Mario Anthony DeStefano

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Mario Anthony DeStefano (March 21, 1915 - August 12, 1975) was a member of the Chicago Outfit and a leading loan shark.

Born Mario Antonio DeStefano, Mario later anglicized his middle name. Mario grew up in Little Italy, Chicago with his brothers, including future mobster Sam "Mad Sam" DeStefano. In 1935, at age 20, Mario was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30-years in prison. In 1949, after serving 14 years, DeStefano was released. Mario soon became partners with Sam in a loansharking operation, one of the earliest in Chicago history. By the end of the 1950s, they dominated the racket. In 1955, Mario and Sam were questioned by police regarding the September of 1955 death of their younger brother Michael DeStefano; however, no charges were filed.

Although linked to the Chicago Outfit, the DeStefano's operations were given a great deal of autonomy, most likely the result of Sam DeStefano's mental state and his relationship with Chicago Outfit leader Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, in exchange for a percentage of the brothers' loan shark earnings. During the 1960s, Mario was the primary enforcer for the DeStefano crew.

In 1973, Mario, Sam, and Anthony "Tony," "The Ant" Spilotro were charged with the November 19th of 1963 murder of rival loan shark Leo Foreman. Mario was eventually convicted in the Foreman murder and sentenced to 20-to-40 years in prison. Spilotro was acquitted. During the Foreman trial and out on bail, Sam was murdered in his garage. Mario and Spilotro were suspects in Sam's murder, but were never charged with the crime. On July 9, 1975, Mario's sentence was thrown out in the Foreman case by the Illinois Appellate Court. But, on August 12, 1975, he died of a heart attack while awaiting a retrial.

[edit] Further reading

[edit] References

  • Devito, Carlo. Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4848-7

[edit] External links

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