There are no volunteers for this cemetery. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. Trafficante had now not only lost an ally but a significant portion of his income as his casinos were closed by the Marxist revolutionary. Trafficante was jailed and deported when Fidel Castro rose to power, leading him to spend a good portion of his adult life hatching a plan of revenge. Father of Private and Private When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. 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. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. English After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. 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. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. Fine food, and lots of it. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. 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. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. 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. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. He flew to Houston on March 15 for heart bypass surgery. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia. Bankruptcy court documents show that Trafficante is owed $500,000 by a business partner. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. [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. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. [14] He stated that he was concerned for his safety and was not certain that he had ever correctly heard or understood Trafficante's comment. The wiretap evidence has been thrown out of court. Some people also alleged that Trafficante Jr played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy due to his anti-organized crime efforts, but Trafficante Jr. always denied it. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. In fact, Florida had the dubious distinction of being home to a decades-old Mafia criminal network: the Trafficante Family. Try again later. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-law's Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. [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. In 1946, Santo Sr. sent his son, already a family underboss, to Cuba to invest in the growing number of nightclubs and casinos in the island nation. Mobster Johnny Rosselli, who worked for both Trafficante and the Chicago Outfit, was another associate involved in the unsuccessful efforts to kill Castro and, according to some biographies, was the man who put Trafficante and Giancana together with Maheu. He was accused of making false financial statements for loans he used to invest in his citrus business, to purchase luxury cars and to buy a beach condo. A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. Dr. Dennis Pupello was looking for heart disease, brought on by his overweight and diabetic patient's "voracious eating.". Your Scrapbook is currently empty. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. The report was given to the District Attorney's office. [14], The HSCA had previously quoted Aleman as stating that he thought Trafficante's use of the phrase "he is going to be hit" meant that the mob boss knew Kennedy was going to be killed. Donnie Brasco. Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFrank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. We never paid cash. Robert F. Kennedy even taunted those mobsters he brought into court, telling Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana that I thought only little girls giggled, Mr. Giancana.. 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 going to be hit.. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Undercover detectives ran a gambling sting operation there, hoping to nab a circle of Tampa men they said were making illegal sports bets. [21], Trafficante was summoned to court in 1986 and questioned about his involvement with the King's Court Bottle Club operated by members of the Bonanno crime family, including undercover FBI agent Joseph D. "Joe" Pistone, a.k.a. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. GREAT NEWS! He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. He buys Jaguars for his two sons, hobnobs with sports stars on resort golf courses and occasionally flies to Miami for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Rascal House. [5][6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. The "Family Jewels" confirmed that in September 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach the West Coast representative of the Chicago mob, Johnny Roselli. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. It wasn't somebody going into a back room to kiss somebody's ring. Honorary Pallbearers are Joe Castellana, Malio Iavarone, FrankCookie Fava, Antonino Marchese, Derek Iavarone, Frank Albano, Drew Smith, Joey Hunt, Michael Sierra, Tony Marchese, Peter Albano, Mario Pullara, Frank Miranda, Dino Trafficante, and Joseph Trafficante. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter. The authorities continued to charge him with participating in illegal activities, but the aging mob boss escaped conviction each time. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. Trafficante was one of the last surviving members of the original Luciano mob era upon his death, and the truth behind the JFK assassination may have perhaps died with him. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. As a leading member of the syndicate, he also was suspected of having behind-the-scenes interests in other syndicate-owned Cuban casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, the Commodoro, the Deauville, and the Havana Hilton. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. An editor and public historian, Carly Silver has written for Smithsonian, Narratively, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and Archaeology, among other publications. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. President John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Santo was known to have been deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. [15], Ragano also claimed that Trafficante, four days prior to his death, delivered a deathbed confession which suggested that Marcello was meant to assassinate Robert F. Kennedy instead of his brother, the President. "I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. Love and peace to you all. In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' Trafficante admitted his anti-Castro activities to the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978, and vehemently denied allegations that he had knowledge of a plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. "My wife's got money. 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. "Banks are my greatest enemy. Santo Jr. was indicted several times through the 1950s but was convicted only once, on state charges in 1954 for bribery, and that conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court. Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. 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 was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Share Santo's life story with friends and family. Several were wounded. There is a problem with your email/password. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". Santo, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented ties with powerful Mafia families he had established as a young man in New York, and ruthlessly put down any attempts to usurp his territory or power. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. The guy really tried to do it right.". You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Santos ran numerous legitimate businesses as well as illegal, including several legal casinos in Cuba, a Havana drive-in movie theater, and shares in restaurants and bars in Tampa. And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? "[19] In his book Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vincent Bugliosi has claimed there to be many flaws in Ragano's claims, including his own claim that Trafficante was most likely not in Tampa on the day in question, but was rather in North Miami Beach, Florida, receiving dialysis treatments. He convicted infamous criminal labor union head, Jimmy Hoffa. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.. Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. [13] He stated that he received no payment for his involvement and that he acted out of patriotism. Failed to delete memorial. [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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. They never returned. 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. So, as the popular theory goes, the mob bosses that lent a helping hand in getting Kennedy into office wanted revenge. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. [11], In 1976, Cuban exile and FBI informant Jose Aleman told The Washington Post that in September 1962, Trafficante had offered him a loan of $1.5million to replace Aleman's three-story "ramshackle motel with a 12-story glass wonder. Trafficante proceeded to open casinos in Cuba at his fathers behest and facilitated heroin smuggling by working together with famous mobsters Charles Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky.

Bill Reynolds Obituary, Who Is Sebastian From Selena: The Series, Bushtec Bunkhouse Motorcycle Camper For Sale, Gina Huynh Baby Father, Articles S