Sunday 31 March 2013

The Top 10 Mafia Bosses of all time!

Back in 2003, I was doing a bit of work experience for Front magazine. For those not in the know, Front magazine is a lads mag, affectionately known back then as porn for cowards due to the publications reputation for having more boobs featuring across its pages than the competition.

Yesterday, while I was clearing out from crap from the loft, I came across a March 2003 issue which included a feature I had written about the American Mafia. Part of the feature included a Top 10 of the 'Richest, most ruthless and stylish gangsters ever to rule the mob.'

Even after 10 years, I still think this list rings true, so without further ado, here is my top 10 Mafia bosses of all time as originally published in Front magazine...

1. Carlo Gambino
The King of New York. The undisputed capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses) of all time. Carlo Gambino is undoubtedly the most successful mob boss in L Cosa Nostra history. Gambino did not look like your average mafioso. Short and bulb-nosed, he enjoyed playing the humble fruit-market shopper on expeditions to the old neighbourhood, much like Mario Puzo's Don Vito Corleone from The Godfather (who was modeled after Gambino). Don Carlo bore more resemblance to a grandfather from a Werther's Originals advert than a cold and calculating mobster who murdered his way to the top of the Mafia.

He rose to family in the crime family that would later bear his name, and played a part in disposing of three of New York's most infamous gangsters: Vincent Mangano, Albert Anastasia, and Vito Genovese.

Mangano was mysteriously disappeared and his body was never found. Anastasia was murdered while he was being groomed in a barbershop chair, and Genovese was removed with the aid of the federal government in a narcotics case. Gambino then took up his position as the most powerful mob boss in the country.

He continued solidifying his position by gorging alliances and carrying out killings; few dared to challenge him. When he died of a heart attack in October 1976, Gambino went out in true Godfather style. Reporters and onlookers were cordoned off from the hundreds of mourners at his funeral, and the hard-faced guards discouraged any would-be intruders. Things were handled with the decorum that Carlo Gambino would've demanded.

2. Tony Accardo
Summing up Tony Accardo's leadership abilities, mobster Paul Ricca once confided to Chicago-American columnist Geaorge Murray that 'Accardo has more brains for breakfast than Al Capone ever had all day.' Posessing a nimble mind and canny instinct for self-preservation, Accardo boasted that he never spent one night in jail. William F. Roemer Jr, one of the most highly decorated agents in the history of the FBI, wrote a book called The Genuine Godfather about his pursuit of Accardo, who ruled the Chicago underworld for 40 years. Roemer described Accardo as being 'America's most dangerous criminal.'

Accardo built up a fearsome reputation for violence and cunning, first making a name for himself as Al Capone's bodyguard and special enforcer. His stock and trade was vengeance. In May 1929, Al Capone discovered that he was the target of a murder plot, hatched Albert Anselmi and John Scalise, a pair of imported Sicilian contract killers who had carried out mob executions for Capone for five years previously. At a lavish dinner party given in their honour, it is alleged that Accardo swung a baseball bat to their traitorous heads, and dumped the bodies in a ditch near Wolf Lake, outside Hammond, Indiana, afterwards. Accardo's respectful mob associates would later pin a nicknameon him that he would carry to the grave: Joe Batters. An attempt on his life was never made - surely the mark of a great boss. Accardo died in 1992 of heart problems.

3. Charles Luciano
Time magazine said it best when the editorial read: 'He was born and died in Italy, yet the influence on America of a grubby street urchin named Salvatore Lucania ranged from the lights of Broadway to every level of law enforcement, from national politics to the world economy. First, he reinvented himself as Charles Luciano. Then he reinvented the Mafia.'

He received the nickname 'Lucky' after surviving a gangland ride in 1929, in which he was beaten, stabbed repeatedly and had his throat slashed, before being thrown from a car and left for dead.

It seemed Luciano's lucky finally ran out in 1936 when he was arrested and sentenced to 30 to 50 years imprisonment for running a prostitution racket. The underground insisted that the case was a set-up.

But after 10 years, Luciano was paroled due to 'wartime services to his country.' On his release, Luciano was deported to Italy where he continued to influence the American Mafia and receive his fair cut.

4. Al Capone
His name, Alphonse Capone, is synonymous worldwide with 'Chicago gangster.' Capone climbed to the top of the Mafia ladder by murdering anyone who got in his way during the prohibition era. Selling bootleg booze - claiming he was simply offering a 'public service' and 'providing what the people want' - made the Chicago outfit millions, and made Capone Public Enemy Number One.

