A A. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. 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. Try again. Claiming association with the CIA, Roselli knew of Trafficantes vendetta and told his new pal that the U.S. government also wanted to take down Castros Communist regime. She misses him, but she's making do. 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. Some people also alleged that Trafficante Jr played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy due to his anti-organized crime efforts, but Trafficante Jr. always denied it. The mobster would later testify: I got news that Cuban officials were looking for to put me in jail because one of the things was that I was a Batista collaborator. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. She was a wonderful cook, and she loved to crochet and travel with her husband, but she lived her life for her family. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-law's Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. Images of America Series de libros - eBooks | Rakuten Kobo Mxico Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. Please reset your password. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. 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. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. ". This browser does not support getting your location. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. [13] He stated that he received no payment for his involvement and that he acted out of patriotism. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: 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. 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. The choice was nothing more than honoring a tradition. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. She was born on March 24, 1920. Salcines was observed at the properties the weekend of June 9, 1967. Santo Trafficante Jr News reports - YouTube 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. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. Santo Trafficante Jr. - IMDb Resend Activation Email. 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. Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Associates: Sam Giancana, Charlie Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Johnny Rosselli, Robert Maheu. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. He is currently working on his seventh book, The Jersey Mob., Feedback or questions? Santo Trafficante Jr. - Wikipedia 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. 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. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 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. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. There is a problem with your email/password. 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. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Santo Trafficante Jr. SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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.. [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. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. [21], Trafficante was summoned to court in 1986 and questioned about his involvement with the King's Court Bottle Club operated by members of the Bonanno crime family, including undercover FBI agent Joseph D. "Joe" Pistone, a.k.a. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. Home - Boxer Cycle Works This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. 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. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. Santo Trafficante Jr. (1914-1987) - Find a Grave Memorial He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. A year has passed. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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 Sr., a 'Sicilian of the old school,' ruled Tampa's The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Year should not be greater than current year. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. 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? His luck has not improved recently. He wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. Forget everything you think you know about Tampa mafia wives and girlfriends in the 1950s. When his father died in 1954 he took control of these establishments. He was, in many ways, the archetypical old-school Mob boss. Scott M. Deitche is the author of six books on organized crime, including a biography of Santo Trafficante Jr., and has written dozens of articles on organized crime for magazines and newspapers. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. "My wife's got money. Indeed, some people would rather not dwell on the less-than-noble aspects of our local history. Notoriety comes with family name - Tampa Bay Times F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. Trafficante was jailed and deported when Fidel Castro rose to power, leading him to spend a good portion of his adult life hatching a plan of revenge. "[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. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. Mobster dies, two nations. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. This is a carousel with slides. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. Thanks for subscribing! You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. [3] His wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by two of his daughters. Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. [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. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida While the senior Trafficante had been a major mobster in his own right, nobody could have expected the heights that were going to be reached by his son. Santo Trafficante, Jr (1914 - 1987) - Genealogy - geni family tree Santo Trafficante Jr. Learns About Sonny Franzese Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. It never did exist.". Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. 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." based on information from your browser. Our prayers are with you. The guy really tried to do it right.". Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. 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. Photos of Santo Trafficante Jr. - Find a Grave Memorial At Boxer Cycle Works. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. 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. Try again later. The chairman cited a confession from Roselli that Trafficantes allies organized a sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, to take out the President. 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. Santos ran numerous legitimate businesses as well as illegal, including several legal casinos in Cuba, a Havana drive-in movie theater, and shares in restaurants and bars in Tampa. Try again later. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. The IRS was unsuccessful, according to Fernandez, Trafficante's attorney. 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. Perched on the edge of a leather chair in his attorney's office, Santo J. Trafficante III wears a pained expression on his jowly face. 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. THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. Trafficante tried to win Castro over to his side, but that didnt work. U.S. Treasury Department documents indicate that law enforcement believed Trafficante's legitimate business interests to include several legal casinos in Cuba; a Havana drive-in movie theater; and shares in several restaurants and bars in Trafficante's hometown of Tampa, Florida. Santo Trafficante Jr.: The Florida Godfather Who Tried To Kill Castro Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. 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. There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. We have set your language to Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. Seven people were murdered. The investigators were looking for proof of drug-money laundering. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate.