There is a problem with your email/password. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. Pallbearers are Augie Castellana, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Anthony B. Marchese, Peter Marchese Jr., Ian Cordell, Don Smith, Frank Pancho Trafficante, John Castellana, and Dr. Santo Paniello. 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. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. He was going to be hit.. Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. There was an error deleting this problem. Donnie Brasco. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. He has played golf with former New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles and former New York Islanders hockey player Clark Gillies. There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. The mobster would later testify: I got news that Cuban officials were looking for to put me in jail because one of the things was that I was a Batista collaborator. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Reputedly the most powerful crime boss in Batista -era Cuba, he . Trafficante weathered the violence of Floridas Mob wars and the various conspiracy theories, the Cuban Revolution and the loss of his offshore casinos, as well as intense law enforcement scrutiny, without ever spending time in prison. Love and peace to you all. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). Learn more about merges. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. At age 16, he boarded the S.S. Lombardia and set sail for American in search of a better life. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. He wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. Authorities said he leaked a list of suspects in the case and then lied about it. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife and children at his father-in-laws house in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. The beachfront properties were the site of many parties and barbecues. RIP Santo. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. It never did exist.". The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the Apalachin agenda. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. ). Every so often I think of the Jekyll Island and White Lake, NC trip and laugh. Fine food, and lots of it. During the rule of Cuba's authoritarian dictator Fulgencio Batista, Trafficante openly operated the Sans Souci Cabaret and the Casino International gambling establishments in Havana. Santo Trafficante Jr., one of the last of the old-time reputed Mafia dons, who was reportedly enlisted in 1960 in a futile effort to kill Fidel Castro, has died at the age of 72. At 76,. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. Indeed, he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreclosures to local banks, which he says treat him "like I had leprosy" because of Key Bank. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Associates: Sam Giancana, Charlie Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Johnny Rosselli, Robert Maheu. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Despite his arrest, Trafficante managed to escape charges and continue to fly under the laws radar. Maheu hid the fact that he was sent by the CIA, instead portraying himself an advocate for international corporations. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Trafficantes father was the lucky survivor of what was called the Era of Blood, when rival gangs based in Tampa fought for control of Prohibition-era nightclubs and, crucially, the local numbers rackets called bolitas. Battling Mob rivals in South Florida essentially weakened each other financially and, through murder, the number of available soldiers. That was in part due to his lifestyle. By 1987, the Mafia boss, who had walked the casino floors of the Sans Souci in Cuba, dined and hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra in the nightclubs and hotels of South Beach, and who commanded a presence in Tampa that is still felt today, was suffering from a diseased kidney and bad heart. He had a big heart and will be missed. However, there were events outside of the United States and even organized crime that inadvertently led Santo Trafficante Jr. to put his own peculiar stamp on American history. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. [2] Trafficante Jr. had known Lucchese since the 1940s, when his father and Lucchese had trained him in the mafia traditions. A few months later, two members of that group took the train to New York City to drum up support for a move against Santo. [14] When this was pointed out, Aleman denied that he meant that he believed Kennedy was going to murdered and said he thought that Trafficante meant that Kennedy was going to be "hit" politically during the next election. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. [5] Oops, something didn't work. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. For all the power he wielded, Trafficante was often described as quiet and reserved. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: ". He was, in many ways, the archetypical old-school Mob boss. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. 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. We are one of them! We cant help ourselves when it comes to watching mob films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and HBOs Boardwalk Empire and the iconic cable TV show, The Sopranos. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? Santo Trafficante 5 10 (1.78 m) Born November 15, 1914 Tampa, Florida, USA Died March 17, 1987 Spouse Josephine Marchese April 17, 1938 - March 17, 1987 (his death, 2 children) Publicity listings 2 Portrayals Did you know Edit Trivia Represented by Frank Ragano. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. . As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. tampa crime boss santo trafficante jr plays a central role in thriller 'mafia spies' Bolita , Mob Hits , Scott M. Deitche , Tampa Mafia SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A 'Sicilian of the Old School,' RULED TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! In the 1950s, Tampas reputation for corruption and vice was so bad it prompted one national magazine to label the area the Hell Hole of the Gulf Coast. Given such negativity, who can blame people for just wanting to forget? He walked outside and got into a 1951 Mercury sedan driven by one of his associates. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. U.S. Treasury Department documents indicate that law enforcement believed Trafficante's legitimate business interests to include several legal casinos in Cuba; a Havana drive-in movie theater; and shares in several restaurants and bars in Trafficante's hometown of Tampa, Florida. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Sorry! And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in Scarface, or the heyday of Miami Vice. [7], In January 1958, Trafficante was questioned by the Cuban police regarding the Apalachin meeting. Many of the familys gangsters were in prison, or too old to be effective. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. In the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. used his ties to organized crime to secure votes for his son, John F. Kennedy. He was known as an organized crimes figure. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. Learn more about managing a memorial . Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. santo trafficante daughters He dressed nicely but not ostentatiously, and his choice of cars was never flashy. He drove a forklift for 20 years. Who better than his son, Trafficante Jr., to inherit his throne? "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. Trafficante scrambled out the passenger-side door. Like many of the most prominent mobsters of the 20th century, his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., grew up in Sicily, Italy but became a major player in the criminal world after migrating to America. