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. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. He walked outside and got into a 1951 Mercury sedan driven by one of his associates. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. By the time Prohibition and the Era of Blood ended, he was the top man in the Florida Mafia, operating with the blessing of exiled Mob boss Charlie Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello of the Five Families, and Meyer Lansky of the national Syndicate. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. The seeds for Trafficantes most interesting historical chapter were planted, as the mobster would go on to have a well-established relationship with the CIA in an ongoing effort to assassinate Castro. If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. 93461.". To add further credence to this theory of JFKs assassination, famed prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi (who also wrote the infamous true crime novel on the Manson Family, Helter Skelter), who penned Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, quoted a witness who said that New Orleans boss Marcello had quipped: The dog [JFK] will keep biting you if you only cut off its tail [RFK]., The final piece of evidence for the theory that Santo Trafficante was involved in JFKs assassination was a witness who reported that the mobster had once said himself that JFK not going to make it to the [1964] election. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. He died on March 17, 1987. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . While shouldering the legacy of his father and. Nicknames: The Silent Don I will never forget him as a fellow stroke survivor. I found on Findagrave.com. [13] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. Failed to remove flower. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. The investigators were looking for proof of drug-money laundering. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia. Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. She misses him, but she's making do. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. Many of the familys gangsters were in prison, or too old to be effective. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. He had a big heart and will be missed. [5] Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. 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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Finally, after the infamous failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the CIA gave up on their attempts to kill the Cuban dictator and thus Trafficantes attempts at revenge never materialized. . View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. He has played golf with former New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles and former New York Islanders hockey player Clark Gillies. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert 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. 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. The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the Apalachin agenda. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. She was born on March 24, 1920. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. 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. We are one of them! Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. love gloria "owens" hill. He was married to his wife for 49 years. With deepest sympathy and love. Please try again later. 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. 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. [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. As Jimmy Hoffas former lawyer Frank Ragano would later recall, Jimmy told me to tell [New Orleans boss Carlos] Marcello and Trafficante they had to kill the president. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. This account has been disabled. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". Dr. Dennis Pupello was looking for heart disease, brought on by his overweight and diabetic patient's "voracious eating.". Please check your email for further instructions. The mafiosos that made up the family are either retired, in prison, or have died due to old age. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. In the meantime, the allegation that he is a mobster has dogged him and his family. He attended a notorious convention of Mafia bosses held in the upstate New York town of Apalachin on November 14, 1957. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Associates: Sam Giancana, Charlie Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Johnny Rosselli, Robert Maheu. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. 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. Make sure that the file is a photo. Verify and try again. [2] Trafficante Jr. would frequently meet with Lucchese in New York City for dinner.[2]. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. 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.. A system error has occurred. 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 his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. [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. Add to your scrapbook. the daughter of immigrants from the Italian region of Basilicata. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. He drove standard cars, lived in regular houses in quiet places, was married to the same woman, and generally described as a quiet man. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. When he applied to the state for a parimutuel license that would allow him to race his horses at Tampa Bay Downs, he was refused. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. 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. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas You have chosen this person to be their own family member. [13] On September 27, 1978, Aleman reiterated to HSCA investigators that Trafficante had complained to him for hours in June or July 1963 about Kennedy's crackdown on organized crime at a meeting to discuss a business loan.