Born on August 8,1901 in Seleni, Trapani, Sicily to Benedetto Catalonotte and Vincenza Giacaloni. Giuseppe Catalonotte entered the US by way of New York harbor on June 11,1920 before moving on to Detroit where his brother Salvatore was on the verge establishing himself as the dominant force in Detroit's often explosive underworld. A slightly built at 5'7" and 160lbs Cockeyed Joe was a less than attractive figure with his waundering glass left eye and receding hair line. Upon his arrival in Detroit, Joe wasted no time establishing himself as a man to be feared and respected in his own right. Never one to shy away from violence, Joe garnered his first major media attention when he and 12 of his men abducted two prohibition agents who attempted two raid a brewery associated with the powerful alliance of underworld figures known as the Pascuzzi combine. The two agents were thrown into an auto and driven to a remote location where they were severely beaten and left on the side of an isolated road. Catalonotte escaped conviction as a result of this incident but later received a 60 day sentence for violating the federal narcotics act and another 5 months for grand larceny. These sentence's were the result of a raid on the Catalonotte's Grosse Pointe home following the May 31, 1930 murders of Gaspar Sciblia/Milazzo and Sam Parino which sparked a bloody battle for supremacy in the Motor city. Following the completion of his sentence's Catalonotte agreed to be deported to a destination of his choice in exchange for any pending charges being dropped. Joe Catalonotte chose Windsor Canada as his destination setting up shop as the head of the Windsor faction in 1931. Cockeyed Joe wasted no in securing tribute from the illegal gambling games going on in Windsor while exacting tribute from each of the cities successful businesses in exchange for protection. Catalonotte's operation also participated in bootlegging exotortion, robbery and it's most profitable venture the trafficking of narcotics. Joe Catalonotte would play a major part in the influx of dangerous drugs like heroin in the late '40s and early '50s coming into the US by way of Italy. Catalonotte would be indicted for his role in major drug operations on December 19, 1950 and again on February 21, 1952. Amoung Catalonotte's most influential confederates in the drug trade were former Partinico faction leader Frankie Coppola, Papa John Priziola and his top aide Rafaelle Quasarano and deported New York figures like Mike Spinella and the legendary Charlie Lucky Luciano. Featured during the Valachi hearings, Catalonotte would fight a fierce battle with US Immigration and Naturalization officers who took offense to his frequent appearance's in Detroit. This battle would last right up untill Catalonotte's death.