5. John Gotti
He was known as a dangerous mobster in La Cosa Nostra circles, and the Feds hated him with a passion, but he was a superstar to the people of New York. John Gotti was a Mobstar.

His love of the finer things in life helped him obtain the nickname The Dapper Don. After beating case after case, the media then renamed Gotti The Teflon Don. But in 1992 the Feds finally found a case that would stick.

At trial, prosecutors used the testimony of Gotti's turncoat under boss Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano to take down The Dapper Don. The most damning testimony came when he told how he, Gotti and other insurgents killed the Gambino family boss Paul Castellano and took over his crime family.

But ultimiately it was Gotti's own words that would hammer the nail in the coffin. Gotti had a loose tongue, and FBI surveillance tapes happened to record him when he boasted to a fellow mobster: 'You tell him, I, me, John Gotti, will sever his motherfucking head!' The ruthless John Gotti was jailed for life.

6. Frank Costello
For all the muscle involved in organised crime, Frank Costello was the brains that smoothed the judges, police and politicians that kept the machine running. His contacts throughout city hall and across the country, along with his ability to slip in and out of different parts of society, earned him the nickname 'Prime Minister Of The Underground.'

A psychiatrist might deduce much from the behaviour of a gangster whose obsession with 'looking aces' was more important than avoiding a criminal conviction. And yes, just like a scene out of The Sopranos or Analyze This, Costello did have a psychiatrist.

When Costello died in 1972 his widow, Bobbie, insisted that none of his underworld cronies show up or send flower-bedecked tributes. One who did show up was a distant cousin who, as Costello's wife turned to leave the grave site, leaned over and asked in her ear: 'What are you going to do with Frank's clothes?' The widow walked off without answering, but perhaps dapper Frank would have appreciated the interest.

7. Vito Genovese
Don Vitone - as Genovese preferred to be called - can be credited as much as any single mafioso for keeping the mob in the narcotics business - a trade forbidden by mafia law.

In 1937, Genovese found himself facing a murder rap. Instead of hanging around to face the music, he fled to Italy. He succeeded in ingratiating himself with Benito Mussolini, despite the fascist leader's ruthless campaign to destroy the Italian Mafia.

Genovese finally returned to his old stomping ground in the US after the war, but he didn't stand trial, because the key witness in his murder case mysteriously 'disappeared'.

Genovese's obsession to become Capi di tutti capi eventually cost him dearly. After an attempted assassination on Frank Costello, fellow mob bosses had finally had enough of Don Vitone's power-hungry ways. Genovese found himself on the wrong end of a narcotics charge, set up by Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino, and Meyer Lansky, and spent the rest of his days behind bars.

8. Sam Giancana
In Hollywood, Sam Giancana was the Mafia. His friends included Frank Sinatra and Marylin Monroe. He was, a police report stated, 'A snarling, sarcastic, ill-tempered, sadistic psychopath.' According to the book Double Cross, Giancana not only played a part financing John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, but was also involved in the President's assassination.

9. Albert Anastasia
Albert Anastasia was a thug: evil and sadistic. His rise to power was as brutal as his fall. On 25 October 1957, Anastasia entered the barbershop of the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York. His bodyguard parked the car. While Anastasia relaxed in the chair with his eyes closed, two men, scarves covering their faces, barged in and blew Albert Anastasia away.

10. Santo Trafficante, Jr
Succeeding his father as mob boss of the Tampa branch in 1954, Santo Trafficante Jr enjoyed more than 30 years as one of the country's most powerful mob bosess. Trafficante Jr can be linked to at least four gangland slayings - including that of Albert Anastasia - and was involved in a plot to assassinate Cuban president Fidel Castro.

26 comments :

  1. Replies
    1. I second that. Chin was the mafia police, and the most powerful captain in all of ny city in his early years. Then became the most powerful boss in the 80's and 90's.

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  2. Carlo Gambino has them all beat. He never served a day in prison,no hits on him. He control the largest, most powerful family in the US. The DOJ could never lay a hand on Carlo. To end it all, when you have a mob boss that can die in his own bed, at peace that is extremely rare. Carlo did it all.

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    1. Mr. G. was arrested in the past, however was only held in jail not prison.

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    2. I don't believe that because Carlo Gambino did serve time in jail ,Tony Accardo didn't and Tony A Accardo made twice the money as Carlo Gambino and was the boss for 30 years longer .

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    3. I'm the new boss so shut the fuck up

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  3. Well all I have to say is I don't know no people. I know people that know people but I don't know no people.

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  4. Though I could clear a case from 1912 but fageddaboutit.

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  5. Giancana cldnt give no big orders with out clearing it with Accardo first.

