Sam DeStefano was a notorious loan shark and murderer who terrorized Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s. He was associated with the Chicago Outfit, a powerful organized crime syndicate that dominated the city’s underworld. But he was never made a full member of the Outfit due to his lack of loyalty and discipline. He often acted on his own without permission from his bosses.
DeStefano was known as “Mad Sam” or “The Mad Hatter” for his unpredictable and sadistic behavior. He enjoyed inflicting pain more than any human being ever met, according to Frank Cullotta, a former associate of DeStefano. He was the most vicious torture-murderer in the history of the United States, according to Robert J. Schoenberg, a biographer of DeStefano.
DeStefano was responsible for several brutal murders, some of which involved his own relatives. He killed his brother-in-law Leo Foreman by drilling holes in his head and body. He also killed his brother Michael by shooting him in the back of the head. He was suspected of killing his other brother Mario as well.
DeStefano was also a devil worshipper. He had an altar in his basement with candles, a skull, and a book of satanic verses, according to Ken Eto, a former associate of DeStefano. He believed that he had supernatural powers and that he could control people’s minds.
DeStefano met his end on April 14, 1973, when he was killed by two of his fellow gangsters, Tony Spilotro and Chuckie Nicoletti. They ambushed him outside his home and shot him multiple times. They feared he would implicate them in the murder of William “Action” Jackson, a Teamsters Union official who was tortured and killed by DeStefano in 1961.
DeStefano’s death marked the end of an era of violence and terror in Chicago. He was one of the few people ever met that had absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, according to William F. Roemer Jr., a former FBI agent who investigated DeStefano. He was a maniac who would kill you for a nickel, according to Tony Spilotro, one of DeStefano’s killers. He was Mad Sam, the Chicago Outfit’s most feared enforcer.
Relevant articles:
– Sam DeStefano – Wikipedia, Wikipedia, 14 August 2021
– Mad Sam DeStefano, The Chicago Mob’s Most Deranged Killer, All That’s Interesting, 14 November 2022
– The Chicago Outfit’s Most Notorious Loan Shark: Sam DeStefano, Crime Capsule, 23 August 2023
– How Mad Sam DeStefano Became The Chicago Outfit’s Most Feared Enforcer, The Mob Museum, 25 August 2023