Dietche - The Everything Mafia Book: True-life accounts of legendary figures, infamous crime families, and nefarious deeds

THE
EVERYTHING
MAFIA BOOK
2nd Edition

Dear Reader,
Lets face it: America likes gangsters. It always has. The public fascination Dear Reader, with the criminal element has been part of pop culture for decades. And no matter how much is written or filmed about the mob, people are intrigued. There are literally thousands of Mafia stories to be told, and each passing year brings more and more to the theater, TV screen, and bookstore.

What I tried to do in this book was to highlight some of the more notorious figures and events in the history of the Mafia in the United States. Accuracy is something that can be elusive when dealing with the Mafia. They are, after all, supposed to be a secret organization. Bringing together the latest research in a readable fashion was my goal. I also wanted to look at some of the lesser-known figures. The Mafia was far more than John Gotti and Al Capone, though their importance merits chapters dedicated to each.

So sit back, turn on some Frank Sinatra, and enjoy.

Welcome to the EVERYTHING Series!

These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.

You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.

We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When youre done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!

Answers to common questions

Important snippets of information

Urgent warnings

Quick handy tips

PUBLISHER Karen Cooper

DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier

MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing

COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Lisa Laing

SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson

Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com

THE

EVERYTHING

MAFIA

BOOK

2nd Edition

True-life accounts of legendary figures,
infamous crime families, and nefarious deeds

Scott M. Deitche

Copyright 2009, 2003 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-59869-779-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-779-7
eISBN:

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

To my family

Contents

A cknowledgments

I want to thank UTC for setting me up with this project. I also want to thank Gina Panettieri for getting the ball rolling and making things happen. Thanks to Lisa Laing at Adams Media for all the guidance. I want to also give a blanket thanks to all the researchers, writers, law enforcement personnel, wise guys, librarians, mob historians, and Mafia forum members who have given me information and material over the years. It all came in handy on this project.

Organization of a Mafia Family

*There may be as many as ten soldiers under one capo.

**There can be any number of associates under a soldier.

Top Ten Gangsters You Will Get to Know After Reading This Book

1. Sam Giancanathe boss of the Chicago Outfit who was recruited by the CIA to help assassinate Fidel Castro.

2. Al Caponewho rose to fame as a bootlegger during Prohibition and became the most recognizable mobster ever.

3. Salvatore Lucky Lucianothe visionary mobster who turned the old Mustache Peteled crime syndicate into the American Mafia.

4. Carlos Marcellothe mob boss who ruled New Orleans for decades and may have been involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.

5. John Gottithe mob boss turned pop culture icon who ascended to the top spot after a spectacular Christmas time hit on his boss.

6. Joe Bonannothe 1920s era don who lived longer than any of his contemporaries.

7. Henry Hilla mob stoolie who was made famous in the movies, but still got into trouble after testifying against his old mob brethren.

8. Albert Mad Hatter Anastasiaa mobster who ruled his crime family with an iron fist, until a haircut and shave ended his life.

9. Benjamin Bugsy Siegela mobster who transformed Las Vegas from a small-time gambling town to a world-class high-roller paradise.

10. Carlo Caputothe mob boss of Madison, Wisconsin. Never heard of him? You will, along with dozens of other lesser-known wise guys who lived in the shadows and stayed out of the papers.