January 2016 - Page 3 of 7

Carmine Tramunti – The Mafia who was sentenced the maximum times

January 27, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters

It was on 1^st October 1910 that Carmine Tramunti was born in New York’s Manhattan district. He was popularly called ‘Mr. Gibbs’. It was in Harlem that he spent within a tenement building, his early years. At the age of 20, he robbed his neighborhood rent collection and got arrested. Because of lack of evidence, he was rereleased.

Leading a criminal life

He was again arrested and convicted of felony in July 1931 and sentenced for 6 to 15 years, being sent to Sing Sing Correctional center at New York’s Ossining. He was released for a brief period and for parole violation, got arrested, but eventually in 1938 got released.

After his release, he again took to criminal activities and got engaged in a lucrative New York crap game known as ‘Harlem Game’. He got married and gave birth to two children, during the time he got close to Brooklyn’s Lucchese Mafia family.

His rise to power

He had a very good relation with Carlo Gambino, the future Gambino Mafia family boss and with his power and friendship rose to power within the Lucchese cri me family. With Thomas Lucchese’s death in 1967, Gambino had the Commission to be pushed to accept Tramunti as his successor, given his general intelligence and business leadership. It was agreed upon by the Commission and Tramunti was made the boss of Lucchese Family. It was assumed that the Commission was simply buying time as Anthony Corallo, the true successor was in prison. Tramunti got indicted with stock fraud on 14 counts for taken over a Florida based investment firm on 19^th November 1970. At trial, he got convicted. Again the next year, he got indicted, this time due to his lying to the grand jury about not having any kind of contact with Paul Vario, the Lucchese capo. On 6^th August, 1972, he got 3 three years sentence.

The same year, when serving in prison for the above reason, along with 42 others, Tramunti got charged on drug charges, with law enforcement officials cracking a heroin route that came through Canada via France. This trial had received national headlines and been dubbed as ‘The French Connection’. For this, on 7^th May 1973, he got sentenced to about 15 years in prison, to which he reacted that he was a mobster doing bad things, but of course not at all a drug dealer.

Anthony Corallo in the meanwhile had been released and went back to the top spot in the Lucchese Crime Family. On 15^th October 1978, Carmine had died when serving sentence because of natural causes.

Paul Castellano – The most disliked mobster of all time

January 26, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters

Paul was regarded to be among the most disliked Mafia bosses till date due to having superiority complex. It was on 26^th June 1915 that Paul Castellano was born as Constantino Paul Castellano in the Brooklyn region of New York. His dislike for his first name made him to put it off when using his name. Apart from being a butcher by profession, his father was also one of the early members of Mangano Mafia Family.

His life

It is after the 8^th grade that Castellano had dropped out of school and helped his father in his business. At the age of 19, in 1934, he committed armed robbery along with two accomplices. Big Paul as he was called was the only one to be apprehended by the police officials. In appearance, he weighed about 275 pounds and 6 foot 3” in height. He was stubborn enough for not cooperating with the police, which had earned him a name in the underworld.

He married Nina Manno, his childhood sweetheart in 1937 and sister in law to Carlo Gambino, another popular mobster of that time. They gave birth to three sons named Joseph, Philip and Paul and a daughter named Connie.

Becoming a Mobster

He was indicted into the Mangano Mafia family in 1940 as Made Member, where Carlo Gambino, his first cousin was a captain. After Anastasia took charge of the Mangano Family and had its title changed, Big Paul was made a captain. But in 1957, Anastasia was killed by Vito Genovese and this made Gambino to take charge of the family changing it to the Gambino Crime Family. Paul Castellano, his cousin was made his right hand man.

A mafia meeting at New York’s Appalachian region on 17^th November 1957 saw Paul to visit it, instead of his boss Gambino. A raid by the police made others to run away, but Paul surrendered without resistance and got sentenced to imprisonment for just a year.

With his success in his family meat business, he had owned numerous businesses by 1950s, which included Ranbar Packing Inc., The Pride Wholesale Poultry and Meat Corp. and Blue Ribbon Meats. He also was more into loansharking business.

