Who Was Paul Ricca? 'The Waiter' Who Really Ran the Outfit
Mobsters DailyPaul Ricca, born Felice DeLucia in Naples in 1897, was Al Capone's consigliere and, after Capone's fall, the senior power in the Chicago Outfit — ruling alongside and often above Tony Accardo until his death in 1972. His nickname, 'The Waiter', came from his early work in restaurants.
From Capone's table to the top
Ricca served time in the 1940s Hollywood extortion case, was paroled controversially in 1947, and was barred from contact with mobsters — a condition everyone understood and no one enforced. While Accardo fronted the Outfit, Ricca advised, arbitrated and approved major decisions.
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His style was the opposite of the flashier bosses in the Gotti story: quiet, patient and nearly invisible, closer to the model in Meyer Lansky, the Mob's accountant.
Ricca died of a heart attack on October 11, 1972 — among the most powerful mob figures of the century, precisely because he rarely looked like one.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Paul Ricca called The Waiter? He worked as a waiter in his youth after arriving from Italy.
When did Paul Ricca die? October 11, 1972, in Chicago, of a heart attack.
Was Ricca boss or consigliere? Formally senior adviser/consigliere for much of his reign; in practice, many accounts treat him as the Outfit's ultimate authority.
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From the shop: Shadows of the Underworld — the real-mafia history behind the bosses, hits and betrayals in this story.
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