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Charles "Chuckie" Nicoletti (December 3, 1916 - March 29, 1977) was one of the top Chicago Outfit hitmen for Sam Giancana.

Growing up in a poor, dysfunctional family in Chicago, Nicoletti murdered his father in what might be deemed as justifiable homicide. Dropping out of school in the eighth grade, Nicholetti soon joined the 'Forty-Two Gang'. This Chicago street gang, whose members included Giancana, Sam "Teets" Battaglia, and Phil Alderisio, trained many future members of the Chicago Outfit.

By the late 1950's, Nicoletti was one of the most feared triggermen in Chicago and was drawing attention from the FBI and police officials.

In 1962, Nicoletti participated in an infamous torture case. Nicoletti, Alderisio, and Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro had kidnapped James Miraglia, a thug who had killed two of their friends. The three men started torturing Miraglia to find out the name of his accomplice. Spilotro had placed the man's head in an industrial vice and started squeezing it tighter and tighter. Suddenly, Miraglia's eye popped completely out of its socket. At that point, Miraglia revealed his accomplice's name. Years later, Frank Cullota was telling this story to a friend. Cullotta said was impressed by Nicoletti's reaction to the gory scene; "Boy, this is a heartless guy. He was eating pasta when Billy's eye popped out." This scene was re-enacted in Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino.

During his career as a hitman, Nicoletti he was involved in as many as 20 mob hits. It was alleged that Nicoletti was involved in the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy [1]. However, this claim has never been substantiated.

On March 29th, 1977, Charles Nicoletti received three .38 slugs to the back of his head and was killed. The mob reportedly whacked Nicoletti because he had complained about the Giancana killing. Some said that Nicoletti was murdered in retaliation for a hit on a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, mob leader, but that is a reported cover story.

Nicoletti was supposed to appear before the House Select Committee on Assassinations. Chauncey Holt, the old tramp in the infamous Three Tramps photo, claims that he drove Charles Nicoletti into Dallas from Licavoli Grace Ranch on the morning of the assassination.

• Giancana, Sam and Chuck. Double Cross: The Explosive, Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America. New York: Warner Books, 1992. ISBN 0-446-51624-4
• Groden, Robert J. and Livingstone, Harrison Edward. High Treason. New York: Berkley Books, 1990. ISBN 0-425-12344-8
• Hinckle, Warren and Turner, William W. The Fish is Red: The Story of the Secret War Against Castro. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. ISBN 0-06-038003-9
• Marrs, Jim. Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy. New York: Carroll & Graf, 1990. ISBN 0-88184-648-1

• Gang Land, Ask Andy, June 15th 1998
• Sparticus Educational: Charles Nicoletti