When Gambino wanted Castello to succeed him, there was noticed outrage among the street soldiers, since the latter was seen to be a greedy snob, demanding 15% take from the street soldiers, unlike other captains who demanded 10%. However, with some struggle he became the Gambino family head, but was later killed by a Gotti shooter.

Knowing how to identify the Mafia Family members

January 26, 2016 by admin in Mafia Families / Mafia History

Although it can prove to be a difficult task, at times, it becomes possible to have the members of the mafia group to be identified from the crowd. The following points can help anyone to differentiate from the other mobsters, petty thieves and common citizens. However, what one has to understand and keep in mind that any person who have been showing such signs need not necessarily be involved with the Mafia or be one of its members.

Things to look for to identify the Mafia members

One common attribute which can be noticed among the Mafia crime members is the tattoos present on the different parts of the body, more specially those that are located on the visible portion. They are likely to have more than the ordinary tattoos which are availed by the common citizens on their bodies. Again one should not get confused that a person displaying excess is not necessarily a mafia member or a member, since he may find it to be cool to be covered with tattoos in his body. But, it might be considered to be a strong sign of involvement with any gang.

Dressing

It has been noticed that the mafia gang members at times dress in similar fashion for showing their affiliation and loyalty to a specific group, which can help them be distinguished from the other mafia families. They may be seen wearing white undershirt along with unbuttoned flannel shirt at bottom. Besides this, members of a particular family may wear same colored bandannas for distinguishing themselves. Some gangs have been seen to be wearing baseball cap turned towards the back or at times to their side.

They are few of the dressing styles that are commonly seen among the members of the mafia families. But even the general public could be noticed to wear such styling fashions. Hence, one should assume that any person who is dressed in such a style is a criminal and member of the Mafiosi.

Usage of graffiti

In case, graffiti of any type is seen in the neighborhood, then it can probably be a sign of the existence of any type of criminal gang around. This is because, gangs and mafia members have the habit of having their territory marked clearly, so as to ensure that outsiders and other rival gangs are wary about their presence and the area dominated by them.

Johnny ‘Dio’ Diuoguardi – The dreadful mobster

January 26, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters

Johnny ‘Dio’ Dioguardi was popularly called as ‘master labor racketeer’ who is said to have known all the illegal ways to make money. It was at a very young age that Dio started to be regarded as a treacherous thug, with Thomas E. Dewey, the U.S. attorney in 1936 was compelled to call him his a young gorilla.

Characteristics of Dio

It was on 28^th April 1914 that Dio was born in Downtown Manhattan’s Forsyth Street. Vincent and Frank his two brothers were into legitimate work, while Thomas the third brother became a capo with the Luchesse Mafia Family. Giovanni B. Dioguardi, his father was a bicycle shop owner was killed in August 1930 in Coney Island, which according to the police officials was mob related execution.

Dio is known to have graduated grammar school from Stuyvesant High School. However, he had dropped out before the completion of two years, to work for uncle who was a gangster called James Plummeri ‘Jimmy Doyle’. Dio according to those known to him said to appear like Rudolph Valentino, the silent movie star. He grew up as tough youth, terrorizing the street vendors to give him some portion of the wares for free. His talents were realized by his uncle, who had him to work as leg breaker (schlammer) at Doyle’s Garment Center of Louie Buchalter. The specialty of Dio was said to be union related extortion, in which he had topped.

A trucking association for the garment workers was initiated by Doyle and Dio, where the truckers employed with the Garment Center had been compelled to join the union and pay up hefty union dues. Failing to make payments would mean facing the threat of broken bones and resistance would mean even death. Moreover, the truckers were also instructed as to where to buy their meats, clothing, wine, and other essential items, how much was to be spent on every item, etc. Strike ensued if the employers did not pay up extortion fees. However, after running out of luck, they found themselves imprisoned for five years.

