On July 26, 1999, at 5:01 p.m., 57-year-old Al Polito walked into Gold Coast Check Cashing, a squat, pink, concrete-block building on the corner of Margate Boulevard and U.S. 441, with an FBI microphone strapped to his body. Description. By just glancing at those numbers it makes a lot of modern day family rackets look like a joke. After the death of Santo Jr . Trafficante had already set up Bolita games throughout the city and was a very powerful man. July 26, 1931 - Angelo Lazzara was an early member of the Trafficante crime family. He wasnt a captain or a high-ranking member, but he certainly had some pull, Tampa mob expert and author Scott Deitche told the Palm Beach Post. Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. All rights reserved. "[citation needed], In 1978, Trafficante was called to testify before the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigating possible links between Lee Harvey Oswald and anti-Castro Cubans, including the theory that Castro had President John F. Kennedy killed in retaliation for the CIA's attempts to assassinate Castro.[7]. The Trafficante crime family, also known as the Tampa Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Tampa, Florida, United States. The Havana Conference is considered to have been the most important mob summit since the Atlantic City Conference of 1929. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. You fail Drug Slang 101 dude. . Lucchese crime family 1970s. Interesting. Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano came into this world on June 16, 1930, and was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where he got his start as a petty thief. New York: Barricade Books. In 1992, LoScalzo was arrested at the Tampa International Airport for carrying a loaded .38-caliber pistol in his brief case. 2008, Deitche, Scott. Santo, Jr. was known to have been deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. "The Everything Mafia Book, Second Edition". Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. Through deep-dive biographies and snapshots of mobsters to in-depth stories about mafia regimes and crews, youll uncover an underworld you might never have known existed maybe even in your own hometown! The Trafficante Family expanded their reach into North Florida cities like Orlando and Jacksonville during the late 1980s. Alpha. Tampa crime started with Charlie Wall who in the 1920s controlled a number of gambling rackets and corrupt government officials. Both Wall's and Antinori's organizations were weakened leaving Santo Trafficante as one of the last and most powerful bosses in Tampa. [3] Both Wall's and Antinori's organizations were weakened, leaving Santo Trafficante as one of the last and most powerful bosses in Tampa.[2]. You need to be a member of Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org to add comments! "The Everything Mafia Book, Second Edition". [6] Trafficante Jr. would frequently meet with Lucchese in New York City for dinner. what they into into these days the tampa italians that is. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. New York: Barricade Books. Santo Trafficante, Sr. (born May 28, 1886 in Cianciana, Sicily; died August 11, 1954, in Tampa, Florida) was a Sicilian-born mobster, and father of the powerful mobster Santo Trafficante, Jr. Santo Trafficante, Sr. first gained power as a mobster in Tampa as an associate, and later as a high-ranking member, of the Antinori crime family, helping Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Tampa, Florida, United States. Copyright 2019-2022. Loscalzo maintained ties to Mafia families in California, New Jersey, and New York as well as being connected to the Sicilian Mafia. In Trafficante Sr.'s adult life he portrayed himself as a successful Tampa cigar factory owner. Loscalzo maintained ties to Mafia families in California, New Jersey, and New York as well as being connected to the Sicilian Mafia. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Jeff is welcomed today by Ioan Grillo, one of the best journalists in the game today on narcos and drug cartels. Thomas Gaetano Lucchese, sometimes known by the nicknames "Tommy", "Thomas Luckese", "Tommy Brown" or "Tommy Three-Finger Brown" was an Italian-American gangster and founding member of the Mafia in the United States, an offshoot of the Cosa Nostra in Sicily. 19541987 Vincent LoScalzo promoted to boss. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. But before Trafficante testified, someone conveniently killed Roselli. He figured prominently in such important FBI investigations as the 1957 Apalachin Mafia Meeting after he was captured with other Mafia leaders in Upstate New York, underworld infiltration of Cuban gambling casinos, the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963, and his attendance at the 1966 Little Apalachin Meeting of Cosa Nostra bigwigs in Queens, New York. But, there is one family who had a similar amount of success without all the bad press. Mamone pleaded not guilty last week and was released on bond, the Palm Beach Post reports. [9], As of November 25, 2007, Vincent LoScalzo was in his 70's and considered a semi-retired mobster and just a "regular Joe" according to Scott Deitche, author of Cigar City Mafia. Santo Trafficante Jr. continued to develop his interests in Cuba serving as Luciano and Lanskys local liaison. "The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jr". 7 related topics. They raided my apartment, they were looking for money, they tore up all the furniture, they used to come and get me at nighttime, take me out in the woods, trying to tell where I had my money, this and that, until I finally went into hiding.. After the hearings ended the Trafficantes returned to Tampa to find out that Italiano had just fled to Mexico, leaving Jimmy Lumia the biggest mobster in the city. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. SD provides an endless parade of mafiadom, crime personalities and corrupt officials. The weapon was detected by an X-ray scanner. "Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld". God Bless you bro Scott is a very talented guy. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. November 25, 2007, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, "Deitche, Scott. The chairman cited a confession from Roselli that Trafficantes allies organized a sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, to take out the President. ST. Petersburg Times. Mamone disappeared into the witness protection program almost two decades ago, after becoming a witness against his colleagues in the Mafia, a wide variety of them, including members of the Trafficante, Gambino, Colombo, and Bonanno families. Die Bufalino-Familie wurde unter anderem mit Gewerkschaftskorruption, Flschungen . [3] Both Wall's and Antinori's organizations were weakened, leaving Santo Trafficante as one of the last and most powerful bosses in Tampa. 2008, Deitche, Scott. "Kingpin of no Kingdom: A Brandom man Denies any mafia ties". In 1950, the aging Trafficante Sr. began to slow down. Trafficante family used to own Florida, now there are others that have inherited the businesses. The Trafficante crime family also known as the Tampa Mafia, is the only original Mafia crime family in the state of Florida. Currently I am pursuing PHD, My Interests are Gardening, Learning new things Ignacio Antinori and named after Santo Trafficante, Sr. Hillsborough, Tampa Bay Area and the state of Florida. A former soldier in Floridas Trafficante Mafia family was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program. [1] Four months after a former soldier for the Trafficante crime family was indicted in connection with a $3.8 million health care fraud scheme, another 10 South Florida residents have been charged . [6], Santo Jr. was deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. [4] Santo was being watched closely by police and made Salvatore "Red" Italiano the acting boss. But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. "[ citation needed ], In 1978, Trafficante was called to testify before the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigating possible links between Lee Harvey Oswald and anti-Castro Cubans, including the theory that Castro had President John F. Kennedy killed in retaliation for the CIA's attempts to assassinate Castro. Trafficante Sr. had always wanted to make it big in Cuban casinos and dispatched his son, Santo, Jr., to Havana in 1946 to help operate a mob-owned casino. C'est une des plus puissantes familles de la Cosa nostra amricaine aprs les Cinq familles de New York et l . 1954 - Santo Trafficante, Jr., (Nov. 15, 1914, to March 17, 1987), became Tampa Mafia boss upon the death of his father. "The Silent Don" is the story of Santo Trafficante, longtime Mafia boss of South Florida. The Trafficante crime family, also known as the Tampa Mafia, is the only original Mafia crime family in the state of Florida History Tampa's underworld Tampa crime started with Charlie Wall who, in the 1920s, controlled a number of gambling rackets and corrupt government officials. Trafficante was an intimate of top Mafia leaders throughout the country, but he numbered among his closest friends and confidantes such iconic Cosa Nostra leaders as Louisiana boss Carlos Marcello, Texas boss Joseph Civello, New York leader Joseph Profaci, and Chicago's Sam Giancana . Author Scott Deitche reported that Santo Jr. was involved with the CIA to plot assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. Charlie Wall's only competition was Tampa's earliest Italian Mafia boss Ignacio Antinori. The Trafficante clan was based out of the Tampa-St. Petersburg area for years, but has since gone dormant. Steve Bruno Raffa (died 2000) was a capo in the Trafficante crime family who ran the family's South Florida rackets. [1] After the death of Santo Jr. in 1987, the Tampa Mafia family has been controlled by Vincent LoScalzo. [7]. On a quiet night in March, a mob leader was executed in New York City for the first time since 1985. Antinori a Sicilian-born immigrant became a well-known drug kingpin and the Italian crime boss of Tampa in the late 1920s. These were the first seeds laid down by the Sicilian Mafia as they took control of the city. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Although the Trafficante Family was based in Tampa and St. Petersburg, they also operated down in South Florida around Miami Beach in Dade County and the island nation of Cuba. LoScalzo pleaded no contest on October 7, 1997, and received three months of probation. Yet, despite decades of intense Federal investigation and scrutiny, the United States Government never laid a single glove on Santo Trafficante. Even though there's always a few people who try to ruin it. Recently statements have spread across Florida that John A. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. With the Kefauver hearings and Charlie Wall testifying in 1950, both Trafficantes fled to Cuba. Claiming association with the CIA, Roselli knew of Trafficantes vendetta and told his new pal that the U.S. government also wanted to take down Castros Communist regime. Fifteen years following the assassination, Trafficante testified in front of the United States House Select Committee on the murder of JFK in exchange for immunity. After a series of gangland murders, the smoke started to clear and a formal Family hierarchy was established. Santo Trafficante Sr. had now taken over organized crime activities in a majority of the city and started to teach his son Santo Trafficante Jr. how to run these operations. Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. New Orleans crime family acting boss Anthony Carollo with 16 members of . The Trafficante crime family also known as the Tampa Mafia, is the only original Mafia crime family in the state of Florida. Next Tommy LaSorda & The Mob: Legendary Dodgers Baseball "Don" Kept Company With The Mafia Author Deitche has certainly done his homework. Robert F. Kennedy even taunted those mobsters he brought into court, telling Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana that I thought only little girls giggled, Mr. Giancana.. The conviction of Diecidue, who. In those early days, there were violent conflicts between Tampas competing racketeers as they gained a foothold in America. He stood back in the shadows, while men like Ignazio Antinori and Charlie Wall were well-known crime figures about town. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. Santo had Lumia killed after finding out he was bad mouthing him while he was in Cuba and he took over again. [3] In 1943, Antinori's two sons Paul and Joseph were convicted in Kansas City for drug dealing and sentenced to four years in prison finally ending the decade long war. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. The New York mafia dominates the headlines i mafia history. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. Charles McKay Wall was an American businessman, mobster, and political figure who was a rival of reputed mobsters Santo Trafficante Sr. and Santo Trafficante Jr. His parents were John Perry Wall and Matilda McKay, a former Tampa Mayor and daughter of a former Tampa Mayor. Other Mafia leaders, as well as newer organized crime networks, took over many of the rackets the family ran throughout the 20th Century. Trafficante was jailed and deported when Fidel Castro rose to power, leading him to spend a good portion of his adult life hatching a plan of revenge. He has interests in gambling, prostitution, narcotics, union racketeering, hijacking and fencing stolen goods. [1] Author Scott Deitche reported that Santo Jr. was involved with the CIA to plot assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. The Trafficante family was involved in gambling, prostitution, and numbers . And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. [2]. He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in. Trafficante crime family. [6], Santo Jr. was deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. Santo Trafficante Jr. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. Antinori took notice of Santo Trafficante and invited him into his organization and together they expanded the Bolita games across the state. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. From city to city and state to state, Button Guys of The New York Mafia breaks down the history of organized crime in America. But the vast majority of these affiliates were as stated. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. New York: Barricade Books. Each family had an operation going in Florida. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. Italian, Italian-American as made men, and other ethnicities as "associates". Finally, after the infamous failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the CIA gave up on their attempts to kill the Cuban dictator and thus Trafficantes attempts at revenge never materialized. Deitche, Scott. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? 0:00 2:11 Four months after a former soldier for the Trafficante crime family was indicted in connection with a $3.8 million health care fraud scheme, another 10 South Florida residents have. Pages in category "Trafficante crime family" The following 5 pages are in this category, out of 5 total. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. He always wanted to make it big in Cuban casinos and dispatched his son, Santo, Jr., to Havana in 1946 to help operate a mob owned casino. That was in part due to his lifestyle. LoScalzo's new family was smaller because many of the older mobsters were dead or retired. But those werent even their most ridiculous ideas. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. Milwaukee crime family (Baltistrieri family) Southern United States Alabama. The Gambino crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. Like a good reporter, the author buttresses his text with piles of references and footnotes, almost to the point of overkill. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. Smokes 420, sounds like you need prayer. The Havana Conference of 1946 was a historic meeting of United States Mafia and Cosa Nostra leaders in Havana, Cuba. There was also a smaller Italian gang in the area which was controlled by Santo Trafficante Sr., who had lived in Tampa since the age of 18. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. The body of Francesco Cali, a reputed boss of the Gambino crime family, lay crumpled outside. Under pressure of a court order granting him immunity from prosecution, but threatening him with contempt if he refused to talk, Trafficante admitted to a Congressional committee in 1975 that he had in the early 1960s recruited other mobsters to assassinate Castro. "Throwback: Tampa mob trail". 2007, Weimar, Carrie. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. In 1987, Vincent LoScalzo became boss of the Trafficante family and Florida was declared an open territory, meaning that the Five Families of New York City could operate in any city in Florida. The war between the two continued on for years, until October 23, 1940, when Ignacio Antinori was shot and killed by a shotgun blast to the head at the Palm Garden Inn in Tampa. As Jimmy Hoffas former lawyer Frank Ragano would later recall, Jimmy told me to tell [New Orleans boss Carlos] Marcello and Trafficante they had to kill the president. During the early 1920s, Charlie Wall created an organized crime syndicate in Tampa, where he controlled a large number of illegal gambling rackets and corrupted many Tampa government officials through bribery. Copyright 2019-2023, Button Guys of The New York Mafia. When his son, Santo Jr., took over the family operations, he was also a regular fixture at the Columbia. Immigrating right along with these hard-working early Sicilian immigrants came a band of shadowy criminal figures from their homeland. [1] Contents [ hide ] 1 History 1.1 Tampa's underworld 1.2 Antinori gang 1.3 Trafficante Sr. era 1.4 Trafficante Jr. era 1.5 LoScalzo era 1.5.1 South Florida operations 1.6 Current Status 1.6.1 Gambinos in Tampa Prosecutors allege 70-year-old John Mamone stole around $3.8 million by submitting phony bills to Medicare for knee, shoulder and wrist braces. [5], Despite numerous unrealized ambitions, he was regarded as one of the most powerful mob bosses of the American Mafia and ruled his family with an iron fist. The ethnicities of associates mentioned above become clearly evident as you scroll through the membership chart below that reflects associates first and last names. [8], On October 26, 2000, federal authorities arrested Steven Raffa, along with eighteen members of Trafficante family's Miami faction. He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in New York City.