While shouldering the legacy of his father and. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. Fifteen years following the assassination, Trafficante testified in front of the United States House Select Committee on the murder of JFK in exchange for immunity. His abiding passion is food. THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. love gloria "owens" hill. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? Learn more about managing a memorial . So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Nicknames: The Silent Don His health had declined in his later years. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Sorry! 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. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. They never returned. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. 2023, Tampa Mafia. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. 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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Conspiracy theorists consider Giancana along with Mafia leaders Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello associated with the assassination of Kennedy. 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. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. The Trafficante family formed a strong alliance with the Batista government in Cuba and profited from their investments, although they never achieved the goal of dominating gambling on the island. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. 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. All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. He will always be remembered with fondness. "[19] In his book Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vincent Bugliosi has claimed there to be many flaws in Ragano's claims, including his own claim that Trafficante was most likely not in Tampa on the day in question, but was rather in North Miami Beach, Florida, receiving dialysis treatments. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. Many of the familys gangsters were in prison, or too old to be effective. He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. 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. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. It wasn't somebody going into a back room to kiss somebody's ring. Please check your email for further instructions. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. Pupello determined that his diabetic patient's arteries were healthy. Learn more about merges. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Santo told the state attorney, I dont have an enemy in the world. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. 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. Robert Anderson aka The Killer Between 50 and 100 buildings were burned. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. She misses him, but she's making do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. 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. Try again later. 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. Please check your entries and try again. With deepest sympathy and love. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. 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. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. He drove standard cars, lived in regular houses in quiet places, was married to the same woman, and generally described as a quiet man. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. "I was going to ask him to come over and try our beignets to see how they compare to the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans," Alessi says. 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? Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. 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. 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. Father of Private and Private His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? "[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. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. [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. 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." 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. [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. Seven people were murdered. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . Email blog@themobmuseum.org. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Dr. Dennis Pupello was looking for heart disease, brought on by his overweight and diabetic patient's "voracious eating.". His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. [19] He claimed three witnesses could support his statement that he met Trafficante in Tampa, but refused to name them, adding: "One guy is afraid of retaliation. [12] According to Aleman, when he told Trafficante that President John F. Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is going to be hit. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. 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. Donnie Brasco. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. 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. [3] His wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by two of his daughters. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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. An editor and public historian, Carly Silver has written for Smithsonian, Narratively, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and Archaeology, among other publications. Trafficante again escaped conviction. His luck has not improved recently. 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:. All Rights Reserved. Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. He drove a forklift for 20 years. He wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. please know that i am praying for you and your family. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-laws Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. 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. Reputed 'boss of bosses' dies at 72 TAMPA, Fla, "' Trafficante dies at age 72 TAMPA. Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. I laughed _ until I realized it was a total f------ disaster," Trafficante says. Like many of the most prominent mobsters of the 20th century, his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., grew up in Sicily, Italy but became a major player in the criminal world after migrating to America. At Boxer Cycle Works. Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. 12 talking about this. 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. Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. 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. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. [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. 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. "[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. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. [13] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. The wiretap evidence has been thrown out of court. "[12] He said that Trafficante complained about the honesty of the Kennedys and their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates. based on information from your browser. Indeed, some people would rather not dwell on the less-than-noble aspects of our local history. Organized Crime Figure. Mobster dies, two nations. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. wills o' nats last of the summer wine. We have set your language to [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. [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. cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Husband of Private GREAT NEWS! "I'm in the I.O.U. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. "My wife's got money. Santo, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. "I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. Share Santo's life story with friends and family. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. Salcines was observed at the properties the weekend of June 9, 1967. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in Scarface, or the heyday of Miami Vice. Other Mafia leaders, as well as newer organized crime networks, took over many of the rackets the family ran throughout the 20th Century. 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. 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. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. In fact, Florida had the dubious distinction of being home to a decades-old Mafia criminal network: the Trafficante Family. 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. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. 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. As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. English Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. Our prayers are with you. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. Rosselli testified in 1975 to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the efforts to kill Castro. There was an error deleting this problem. 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. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. Santo Trafficante Jr., one of the last of the old-time reputed Mafia dons, who was reportedly enlisted in 1960 in a futile effort to kill Fidel Castro, has died at the age of 72. The Internal Revenue Service tried to collect $400,000 in back taxes owed on the business, saying it had not been run as business eligible for tax write-offs, but a hobby. He flew to Houston on March 15 for heart bypass surgery. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. 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. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. Please try again later. 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. Santo Jr. was indicted several times through the 1950s but was convicted only once, on state charges in 1954 for bribery, and that conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court. [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. My prayers are with all of you. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. [8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. 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. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. Our thoughts and prayers with you. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. There was a problem getting your location. "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.". At 76,. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website.
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