Monday, September 18, 1933

Went to school again today. Here it is already starting on the third week of school. Time sure flies.

Joseph "Joe" Filardo
One of Kansas City's "Five Iron Men"

Born in Sicily in 1898, Filardo immigrated to America in 1921.
He hooked up with the DiGiovanni brothers and some of their
cohorts in crime. His arrest record included entries for bootlegging,
blackmail, extortion and murder, though he doesn't appear to have
 served any jail time. Filardo attended the doomed mob meeting at 
Apalchin, New York in 1957. At the time he was considered one of the
most respected members of the syndicate and speculation was that he
acted as counseler or consigliere to the infamous Civella brothers.

Filardo is best known to Kansas Citians as the founder of Roma Bakery
along with his cousin Joe Cusuamo and brother-in-law Jack Binaggia.
They went into business in 1923, and the bakery, which still boasts a
thriving bread business, often served as a meeting spot for gangsters for the
next six decades. Filardo eventually retired from Roma and sold his
interest to his children. He died in August 1985.

Note: Roma Bakery made the most delicious turnovers I ever ate.