Later, on being released, they left New York City to Allentown, Pennsylvania. Soon he got into legitimate dress wholesaling business, trucking and real estate and investments in the stock market. When he turned 40, he got inducted officially into the Luchesse Mafia family. Both his sons also became Mafia members, with one Dominick becoming a Made Man with the Luchesse Family and another son joining the Colombo Crime Family.

Carmine Galante –The Mobster called ‘The Cigar’

January 26, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters

Carmine ‘Lilo’ Galante was considered to be working for the Genovese Crime family and as a vicious and ambitious person. But he had been murdered, which is remembered in the Mafia history and among the most memorable of all mob hits until date. His body was noticed to have been filled with lead and sprawled on the back of his tiny Queens restaurant patio, with his trademark cigar that remained between his teeth, tightly clenched.

About Carmine

It was on 21^st February 1910 that Camillo was born on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and was the first American- Sicilian generation. He had his name Camillo ditched and was known as Carmine instead. With time, he had his name shortened to ‘Lilo’, while he was popular among his associates as Galante. Initially, he took to petty thefts at the young age of 14 and at 15 dropped from school. He had been to reform school few times and as regarded as ‘incorrigible delinquent’.

His activities

Between 1923 and 26, he was employed ostensibly with Lubin Artificial Flower Co., West Broadway and got engaged in lucrative criminal career. He was arrested several times, but got released after having the police officials bribed. But in 1926 December, he got arrested for robbery and second degree assault and sentenced to 5 years. After he got released, he again got back to his usual ways of crime. He got involved in the murder of Officer De Castillia and on 30^th August, 1930 got murdered. On 8^th January 1931, he got remanded to Ossining’s Sing Sing Prison, New York and transferred to Dannemora’s Clinton Correctional Facility, New York, from where he got released on 1^st May, 1939.

When in prison, his IQ test found him to be lame, equating to that of 14 years old. He was also diagnosed of having ‘neuropathic psychopathic personality’, while displaying gonorrhea’s early signs.

He was later inducted into the Bonanno Mafia Family as Made Man during the early 1940s and had performed several hits for his boss Vito Genovese, during the 1930s through 1940s. In 1953, he was sent to the Canadian border to have the drug operation to be supervised for about 3 years. But after getting caught by the police, and not having any evidence for making an arrest, Galante was deported to America, as ‘undesirable alien’.

However, the Rastelli and Bonanno family had Galante murdered.

Formation of The Black Hand – The most feared and hated gang

January 26, 2016 by admin in Mafia Families

This gang is known to have emerged from Corleone, Sicily, but they had carried out mayhem and murders on the streets of the city of New York and created chaos conditions.

Formation of the gang

The Black Hand’s co-leader was Giuseppe (Joe) Morello. Being born in 1867, Joe had his right hand to be deformed severely and had just a pinkie elongated finger, grotesquely bent forward. Hence, he was called popularly as ‘Little Finger’, ‘One Finger Jack’ and ‘The Clutch Hand’. After the death of his natural father, his mother had got remarried to Bernardo Terranova, the Mafiaso. His step sister Salvatrice Terranova had married Ignazio Lupo. The Black Gang Mafia family was formed by Joe Morello, Vincent and Nick Terranova, the brothers to Guiseppe and The Wolf Saietta. This gang at that point of time was said to be the most feared and hated. Morello and Saietta, both were said to share equal powers within the organization.

Their activities

In the initial stage of its formation, Joe Morello along with his other half brothers had joined Corleonesi Mafia Family in Corleone, Sicily and earned from murdering anyone that was instructed by their Corleonesi bosses.

Then Morello had determined that he would like to make it big by dealing in counterfeit bills or ‘funny money’. Although for some time, everything went fine, in 1892 with the arrest of Morello for dealing in phony cash, and facing charges, he found it wise to leave secretly the country to settle down in America. It was in New York City’s Lower East Side that he settled in.

