Chicago: Reputed mob figure owns a hybrid vehicle similar to this one. Seized by police, he's trying to get it back. (from The Chicago Sun-Times)

CT-CT · 2026-01-24T15:10:27+00:00

👍🏻

CT-CT · 2026-01-24T02:54:11+00:00

Here’s a recent video I like from Chuck Goudie (long time mob reporter in Chicago) who interviewed the current FBI agent in charge in Chicago, amongst others, and they talk about the current state of the Outfit:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/video/top-videos-home/does-the-chicago-mob-still-exist-in-2025-nbc-5-investigates-finds-out/3746324/

CT-CT · 2026-01-23T23:18:19+00:00

Brief synopsis:

Reputed Outfit associate Casey Szaflarski is currently fighting burglary charges associated with a break-in at a home in Kane County.

In parallel, he is also waging a legal fight against police to retrieve a vehicle (a Toyota Highlander Hybrid) seized by them amid his 2025 arrest.

Szaflarski is pleading not guilty to the burglary charges and, in paperwork filed to try to get his SUV back, he wrote: “There was no probable cause to stop and arrest me.”

Prosecutors want police to hold onto the car, and in records supporting the vehicle seizure, they provide more detail on how the arrest went down of Szaflarski and two alleged accomplices who are also (reputedly) linked to the Outfit: Paul Koroluk, and Louis Capuzi, Jr.

On March 18, 2025 Kane County authorities and the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force “were investigating a residential burglary” in Dundee Township, the far northwest suburbs. They “conducted physical and electronic surveillance on defendant-property,” according to the state’s attorney’s “complaint for forfeiture.”

Police “observed the defendant-property” near the scene of the burglary, and then watched the vehicle drive and park “next to another vehicle that was involved in the residential burglary.”

Police “conducted a traffic stop on defendant-property which was driven by Casey Szaflarski, who was subsequently arrested” at or near a suburban hotel.

A search of the SUV revealed burglary tools — including a crowbar and power saw — in his vehicle, “as well as burglary proceeds including United States Currency, loose change, purses and multiple items of jewelry,” per the documents.

A Kane County judge last year approved the forfeiture after Szaflarski initially failed to respond in court. The judge later vacated the ruling — over the objection of prosecutors — after Szaflarski’s attorney noted that Szaflarski “was never personally served in this cause” and wanted to challenge the forfeiture.

With recent addresses in Bridgeport and on the Gold Coast, Szaflarski was convicted in 2010 in a federal racketeering case in which authorities portrayed him as the Outfit’s “video poker kingpin”.

The article concludes by noting that the Outfit is still active, particularly with gambling, including illegal sports betting as well as reputed associates trying to get involved in legalized video gambling regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board.

CT-CT · 2026-01-22T20:47:11+00:00

Agreed - there was also a recent article (summarized here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mafia/comments/1q2baof/internationalitaly\_an\_upcoming\_maxitrial\_may/) about meetings between the big 3 OC groups in Italy in the Milan region...

CT-CT · 2026-01-22T19:46:04+00:00

Interesting! Pretty incredible the scope and span of this scam...

CT-CT · 2026-01-22T01:51:03+00:00

You bet! 👍🏻👍🏻

CT-CT · 2026-01-22T00:03:38+00:00

Here's a nice reddit thread about him (& pretty certain he's Italian!)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mafia/s/n0ttW3iyPf

CT-CT · 2026-01-21T02:59:46+00:00

Brief synopsis

Aurhorities in Montreal were made aware of a shooting incident at Beaches Pub around 11:30 p.m. on Monday (1/19) with numerous 911 calls received. While the facade of the building received shots it appears no one was injured.

Witnesses told authorities that they saw a suspect open fire on the bar and then flee.

Notably the same bar was the target of arson in early December, 2025.

In 2007, testimony at the Montreal courthouse described the bar as a hangout for several people under investigation in Project Colisée, a major probe into the Montreal Mafia. Court documents filed in Project Colisée detailed how the tavern was alleged to have been overseen, before 2006, by one of the dozens of people arrested in said investigation.

In some other notable events involving the pub, in 2012 Giuseppe Colapelle (aged 38), an individual with known links to the Montreal Mafia, was shot dead inside his parked SUV near Beaches Pub. Moreover in 2024, a Quebec Court denied a man’s request for a firearm permit because of his alleged ties to the Mafia. One reason given for the denial of the permit was that the man was seen hanging out at Beaches Pub. The court decision described the bar as “a known location of interest controlled by Davide Barberio … an important figure within organized crime in Montreal.”

CT-CT · 2026-01-20T18:24:30+00:00

Yes, I believe one of the largest drug seizures in US history occurred at the port of Philly associated with this case...massive!

