:Born Guglielmo Vito Tocco in the Sicilian town of Favarotta "more commonly referred to as Terrasina," on Febuary 12,1897. Bill was one of 7 children born to Giacamo Tocco and his wife Niccolina Morceri. The Tocco family reportedly left Terrasini in 1910 in search of a better life in the states. Young Guglielmo Tocco left behind his best friend and cousin Giuseppe Zerilli who would join him in Detroit 4 years later. Tocco became a naturalized U.S. citizen after serving in the U.S. Army during the first World War seeing time on bloody battle fields of Germany. Following his return to Detroit the battle tested Tocco, put his military training to good use under the umbrella of Tony and Sam Gianolla.
Black Bill The Gangster
Upon Tocco's return from the war he joined his cousin and life long friend Giuseppe Zerilli and Angelo Meli "a tough Eastside gunman," in pledging allegiance to the Gianolla brothers kings of the Italian underworld in Detroit from 1913-1919. Virtually illiterate in terms of formal education, young Guglielmo Tocco jumped headlong into bootlegging and liquor smuggling under the direction of the Gianolla brothers. Tocco quickly ran up a string of arrests with the first coming on a charge of murder for the August 11, 1920 murder of Tony Badalamenti. Tocco was one of eight men picked up for investigation of murder.
The incident in question was the shooting death of 28 year old Antonio Badalamenti a leading member of the Vitale gang who was gunned down in retaliation for a Vitale instigated attack upon Giuseppe Manzello and Angelo Polizzi. Manzello "age 21" was one of a number of gangsters attempting to increase their influence in the revitalized Gianolla gang. Manzello was targeted as he stood in front of a building chatting with his roomate Polizzi and the aforementioned Meli. Both of the wounded suffered from a total 17 bullet wounds between them with Manzello receiving the worst of it "his spinal cord was snapped later leading to his death days later."
6 hours after the attack on Manzello, Tocco was apart of a raiding party which claimed the life of Antonio Badalamenti as he stood in fron of his grocery store at Orleans and Catherine streets. The assault was reportedly headed by Tocco's cousin Giuseppe Zerilli who shared a room with the two wounded men at 121 St, Aubin avenue. The police list of those arrested included Manzello's cousin Carlo Manzello, Zerilli, Tocco, Leonardo "Black Leo" Cellura, John Mangone, Vito Paraino, Joseph Delmonico and James Barraco. All charges would be dropped against Tocco and his co-conspirators and they walked free 2 days after their arrest. Upon the death of Giusepe Manzello, Angelo Meli took control of the former Gianolla gang and reorganized it under the name of the Eastside Mob. Tocco and Zerilli were named Meli's top aides and given lucrative pieces of the underworld pie with Black Bill receiving the slot machines which pulled in mountains of money.
Tocco and Catalanotte
Following the liberation of those accused of killing Antonio Badalamenti, police believe many of those freed participated in the murder of young Joe Vitale the 17 year old son of John, who was gunned down in an attack in front of his parents Russell street home 7 days after the Badalamenti murder. Inspite of public declarations against Tocco, Zerilli and Cellura. No one was ever charged in this death or the death of John Vitale on October 2, 1920. Peace reigned following the death of Vitale and the ascension of Salvatore "Singn Sam" Catalanotte to the head of the Sicilian crime syndicate. Catalanotte quickly organized the Pascuzzi Combine a liquor syndicate combined of each of the remaining fuedist groups in the city. Under Catalanotte's plan, each group was given it's own specific area to operate in which was to be respected while working hand in hand to further the fortune of all involved. Tocco joined his new brother-in-law "he married the sister of Joe Zerilli," in the purchase of Pheiffer Brewing Company in 1926.
Crime Pays
With the cash mountain of cash brought in by Tocco and Zerilli's participation in the Pascuzzi Combine, the inseperable duo invested a portion of their proceeds in the purchase of the Pheiffer Brewing Company in 1926. Pheiffer had announced it would discontinue operation shortly after the passage of the Volstead Act. Pheiffer's assests were taken over by a newly formed company operating under the name of State Products Company. State Products listed it's incorporators as Guglielmo Tocco, Giuseppe Zerilli, Alfred Epstein, Herman Weil and Anthony Lambrecht.
