Floyd Ventura had been born October 27, 1914 in Arcadia, Florida, to Annibale Ventura and Angeline Roscioli Ventura. They had first settled in Kenosha, moved to Florida, and then moved back to Kenosha, where Floyd and his siblings were raised. The family was from the same area in Italy as many of the other Kenosha families, but there does not appear to be any family link to the known criminal families in the area.
May 13, 1942, Floyd Ventura and Sam Iaquinta of Kenosha were arrested in Skokie, Illinois for transporting 125 gallons of untaxed alcohol. The arresting officers arrived as these two were putting the alcohol in vehicles operated by three Chicago men – Thomas Vitello, Mike Vella, and Sam Forestiere (whose names mean nothing to me). Prohibition was long over at this point, so the offense was “untaxed” alcohol, not the alcohol itself. Whether this is the same Sam Iaquinta who later factored into the Tony Biernat murder is unclear.
1943, authorities raided a still near Kenosha. Arrested were Floyd Ventura, Thomas Vitello, Sam Forestiere and Mike Vella. Sam Iaquinta was not found, but this time Floyd had with him his brother Nello (age 23) and Nello’s father-in-law, Sabatino Lori (age 66). Floyd was sentenced to one year in prison and a $500 fine. Nello received nine months, and Lori had only 30 days and a $300 fine. Vitello got nine months, while the other two Chicago men were put on probation.
Around 9:00am on the morning of January 24, 1945, Floyd Ventura (30 years old), the manager of the Esquire Grill (5721 Sixth Avenue) in Kenosha, was found shot to death in his car on Deep Lake Road four miles east of Antioch, Illinois. (Antioch is not far south of the state line, and 20 miles west of Kenosha.) He was found by local farmer Robert Scott, who notified authorities. The cause of death was four bullets fired at close range into Ventura’s right temple. The death was ruled murder immediately because the gun was not in the car. Ventura’s body was brought to the Stang Funeral home for autopsy.
The motive of robbery was ruled out, as Ventura still had $206 in his pocket and a large diamond ring on his finger. Lake County Chief Deputy Thomas Kennedy speculated that because of the angle of the wounds the killer was in the back seat, and because of the distance from any nearby town he likely fled in a second car.
With no motives or suspects, police questioned Mrs. Kaye Rammel (30), who co-managed the Esquire Grill. She said he had brought her home at bar close the night before, and they were planning a Chicago business trip. Rammel said she had been Ventura’s girlfriend for about 10 years. She had been married twice before and had a 12-year old son.
August 1945, three men from Elkhorn and Delavan in Walworth County tried to extort $40,000 out of Harvard, Illinois banker William Hubbell. The three men (Burdell Boardman, Carl Garman, and William Huber) threatened Hubbell over the phone and told him they were the men who killed Ventura, so he better not mess with them. After multiple days of threatening calls, he agreed to meet the men at a tavern on the south side of Delavan Lake. Unknown to the men, Hubbell had contacted the FBI and they were watching the whole time. It was doubted the men had any connection to Ventura.
July 1946, Nello Ventura (25) was arrested for selling hot dogs without a license. He posted $50 bond. In September, he ran a red light and police found him carrying a concealed weapon.
Although his early history of making moonshine and selling illegal hot dogs might suggest otherwise, Nello Ventura became a major businessman in Kenosha. By 1950 he was in the diamond business and in November 1962, he was president of DeJames Jewelry and changed the name of the firm to Ventura Jewelry when he opened a new, bigger store at 5617 Sixth Avenue, taking over a spot occupied by Irving Furs.
The morning of March 19, 1968, Ventura Jewelry was robbed of money, diamonds and wedding rings by two armed men. Nello pulled a gun on the men, but they then turned their guns on a customer (18-year old Kathy Meyer) and threatened to shoot her if he did not drop his weapon. He agreed, and everyone was forced into a back room and handcuffed to each other while the robbers cleared out the register. The burglar alarm could not be triggered until after the men fled because it required a key to activate.
March 1969, second robbery?
1970, Nello’s son Floyd was certified as a diamondologist.
After a decade in the life insurance business, William Ventura joined his father (Nello) in jewelry in 1975. He would become part owner of the business. However, he would die from cancer at only age 51, both of his parents outliving him.
August 1982, Nello purchased a strip mall at 4017 75th Street, and planned to move his jewelry business there. He said the move would likely not be for a few years.
Third brother, Mario Ventura, started the Mars Cheese Castle near Kenosha!