The Everything Mafia Book
THE
EVERYTHING
®
MAFIA BOOK
2nd Edition
Dear Reader,
Let’s face it: America likes gangsters. It always has. The public fascination Dear Reader, with the criminal element has been part of pop culture for decades. And no matter how much is written or filmed about the mob, people are intrigued. There are literally thousands of Mafia stories to be told, and each passing year brings more and more to the theater, TV screen, and bookstore.
What I tried to do in this book was to highlight some of the more notorious figures and events in the history of the Mafia in the United States. Accuracy is something that can be elusive when dealing with the Mafia. They are, after all, supposed to be a secret organization. Bringing together the latest research in a readable fashion was my goal. I also wanted to look at some of the lesser-known figures. The Mafia was far more than John Gotti and Al Capone, though their importance merits chapters dedicated to each.
So sit back, turn on some Frank Sinatra, and enjoy.
Welcome to the EVERYTHING® Series!
These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.
You can choose to read an
Everything
® book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
We now have more than 400
Everything
® books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When you’re done reading them all, you can finally say you know
Everything
®!
Answers to common questions
Important snippets of information
Urgent warnings
Quick handy tips
PUBLISHER
Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION
Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR
,
EVERYTHING SERIES
Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF
Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR
Lisa Laing
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR
Brett Palana-Shanahan
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Hillary Thompson
Visit the entire Everything® series at
www.everything.com
THE
EVERYTHING
®
MAFIA
BOOK
2nd Edition
True-life accounts of legendary figures,
infamous crime families, and nefarious deeds
Scott M. Deitche
Copyright © 2009, 2003 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything® Series Book.
Everything® and everything.com® are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-59869-779-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-779-7
eISBN:
Printed in the United States of America.
J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
—From a
Declaration of Principles
jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
To my family
Contents
Organization of a Mafia Family
Top Ten Gangsters You Will Get to Know After Reading This Book
Introduction
The Culture of Crime
One Man's Bandit
Mafia What's in a Word
The Old Country
You Need Some Protection
The Omerta Code
The Immigrant Experience
The Gangs of New York
Tong Wars
The Irish
Climbing the Ladder
The Mafia in Sicily
3
The First Family of the American Mafia
Coming to New Orleans
Blood on the Docks
Joseph Macheca-The First American Don
Crusading Cop
National Scandal
Aftermath to the Slaughter
Prohibition
The Jazz Age
Scarface Al
King of Chicagoland
Happy Valentine's Day
Capone's Successors
Federal Case
The Taxman Cometh
America's Most Wanted
The Feds
Hoover and the Mafia
Denier of the Mafia
Local Cops
6
Meanwhile Back in the Big Apple
Old-School Dons
Boss of Bosses
The Castellammarese War
The Last in Line
The New Old-Fashioned Mob
Luciano-The Early Years
Getting All the Boys Together
The Mob Board of Directors
Dewey Defeats Lucky
Uncle Sam Wants Lucky
The Later Years
8
Essentials of the Modern Mafia
The Commission
The Administration
Middle Management
Rising Through the Ranks
Associates-The Vital Link
What It Means to Be Made