August 23, 1962: An informant said payoffs were being collected from various nightclubs for the purpose of supporting four elder mobsters in Milwaukee, including Sam Ferrara. Some money may also be sent to Kansas City, who had helped Milwaukee in the past. The informant said that this time around, Frank Balistrieri gave Louis Fazio a “pass” on the collection.
At some point in October 1962, Joseph Gurera and Steve DiSalvo allegedly “put the bite” on the Magestro brothers, who were trash dealers.
The Milwaukee FBI received an anonymous, typewritten letter on October 22, 1962. It said: “I want you to know that Frank Balistrieri of Gallagher’s and his friend Harry and two other men from Kansas City have been demanding 30% protection money from people in business. I hear they already asked Mike Amato of Amato and Guardalabene funeral parlor.” (I don’t know who Harry is. See November 1)
On October 25, 1962, Peter Sciortino’s Bakery (1101 East Brady) was the target of a bomb attack. The explosion tore a small hole through the rear wall of the bakery around 11:50pm and firefighters were called to the scene. A neighboring apartment at 1115 East Brady also had its windows blown out on three floors, and garbage cans were damaged. Charles Buran, 13, who lived in the apartment, said the bomb “shook the whole house.”
Detective Inspector Harold Breier did not immediately know what type of explosives were used and had to call in a chemical expert. Police did not know what the motive was and stressed that Peter Sciortino — who lived upstairs and was watching television — had no history of trouble. The explosion may have been a warning, as Breier pointed out that the culprit “could have put the explosive compound in a different place and caused a lot more damage.” When questioned by the FBI, Breier said that Peter Sciortino told him he had no idea why the bakery was targeted and denied being any relation to “Joe Sciortino” of Milwaukee, who once had a bakery in the Third Ward.
November 1, 1962: John Holtzman interviewed Michael J. Amato, partner of Anthony Guardalabene in the local funeral home. Amato said his wife was a cousin of Frank Balistrieri’s wife, making him a cousin by marriage, as well as a nephew by marriage of John Alioto. (Either Amato misspoke or Holtzman misunderstood – his wife was a Vicari/Petta, while it was actually Amato whose mother was an Alioto.) Amato said he saw Balistrieri and Alioto once or twice a year but stayed away from Gallagher’s because it was undesirable. He said the last time he was there was for a testimony for Dr. Vito Guardalabene, the brother of his business partner. As far as he knew, this party was a sincere celebration of the doctor. Holtzman showed Amato the anonymous note, and Amato responded, “Who is Harry?” He said he was not threatened or even had hints of a threat, and he would report it if he did. Amato said he personally disapproves of the criminal activities of Balistrieri and his friends because the whole Italian community suffers. Amato further said he feels so strongly about this that he hopes his three daughters marry non-Italians to get away from all of that. (All three married non-Italians.) Finally, Amato said he spends his free time at home and tries to avoid the Italian community. This is impossible because his business caters to that group, but he keeps his mingling professional.
Milwaukee police captain John Lavin) turned over a report written by Walter Heller to the FBI on November 19, 1962. The report said that businesses suspected of paying “insurance” were: the Holiday House, Sardino’s, the Riviera and Fazio’s. The Scaffidi Brothers Bakery on East Brady Street was also said to have recently been shot up by some men, and the bakery did not report the incident to police, but instead decided to go out of business.
May 10, 1963: An informant said that P&P Distributing (3726 West Pierce), operated by Robert Puccio and Joseph Pellegrino, were making extortion payments to Frank Balistrieri.
Special Agents Richard Thompson and Alexander LeGrand interviewed baker Peter Sciortino on October 24, 1963 in relation to rumors that he was paying the Outfit $20-30 per week in order to operate. He said he knew Steve DiSalvo, who occasionally would stop by the bakery, but denied knowing Frank Stelloh. He also said he had not paid any money, and that he did not know who had detonated a small bomb near his home in 1962. The same day, the agents interviewed Frank Dimiceli, the owner of the Rafters Steakhouse (7228 South 27th Street). Dimiceli also
denied knowledge of any shakedowns. (Dimiceli would later be investigated for prostitution.)
Family tensions continued in June 1964, when Balistrieri found that another Peter Sciortino had come to Milwaukee from Tucson, Arizona. Sciortino, an alleged member of the Joe Bonanno crime family, spoke with John Alioto and Balistrieri was not informed. According to the LCN’s protocol, Balistrieri should have been informed of Sciortino’s presence. This Peter Sciortino of Tucson was both a cousin and brother-in-law of the Peter Sciortino of Milwaukee. He also operated a bakery.
While in Milwaukee, the Tucson Sciortino purchased a 1964 Buick Electra at Frascona Buick in Wauwatosa from Frank Balistrieri, a cousin of the mobster Frank Balistrieri.
Hidden microphone 646-C (at 2559 North Downer Avenue) caught an Outfit “chair” meeting on June 18, 1964 where one member of the group was castigated for not functioning properly. Balistrieri was upset that Peter Sciortino came from Tucson and was entertained without him (Balistrieri) being notified by John Alioto. Also, he was not notified of a member’s father’s death, and was thus not able to pay the proper respects. The names of Joe Bonanno, Salvatore Giancana and Felix Alderisio were frequently mentioned.
A meeting was called on June 30, 1964 and Peter Sciortino of Tucson was called to the meeting. Balistrieri tried to talk to Sciortino about the Bonanno Family, but Sciortino said he was just a soldier and was not authorized to say anything without clearance from his capo, Charles Battaglia. Balistrieri conceded this would be the proper procedure and no further discussion was carried out.
Milwaukee’s Peter Sciortino was interviewed by Thompson and LeGrand on March 19, 1965. They asked if he had family in Tucson, and Sciortino explained that the other Peter was his cousin, and also that he (Milwaukee Peter) was married to his cousin, Tuscon Peter’s sister, making them also brothers-in-law. He said Tucson Peter was in Milwaukee in 1964 on his way to New York and Canada to visit relatives. Milwaukee Peter said he didn’t know if Tucson Peter was in the Mafia, but wouldn’t be surprised and knew he had business dealings with Joe Bonanno. Milwaukee Peter had met Bonanno, but had not seen him in years. He explained that his wife’s family grew up a block away from Bonanno in New York, so they had known him forever. Milwaukee Peter said after his bakery was bombed, he told Tucson Peter. There was a rumor that Tucson Peter told Bonanno, who told Frank Balistrieri to knock it off, but Milwaukee Peter never asked for this favor and did not know if it actually happened. He lastly mentioned that to add to the confusion, he has two more cousins named Peter Sciortino who both live in Brooklyn.
Bonus fun fact: Someone tried to bomb the Tucson Sciortino Bakery but went to the wrong address and instead blew up a Midas Muffler Shop. How they got them confused is beyond me. After this, Sciortino moved to San Diego in the early 1970s.