The Rise and Fall of Frank Cullotta: A Tale of Crime and Redemption Frank Cullotta is a name that is synonymous with organized crime and the dark underbelly of society. Born on December 14, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, Cullotta would go on to become one of the most notorious figures in the history of the…
Tony “Joe Batters” Accardo – De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit
Tony Accardo, also known as Joe Batters, was the de facto boss of the Chicago Outfit who never spent a day in jail, despite a lengthy career in the mafia.
He died a successful businessman and to many, a never tried or convicted mass murderer.
Giacomo “Black Jack” Tocco – Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership
When Giacomo “Black Jack” Tocco died in 2014, it was an end of an era for the Mob. At the time of his death, he’d been the longest serving Mafia leader in the history of American organized crime. He presided over an outfit that had prospered in the greater Detroit area for decades. While he’d…
Joseph Iacobacci – “Joe Loose” of the Cleveland Mob
When Joseph Iacobacci died earlier this year of natural causes, his death marked an end of an era for the Cleveland Mafia. Iacobacci nicknamed “Joe Loose” for his violent ways as a young man that made fellow gangsters quip he had a “screw loose” in his head, led his Cleveland Crime family during a tumultuous…
Stefano “The Undertaker” Magaddino
Stefano “The Undertaker” Magaddino was responsible for building the Bufalino crime family and was one of the longest serving mafia leaders in United States history. He was removed as boss during family unrest in the early 1970’s.
John “Sonny” Franzese – A Colombo Family Legend
If there was ever a living example of the resiliency and pervasiveness of organized crime in America, it had to have been John “Sonny” Franzese Sr. Franzese, who died in February of this year, lived to be over 100 years old. Throughout his entire adult life, he was involved in organized crime and other criminal…
Arnold Rothstein – A Poker Game Gone Wrong
Arnold Rothstein was a jewish-american gangster who was thought to have taught mobster Lucky Luciano everything he knew about running a successful business.
A gambler, Rothstein eventually lost his life after walking out on a three hundred thousand gambling loss.
Aniello Migliore – A respected and highly regarded member of the Lucchese family
Aniello Migliore, who died on September 11, 2019, was one of the few remaining mobsters from the golden age of the Mafia. Migliore, a long-time member of the Lucchese Crime Family in New York city, had lived to see it all, from the infamous Appalachin meeting in upstate New York (or at least the aftermath…
Sam Giancana – JFK Ties, Mistresses, and the Outfit
While we remember dozens of notorious criminals from the recent past, few gangsters left their mark on the 20th century like Sam Giancana did. In his decade leading the Chicago Outfit, Giancana did more than just run the mob’s lucrative rackets. He also formed ties with key politicians, like the Kennedys, and allegedly worked with…
Tommaso Buscetta – Responsible for the Maxi Trials
Turncoats are increasingly a staple of organized crime these days; Mafiosos, facing lengthy prison sentences, agree to cooperate with the prosecution and finger their fellow mobsters in exchange for lighter sentences. Sammy “the Bull” Gravano’s testimony against John Gotti in the early 1990s is perhaps the best example of this. However, it wasn’t always that…