Jackie Cerone served as the Chicago Mob Boss for a time in the late 60s and early 70s. He was convicted on racketeering charges in 1970 when a fellow mobster, Lou Bombacino, turned States Evidence and ratted on numerous mob figures. He was released in 1975 and took up the role of second in command to the then Chicago Boss Joe Auippa. Although Auippa was the Boss, it was Cerone who made the big decisions. Cerone was reluctant to take the Boss job and did so only on the insistance of Tony Accardo who was Consiglieri at the time. It is believed that Auippa was the front to Cerone's leadership.

Cerone was at one time Tony Accardo's chauffeur and also served under Sam Giancana as a Capo running the bribery and corruption section of the Mob. But Cerone's main job was muscle and is known to have performed in numerous killings.

Cerone has been recorded on numerous government bugs telling friends about his exploits as a mob hit man. Cerone was an active member in the murder of William "Action" Jackson. Jackie apparently was the member of the hit team that brought along the cattle prod that was freely used on Jacksons testicles. Cerone also came up with a plan to knock off Frankie 'The X' Exposito in Florida. Cerones plan was to take Exposito out for a ride into the Keys and carve him up for shark fodder. He even took a special knife with him on the trip to Florida expressly for that purpose. Luckily for Exposito, the FBI heard the whole conversation about the death plot and were waiting for Cerone and his team in Florida. The hit men sensed somthing was wrong and the hit was never performed. Another bug caught Cerone bragging about the hit on Jim Martin, a policy and numbers racketeer on Chicago's west side. Cerone and another mobster fired shotgun rounds into Martin's Cadillac. Martin did not die but took the hint and fled to Mexico.

The hit on once mob Boss Sam Giancana was sanctioned by Jackie Cerone through Tony Accardo. Giancana did not want to honor the Mob with tribute from his exploits into gambling casinos in Mexico, Iran and numerous cruise liners. He was shot in the head in his basement in 1975.