The company continued to produce malt products and did a sizzling business for 5 years at which time the companies name was changed to Pheiffer Products Company. A little more than a year after the company changed it's name for the third time, it was raided in a highly publicized incident which made headlines in the press. Federal Internal Revenue agents arrested William Tocco for Conspiracy To Violate The National Prohibition Act on February 5, 1932. Tocco obtained his release after posting bond and receiving instructions to appear before a grand jury hearing schedeled for later.
8 days later a federal injunction closed the doors of Pheiffer Products Company and Meyer Products Co. The reason given for the injunction was the companies production of wort which was used by bootleggers in the production of home brewed beer. This action was followed up by the announcement on March 27th that the IRS had obtained leins against the bank accounts and properties owned by by Bill and his wife Rosalie for an amount of $30,000 owed in back taxes. Tocco who had filed his income tax returns listing his position as Vice-President of Pheiffer Brewing Co during the years in question claimed an income from this position of $18,000 a year.
With all of the legal entanglements surrounding Tocco and Pheiffer Products Co, making headlines regularly, the company quietly changed it's name back to Pheiffer Brewing Company on November 16, 1932. Tocco eventually settled his tax lien with the government and Pheiffer returned to business as usual shortly thereafter. With all of the time and effort put into the opperation of his legitimate business interests, Black Bill and Joe Zerilli remained a formidable pairing in gangland circles as well. This is evidenced by the appearance of their names in connection with the murder of Westside Mob leader Chester LaMare in February of 1931.
The Murder of Chester LaMare
Tocco's February 10, 1931 arrest three days after the murder of Chester LaMare inside of his Grandville Avenue home was the 5th detention and second for investigation of murder in his criminal career. Police arrested Tocco and Zerilli after receiving information that the fearsome pairing were the prime factors in the decision of LaMare's bodyguards to kill him as retribution to the murder of Gaspar Milazzo and his bodyguard at the Vernor Highway Fish Market eight months earlier. Authorities apprehended both men in a house located at 1445 Grayton Road in Grosse Pointe Park. Apparently unconcerned about gunmen rumored to be seeking the pair in retaliation, raiding officers found no weapons in the home and the pair offered no resistance.
Held overnight before appearing in the court of Judge Edward J. Jefferies, both men were released after denying any connection or knowledge in the LaMare matter. In statements made to the court both listed their occupations in contrast to their tax returns as president of the Detroit Macaroni Company "Zerilli" and co-owner of the Capitol Coal Company "Tocco" a firm which was the focus of a raid which netted a smuggling operation involving auto-matic weapons. The companies other owner was none other than Angelo Meli.
More Trouble With Pheiffer And Taxes
Zerilli and Tocco were officially barred from participating in the legal beer business by the Michigan State Liquor Control Commission following an investigation looking into the influence of gangsters in the beer business. Tocco and Zerilli were ordered to sell their interest in Pheiffer and the company was allowed to continue it's normal operations as were Central Distribution Co and Northern Distribution Co. Northern distribution was a firm headed by Zerilli's brother-in-law Sam Serra who satisfied the boards ruling with a public announcement that he had fired Zerilli. Both men sold there share of Pheiffer to Alfred Epstein after a seperated deal fell threw with someone from Chicago in February of 1934. Stripped of his right to officially conduct business in the liquor trade, Tocco was drug into court once more on a charge of tax evasion.
On March 14, 1936, 39 year old William Tocco was indicted for evasion of income taxes between the years 1929 and 1931. Tocco's income according to the federal government was $180,576.41, he paid a total less than $300 in taxes on this amount. The IRS sought to recover $18,981.22 in taxes and penalties. Tocco turned himself in 4 days later and was released after posting a bond of $3,000.
Tocco faced trial on January 27, 1937 but a recent operation postponed the trial as he was to ill to appear before the court. Tocco never did show up to anserw the governments charges chosing instead to end the case by paying a settlement in the amount of $25,000. The tax case was officially discharged by Judge Arthur Lederlee after Tocco's attorney Alfred A. May produced affadavits attesting to the satisfaction of the debt owed on March 10, 1937.
