The Milwaukee crime family, also known as the Balistrieri crime family or the Milwaukee Mafia, was an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[1] The crime family was considered a branch of the Chicago Outfit. The family's most influential boss was Frank "Mr. Big" Balistrieri, who was greatly involved in the Las Vegas skimming casinos.^[2] With the death of boss Peter Picciurro and consigliere John Balistrieri both in 2024, the crime family is defunct. Since Balistrieri died in 1993, the Chicago Outfit gaining control over some of the illegal rackets in the area.^[3]

History

Italian-American organized crime in Milwaukee originated in the city's Third Ward, which was home to the majority of Milwaukee's Sicilian population in the early 20th century.^[4] The first known Mafia boss of Milwaukee was Vito Guardalabene, who immigrated to the United States from Santa Flavia, Sicily in 1903 and became naturalized U.S. citizen in 1911.^[5] Guardalabene was mentioned in the memoirs of Nicola Gentile as being "the king" of the Little Italy community in Milwaukee's Third Ward circa 1915.^[6] The syndicate headed by Guardalabene possibly originated as a branch of the Chicago Outfit.^[3] Upon Guardalabene's death from natural causes on February 6, 1921, his son Giovanni Battista "Peter" Guardalabene became boss of the Milwaukee crime family until 1924, when he turned over control of the family to a distant relative, Giuseppe "Big Joe" D'Amato.^[5] D'Amato died from pneumonia at the age of 41, on March 28, 1927.^[5]

Following the death of D'Amato, the Milwaukee Mafia was led by Joseph Vallone, who immigrated to the U.S. from Prizzi, Sicily in 1907. Vallone was the co-owner, along with Pasquale Migliaccio, of a wholesale grocery company which supplied sugar and other moonshining ingredients during the Prohibition era. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, a number of Sicilian mafiosi from Chicago were inducted into the Milwaukee family after relocating to the area.^[5] When the Commission was formed in 1931, it was decided that the Milwaukee family would remain under the control of and answer directly to the Chicago Outfit.^[3] In the early 1930s, Vallone was among 45 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury for operating a regional bootlegging syndicate. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Vallone and Migliaccio opened the Broadway Liquor Company.^[5] Vallone retired from racketeering in 1949, and died from natural causes on March 18, 1952.^[3]

Prior to his retirement, Vallone had groomed Salvatore "Sam" Ferrara, a relative and fellow native of Prizzi, to succeed him as boss of the Milwaukee family. In 1952, Ferrara became involved in a dispute with an underling, Frank Balistrieri, when he attempted to acquire an ownership share of the Ogden Social Club, a gambling venue owned by Balistrieri, to which Balistrieri resisted. Ferrara then expelled Balistrieri from the family, causing dissention in the Milwaukee Mafia.^[5] The membership of the family subsequently deposed of Ferrara by vote and requested the intervention of the Chicago Outfit to oust Ferrara.^[3] In November or December 1952, a panel of senior mobsters from Chicago responsible for overseeing the Milwaukee family, including Tony Accardo, Rocco Fischetti and Sam Giancana, ruled that Ferrara had abused his position and demoted him, installing Balistrieri's father-in-law, John Alioto, as the new boss. Balistrieri was subsequently reinstated as a member of the Mafia.^[5]

The Milwaukee family's influence grew significantly under Alioto's leadership, particularly within the labor movement.^[3] In 1954, John DiTrapani, a relative and godson of Sam Ferrara, along with Frank LoGalbo and Jack Enea, plotted to seize control of the family from Alioto. The rebellion was quelled with the murders of DiTrapani and Enea.^[5] DiTrapani was shot and killed in his car on March 18, 1954,^[7] and Enea was found shot to death in a ditch in Waukesha County on November 29, 1955.^[8][9] LoGalbo survived by transferring from the Milwaukee family to a Chicago family crew in Chicago Heights, Illinois, although he continued to reside in Milwaukee under the protection of the Outfit.^[5]

By the 1960s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had several informants in the Milwaukee Mafia, including August Maniaci.^[4]

Historical leadership

Boss (official and acting)

• 1918–1921 — Vito Guardalabene — died on February 6, 1921, from natural causes.^[3][10]
• 1921–1927 — Peter Guardalabene — the son of Vito Guardalabene^[3][11]
• 1927 — Joseph Amato — died of natural causes on March 28, 1927.^[3][12]
• 1927–1949 — Joseph Vallone — retired from the rackets in 1949 and died of natural causes on March 18, 1952.^[13]
• 1949–1952 — Sam Ferrara — in 1952 voted out by his family, so members of the Chicago Outfit forced him to step down.^[3] Died in 1977.^[5]
• 1952–1961 — John Alioto — trained his son-in-law Frank Balistrieri.^[3][14]
• 1961–1993 — Frank Balistrieri — imprisoned March 1967-June 1971. In the late 1970s, with his two sons Joseph and John worked with Bonanno crime family capo Michael Sabella. He was imprisoned from 1983 to 1991 for his involvement in Las Vegas skim racket. He died of natural causes on February 7, 1993.^[3]
  • Acting 1967–1971 — Joseph Balistrieri Sr. — Frank's son and capo, became underboss in 1993.
  • Acting 1983–1993 — Peter Balistrieri — Frank Balistrieri's brother and underboss.^[3]
• 1993–1997 — Peter Balistrieri — died of natural causes on August 17, 1997^[3]
• 1997–2014 — Joseph Caminiti — served as Frank Balistrieri's consigliere; died in January 2014.^[3]
• 2014–2024 — Peter "Pitch" Picciurro^[15] — died of natural causes on January 6, 2024.^[16]

Underboss

• 1927–1949 — Steven "Steve" DiSalvo — demoted in 1949, retired in the 1980s, deceased in the 1990s.
• 1952–1961 — Joseph Gumina — moved to Kansas City, deceased in the 1970s.
• 1961–1993 — Peter Balistrieri — became boss.
• 1993–2010 — Joseph "Joey Bal" Balistrieri Sr. — Frank's older son, deceased in 2010.^[17]

Consigliere

• 1927–1952 — Vito Seidita — stepped down, retired in 1971, deceased in 1978.
• 1952–1961 — Carmelo "Charles" Zarcone — demoted in 1961, deceased in 1969.
• 1961–1997 — Joseph "Joe Camel" Caminiti — became boss.
• 1997–2014 — Peter "Pitch" Picciurro — became boss.
• 2014–2024 — John "Johnny Bal" Balistrieri — Frank's younger son, deceased on June 7, 2024.^[17][18]

Current family members

After the death of Frank Balistrieri, the Chicago Outfit has taken control of the Milwaukee illegal rackets.^[15] The Chicago Outfit had represented the Milwaukee family on the American Mafia Commission

Administration

• Boss — Vacant
• Consigliere — Vacant

Former family members

• John "Johnny Bal" Balistrieri^[15] — the younger son of Frank Balistrieri, the former boss of the Milwaukee family. John served as lawyer until 1984, when his license was suspended and he was later disbarred. In August 2014, John Balistrieri's application to reinstate his law license was rejected by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.^[19] He died on June 7, 2024.

• Peter "Pitch" Picciurro^[15] — former family boss, the owner of Pitch's Lounge and Restaurant and blood relative to Frank Balistrieri.^[20] The son of Milwaukee mobster John J. Picciurro and cousin to Frank and Peter Balistrieri. He died on January 6, 2024^[21]