Francis Killian Cavanaugh

Infobox_Criminal


subject_name = Francis Killian Cavnaugh
image_size =
image_caption = Frankie Cavanaugh arrested
date_of_birth = Birth date and age|1960|11|03|
place_of_birth = Chicago, Illinois
charge = Murder
penalty = Imprisonment from 1987 to 2007
status = Probation
occupation = Gangster, Hitman
spouse = Clarissa Smolt
children = Lucas Cavanaugh, Joseph Cavanaugh

Francis Killian Cavanaugh (born November 3, 1960) was a North Side Gang leader and long time hitman in Chicago, Illinois. He was born as the first son of Lucas Cavanaugh and grandson of Francis Cavanaugh, and is the brother of George Cavanaugh.

Early life

Francis "Frankie" was the first of three children for Lucas Cavanaugh. Frankie was born in 1960 to Jessica Dawson and Lucas Cavanaugh. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family] Two years later they had their second child Andrew Cavanaugh. At five he had a traumatic experience while witnessing the murder of his mother and brother. Two years later his father had found new love and had another child George Cavanaugh.Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family] Frankie and James O'Shea the son of Alexander O'Shea grew up together as friends going to school together. Frankie had to be transferred through many boarding schools and private schools, he was kicked out of three and finally accepted into St. Thomas (the school his grandfather had gone to). While he was 13 he started to help his family's business by running messages for his father's front men (behind his father's back).

Training

Lucas wanted Frankie away from the business especially after his mother and Andrew were killed so he told him to stay away. Soon after Lucas found out Frankie was still running for some of the bosses, so Lucas took his 18 year old son into a farm house in Wisconsin and left him there. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family] Frankie ended up making his way home less than a week after. When he got home Lucas told him that he had passed and that he should be able to run the business after he's gone. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family]

Frankie learned all of his skills from the business. Lucas hired skilled hitmen to show Frankie how to develop good marksmenship. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family] Frankie was then taught of business and trade in the life of crime. His father then showed him the bosses old and new of many organizations. Finally at age 20 Lucas told Frankie that he was ready to take on the business. [ [http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com North Side Gang] ] Little did anyone else know but Lucas was dying of heart failure. Two monthes later Lucas died talking to George and Frankie on his death bed. Lucas told his son:

:"This business runs in our blood, no matter what happens or who gets hurt no one brings us down" [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family]

Frankie took this advice and started up the business. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family]

Life

Frankie met a woman by the name of Clarissa Smolt and the two married in late 1986. The two had a child less than a year after. Joseph Francis Cavanaugh was born August 7 1987. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family] Clarissa and Frankie loved it that 8 months later they found out Clarissa was pregnant again. By the time Lucas Martin Cavanaugh was born on January 11, 1989, Frankie was already in jail. [Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family]

The Family

In 1976 Frankie took control of the family workings. He was already having a lot of problems from the Chicago Outfit trying to take his father's turf. Frankie had a call from Michael DeStefano, one of the Outfit's main hitmen, telling him to meet DeStefano in a rural area. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted] Frankie took some guards and went to meet him; when he got to the meeting place there was an ambush. Many of the "workers" started firing upon them. Frankie was protected by his body guards and ended up killing DeStefano. The police arrested Frankie but after a two month trial he was released on self-defense. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted]

Frankie kept running into trouble with the Outfit but nothing major erupted after DeStefano was murdered. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted] Joseph Aiuppa ended up having to meet with Frankie to tell were the boundary would be drawn for the two rivals. Frankie took the North and part of the east side and the Outfit took the south as they had prior. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted]

Aiuppa was getting worried about not having enough territory and the growing power of the young Frankie at 25. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:] Frankie's business was growing rapidly he was importing and exporting every night and running many business's throughout the town. Aiuppa was worried and hired a hitman to take him out. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:]

On September 6, 1985 Frankie was leaving his North Side home and was being shot at although the bullets missed him. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:] He took this as a sign of war and declared war on the Outfit. George Cavanaugh, his brother, now was getting used to his brother's business and made a place for himself. George had taken his brother's offer and become an underboss. Frankie told his brother of the war and said he had to take out a boss of the Outfit and he chose Charles Inglese. [Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted:]

ources

Web

[http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com North Side Gang]

Books

*Enright, Laura L. "Chicago's Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Murderous Mobsters, Midway Monsters, and Windy City Oddities". Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books Inc., 2005. ISBN 978-1-57488-785-3 (Enright, p.115)
*Zorbaugh, Harvey Warren. "The Gold Coast and the Slum: Sociological Study of Chicago's Near North Side". Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1929. ISBN 978-0-226-98945-7 (Zorbaugh, p. 179)
*Terrence, Jacob M. "Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family" Chicago, Illinois: University Northern Illinois., 1987. ISBN 978-1-567493-739 (Terrence, p.215)