Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli spent much of his youth in and out of trouble, despite an upbringing that included a catholic school education, Yonnie seemed committed to leading a lawless life in crime. A good student whose promising grades gave his parents hope that he would oneday become a priest, garnered his first arrest at the age of 12 when he and his older brother Pete and others were picked up for stealing 2 pairs of shoes at the age of 12. By the age of age of 14 Yonnie's criminal reputation was such that a June 1918 probation report filed in St.Louis Juvenile court discribed him as incorrigible. Two years later Yonnie "who had become a participant in a weapons smuggling ring run by the Unione Siciliana chapters in St.Louis and Detroit," fled St.Louis to escape a concealed weapons charge by joining the Navy.
Less than 6 months later Thomas Licavoli was wanted by the United States government for desertion. Yonnie never faced any charges relating to his dersertion because of a pardon he received from President Warren G. Harding. Recognizing his legal troubles made him a marked man in the state of Misourri Yonnie began looking toward Detroit and the Ohio Valley as good places to move his gangs operation. The Licavoli gang had an established reputation as fearless gunmen who were led by a soft spoken youngster who's rather large frame "over 6' and 210 lbs," and wisper of a voice had an unsettling effect on those who came into contact with them.
The Licavoli began operating in the Wyandotte area also known as the Downriver section. Under the guidance of Thomas and Peter Licavoli, the River gang became the most successful participants in the Pascuzzi Combine. Soon Yonnie was recognized the second most influential man in the Detroit Underworld which was controlled by Sam Cantalonotte, leader of the local Unione Siciliana. Yonnie impressed Sam with his demeanor and leadership abilities which were advanced for a man his age and relative inexperience.
As a result Yonnie and his gang benefitted from the prestige and connections that Cantalonotte was able to call upon in the event of an emergency. Yonnie and Sam shared many interests in common aside from their business dealings, inparticularly music. Sam was known throughout Detroit as Singing Sam for his love of music and Yonnie was an accomplished song writer who wrote one of the most popular tunes of the 1920's. With his influence steadily increasing throughout the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York and on into Canada, Licavoli's career was derailed by a weapons conviction in Canada in 1927.
Yonnie and his brother-in-law Frank Cammarata were sentenced to 2 years in prison. This marked the second time Yonnie and Frank had been sentenced to serve time in Canada on weapons charges " They received a prior sentence of 2 years and 7 months in 1921 while Yonnie was on the lamb from the Navy." While Yonnie served his time in a Canadian prison control of the River gangs operations were handed over to his older brother Peter Joseph and later Leo Cellura when Peter got into a bit of trouble of his own. Thomas continued his career upon his release but decided to seek new avenues in the Ohio Valley.
The Licavoli gang hit Ohio with a vengeance establishing gambling spots, night clubs, and whorehouses while running illegal liquor stills and blind pigs all while producing and importing various brands of whiskey, brandy and beer. Amoung the areas Yonnie's men turned up in were Toledo and Youngstown Ohio as well as Canada. Though many were familiar with the exploits of the Detroit gangsters no one was prepared for the extreme brutality that the Licavoli gang brought down on the area's it sought to conquer. For the most part their was very little resistance to the Licavoli invasion of gunmen, extortionist, strong arm robbers, bombers and urban terrorists.
One glaring exception to this was an Irish bootlegger from Toledo by the name of Jackie Kennedy. Kennedy openly opposed the Licavoli's advance through his home town and even fought with several of Yonnie's men getting the best of them on a couple of occasions. The problem of the troublesome Irish youngster was solved when men allegedly acting on Licavoli's orders caught Jackie Kennedy while walking on a beach with a girlfriend on Friday July 7, 1933. Kennedy was shot numerous times in the head and body and died several minutes later.
The outcry from the local media led to the conviction of Yonnie and several members of his gang in a trial that many feel was a frame up. None the less Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli was sentenced to life in an Ohio Prison and served more than 37 years before being granted a controversial parole by former Ohio govenor James A. Rhodes in 1971. During his incarceration Yonnie continued to excercise a great deal of influence in the affairs of not only his Licavoli gang but the Detroit Outfit as well. When the Licavoli brothers mother died in 1965, Joseph Zerilli personally escourted the casket from Ohio to Michigan where he was observed in a conference with Yonnie who had been granted permission to attend the ceremony with a prison official.
Yonnie was accused many times duringg his time in prison of corrupting the wardens of the institutions that housed him. On two occasions the accusations were found to be true and the wardens fired for granting Yonnie unusual privileges such as unsupervised visits with his brother Pete and other members of his gang. Yonnie was also the subject of a Life Magazine article which detailed a $250,000 free Yonnie fund set up by his associates available to any public official who could arrange for Yonnie's release. Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli died on September 16, 1973 at the age of 69. Yonnie had been running a stamp and coin collectors store in Ghana Ohio, having been banned from Toledo by parole restrictions.
