Chicago Outfit

The Chicago Outfit, also known simply as "The Outfit" is a crime syndicate, based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Dating back to the 1910s, it is part of the United States phenomenon known as the Mafia. However, the Chicago Outfit is distinct from its cousins, the "Five Families" of New York City, though all Sicilian- and Italian-American crime families are ruled by The Commission.

The Outfit is the only criminal organization that has a monopoly on traditional organized crime in the city of Chicago, whereas the Five Families compete with each other for control of racketeering activities in New York. The Outfit's control reportedly reaches throughout the western United States to places as far away as Los Angeles, California and parts of Florida.

The Outfit has had other ethnic groups in its upper echelons since its earliest days. A prime example of this was that an unlikely Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik was the top "bagman" and "accountant" of the Chicago Mob for decades until his death. Yet, he was Jewish and either Polish or Russian depending on the source.

To this day, The Outfit bears the influence of its best-known leader, Alphonse ("Big Al," "Scarface") Capone; in fact, for decades after Capone had left the scene, The Outfit was known as "the Capone Gang" or "the Capones" to outsiders.

The Outfit's Membership at a moderate estimate is between 50 - 60 Made Members, with its membership being a core group in comparison to the other Five Families of New York. They have a large number of associates which make up the majority of their force.

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