Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Santo Trafficante Jr. [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. In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. Husband of Private RIP Santo. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. The original Malio's Restaurant located on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. 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. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Pallbearers are Augie Castellana, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Anthony B. Marchese, Peter Marchese Jr., Ian Cordell, Don Smith, Frank Pancho Trafficante, John Castellana, and Dr. Santo Paniello. Try again later. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. Please reset your password. 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. She misses him, but she's making do. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. Bankruptcy court documents show that Trafficante is owed $500,000 by a business partner. Now he owns a 210-acre orange grove in southern Hillsborough. Try again later. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . 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. This browser does not support getting your location. Oops, something didn't work. Thanks for subscribing! Santo was known to have been deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. [13] Trafficante said that he introduced the trio to Cuban exiles in Florida. Scott M. Deitche, Mob Museum Advisory Council member and mob http://www.scottdeitche.com/books.htmlauthor of Tampa's favorite books, Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld & The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jror Manny Leto, previous Editor of Cigar City Magazine and Tampa historian, will guide you on a 1.5 -2 hour walking tour to old gambling palaces, street corners, and alleys where some mobsters met their demise, and restaurants where wise guys, like famed boss Santo Trafficante Jr, held court. 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. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. He owned a West Tampa restaurant called Cafe Sevilla. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. ". Anthony Accardo & Santo Trafficante Jr - Labor Union Kickbacks (1977- 1981)https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/05/us/16-indicted-over-union-fund-use.htmlCredit:. 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. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. As a leading member of the syndicate, he also was suspected of having behind-the-scenes interests in other syndicate-owned Cuban casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, the Commodoro, the Deauville, and the Havana Hilton. 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. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. In a final disappointment, he sold a filly named "Run Marisa Run" (after his daughter) for $7,500. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. His abiding passion is food. 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. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. He convicted infamous criminal labor union head, Jimmy Hoffa. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. President John. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. "The Mob? He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. "[1][13] He stated that he was positive that he did not say it because he always spoke to Aleman in Spanish, and said that there was no way to state the phrase in Spanish. 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. In 1959, the Cuban Revolution toppled the corrupt Batista government and the rebel leader, Fidel Castro, nationalized foreign-owned properties and shuttered the casinos, a huge financial blow to Trafficante, who was second only to Meyer Lansky in the depth of his investments in Havana. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 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. By 1987, the Mafia boss, who had walked the casino floors of the Sans Souci in Cuba, dined and hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra in the nightclubs and hotels of South Beach, and who commanded a presence in Tampa that is still felt today, was suffering from a diseased kidney and bad heart. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Brother of Frank Cacciatore Trafficante; Private and Private. In the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. used his ties to organized crime to secure votes for his son, John F. Kennedy. On the day that investigators raided Key Bank, a cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital was inserting a catheter in Trafficante's groin. Santo Trafficante Jr, was born on November 15, 1914 in Tampa, Florida and followed in the footsteps of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr, into a life of organized crime. They had three daughters, Antoinette born . Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. He was going to be hit.. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. The guy really tried to do it right.". Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. 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. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. In the early 1980s Trafficante was ensnared in two major cases that could have sent the aging don to prison for the first time in his life, apart from his time in the Triscornia detention camp in Cuba following Castros takeover in 1959. [1] Trafficante maintained several residences in New York City and Florida. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. While shouldering the legacy of his father and. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 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." Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Robert Anderson aka The Killer Between 50 and 100 buildings were burned. [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. However the meeting came to be, the mob nonetheless brought influential states like Illinois into the Kennedy fold in exchange for the White House going easy on organized crime. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." GREAT NEWS! He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. 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. "My wife's got money. 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. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. Add to your scrapbook. Search above to list available cemeteries. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. 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. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. the daughter of immigrants from the Italian region of Basilicata. You and Santo will always have a special place in my heart. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' Salcines was observed at the properties the weekend of June 9, 1967. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. A year has passed. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood.Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. 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. "Banks are my greatest enemy. Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. 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. 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. In 1950, the aging Trafficante Sr. began to slow down. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Resend Activation Email. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. They used to be my greatest friend," Trafficante says. 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. A A. He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. In the meantime, the allegation that he is a mobster has dogged him and his family. 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. During a recent trip to Lake Tahoe he bought two basketballs autographed by Michael Jordan. We cant help ourselves when it comes to watching mob films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and HBOs Boardwalk Empire and the iconic cable TV show, The Sopranos. At Boxer Cycle Works. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. He was again called to testify in April 1976 on the alleged conspiracy to kill Kennedy, but Rosselli never made it: His body was found in a barrel floating in Biscayne Bay off the coast of Florida. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. There was a problem getting your location. The IRS was unsuccessful, according to Fernandez, Trafficante's attorney. He escaped conviction all but once, receiving a five-year sentence for bribery in 1954, but his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court before he entered prison. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. Our thoughts and prayers with you. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. A system error has occurred. With deepest sympathy and love. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. 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. Trafficantes father was the lucky survivor of what was called the Era of Blood, when rival gangs based in Tampa fought for control of Prohibition-era nightclubs and, crucially, the local numbers rackets called bolitas. Battling Mob rivals in South Florida essentially weakened each other financially and, through murder, the number of available soldiers. [2] Trafficante Jr. had known Lucchese since the 1940s, when his father and Lucchese had trained him in the mafia traditions. And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? 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. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Trafficante would rather be force-fed raw carrot sticks for eternity than be seen talking to a reporter. If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. His health had declined in his later years. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. The wiretap evidence has been thrown out of court. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. Learn more about merges. Thanks for your help! CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. 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. Reputedly the most powerful crime boss in Batista -era Cuba, he . Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. There was an error deleting this problem. . Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. [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. "[12], In 1978, both Trafficante and Aleman were called to testify before members of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigating possible links between Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and anti-Castro Cubans, including the theory that Castro had Kennedy killed in retaliation for the CIA's attempts on his own life. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI Donnie Brasco investigation he never spent a single day of his life in jail. 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. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. [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. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. 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. More troubling for Trafficante was a court document that listed him for the first time as "a member of the Trafficante crime family.". He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. 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. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. 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. Weve updated the security on the site. Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Santo Trafficante 5 10 (1.78 m) Born November 15, 1914 Tampa, Florida, USA Died March 17, 1987 Spouse Josephine Marchese April 17, 1938 - March 17, 1987 (his death, 2 children) Publicity listings 2 Portrayals Did you know Edit Trivia Represented by Frank Ragano. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. [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. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. Despite all of this or, perhaps, because of it, a few writers and filmmakers have chosen to focus on organized crime, determined to give Tampa its due. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. 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. My heart goes out to the family. He wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. 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.. 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. There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Sorry! Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Santo Trafficante Jr Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. 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. 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. It was all on the up and up. "I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. Donnie Brasco. 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. We never paid cash. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Santo, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. But the mobster tag has outlasted the case itself. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas
Jose Villarreal Jr Obituary, Leinenkugel Orange Shandy Discontinued, Michelle Peduto Related To Bill Peduto, David Ray Mccoy Daughters, Hydrobuilder Holdings, Articles S