Lucchese family

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The Lucchese Family ( Lucchese Crime Family ), formerly known as the Gagliano family , is an Italian-American mafia family of the American Cosa Nostra and one of the so-called Five Families of New York City , which largely dominate organized crime there .

history

Early years

Gaetano "Tom" Reina's criminal career began in the Bronx and soon he was controlling the trade in stick ice , which was used as a coolant in the non-electric refrigerators of the time. At first the group existed parallel to the Morello family around Peter Morello in Harlem and in the Bronx, but was then under the control of Mustache Petes Ciro Terranova , a (half) brother of the Morellos. Under Joe Masseria , Reina became a high-ranking member of the family that can now be considered the forerunners of the Genovese family , and the Reina gang ultimately came under the control of Joe Masseria.

From today's perspective, the men around Reina were more of a “street crew” and not an independent family.

War of Castellammare

At the end of the 1920s the conflict between Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano began to emerge , which was then referred to as the Castellammare War .

Since 1919 there was an alcohol prohibition in the USA and Maranzano began to kidnap alcohol loads from Masseria and penetrated the area by forcibly taking over various " speakeasy ". Masseria had demanded more money from Gaetano Reina and his gang, whereupon the latter turned to Maranzano. However, his change of front had been betrayed to Masseria by Peter Morello. In response to Reina's betrayal plans, Masseria and Gaetano Gagliano planned his assassination. The deed was carried out on February 26, 1930 by Vito Genovese . His assassination is now seen as the start of the Castellammare War .

Joseph Pinzolo from Masseria was appointed as the new boss over the gang . Neither Gagliano nor Lucchese were enthusiastic about this appointment from the outside, but officially continued to support Masseria. After unknown killers shot Pinzolo in September 1930, Gagliano became the boss of the Reina gang. In the meantime, Gaetano Gagliano and Tommy Lucchese had secretly formed an alliance with Lucky Luciano , who played Masseria and Maranzano off against each other.

This made the gang independent again and Gaetano Gagliano became a member of the commission of the National Crime Syndicate .

Gaetano Gagliano

After Luciano was imprisoned in 1936, Vincent Mangano , Joseph Bonanno , Stefano Magaddino and Joe Profaci , the bosses of the other four families , ruled the commission. As the boss of one of the smaller families, Gagliano had to be very careful not to find himself in a hopeless position. He was also very reserved in public, so that little was known about him from the 1940s and 1950s. Only his involvement in the evasion of gasoline rationing and in the black market for sugar during World War II was known.

One of the few public appearances in which Gagliano took part was the wedding of Joe Valachi on September 18, 1932. Tommy Lucchese was usually always present at the large meetings and conferences of La Cosa Nostra .

Tommy Lucchese

After the "War of Castellammare" Tommy Lucchese became the deputy of Gaetano Gagliano and was his successor when he died in 1951. Lucchese attached great importance to the traditional virtues of the original Sicilian Cosa Nostra . A maximum of illegal profits should be made with a minimum of fuss. Lucchese opened up new sources of income for his organization from illegal activities in Manhattan's Garment District and related transportation business by bringing under his control key union officials and entrepreneurs. Harry Rosen was a partner in these activities . Both shipped clothing that was made in New York City.

Lucchese also led a quiet and stable life privately. On July 13, 1967, he died of a brain tumor . His successor as the leader of the Lucchese family was initially Carmine Tramunti .

Tramunti and the Gambino family

Carmine Tramunti lived on 107th Street and controlled most of the "Number Games" in Harlem, but also the Craps games in New York City and had his headquarters in "The Stage Delicatessen" store in Manhattan . His behavior did not correspond to the common stereotype of an Italian-American and he looked more like a typical average American.

But the situation had changed. The Gambino family under Carlo Gambino had achieved a supremacy through the drug trade in heroin . In addition, Gambino's son Thomas had married Franca Lucchese, the daughter of Tommy Lucchese, in 1962.

Tramunti acted more like a “front boss” of the Gambinos than like an independent head. In 1971 Tramunti was involved in a multi-million dollar fraud and was closely monitored by the Brooklyn prosecutor from 1973. Tramunti was also suspected of being involved in the French Connection and of pre-financing the heroin trafficking that took place in it.

However, the only evidence was a handshake with a drug dealer observed by an investigator . This handshake was interpreted by the court as an agreement to enter into a drug deal and Tramunti was sentenced to 15 years in prison. This was referred to in a scene in the film Goodfellas .

Anthony Corallo

Anthony "The Ducks" Corallo was from Queens and served under Tommy Lucchese. His main focus was on the infiltration and control of the unions ( "Labor Racketeering" ) and worked closely with Jimmy Hoffa - the union leader of the Teamsters . In particular, the "Local 239" in New York acted as the gangsters' "milking cow" by accounting for employees who only existed on paper. This siphoned about $ 69,000 a month from the union treasury.

There were also close ties to the unions of the Painters and Decorators Union , Conduit Workers Union and the United Textile Workers . His most important men in these union operations were Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro , Johnny Dioguardi and his consigliere Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari .