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    1. Accardo was underboss who answered to paul ricca sam was just a stooge front street boss/capo the most powerful bosses in usa was russ buffalino who had hoffa killed and ricca

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  6. don’t forget Joe Bonanno... the bonnanos with Luciano were for the longest the strongest family in the states with the most international power and influence

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    1. Until Gambino ordered him to retire.

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  7. It's Marilyn Monroe...not Marylin

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  8. This list is pathetic! Only talking about pesky mob from united states 😂 if you wanna talk about Mafia it's fucking Pablo Escobar, El Chapo!!! With real fucking power that you only see in your miserable holiwood movies like godfather scarface 😂 these pesky NY gangsters are nothing compare to them! Stop fucking false advertising to the world that you guys are big shot my ASS! 😂

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  9. I never understand why Carlos Marcello is always left off lists or documentaries. Marcello was every bit as powerful, respected, and influential as any boss. Not to mention the abundant, albeit circumstantial evidence of involvement in the JFK assassination.

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  10. He supplied criminals and the guns paid off cops thats it

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  11. Chicago mob had ruby kill oswald

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  12. Russ buffalino and paul ricca top bisses besides ny top 5

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  13. 1. Carlo Gambino 2 Lucky Luciano 3 Meyer Lansky 4 Tony Accardo 5 Frank Costello 6 Al Capone 7 Angelo Bruno 8 Santo Trafficante 9 Vincent Gigante 10 Tommy Lucchese

    Anastasia, Genovese and especially Gotti were idiots.

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  14. None of New York would be anybody without Luciano. As for most powerful let’s say it’s a tie between a bunch of them

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  15. Frankie yale very powerful boss in the 1920s

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  16. Rumors Tony Accardo quit school ran the streets then join a gang?During Al Capone time era?Testimony Accardo He refused to answer&I don't Remenber? Tony places :2114 Central av,2136 Dekalb,5950 Wrightwood av,1409 Erie,2801 Keating,1812 austin blvd (cicero),1126 Monitor,129 blue Isl av .560 Harrison,1357 Harrsion,1000 Grand av,1353Grand av,4949 Diversey av,5724 Meade ave,(chicago)1319 broadway ,1319 19th ave, 1818 LakeSt,(MelrosePk)2139 75thCt Elmwood,506 Orchard ArlingHeights,1601 Westchester blvd(westchester) 1407-1431 ashland River/914 Franklin Forrest,1402 Monroe av Oakpark/RiverForest IL ETC. RiverRoad motel aka Thunderbolt Motel 5400 River Rd.(Rosemont).Armory7427 RooseveltRd Forrest Pk.Paul DeLucia Ricca knew Johnny Roselli since 1920s?Delucia aka Ricca places:1)coffeeShop near Halsted,2)Restraunt Wabash ave maybe 4deuces cafe 2222 wabash ave(Torrio)3)Esposito Bella Napoli cafe 850 Halsted, Cosironi Cafe901 Halsted,Dante Theatre 813 Taylor St/905 Halsted,Delucia Ricca citizenship case He claim he lived 905 Halsted st his wife Nancy lived 917 blue Island ave Chicago,His friend Frank Meo cigar store 905 Halsted,His friend Michael Fish 4920 Monroe St,(paul Maglio changed name Paul Delucia (Ricca).The Delucia Ricca accident he was with Fischetti brothers & Robert Carnahan.Accardo arrest Taylor St,Dominic Blasi 4907 Chicago Av,1138 Taylor St (Blasi 1138 Park av RiverForest & Charles English 1131 Lathrop RiverForest). Sam Giancana 1422 Taylor st,Genna bros Gang lived work 750 Taylor St, Lenny Patrick 4148 Taylor St.MikeShore 1709 Taylor,Cresl 1912 Taylor,Car lot 2900 Taylor St Chicago.Tony Genna End Grand av/Curtis,Mike Genna End Western av/59thSt.James Cafe/bar 1022 Taylor St/Halsted,Sam Genna PoolHall 856 blue Isl ave(Western av) Chicago il.Frank R Nitto 914 Halsted/1208 Lexington Chicago il.1st chicago park 2001 Clark St - St val 2-14-1929 2122 Clark St Chicago il Garage 1723 Wood St /Circus Cafe 1857 North Ave Chicago.Gus Winkeler end oct 1933 places 3300 Lake Shore Dr,Fischetti Bro 3100 Sheridan Rd Chicago/Lexington Hotel.42gang MaryCafe Taylor/Bishop & Jack McGurn grewup Polk/Morgan St italian Patch Chicago il.

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