For many decades, major US cities such as New York and Chicago were at the mercy of gangs, groups of violent criminals with links to organized crime, who made fortunes from illegal gambling, prostitution, contract killings, etc. Although the Italian mafia was the largest and most powerful such group, it was not the only one, as Jewish and Irish criminal organizations were also notorious.
The mafiosi belonged to hierarchical structures similar to those of a business, which is where the name «crime syndicates» came from. The Chicago Syndicate was the largest and most powerful such organization, although no city was monopolized by a single gang.
Let's take a look at ten notable figures from the mafia and their stories as recorded by the website. Biography.
1. Al Capone
Between 1925 and 1931, Al Capone was the most powerful mob boss in Chicago. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899, Capone joined the James Street Boys gang, where he met his mentor, Johnny Torrio. He followed Torio to Chicago.
The government managed to send him to prison for tax evasion in 1931. Sentenced to 11 years (he ultimately served eight), Capone suffered a stroke and then died of a heart attack in 1947.
2. Bagsi Siegel
Born in 1906 in Brooklyn, New York, Bugsy Siegel was widely known as a mob enforcer. SA close associate of Meyer Lansky, Siegel was involved in bootlegging and gambling, eventually becoming a co-founder of Murder Inc., the enforcement arm of the Mafia.
In 1936, Siegel moved to California and began working on the East Coast. There, he began to «flirt» with the favor of Hollywood celebrities and gained some fame, thanks to his good looks and charm. Eventually, he began building various casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the help of his friend Virginia Hill. Enraged by Siegel's disloyal activities, Lansky and other East Coast bosses ordered Siegel's murder. He finally died in 1947 at the age of 41, when he was shot at his girlfriend's house in Beverly Hills.
3. Laki Luciano
Born in Sicily in 1897 and raised in New York, Lucky Luciano played a decisive role in the creation of the National Crime Syndicate and is considered the mastermind behind modern organized crime in America, thanks to the establishment of its governing body, the Commission, in 1931. During this decade, Luciano became the most powerful mafia boss as head of the Genovese crime family.
After years of prosecuting Luciano, District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey finally caught him for his prostitution operations in 1936. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but was able to shorten his prison term by assisting the US Navy with security. during World War II. In 1946, he was deported back to Italy. In 1962, he died of a heart attack while at an airport in Naples.
4. John Gotti
John Gotti, nicknamed «The Dapper Don» for his love of fine suits and media coverage. He became the most powerful mafia boss in America during the 1980s. Born in 1940 in Queens, New York, Gotti was known for his... reckless temperament.
Gotti earned millions from criminal activities, prostitution, illegal gambling, and drugs. Although he managed to avoid prison many times, they did not stop pursuing him. Gotti finally ended up behind bars in 1992 for crimes including murder, tax evasion, and racketeering. In 2002, he died of throat cancer in a federal prison in Missouri.
5. Vito Genovese
With an insatiable appetite for money and power, Vito Genovese became known for strengthening the American mafia. Born in 1897 in the province of Naples, Genovese moved to Manhattan as a teenager. He rose to power during Prohibition and had close ties to Luciano, helping him establish the Commission. Trying to avoid a murder charge, Genovese fled to Italy, while continuing to run heroin operations in the US.
During World War II, he supported Benito Mussolini's fascist efforts, but was eventually caught and sent back to the US to face murder charges. After a key witness in the trial was murdered, Genovese was released. In 1958, Genovese went to prison for drug possession and distribution and died of a heart attack in a Missouri prison 11 years later.
6. Frank Costello
Born in Cosenza, Italy, in 1891, Frank Costello grew up in East Harlem and eventually became a leading member of the 104th Street gang. In the 1920s, Costello collaborated with Luciano, and together they were involved in gambling and bootlegging, as well as building businesses in New York and the South. As Luciano's closest business associate, Costello began to gain extensive political influence at the local level and eventually became the syndicate's main boss after Luciano went to prison for running a prostitution ring.
In the 1950s, Costello faced his own problems with the law. In 1957, he was shot in the head on Genovese's orders. He survived by a miracle. and continued his work, even though his strength had greatly diminished. He died of a heart attack at the age of 82.
7. Tony Akardo
Born in Chicago in 1906, Tony Accardo became Capone's right-hand man, who helped him rise through the ranks of the Chicago Syndicate. In 1947, Accardo became head of the Chicago Outfit and continued to live a life of crime for many more decades. Acardo expanded the mafia's profits, not through extortion and drugs, but through gambling and call girl services.
Although Akardo was involved in numerous murders throughout his criminal career, he was never convicted of these crimes. Instead, he was charged with tax evasion in 1960, although the conviction was ultimately overturned. He died of heart and lung disease in 1992.
8. Sam Giancana
A mafia legend known for his love of American politics. Born in Chicago in 1908, Giancana led the Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966, after his boss, Al Capone, announced his retirement. Giancana's ruthless personality made him famous in the underworld, and it is said that he probably committed at least three murders by the age of 20 and had been arrested over 70 times.
He had close ties to Joseph P. Kennedy, who sought his help in securing votes in Illinois for his son John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. Of course, it is said that Giancana became furious when John F. Kennedy gave Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy the green light to crack down on organized crime. To this day, conspiracy theories insist that Kennedy's assassination was an extensive mafia operation. After spending a year in prison in the mid-1950s for refusing to testify against Mafia activities, Giancana left the country and lived in Mexico and parts of South America. In 1974, Giancana was murdered in his home in Oak Park, Illinois, while cooking.
9. Paul Castellano
As godfather of New York's most powerful crime family—the Gambino crime family—Paul Castellano was known for his business acumen. Born in 1915 in Brooklyn, New York, Castellano focused on turning illegal businesses into profitable enterprises using his connections. After becoming head of the Gambino crime family, he primarily ran his businesses from his mansion on Staten Island, living a life of luxury.
This caused discontent among Castigliano's entourage, particularly those who did not approve of his succession. Castellano was suddenly murdered in 1985 by Gotti, who feared that Castellano would kill him because he was secretly selling drugs, something he had forbidden.
10. Frank Lucas
Born in 1930 in North Carolina, Frank Lucas found his way to Harlem, New York. Lucas led a powerful drug empire in Harlem in the 1960s and 70s, selling heroin. By the 1970s, Lucas was making $1 million a day from «Blue Magic» heroin and living an incredible life.
Following a police raid on his home in New Jersey in 1975, Lucas was convicted of drug offenses at both the federal and state levels and sentenced to 70 years in prison. After serving five years, he was released due to his cooperation as a state witness in drug cases. The 2007 film American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington as «Lucas,» was based on his life. In 2019, Lucas died of natural causes at the age of 88.
