Today in Chicago History: 19th Ward boss ‘Diamond Joe’ Esposito gunned down near his home
By Kori Rumore
Published on March 21, 2026.
The Chicago Tribune archives reveal that 19th Ward boss ‘Diamond Joe’ Esposito was gunned down near his home in 1928. His death reportedly was the result of a dispute with a bootlegger. In 1980, a 22-year-old woman was killed when a plane carrying convicted marijuana smuggler Robert Steinberg landed near Chicago's Midway International Airport. Nearly 80 federal, state, county and local agents conducted simultaneous raids in 1982 to crack down on an estimated $1.5 million-a-month sports betting operation controlled by the Chicago crime syndicate. The Loyola Ramblers' successful season in 1985 saw them reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. In 2012, off-duty Chicago police Officer Dante Servin fired his unregistered Glock at a group of young people near his West Side home and was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, reckless discharge of a firearm and reckless conduct.
Read Original Article