Frank Zito | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francesco Zito February 24, 1893 |
| Died | August 22, 1974 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Years active | c.1920s–c.1970s |
| Criminal status | Released 1935 |
| Criminal charge | Violations of the 21st amendment |
| Penalty | Two years in Leavenworth Federal Prison, $10,000 fine |
Francesco "Frank" Zito (February 24, 1893 – August 22, 1974) was a Sicilian-American mobster who controlled criminal activities in Central and Southern Illinois for over twenty years, providing protection from law enforcement and rival competitors from his base of operations in Springfield, Illinois. It can be debated if Zito was head of his own crime family or, he may have been a powerful capo of the Chicago Outfit with his own crew based in Central Illinois. This information is unclear and it seems as though the files on Mr. Zito lack the investigatory evidence that he was in fact the "Godfather of the Prairie." In any case, Zito was a very powerful force in Springfield and the Central and Southern areas of Illinois.