Trafficante weathered the violence of Floridas Mob wars and the various conspiracy theories, the Cuban Revolution and the loss of his offshore casinos, as well as intense law enforcement scrutiny, without ever spending time in prison. please know that i am praying for you and your family. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. At this point in our collective history, we're not sure anyone would be surprised to learn that there is, in fact, something called The Mafia. What you might be surprised to learn, however, is how prevalent-even rampantorganized crime in Tampa was in the early and mid-20th century. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. 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. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. Photos of Santo Trafficante Jr. - Find a Grave Memorial Add to your scrapbook. I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. But those werent even their most ridiculous ideas. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Santo Trafficante Jr Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. Trafficante scrambled out the passenger-side door. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. Published: March 15th, 2017 - By Scott M. Deitche, Contributing Writer, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17, El Chapos lawyers complain about strict rules at New York prison. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. The twister killed hls mother when lt touched down about 6, honored Wednesday us the nation's sute legislator. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. 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. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. President John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. This browser does not support getting your location. Mob Lawyer Frank Ragano Says He Knows Who Killed JFK", "Book alleges plot to kill JFK in Tampa, cover-up", "At Santo Trafficante auction, a chance to buy a piece of Tampa's mob history", Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, Associated Press report on Trafficante's death, "Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life" By Robert Lacy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santo_Trafficante_Jr.&oldid=1140940042, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 15:02. Dr. Dennis Pupello was looking for heart disease, brought on by his overweight and diabetic patient's "voracious eating.". Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! As such, Trafficante Sr. controlled gambling rackets for bolita, a lottery game popular in Florida and Cuba, until 1940 when the murder of Tampa boss Ignacio Antinori pushed the Trafficantes to assume ultimate power in the Florida underworld. Santo Trafficante, Jr (1914 - 1987) - Genealogy - geni family tree [7], In January 1958, Trafficante was questioned by the Cuban police regarding the Apalachin meeting. I laughed _ until I realized it was a total f------ disaster," Trafficante says. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. Authorities said he leaked a list of suspects in the case and then lied about it. They raided my apartment, they were looking for money, they tore up all the furniture, they used to come and get me at nighttime, take me out in the woods, trying to tell where I had my money, this and that, until I finally went into hiding.. 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.. After Fidel Castro's revolutionary government seized the assets of Trafficante's Cuban businesses and expelled him from the country as an "undesirable alien," Trafficante came into contact with various US intelligence operatives, and was involved in several unsuccessful plans to assassinate Castro. [22], sfn error: no target: CITEREFDouglass2010 (, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 15:02, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, "With Santo Trafficante, an era is ending", "SANTO TRAFFICANTE, REPUTED MAFIA CHIEF, DIES AT 72", "Why mob bigs who met to crown a king had to run like roaches", "For Sale, a House WithAcreage.Connections Extra;Site of 1957 Gangland Raid Is Part of Auction on Saturday", "20 Apalachin Convictions Ruled Invalid On Appeal", "Narcotic Traffic Called Topic In Apalachin Talks", Memorandum for the Director of Central Intelligence, Subject: Roselli, Johnny, "Witness denies assassination, Cuba tied", "Mafia Linked In JFK Probe; By Cuban Exile", "Hoffa Lawyer: Jimmy Recruited Mob for JFK Hit", "Lawyer Says Hoffa Told 2 Mob Bosses to Have President Kennedy Killed", "Frank Ragano, 75, Lawyer for Mob and Hoffa", "The Sins of the Godfather? Several were wounded. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. Reputed 'boss of bosses' dies at 72 TAMPA, Fla, "' Trafficante dies at age 72 TAMPA. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. Trafficante crime family - Wikipedia Josephine Trafficante Obituary - Tampa, FL At age 16, he boarded the S.S. Lombardia and set sail for American in search of a better life. Tampa Mafia Tour - Tampa Mafia We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17 "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. Fifteen years following the assassination, Trafficante testified in front of the United States House Select Committee on the murder of JFK in exchange for immunity. Resend Activation Email. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". At Boxer Cycle Works. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. Visitation will take place on Saturday, May 16th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, with service to follow at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. She was born on March 24, 1920. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Sam Giancana - Wikipedia In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. 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. 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. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Now he owns a 210-acre orange grove in southern Hillsborough. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. Seven people were murdered. He had a big heart and will be missed. English She lived an exciting life dividing her time between her multiple family members and friends in Tampa, Miami and Havana. Oops, something didn't work. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. More troubling for Trafficante was a court document that listed him for the first time as "a member of the Trafficante crime family.". A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. Don Santo Trafficante Jr was one of the last of the old-time American Mafia bosses in the United States. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. However, there were events outside of the United States and even organized crime that inadvertently led Santo Trafficante Jr. to put his own peculiar stamp on American history. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central, Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. I think it was a case of mistaken identity.. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. [13] During his testimony, Trafficante also admitted for the first time that he had worked with the CIA from 1960 to 1961 for an attempt to poison Castro but stated that his role was only as an interpreter between CIA officials and Cuban exiles. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. 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. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. She is now living in Virginia. Episode 58: The Tampa Mafia- Santo Trafficante Jr - YouTube But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. The hit man and the mobster: Jack Ruby and Santos Trafficante However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. 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. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. "I was going to ask him to come over and try our beignets to see how they compare to the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans," Alessi says. He died on March 17, 1987. Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. I found on Findagrave.com. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. [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. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Indeed, he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreclosures to local banks, which he says treat him "like I had leprosy" because of Key Bank. "I thought I could just go down to (former Hillsborough State Attorney) Bill James and (Assistant State Attorney) Lee Atkinson and explain it all away in 15 minutes.". All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. But before Trafficante testified, someone conveniently killed Roselli. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. The other guys are two doctors, who say they'll testify if they're summoned to court. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. Santo Trafficante then categorically denied every allegation about stating he wanted RFK or JFK dead and got off scot-free. Returning to Miami, he joined his father, managing some . Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Failed to remove flower. A year has passed. There was a problem getting your location. Anthony Accardo & Santo Trafficante Jr - Labor Union Kickbacks A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. [13], On January 14, 1992, Trafficante's former attorney, Frank Ragano, told Jack Newfield of the New York Post that he relayed a request from Hoffa to Trafficante and New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello to have Kennedy killed. We found ourselves in a love affair with Tony Soprano and we could not stop watching. In the 1950s, Tampas reputation for corruption and vice was so bad it prompted one national magazine to label the area the Hell Hole of the Gulf Coast. Given such negativity, who can blame people for just wanting to forget? He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. But the mobster tag has outlasted the case itself. The east coast of Florida was a loosely knit conglomerate of New York family interests with links to Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Angelo Bruno, Carlos Marcello, and Frank Ragano. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. He headed the Trafficante crime family from 1954 to 1987 and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. 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. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. Despite his arrest, Trafficante managed to escape charges and continue to fly under the laws radar. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. "But then you get into alias this and alias that and when they get you in court, you probably just create more problems," he says. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Geni requires JavaScript! In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. Santo Trafficante Jr. - The Mob Museum An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. His health had declined in his later years. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. 93461.". The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). 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. Santo Trafficante Jr - Mafia Facts [9][10] The CIA and the Mafia had a common enemy in Castro, a communist revolutionary who had shut down Cuba's lucrative casino businesses. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. 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. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Hey, they have more convicts at the track than straight people," Trafficante says. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks.