Alfonso "Al the Pizza Man" Tornabene (January 16, 1923 – May 17, 2009) was a Chicago-area resident who was reported by several newspapers to have been a high-ranking member of the

Chicago Outfit The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or the Organization, is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family based in Chicago, I ...

crime organization.

Career as a pizzeria owner

In 1955, Tornabene opened the Villa Nova pizzeria in

Stickney, Illinois Stickney is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 7,110. The village is named for Alpheus Beede Stickney, a railroad executive who played a central role in establishing the Clearing Industria ...

. He and his family later expanded the business to three other locations around Chicago. In 2015 and 2020 it was voted as serving Chicago's best pizza.

Career in the Chicago Outfit

Tornabene began his career in the

as a bookie. However, he never had a criminal record of any kind. He was a long time member of the Chicago Heights street crew. In 1997, Tornabene was identified by the

Chicago Crime Commission The Chicago Crime Commission is an independent, non-partisan civic watchdog organization of business leaders dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of organized criminal activity, especially organized crime, street gangs and the tools ...

in its "New Faces of Organized Crime" book as being a member of the Outfit crime organization. Tornabene was identified as being a lieutenant for the Outfit's West Side Crew, which at that time was run by Anthony Centracchio. Subsequently, Tornabene was identified as having helped to run the Outfit while its then-boss,

James Marcello James J. Marcello (born December 13, 1943), also known variously as "Little Jimmy", "Jimmy Light" and as "Jimmy the Man", is an American crime boss who was the boss for the Chicago Outfit criminal organization during the early and mid 2000s. Org ...

, was imprisoned between 1992 and 2003. Court records also showed that Tornabene had presided over a 1983 ceremony that made several mobsters full members of the Outfit, including Frank Calabrese, Sr. and

Nicholas Calabrese Nicholas W. Calabrese (November 30, 1942 – March 13, 2023) was an American mob hitman, best known for being a made man who testified against the Chicago Outfit. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 ...

. Tornabene had presided over the ceremony along with Joseph Aiuppa,

told federal investigators. Several other men were apparently inducted at the ceremony, though due to their age and standing in the organization, they are thought to have been re-inducted. In 2007, the Chicago Crime Commission's then-chief, James Wagner, told the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' that Tornabene was running the Outfit's activities in Chicago's south suburbs. In 2009, Tornabene was identified as having been an original target in the Operation Family Secrets mob investigation in 2002, an investigation that ultimately sent Outfit members James Marcello,

Joseph Lombardo Joseph Patrick Lombardo (born Giuseppe Lombardi; January 1, 1929 – October 19, 2019), also known as "Joey the Clown", was an American mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He was the ''Consigliere'' of th ...

and Frank Calabrese, Sr. to federal prison for life. However, Tornabene was never charged in the Family Secrets case. One of Tornabene's associates,

Anthony Zizzo Anthony Zizzo (born August 3, 1935 – disappeared August 31, 2006), also known as "Little Tony" and "Little Toes", was an American mobster who was the underboss of the Chicago Outfit. Early life Anthony Zizzo was born on August 3, 1935, in th ...

, disappeared on August 31, 2006, after leaving his house in

Westmont, Illinois Westmont is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. History The area known as Westmont earlier had been inhabited by the Potawatami. After several failed attempts by the U.S. government to p ...

. Zizzo's car was abandoned at a restaurant in

Melrose Park, Illinois Melrose Park is a village in Leyden Township, Cook County, Illinois, Leyden and Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, Proviso Townships, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

Death

Tornabene died on May 17, 2009, at

MacNeal Hospital Trinity Health is an American not-for-profit Catholic health system operating 92 hospitals in 22 states, including 120 continuing care locations encompassing home care, hospice, PACE and senior living facilities. Based in Livonia, Michigan, Tri ...

Berwyn, Illinois Berwyn () is a suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, Coterminous municipality, coterminous with Berwyn Township, Illinois, Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township, Cook County, Illinois, ...

, of complications related to

peptic ulcer disease Peptic ulcer disease is when the inner part of the stomach's gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach), the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus, gets damaged. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while ...

Personal

Tornabene's wife died in 1988. He was survived by one daughter, a sister and a granddaughter. Tornabene was reported to be the cousin of Chicago Outfit boss

Samuel Carlisi Samuel A. Carlisi (December 15, 1921 – January 2, 1997), also known as "Black Sam" and "Sam Wings", was an American mobster who was the boss of the Chicago Outfit criminal organization between 1989 and 1996. Hillel Levin of ''Chicago'' magazin ...

. He also was reported to have been the brother of Frank Tornabene, who was active in Outfit vice rackets. Tornabene lived for most of his life in

. Contrary to what was reported by ABC news, Al Tornabene was not related by marriage to Rod Blagojevich, nor was he related to Frank Tornabene. Tornabene had 2 brothers (Sam and Roy) and one sister.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tornabene, Al 1923 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American criminals 21st-century American criminals American gangsters of Italian descent American male criminals Chicago Outfit mobsters Deaths from ulcers People from Cook County, Illinois