Please check your email for further instructions. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. This account has been disabled. And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? 93461.". Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. "Banks are my greatest enemy. 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. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. The authorities continued to charge him with participating in illegal activities, but the aging mob boss escaped conviction each time. It was all on the up and up. Associates: Sam Giancana, Charlie Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Johnny Rosselli, Robert Maheu. He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. The guy really tried to do it right.". THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba At 76,. 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. After the Kennedy hubbub, Trafficante kept a low profile or, lower that is. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. 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. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. One bank filed suit in November against him and a business partner, alleging that they defaulted on an $85,000 loan for a piece of property. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. To use this feature, use a newer browser. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. Father of Private and Private We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. A full report was made by the Cuban police, dated January 23, 1958, includes transcripts of long-distance telephone calls made from the Sans Souci during the period AugustDecember 1957. Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. He drove a forklift for 20 years. That was in part due to his lifestyle. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". There is a problem with your email/password. His luck has not improved recently. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. 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. Husband of Private Family members linked to this person will appear here. Santo Traficante Jr fue uno de los ltimos y mas poderosos capos de la mafia en Florida y Cuba. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. Like Trafficante Jr. before him, had many close calls with law enforcement, but always escaped serious charges. TRAFFICANTE, Santo Jose, 72, of Tampa, passed away July 13, 2010, To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our, All my Love to the family Michael R. Tartaro. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. But then came Key Bank, a massive drug-money-laundering investigation. He has thought about it. 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. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. Services will be followed by a graveside service at the Italian Club Cemetery and a reception at the family home. 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. Learn more about merges. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. 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. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. He flew to Houston on March 15 for heart bypass surgery. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing his ownership of a car dealership, and employment at various restaurants and night clubs over the years. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". [2] Trafficante Jr. had known Lucchese since the 1940s, when his father and Lucchese had trained him in the mafia traditions. Failed to delete memorial. Organized Crime Figure. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. "My wife's got money. Add to your scrapbook. There was a problem getting your location. "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. A year has passed. He has played golf with former New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles and former New York Islanders hockey player Clark Gillies. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. based on information from your browser. 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. Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFrank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). "I think it's all bull----," says Trafficante's former horse trainer, Arthur Pedregal Jr. "It's only because his name is Trafficante. 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. His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. James Anthony Traficant Jr. (May 8, 1941 - September 27, 2014) was an American politician who served as a Democrat, and later independent, member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.He represented the 17th Congressional District, which centered on his hometown of Youngstown and included parts of three counties in northeast Ohio's Mahoning Valley. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. Failed to report flower. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. She is now living in Virginia. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. "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.". Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. 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. Robert Anderson aka The Killer Between 50 and 100 buildings were burned. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Santo Trafficante Jr. continued to develop his interests in Cuba serving as Luciano and Lanskys local liaison. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Salcines was observed at the properties the weekend of June 9, 1967. Other Mafia leaders, as well as newer organized crime networks, took over many of the rackets the family ran throughout the 20th Century. 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 was married to his wife for 49 years. 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. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. Fla. (AP), Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52792202/frank-cacciatore-trafficante, L'Unione Italiana Cemetery, Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr, Death of Santo Trafficante, Jr at Houston, TX. In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. Our thoughts and prayers with you. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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. Year should not be greater than current year. He was rumored to be part of a Mafia syndicate which owned many Cuban hotels and casinos. 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. [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. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . [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.

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