Fred Di Giovanni

Fred had two sisters, one his elder named Angelina, and the youngest named Minnie, both of whom later married the Panico brothers. Little is known as to what happened to Fred's dad Michael. He may have passed in 1899, or may have deserted the family. His mother Frances, remarried a man named Carlo Pignatario, who was a barber by profession. This may have probably lead to Fred rebelling and becoming a criminal.

In 1910, after leaving home, and while Fred was in his teens, he began working as an operator for a cutlery factory. He found the monotonous work dull, and began burglarizing on the side for excitement and fast money. He wasn't very successful at it, and ended up doing prison time for his misdeeds. These various crimes sent him at the Pontiac Reformatory, Illinois once in 1914, and another time in 1917. He will later be transferred in 1918 to the Illinois State Prison. As with many other criminals, it's in the prison system where friends and connections are made. These are later used once back into the outside world. In 1914, Fred is sent to the Pontiac Reformatory after getting caught with accomplice Leonardo Tortorello breaking into a haberdashery, and attempting to steal $375 worth of overcoats. Di Giovanni and Tortorello are both found guilty of burglary and sent to the Pontiac Reformatory.

July 4, 1916, Fred Di Giovanni, and an accomplice named Rocco Vallo, lay in wait for victim Carlo Bozzi, a 34 year old Italian shoe shiner. As he approaches, the thugs pull him into courtyard at 2100 Macallister (Lexington Avenue) where he is physically assaulted, and robbed. Carlo fights back in vain as Di Giovanni pulls a gun and shoots him point blank killing him. Police catch up with Di Giovanni and Vallo who are promptly arrested for murder. They are held for inquest by the Coroner on July 17, 1916. Di Giovanni is the only one found guilty, and charges against Rocco Vallo are nolle prossed on January 24, 1917. Di Giovanni is sent back to Pontiac and later is transferred to the Illinois State prison in Will County Joliet.While there, Di Giovanni finds himself doing time with the likes of George Moran, James Sammons and Frank McErlane. While at all institutions, Di Giovanni proves to be a very violent inmate. He gets constantly into fights with other convicts and he even attacks guards.

At the time, Di Giovanni is 5' and 4 1/2" in height and weighs 150 lbs. He has deep blue eyes and dark chestnut hair. He has a 4th grade education and is Catholic. He has a deflection of the left eye, a mole on his face, and a small scar near his mouth and chin.

In 1918, Di Giovanni, and inmate Thomas Rowan savagely beat and attempt to kill Joliet guard Beau B. Buel. They hit him with a hammer and stab him repeatedly with a putty knife. Officer Buel will be hospitalized and eventually survive his attack.

After being on good behavior for several years , he will be finally paroled on February 11, 1926. He had the backing of Aniello Renzi, who owned a financiing business on W. Taylor street. He was offered a job of $100 a month. This was of course just a ruse to get him out on parole earlier as he never did go work there.

Fred must have been successful in his climbing the criminal ladder while in prison because he is later photographed at various occasions with none other than Al Capone, and his other torpedoes. In these photographs, we see a smiling, almost laughing Fred Di Giovanni at Hot Springs Arkansas dated 1926. He may have come across this through connections with his girlfriend's family. Her family name was Pacelli, and while she was not directly connected to William Pacelli the adlerman, there may have been some distant Pacelli bloodline that got him closer to the Capone outfit.

Interestingly, William V. Pacelli the alderman was related to Daniel Serritella. Both their families and most all Pacellis in Chicago originally hailed from Ricigliano, Provincia di Salerno, Campania, Italy. Both Serritella and Pacelli were really close to Al Capone and were constantly in his inner circle at the Lexington Hotel. Anyone who wanted an audience with Al Capone had to go through either men for a meeting with the big shot.

About a little over a month later, Al Capone would be sent away for good and the throne for king of Chicago would be up for grabs. This caused chaos amongst Capone's friends and foes alike because everyone wanted to grab the now vacant gold sceptre that had just slipped away from Capone's hands. Many switched sides, others decided to pounce. One such gang was Roger Touhy's gang. They acted while Caponeites pondered if they should vie for the top role of Chicago's underworld king or just wait to find out who the big boss was.

On the night of June 16, 1932, Fred Di Giovanni goes to the Dell's Roadhouse in Morton Grove for an evening of fun and entertainment. The place has over 200 guests that evening, eating, drinking, dancing and gambling. Di Giovanni at the same time is scouting out the place. Some say for the outfit to collect the percentage of gambling proceeds, some say he has aligned himself with George 'Red' Barker, who is vying for Capone's seat. Di Giovanni may have just been out to have fun because he was unarmed and accompanied by Majorie Bruce, and her brother.

The Dells was connected to gangsters from it's first opening around 1918 to it's unceremonius closing in 1934. Kidnappings, robberies, shootings and bombings were the norm during it's existence. It's permanent and final closing was done by gangsters with fire.

