And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? Love and peace to you all. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. based on information from your browser. You've got to be a fool to marry wrong," he says. 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. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. During a recent trip to Lake Tahoe he bought two basketballs autographed by Michael Jordan. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. 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. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Santo Trafficante Jr. . The people of Tampa, especially the ones still around to remember those days still feel a duty of sorts to keep quite of these things, as if these people are still amongst us and can hear our chatter. Santo worked closely with Lucchese family boss Tommy Lucchese, who was a friend of his father, and a man who helped train him in the 1940s. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. In fact, Florida had the dubious distinction of being home to a decades-old Mafia criminal network: the Trafficante Family. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Weve updated the security on the site. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. President John. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. Please reset your password. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? 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. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Scott M. Deitche is the author of six books on organized crime, including a biography of Santo Trafficante Jr., and has written dozens of articles on organized crime for magazines and newspapers. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. 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. 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 New York City. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. He was going to be hit.. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The IRS was unsuccessful, according to Fernandez, Trafficante's attorney. THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. He is just a businessman, he says, his money tied up in wholesale automobiles, an orange grove and real estate. A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. Returning to Miami, he joined his father, managing some . Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Donnie Brasco. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. Oops, something didn't work. And all this occurred throughout seven Sylvia at age 12 and her father Jimmy Velasco in California, June 1948 Jimmy Velasco was a political fixer. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. [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. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Trafficante tried to win Castro over to his side, but that didnt work. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. [12] According to Aleman, when he told Trafficante that President John F. Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is going to be hit. 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! Bankruptcy court documents show that Trafficante is owed $500,000 by a business partner. He had a big heart and will be missed. Try again later. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. Santo Jr., who had inherited the leadership of the Tampa Mafia around 1950 when his father, Santo Sr., fell ill, had now completed his consolidation of power in Tampa and beyond. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. The authorities continued to charge him with participating in illegal activities, but the aging mob boss escaped conviction each time. 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. 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. He owned a West Tampa restaurant called Cafe Sevilla. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. He offered to pay $150,000 to have Castro killed, but Roselli declined any pay and introduced Maheu to two men he referred to as "Sam Gold" and "Joe." You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. She was born on March 24, 1920. 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. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. 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. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. This is a carousel with slides. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. 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. ". To use this feature, use a newer browser. Thanks for your help! Verify and try again. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. Desr Gerry, please know that I am thinking of you and never forget the kindness bestowed on me in my difficult time but especially the generosity and affection shown to my daughter and grandson. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. We have to admit we are fascinated by the whole idea of the mafia and the people we knew and the whispers we grew up hearing.