On arrival in America, the Terranovas and Morello had tried their very best to escape the American law enforcement officials and had settled in Little Italy region of Manhattan and undertook legal jobs, like plastering. They joined Ignazio Saietta to carry out series of illegal and legal endeavors, including terrorizing the city’s New York Italian immigrants. In 1899 he started what he was a master of, which is counterfeiting American money and printed five and two dollar bills. To have the bills circulated, he hired few men of Irish and Italian descent.

It was in 1898 or 1899 that Ignazio Saietta, Joe Morello along with Terranova brothers Ciro and Vincenzo had formed the American Black Hand extortion plan and started to terrorize Italian local entrepreneurs sending them ‘La Mano Nera’ or ‘Black Hand’ extortion letters. The letters had the local Italian businessmen threatened of their business being bombed or leading to their death, in case, they were not able to give out some money.

Emergence of the Irish Mob in the United States

January 26, 2016 by admin in Mafia Families

New York’s streets were in mayhem caused by some notorious Irish mob gangs such as the ‘The Westies’. Howe Winter of Boston’s Northend led ‘Winter Hill Gang’ was also equally dreaded. A dangerous mobster named Whitey Bulger had not just infiltrated the RBI ranks, but also is considered to be at large, being on the most wanted list of the FBI. ‘The Westies’ infamous leader, Jimmy Coonan had become a legendary, who as a teenager had stood at the tenement building’s top and fired at Mickey Spillane, the rival gang leader indiscriminately and his men. They were all considered to be the most feared of all criminal Irish men living in America.

The Irish Mob’s origin

The Irish immigrants had entered American city with a hope to make it big. However, upon arrival they lacked the necessary infrastructure and also not welcomed by the city. Hence, they had to fall back to tribal cohesiveness, which their rural communities had governed way back in Ireland. This is how their problem had been addressed to, for taking care of the survival requirements. Although they lacked in status as new comers, it was their strength in numbers, which worked towards their advantage. This way, they could focus power on political level, through the Democratic Party.

Dominance towards developing trade

This political style became a prototype in New York with the Tammany Machine. Bosses Croker and Tweed oversaw the tightly controlled organizations, which offered favors in the form of social services, clothing, food, against votes. Once they got into power, for kick backs, they exchanged jobs. Patronage jobs largely were in construction and law enforcement, contributing to the Irish dominance in developing trades. During this time, the Irish stereotype police officer had become popular. Although eh machine organizations were noticed to be corrupt, they did offer the immigrant communities with necessary services.

Choosing the alternative path

Some immigrants had become cops to take care of their tough conditions, while many selected the alternative path to becoming a mob. The chaos resulting from the fast growing cities of the United States helped the Irish mob in making quick money. They relied upon their old community loyalty and family tradition, combined with rural terrorism. They also organized prostitution, gambling, protection rackets among urban immigrant communities.

Even after not achieving much success, they did survive to enter the 20^th century. This mob operated in several cities, mostly in Chicago and Boston along with the Mafia families. With more Irish families slowly moving into middle class segments, the opportunities and support network that was once availed from the insular immigrant community was lost by the mob and it slowly died out.

Carlo Gambino – The powerful Mobster Boss

January 26, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters / Gambino

Carlo is considered to be a quiet person, who always remained in control and dressed inconspicuously. Having an enigmatic smile and huge hawk nose, he has been regarded to be among the most powerful bosses till date.

His early life

It was on 24^th August 1902, in Palermo, Sicily that Gambino was born. The area of his birth Caccamo was regarded to be dominated by the Mafioso, which made the police as well as the military to refrain from entering it.

His entering the Mafia world

It was his mother belonging to a Mafioso family, had introduce him as a teenager to the ‘Men of Respect’. Gambino was able to have his superiors to be impressed with his intellectual skills, ability to undertake tasks that was essential and his calm nature.

He had been rewarded in 1921 by getting inducted into the crime family that was called ‘Honored Society’. However, he along with other Mafioso in Italy and Sicily had flee to the States to escape the Mussolini’s vendetta. The freighter that he caught in late 1921 was SS Vincenzo Florio, which had docked in Virginia region of Norfolk on 23^rd December 1921. He came here as an illegal immigrant, where he was met by his cousin Castellano and headed towards New York City.