The Lucchese family prospered under Corallo's strict management style. Since the death of Carlo Gambino and after the end of the French Connection , the family has operated independently again. The arm of the Lucchese family then reached as far as New Jersey , where Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo and Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta worked for the family; in particular, they organized illegal gambling there and collected debts.

On behalf of the US government Corallos car was bugged , and investigators have been in the 1980s seen many many conversations with his chauffeurs and bodyguards Salvatore "Sal" Avellino and Aniello "Neil" Migliore and countless phone calls on his car phone .

Eventually Corallo was arrested in 1986 and sentenced to life in prison; a circumstance that affected all the leaders of the Five Families to a greater or lesser extent. Corallo died in custody in 2000.

Rivalry with John Gotti

After Corallo was arrested, Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and his feared "underboss" Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso took over the management of the family. The family soon ran into trouble, as both were outspoken enemies of John Gotti , the new head of the Gambino family, and were loyal to the Genovese family and its boss Vincent Gigante .

Gotti had murdered Paul Castellano in 1985 without consultation with the other chiefs in order to put himself at the head of the Gambino family, and Amuso, Casso, and Gigante planned the assassination of Gotti. On April 13, 1986 Frank DeCicco was blown up with his car, but Gotti, the real target, missed. This attack sparked a bloody feud that resulted in many deaths in the three families involved. In early 1987 a murder attempt on Casso failed; the latter blamed Gotti and began to take action against actual or supposed traitors in his own ranks with increasing brutality. In doing so, however, he undermined the loyalty that was shown to him in the long term.

In addition, Amuso and Casso began to cut the profits of the "New Jersey Crew" as they demanded a 50% stake from Anthony Accetturo and Michael Taccetta, which they refused. Amuso then ordered both of them to meet in Brooklyn, where they did not appear because they feared for their lives; both initially broke away from the Lucchese family and became Pentiti in the 1990s .

After Amuso was arrested in 1991, Casso effectively took over the management of the family. After ordering the deaths of several mobsters, the killing of whom many gangsters considered unjustified, key members of the organization lost trust in Casso and turned to the FBI. Other Lucchese members, such as Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco , were now ready to work with the police; Casso was arrested in 1994 and, like Amuso, sentenced to life imprisonment. In particular, the two murders in connection with the feud with Gotti were now charged; the "Pentiti" had stated in particular that the murder of John Gotti, DeCicco and Gene Gotti had been planned since the beginning of 1986 . At times it looked as if events had broken up the Lucchese family.

Modern times

The family is still active and came back into the public eye when in 2006 two former New York police officers were convicted of having worked as professional killers for the Lucchese family for years. A court sentenced the two men to life imprisonment for murder, attempted murder, extortion, money laundering and drug trafficking. They had also betrayed police secrets in two decades; an early release was ruled out by Judge Jack Weinstein. A final judgment was not made at the time due to formal reasons and was made up at the beginning of 2009.

The tip had come from Anthony Casso, who, in view of his own criminal charges, had become a "pentito" himself and exposed the two officers with his testimony.

The gang is said to still have 114-140 members and are led by the now 65-year-old Steven Crea.

Historical tour

Head of the family

The head of a family can not always be identified so clearly; especially if another family member comes to the fore due to a prison sentence. The external view does not always make it easy to recognize a new head as such or to determine his exact term of office. In addition, a presidential system seems to be establishing itself to a certain extent; ie the head shifts his power more to a so-called “acting boss” and / or “street boss”, who in turn continue to recognize the head as such, even if he is, for example, in custody.

Period Surname Nickname Lifetime Cause of death annotation
1922-1930 Gaetano Reina Tommy 1889-1930 shot dead on February 26, 1930 Perpetrator: Vito Genovese
1930-1930 Bonaventure "Joseph" Pinzolo Fat Joe 1887-1930 shot dead on September 5, 1930 Perpetrators: Girolamo Santuccio and Dominick Petrillo
1930-1951 Gaetano (born: Tommaso) Gagliano Tommy 1884-1951 natural death
1951-1967 Thomas (born: Gaetano) Lucchese Tommy Brown 1899-1967 Brain tumor
1967-1973 Carmine Tramunti Mr. Gribbs 1910-1978 natural death Imprisoned until death in 1974
1973-1986 Antonio "Anthony" Corallo Tony Ducks 1913-2000 natural death Imprisoned until death in 1986
1986 – today Vittorio "Victor" Amuso Little Vic 1934 – today detained since 1991
Acting boss
Street Boss (Front Boss)

Underboss of the family

The underboss is number two in the criminal family; he is the associate director of the syndicate. He gathers information for the boss, gives orders and instructions to the subordinates. In the absence of the boss, he leads the criminal group.

