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Mobster Albert Anastasia – The Mad Hatter

Mobster Albert Anastasia – The Mad Hatter

January 26, 2016 by admin in

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 26th 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.

Vito Cascioferro – The Legendary Mobster

January 20, 2016 by admin in

Vito Cascioferro – The Legendary Mobster

He is regarded to be a prominent boss, belonging to the Sicilian Mafia. He was also called Don Vito. There are many who claim him to be a legend and ‘Boss of Bosses’. It is in 1862, January 22 that he was born to a poor family and was raised in Bisacquino, a rural town. However, Palermo is his actual birthplace. Both his parents were illiterate and his father was working in Bisacquino as armed guard. Vito had started his career as revenue collector but he started to show interest in criminal activities like kidnapping, menacing, etc.

Rise to position as a Mafia

Vito got recruited by Bernardino Verro into the Sicilian League and soon with his smart and daring acts, he went on to become its President. A kidnapping case in 1901 had made him to sail towards America, to escape being caught by the police, where he worked as fruits importer in New York for about two years.

In the USA, he comes across the Morello Mafia family that he joined, but with the threat of being arrested in 1904, he went back to Sicily. Don Vito was described to be very intelligent by Luigi Barzini, a journalist and possessed great qualities. He was loved by everyone and wore the best clothes, was quite helpful and generous in nature.

His activities in Italy

Casciferro was described as a terrible criminal by Joe Pestrosino, who was an american cop, but was killed by the former. Due to lack of evidence, Vito’s case was sent to trial. Although in his lifetime, he got arrested numerous times, but never got convicted. Some writers are of the opinion that it was Vito who had murdered Joe.  According to the then police commissioner, the murder probably was orchestrated by others under the direction of Casciferro.

Mussolini, the Fascist leader in 1926 had ordered the destruction of the Mafia in Sicily and for this, he had given the responsibility to Prefect Cesare Mori. Cascioferro along with 150 members were arrested in the process. Vito got life term in 1930, where he died due to natural cause. But some writers feel that his death may be because of severe dehydration in 1943. But historians do consider that Vito Casciferro was indeed a great Mafia leader in Mafia history, who although had a short stint in the United States, was intelligent and capable enough to steer his band to safety.