Ross Prio
Declined to answer the McClellan Committee in 1958, when counsel put to him testimony that he helped set up syndicate-sponsored trade associations and was a major North Side bookmaking figure. FBI surveillance summaries of 1960 call him "a former Chicago top hoodlum."
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 10 July 1958 — Chicago police Lt. Joseph Morris testified to the McClellan Committee (Part 33, pp. 12734-12738) that, in the surveillance of James Weinberg, Weinberg said that on the North Side he "had a deal with Ross Prio and Monk Gallagrette and Joey Ceaser," and that the "old fellows" his group named, "Accardo, Guzik, Prio," wanted no violence. The remarks are attributed to Weinberg's group.
- 11 July 1958 — Prio testified with Jack Cerone and Joseph DiVarco (Part 33, pp. 12809-12811) and declined, on Fifth Amendment grounds, to state his business or occupation.
- 11 July 1958 — Chief counsel Robert Kennedy told him (Part 33, p. 12813) that testimony showed he had "a very prominent role in the setting up of these syndicate-sponsored trade associations in Chicago in 1952 and 1953," with "Golf Bag" Hunt in charge and Tony Accardo above him, and that he was "one of the most important figures in Chicago as far as bookmaking is concerned." Prio declined to answer. Counsel's statement, not testimony.
- August-September 1960 — FBI Chicago surveillance summaries of Murray Humphreys (Vault, Humphreys Part 05, p. 160; Part 06, p. 80) describe "ROSS PRIO" as "a former Chicago top hoodlum" and record him with Frank Ferraro at Celano's and, on September 13, 1960, with Ferraro, Ralph Pierce and others. The FBI's label.
- August 1964 — An FBI Chicago teletype citing a "highly confidential source" (Vault, Humphreys Part 18) reports that Prio attended the wake of Frank Ferraro. The source's account, relayed by the FBI.
This page quotes only congressional hearings and FBI files. The words that describe his standing are committee counsel’s (1958), a police witness’s report of what Weinberg’s group said (1958), and the FBI’s “former Chicago top hoodlum” (1960). None is a finding, and Prio answered none of the questions, so family and role are empty. No opened record gives his birth or death date.
Records
itemMcClellan Part 33: testimony of Jack Cerone, Ross Prio and Joseph DiVarco (11 July 1958), pp. 12809-12824The three men testified together and each declined to state an occupation. Chief counsel Kennedy told Ross Prio the committee had testimony that he helped set up syndicate-sponsored trade associations in 1952-53 and was a major North Side bookmaking figure; Prio declined to answer.itemMcClellan Part 33: Lt. Joseph Morris on the Weinberg surveillance (10 July 1958), pp. 12730-12745Chicago police Lt. Joseph Morris described the surveillance of James Weinberg's efforts to organize restaurant and tavern associations, including Weinberg's reported 'deal with Ross Prio' on the North Side and the 'old fellows' who wanted no violence.
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 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 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.