Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia
Aladena “Jimmy the Weasel” Fratianno carved out a unique place in American organized crime history. He rose from Cleveland street thief to acting boss of the Los Angeles crime family, only to become the highest-ranking Mafioso to flip and testify for the government—until Sammy “The Bull” Gravano surpassed that distinction a decade later. Fratianno’s story…
Jack Dragna isn’t as flashy or well known as some mob bosses of his time, but he held the reins of the Los Angeles crime family firmly from the 1930s until he passed away in 1956. While names like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel grabbed all the attention, Dragna operated discreetly yet…
Joseph Ardizzone was a legendary figure in Los Angeles’s underworld life from early in the previous century. Ardizzone was an Italian native who had come to America in his youth and just as quickly turned to a life of crime. He grew in the ranks of the L.A. underworld, reveling mostly in gambling and prostitution…