# United States v. Salerno, 108 F.3d 730 (7th Cir. 1997)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/courtlistener-us-v-salerno-108-f3d-730/

Seventh Circuit opinion of March 4, 1997 affirming Robert Salerno's conviction; it describes the Ferriola Street Crew as a unit of the Chicago Outfit led by Joseph Ferriola from 1979 to 1989.

United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, decided March 4, 1997. This is the Chicago case of Robert Salerno. It is a different case from the 1989 Second Circuit Commission opinion, United States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524.

The opinion describes Salerno, Rocco Infelise, Louis Marino, and Robert Bellavia as "members of the Ferriola Street Crew — a unit of Chicago's organized crime establishment, often referred to as the 'Outfit.' The Chicago Outfit operates through 'street crews,' and the Ferriola Street Crew (named after Joseph Ferriola, the boss of the crew from 1979 to 1989) engaged in a number of criminal activities including the collection of protection money (or 'street tax') from bookmakers." The case concerned the killing of Smith, an independent bookmaker in Lake County, whose body was found on February 10, 1985.

At the 1992 trial the jury found Salerno not guilty of RICO conspiracy and could not reach a verdict on two other counts; at a second trial a jury found him guilty on both. The court concludes: "we Affirm the defendant's conviction."

## Sources

- CourtListener (Free Law Project), text of the opinion: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/737429/united-states-v-robert-salerno/