Victor Spilotro

Victor P. Spilotro (October 8, 1933 - December 30, 1996) was the older brother of Chicago Outfit mobster, Tony Spilotro and Outfit associate brother, Michael Spilotro. It was not until the 1980s that Victor started to get public attention. He was implicated in the unsolved murder/disappearance of millionaire heiress Helen Brach.

Spilotro was born in West Town, Chicago. He was the eldest son of Pasquale Spilotro, Sr. (1899–1954), known as "Patsy", a restaurant owner, and his wife, Antoinette. Pasquale Spilotro, Sr. had emigrated from Triggiano, in the Italian province of Bari in the southeastern region of Apulia, and had arrived at Ellis Island in 1914. He had arrived in America with no money, education, or particular skill, and became the owner of Patsy's Restaurant, which he operated with his wife. Mobsters such as Salvatore "Sam" Giancana, Jackie Cerone ("The Lackey"), Gus Alex and Frank Nitti ("Frank the Enforcer") regularly dined at Patsy's, which was on the west side at Grand Avenue and Ogden Avenue, and its parking lot was used for mob meetings. Whereas most Italian immigrants to Chicago settled around Taylor Street and Halsted Street, a mile from the Loop, the Spilotros lived at 2152 North Melvina Avenue in Belmont Cragin. In 1954, Patsy, Sr. suffered a fatal aneurysm and died at the age of fifty-five, leaving five sons, Vincent, Anthony, Pasquale (known as "Pat"), Michael, and John.

Throughout his childhood and adolescence Victor slept with his five brothers in one bedroom in three sets of bunk beds. Like all of his brothers, he was short in stature. Through his brother Anthony he became friends with Frank Cullotta and spent as much time at the Cullotta house as his own. He attended Burbank Elementary School in Belmont Cragin, Chicago, and entered Charles P. Steinmetz Academic Centre in 1946, the same school his brothers Michael, Vincent, Anthony and Pasquale would attend but only Pasquale would graduate. He was a thief with his brothers and Frank and they would ride around frequently in stolen cars. At seventeen and eighteen years old in 1951, Victor along with his brothers were making roughly $25,000 a week each. He was a close associate of Jimmy Torello, Charles Nicoletti, Phil Alderisio, Joseph Lombardo and Joseph Aiuppa. He shared dreams with his brothers Anthony and Michael of not only being a thief, but of one day being a racketeer. He remained very much on the sidelines while his three brothers, Anthony, Michael and John relished the media attention with their criminal activities in Las Vegas. He did not remain close to his younger brothers, Anthony, Michael, John and Vincent who all moved from Oak Park, Illinois in the 1970s to Spring Valley, Nevada. His brother Anthony would later drop out of high school during his sophomore year and transferred to a trade school with Frank Cullotta. It is thought that Victor dropped out of school shortly after his brother Anthony and Michael.

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