The store owner was Sam Rantis, a convicted counterfeiter. His body was actually found in February of 1974, but he disappeared in December of 1973, just a week or so after the murders of Marcello and Grisafe.

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: You're exactly right, and thanks for the correction.

I am a little confused...did you mean 50-gallon jugs? What is and how big is a junior baby ruth box? Was it the store owner that killed them? If so who was this guy? Was he connected?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: Andy, my apologies for any confusion. They were 50-gallon drums, and I've corrected the typo in the blog entry.

I don't know how big the box was, but it was apparently big enough to store at least a portion of the dead guy's legs. I assume we're talking about a box to store candy bars, Junior Baby Ruths. That's how it was referred to in the court documents, but if any dedicated blog reader has more information, I'll be sure to post it.

The store owner was Sam Rantis, a convicted counterfeiter, as one of your fellow readers helpfully notes in a post on this entry. Give me a little time, and I'll post more information on Rantis.

It's not entirely clear if Rantis or someone else killed Marcello and his colleague, since both Rantis and the two mobsters are dead. But law enforcement at the time believed Rantis was blamed by the mob for the men's deaths and was slain in retaliation.

Hope that helps.

A man by the name of Wayne Cascone was shot and killed in late January of 1974. His girlfriend told investigators that he told her he knew who killed Rantis, whose body had yet to be found at the time. It seems reasonable to assume that Cascone might have been involved in the murder of Rantis. At the very least he supposedly knew who was involved.

The Chicago Crime Commission's sources at the time claimed that all of these murders were over a counterfeiting ring operated by Rantis, and that some of the funny money had been passed through an Outfit gambling operation. I don't think it's too far-fetched to think that possibly Marcello and Grisafe went to confront Rantis about it, and he killed them.

Now, I don't normally like to make assumptions based on limited information but it sounds like that is what could have happened rather than the two going there to collect a juice loan -- that is, if it's true about Rantis passing counterfeit money through an Outfit gambling operation.

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: Your speculation makes sense.

I'm getting the information about a juice loan confrontation from Page 3 of the government's suggested modification to James Marcello's presentence investigation report.

The sentence reads: "It is the FBI's belief that Samuel Marcello and the other individual were murdered in November 1973 after attempting to collect an Outfit juice loan from the owner of the Korner Sandwich Shop."

That's not to say the FBI's belief is necessarily accurate, and that the Crime Commission's sources weren't right, but that's where the sentence in the blog comes from.

I will admit that the Chicago Crime Commission has been wrong quite a few times in what they claim, especially as to motives for the gangland-style murders they have tracked since 1919. Supposedly that counterfeiting angle came from an informant who was a friend of Rantis.

By the way, maybe I missed something, but why exactly was this brought up as part of the case? I also don't understand why it would be discussed in his earlier case, which I assume was the Carlisi racketeering case back in mid-1990s.

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: The issue came up in the government's response to the pre-sentence investigation report prepared on James Marcello.

For those readers not familiar with such reports, they are typically prepared prior to sentencing for defendants in federal court and contain a large volume of information about the person to be sentenced, including their background and family history, to help the judge set the proper sentence.

Once the report is submitted, the prosecution and the defense have a chance to correct or clarify points in the report.

The matter involving Marcello was part of the prosecution's efforts to clarify the record on a point that Marcello refused to talk about in this case and lied about in the Carlisi case, the circumstances surrounding his father's death.

All of this is very interesting.

Hi Steve,
I was just wondering if this report you speak of can be viewed by the public or not? If so where can it be found?
"I'm getting the information about a juice loan confrontation from Page 3 of the government's suggested modification to James Marcello's presentence investigation report."

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: The filing is available in the court file at the federal courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn, or can be viewed online after setting up an account at www.ilnd.uscourts.gov.

"For those readers not familiar with such reports, they are typically prepared prior to sentencing for defendants in federal court and contain a large volume of information about the person to be sentenced, including their background and family history, to help the judge set the proper sentence."

Thanks for the reply. I've heard of pre-sentencing reports, but I wasn't aware that it included family history. I thought it was mainly just an arrest and conviction history, if there are any, of the defendant.

STEVE WARMBIR REPLIES: I figured you were familiar with the reports, but the blog has readers with different levels of knowledge and interest, and I like to include everyone.

The pre-sentence reports are usually sealed, unfortunately, so most of the details never make out to the public.

I'm not a Illinois resident but I can't see much diference between Chicago mobsters and Illinois politicians.

"By Scott Laux"
There isn't a difference. They seem to be one in the same. lol!!!!