Samuel Carlisi

Samuel A. Carlisi (December 15, 1921 – January 2, 1997), also known as "Black Sam" and "Sam Wings", was an American mobster who was the boss of the Chicago Outfit criminal organization between 1989 and 1996. Hillel Levin of Chicago magazine assessed Carlisi as a "weak leader" who led the Outfit only due to a lack of alternative candidates for the position. Carlisi died in prison after being sentenced to 13 years' incarceration for racketeering in 1996.

Biography Carlisi was born in Buffalo, New York.

Carlisi started his criminal career with the Outfit as a driver for mobster Joseph "Joey Doves" Aiuppa when he was boss of the Cicero, Illinois crew. He earned his nickname "Wings" for his ability to elude police cars and efficiently chauffeur fellow mobsters around Chicago. When Aiuppa was convicted in 1986 for the skimming of the Las Vegas casinos, Carlisi was his replacement and frontman. He was denied bail as he was deemed by a judge to be a flight risk. He was found to have ordered the thwarted murder of Outfit associate Anthony Daddino over concerns that Daddino may cooperate with authorities. He also ordered another associate, Lenny Patrick, to the carry out an attempted bombing on the Lake Theater, a movie theatre in Oak Park, Illinois during a union dispute. The attack failed when grenades thrown at the building did not detonate. Carlisi's sentencing was repeatedly delayed due to ill-health. Following his conviction, he underwent three major surgeries, including one for an aneurysm in his aorta, and also suffered from kidney problems. On March 18, 1996, Carlisi was sentenced to almost 13 years in prison. He also paid $125,000 to the government in restitution.

Carlisi began serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Miami, Florida although he appealed his conviction and was due to appear at an appeal hearing in an Illinois federal court on January 17, 1997. On December 31, 1996, Carlisi was moved from a federal jail cell in Miami to a Dade County hospital after he complained of chest pains. He died of heart disease in the early hours of January 1, 1997 at the age of 75.