Unione Siciliane

The Unione Siciliana (often incorrectly called Unione Siciliane) was a Sicilian-American fraternal organization which eventually was rumored to have controlled much of the Italian American vote within the United States during the early twentieth century. (It was later renamed as Italian-American National Union and became generally Italian-American in membership.) During Prohibition, the organization was a major source of conflict, as underworld figures fought to control the highly influential organization through a series of puppet presidents largely controlled by the Chicago Outfit.

The organization was founded in 1895 by Sicilian immigrants in Chicago. The name was changed to the Italian-American National Union in 1925 in order to attract Italian-Americans from other regions. The Union was paying out sick and death benefits and had deposited $100,000 with the Illinois Department of Insurance. It was restructured as a fraternal life insurance group in 1937.

The Union was absorbed by the Italian Sons and Daughters of America Fraternal Association in 1991.

Lodges called "Subordinate Lodges" and the highest authority was the "Supreme Council", according to the 1930 constitution which was apparently still in force as late as 1979. In 1928 there was also a Board of Directors. There was Juvenile Department in the 1920s that organized basketball and football teams, among other sporting activities. The Juvenile Department wasn't mentioned in a late 1970s report on the organization, though its fraternal activities included athletic events for youth, as well as marching in Columbus Day parades, providing aid to handicapped children, scholarships for youth and maintaining an Italian Old Peoples Home.

According to the 1930 constitution membership was open to "white men of Italian origin", who believed in a Supreme Being, were of good moral character, of sound health and competent to make a living. Membership decided by blackball.

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