Salvatore "Sam Sings in the Night" Catalanotte (born Salvatore Catalanotto; 15 February 1893^[1] – 14 February 1930) was an Italian-American mobster. "Sings in the night" is a translation of a close misspelling of his last name (from the Italian "caNta la notte"). Catalanotte immigrated from Sicily to Detroit in 1912 and participated and survived the Giannola and Vitale gang war.^[2][3] After surviving this war, Catalanotte later assumed the highest leadership position within the Detroit mafia.^[4] In addition to his mafia dealings, Catalanotte was also recorded to be a baker and a director of the Detroit Italian bakeries.^[5][6][7] Catalanotte died on February 14, 1930, from pneumonia and his funeral took place in Detroit.^[7]

Catalanotte spent his childhood in Alcamo, Sicily. During his teenage years, he saw major changes in Alcamo. Between 1901 and 1911, over 32,000 residents emigrated which decreased the population in Alcamo by 37.1%.^[12] At the same time, Alcamo was plagued by phylloxera—a bug that infects and destroys grape crops—and two banks went bankrupt, leaving many residents in poor financial standing.^[13] Catalanotte decided to join the emigration wave in hopes of better opportunities abroad. He first arrived in America on June 4, 1912^[14] at the age of 19. He took the Ancona ship from the Palermo port, Sicily’s capital ~50 km from his hometown. He returned to Sicily within the year, then came back to America for good on April 13, 1913.^[15] He settled in Detroit because of the large community of Italian immigrants.

Catalanotte immigrated to Detroit, Michigan, in 1912. He arrived from Palermo with the SS Ancona, landing in Ellis island the 4 June 1912.^[2] Catalanotte was involved in the Giannola brothers gang and survived the Giannola and Vitale gang war from 1918-1919.^[3] The Giannola gang participated in “rum running”, or illegal liquor business.^[16] After this gang war, Catalanotte assumed a leadership position within the Detroit mafia and was generally viewed as an Italian-American community leader.^[4] Chester LaMare also worked under Catalanotte in the Detroit mafia.^[3] Catalanotte has also been credited^{[by whom?]} with establishing a level of peace between the different gangs of Detroit, lasting through his time as chief leader of the underworld and ended at his death.^[3] Catalanotte was initially convicted of carrying concealed weapons without a permit, and when he afterwards applied for and received a permit, he failed to disclose his prior conviction of illegally carrying concealed weapons, which resulted in yet another conviction.^[17]

Catalanotte was also a director of Detroit Italian bakeries, which the public assumed much of his wealth came from, and was also a member of the organization Cuello D’Alamo.^[3][7]

On February 14, 1930, Catalanotte died in his home in Grosse Pointe due to complications with pneumonia; a day away from his 36th birthday.^[7] His funeral was held on February 17 in the Church of the Most Holy Family.^[7] Catalanotte’s body was taken from his home to the church in a procession more than a half a mile long.^[7][3] It is estimated to have cost around $20,000 ^[7][3] Following the funeral, the body was taken in a procession to Mount Olivet Cemetery in Detroit where Catalanotte was buried. The procession following the funeral consisted of more than 200 cars.^[7][3]

Catalanotte’s death led to a vacancy in the leadership structure of the underworld sparking a power struggle between the predominant Mafia gangs in Detroit consisting mainly of the Eastside and Westside mobs.^[5] This ended the predominant peace that Catalanotte had maintained during his regime.^[18]

• Jack Tocco
• Gaspar Milazzo
• Gaetano Gianolla
• William Tocco
• Joseph Zerilli