Mike Genna
| Mike Genna | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Michele Genna January 18, 1895 Marsala, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | June 13, 1925 (aged 30) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Gunshot |
| Resting place | Mount Carmel Cemetery |
| Other names | Mike, Mike the Devil |
| Occupation | Gangster, bootlegger, enforcer, racketeer. |
| Parent(s) | Antonino Genna Sr. Maria Concetta Utica |
| Allegiance | Genna crime family, Chicago Outfit, Unione Siciliana. |
Michele "Mike the Devil" Genna (January 18, 1895 – June 13, 1925) was a Sicilian mobster in Chicago during the 1920s. He headed the Genna crime family with his brothers. He was killed by police officers after a shootout with North Siders, being one of the only American organized crime leaders to be killed by a policeman.
Michele Genna was born on January 18, 1895 in Marsala, Sicily. Genna's parents, Antonino Genna Sr. and Maria Concetta Utica, had six other sons: Antonio "the Gentleman", Angelo "Bloody Angelo", Vincenzo "Jim", Pietro "Peter", Salvatore "Sam", and Nicola Genna (whom stayed in Sicily); and two daughters: Rosa Laudicina and Caterina Mariana. He and his brothers entered the U.S. through New York around 1910.
The Gennas became a close knit Marsala-based Mafia and bootlegging gang. In 1919, the Gennas obtained a federal license to legally manufacture industrial alcohol, which they sold illegally. Angelo and his brothers operated from Chicago's Little Italy, which was located west of the Chicago Loop.
They started selling their extra alcohol at cut-rate prices outside of their territory. This caused a problem with the North Side Gang leader Dean O'Banion, who went to South Side Gang leader John "Johnny the Fox" Torrio and Unione Siciliana boss Mike Merlo to get the Gennas to back down. When Torrio refused, O'Banion began hijacking shipments of alcohol belonging to the Genna brothers.
On November 3, 1924, Dean O'Banion inadvertently signed his own death warrant during an argumentative phone call to arch-rival Angelo Genna. Their disagreement originated at The Ship, the gambling casino that the North Side gang boss owned along with the Torrio Syndicate. On this day, O'Banion sat in with Al Capone, Frank Nitti, Frank Rio, and others to tally the week's profits. It was mentioned that Angelo Genna had dropped a large amount of cash, plus a sizable marker. Capone recommended that they cancel the marker as a professional courtesy. O'Banion, instead, got Genna on the telephone and demanded that he pay his debt within a week. With this personal insult, Angelo Genna and his family could no longer be restrained. Until then, Merlo and the Unione had refused to sanction a hit on O'Banion. However, Merlo had terminal cancer and died on November 8, 1924. With Merlo gone, the Gennas and South Siders were free to move on O'Banion.
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