Mike Merlo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike Merlo, born Michelangelo Deglistate, (August 1, 1888 - November 8, 1924) was born in Vizzini, Sicily. He was a United States mafioso in the Chicago Outfit and leader of the Unione Siciliana.

At the age of 9, he and his family immigrated to Chicago. In 1905, his father died of a stroke at the age of 48, leaving the 17 year old Merlo and his sick mother alone.

Al Capone gave Merlo a position taking care of a restaurant he liked in lower Chicago.

In 1922, at the age of 34, he killed three men who had attempted to stab Al Capone. Capone had been eating dinner with Merlo and Frank Nitti and was leaving the restaurant when three men, Giovanni DeCitti, Raffaele Civano, and Umberto Casirinno rushed up to him, each carrying switchblades. Merlo, who had spotted them, pulled his gun and fired 4 shots into DeCitti and Casirinno. Civano, who had not been shot, managed to stab Merlo in the shoulder before Merlo put a bullet between his eyes ^{[citation needed]}. Al Capone, who was extremely grateful to Merlo for saving his life, had him made (dignified) on August 7, 1922 ^{[citation needed]}.

In the 20s, Merlo became president of the Unione Siciliana ^[1], an independent gang of Sicilian immigrants, though he still sometimes worked for Al Capone. By 1923, he had become notorious in the mob world for killing people who insulted him. On one occasion, he brutally killed 4 men who had made fun of him because he had recently gotten a bad haircut. ^{[citation needed]} Around Christmas of 1923, he was sent to Canada to kill a man who had cheated Capone on a rum deal. He returned in February of 1924, by which time he was a respected and feared associate of Al Capone. On April 19, 1924 he was sent to a local pub to sell booze to the bartender. The bartender refused the offer. Merlo then left his briefcase on the bar. A little girl who noticed the briefcase, ran to the door of the bar yelling "Hey mister, you forgot your briefcase." Moments later, a bomb in the briefcase detonated, destroying the bar and killing seven people inside. ^{[citation needed]}

Mike Merlo died on of cancer on November 8th, 1924. He was given one of the most spectacular funerals in Chicago mob history. His death opened the door for the murder of Dion O'Banion by Johnny Torrio's men, John Scalise and Albert Anselmi.

Mike Merlo was played by Vince Viverito in The Untouchables (1987 film).