Francis Killian Cavanaugh

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Francis Killian Cavnaugh
Frankie Cavanaugh arrested
Born November 3, 1960 (1960-11-03) (age 47)
Chicago, Illinois
Penalty Imprisonment from 1987 to 2007
Status Probation
Occupation Gangster, Hitman
Spouse Clarissa Smolt
Children Lucas Cavanaugh, Joseph Cavanaugh

Francis Killian Cavanaugh (born November 3, 1960) was a North Side Gang leader and long time hitman in Chicago, Illinois. He was born as the first son of Lucas Cavanaugh and grandson of Francis Cavanaugh, and is the brother of George Cavanaugh.

The Cavanaugh Family Tree as of 2008.
The Cavanaugh Family Tree as of 2008.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Francis "Frankie" was the first of three children for Lucas Cavanaugh. Frankie was born in 1960 to Jessica Dawson and Lucas Cavanaugh.[1] Two years later they had their second child Andrew Cavanaugh. At five he had a traumatic experience while witnessing the murder of his mother and brother. Two years later his father had found new love and had another child George Cavanaugh.[2] Frankie and James O'Shea the son of Alexander O'Shea grew up together as friends going to school together. Frankie had to be transferred through many boarding schools and private schools, he was kicked out of three and finally accepted into St. Thomas (the school his grandfather had gone to). While he was 13 he started to help his family's business by running messages for his father's front men (behind his father's back).[2]

[edit] Training

Lucas wanted Frankie away from the business especially after his mother and Andrew were killed so he told him to stay away. Soon after Lucas found out Frankie was still running for some of the bosses, so Lucas took his 18 year old son into a farm house in Wisconsin and left him their.[3] Frankie ended up making his way home less than a week after. When he got home Lucas told him that he had passed and that he should be able to run the business after he's gone.[4]

Frankie learned all of his skills from the business. Lucas hired skilled hitmen to show Frankie how to develop good marksmenship.[5] Frankie was then taught of business and trade in the life of crime. His father then showed him the bosses old and new of many organizations. Finally at age 20 Lucas told Frankie that he was ready to take on the business.[6] Little did anyone else know but Lucas was dying of heart failure. Two monthes later Lucas died talking to George and Frankie on his death bed. Lucas told his son:

"This business runs in our blood, no matter what happens or who gets hurt no one brings us down"[7]

Frankie took this advice and started up the business.[8]

[edit] Life

Frankie met a woman by the name of Clarissa Smolt and the two married in late 1986. The two had a child less than a year after. Joseph Francis Cavanaugh was born August 7, 1987.[9] Clarissa and Frankie loved it that 8 months later they found out Clarissa was pregnant again. By the time Lucas Martin Cavanaugh was born on January 11, 1989, Frankie was already in jail.[10]

[edit] The Family

In 1976 Frankie took control of the family workings. He was already having a lot of problems from the Chicago Outfit trying to take his father's turf. Frankie had a call from Michael DeStefano, one of the Outfit's main hitmen, telling him to meet DeStefano in a rural area.[11] Frankie took some guards and went to meet him; when he got to the meeting place there was an ambush. Many of the "workers" started firing upon them. Frankie was protected by his body guards and ended up killing DeStefano. The police arrested Frankie but after a two month trial he was released on self-defense.[12]

Frankie kept running into trouble with the Outfit but nothing major erupted after DeStefano was murdered.[13] Joseph Aiuppa ended up having to meet with Frankie to tell were the boundary would be drawn for the two rivals. Frankie took the North and part of the east side and the Outfit took the south as they had prior.[14]

Aiuppa was getting worried about not having enough territory and the growing power of the young Frankie at 25.[15] Frankie's business was growing rapidly he was importing and exporting every night and running many business's throughout the town. Aiuppa was worried and hired a hitman to take him out.[16]

On September 6, 1985 Frankie was leaving his North Side home and was being shot at although the bullets missed him.[17] He took this as a sign of war and declared war on the Outfit. George Cavanaugh, his brother, now was getting used to his brother's business and made a place for himself. George had taken his brother's offer and become an underboss. Frankie told his brother of the war and said he had to take out a boss of the Outfit and he chose Charles Inglese.[18]

[edit] Coffee Massacre

Frankie knew if he could take out an associate of the Outfit then he would get them to turn in the war. Frankie found out that Inglese was going to a coffee shop in a suburb of Chicago to do business. Inglese was also doing business on Frankie's area of rule. Frankie took on a leave of absence and left his home towards the shop on December 25th,1987.[19] When Frankie got there he found Inglese there dealing drugs to the shop manager and pulled out a gun and shot at him. He had shot Inglese twice in the head and twice in the chest, a stray bullet also struck the manager in the head. Both men had died and police were on the scene in moments.[20]

[edit] Prison

Frankie was arrested and taken to court where he pled "not guilty". The judge had gathered enough information from the gun ballistics tests, and many witnesses that he ended up sentencing Frankie to 20 years in a state penitentiary.[21] On January 3rd, 1987 Frankie was sentenced to his jail sentence at Joliet Correctional Center.[22]

[edit] Sources

[edit] Web

North Side Gang

[edit] Books

  1. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  2. ^ a b Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  3. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  4. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  5. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  6. ^ North Side Gang
  7. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  8. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  9. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  10. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  11. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  12. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  13. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  14. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  15. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:
  16. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:
  17. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:
  18. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:
  19. ^ Zorbaugh, Harvey Warren. The Gold Coast and the Slum
  20. ^ Zorbaugh, Harvey Warren. The Gold Coast and the Slum
  21. ^ Zorbaugh, Harvey Warren. The Gold Coast and the Slum
  22. ^ Zorbaugh, Harvey Warren. The Gold Coast and the Slum
  • Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Murderous Mobsters, Midway Monsters, and Windy City Oddities. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books Inc., 2005. ISBN 978-1-57488-785-3 (Enright, p.115)
  • Zorbaugh, Harvey Warren. The Gold Coast and the Slum: Sociological Study of Chicago's Near North Side. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1929. ISBN 978-0-226-98945-7 (Zorbaugh, p. 179)
  • Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family Chicago, Illinois: University Northern Illinois., 1987. ISBN 978-1-567493-739 (Terrence, p.215)
Preceded by
Lucas Cavanaugh
North Side Gang Boss
1976-1987, 2007-present
Succeeded by
George Cavanaugh