Free Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness by Dennis N. Griffin Page B

died.”
    Even though Tony told Frank he was off the hook for the Scalvo killings, Cullotta was too close to what became known as the M&M Murders for comfort. He remained very cautious for the next six months. He installed security lights around his house and garage. Every time he opened the garage door, it lit up like the Loop. He even had a remote starter put on his car. They were fairly new on the market and it cost about $800, but as far as Frank was concerned, it was one of the best investments he ever made. Every day he used that remote before getting in the car. When there was no explosion, he knew he was home free. He didn’t tell anybody about the starter. He considered it a life-insurance policy.
    Not that Frank didn’t feel bad about the deaths of Billy McCarthy and Jimmy Miraglia. Billy and Jimmy had been his friends and he set them up to be murdered. But he’d tried to talk them out of the course of action that seemed destined to destroy them. After they refused to heed his warnings, Frank did what he had to do in order to ensure his own survival.
    Tony stayed in touch with Frank regularly during that period. “Relax, Frankie,” he said. “You did the Outfit a great favor with Billy and Jimmy. They accept you and they know they can trust you.”
    “I’m clean with them, right?”
    “Yeah, sure. You ought to take advantage of this opportunity to get more involved with them.”
    “I don’t think so, Tony. Thanks, but no thanks.”
    Tony laughed. “Well, the door’s open. You can come and join me anytime you want.”
    Frank knew then that he was finally connected to the Outfit. He had Tony and a few other guys on his side, so the relationship was solid. If he made a big score, he’d have to kick back some money to them. Other than that, he could do what he wanted and didn’t have to answer to anybody. That was good enough for Frank.
     
     
     
     
5 Crime Wave
    Frank Cullotta put the M&M Murders behind him and continued his life as a thief. It was, for better or worse, his chosen career. He was good at it. It afforded him a lavish lifestyle, with new cars, fancy girls, and respect on the street. And he couldn’t have held a straight job, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t.
    Staying true to his habit of frequently changing his M.O., Frank started hijacking trucks. Color televisions were a hot item at the time—new on the market with high price tags. Frank told a friend who was a dispatcher at a truck terminal to keep his eyes open for loads of color TVs. The dispatcher started calling Frank about once a month to give him information on particular loads to hijack. Once he took the loaded truck, he sold it at the best price available. If the entire load was fenced at one time, the take was minimal. To earn more money, Frank gave a television set to ten legitimate people he knew, along with ten more sets on consignment to sell to their friends. After all the TVs were sold, Frank collected the money and split it with his crew. Everyone made out on the deal.
    Another hijacking involved a load of Max Factor lipstick, with an estimated value of $350,000. Frank got involved when an acquaintance named Skeets contacted him. The hijacking went smoothly, but after three weeks, Frank’s crew hadn’t been paid off. Apparently, Skeets couldn’t find anyone to buy a hot load of lipstick.
    Meanwhile, Frank mentioned the hijacking to Tony. “I heard about that job, but I didn’t know you were part of it,” Tony said.
    “Yeah, but this fuckin’ Skeets says he hasn’t sold the load yet and we haven’t seen our money.”
    “That’s true. He’s got the stuff stored where it’s safe. I’ll keep an eye on it and make sure you get the right cut,” Tony assured him.
    A buyer finally came forward, but he turned out to be an undercover agent for the FBI. The feds busted Skeets and all that money went down the drain. Frank and his crew never got a dime out of it.
    Frank took advantage of another situation