Matthew J. Luzi: The boys in Chicago Heights: the forgotten crew of the Chicago Outfit

Abstract

Matthew J. Luzi is an arbitration administrator employed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and a member of the American Arbitration Association. His book, The Boys in Chicago Heights: The Forgotten Crew of the Chicago Outfit, is the story of one of the least known factions of traditional organized crime in Chicago. The term traditional organized crime refers to those groups commonly referred to as the Mafia, the Cosa Nostra, the crime syndicate, and the mob. As Chicago’s traditional organized crime group, the Chicago Outfit was once organized into five sections or “Street Crews” which included the four Chicago neighborhoods of Taylor Street, Grand Avenue, the North Side, and Twenty-sixth Street, and the southern suburb of Chicago Heights. The book is broken down into seven chapters. The first chapter provides a history of the settlement of Chicago Heights from the 1830s to the beginning of Prohibition. Chapter two describes the bootlegging gangs that were operating in Chicago Heights during Prohibition. Chapter three describes the incorporation of Chicago Heights into the Capone Syndicate. Chapters four, five, and six describe the activities of the Chicago Heights Crew as an important component of traditional organized crime in Chicago. Finally, chapter eight describes the demise of the Chicago Heights Crew as a result of law enforcement efforts. The author’s interest in Chicago Heights began as a child. Growing up in Chicago Heights he heard stories about the “old days” when his great grandmother cooked for her brother and other “big-shots” in the “syndicate.” Luzi also heard stories about Al Capone, Prohibition, and the Chicago Heights “Boys.” As an adult, he tried to learn more about the Chicago Heights Crew, but found little written material. This absence of material caused him to begin a 25 year quest to write the story of organized crime in Chicago Heights and in particular its relationship to the Chicago Outfit. Trends Organ Crim (2013) 16:358–360 DOI 10.1007/s12117-013-9196-2