Activities in the United States

He started his life in the States with illegal bootlegging that was run by Tommy Lucchese and soon joined Masseria’ s crew, who was at that point of time America’s most powerful Mafioso. With issues being created with Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, the Castellammarese War erupted in New York between 1929-31 killing scores in the process.

The situation was rectified by Gambio, who understanding his side slowly losing the battle approached secretly Maranzano, offering his services to his gang that was agreed readily. The other partners of Gambina like Anastasia, Costello, Genovese and Luciano also joined Maranzano. Masseria was murdered by the gang on 15^th April 1931. After this, Carlo Gambino was made the Mangano family’s capital, while Maranzano become ‘Boss of Bosses’. But Maranzano also was murdered after which Lucian became boss of bosses and Gambino had become a big money maker among all Mafias in the city of New York.

With the Prohibition being repealed in the year 1933, Carlo Gambino had made sufficient money to enter into legal booze business. Over time, he possessed the biggest system of liquor distribution in America’s East Coast.

Mobster Albert Anastasia – The Mad Hatter

January 26, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters

Albert Anastasia was considered to be a violent killer, who along with ‘Lepke’ Louis Buchalter headed the Murder Inc.

His early life

It was in Calabria, in Italy’s southern part that Albert was born on 26^th September 1902 as Umberto Anastasio. At the age of 15, he along with Tony, his brother had illegally entered the Brooklyn Docks of New York by boarding a ship. He did not even have shoes upon his arrival in America. At Brooklyn, he had lived with some relative and worked as longshoreman with his brother.

His characteristics

However, he was known for his short, but violent temper and had been arrested in 1920 for murdering Joe Torino, a fellow longshoreman. He had been tried, convicted, sentenced to death. During this time, he had his last name to be changed to Anastasia from Anastasio, since he did not want to have his family’s name to get defamed. His brother came to be known as ‘Tough Tony’.

After waiting for his execution to be carried out at Sing Sing Prison, New York, his attorney had managed to get a new trial, where some witnesses changed their opinion about the murder and few simply disappearing from face of Earth. The case got dropped and Anastasia was released. He had learnt the method to have witnesses eliminated in his coming years for avoiding prosecution, with regards to his committed murders.

His activities as a Mafia

On his release, he had joined Joe Masseria’s gang, which at that point of time was America’s top Mafioso. He got close to Frank Costello and Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano mobsters. Luciano in 1930 had planned to eliminate Masseria, his boss Salvatore Maranzao, his successor. The ultimate objective of Luciano was to have all Mafia Crime Families in the United States to be united like the Italian Mafia members, Jewish gangsters such as Meyer Lansky and Irish Gangsters such as Owney Maddon into a single National Crime Commission. It was something that was accomplished in 1931 with the death of Masseria. Five separate families were created from the rest of the made mafia men. Anastasia was made the Underboss as a reward in Vincent Mangano’s family. Anastasia had earned the loyalty of Luciano and hence, along with Louie ‘Lepke’ Buchalter was made in charge of ‘Murder Incorporated’ as it has been named by the press. Being known as ‘Boys from Brooklyn’, this group comprising over a 100 gang members had murdered several people.

About The Vario Crew

January 26, 2016 by admin in Mafia Families

Among the different Mafia families that existed in the United States, one of the most popular was the Vario Crew. This mafia gang is said to have operated in the city of New York and was established by the Lucchese Crime Family. It was Paul Vario, the Capo regime under whose supervision, the Vario Crew is known to have worked. This gang started its operations in 1950s and lasted for about thirty years until 1980s.

Their territory

The Vario Crew is known to have their territory spread to the different neighborhoods of the regions of Queens, Long Island, Staten Island and Brooklyn. The Mafia members of this gang generally were considered to be associates and made men of the American – Italian and Italian ethnicity. But the actual gang members were not known.

