1927, on the outskirts of Chicago, Licavoli survived a "one-way ride" that claimed the lives of his friends, Anthony "Shorty" Russo and Vincent Spicuzza. Licavoli then went with his cousins to Detroit where, as part of the Detroit Mafia, they wrested control of the city's rackets from the self-destructing Purple Gang, previously dominant in Detroit. There, he was convicted of bootlegging and served a stint at Leavenworth. Upon his release, he joined his cousins in Toledo, where they had moved to avoid heat from the murder of a crusading anti-Mafia Detroit radio broadcaster, Jerry Buckley.
The Licavolis and their cousin, Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri, did not remain in Ohio for long. Five members of the gang including Yonnie were arrested for the murder of a popular Toledo bootlegger. Peter Licavoli returned to Detroit and regrouped - his force retaining the original Purple Gang title. James Licavoli went on the lam and hid in Pittsburgh where he stayed with up-and-coming mob boss John Sebastian Larocca.
One of many in the Licavoli family to become involved in organized crime, James Licavoli first arrived in Cleveland in 1938. There he became good friends with Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno and Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter. Among their exploits at the time, they teamed up to rob northeast Ohio gambling halls. In 1940, Licavoli was made into the Cleveland crime family and quickly established control over illegal gambling and the vending machine industry in the neighboring cities of Youngstown and Warren, Ohio. During this period, Licavoli was a suspect in the murders of Jim "Mancene" Mancini and gambling slot czar Nate Weisenberg.
In 1951, Licavoli was called before the US Senate committee on organized crime, known as the Kefauver Committee. Licavoli refused to answer any questions.
By 1970, James Licavoli had become known as "the king of the hill" - Murray Hill, Little Italy. He never married and remained a lifelong bachelor. He lived with a 70-year-old roommate who was also a bachelor and worked as a carpenter. Since his income had never been declared, he was even able to draw a monthly social security check[citation needed].
Licavoli had been called "Blackie" while he was growing up in Collinwood. Now he was known in the Mob as "Jack White," an ironic reference to his swarthy complexion.
Hub AI
James T. Licavoli AI simulator
(@James T. Licavoli_simulator)
James T. Licavoli
James T. Licavoli (born Vincentio Licavoli; August 18, 1904 − November 23, 1985), also known as "Jack White" or "Blackie", was an American mobster based in Cleveland, Ohio, who became boss of the Cleveland crime family in 1976. In 1982, Licavoli became one of the earliest organized crime figures to be convicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act).
Vincentio Licavoli was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 18, 1904, the third of four children of Dominic and Girolama Licavoli. They immigrated to the United States from Sicily and eventually settled in St. Louis. In St. Louis, James Licavoli, along with his cousins, Peter and Thomas also known as "Yonnie" were members of the Russo Gang.
On October 6, 1926, Licavoli was shot in the leg and arrested after a wild chase and shootout with St. Louis Police. Though he had fired on the police, Licavoli was charged merely with carrying a concealed weapon and even that charge was dropped. On August 9, 1927, on the outskirts of Chicago, Licavoli survived a "one-way ride" that claimed the lives of his friends, Anthony "Shorty" Russo and Vincent Spicuzza. Licavoli then went with his cousins to Detroit where, as part of the Detroit Mafia, they wrested control of the city's rackets from the self-destructing Purple Gang, previously dominant in Detroit. There, he was convicted of bootlegging and served a stint at Leavenworth. Upon his release, he joined his cousins in Toledo, where they had moved to avoid heat from the murder of a crusading anti-Mafia Detroit radio broadcaster, Jerry Buckley.
The Licavolis and their cousin, Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri, did not remain in Ohio for long. Five members of the gang including Yonnie were arrested for the murder of a popular Toledo bootlegger. Peter Licavoli returned to Detroit and regrouped - his force retaining the original Purple Gang title. James Licavoli went on the lam and hid in Pittsburgh where he stayed with up-and-coming mob boss John Sebastian Larocca.
One of many in the Licavoli family to become involved in organized crime, James Licavoli first arrived in Cleveland in 1938. There he became good friends with Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno and Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter. Among their exploits at the time, they teamed up to rob northeast Ohio gambling halls. In 1940, Licavoli was made into the Cleveland crime family and quickly established control over illegal gambling and the vending machine industry in the neighboring cities of Youngstown and Warren, Ohio. During this period, Licavoli was a suspect in the murders of Jim "Mancene" Mancini and gambling slot czar Nate Weisenberg.
In 1951, Licavoli was called before the US Senate committee on organized crime, known as the Kefauver Committee. Licavoli refused to answer any questions.
By 1970, James Licavoli had become known as "the king of the hill" - Murray Hill, Little Italy. He never married and remained a lifelong bachelor. He lived with a 70-year-old roommate who was also a bachelor and worked as a carpenter. Since his income had never been declared, he was even able to draw a monthly social security check[citation needed].
Licavoli had been called "Blackie" while he was growing up in Collinwood. Now he was known in the Mob as "Jack White," an ironic reference to his swarthy complexion.