Tony Spilotro

Who Was Tony Spilotro?

Tony Spilotro was a notorious figure in the world of organized crime. Born in Chicago, Illinois, his early exposure to the criminal underworld came through his parents’ restaurant, which was frequented by local mobsters. Spilotro’s rise in the Mafia began in his early 20s when he became a “made” man in 1963, marking the start of his involvement in the Chicago Outfit. By the early 1970s, Spilotro was sent to Las Vegas to represent the mob, where he later formed his own faction, the Hole in the Wall Gang. His criminal activities, however, led to his eventual blacklisting from casinos, complicating his position within the mob. His actions alienated both his superiors and associates, and in June 1986, Spilotro and his brother were brutally murdered by mob affiliates.

Early Life

Tony Spilotro was born Anthony John Spilotro on May 19, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, into a large Italian-American family. He was one of six boys—Vincent, Victor, Patrick, Johnny, and Michael. His parents, Pasquale and Antoinette Spilotro, were Italian immigrants who owned and operated Patsy’s Restaurant, a local establishment that became a gathering place for mobsters. It was here that Spilotro first encountered the world of organized crime.

As a child, Spilotro was known for his aggressive behavior and became a neighborhood bully with a reputation for fighting. His early years were marked by a descent into petty crime, including shoplifting and purse-snatching, often with his brothers. The sudden death of his father in 1954 left his mother to raise the six children, which may have contributed to Spilotro’s increasingly rebellious nature. That same year, he dropped out of Steinmetz High School during his sophomore year and focused on criminal activities. At the age of 16, Spilotro was arrested for attempting to steal a shirt, marking the first of many run-ins with the law. Although he was fined and placed on probation, the incident did little to curb his growing involvement in crime.

By the time he reached his early 20s, Spilotro had set his sights on the Chicago Outfit, Chicago’s most powerful crime family, seeking to expand his influence beyond petty crimes. It was also during this time that he met and married Nancy Stuart, a petite waitress who worked in a mob-controlled establishment.

Chicago Underworld

By 1962, Tony Spilotro had cultivated strong ties with key figures in the Chicago underworld, aligning himself with influential mobsters such as Vincent “the Saint” Inserro, Joseph “Joey the Clown” Lombardo, and Joseph “Joey Doves” Aiuppa. That same year, Spilotro became affiliated with the crew of Sam “Mad Sam” DeStefano. DeStefano, known for his unpredictable behavior and lack of discipline, was not seen as a leader, but his violent tendencies made him an asset to his superiors who sought to instill fear and assert control over the city. His reputation for brutality was well known, and even law enforcement approached him with caution.

The M&M Murders

Under DeStefano’s mentorship, Spilotro earned his first major contract to execute Billy McCarthy and Jimmy Miraglia, two young burglars known as the M&M Boys. The pair had killed two other thieves in Elmwood Park, a neighborhood that was considered off-limits by The Outfit, the Chicago Mob. In retaliation for this breach of their territory, Spilotro tortured the victims before executing them. One of the most infamous aspects of the killings involved the interrogation of McCarthy, where Spilotro and his associates used a vice to crush the victim’s head, causing his eye to pop out in an attempt to extract information about Miraglia’s whereabouts.

The bodies of McCarthy and Miraglia, both mutilated and with their throats slit, were discovered in the trunk of a car on Chicago’s South Side later that year, leading to the case being dubbed “The M&M Murders.” The gruesome nature of the killings cemented Spilotro’s reputation within the criminal underworld and earned him a promotion to “made” member of the Chicago Mafia in 1963. This new status also granted him control over a bookmaking operation on the northwest side of Chicago.

However, Spilotro’s rise did not go unnoticed by law enforcement and the media. His new prominence led to increased scrutiny, and he was soon dubbed “The Ant” due to his diminutive stature of just 5’2″. Both Spilotro and DeStefano became prime suspects in the M&M Murders, as well as other killings that began to mount in the following years.

Marked Man: The Rise and Fall of Tony Spilotro

Tony Spilotro’s criminal career was marked by his violent tendencies and his ability to evade the law, but in the early 1960s, his notoriety began to catch up with him. In November 1963, federal authorities turned Charles “Chuckie” Grimaldi, a former member of DeStefano’s crew, into a key witness against Spilotro and his associates during the murder trial of Leo Foreman. Foreman, a loan collector, had made the fatal mistake of throwing DeStefano out of his office earlier that year. Foreman was lured to a meeting under the guise of playing cards, where he was brutally attacked by Spilotro and others, leading to his death. Despite strong evidence, both Spilotro and DeStefano were acquitted.

In 1967, the IRS raided Spilotro’s home in a crackdown on illegal gambling and found he had been running an operation out of his residence. While he was fined, no jail time was served. Two years later, in 1969, Spilotro again avoided serious punishment despite being caught running a bookmaking racket, this time from an abandoned basement. Even with the growing law enforcement attention, Spilotro continued his criminal activities unimpeded, participating in several murders, though no formal charges were ever filed.

Vegas Underworld: Rise to Power

By 1971, Spilotro had risen to prominence within the Chicago Outfit, becoming the mob’s representative in Las Vegas. In this role, he participated in a major scheme to embezzle casino profits through a process known as “skimming.” Spilotro’s job was to protect the operation, which involved the use of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, a mobster who ran a casino but was never eligible to become a “made” man due to his non-Italian heritage. The operation was highly lucrative, with money flowing back to the Chicago Outfit and several other mafia families.

Spilotro, under the alias “Tony Stuart,” also established control over the Circus Circus hotel and the Vegas criminal landscape. His presence quickly brought about a wave of violence, with him demanding street taxes from criminals operating in the area, threatening death for those who refused. Murders in Las Vegas increased, signaling Spilotro’s growing influence.

The Gold Rush and Hole in the Wall Gang

In 1976, Spilotro expanded his operations by opening “The Gold Rush,” a jewelry and electronics store in partnership with his brother, Michael, and Chicago bookmaker Herbert “Fat Herbie” Blitzstein. The store became a front for selling both stolen and legitimate goods, and Spilotro took precautions to avoid attracting attention from law enforcement. He suspected that the FBI had bugged the store, forcing him to be discreet in his communications.

Spilotro also formed the “Hole in the Wall Gang,” a crew of burglars responsible for robbing hotel rooms, wealthy homes, and high-end stores. Known for their use of extreme methods, the gang became infamous for drilling holes in walls or roofs to gain access to their targets. Despite their success, the criminal activities of the Hole in the Wall Gang were not without consequences. In 1979, one of Spilotro’s associates, Sherwin “Jerry” Lisner, was arrested for larceny and, in an effort to avoid testifying, was murdered by mob enforcer Frank Cullotta.

Downfall and the Final Blow

Spilotro’s increasing reckless behavior, including his affair with Geri Rosenthal, wife of his mob associate Frank Rosenthal, put him in direct conflict with the Outfit’s leadership. His actions drew unwanted attention, culminating in a failed robbery attempt on July 4, 1981. Spilotro’s crew targeted Bertha’s Gifts & Home Furnishings, but due to the defection of an informant, the police arrested several members of the Hole in the Wall Gang. Spilotro himself was arrested two weeks later, but despite the charges, he was acquitted.

However, his legal troubles were far from over. In addition to facing charges related to the casino skimming operation, Spilotro’s notoriety became an increasing liability for the Chicago Outfit. His actions had exposed their operations, costing them millions of dollars and significant power within the Las Vegas underworld.

Death of Tony and Michael Spilotro

On June 14, 1986, Spilotro and his brother Michael were summoned to Chicago for a meeting under the pretext that Michael would be made a member of the mob. Instead, the brothers were brutally murdered by a group of mobsters, beaten, asphyxiated, and buried in a cornfield in Enos, Indiana. The discovery of their bodies by a farmer marked the end of Tony Spilotro’s reign in Las Vegas.

Legacy and Family

At the time of his death, Spilotro left behind his wife, Nancy, whom he had married in 1960, and their adopted son, Vincent. Despite his violent end, Spilotro’s story remains one of the most infamous chapters in the history of organized crime in Las Vegas.