| Joseph Aiuppa | |
|---|---|
Joey "Doves" Aiuppa |
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| Born | December 1, 1907 Melrose Park, Illinois |
| Died | February 22, 1997 (aged 89) Elmhurst, Illinois |
| Cause | Unknown natural causes |
| Alias(es) | Joey Aiuppa, Joey "Doves", Joey O' Brien |
| Charge(s) | Skimming Las Vegas casinos |
| Conviction(s) | Mar 27, 1986 |
| Penalty | 28 years and 6 months imprisonment, fined $143,000 |
| Status | Deceased |
| Occupation | Gangster |
| Spouse | Angeline Zito |
| Parents | Sam Aiuppa, Rose Greco |
Joseph John Aiuppa (pronounced, "I-U-PA") (December 1, 1907 – February 22, 1997), also known as "Doves," "Mourning Doves," "O'Brien," or "Joey Doves," was a Chicago mobster who became a leader of the Chicago Outfit.
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Joseph Aiuppa was born in Melrose Park, Illinois, the eldest son of Simone Aiuppa (1883-1934) and Rosalia (1886-1968), Italian immigrants from Lascari, Province of Palermo, Sicily.
During the 1920s, former boxer, Aiuppa rose through the ranks of the Outfit, beginning as a driver for higher ranking Outfit leaders such as Tony Accardo before graduating to operating several gambling establishments in Cicero, Illinois. These clubs included bookmaking establishments and underground casinos with secret entrances. In the early 1930s, Aiuppa managed Taylor & Company, ostensibly a furniture manufacturer though in actuality a front for the manufacture of illegal slot machines.
In a move reminiscent of Al Capone's infamous conviction for tax evasion, Aiuppa was convicted in 1966 for the unlawful possession and transportation of mourning doves across state lines. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 it is illegal to possess more than 24 doves per person outside of hunting season; however, in September 1962, as part of Robert Kennedy's crackdown on the Chicago Outfit, FBI agents in Kansas searching Aiuppa's car discovered 563 frozen doves. Following a series of appeals, Aiuppa was eventually sentenced in August 1966, and received a 3-month jail sentence and a $1000 fine.[1]
In June 1975, Aiuppa allegedly conspired with Johnny 'Johnny Handsome' Roselli to kill Giancana. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suspected that the Outfit killed Giancana because he refused to share his offshore gambling profits from Mexico. Another murder theory states that Giancana's murder was connected to the U.S. Senate's investigation into the alleged CIA role in the conspiracy to assassinate Cuba leader Fidel Castro.[2] Roselli himself was also killed soon afterward for apparently being too forthcoming in the Church Committee hearings, which were being held at this time.
In 1986, Aiuppa was convicted of skimming profits from Las Vegas casinos and received 28 years in prison. In June 1986, Tony "The Ant" Spilotro and his brother Michael were found beaten and buried alive in a cornfield five miles away from Aiuppa property near Morocco, Indiana. It was commonly assumed that the Outfit ordered Tony Spilotro's murder because of his misbehavior in Las Vegas. However, it was also rumored that Aiuppa ordered the executions because he blamed Spilotro for the skimming conviction.
In 1996, Aiuppa was released from prison. On February 22, 1997, Joseph Aiuppa died of natural causes at Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois. He was buried at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.[3]
In the 1995 film Casino, actor Pasquale Cajano's character, "Remo Gaggi," is loosely based on Aiuppa. The Spilotro murders are also recreated in this film.
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Felix Alderisio |
Chicago Outfit Boss 1971-1986 |
Succeeded by Joseph Ferriola |
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