During the might's festivities three men with guns enter the Dells and walk up to Di Giovanni. He recognizes one of the men and witnesses nearby say that Di Giovanni tells one of the men "Now Bill, Do you know what you are doing?" At the same moment that he is speaking, Di Giovanni puts his hand on the man's weapon, as if to disarm him. The man immediately knocks Di Giovanni to the ground by striking him with his weapon, while the two other walk up and all fire shots into Di Giovanni with one hitting Marjorie Bruce. Di Giovanni is struck by bullets to his spleen, left lung, and left kidney. While Di Giovanni is writhing in pain on the ground, his attackers kick and punch him repeatedly.

He may have been the 'Bill' Di Giovanni spoke to before getting shot. Sharkey will also get away from any murder charge in the Di Giovanni murder. He along with Touhy and other gang members will be arrested later for kidnapping. They will be found not guilty of the Hamm kidnapping. On December 1, 1931, just before being officially released, Sharkey will hang himself in his holding cell with his necktie. He had gotten unknown written death threats sent to him at the jail stating that he was going to be killed as soon as he stepped outside. He decided to end his own life.

From violent beginnings to a violent end, Fred Di Giovanni will die from his gunshot wounds. At his inquest, his wife told the coroner that he was a tailor for the Belmonte Bros, but that he was out of work at the time. He never really did any work for them, and was really representing himself to others as a salesman for the business. This was more of a cover, as was done by most gangsters. She also said that Di Giovanni had been very fond of gambling, which could also mean he had a gambling problem.

His body was sent to an undertaker in Evanston. His body was viewed at his sister's house at 1528 W. Harrison. A funeral mass was held at Our Lady of Pompeii church. He is buried alone at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.


