Frank Rio
| Franklin Rio | |
|---|---|
Frank Rio
|
|
| Born |
June 30, 1895 Lovato, Italy |
| Died | February 23, 1935 (aged 39) Chicago, Illinois |
| Cause of death | heart attack |
| Other names | Frank Cline |
Franklin Rio also known as "Frank Rio" and "Frank Cline" (June 30, 1895 - February 23, 1935) was a member of Al Capone's Chicago-based criminal organization known as the Chicago Outfit. He was also an alleged gunman in the famous 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
According to his death certificate, Frank Rio was born June 30, 1895 in Lovato, Italy, to Antonio and Rosa (Costa) Rio. It is possible that Rio may have been born in Chicago after his parents had already emigrated to the United States, or that he was brought into the country under a different name.
Rio married the former Anna Blanche in the mid-1910s. The couple adopted two children, a boy and a girl.
Rio's involvement in crime began early in life, and included robbery, burglary, and auto theft. In 1918, he was arrested several times in connection with several different hold-ups. In September 1918, he was arrested for robbing a bank in Maywood, but never convicted. On November 10, 1919, Rio was arrested after police caught him loading stolen furs into a stolen vehicle. On January 17, 1921, Rio—along with Robert O'Neill and Thomas Dyer—robbed a mail train at Chicago's Union Station, stealing bonds worth $482,000. Although indicted for the daring daylight robbery, Rio was never brought to trial and the charges dropped. Rio's ability to escape punishment could not be attributed to good luck or innocence but rather to the bribing of judges and the intimidation and murder of witnesses. In time, criminal elements dubbed him "Slippery" Frank Rio for his knack at evading trial.
Rio's criminal exploits brought him to the attention of Al Capone, leader of the Chicago Outfit. Capone quickly came to trust Rio's judgment, and Rio became intensely loyal to Capone. Rio eventually became one of Capone's personal bodyguards and took care of some of Capone's personal needs and business. Capone himself is rumored to have said that Jack McGurn and Rio were his "golden boys".
Rio became one of Capone's most recognizable and loyal hitmen. He allegedly once threw Capone to the ground during a hit by Earl "Hymie" Weiss. Rio also is said to have foiled a plot by Albert Anselmi, John Scalise and Joseph Guinta to depose Capone and take over the Chicago Outfit. Underworld figures later claimed that Rio was one of the trio's executioners.
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