Anthony D'Andrea
| Anthony D'Andrea | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Antonio D'Andrea June 7, 1872 Valledolmo, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | May 12, 1921 (aged 48) Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Priest, Translator, Politician |
| Years active | 1902–1921 |
| Spouse(s) | Carolina Wagner (1899–1921) |
Anthony D'Andrea (June 7, 1872 – May 12, 1921) was the Mafia boss of Chicago in the late 1910s to early 1920s. He was also a Democrat and a political leader who was a president of the Unione Siciliana and was involved in a heated battle for alderman. D'Andrea was killed by an assassin's bullet in 1921.
Born Antonio D'Andrea in Valledolmo, Sicily, in 1872 to a large family, he studied law at the University of Palermo in Palermo, Sicily. In 1897, D'Andrea immigrated to the United States, briefly settling in Buffalo, New York. He later attended seminary at St. Mary's Academy in Baltimore and St. Bonaventura's Academy in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. In June, 1899, D'Andrea moved to Chicago, where he was ordained a priest and appointed pastor of St. Anthony's Italian (Independent) Catholic Church under Bishop Antoni Kozlowski. His brother Orazio (Horace) also became a priest.
In Chicago, D'Andrea met a young German woman, Carolina "Lena" Wagner. D'Andrea fell in love with Lena, left the priesthood, and married her in Milwaukee. However, after their marriage, Lena suddenly disappeared. D'Andrea suspected that the people who sheltered Lena after her parents' deaths were holding her. With help from the police, D'Andrea and Lena were reunited. Now that he was no longer a priest, D'Andrea decided to become a teacher of modern languages. Interestingly, his brother Louis also left the priesthood and married.
D'Andrea, because of his education, assisted other Italian immigrants with legal issues and worked as a professional translator. At some point, D'Andrea became involved with the Mafia, either in Sicily or the United States. While it is not known if there have been members of the clergy who were also Mafiosi in America, it has been known to occur in Sicily. In 1902, soon after his marriage, D'Andrea was arrested as the leader of a counterfeiting gang. After his arrest, D'Andrea initially blamed Lena for the crime. While awaiting trial, some authorities forgot that D'Andrea was in custody in Chicago and thought he had been murdered in New York City in the 1903 barrel murders. D'Andrea was convicted in Chicago and sent to Joliet State Prison. His family and supporters started a letter-writing campaign to the federal government for his release. After 13 months in prison, D'Andrea was released. D'Andrea continued to work as a translator while also increasing his power within the Mafia.
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