Family photos, Mob Adjacent style

As we worked on Mob Adjacent: A Family Memoir, we talked to people in the family -- actual relatives and honorary ones. We wanted their stories. Our cousin mentioned photos. She thought some of the men were mobsters but couldn't remember when or where they were taken. A few weeks later, she sent a gift  -- two vintage photos. I couldn't identify the people in one photo, but I was transfixed by the other, above.

Generations of the Chicago Outfit's top leaderships pose casually at a black-tie event in the mid-1960s. Standing on the right is future Outfit boss Joe "Doves" Aiuppa. The identity of the woman is unknown. Next is Paul "the Waiter" Ricca, former Outfit leader. Center is another future Outfit leader, Jackie "the Lackie" Cerone. Photo-bombing is Outfit chairman of the board, Tony Accardo. The name of the couple on the left has been lost in the mist of history.

I showed the photo to a surviving Outfit old-timer. He identified Auippa and Ricca and expressed amazement at the assemblage. In particular, he couldn't believe the camera-averse Accardo injected himself into a photograph. Such was the power of good scotch, perhaps.

Beyond the historical value, the photo validated our core belief: Normal is what happens every day. And when you grow up surrounded by people considered criminals by other people, things looks different. Some people look through old photo albums and smile at warm memories of Aunt Louise, Uncle Joe, and Grandma. But when you grow up mob adjacent, you open old photo albums and find killers, convicts, and crime lords.