10 Facts About Paul Ricca

10 Facts About Paul Ricca

Paul Ricca is one of the most notorious members of The Chicago Outfit. Not only was he one of Al Capone’s most important henchmen, he later became the boss of The Outfit himself. Here are 10 facts about this infamous Italian-American figure.

1. Paul Ricca was born on November 14 1897 in Naples, Italy.
   
   
2. He had many names throughout his life. He was born Felice deLucia but changed his name to Paolo Maglio when he fled from Italy to the United States via Cuba. On arriving in the United States, he Americanized his name to Paul Ricca. His mobster name was ‘The Waiter’, This was a reference to his job at the Bella Napoli restaurant when he moved to America.
   
   
3. Ricca first became involved in crime at just 17 and he first killed in 1915 when he stabbed Emilio Parrillo to death for breaking his engagement to Ricca’s sister.
   
   
4. When Ricca joined the South Side gang, he rose through the ranks quickly. This was predominantly because Al Capone trusted Ricca and the pair worked closely together. Capone was even Ricca’s best man at his wedding in 1927.
   
   
5. When Capone was convicted of tax evasion in 1932, Frank Nitti was appointed the boss and Ricca became the underboss.
   
   
6. Following Nitti’s suicide in 1943, Paul Ricca and Tony Accardo jointly became the boss of The Outfit and shared this position for 30 years.
   
   
7. Also in 1943, Ricca was convicted of extortion and was given a ten-year prison sentence. However, he was released in 1945 with a condition of his parole being that he could no longer associate with mobsters.
   
   
8. In 1957, Ricca was charged with illegally entering the United States using an alias. The deportation order won by the government was overturned.
   
   
9. When Ricca was charged with tax evasion in 1959, he claimed that his income of $80,159 was the result of winnings at the race track. He was given a nine-year sentence but only served 27 months. He was later acquitted of the crime.
   
   
10. On October 11 1972, Paul Ricca died of a heart attack and is buried at Hillside, Illinois, at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery.