Frank Ferraro
Met Accardo and Giancana at the Los Angeles airport in January 1953, according to McClellan Committee staff, who gave his true name as Frank Sortino. FBI surveillance of 1960 calls him a "Chicago top hoodlum"; FBI teletypes of August 1964 report his wake.
- Died
- 1964
- Aliases
- Frank Sortino
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- January 1953 — McClellan Committee staff testified on 9 June 1959 (Part 53, pp. 18674, 18696-18697) that Ferraro, who identified himself as a Chicago tailor, rented a Cadillac in Los Angeles and with Anthony Pinelli met Anthony Accardo, Sam Giancana and Dr. Eugene Chesrow at the airport, and that Los Angeles police questioned the group.
- 9 June 1959 — Investigator James McShane (Part 53, p. 18696) described him as "Gus Alex's No. 1 man in the first ward in Chicago" and said "His true name is Frank Sortino." Chief counsel Kennedy said Ferraro had been subpoenaed for that day but "had an attack" at the airport and was taken to a Chicago hospital. Staff and counsel statements, not findings.
- August-October 1960 — FBI Chicago surveillance summaries of Murray Humphreys (Vault, Humphreys Parts 05-07) call "FRANK FERRARO" a "Chicago top hoodlum" and record him at Celano's with Humphreys and Ross Prio. The FBI's label.
- 13 September 1960 — A summary in Humphreys Part 06 (p. 80) records a conversation in which the FBI annotates one of Ferraro's remarks "(apparently going over the jurors list)," while Accardo's tax trial was under way.
- Fall 1960 — An informant quoted in the FBI's September 14, 1961 report (Vault, Humphreys Part 12) said associates of Humphreys, Ferraro in particular, looked into the backgrounds of the jurors in Accardo's trial; the report says no approach to a juror was ever made.
- August 1964 — FBI Chicago teletypes stamped August 27, 1964 (Vault, Humphreys Part 18) report arrangements at a funeral home "WHERE FRANK FERRARO IS BEING LAID OUT," citing a "highly confidential source."
“Frank Sortino” is the true name the McClellan investigator gave. The descriptions of his standing are committee staff’s (1959) and the FBI’s surveillance label (1960); neither is a finding, so family and role are empty.
The died field is the year of the FBI teletypes that report his wake; they give no date of death and no cause, and no death record was opened.
Records
itemMcClellan Part 53: staff testimony on the January 1953 Los Angeles trip and Frank Ferraro (9 June 1959)Staff members Pierre Salinger and James McShane described a January 1953 trip to Los Angeles by Giancana, Anthony Accardo and Dr. Eugene Chesrow, met by Frank Ferraro and Anthony Pinelli. McShane called Ferraro 'Gus Alex's No. 1 man in the first ward' and gave his true name as Frank Sortino.
itemFBI Chicago surveillance summaries, August 1960: Humphreys, Frank Ferraro and Ross Prio at Celano's (Vault Humphreys Part 05)Summaries for August 1960 place Humphreys at Celano's in downtown Chicago with Frank Ferraro, whom the FBI calls a 'Chicago top hoodlum', and Ross Prio, 'a former Chicago top hoodlum', and record his August 8 remarks about meeting a 'west side hoodlum and gambler.'
itemFBI Chicago surveillance summaries, September 1960 to January 1961 (Vault Humphreys Part 06)Summaries from September 13, 1960, when an informant reported Humphreys with Frank Ferraro, Ross Prio and others, through reports of January 1961; they also record his May 23, 1960 trip to Washington and a visit to an Illinois congressman's office.
itemFBI Chicago surveillance summaries, October-December 1960 (Vault Humphreys Part 07)Summaries for the last quarter of 1960 record Humphreys's meetings at Celano's, Frank Ferraro's brief visit there on October 25, 1960, a pretext telephone call to Ferraro, and conversations credited to Humphreys and a man called 'Godfrey.'
itemFBI Chicago report, September 14, 1961: inquiry whether jurors in Accardo's 1960 tax trial were approached (Vault Humphreys Part 12)The report investigates whether Humphreys or anyone for him approached a juror in Anthony Accardo's 1960 income-tax trial. An informant said Humphreys masterminded the defense strategy and obtained the jury list, but the synopsis says no approach was ever made.itemFBI Chicago teletypes, August 1964: Frank Ferraro's wake and Humphreys's contacts (Vault Humphreys Part 18)Daily-summary teletypes stamped August 27, 1964 and after, citing a 'highly confidential source', report arrangements at the funeral home 'where Frank Ferraro is being laid out', and say Humphreys stayed away from the wake and funeral to avoid being photographed.
itemFBI Chicago surveillance summaries, August 1960: Humphreys, Frank Ferraro and Ross Prio at Celano's (Vault Humphreys Part 05)Summaries for August 1960 place Humphreys at Celano's in downtown Chicago with Frank Ferraro, whom the FBI calls a 'Chicago top hoodlum', and Ross Prio, 'a former Chicago top hoodlum', and record his August 8 remarks about meeting a 'west side hoodlum and gambler.'itemFBI Chicago surveillance summaries, September 1960 to January 1961 (Vault Humphreys Part 06)Summaries from September 13, 1960, when an informant reported Humphreys with Frank Ferraro, Ross Prio and others, through reports of January 1961; they also record his May 23, 1960 trip to Washington and a visit to an Illinois congressman's office.itemFBI Chicago surveillance summaries, October-December 1960 (Vault Humphreys Part 07)Summaries for the last quarter of 1960 record Humphreys's meetings at Celano's, Frank Ferraro's brief visit there on October 25, 1960, a pretext telephone call to Ferraro, and conversations credited to Humphreys and a man called 'Godfrey.'itemFBI Chicago report, September 14, 1961: inquiry whether jurors in Accardo's 1960 tax trial were approached (Vault Humphreys Part 12)The report investigates whether Humphreys or anyone for him approached a juror in Anthony Accardo's 1960 income-tax trial. An informant said Humphreys masterminded the defense strategy and obtained the jury list, but the synopsis says no approach was ever made.itemFBI Chicago teletypes, August 1964: Frank Ferraro's wake and Humphreys's contacts (Vault Humphreys Part 18)Daily-summary teletypes stamped August 27, 1964 and after, citing a 'highly confidential source', report arrangements at the funeral home 'where Frank Ferraro is being laid out', and say Humphreys stayed away from the wake and funeral to avoid being photographed.