John Torrio

Johnny Torrio
Johnny Torrio, following his 1936 arrest for tax evasion
Born	Johnny Torrio January 20, 1882 Irsina, Basilicata, Italy
Died	April 16, 1957(1957-04-16) (aged 75) Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart Attack
Nationality	Italian
Other names	"Papa Johnny", "The Fox", "The Immune"
Occupation	Crime boss
Criminal penalty	Served a total of 3 years
Spouse(s)	Anna Torrio
Conviction(s)	Prohibition violation (1925) Income tax evasion (1939)

John Torrio also known as "Papa Johnny", "The Fox" and "The Immune", was an Italian-American mobster who helped build the criminal empire known as the Chicago Outfit in the 1920s that was later inherited by his protégé, Al Capone. He also put forth the idea of the National Crime Syndicate in the 1930s and later became an unofficial adviser to the Genovese crime family.

The U.S. Treasury official Elmer Irey considered him "the biggest gangster in America" and wrote as follows: "He was the smartest and, I dare say, the best of all the hoodlums. 'Best' referring to talent, not morals". Virgil W. Peterson of the Chicago Crime Commission stated that his "talents as an organizational genius were widely respected by the major gang bosses in the New York City area".

Torrio was born in Irsina, Basilicata, from Tommaso and Maria Carluccio originally from Altamura, Apulia. After his father died when he was two years old, Torrio emigrated to New York City with his widowed mother in 1902 according to Ellis Island records. She remarried thereafter.

His first jobs were as a porter and bouncer in Manhattan. While a teenager, he joined a street gang and became their leader; he eventually managed to save enough money and opened a billiards parlor for the group, out of which grew illegal activities such as gambling and loan sharking. Torrio's business acumen caught the eye of Paul Kelly, the leader of the famous Five Points Gang. Jimmy "The Shiv" DeStefano, Danny "Big Wang" Glaister and Al Capone, who worked at Kelly's club, admired Torrio's quick mind and looked to him as their mentor. Torrio greatly admired Kelly, who knew much about organized crime culture; Kelly convinced the younger man to dress conservatively, stop swearing, and set up a front as a legitimate entrepreneur. He soon became known as "The Fox" for his cunning and diplomacy.