FBI brass pipeline from New Orleans to Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- For the second time in less than two years, the FBI is tapping the top agent from its New Orleans office for transfer to Chicago.

The new special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Chicago will be Jeffrey Sallet, whose career has been mostly spent investigating gangs, organized crime and terrorism.

Sallet will replace Michael Anderson, who also came to Chicago from New Orleans in September 2015. Anderson announced his retirement from the bureau on Monday.

Prior to Sallet's tenure as SAC of the FBI in New Orleans, he was a federal agent in New York, Boston and Providence where he focused on numerous cases involving Mafia families. As a supervisor in the Providence FBI office, Sallet led an operation resulting in the indictment of longtime New England Bonanno La Cosa Nostra boss, Luigi "Baby Shacks" Manocchio.

Sallet's work investigating La Cosa Nostra and the Sicilian mob began in 1998, while working in the New York Division. He was an case agent when leader Joseph Massino and more than 100 organized crime figures were indicted.

In Boston he supervised the arrest of notorious Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger after one of the longest and largest manhunts in U.S. history.

Federal mob prosecutions in Chicago have mostly trailed off since the infamous "Family Secrets" mob murder indictments in 2005. Five top Chicago hoodlums were convicted in that case and several remain in prison for life. Sallet's presence at the helm of the FBI here could signal a rejuvenation of Outfit investigations, although the FBI has also become a key player in law enforcement efforts to curb gang violence and murders in Chicago.

During his career, Sallet has also become an experienced counter-terrorism investigator-and Chicago has long been considered a potential prime target of jihadist groups. While special agent in charge of the Boston FBI in 2013, Sallet worked on counterterrorism following the marathon bombings.

According to his FBI bio, after the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, Sallet worked as a financial investigator to help identify funding for the attacks and tracked Al Qaeda's financial assets.

Sallet is a licensed certified public accountant and an expert in financial forensics. He is scheduled to report for duty in Chicago this November.