Some of its varied allies were the Colombo Crime Family, Bonanno Crime Family, Gambino Crime Family and the Genovese Crime families.

Involvement and activities undertaken by the gang members

This gang was more or less involved actively in different types of criminal activities which included burglary, bookmaking, cigarette smuggling, cargo theft, drug trafficking, conspiracy, fencing, extortion, hijacking, hotel robbery, gambling, jewelry heist, loan sharking, labor racketeering, prostitution and murder.

Leadership

For a period of 10 years, ranging from 1969 to that of 1979, Paul Vario had served the group as its Underboss. However, he got arrested and for about 12 years, received imprisonment sentences and on May 3^rd, 1988 he died in prison. After his arrest in 1980, his younger brother Vito ‘Tuddy’ Vario is known to have taken over the gang leadership and was its acting boss until 1988, the death of Paul Vario. Alphonse D’ Arco ‘Little Al’ from 1988 to 1991 had served as the Street Boss, before getting promoted to become the Acting Boss of the gang. But in July 1991, he got arrested by the law enforcement officials and turned into a government witness, to escape death. The current boss from 1991 until today is Domenico Cutaia also called ‘Danny’.

The Crew is known to have their different types of activities to be carried out from various places, which includes Euclid Taxi Cab Co., Bargain Auto Junkyard, Robert’s Lounge of Jimmy Burke, Kew Motor Inn and The Suit a night club of Henry Hill.

About Mobster Louis ‘Lepke’ Buchalter

January 26, 2016 by admin in Famous Gangsters

According to historians, Louis was considered to be very bad right from the time of his birth. He had killed with great relish, was strong armed and swindled people in huge numbers. However, for his crimes, he was considered to be the only Mafia boss, who went to die at the electric chair of Sing Sing prison.

His early life

It was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that Buchalter was born on 12^th February 1897. His father was the owner of a hardware store and was a Russian Jew. As a child, Buchalter had an uneventful life. He was called affectionately by his mother as ‘Lepkeleh’, which means ‘Little Louis’ in Yiddish. But his friends shorted it to Lepke, something that struck for the rest of the life.

Life as a Mafia

But at 13, his life took a drastic turn, with his father dying unexpectedly and mother facing serious health conditions, compelling her to leave for Arizona. Lepke was under the guidance of his elder sister, who found him to be unmanageable. He left school and could be found hanging on Lower East Side streets seeking trouble. He started to mix with the older gangsters and learnt to steal and rob. He was apprehended when robbing a store in 1915, but still continued this life. During one of his criminal endeavors, he met Jacob ‘Gurrah’ Shapiro and became fast friends for life. Teaming up, they became a real menace. He was sentenced to Sing Sing Prison, where he became a master in crime and now was a hardened thug. Along with Shapiro, went to New York City and asking protection money from bakeries. There they joined ‘The Gorilla Boys’ to make it big. With Lepke’s murdering of Orgen, his gang got into big time and was regarded instant stars of the underworld.

This is where Shapiro and Lepke enjoyed, since they were had about 250 thugs working under them and getting protection money from garment centers, poultry business, restaurants, dieing and cleaning business, earning over $10 million estimated amount a year. To be on the right side of the law, they had changed the original name of the Mafia family from ‘Gorilla Boys’ to ‘Gold Dust Twins’.

Later, he along with Schultz, Luciano, Costello, Siegel, Lansky, Lucchese and Anastasia had formed the national crime syndicate, thereby controlling all illegal activities within the northeast and mid west. It was Thomas E. Dewey, a Special Prosecutor who had created trouble for Lepke. It was on 4^th March, 1944 that Lepke being stiffed by best friends got executed by the law enforcement officials.

Trivia #6

January 26, 2016 by admin in Trivia

Login in the game first before submitting your answers! If you were not logged in before, login in the game then refresh the page before submitting your answers. The player with the highest score wins. In the case of a tie, the pot is split. Cheating will prevent your from playing in the future. Sharing your answers with others will decrease your chances of winning the prize.

[viralQuiz id=7]

Month: January 2016