The Kansas City crime family, also known as the Civella crime family or the Kansas City Mafia or the Clique, is an

Italian American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

Mafia "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...

crime family A crime family is a unit of an organized crime syndicate, particularly in the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia, often operating within a specific geographic territory or a specific set of activities. In its strictest sense, a ''family'' ...

based in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, and throughout the

Greater Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

area. The organization formed during the early 1910s. It is named after Nicholas Civella, the family’s longest serving boss from 1953 until his death in 1983.

History

Early history

The Italian-American

organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...

family began when two Sicilian '' mafiosi'' known as the DiGiovanni brothers fled

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, in 1912. Joseph "Joe Church" DiGiovanni and Peter "Sugarhouse Pete" DiGiovanni began making money from a variety of criminal operations or rackets shortly after their arrival. Their fortunes greatly improved with the introduction of

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

, when they became the only group bootlegging alcohol in Kansas City. Their rackets at this time were controlled by

John Lazia John Lazia, also known as Brother John (September 22, 1896 – July 10, 1934), was an American organized crime figure in Kansas City, Missouri, during Prohibition. Early years According to his draft card for World War I, Lazia (spelled Lazio on th ...

, who later became the leading figure when the organization expanded. The gang was given virtually a free hand to operate by their boss

Tom Pendergast Thomas Joseph Pendergast (July 22, 1872 – January 26, 1945), also known as T. J. Pendergast, was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, from 1925 to 1939. Pendergast only briefly held elected ...

, head of the Pendergast Machine that controlled Kansas City's government at the time. Under Pendergast, Kansas City became a wide-open town, with absolutely no alcohol-related arrests being made within city limits during the entirety of Prohibition. The DiGiovanni family directly benefited from this lack of enforcement of prohibition laws.

Post-Prohibition

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the family, although already involved in various rackets, allegedly began extorting bars. On July 10, 1934, Lazia was assassinated, probably on the orders of his

underboss Underboss () is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian Mafia, Sicilian and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the Crime boss, boss. The un ...

Charles Carrollo Charles Vincent "Charlie the Wop" Carrollo (born Vincenzo Carollo; August 25, 1902 – September 26, 1979) was an Italian-born Kansas City, Missouri crime boss during the 1930s. Carrollo was born in Santa Cristina Gela, an Arbëreshë town in ...

, who ruled as boss until his arrest in 1939 for

tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...

. His underboss

Charles Binaggio Charles Binaggio (January 12, 1909April 6, 1950) was an American gangster who became the boss of the Kansas City crime family and concocted a bold plan to control the police forces in Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Louis, Missouri. Early life Bo ...

then became the new boss and expanded the family's areas of labor into

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercion, coercive, fraud, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. ...

. With the help of Binaggio,

Forrest Smith Forrest Smith (February 14, 1886 – March 8, 1962) was an American politician who served as the 42nd governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat. Personal life Forrest Smith was born February 14, 1886, near Hardin in Ray County, Missouri. After ...

was elected in the Missouri gubernatorial race of 1948, and he took office on January 10, 1949. Binaggio was seen as a liability to the Mafia's nationwide commission, and it was decided that Binaggio should be killed. He was assassinated on April 6, 1950, and his successor Anthony Gizzo died of a heart attack in 1953.

Nicholas Civella

The new boss was Nicholas Civella, who greatly expanded the family's rackets and forged alliances with families from other cities, making the organization very powerful. Civella used the

Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is a trade union, labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of the Team Drivers International Union and the Teamsters National Union, the union now represents a di ...

to fund casinos in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

. In 1975, Civella was imprisoned on gambling charges for betting on the 1970 Super Bowl, played between the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

and the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

. Around this time, there was a war in the family over control of the River Quay entertainment district, in which three buildings were bombed and several gangsters were killed.

Operation Strawman

The Kansas City FBI, suspecting mob involvement at the Tropicana Casino in Las Vegas, set up a broad investigation, known as Operation Strawman, which involved wiretapping phones of reputed mobsters and their associates in Kansas City. From the evidence collected by taps and other eavesdropping in the late 1970s, the FBI discovered a conspiracy to skim money from the Tropicana Casino. Operation Strawman learned that Joe Agosto, head of the Tropicana's ''

Folies Bergere Folies (; Picard language, Picard: ''Foulies'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Folies is situated on the D329 road, some southe ...

'' show, controlled the skimming in the Tropicana. Agosto was secretly sending cash from the casino to Kansas City organized-crime chief Nick Civella and Joseph Aiuppa of Chicago, as well as Cleveland and Milwaukee mobsters. In 1981, a grand jury in Kansas City indicted Agosto, Kansas City mob boss Nick Civella, Civella's brother Carl Civella, mob member Carl DeLuna, and Carl Thomas, who had directed the illegal skimming of cash at the Tropicana with two others. The defendants were convicted in 1983. In January 1992, James Moretina pleaded guilty to a federal money laundering charge and was sentenced to 37 months. Moretina served as president of a firm that distributed illegal video gambling machines. He and his business partner, purported mob underboss Peter J. Simone, operated the Be Amused Vending and Amusement Co. Moretina is the son of Charles Moretina, who was convicted in the 1980s for skimming Las Vegas casino gambling receipts.

