He was shot to death in a Tampa tavern on November 4, 1953. All rights reserved. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. [24], In 1990, Ragano was again convicted of tax evasion. Santo Trafficante Sr. (May 28, 1886 - August 11, 1954) was a Sicilian -born mobster, and father of the powerful mobster Santo Trafficante Jr. Santo Trafficante Sr. gained power as a mobster in Tampa, Florida and ruled the Mafia in Tampa from the 1930s until his death in 1954. Ignazio Antinori remained influential. 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. 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.s tomb at the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. During the 1940s, Trafficante Sr. maintained a strong alliance with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. "Sam" along with Armando Rios were arrested during a raid in Orange County, Florida. 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. On April 18, 1955, eight months after Santo Sr. death, Walls wife came home to Ybor City from visiting her sister to find the 75-year-old Charlie murdered in the back room of their house, throat cut and head bashed in from a blackjack. He pushed Charlie Wall out of the rackets, and consolidated power in the Tampa Mafia. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Santo Trafficante, Sr. The feud between Wall and Antinori came to a violent head between factions of the Antinori gang and dissatisfied members of the Chicago and St. Louis crime family to whom Antinori was supplying narcotics, and Wall's crew. Santo Trafficante Sr.'s tomb at the L'Unione Italiana Cemetery. Mafia Books 1950 - James Lumia (Sept. 10, 1903, to June 5, 1950) was a highly regarded member of the old Italiano faction, working closely with Salvatore "Red" Italiano. If it is still there I would love to know. [10] When Kennedy was shot and killed later that year, Ragano wrote that Hoffa always assumed that Trafficante and Marcello had actually carried out such a plan. All rights reserved. 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. On August 12, 1954, Tampa, Florida, Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Sr. died from stomach cancer. Date: Transaction: 2039-11-01: Santo Trafficante has retired from the New York Americans: 2039-06-03: Santo Trafficante collected his 3000th career hit. Research genealogy for Santo Trafficante of Cianciana,Provincia di Agrigento,Sicilia,Italy, as well as other members of the Trafficante family, on Ancestry. Early 1960s Tampa Mafia hierarchy (click to enlarge). That is clearly not true as the Frank Ragano's original family had been in the Tampa Bay area since the early 1950s and Frank was born in Tampa. Sam is the cousin of Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante Sr, and the son of old-school Tampa mobster Joseph "Jo-Jo" Cacciatore. The first boss of the Tampa Mafia, Ignazio Italiano, died in 1930. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. This Family first came to the attention of federal law enforcement in the early 1950s, while under the leadership of Capo Santo Trafficante Sr. A Sicilian immigrant, Trafficante assumed the mantle of power from the previous Representante, Ignazio Antinori, who was the leader from approximately 1920, until his gangland-style execution in October, of 1940. . 1903 - Ignazio Italiano (1860 to Aug. 11, 1930) and Santo Trafficante, Sr., (May 28, 1886, to 1954), seen at right, had joined Ignazio Antinori in the Tampa area by this time. Trafficante was born in Cianciana, a short distance inland from Santo Stefano in the Province of Agrigento. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The two Zummos and their relative, Palermo resident Gaetano Prestigiacomo, reportedly died in a nighttime single-car crash on June 6, 1956. In addition, he has appeared on dozens of local and national news shows, as well as more than 40 radio programs. [43], Selwyn Raab, who co-authored Mob Lawyer with Ragano, when told of these allegations, stated that no mention was ever made by Ragano about this in any of his notes or in the FBI files. From the town's contributions to World War II to the secrets lurking beneath Collin Creek Mall, unlock the astonishingly large storehouse of Plano's hidden history. '"[29] In a review for ABA Journal, Martin Kimel called it an "intelligent memoir" and wrote: "Despite the seaminess of its cast of characters, Mob Lawyer is engrossing reading and an object lesson in lifestyles of the rich and infamous. The Florida state attorney considered the Rex to be a bolita place.. Bill Feather's Mafia Membership Charts: Tampa Family membership chart 1960-90s. His father, Santo Trafficante Senior, was a leading figure in the Mafia. At the age of 14, Santos settled permanently with his family in the United States after having already spent much time between Florida and his homeland of Sicily; young Santo soon became fluent in both English and Spanish and quickly assimilated into the Gulf Coast culture. [11] Trafficante did "celebrate" with Ragano upon hearing word of Kennedy's assassination, but made no admission to Ragano at that time that he was in any way involved. 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. HSCA Press Release on organized Crime. In the early 1950s, he opened Columbus Restaurant at 215 E. Lafayette Street in the city. Try again later. Search above to list available cemeteries. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can be viewed by all Ancestry subscribers.These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. A local paper reported that underworld faces were sprinkled throughout the crowd, paying their respects. 2021 Cigar City Magazine. This could indicate that the Tampa Sicilian underworld organizations with origins in Santo Stefano and Monreale had merged or that the two men were bosses of still-distinct organizations. Cianciana, Provincia di Agrigento, Sicilia, 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. One of the earliest established Mafia Families in the United States was the criminal network that formed down in Tampa, Florida. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Two years later, Santo, Sr. followed like thousands of other Italian immigrants, settling near downtown Tampa in . Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland, Do not sell or share my personal information. Copyright 2019-2023, Button Guys of The New York Mafia. We shouldn't have killed John. 