The large Italian and Greek-inspired building housed a theater, library, recreational space, meeting rooms, and remains a vibrant part of Tampa to this day. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He has written seven books and more than 50 articles on organized crime for local and national publications. The Italiano faction in Tampa found the situation intolerable. From city to city and state to state, Button Guys of The New York Mafia breaks down the history of organized crime in America. Testimony of Santos Trafficante. Copyright 2019-2023, Button Guys of The New York Mafia. Search for yourself and well build your family tree together, Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). american mafia,,,if your in organized crime , you should be ex-communicated from the Catholic Church. : 2028-05-02: Santo Trafficante of the New York Americans is injured and is . Cianciana, Provincia di Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Santo Sr. was reportedly expanding into other lucrative revenue streams. "[31] Goldfarb added, "Cynics will wonder whether Mob Lawyer is merely the latest entry in the books-by-crooks genre. Upon his death, Santo Sr. gave the power to his son, Santo Trafficante, Jr. He pushed Charlie Wall out of the rackets, and consolidated power in the Tampa Mafia. Liberace, the entertainer, was one such client for whom he attempted to get a Teamsters' loan. Santo Trafficante then became the Capo-Famiglia who would truly put the Tampa Family on the underworld map, so to speak. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. Aside from his rackets and legitimate holdings, during the 1950s Santo Trafficante Jr. lived on and off in Havana, Cuba where he held a controlling interest in several major hotel-casino operations under the Fulgencio Batista regime. 2021 Cigar City Magazine. "[41] Hart quoted G. Robert Blakey as stating that he believed Ragano and that his testimony "would have strengthened the conclusions" of the HSCA. 1930s - Santo Trafficante Sr. was regarded as the leading figure in the Sicilian underworld of Tampa as the Prohibition Era drew to a close. Records: 68. Weve updated the security on the site. [9] In his book, Ragano claimed that Hoffa, who was being hounded by United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy on corruption and jury tampering charges, asked him to convey a message to Trafficante and Marcello that an assassination of President Kennedy should be arranged. was supposedly built by Santo Traficante. 15, 2010. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Gaetano Zummo's death was recorded by the American Foreign Service in Palermo on June 13. In the early 1950s, he opened Columbus Restaurant at 215 E. Lafayette Street in the city. "[17] He lost his suit. Jack Anderson article. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. [39] Bugliosi also points out that by allegedly conveying a message in 1963 to that effect, and by relating this confession from an alleged conspirator, Ragano would himself be admitting to having been a part of a murder conspiracy. 1928 - Ignazio Italiano and Vaglica served as representatives of Tampa's Mafiosi at a Sicilian-American underworld convention held in Cleveland, Ohio. Trafficante was heavily involved in the operation of illegal bolita lotteries. A native and lifelong resident of Tampa, Mr. Trafficante is survived by his loving family: wife Geraldine "Gerry" L.; sons, Dino Jose & Joseph Frank Trafficante; daughters, Gina M. (Frank) Miranda, and Marisa C. (Jay) Brody; grandsons, Luke F. & Ryan F. Miranda; brother, Frank; sister, Violet Pullara; godson, Alfred Santo Alessi; nieces and nephews, Mario Pullara, Christine Newton, Alia and Alexa Trafficante, Joely Valenti, J.C., and Jayme Valenti; and other loving family members. [32] He repeated the claim two days later on ABC's Good Morning America,[33] in Newfield's Frontline report entitled JFK, Hoffa and Mob broadcast in November 1992,[34] and again in his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer. "Sam" along with Armando Rios were arrested during a raid in Orange County, Florida. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. There was Uncle Frank Costello, and Uncle Abe Zwillman, the kings of New York and New Jersey. After the hearings ended both Santos Sr and Jr returned to Tampa to find out that Italiano had just fled to Mexico leaving Jimmy Lumia the biggest mobster in the city. While he had been out of the rackets for a decade, Wall took time to educate the committee on the inner workings of Tampa crime during his reign. Resta aggiornato sulle novit e le anticipazioni sulle ultime novit della tv in streaming e satellitare. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. The most notable boss was Santo Trafficante, Jr. who ruled Tampa and the crime family with an iron fist. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Thanks. All Rights Reserved. Bill Feather's Mafia Membership Charts: Tampa Family membership chart 1960-90s. During this period, Steve Raffa (Oct. 2, 1941, to Nov. 16, 2000) gained control of the family's wing in the Miami area. From Admin Folder H-1. "[43], Chris Ragano, a Tampa attorney and son of Frank Ragano from his second marriage to his mistress Nancy, responded to the allegations by stating that the Ragano family did not move to Tampa until 1979. The family suspected it was Charlie Wall and they had him killed in 1955. Santo Trafficante (Luigi Santo Trafficante) was born on 15 November, 1914 in Tampa, Florida, USA, is an Actor. In those early days, there were violent conflicts between Tampas competing racketeers as they gained a foothold in America. In addition, he has appeared on dozens of local and national news shows, as well as more than 40 radio programs. Ignazio Antinori's son, Joseph, reportedly followed his father into the Tampa Mafia. If everyone who was ever involved in organized crime was excommunicated today, the Vatican would declare bankruptcy tomorrow. The family will receive friends on Friday, July 16, from 12:30 pm until time of Mass at the church. In 1953 Santo Jr. survived a shooting. Some researchers believe it was to solidify American intelligence involvement in trafficking channels through Central and South America. The Columbia Restaurant is the Tampa landmark. From about 1930 until Antinori's death, with both Wall's and Antinori's criminal ranks depleted by the casualties and lives lost by their fighting each other, The war ended in the 1940's when Ignacio Antinori was shot and killed. . Through gambling rackets, Pr. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Over time, Tampa became home to greater numbers of Sicilians from the area of Santo Stefano Quisquina, in the Province of Agrigento, and Mafia leaders originally from Santo Stefano and its neighboring communities became prominent. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Havana (/hvn/; Spanish: La Habana [la aana] (listen)) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. Santos remained the boss of Tampa until he died of natural causes in 1954. The house next to be at 9209 Post Rd. This was a respected decision since the New York bosses and Tampa mobsters liked Santo, Jr. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2pm Friday, July 16, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 5225 N. Himes Ave. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The King of Cuba's casinos was on the verge of mob stardom when a revolution destroys his plans. Blvd., Suite 310, Tampa, FL 33607 or to the Salesian Sisters, 315 W. Columbus Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 in memory of Santo J. Trafficante. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Joseph Children's Hospital Foundation, 2700 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland, Do not sell or share my personal information. Do you remember Dinos Show Place of the Stars on South Dale Mabry in the 70's. Except for the shocking disclosures about his deceased former clients, there is no reason to read this book. Failed to remove flower. [8][28], Kirkus Reviews described Mob Lawyer as a "riveting memoir of life inside the murderous world of Mafia chieftain Santo Trafficante and Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa, by their personal lawyer" and an "insider's impossible-to-put-down account of life within the 'Honorable Society. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Make sure that the file is a photo. (Trafficante's wife was born in Santo Stefano.) Laid to rest in a solid brass casket with glass lining, Trafficantes body was driven through the streets of Ybor City, escorted by police. 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. There was an error deleting this problem. HSCA Press Release on organized Crime. Trafficante. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. Gathered from those who lived during the same time period , were born in the same place, or who have a family name in common. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. [21] As a result, he was suspended from the practice of law in 1976, and claims that Trafficante provided no support and abandoned him. Sam is the cousin of Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante Sr, and the son of old-school Tampa mobster Joseph "Jo-Jo" Cacciatore. Learn more about managing a memorial . Salvatore, called Sam, was born on November 14, 1916, Epifano, or Fano, was born on January 5, 1919, and Enrico known as Henry, was born on November 23, 1924. Santo Trafficante Sr was born on May 28, 1886 at Cianciana Provincia di Agrigento Sicilia, Italy. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Please try again later. Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar spent seven years on Forbes list of worlds richest. Immigrating right along with these hard-working early Sicilian immigrants came a band of shadowy criminal figures from their homeland. Yet, despite decades of intense Federal investigation and scrutiny, the United States Government never laid a single glove on Santo Trafficante. The committee subpoenaed leading underworld figures to testify. From 1940 to 1950, things were fairly quiet. Be the first to post a memory or condolences. Italiano, Vaglica and more than twenty of their Mafia colleagues were arrested on suspicion, photographed and fingerprinted when Cleveland police discovered them at the Statler Hotel on December 5. He was overthrown in a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-directed coup. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. (1914 - 1987) Photos: 28. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. "[37], In his book Reclaiming History: the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vincent Bugliosi has pointed out many flaws in Ragano's claims, including the fact that Trafficante was most likely not in Tampa on the day in question, but was rather in North Miami Beach receiving dialysis treatments. Jacobo Arbenz Guzman came from a Salvadoran family, and was an army officer and later Defense Minister (1945-1950) in the Guatemalan government before being elected President (1950). . In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. The Trafficante connection with New York was strong and lucrative, however. 1886 Santo Trafficante, Sr., Italian-American mobster ( 1954) 1888 Jim Thorpe, American decathlete, football player, and coach . With the advent of Prohibition, Tampa became a major nexus for the smuggling of rum, corn sugar and molasses from Cuba and whiskey from the Caribbean through Port Tampa Bay. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Santos and his son, Santo Jr., were able to seize control of the Antinori's bolita rackets in the Gulf Coast region. Some sources indicate that he served as front man for another big shot. Verify and try again. Zummo spent considerable time in New York - residing in the Bronx for years - before relocating to Florida during the later Prohibition period and opening Maria's Pizza Restaurant, 907 Tampa Street in Tampa. The Florida state attorney considered the Rex to be a bolita place.. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Henry Gonzalez of . We encourage you to research and examine these records to . Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. While the Santo Stefano and Monreale Mafia organizations in the Tampa area may have remained distinct through this period, some believe Gaetano "Thomas" Zummo became part of a shared Tampa underworld leadership group. 15 Nov 1914 - Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, USA, 17 Mar 1987 - Houston, Harris, Texas, USA. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. In 1975, Ragano was asked by Trafficante to convey an urgent message to Hoffa to "be very careful and not take any chances. [2] His son, Santo Trafficante Jr. subsequently took over the crime family. Repeatedly targeted for assassination, Wall began providing information on the Tampa rackets to federal investigators in the mid-1940s. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. [41] According to Hart, Ragano presented an "earthy motive, vastly more plausible than the movie theory. He always wanted to make it big in Cuban casinos and dispatched his son, Santo, Jr., to Havana in 1946 to help operate a mob owned casino. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . Its still there today. Husband of Maria Giuseppa Trafficante Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Joe has to find a way to get the caporegime of the Bonanno crime family, Dominick Napolitano aka Sonny Black, to agree to getting involved with the crime family controlling Florida, the Trafficante family. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Santo Trafficante, Sr. He also figured in the 1975 disappearance and presumed murder of national Teamsters President James R. Hoffa. Oct 21, 2018 - Salvatore "Sam" Cacciatore (1916-1981) was a member of the Trafficante Crime Family. Born in Cianciana, Sicily, Italy. Trafficante was an intimate of top Mafia leaders throughout the country, but he numbered among his closest friends and confidantes such iconic Cosa Nostra leaders as Louisiana boss Carlos Marcello, Texas boss Joseph Civello, New York leader Joseph Profaci, and Chicagos Sam Giancana. Maria Giuseppe Trafficante was married to Santo Trafficante, Sr, and died at age 83 years old on March 21, 1971 at Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida. You can always change this later in your Account settings. On August 12, 1954, Tampa, Florida, Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Sr. died from stomach cancer. Prohibition, local Mafia leaders became politically connected through regional racketeer Charlie Wall (who later became an adversary). with his family. Born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents,[1] Ragano attended Stetson Law School and clerked for the Florida Supreme Court before admission to the Florida Bar in 1952 and beginning his trial practice in Tampa, Florida. These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. All of them was not evil strickly business men. The procession, including a line of vans carrying floral arrangements, wound from the Wilson Sammon funeral home to his final resting place, a freestanding tomb in the southern section of the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. A local paper reported that underworld faces were sprinkled throughout the crowd, paying their respects. Thanks to a recommendation from Santo Trafficante, Ragano was hired by Jimmy Hoffa to represent him on union corruption charges, thus beginning a long association with the infamous labor leader. This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can only be viewed by Ancestry members to whom they have granted permission to see their tree. This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can be viewed by all Ancestry subscribers. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. Scott M. Deitche is the author of 5 books and on organized crime, including Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld, and The Silent Don: The World of Santo Trafficante Jr. His notes were subjected to Secret Service tests to determine when they were actually prepared, but the results were inconclusive. Tampa Mafia connections revealed by Kefauver Committee. For a time, Trafficante and other Mafia leaders worked with American intelligence agencies to plot the overthrow or assassination of Castro. Santo Trafficante Sr. filled this power vacuum. On Oct. 23, 1940, Ignazio Antinori was shot to death, likely as a result of a growing feud with Charlie Wall. [43] That year, Riggs and King held a nationally televised tennis match called "The Battle of the Sexes," in which King beat Riggs in three straight sets after Riggs had taunted female tennis players and had beaten Margaret Court. I was friends with the old school guys whi went to godfathers on hillsbourgh and the bottle club on dale mabrey. Santo Trafficante Sr. was born on May 24, 1886, in Cianciana, Sicily. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Mafia Locations All Rights Reserved. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Santo Sr. was leaving more of the day-to-day operations to his son, Santo Jr. An opposing faction disagreed with the transfer of power and internal battles began in 1950, leaving another trail of bodies in Tampa. In 1953 Santo Jr. survived a shooting. In 2016, Robert J. Cipriano obtained the film rights to Mob Lawyer from Ragano's wife Nancy and son Chris. A vast range of data is available to search ranging from census records, births, deaths and marriages, military records and immigration records to name but a few. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. The ethnicities of associates mentioned above become clearly evident as you scroll through the membership chart below that reflects associates first and last names. John Binder Collection. Loved it there. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. During one such visit, Trafficante told Ragano that in 1957 he and others had set up then Senator John F. Kennedy in a Havana hotel room with several prostitutes, and that Trafficante rued the day he had failed to preserve the moment in secret surveillance tapes that could have been used for bribery purposes. The complaint was ignored and Italiano and Ferrara were never seen again. By the late 1800s to early 1900s, Italian immigrants from Sicily were drawn to the City of Tampa and a tight-knit Little Italy-type community soon developed. One of the earliest established Mafia Families in the United States was the criminal network that formed down in Tampa, Florida. The theory is that the mafia had been angered by the Kennedy family because mob bosses had used their influence to have Kennedy . Perched on the edge of a leather chair in his attorney's office, Santo J. Trafficante III wears a . He has also written dozens of articles for local and national magazines and newspapers, including the regular column Scott Deitche's Libation Lounge for Cigar City Magazine, a column devoted to spirits and unusual cocktails. Search above to list available cemeteries. The leaders also attained importance on a national level due to their access to Cuban rum. With one single test, you can discover your genetic origins and find family you nenver know you had. [26] On May 13, 1998, in Tampa, Frank Ragano died in his sleep. Santo Trafficante in MyHeritage family trees (Bodami Family Site) Santo Trafficante in St. Petersburg Times - Aug 13 1954 Santo Trafficante in St . cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. From 1928 until 1940, known as the Era of Blood, rival gangsters felled each other with sawed-off shotgun blasts. : 2036-08-31: Santo Trafficante hit his 500th career home run. It results in a secret alliance between the mob and the CIA and a failed assassination attempt. Remember the odessey and the bar across the street used to go in when I was 15 and make friends with all the working girls. Mons Venus was the little bar. Copyright 2019-2022. Skip . Frank Ragano (January 25, 1923 - May 13, 1998) was a self-styled "mob lawyer" from Florida, who made his name representing organized crime figures such as Santo Trafficante, Jr. and Carlos Marcello, and also served as lawyer for Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa.In his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer, Ragano recounted his career in defending members of organized crime, and made the controversial . Santo Trafficante Jr. was a well-known mafia figure from Tampa. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Santo Trafficante Sr. was a Sicilian-born mobster, and father of the powerful mobster Santo Trafficante Jr. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Santo Trafficante Sr. . I live at 9205 Poes Rd., Odessa, FL. A place on Snow in Tampa next to The Great American Food and Beverage Company, the waiters wore tuxedos, was very sedate, not much of a crowd.