How a Missouri crime family once controlled the government and Las Vegas casinos

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Kansas City crime family, or the Clique, evolved from a small group of Sicilian immigrants into a powerful syndicate that influenced state politics and skimmed millions from Las Vegas casinos. Despite decades of federal investigations and internal violence, the organization persists today, albeit as a shadow of its former self.

The organization traces its roots to 1912, when brothers Joseph and Peter DiGiovanni arrived in Kansas City. Their influence surged during Prohibition, as they secured a bootlegging monopoly with the backing of Tom Pendergast, the political boss who effectively controlled the city government. This era established a pattern of deep integration between the family and local power structures, allowing them to operate with minimal interference from law enforcement.

Following Prohibition, the family expanded into labor racketeering and political manipulation. By 1948, they helped secure the election of Missouri Governor Forrest Smith. The family’s reach eventually extended to Las Vegas, where boss Nicholas Civella orchestrated a massive skimming operation at the Tropicana Casino. This scheme, uncovered by the FBI’s Operation Strawman in the late 1970s, revealed that the Kansas City mob was coordinating with syndicates in Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee to divert casino cash.

The family’s power has waned significantly since its peak. While the FBI estimated 25 made members in the late 1990s, recent reports suggest the group may now have twelve or fewer. Despite this decline, the family remains active in gambling, loansharking, and extortion. Recent incidents, such as a 2023 restaurant brawl involving high-ranking members and a 2008 arson plot involving a mob soldier, demonstrate that the organization continues to operate, though it is often described by observers as being on its last legs.

Internal stability has been a recurring challenge. The family has weathered numerous leadership transitions, including the assassinations of John Lazia in 1934 and Charles Binaggio in 1950. Today, the organization is led by John Joseph Sciortino, who rose through the ranks as a protégé of former boss Anthony Civella. While the scale of their operations has diminished, the family’s history remains a testament to the enduring, if diminished, influence of traditional organized crime in the American Midwest.

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