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. Connect to 33 Trafficante profiles on Geni, 1940 - 3010 N Blud, Tampa, Precinct 24, Hillsborough, Florida, USA, May 28 1886 - Cianciana Provincia di Agrigento Sicilia, Italy, Giovanni Trafficanti, Carmela Trafficanti (born Dimicelli), Maria Giuseppa Trafficanti (born Cacciatori), Apr 1 1950 - 3010 W Alfred, Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States, May 28 1886 - Cianciana, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, Giovanni Trafficante, Carmela Trafficante (born Di Miceli), Giuseppe Trafficante, Maria Lopresti (born Trafficante), May 28 1886 - Cianciana, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy, Aug 11 1954 - Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida Territory, United States, Maria Giueseppa Trafficante (born Cacciatore), 1910 - Tampa Ward 6, Hillsborough, Florida, USA, Sicilian-born American Mafia Boss And Racketeer, Giuseppe Trafficante, Maria Lopresti (born Trafficante), Trafficante, Trafficante. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. John Binder Collection. From Admin Folder L-4. If everyone who was ever involved in organized crime was excommunicated today, the Vatican would declare bankruptcy tomorrow. Testimony of Santos Trafficante. Trafficante and Antinori resided close to each other in Tampa and may have been boss and underboss at this time. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. TRAFFICANTE, Santo Jose 72, of Tampa, passed away July 13, 2010, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. A Sicilian immigrant, Trafficante assumed the mantle of power from the previous Representante, Ignazio Antinori, who was the leader from approximately 1920, until his gangland-style execution in October, of 1940. As Santo built a family and a social life, events in Tampa and elsewhere created an environment for upheaval and opportunity in the citys underworld. 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. 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. These were the first seeds laid down by the Sicilian Mafia as they took control of the city. Family. 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). Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore Trafficante was born on February 15, 1888, and had a brother Joseph M Cacciatore. Upon his death, Santo Sr. gave the power to his son, Santo Trafficante, Jr. A ninety-year period of continuous underworld activity. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? CIA Files: 104-10133-10013. Through gambling rackets, Pr. 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. Santo Sr. was a longtime member of the Elks Lodge No. In the 1940s he joined up with Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello, and Meyer Lansky to set up gambling operations in Cuba. Santo was being watched closely by police and made Salvatore "Red" Italiano the acting boss. From city to city and state to state, Button Guys of The New York Mafia breaks down the history of organized crime in America. Italiano had been acquainted with Profaci's father in Sicily and did business with Profaci's olive oil importing company in the United States. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. 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. Anti Slip Coating UAE 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. Santo Trafficante Sr was born on May 28, 1886 at Cianciana Provincia di Agrigento Sicilia, Italy. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. Santo Trafficante Sr. filled this power vacuum. Mob Lawyer Frank Ragano Says He Knows Who Killed JFK", "Account of famed Riggs vs. King match heightens Tampa mob intrigue", https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19740303&id=OIgsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1voDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6019,451395, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Ragano&oldid=1140317521, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 14:50. 180-10141-10497. "[30] Ronald Goldfarb reviewed the book for The Washington Post stating: "Ragano's biography of his career is full of naive rationalizations about the virtues of these men he cavorted with and represented, and self-serving criticism of the government's Gestapo-like tactics, selective prosecution, use of spies as witnesses and intimidation of suspects' families. . TRAFFICANTE, Santo Jose, 72, of Tampa, passed away July 13, 2010,surround-ed by his loving family. Scott M. Deitche is an author specializing in organized crime. Netflix, le novit in catalogo giorno per giorno. When the dust settled in October 1940, Ignazio Antinori was dead, and Charlie Wall weakened. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to . Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Col. White did not reveal any evidence supporting his assertion. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. Santo was born on May 28 1886, in Cianciani, Italy. Santo Trafficante Sr., along with Santo Jr., skipped town to avoid the summonses. 1940s - Salvatore "Red" Italiano and James Lumia became prominent in the Tampa Mafia as Santo Trafficante Sr. sought to operate from the background. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. 708, and a founding member of the Robin Hood Social Club, formed for social activities and the presentation of plays. He also sat on the Board of Directors of the LUnion Italiana, known as The Italian Club, in Ybor City. Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies, and Secret Operations 17 From 1928 until 1940, known as the Era of Blood, rival gangsters felled each other with sawed-off shotgun blasts. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. In his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer, Ragano recounted his career in defending members of organized crime, and made the controversial allegation that Florida mob boss Santo Trafficante, Jr. confessed to him shortly before he died in 1987 that he and Carlos Marcello had arranged for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Although the Trafficante Family was based in Tampa and St. Petersburg, they also operated down in South Florida around Miami Beach in Dade County and the island nation of Cuba. [37] He refused to name them adding: "One guy is afraid of retaliation. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. [25] In 1993 he served 10 months in prison. [1] Author Scott Deitche reported that Santo Jr. was involved with the CIA to plot assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. There was a problem getting your location. Prohibition, local Mafia leaders became politically connected through regional racketeer Charlie Wall (who later became an adversary). Trafficante was heavily involved in the . 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. 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. Geni requires JavaScript! Trafficante was heavily involved in the operation of illegal bolita lotteries. In this episode, we'll spotlight the man responsible for the Tampa Mafia's name being better known as the "Trafficante Family". We encourage you to research and examine these records to .