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. Although a judge dismissed the charge for lack of evidence, the arrest had a lasting impact on another of Trafficante's ventures: thoroughbred breeding and racing. Services will be followed by a graveside service at the Italian Club Cemetery and a reception at the family home. Santo Trafficante Sr. was a Florida mobster who survived a series of vicious gang wars to become the leader of a powerful Mafia crime family based in Tampa. A A. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. His son, Santo Trafficante Jr., took over the crime family and became tangled in a web of conspiracies to kill the leader of revolutionary Cuba and, it is rumored, President John F. Kennedy. In October 1966, while waiting in a Queens courthouse for his turn to be questioned by a grand jury about the infamous LaStella meeting (later dubbed "Little Apalachin") held a couple of weeks earlier on September 22, Santo Trafficante Jr., who was the boss of the Tampa Bay Crime Family, overheard reporters talking about someone . Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. And while cocaine-fueled Latin American criminal networks have been a serious problem in Florida for decades, the Trafficante familys illicit activities were quite infamous as well. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. I laughed _ until I realized it was a total f------ disaster," Trafficante says. Consequently, while generally recognized as the most powerful organized crime figure in Florida throughout much of the 20th century, Trafficante was not believed to have total control over Miami, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, or Palm Beach. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. With deepest sympathy and love. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. Failed to remove flower. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. Santo Trafficante Jr. continued to develop his interests in Cuba serving as Luciano and Lanskys local liaison. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Santo Trafficante Jr Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. [20], In 2005, Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann's book Ultimate Sacrifice said that Trafficante was behind an aborted plot to kill Kennedy in Tampa on November 18, 1963. Our thoughts and prayers with you. He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. love gloria "owens" hill. According to some, he was even involved in the infamous assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Year should not be greater than current year. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bankruptcy court documents show that Trafficante is owed $500,000 by a business partner. based on information from your browser. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. She is now living in Virginia. Please check your entries and try again. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. The seeds for Trafficantes most interesting historical chapter were planted, as the mobster would go on to have a well-established relationship with the CIA in an ongoing effort to assassinate Castro. Thanks for subscribing! wills o' nats last of the summer wine. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. [15] He repeated the claim two days later on ABC's Good Morning America,[16] in Newfield's Frontline report entitled JFK, Hoffa and Mob broadcast in November 1992,[17] and again in his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer. More troubling for Trafficante was a court document that listed him for the first time as "a member of the Trafficante crime family.". My thoughts and prayers are with you all! Returning to Miami, he joined his father, managing some . Family members linked to this person will appear here. He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. [13] On September 27, 1978, Aleman reiterated to HSCA investigators that Trafficante had complained to him for hours in June or July 1963 about Kennedy's crackdown on organized crime at a meeting to discuss a business loan. Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. While the senior Trafficante had been a major mobster in his own right, nobody could have expected the heights that were going to be reached by his son. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central, Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. Father of Private and Private Share Santo's life story with friends and family. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. Santo was known to have been deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. [18] According to Ragano, he met Hoffa at the Teamsters' headquarters in Washington, DC, then delivered the message to Trafficante and Marcello in a meeting at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Jo Paniello and Sarah Ann Valdes; her grandchildren, Dr. Santo Paniello and wife Susan; Dina Smith and husband Don; Melissa Castellana and husband John; and Valerie Cordell and husband Ian; her great-grandchildren, Michael Sierra, Elizabeth Paniello, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Christina Castellana, Augie Castellana, Alexa Cordell, Anna Cordell Drew Smith, Allison Hunt and husband Joey; as well as endless extended family. It was also rumored that Santos was involved in a Mafia plot to kill President John F. Kennedy, though he denied there was any such conspiracy. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. Try again later. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. [1] Trafficante maintained several residences in New York City and Florida. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. They used to be my greatest friend," Trafficante says. In 1975, the CIA declassified a report stating that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation he denied. "[1][13] He stated that he was positive that he did not say it because he always spoke to Aleman in Spanish, and said that there was no way to state the phrase in Spanish. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. The Trafficante family formed a strong alliance with the Batista government in Cuba and profited from their investments, although they never achieved the goal of dominating gambling on the island. However, LoScalzo was nonetheless able to expand the families criminal reach into new locations across Florida, and took advantage of alliances with other Mafia families to ensure the mob maintained its hold on criminal activities. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. Trafficante would rather be force-fed raw carrot sticks for eternity than be seen talking to a reporter. "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. Santo Trafficante Jr, was born on November 15, 1914 in Tampa, Florida and followed in the footsteps of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr, into a life of organized crime. Visitation will take place on Saturday, May 16th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, with service to follow at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL. On the day that investigators raided Key Bank, a cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital was inserting a catheter in Trafficante's groin. The east coast of Florida was a loosely knit conglomerate of New York family interests with links to Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Angelo Bruno, Carlos Marcello, and Frank Ragano. The mobsters also attempted to get Castro into a poisoned wetsuit and even offered to blow him up with an exploding seashell. In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. "The Mob? The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. [14], After a grant of immunity from prosecution, Trafficante testified before the HSCA the following day, September 28, and denied the allegation that he told Aleman that "Kennedy was going to be hit.