21st century

William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano, Sr., became the family's next boss until his death in 1995. Anthony Civella then became the new boss. He died in 2006. The Kansas City family had an estimated 25 made members as of the late 1990s, according to the FBI. The current boss of the family is believed to be John Joseph Sciortino, also known as "Johnny Joe", godson of Anthony Civella. The current underboss was believed to be Peter Simone. On July 21, 2008, Carl "Tuffy" DeLuna, former underboss to Nick Civella and brother-in-law to Anthony Civella, died. In the early hours of October 20, 2008, the historic Hereford House restaurant in downtown Kansas City was destroyed in a calculated arson attack orchestrated by Rodney J. Anderson, a co-owner of the establishment. The crime was carried out with the assistance of Vincent Pisciotta, a known soldier in the Kansas City Crime Family, and Mark Sorrentino, a long-time criminal associate with ties to the local underworld. The plot was intended to secure over $2.4 million in insurance payouts amid Anderson’s looming bankruptcy. According to federal prosecutors, Anderson hired Pisciotta—reportedly a loyal enforcer in the remnants of the Kansas City Crime Family to execute the arson in exchange for a portion of the payout. Using security access provided by Anderson, Pisciotta, Sorrentino, and a still-unidentified co-conspirator entered the premises with 14 five-gallon containers of gasoline, strategically placing them throughout the bar to maximize the explosion. The crew disabled the fire suppression systems and used a delayed ignition device, resulting in a violent blast that rocked downtown but miraculously caused no injuries. The arson was meticulously planned, with surveillance footage later showing a walkthrough of the premises and the actual placement of accelerants. After the fire, Anderson attempted to collect an advance on the insurance claim, which later served as the basis for a federal mail fraud charge. In 2012, all three were convicted on federal charges, including conspiracy, arson, use of fire in a federal felony, and in Anderson’s case, mail fraud. Pisciotta received a 20-year sentence, while Anderson and Sorrentino were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. On March 9, 2010, the FBI indicted Gerlarmo "Jerry" Cammisano, James Moretina, Michael Lombardo, and James DiCapo for allegedly operating a "multi-million-dollar internet gambling scheme".Four Men, Two Businesses Indicted For $3.5 Million Illegal Gambling Operation
justice.gov (March 10, 2010) Jerry Cammisano, son of William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano, served as the "master agent" of the sports bookmaking operation, which was based in the Kansas City area.More Kansas City men are indicted under sports betting operation
''

American City Business Journals American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes ''The Business Journals'', which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market ...

'' (March 10, 2010) Prior to the indictment, six individuals pleaded guilty in connection with the investigation, including three – Vincent Civella and brothers Michael and Anthony Sansone – who are the son and grandsons of former Kansas City boss Anthony "Tony Ripe" Civella.Kansas City Man is Sixth to Plead Guilty to Illegal Gambling
fbi.gov (March 3, 2010) Jerry Cammisano's brother, William D. Cammisano, Jr., also pleaded guilty for his role in the sports bookmaking operation.Harrisonville Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gambling
fbi.gov (February 25, 2010) According to the crime reporter Scott Burnstein in 2015, the Kansas City family is "probably on its last legs" with twelve or less "made" members. The family still has some gambling and loansharking with some extortion involving drugs and the strip club industry. In December 2023, a physical altercation erupted at Cascone's, an Italian restaurant, involving high-ranking members of the organized crime family. Those involved included: underboss Peter "Las Vegas Pete" Simone, his son Joseph "Joe Pete" Simone and several additional associates. The brawl was reportedly sparked by financial issues surrounding Gilhouly's, a bar closely affiliated with the organization, which was experiencing significant losses. Following the incident, family boss John "Johnny Joe" Sciortino swiftly convened a meeting with the individuals involved, issuing stern reprimands. On June 12, 2025, underboss Peter "Las Vegas Pete" Simone died at the age of 79.

Historical leadership

Boss (official and acting)

*1912–1931 – Joseph "Joe Church" DiGiovanni *1931–1934 – John "Brother John" Lazia – murdered in 1934 *1934–1939 – Charles "Charlie the Wop" Carrollo – convicted in 1939 *1939–1950 –

– murdered in 1950 *1950–1953 – Anthony Gizzo *1953–1983 – Nicholas Civella – convicted in 1977 and 1980; deceased in 1983 **''Acting'' 1977–1979 – Carl "Tuffy" DeLuna – imprisoned in 1979 **''Acting'' 1979–1983 – Carl "Cork" Civella – became official boss *1983–1984 – Carl "Cork" Civella – convicted in 1984 *1984–1995 – William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano *1995–2006 – Anthony "Tony Ripe" Civella – arrested in 1992, released 1997 **''Acting'' 1995–2006 – John "Johnny Joe" Sciortino – became official boss *2006–present John "Johnny Joe" Sciortino

Current members

Administration

* Boss – John "Johnny Joe" Sciortino – current boss of the family; Sciortino was formerly a ''capo'' and the godson and protégé of boss Anthony Civella. He was named acting boss by Civella after Civella’s 1995 imprisonment, and Sciortino became the official boss after Civella’s 2006 death. Sciortino is suspected of being involved in the murder of family associate Larry Strada, who was shot to death in the driveway of his home on May 16, 1990. FBI agents testified that the two mobsters charged in the case, John Mandacina and Patrick McGuire, were seen meeting with Sciortino and Peter Simone at Simone's Social Avenue Club in the hours before Strada's murder. * Underboss – Vacant * Consigliere – Frank DeLuna – the FBI in Missouri believes he is the aide to Sciortino.

Soldiers

* Vincent Civella – son of former boss "Tony Ripe" Civella. In 2010, Civella pleaded guilty to conducting an illegal gambling operation that utilized a computer system based in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. He was also ordered to forfeit $40,000 to the federal government. He was released from prison on September 23, 2011. * James Moretina – In 2010, Moretina pleaded guilty to conducting an illegal gambling business alongside Vincent Civella. He was released from prison on April 27, 2012. * Vincent Pisciotta – A career criminal, Pisciotta was charged with second-degree murder in 1980 for a 1978 killing, but a mistrial was declared when a key witness vanished. The witness later reappeared and claimed that he was beaten out of testifying. In 1988, he was indicted for another murder, but charges were reduced to manslaughter and he served 120 days in jail. In 2013, Pisciotta was convicted of arson in an incident where he helped burn down a restaurant for insurance money. He has a projected release date of December 9, 2029. * Peter J. "P.J." Ribaste – Kansas City soldier, Ribaste has been excluded from gambling in the state of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

. * John Termini – In 1993, Termini was convicted of conducting an illegal gambling business.

Associates

* Vincent C. Abbott * Michael V. Badalucco * Charles “Little Chuckie Morgan” Caciacopo Jr. * Gerlamo P. Cammisano – brother of William Cammisano * Carlo Cammisano – son of William Cammisano * Nick J. Labruzzo * John Mandacina * Anthony “Tony Mike” Nigro – grandson of William Cammisano * Anthony Sansone * Michael Sansone * Charles J. Simone * Joseph “Joe Pete” Simone – son of underboss Peter Simone

Former members

* Randy "Junior" Badolato – former Kansas City soldier and St. Louis crime family street ''capo'', enforcer and grandson of deceased St Louis capo Ralph "Bottles" Badolato who was a former teamster and long time protége of Anthony Giordano. Under the direction of Anthony "Nino" Parrino, Badolato was assigned to the acting Kansas City Underboss to help expand the Loan Sharking operations between both families. Badolato, who was deemed inactive in the mid-2000s, was allegedly one of the top earners in Kansas City and St. Louis due to the joint venture. * Anthony J. Biase – former ''capo''. Biase operated in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. He died of natural causes on September 21, 1991. * William "Little Willie" Cammisano Jr. – captain and son of former Kansas City mob boss William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano Sr. His first conviction was in 1989 for obstruction of justice after he intimidated a witness involved in a murder trial; he was released three years later. He had been the suspect of numerous gangland executions during the 1980s. Cammisano is also blacklisted from every casino in Kansas City and Las Vegas. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to running a massive illegal gambling operation which amounted to $3.5 million over the course of three years; he received one year. Cammisano died of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

on January 17, 2023. * Peter Joseph "Las Vegas Pete" Simone – former underboss. Died on June 12, 2025.

In media

In August 2008, retired FBI agent William Ouseley published his history of the KC crime family from 1900 to 1950 in a book titled ''Open City''. On March 20, 2009, ''Blackhand Strawman'', a documentary of Kansas City's organized crime history, was released in theaters in Kansas City. On March 1, 2011, retired FBI agent William Ouseley published his history of the KC crime family from 1950 to 2000 in a book titled ''Mobsters in Our Midst''. On November 25, 2013, the documentary film ''Gangland Wire'' was released. This film uses audio clips from FBI wiretaps to tell the story of law enforcement uncovering a massive conspiracy to control Las Vegas casinos. The FX crime drama anthology series '' Fargo'' portrays a fictional Kansas City Italian mafia both in season 2 and season 4, but which has no resemblance to real-life Kansas city crime families.