Top Chicago mob figure James 'Jimmy I' Inendino worked as FBI informant

CHICAGO (WLS) -- James "Jimmy I" Inendino has always been known as a devoted Outfit member and lately known as one of the top leaders of the Chicago Mob. Now, the I-Team is revealing what has been unknown to most.

Inendino is listed in FBI records obtained by the I-Team as Informant Number 6931-C. Documents show his FBI connection dates back in the late 1960s and mid-1970s. This information did not appear to be common knowledge all the way up to Inendino's death of natural causes at age 80 this past week.

Inendino was rarely pictured in Outfit stories, despite being a rising star and eventually running the powerful Cicero street crew, according to mobologists.

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Inendino's organized crime career spanned decades. His wake was held Monday after he died this past Thursday at age 80.

Now, an FBI record obtained tonight by the I-Team may come as a surprise to those who knew Jimmy "The I" Inendino. Some suspect "The I" stood for ice pick.

According to the FBI, Inendino was carried as an informant of the Chicago office under symbol number 6931-C from March 1965 until May 1969 and from May 1974 until March 1975.

Inendino was furnishing FBI information about truck cargo thefts, an area that authorities say was his specialty back in the day.

"I doubt that the Outfit knew that he was an informant for the FBI for two clear periods of time and I think what you have is clear on incontrovertible proof that he was in fact an informant. There it is in an FBI memo," said Outfit expert and author John Binder.

Binder told the I-Team that Inendino as an informant raises many questions for his mob associates.

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"Did he get jammed up on something related to current stuff and did he agree to therefore cooperate with them? And, if he cooperated with the FBI, did he really cooperate big time?" asked Binder.

Binder says Inendino was eventually a made, blood-oath member of the mob and would have been lately reporting only to Salvatore "Solly D" DeLaurentis, considered by law enforcement to be the Outfit's current leader. DeLaurentis apparently signed Inendino's funeral book online: "thank you so much for what you did for my boys. I am having three trees planted in memory of you."

Now, the lingering question is: how long did Inendino cooperate?

"I would guess there's some shaking of heads and some maybe some concern. If he was cooperating later, when he was a full member and really knew stuff, that could cause quite a bit of concern," Binder said.

The two attorneys most recently listed on Inendino's federal cases did not immediately return requests for comment by the I-Team.