Origins & Early Life

John "Handsome Johnny" Roselli (sometimes spelled Rosselli; born Filippo Sacco; July 4, 1905 – August 7, 1976) was an Italian-American mobster for the Chicago Outfit who helped that organization exert influence over Hollywood and the Las Vegas Strip. Roselli was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in a plot to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Roselli was born Filippo Sacco on July 4, 1905, in Esperia, Lazio, Italy. His father, Vincenzo Sacco, had moved to the United States first, followed by Filippo at the age of six, who had immigrated with his mother, Mariantonia Pascale Sacco, to Boston, Massachusetts.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His father died in 1918. On September 14, 1922, Sacco was arrested on narcotics charges in Massachusetts. He first fled to New York for three months before moving on to Chicago, where he changed his name from Filippo Sacco to John Roselli. Roselli relocated to Los Angeles in 1924, pleading guilty to bootlegging that same year. Roselli began his California criminal career working for small-time bootleggers, becoming the top truck driver for Tony Cornero.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Eventually, Roselli was promoted to working closely with the...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Alexandre Alexeieff — Shared historical date (08-09 · Died) (1982): Russian-born artist, filmmaker, and illustrator known for inventing the pinscreen technique.
• Amedeo Avogadro — Shared historical date (08-09 · Born) (1776): Pioneering Italian scientist known for Avogadro's law on gas volumes and molecular theory.
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