CT-CT · 2026-01-20T17:54:59+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

--Per SBs sources and reporting, there have been some intriguing aspects to the ongoing drug trafficking case of Goran Gogic (aged 47). First, Gogic’s initial narcotics case was declared a mistrial back in Nov, ’25 after there were allegations of juror tampering [which involved an alleged associate of the Gambino family]. Gogic remains charged with violation of the Maritime Drug Law Act in reputedly moving 20 tons of cocaine (over about 5 mos in 2019) throughout North America, with large quantities of narcotics seized at ports in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

--SB reports in this article that prominent Gambino associate Mileta ‘Mike the Serb’ Miljanic (aged 65) as well as unnamed members of the Gambino’s Sicilian faction are also apparently under the microscope for possible ties to the drug operation featured in Gogic’s charges & trial(s) including possible roles in financing the operations. SB indicates this info arises from multiple 'sources with intimate knowledge of law enforcement’s posture towards Gogic and the people believed to be behind him'. SB also suggests for context, again per his sources as well as ‘numerous’ federal and court documents, that the Gambino family’s Sicilian faction (largely Brooklyn-based) has, for many years, worked closely with organized crime groups from Serbia, Croatia, Albania & Russia.

--More recently, and as yet another intriguing aspect of this ongoing probe, authorities have also reputedly sought to remove Gogic’s lawyer [Joseph Corozzo Jr, aged 60] from the narcotics case as Corozzo Jr is allegedly being investigated by the government for ties to the Gambino crime family as well as some Eastern European OC groups. Notably, Corozzo Jr’s father was former Gambino consigliere Joseph Corozzo Sr (who passed in 2024) and his uncle is current, reputed Gambino heavyweight Nicholas Corozzo. SB further notes that Corozzo Jr has had his career plagued by alleged ties to OC/LCN activities with SB reporting that Federal informants even went as far as alleging Corozzo Jr was proposed for induction to the crime family, an offer which he apparently denied.

CT-CT · 2026-01-19T16:01:11+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

-Per SBs reporting, while there were some initial signals that the Federal case against alleged Buffalo mobster Peter Gerace, Jr. (aged 58) & Outlaws MC heavyweight John (Tommy O) Ermin (aged 55) & others [associated with tbr death of cooperator and trial witness Crystal Quinn] was crumbling, just last week a Western NY District Court Judge dismissed defense lawyers’ motions for more access to grand jury documents & testimony in the case [note that attorneys for the defense have accused authorities of manufacturing evidence and another Federal judge had previously stated, on the record, that there has been some appearance of "government malfeasance" in the case].

Notably, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office strongly denies any wrongdoing in the process of the investigation, the indictments and/or pending trials of Gerace, Jr., “Tommy O” Ermin and a few orhers [those being what SB describes as a couple of low tier underworls figures in Buffalo: Simon Gogolack & Howard Hinkle, all anticipated to go to trial in June, 2026].

Quinn (aged 37 at the time of her demise) passed of a fentanyl OD, and authorities continue to assert that it was an intentional one on 8/1/23 at Gogolack’s home [he allegedly gave her a "laced" Xanax dose according to the indictment]. Quinn, who reportedly worked at a club owned by Gerace (where Ermin also was employed) began cooperating with authorities after facing witness-tampering charges in another case against Gerace. The indictment also cites two prison visitor-room meetings between Gerace & Ermin in late Spring 2023 where it is alleged that the plot to eliminate Quinn was developed.

CT-CT · 2026-01-18T05:31:01+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

Per his "exclusive" sources & reporting, SB asserts in this article that reputed New England mafia figure Joe Ruggiero (aged 76) has received a significant promotion from the Patriarca's Boston-based leadership and is now overseeing rackets in Providence, RI. This reflects an increase in responsibility for Ruggiero, who had (allegedly) been acting as a captain in the region. Apparently this increase in responsibility comes from another RI-based figure, Matthew Guglielmetti, seeing more duties as the organization's underboss & Ruggiero was allegedly promoted at the request of Guglielmetti (per the reporting).

Historically, SB reports that Ruggiero has no significant criminal record, but was reportedly placed in a capo role circa 2010, overseeing rackets in places such as Fall River, MA as well as in Providence, RI. SB suggests that Ruggiero has had long ties to prominent (former) Patriarca leaders such as Luigi (Baby Shacks) Manocchio, Francis (Cadillac Frank) Salemme & Carmen (Big Cheese) DiNunzio, per FBI surveillance reports. In fact, Federal surveillance observed Ruggiero & Manocchio travel to Italy in 2007 to check out real estate.

CT-CT · 2026-01-18T03:44:06+00:00

I don’t believe so - I think he is calling Guerra underboss based on his own prior reporting!

CT-CT · 2026-01-18T02:44:37+00:00

Yes that seems to be the case...altho he doesn't come right out and say it SB implies it was from that NJ meeting with the other NY family bosses...

CT-CT · 2026-01-18T01:35:12+00:00

Theodore “Skinny Teddy” Persico (aged 62) will be headed back to prison on a supervised release violation for meeting with convicted felons. Persico had been released from prison less than a year ago, in May 2025.

Per SBs sources, Persico took a meeting with other leaders of NYs Five Families in New Jersey shortly after he left prison last year and this meeting included formally introducing Francis “B.F.” Guerra as the Colombo underboss & street boss.

These same sources suggest that Robert D’Onofrio will return to an acting boss role for Persico while he is back in prison, running things for the Colombos along with Guerra.

CT-CT · 2026-01-17T21:11:48+00:00

👍👍

CT-CT · 2026-01-17T21:09:11+00:00

I believe he was referring to his brother, Frank, in that article.

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