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Fred had two sisters, one his elder named Angelina, and the youngest named Minnie, both of whom later married the Panico brothers. Little is known as to what happened to Fred's dad Michael. He may have passed in 1899, or may have deserted the family. His mother Frances, remarried a man named Carlo Pignatario, who was a barber by profession. This may have probably lead to Fred rebelling and becoming a criminal. In 1910, after leaving home, and while Fred was in his teens, he began working as an operator for a cutlery factory. He found the monotonous work dull, and began burglarizing on the side for excitement and fast money. He wasn't very successful at it, and ended up doing prison time for his misdeeds. These various crimes sent him at the Pontiac Reformatory, Illinois once in 1914, and another time in 1917. He will later be transferred in 1918 to the Illinois State Prison. As with many other criminals, it's in the prison system where friends and connections are made. These are later used once back into the outside world. In 1914, Fred is sent to the Pontiac Reformatory after getting caught with accomplice Leonardo Tortorello breaking into a haberdashery, and attempting to steal $375 worth of overcoats. Di Giovanni and Tortorello are both found guilty of burglary and sent to the Pontiac Reformatory. July 4, 1916, Fred Di Giovanni, and an accomplice named Rocco Vallo, lay in wait for victim Carlo Bozzi, a 34 year old Italian shoe shiner. As he approaches, the thugs pull him into courtyard at 2100 Macallister (Lexington Avenue) where he is physically assaulted, and robbed. Carlo fights back in vain as Di Giovanni pulls a gun and shoots him point blank killing him. Police catch up with Di Giovanni and Vallo who are promptly arrested for murder. They are held for inquest by the Coroner on July 17, 1916. Di Giovanni is the only one found guilty, and charges against Rocco Vallo are nolle prossed on January 24, 1917. Di Giovanni is sent back to Pontiac and later is transferred to the Illinois State prison in Will County Joliet.While there, Di Giovanni finds himself doing time with the likes of George Moran, James Sammons and Frank McErlane. While at all institutions, Di Giovanni proves to be a very violent inmate. He gets constantly into fights with other convicts and he even attacks guards. At the time, Di Giovanni is 5' and 4 1/2" in height and weighs 150 lbs. He has deep blue eyes and dark chestnut hair. He has a 4th grade education and is Catholic. He has a deflection of the left eye, a mole on his face, and a small scar near his mouth and chin. In 1918, Di Giovanni, and inmate Thomas Rowan savagely beat and attempt to kill Joliet guard Beau B. Buel. They hit him with a hammer and stab him repeatedly with a putty knife. Officer Buel will be hospitalized and eventually survive his attack. Fred Di Giovanni gets life's sentence for the attempted manslaughter. A small sample of Di Giovanni's misdeeds while incarcerated. After being on good behavior for several years , he will be finally paroled on February 11, 1926. He had the backing of Aniello Renzi, who owned a financiing business on W. Taylor street. He was offered a job of $100 a month. This was of course just a ruse to get him out on parole earlier as he never did go work there. Another finds him in September 1931, behind Al Capone, and smiling next to Jack McGurn at Comiskey Park. Fred must have been successful in his climbing the criminal ladder while in prison because he is later photographed at various occasions with none other than Al Capone, and his other torpedoes. In these photographs, we see a smiling, almost laughing Fred Di Giovanni at Hot Springs Arkansas dated 1926. He may have come across this through connections with his girlfriend's family. Her family name was Pacelli, and while she was not directly connected to William Pacelli the adlerman, there may have been some distant Pacelli bloodline that got him closer to the Capone outfit. Close up (1926 and 1931). Interestingly, William V. Pacelli the alderman was related to Daniel Serritella. Both their families and most all Pacellis in Chicago originally hailed from Ricigliano, Provincia di Salerno, Campania, Italy. Both Serritella and Pacelli were really close to Al Capone and were constantly in his inner circle at the Lexington Hotel. Anyone who wanted an audience with Al Capone had to go through either men for a meeting with the big shot. Al Capone with Fred Di Giovanni in Hot Springs, Arkansas, April 1926. (Diane Patricia Capone family photo) On October 12, 1927, Fred will marry Charlotte pacelli. They will move upstairs of 5242 Crystal. The home is owned by James Galante, Di Giovanni will use the cover of being a salesman for Belmonte bros tailoring shop on S. Wabash. After Alfred Lingle's killing, this same shop will be found mentioned in Jake Lingle's effects in a payment and payoff list. Mole and left eye deflection. About a little over a month later, Al Capone would be sent away for good and the throne for king of Chicago would be up for grabs. This caused chaos amongst Capone's friends and foes alike because everyone wanted to grab the now vacant gold sceptre that had just slipped away from Capone's hands. Many switched sides, others decided to pounce. One such gang was Roger Touhy's gang. They acted while Caponeites pondered if they should vie for the top role of Chicago's underworld king or just wait to find out who the big boss was. The Touhy's knew this and began eliminating everyone aiming for Capone's job. On the night of June 16, 1932, Fred Di Giovanni goes to the Dell's Roadhouse in Morton Grove for an evening of fun and entertainment. The place has over 200 guests that evening, eating, drinking, dancing and gambling. Di Giovanni at the same time is scouting out the place. Some say for the outfit to collect the percentage of gambling proceeds, some say he has aligned himself with George 'Red' Barker, who is vying for Capone's seat. Di Giovanni may have just been out to have fun because he was unarmed and accompanied by Majorie Bruce, and her brother. The Dells was connected to gangsters from it's first opening around 1918 to it's unceremonius closing in 1934. Kidnappings, robberies, shootings and bombings were the norm during it's existence. It's permanent and final closing was done by gangsters with fire. During the might's festivities three men with guns enter the Dells and walk up to Di Giovanni. He recognizes one of the men and witnesses nearby say that Di Giovanni tells one of the men "Now Bill, Do you know what you are doing?" At the same moment that he is speaking, Di Giovanni puts his hand on the man's weapon, as if to disarm him. The man immediately knocks Di Giovanni to the ground by striking him with his weapon, while the two other walk up and all fire shots into Di Giovanni with one hitting Marjorie Bruce. Di Giovanni is struck by bullets to his spleen, left lung, and left kidney. While Di Giovanni is writhing in pain on the ground, his attackers kick and punch him repeatedly. Touhy gangster Leroy Marschalk He was one of the gangsters that pulled the trigger on Di Giovanni. He will shoot it out with police before being arrested. He will get away from being prosecuted for Di Giovanni's death due to shoddy work by the authorities. Touhy gangster William 'Willie' Sharkey. He may have been the 'Bill' Di Giovanni spoke to before getting shot. Sharkey will also get away from any murder charge in the Di Giovanni murder. He along with Touhy and other gang members will be arrested later for kidnapping. They will be found not guilty of the Hamm kidnapping. On December 1, 1931, just before being officially released, Sharkey will hang himself in his holding cell with his necktie. He had gotten unknown written death threats sent to him at the jail stating that he was going to be killed as soon as he stepped outside. He decided to end his own life. (St. Paul police mugshot) Was Marjorie Di Giovanni's mistress? It's unknown, but after Di Giovanni is killed newspapers print that they both are living at an 40 East Oak Street address. From violent beginnings to a violent end, Fred Di Giovanni will die from his gunshot wounds. At his inquest, his wife told the coroner that he was a tailor for the Belmonte Bros, but that he was out of work at the time. He never really did any work for them, and was really representing himself to others as a salesman for the business. This was more of a cover, as was done by most gangsters. She also said that Di Giovanni had been very fond of gambling, which could also mean he had a gambling problem. His body was sent to an undertaker in Evanston. His body was viewed at his sister's house at 1528 W. Harrison. A funeral mass was held at Our Lady of Pompeii church. He is buried alone at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. Di Giovanni's obituary that appeared in the Chicago Tribune and in the Chicago Daily News. A day later on the 17th of June, George 'Red' Barker, who is aspiring to Capone's throne, will be in turn machine gunned to death on a street. While at first thought to be Nitto's elemination campaign, it may have just been the Touhy gang's rampage for retribution, and domination of territory. Fred Di Giovanni's monument at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. (Photo by kind courtesy of Margaret Regan) (Photo by kind courtesy of Margaret Regan)