(This is merely a chronological list of stories concerning people in the Kenosha area named Buttera. It is not intended to suggest the Buttera family was “mobbed up” or was any more involved in crime than any other family. I’ve merely separated them out here by request of a family member. Furthermore, it is not clear that all people named Buttera are related – it is a fairly common name in Kenosha.)
NICK BUTTERA (-1918)
Nick Buttera was shot and killed on March 30, 1918. On his deathbed, he named his killer as Carmine Surina. Judge Belden ruled that such a statement was not good enough to charge a man, and Surina was released as a suspect. (This is all I could find.)
FRANK BUTTERA (unsure which one, as two were of similar ages)
On the afternoon of February 22, 1929 police held four men for the shooting of Michael Sitarz, who was wounded, in front of William “Red” Covelli’s restaurant. His shoulder was hit and the “dum dum” bullet penetrated his lung. (The newspaper noted this was the same place that Frank Paparas was shot by Tony Cosentino (who they called a “Mafia leader” from Racine), and mere blocks from the site of the recent Tony Lanzillotti killing.)
The stories were confusing and police did not know if the shooting was a robbery attempt or an argument about two girls. Arrested first was Frank Buttera, who admitted being involved in the shooting, saying Sitarz took $12 from him at gunpoint. Police found the $12 in Buttera’s pocket, but he insisted it was “planted” there after the shooting.
Brought in later were cab driver Ronald Broesch, 20, Red Covelli, and restaurateur Louis Cairo, 40. Cairo was held without charge, but the other two were booked for statutory rape. Sitarz, from his hospital bed, told the police about Antonia “Babe” Omesa, 16, who was involved with the older men.
On Tuesday, April 26, 1932, Federal Judge F. A. Geiger dismissed charges against five bootleggers at the request of prosecutor Gilbert E. Vandercook. Frank Buttera, Frank Molinaro and John Ludwig did not have enough evidence against them because their co-defendant, Walter Hudgens, could not be found.
JAMES BUTTERA (1897-1962)
One Frank Buttera (1908-1973) is a brother to this James Buttera, but it’s not clear if it is the same Frank.
September 28, 1947: A quarrel broke out during gambling at Cookie’s Cigar Store (2207 56th Street) and Camillo Migliano, 60, shot James Buttera, 50, three times – in the neck, left arm and right shoulder. Buttera was expected to recover, but Migliano was held on $7,5000 bond for assault with intent to commit murder. Migliano explained to police, “He asked me about a $2 loan he had made me earlier in the week. I shrugged that off. Then he called me a dirty name.” He then pulled a .38 out that he said he had purchased in Italy in 1910 and fired “five or six” times by his count. Patrons of Gerolmo’s Tavern next door said they said “two or three” shots. By the time the police arrived, the gun mysteriously vanished and was never recovered. Aldo Nudi and Al Gastaldi assisted Buttera, who was hiding in a bathroom, to the hospital. Frank Tenuta, 33, was also charged with running a gambling operation there and fined $89.
October 29, 1947: Migliano waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Judge WW Davis said he would schedule a trial in the next session. (As of September 2026, I was not able to find a follow-up article about the trial.)
January 9, 1948: Police arrested five people gambling during a game of gin rummy at Cookie’s Cigar Store. Owner Carlo Scola was fined $50 for keeping a gambling house. Fined $2 each as players were Frank Tenuta, Emil Senteri, Oscar William Ogren and Lewis Stanford. In addition to the deck of cards, police seized $4.76 that was in play. Police chief Emil Clausen told the press this was a warning to other gamblers.
JOHN CHARLES BUTTERA (1908-1975)
March 12, 1949: Police raided the Kenosha Athletic Club, which contained a gambling operation. Operator Frank “Ditchy” Greco received the biggest fine ($500), and four employees received smaller fines ($50 each): Walter Mann, Joseph Pfeiffer, Willis Zierk and John Charles Buttera (known as “Sure Shot”). 18 were fined $5 each for being in the place. Most are not notable, but three men named Matera were there: Raymond Matera, Marvin F. Matera and Anthony Matera. In fact, 77 were picked up – but fines were only given to people with previous gambling records. (Anthony and Marvin Matera were brothers – there is no clear family link to Raymond.)
July 1, 1950: Four gambling dens in Kenosha were raided simultaneously by state and local police, with 100 people rounded up as gamblers. Chief Haukedahl personally lead the raids with state agent David Pritchard. Seven men were charged as operators. The Lakeshore Restaurant on Highway 42 was actually raided twice the same night. Ollie O’Mara was arrested at his pool hall, John Buttera was arrested for operating the Kenosha Athletic Club, and Harry Steinhoff was running George Ebner’s place. Other operators were Edward Griffman, Matt Miller, Morris Shapiro and Paul Gastrowski.
March 13, 1953: Police found a knocked-out man and in trying to figure out where he came from, stumbled upon a gambling operation inside an apartment. Carlo Scola, Emil Conforti, Raymond Matera and John Buttera were in there, among others.
On April 24, 1963, John Buttera’s vehicle was seen parked outside Carlo Scola’s deli.
June 26, 1963: Agents observed John Buttera enter Carl’s Delicatessen briefly and then walked across the library park area and enter a residence (redacted).
August 21, 1963: John Buttera was at Carl’s Delicatessen with Alfred DeCesaro and Ralph Masaro. Buttera was later seen leaving the delicatessen and walking to Chick’s Bar.
August 22, 1963: Surveillance was run from 10:28 to 11:54am near Carl’s Delicatessen. DeCesaro and Buttera were seen there. They were also seen at Chick’s Bar and the Henock News Agency.
August 26, 1963: John Buttera was seen talking with Ralph Masaro at Carl’s Delicatessen. His car was seen the same day outside Effie’s House of Sterling (tavern and hotel).
August 27, 1963: John Buttera was seen at Carl’s Delicatessen.
On September 24, 1963, (redacted) was interviewed about John Buttera after the FBI had witnessed Buttera visiting X’s residence over a dozen times in 1963. Following this interview, Buttera was not seen visiting the house again.
On Friday, January 17, 1964 at 12:30pm, forty-five police and IRS agents lead by Agent Delbert Skeens simultaneously raided the Tip-Z-Top Lounge (4426 Sheridan Road, Kenosha) and a boardinghouse at 721 Center Street in Racine. United States Attorney James Brennan said, “This concludes about two months of intensive investigation in the Kenosha-Racine area.” In Kenosha, they arrested tavern owner and former high school basketball star Peter Zocchi, 43, and his janitor, John C. Buttera. Zocchi was charged with accepting wagers without a gambling stamp and a failure to pay excise taxes on the wagers. Buttera was released due to improper wording on the warrant but was told to go to the district attorney’s office on Monday. At the Racine house, resident Leah E. Molgaard, 44, was arrested and charged the same as Zocchi. Zocchi was found with $233 in cash and gambling paraphernalia in his possession, with a preliminary hearing set for January 31. Molgaard had $3,700 in cash and paraphernalia.
On April 16, 1969, FBI agents (including Daniel Brandt) watched Alfred DeCesaro enter and leave various businesses in Kenosha. Between 9:48am and 1:00pm, he entered George’s Custom Tailors, the Park View Motel, Villa Capri Liquor Store, Towne House Restaurant, Louie’s Tap, Joe’s Bar, Park Liquor Store, the Elks Club, Bartley House Tavern, Office Lounge, Schmidt’s Club Bar, and Art and Joyce’s Tap. During this surveillance, John Puntillo was also seen at the Office Lounge and DeCesaro was seen having a brief conversation with John Buttera.