James Marcello

James J. Marcello (born December 13, 1943), also known variously as Little Jimmy, Jimmy Light and as Jimmy the Man Marcello, is an imprisoned crime boss who was a front boss for the Chicago Outfit criminal organization in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Organized crime observers identified Marcello as a figurehead during that period while the organization's day-to-day operations actually were run by John “No Nose” DiFronzo, Joseph “Joey the Clown” Lombardo, Joseph “Joe the Builder” Andriacchi and Angelo J. LaPietra. Marcello is the Cousin of Michael Hayes Marcello, and a cousin of Robert Urbinatti. He is also the father of Rocco Marcello.

Born in Chicago, Marcello worked as a laborer for Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation from 1960 until 1973.

Marcello reportedly became a "made" member in the Chicago mob in 1983—a step that, a mob turncoat testified in 2007, required an individual to be 100 percent Italian and also to have participated in at least one killing. Actually (and perhaps unknown to Marcello's bosses), Marcello's mother was Irish.

Although he had no criminal record, Marcello first became identified by authorities as a critical member of the Chicago Outfit in the 1980s because of his role as a driver for Chicago mob bosses Joseph Aiuppa and Sam "Wings" Carlisi and as a confidant to Carlisi.

On December 15, 1992, federal authorities charged Marcello and reputed mob boss Sam "Wings" Carlisi with racketeering. Marcello was accused of being the underboss for Carlisi, whose street crew worked its rackets in Chicago's western suburbs. On December 16, 1993, Marcello, Carlisi and five other crew members were convicted on racketeering charges, with Marcello in particular being found to have run bookmaking, street-tax and juice-loan operations in western Cook County and in DuPage County. Marcello and Carlisi also were convicted of plotting the never-carried-out murder of gangland associate Anthony Daddino because of fears that Daddino would cooperate with law enforcement after a 1989 extortion conviction, and Marcello also was convicted of financing long-time mobster Lenny Patrick's juice-loan operation. In addition, Marcello was found to have ordered Patrick to firebomb the Lake Theater in Oak Park, Illinois during a union dispute.

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