Back In The Day, This Quiet Illinois Town Was A Mafia Mecca
It’s no secret that Chicago has a bit of a history with the mafia. It was the home base for infamous mobster Al “Scarface” Capone who ran the Chicago Outfit gang, and the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929. But the mob madness wasn’t confined to the city limits, Capone’s reach extended into the small towns and villages of the suburbs, too. While some connections, like to that of Cicero, Illinois, are well-known, the mafia history of Stickney, Illinois may surprise you.
About 10 miles outside Chicago is the small village of Stickney, with a population of just under 7,000 residents across about 2 square miles of land.
The village was incorporated in 1913, but six years later was still predominately farmland. Only about 100 houses comprised the village — making it prime for the taking by someone powerful enough.
Spoiler alert: That powerful figure wound up being Capone and his brother Ralph, who began to take over the town by running a number of illegal trades.
Ralph Capone in particular helped head the brothel, gambling, and alcohol businesses in the Stickney area, as well as those in nearby Forest View, according to Linda M. Malek, a local Stickney resident and author of "When Capone Ruled The Village."
City officials participated in the corruption by actively working with the mobsters, while also turning a blind eye. Eventually, residents were even hired to help with the liquor trade.
According to Malek, Ralph Capone was in charge of ensuring Stickney and Forest View's speakeasies were well-stocked with booze.
Stickney was labeled as an "oasis for the thirsty," while Forest View gained the nickname "Caponeville" after the town's founder was "run out of town," Malek says.
While the Prohibition Era was short-lived, its effects last locally to this day.
Stickney was also home to crime boss and pizza maker Alfonso Tornabene — also known as "Al the Pizza Man." Tornabene was a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit who founded Villa Nova pizzeria in 1955, a favorite local pizza spot.
It was discovered that Tornabene was running the gang's activities in the suburbs for many years, and had even been targeted in a law enforcement operation that ultimately took down big names like Frank Calabrese Sr., Joseph Lombardo, and James Marcello. Tornabene died in 2009.
Though not quite as well-known as Chicago’s mobster ties, the mafia history of Stickney, Illinois is a story all its own. Have you ever heard any mob stories about Stickney or Forest View? Tell us in the comments! And while mobsters are on the mind, be sure to check out this secret mafia vault in Downtown Chicago, or check out the menu for Villa Nova pizza, which is run today by Tornabene’s daughter.
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Address: Stickney, IL, USA
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