Sam Battaglia
Sam Battaglia | |
|---|---|
| Born | Salvatore Joseph Battaglia November 5, 1908 |
| Died | September 7, 1973 (aged 64) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Other names | "Teets" |
| Occupation | Crime boss |
| Allegiance | Chicago Outfit |
Salvatore Joseph "Sam" Battaglia (November 5, 1908 – September 7, 1973) was an American
mobster and high-level member of the Chicago Outfit
criminal organization.
Early career
Battaglia was born in
mobster was questioning Battaglia's handling of a debtor, and Battaglia yelled back at him, "Shaddup, or I'll bust ya in da teets!"[citation needed
]
Outfit member
By 1950, Battaglia had an extensive
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 stepped away from the limelight to shield himself in the 1950s, Battaglia struggled for power along with rivals Giancana, Felix Alderisio and Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri. In 1965, Battaglia became outfit boss, succeeding Giancana, who had fled the country. However, in 1967, Battaglia was convicted of violating the Hobbs Act for obstructing interstate commerce and sentenced to 15 years. With Battaglia in prison and Giancana living in exile in Mexico, Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio took over as day-to-day boss.
References
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.
Bibliography
- Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30653-2
- Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
- Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Crime (2nd. ed) New York: Facts on File Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4040-0
External links
- Battaglia Brothers by John William Tuohy
- Chicago Sun-Times: A century of Chicago mob bosses