Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio (1912-September 25, 1971) was a prominent enforcer, bagman, hit
man, and burglar for the Chicago Outfit, serving as an underboss to Salvatore Giancana during the 1960s and as a boss for a short time from 1967 before being sent to prison in 1969 and dying there.
Similar to other Chicago outfit members, Alderisio began engaging in criminal activity when he was a juvenile. In hope to get a job as a messenger for the Outfit, Alderisio would wait outside Capone's Lexington Hotel Headquarters. During the early 1930s, a cousin of Alderisio brought him into the Outfit where he began working with Sam Battaglia and John Marshall Caifano as an enforcer. Almost immediately, he rose through the ranks of the Outfit and gained a reputation for brutality. Under the work of the Outfit's financial expert, Jake "Greasy Thump" Guzik, Alderisio was a bagman who delivered payoffs to Chicago judges and police officials.
While he was an enforcer with Charles "Chuckie" Nicoletti, the two men were frequently questioned by police over gangland hits from their "hit mobile". Their "hit mobile" was equipped with special switches that independently controlled the headlights and tail lights to avoid police detection. As well there was a hidden compartment in the back of the vehicle that had clamps for shot guns, rifles, and pistols. On one occasion with the "hit mobile", the two men stated they were "...waiting for a friend" , and the police released them without charges. Alderivisio is suspected to have performed thirteen to fourteen hits.
On top of being an enforcer for the Outfit, Aldervisio managed a group of cat burglars that operated in Chicago's upscale Gold Coast district. The group mainly stole rare gems and jewelry. As well Aldervisio owned several restaurants, meat packing firms, small hotels, rush street night clubs, bordellos, and striptease joints. he also controlled prostitution in Milwaukee and played was a key figure in gambling, narcotics, and loansharking -- hence the nickname "Milwaukee Phil".
While he was Serving directly under Giancana and later under Gus "Gussie" Alex, Alderisio was identified by federal authorities in the early 1960s as a high-ranking member of the Outfit. In May of 1962, Aldevisio participated in an infamous mob torture incident. After a barroom fight, two small-time criminals, Billy McCarty and Jimmy MIraglia, had ambushed and killed Outfit associates Ron Scalvo and Phil Scalvo. Nicoletti, Anthony Spilortro, and Alderisio captured McCarthy and tortured him until he provided Miraglia's name. The outfit members placed McCarthy's head in a vice and tightened it until one of his eyes popped out of its socket. At this point, McCarthy named Miraglia. Both McCarthy and Miraglia were found dead with their throats cut later that week. During the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations investigations on organized crime, Alderisio would plead the Fifth Amerndment to the U.S. Constitution against self-incrimination 23 times and refuse to testify.
Over several decades, Aldervisio was arrested at least 36 times for assault and battery, racketeering, loansharking, illegal gambling, hijacking, narcotics, counterfeiting, bootlegging, bribery, extortion, and murder-for-hire. Due to the Outfit's strong political connections, Aldervisio usually avoided prosecution. However, within a short time of acting as Outfit boss For Tony Accardo, Aldervisio lost popularity and was convicted of extortion and sent to prison. While in Prison, Felix Aldervisio died of natural causes on September 25, 1971.