Frank Zito

Frank Zito
Born
Francesco Zito

(1893-02-24)February 24, 1893
San Giuseppe Jato, Sicily, Italy
DiedAugust 22, 1974(1974-08-22) (aged 81)
Springfield, Illinois
NationalityItalian
CitizenshipUnited States
Years activec.1920s–c.1970s
Criminal statusReleased 1935
Criminal chargeViolations of the 21st amendment
PenaltyTwo years in Leavenworth Federal Prison, $10,000 fine

Francesco "Frank" Zito (February 24, 1893 – August 22, 1974) was a Sicilian-American mobster who controlled criminal activities in Central and Southern Illinois for over twenty years, providing protection from law enforcement and rival competitors from his base of operations in Springfield, Illinois. It can be debated if Zito was head of his own crime family or, he may have been a powerful capo of the Chicago Outfit with his own crew based in Central Illinois. This information is unclear and it seems as though the files on Mr. Zito lack the investigatory evidence that he was in fact the "Godfather of the Prairie." In any case, Zito was a very powerful force in Springfield and the Central and Southern areas of Illinois.

Early life

Born in San Giuseppe Jato, Sicily, Zito immigrated to Illinois in 1910, according to later testimony before a Congressional investigating committee,[1] separate from his parents, Giuseppe and Lorenza, and at least three of 11 other brothers. Two of his brothers, Sam and Frank Zito, also had criminal backgrounds after arriving. Sam was charged with extortion in 1914 and Frank was charged with murder - though never convicted - in 1915.[2]

Criminal life

During prohibition, Zito became involved in bootlegging, prostitution, and illegal gambling.[2] During this period, Zito was convicted of violating federal liquor laws.[3][4] Based in Springfield, Illinois, Zito and the St. Louis crime syndicate ran illegal gambling and drug trafficking operations in rural Illinois. While attending the 1957 Apalachin Conference in Apalachin, New York,[5] Zito was captured with numerous other mobsters when the New York State Police raided the meeting.[6] Although indicted in a federal investigation into organized crime in the Midwest, Zito remained in power into the 1970s.[2]

On August 22, 1974, Frank Zito died of natural causes.

References

  1. ^ "Hearing Before the Select Committee on the Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field". Eighty-Fifth Congress. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office: 16588–16594. 1957. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Frank Zito and the Zito Brothers". SangamonLink. Sangamon County Historical Society. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  3. ^ "10th & Carpenter study: Don't forget Frank Zito". The State Journal-Register. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  4. ^ Kelly, Robert J. (30 April 2000). Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States: From Capone's Chicago to the New Urban Underworld. Westport, Conn: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-313-30653-2. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ "FBI bugs Frank Zito hangout, 1965". SangamonLink. Sangamon County Historical Society. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Jury Calls 5 Racketeers". The Decatur Daily Review. 13 February 1959. p. 20. Retrieved 16 April 2024. Article clipped from The Decatur Daily Review

Further reading

  • Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
  • United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field Publication. Investigation of Improper Activities in the Labor Or Management Field, 1959. [1]
  • United States. Congress. Senate. Commerce. Effects of organized criminal activity on interstate and foreign commerce. 1972. [2]
  • United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime and Use of Violence: hearings before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1980. [3]
  • United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime. For sale by the Supt. of Docs., Congressional Sales Office, U.S. G.P.O., 1988. [4]