Felix Alderisio

Felix Alderisio
Felix Alderisio
	Felix Alderisio
Born	April 26, 1912; Yonkers, New York, U.S.
Died	September 25, 1971 (aged 59); Marion, Illinois, U.S.
Resting place	Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois
Other names	Milwaukee Phil
Occupation	Crime boss
Allegiance	Chicago Outfit

Felix Anthony "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio (April 26, 1912 – September 25, 1971) was an American enforcer, bagman, hitman and burglar for the Chicago Outfit. He was underboss to Sam Giancana during the 1960s and boss from 1967 to his imprisonment in 1969.

Early life

Alderisio began his criminal career as a teenager during the

John Marshall Caifano as an enforcer. Rising steadily through the ranks during the Great Depression, Alderisio soon gained a reputation for brutality. By the end of the decade, Alderisio was working under Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik, the Outfit's financial expert, as a bagman delivering payoffs

to Chicago judges and police officials.

The Hitmobile

In the 1950s, Alderisio started working as an enforcer with

hits." On May 2, 1962,^[2]

police questioned the two men in a car that they had customized into a so-called, "hit mobile". The black car had special switches that independently controlled the headlights and tail lights to avoid police detection. There was a hidden compartment in the back with clamps for shotguns, rifles, and pistols. On this occasion, Alderisio and Nicoletti claimed they were, '"... waiting for a friend", and the police released them without charges.

Alderisio was suspected in carrying out 13 or 14 "hits" for The Outfit.^[2]

Criminal enterprises

Alderisio headed a group of

cat burglars that operated in Chicago's upscale Gold Coast district. These thieves specialized in rare gems and jewelry, which they fenced to Outfit-controlled jewelry stores and wholesalers. Alderisio resided in the Gold Coast for a time;^{[citation needed]} his unsuspecting neighbors were his targets. Alderisio also owned several restaurants, meat packing firms, small hotels, Rush Street nightclubs, bordellos, and striptease

joints.

Rise to underboss

During the 1950s and 1960s, Alderisio's crew picked up payoffs from

Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution against self-incrimination

23 times and refuse to testify.

In May 1962, Alderisio participated in an infamous mob torture incident. After a barroom fight, two small-time criminals, Billy McCarthy and Jimmy Miraglia, had ambushed and killed Outfit associates Ronald Scavo and Philip Scavo. Alderisio, Nicoletti, and Anthony Spilotro captured McCarthy and tortured him to provide Miraglia's name. They finally placed McCarthy's head in a vise and tightened it until one of his eyes popped out of its socket. At that point, McCarthy named Miraglia. Later that week, McCarthy and Miraglia were found dead with their throats cut.

Often traveling abroad (either on vacation or establishing connections for smuggling heroin into the United States), Alderisio frequently visited Turkey, Italy, and Greece. He was passionate about classical ruins, spending hours photographing them. During one meeting with Giancana that was recorded by law enforcement, Alderisio spent about 20 minutes describing ruins he had recently seen in Europe. Finally, Giancana lost his patience and yelled:

Phil, goddammit! Ruins! I got coppers coming out of my eyeballs and you sit there telling me about ruins! Listen to me, Phil, listen real good! Ruins ain't garbage! Forget about them goddamn ruins!

Later years

Over several decades of criminal activity, Alderisio was arrested at least 36 times for

murder-for-hire. However, Alderisio usually avoided prosecution because of the Outfit's strong political connections. Yet, acting as Outfit boss for Tony Accardo in the late 1960s, he wasn't very popular with the "rank-and-file

" Chicago mobsters. Alderisio was convicted of extortion and sent to prison within a short time.