Samuel Carlisi

Who was Samuel Carlisi?

Samuel A. Carlisi also known as "Black Sam" and "Sam Wings", was a Chicago gangster who was in the Chicago Outfit criminal organization. Sam Carlisi's brother Roy was a caporegime in the Buffalo crime family, otherwise known as the Magaddino crime family. Roy was close to legendary Buffalo Mafia boss Stefano Magaddino, which gave Sam direct access to various east coast crime families that were aligned with the Buffalo Mafia such as those based in Rochester and Utica, New York and in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sam was known to use these connections to further his gambling and bookmaking interests, to fence stolen goods and possibly for narcotics operations he was overseeing or involved in. He is a cousin of mobster Al Tornabene and uncle to Joseph Roy Carlisi, the son of his brother Roy.

Carlisi started his criminal career with the Outfit as a driver for mobster Joseph Aiuppa when he was boss of the Cicero, Illinois crew. He is the uncle to Chicago Outfit mobsters Dominick DiMaggio and Nicholas DiMaggio. When Aiuppa was convicted in 1986 for the skimming of the Las Vegas casinos, Carlisi served as his replacement and as a front man.