Period Surname Nickname Lifetime Cause of death annotation
1920-1930 Gaetano (born: Tommaso) Gagliano Tommy 1884-1951 natural death became boss in 1930
1930-1951 Thomas (born: Gaetano) Lucchese Tommy Brown 1899-1967 Brain tumor became boss in 1951
1951-1972 Stefano LaSalle (née LaSala) Steve natural death resigned
1973-1978 Aniello Migliore Neil 1933 – today resigned
1978-1986 Salvatore T. Santoro, Sr. Tom Mix 1915-2000 natural death Imprisoned until death in 1986
1986-1989 Mariano Macaluso Mac 1912-1992 natural death resigned
1989-1993 Anthony Salvatore Casso Gas pipe 1940 – today Detained in 1993; became an informant in 1994
1993-1998 Steven Lorenzo Crea Wonderboy 1947 – today became acting boss in 1998
Acting underboss
  • 1990–1992: Anthony "Bowat" Baratta; Imprisoned 1992–2012
  • 1998–2000: Eugene "Boopsie" Castelle  ; * 1960 – today; Imprisoned 2000–2008

Consigliere of the family

At the same level as the underboss is the consigliere , the advisor to the criminal family. It is usually an older member of the family who has great respect within the family and can therefore exert considerable influence.

Period Surname Nickname Lifetime Cause of death annotation
1931-1953 Stefano Rondelli Steve resigned
1953-1973 Vincenzo John Rao Vinny 1898-1988 natural death Imprisoned 1965–1970; resigned
1973-1981 Vincent Foceri Vinnie Beans 1918-1979 resigned
1981-1986 Christopher Furnari, Sr. Christie Tick 1924 – today Imprisoned 1986-2014
1986-1987 Ettore Coco Eddie 1908-1991 natural death resigned
1987-1989 Anthony Salvatore Casso Gas pipe 1940 – today became underboss in 1989
1991-1993 Frank Lastorino Big Frank 1939 – today Imprisoned 1994–2008
1993-1996 Frank Papagni Frankie Bones 1957 – today Imprisoned 1996–2015
1996-2002 Louis Daidone Louie bagels 1946 – today became acting boss in 2000
2002 – today Joseph Caridi Joe C. 1949 – today Imprisoned 2003–2009
Acting Consigliere

Capos

The capos work under the underboss . In the sense of omertà , they exercise an important buffer position between the management of the family and the actual criminal-active gang members, who are made up of district chiefs and simple members, the so-called soldiers . The leaders of the family, especially the boss, avoid any direct contact with the simple members and associates who (have to) carry out the criminal activities. The communication between the criminal sub-group and the leading upper group takes place via the capos.

Films and documentaries

literature

  • Jery ​​Capeci: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia . Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
  • John H. Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family . New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-016357-7
  • James B. Jacobs, Christopher Panarella, and Jay Worthington. Busting the Mob: The United States Vs. Cosa Nostra . New York: NYU Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8147-4230-0
  • Peter Maas : Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia . New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. ISBN 0-06-093096-9
  • Selwyn Raab: Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
  • Guy Lawson and William Oldham: The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia . ISBN 978-0-7432-8944-3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ralph Salerno, John S. Tompkins: The Crime Confederation: The Crime Confederation. The untold story of America's most successful industry. The strategies & techniques of the Cosa Nostra & allied operations in organized crime. Garden City, New York 1969. ISBN 978-0385090735
  2. ↑ LUCCHESE CRIME FAMILY EPIC ( Memento from February 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ The story of the Lucchese, one of the 5 NY crime families - Crime Library on truTV.com ( Memento from February 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ New York ex-police officers convicted as killer on www. welt.de
American Cosa Nostra • La Cosa Nostra • Italian-American Mafia


Familys
East coast

The Five Families (New York) : Bonanno • Colombo • Gambino • Genovese ( formerly Morello ) • Lucchese | Bruno (Philadelphia) | DeCavalcante (Elizabeth) | LaRocca (Pittsburgh) | Magaddino (Buffalo) | Patriarca (New England) | Trafficante (Tampa)

average West / west

Balistrieri (Milwaukee) | Chicago outfit | Civella, Kansas City | Dragna (Los Angeles) | Giordano (St. Louis) | Licavoli (Cleveland) | Zerilli (Detroit)

inactive

Bufalino Pittston, Pennsylvania | Cerrito San José (California) | Civello (Dallas) | Lanza (San Francisco) | Matranga (New Orleans) | Rochester (Rochester, New York) | Smaldone (Denver)

structure
Chain of command

The Commission • Boss (Don) • Underboss • Consigliere (Consultant) • Capo / Caporegime (Captain) • Soldato • Associate (Partner)

Groupings

National Crime Syndicate • Murder, Inc. • Pizza Connection • Unione Siciliana • Black Hand Gang

Designations

Capo di tutti i capi (boss of the bosses) • Mobster • Made Man (Wise Guy) • Mustache Pete • Zips • Pentito • Initiation ritual • Omertà • Lupara Rossa • Lupara Bianca

Historical
Meetings

Atlantic City Conference (1929) • Havana Conference (1946) • Apalachin Meeting (1957) • Palermo Mafia Summit (1957)

Wars

Mafia Camorra War (1914–1917) • War of Castellammare (1929–1931)

Investigations

Kefauver Hearings (1950–1951) • Valachi Hearings (1963)

Processes

Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987) • Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986)