The Family Man
With his stature steadily rising in the Detroit underworld, Bill married Rosalie Zerilli during and set about the task of creating a family. Tocco purchased an acre of land in the upscale community of Grosse Pointe Park and proceeded to construct a fabulous home which is to this day one of the most impressive structures in the area. The Tocco family moved into the 8,000 square foot home in 1928. The family which would grow to include 7 children enjoyed the splender of a royal family as the Italian villa-styled home contained 6 bed rooms, 4 bath rooms "smart addition considering 5 of Tocco's 7 children were girls," 2 kitchens topped off with a Florida room, upstairs den, formal dining room, game room, childrens playroom, library, servant's quarters and a basement with a wine cellar.
The oppulance of the Tocco home went on with gold leafed wall paper addoring the walls installed at a cost in excess of $15,000 per room and 3 fire places. The Tocco children enjoyed use of an 80 foot swimmming pool which included it's own bath house located in a back yard decorated with a lighted 3' reproduction of the leaning tower of Piza situated in a garden filled with dozens of marble statues and a mini grape vineyard. In tribute to Bill's appreciation of the arts, he paid an artist to adorn his dining room walls with hand painted cherubs. A sculptor was commissioned to decorate hand carved Oak moldings in the same dining area as well.
These are the trappings of wealth Tocco's legitimate and illegal enterprises allowed him to bestoy upon his beloved family. "I loved my father he was a good man," are statements made by Bill's oldest son Jack in a conversation with a life long friend attesting to the unbreakable bond between father and son. While Tocco's success allowed him to educate his children in the finest schools, his unsavory reputation is something that dogs his two boys Jack and Anthony Tocco today. Jack was quoted in a 1998 news story as commenting "That splashed off on me and my brother...his reputation has hurt us significantly."
Jack's longtime friend and lawyer the late Peter J. Bellanca felt Tocco's reputation was a key decision in the government to include the Tocco's in an indictment charging them with running a continuing criminal enterprise in 1996. "There is no question Bill Tocco was a bootlegger...he fought his way out of the gutter. That was the only way to get out of the ghetteo."
Connections To Other Criminal Families
Tocco's success in the rackets earned him a great deal of respect from the fathers of families located around the country. With the formation of a working alliance amoung these families, marriage was a way of cementing cooperation amoung the groups and Bill Tocco was a major factor in joining the Detroit partners to several families around the country none more prominent than the Profaci family in New York. The marriage of Anthony Joseph Tocco and Carmella Profaci in 1952 was the underworld social event of the year. Profaci was the long standing head of one of New Yorks most influential families centered in Brooklyn.
Profaci was millionaire many times over and counted Joe Bonanno the head of another of New Yorks five families as a close friend and relative. The union of his daughter and Bill's son created yet another layer of protection for all involved. A year later Bill would host another lavish weddig reception when his daughter Josephine married Calo Licata the son of an ousted member of the Detroit family who had been adopted into the Los Angeles crime family of Jack Dragna. Licata hurridly left Detroit years before when he met the displeasure of Joe Zerilli and fled in fear of his life.
Tocco smoothed the dispute and Licata's sin was washed away with the marriage of his son to Black Bill's daughter. This reception was well attended with 1,500 guests attending a lavish dinner feast while enjoying the entertainment of an orchestra. This wedding as the Profaci affair drew the attention of the media and law enforcement agencies who huddled outside trying to place a name with the faces of the guests.
Bill's Partnership Duties
In a addition to running a string of legitimate businesses, Tocco and Zerilli served as aribitrators of disputes for many of the partnership factions. Tocco eventually turned control of his slot machine rackets to Vincent Meli the brother of his son Jack's wife. Tocco also maintained an interest in the Bagnasco Funeral Home a business inherited by one of Bill's son-in-laws from his father upon his untimely death in a gangland type shooting. As the years progressed Bill attempted to insulate himself by masking his criminal dealings from investigators by setting up an impressive business portfolio. Tocco usually chose members of his immediate family to front and direct the operation of his capitolistic ventures none few more prominent or profitable than the Hazel Park Race Track.
Hazel Park Race Track
The Outfit's involvement in Hazel Park began with the visit of local automobile dealer Waldo Andrews to the law office of James V. Bellanca in 1948. Andrews had secured a 30 day option letter to buy into Hazel Park Stadium Company for $400,000. Andrews went on to fill Bellanca in on the details of the company plans which centered around the construction an automobile or harness track at 1650 E. 10 Mile Road in Hazel Park, Michigan. Bellanca agreed to provide the funding for Andrews after learning that the Hazel Park Stadium Company had letter in had from Michigan State racing commissioner Lewis L. Breedin promising the company a track license if and when the construction of the racing facility was completed.
Bellanca and his law partner John R. Monagan began soliciting investors who later turned out to be Bill Tocco and Joseph Zerilli and formed a second corporation under the name Hazel Park Racing Association. Hazel Park Stadium Company and Hazel Park Racing Association entered into the project as equal partners matching each others investment dollar for dollar. Construction on the track was completed after Bellanca attained additional money from the syndicate leaders and in 1949 Hazel Park Race Track opened with a 49 day meet which followed the close of the Michigan Fairgrounds track meet. $200,000 in additional funding was added by Bellanca's special investors in conjunction with relief provided when the talented attorney struck a deal with New York's Roosevelt Raceway owners for a harness racing lease.
The immediate success of Hazel Park led to a dispute between the original incorporators of Hazel Park Stadium Company and Bellanca's Hazel Park Racing Association. Bellanca, Tocco and Zerilli expanded their interest in the horse racing industry on June 27, 1957 when they completed a transaction purchasing Wheeling Downs Race Track. Wheeling Downs was a half mile race track situated on South End Wheeling Island in Wheeling West Virginia. The Hazel Park Racing Association secured the purchase with a bid of $1,780,000 during an estate sale held by the federal govenment after the property had been seized from it's former owners for failure to pay income tax.
Bellanca formed a second racing association under the name of Wheeling Downs Race Track Inc., to run the company. Shortly after this deal was completed, Bellanca, Tocco and Zerilli decided to form a strong voting trust in an attempt to gain majority ownership of the Hazel Park Race Track. Hazel Park Racing Association received their oppurtunity to seize control of the operation when information was produced showing Hazel Park Stadium Company President Richard A. Connell, Vice-President Waldo Andrews and Treasurer S. Truman Hart had granted themselves annual salary increases of $3,000. The board of directors decided that the trio must repay $48,000 to the treasury to make up for the unauthorized withdraw of company funds between July of 1953 and 1957.
Treasurer Hart was voted out of his position and decided to sell his 75,000 shares in the project. Bellanca took option on Hart's stock later arranging for Louis Jacobs President of Sportservice in Buffalo, New York to buy the shares. Shortly thereafter, Jacobs resold his stock to investors located by Bellanca. Hart was replaced as a board member by none other than Jack W. Tocco the oldest son of William Tocco.
Waldo Andrews the man who had brought Bellanca and his investors into the Hazel Park deal had his salary cut in a move decided by the board. Andrews announced he to wished to sell his 200,000 shares and cashed in his debentures with accrued interest. Bellanca turned to Jacobs once more who guaranteed a loan in the amount of $1,000,000 to repayed at 5% interest in 30 days. Bellanca then used this guarantee to secure a loan from the Michigan Bank in Detroit for a $1,000,000 loan to Hazel Park Racing Association. Bellanca then bought Andrews shares for $900,000 and his debentures for an additional $300,000.
This transaction secured a full voting trust for Hazel Park Racing Association who listed it's trustees as James V. Bellanca, Lester A. Smith, Ralph Matkin, John R. Monaghan, Anthony J. Zerilli and Jack W. Tocco. Monaghan's place would be taken by Anthony J. Tocco on January 19, 1963 a year after Monaghan's death. William Tocco never appeared on any of the ownership records or board of directors concerning Hazel Park but his investment in the company was represented first by Bellanca and later his two sons Jack and Anthony Tocco. A 1963 Senate investigation discovered that 63,000 shares of Hazel Park stock was held by various combinations of Tocco family members while another 88,000 shares were held by Tocco relatives the Corrado family.
James V. Bellanca and his brood held 73,370 shares while the Joseph Zerilli clan laid claim to a mere 5,800 shares. Over the years the land scape and list of investors, officers and controllers would change but one constant remained and that was the involvement of Black Bill Tocco and the Detroit partners in the operation of Hazel Park Race Track and Association.
Tocco's Other Business Interests
Tocco joined Joe Zerilli in opening the Detroit Italian Baking Company in the 1930's after the duo secured a $2,000 loan from Tocco's brother-in-law Sam Bagnasco a former bootlegger and owner of the Bagnasco Funeral Home. Bagnasco and Peter Gaudino formed a organization that sold prepaid funeral packages. Bagnasco was shot to death as he entered his home at 1537 St. Aubin by two men armed with shotguns on September 21, 1937. Bagnasco and his partner Gaudino had been arrested recently for stealing $6,000 dollars from an organization known as the Madonna Di Tropi.
