Milwaukee crime family

Milwaukee crime family
Foundedc. 1918 (1918)
FounderVito Guardalabene
Founding locationMilwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Years activec.1918–2010s
TerritoryPrimarily the Milwaukee metropolitan area, with additional territory throughout Wisconsin, as well as Las Vegas
EthnicityItalians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates
Membership (est.)4 made members (2024)
ActivitiesRacketeering, skimming, gambling, narcotics, murder, extortion, prostitution, bookmaking, bribery, and loan sharking
Allies
RivalsVarious gangs in the Milwaukee area

The Milwaukee crime family, also known as the Balistrieri crime family or the Milwaukee Mafia, was an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The organization maintained links to other Midwestern Mafia families, including those in Chicago and Kansas City, and had over 50 "made" members at its peak. The family's most influential boss was Frank "Mr. Big" Balistrieri, who took control of the organization in the early 1960s and was greatly involved in the skimming of revenue from Las Vegas casinos. After the death of Balistrieri in 1993, the Chicago Outfit began gaining control over illegal rackets in the Milwaukee area. The Milwaukee family ultimately ceased to exist as an independent organization and was largely absorbed by the Chicago family.