Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the Apalachin agenda. Verify and try again. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. We found ourselves in a love affair with Tony Soprano and we could not stop watching. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . Fla. (AP), Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52792202/frank-cacciatore-trafficante, L'Unione Italiana Cemetery, Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr, Death of Santo Trafficante, Jr at Houston, TX. tampa crime boss santo trafficante jr plays a central role in thriller 'mafia spies' Bolita , Mob Hits , Scott M. Deitche , Tampa Mafia SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A 'Sicilian of the Old School,' RULED TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. His business ventures have not always been successful. Returning to Miami, he joined his father, managing some . 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. According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. He was married to his wife for 49 years. . She misses him, but she's making do. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. [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. They never returned. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. 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. By the time Prohibition and the Era of Blood ended, he was the top man in the Florida Mafia, operating with the blessing of exiled Mob boss Charlie Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello of the Five Families, and Meyer Lansky of the national Syndicate. 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. Donnie Brasco. Mobster Johnny Rosselli, who worked for both Trafficante and the Chicago Outfit, was another associate involved in the unsuccessful efforts to kill Castro and, according to some biographies, was the man who put Trafficante and Giancana together with Maheu. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". He is hardly the "Dapper Don." 93461.". 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. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. This is a carousel with slides. 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. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. Despite his arrest, Trafficante managed to escape charges and continue to fly under the laws radar. Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. James Traficant - Wikipedia Santo Trafficante Jr News reports - YouTube SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! Now he owns a 210-acre orange grove in southern Hillsborough. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. based on information from your browser. I hold such fond memories of Santo & Gerry when I was growing up. A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? You and Santo will always have a special place in my heart. She was the Matriarch of the Trafficante Family; and we will all miss her presence, guidance, love and affection. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife and children at his father-in-laws house in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. [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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 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. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. 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. But then came Key Bank, a massive drug-money-laundering investigation. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. 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. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. the daughter of immigrants from the Italian region of Basilicata. She was born on March 24, 1920. There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' [18] According to Ragano, he met Hoffa at the Teamsters' headquarters in Washington, DC, then delivered the message to Trafficante and Marcello in a meeting at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. 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. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. [7], In January 1958, Trafficante was questioned by the Cuban police regarding the Apalachin meeting. She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. He had a big heart and will be missed. In fact, Florida had the dubious distinction of being home to a decades-old Mafia criminal network: the Trafficante Family. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Santo Trafficante Jr. Learns About Sonny Franzese So is Santo Jose Trafficante III a mobster? Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. A year has passed. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. 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. Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17 Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia. One bank filed suit in November against him and a business partner, alleging that they defaulted on an $85,000 loan for a piece of property. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. He was known as an organized crimes figure. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. 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. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. 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. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. It never did exist.". 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. 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. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. [8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. Santo Traficante Jr fue uno de los ltimos y mas poderosos capos de la mafia en Florida y Cuba. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. I found on Findagrave.com. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing his ownership of a car dealership, and employment at various restaurants and night clubs over the years. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. "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.". Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. Brother of Frank Cacciatore Trafficante; Private and Private. 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. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Please try again later. Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Published: March 15th, 2017 - By Scott M. Deitche, Contributing Writer, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17, El Chapos lawyers complain about strict rules at New York prison. Spoiled by mobsters, Meyer Lansky's daughter recalls family men, not Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". She is survived by her daughters, Mary Jo Paniello and Sarah Ann Valdes; her grandchildren, Dr. Santo Paniello and wife Susan; Dina Smith and husband Don; Melissa Castellana and husband John; and Valerie Cordell and husband Ian; her great-grandchildren, Michael Sierra, Elizabeth Paniello, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Christina Castellana, Augie Castellana, Alexa Cordell, Anna Cordell Drew Smith, Allison Hunt and husband Joey; as well as endless extended family. With deepest sympathy and love. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. A A. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". His luck has not improved recently. Rosselli testified in 1975 to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the efforts to kill Castro. Notoriety comes with family name - Tampa Bay Times 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. He drove standard cars, lived in regular houses in quiet places, was married to the same woman, and generally described as a quiet man. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. Josephine Marchese Trafficante After the Kennedy hubbub, Trafficante kept a low profile or, lower that is. All Rights Reserved. Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. Santo Trafficante, Reputed Mafia Chief, Dies at 72 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 Unbelievable Story Of Richard Lee McNair The Man Who Mailed Himself Out Of Prison, What JFK's Mob-Affiliated Mistress May Have Known About His Assassination, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . Mobster dies, two nations. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Like Trafficante Jr. before him, had many close calls with law enforcement, but always escaped serious charges. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Indeed, some people would rather not dwell on the less-than-noble aspects of our local history. ). There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. 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. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. We are one of them! He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Oops, something didn't work. Geni requires JavaScript! One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. He dressed nicely but not ostentatiously, and his choice of cars was never flashy. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. Services will be followed by a graveside service at the Italian Club Cemetery and a reception at the family home. That horse won $161,080 for its new owners, according to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders Association. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. 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. 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. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. 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. 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. He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. English My prayers are with all of you. 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? Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. 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. Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFrank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). In addition, "on January 23, 1958 the Cuban Department of Investigation, Havana, Cuba notified the Bureau of Narcotics that Santo Trafficante was registered in their Alien Office under No. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. The report was given to the District Attorney's office. The guy really tried to do it right.". My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. For all the power he wielded, Trafficante was often described as quiet and reserved. Learn more about merges. She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. [14] When this was pointed out, Aleman denied that he meant that he believed Kennedy was going to murdered and said he thought that Trafficante meant that Kennedy was going to be "hit" politically during the next election. Nicknames: The Silent Don https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. [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. 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 choice was nothing more than honoring a tradition. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. Who better than his son, Trafficante Jr., to inherit his throne? "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. "[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. His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. 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.

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