The 46 year old Bagnasco's business was then taken over and operated by his sons Anthony and Sam Bagnasco Jr. Bagnasco's murder occured 4 months after the murder of his partners brother Dominic at the hands of another man armed with a shotgun. No one was ever convicted in either case although William Tocco would be hauled in to Detroit headquarters and questioned about Bagnasco's murder more than a year after the crime had been committed. Tocco as usual walked out after a couple hours a free man. The Italian Baking Company would become a land mark in Detroit employing Zerilli's only son Tony during his youth.
Tocco and Zerilli also owned Lafayette Motors an auto dealership which sold Chryselers and employed Bill's son as he made his way through college. The family opened Melrose Linen Service in 1953. The staple of the Tocco's business empire, the company was formed with Jack Tocco and his brother sharing ownership with Calo Licata and Anthony Corrado. Jack was listed as company Vice President while Tony handled the running of the business on a day to day basis.
Melrose located at in a plain brick building at 6401 E. Davison which consisted of 157,000 square feet would share it's adress with more than a dozen other Tocco enterprises over the years. 40 years after purchasing the building it would be appraised with a value exceeding $360,000. Tocco also owned a piece of Muller Foods, Elias Big Boy Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan and T&M Construction. Tocco also owned several pieces of prime real estate and commercial property in Michigan including two parcels in Grosse Pointe Woods which were sold for a profit of $85,000. Tocco did not limit his investments to Michigan and spent quite abit of money buying land and setting up businesses in Arizona the home of his old bootlegging partner Pete Licavoli. Tocco's name was connected to the Deer Valley Citrus Association in Glendale, Arizona and the Jarson-Zerilli Produce Company.
Tocco In Arizona
Tocco's move into Arizona was highlighted in 1955 when the Deer Valley Citrus Association was incorporated in Glendale, Arizona. Tocco and Zerilli were fronted once again by an attorney this time in the person of Peter Nalbandian. The formation of Deer Valley Citrus Association coincided with Zerilli and Tocco's purchase of two ranches (Isabel and Hartner ranches) changing the name of one to the Arrowhead Ranches. Arrowhead Ranches was incorporated soon after as a company listing Nabaldian as the companies Vice President.
The purchase of the ranch properties made Tocco and Zerilli the owners of the largest grape growing complex in Arizona. Nabaldian arranged a lease back contract with the Del E. Webb Corp., which sold the Glendale farm owned by Tocco and Zerilli to the Corp but allowed their front man to continue to grow grapes on the premises. The cost of the Tocco and Zerilli purchase of the Arrowhead Ranches was placed at $2,700,000 in 1955. The Tocco Zerilli invasion of Arizona continued with the purchase by their sons of the Apache Junction dog track. This purchase was completed under the guise of Emprise Corp., a Buffalo New York firm with close ties to Hazel Park Racing Association.
Death Of The Don
William Tocco saw his name entered into the record during a senate hearing sponsored in the name of Senator McClellan. Tocco's inclusion amoung the most powerful leaders in the Detroit outfit was aimed at drawing attention to he menace that had become the Detroit mafia but in truth Tocco's role in the crme syndicate had already been reduced. While Black Bill had spent the past 32 years as one of the top ranking members of the partnership, health problems had limited his participation in board meetings. By the time the hearings roled into Detroit, Tocco had begun grooming his oldest son Jack to take his place.
Two heart attacks convinced Black Bill Tocco to hang up his guns and retire. Tocco spent most of the last 9 years of his life living in Miami, Florida near old friends and associates like Scarface Joe Bommarito "by this time dying of Parkinsons," and Joe Massei a member of Pete Licavoli's gambling faction. Suffering from a weak heart and battling cancer, Guglielmo Vito Tocco died Monday May 28, 1972 at Bon Secours Hospital, in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. The underworld legend was 75 when he left behind his wife Rosalie, 7 children and 28 grand children. Tocco's funeral was held in the Church of the Holey Family the same church which had hosted the services of Sam Catalanotte 42 years earlier. Tocco's remains were buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Detroit Bagnasco Funeral Home handled the arrangments.
