Unione Siciliana
At that time, a benevolent society called the Unione Siciliana was set up to help Sicilian immigrants settle in the United States. While the Unione was originally intended for legitimate charitaeble purposes, it was soon taken over and corrupted by Sicilian gang members. Unione officials soon began demanding "protection money", or tributes, from its members, promising retribution to those who refused to pay. Al Capone wanted to control the Unione, but he was barred from even joining it because his background was Neopolitan, not Sicilian. The head of the Chicago branch of the Unione was Sicilian Mike Merlo, a bootlegger who used his position at the Unione to mediate disputes among the Chicago gangs. The death of Merlo in November 1924 reignited Capone's ambitions to control the Unione. Lombardo, a Capone ally, became the new head of the Chicago branch. Lombardo's success angered Aiello.
Read more about this topic: Joe Aiello