‘I swear on the tip of this dagger, wet with blood, to be faithful to this body of formed society, to disown father, mother, brothers and sisters, up to the seventh generation’ In ‘The Fifth Element’, I outlined the history of the formation of the ‘Famiglia Basilischi’ who were officially recognised as the fifth mafia. A lot has been written about the main three: Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta and the Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra), however, not much…
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Our did you know? series is a new feature for the NCS, where we take snippets of information and share them with you. Whether it’s about mobsters, places, events, or just setting the record straight on information that has been published. Each Wednesday we will publish them on here and our social media channels, so keep an eye out! Did You Know That… Paul Ricca saved Al Capone’s life in the drive-by shooting at the…
To most Mafia aficionado’s the name ‘Lucania’ will no doubt recall one of the Italian-American Mafia founders. A man born in Lercara, Sicily on the 24th November 1897, whose family emigrated to America in April 1906. A man who also, whilst serving a prison term of 30-50 years, helped the American war effort from the confines of his prison cell by ensuring the docks of New York were protected from the Nazis. His reward, sentence…
Our did you know? series is a new feature for the NCS, where we take snippets of information and share them with you. Whether it’s about mobsters, places, events, or just setting the record straight on information that has been published. Each Wednesday we will publish them on here and our social media channels, so keep an eye out! Did You Know That… Louis Campagna who was a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit for…
Back in 2016 we took on the massive and never-ending task of putting together a mob calendar. It started with a few key dates each month, and as each year passed and a new year started, we began bulking it out. Its fair to say, the NCS Calendar is probably the main part of the website and its used for reference by many mob historians, many sites (some very well known), and has come in…
Our did you know? series is a new feature for the NCS, where we take snippets of information and share them with you. Whether it’s about mobsters, places, events, or just setting the record straight on information that has been published. Each Wednesday we will publish them on here and our social media channels, so keep an eye out! Did You Know That… North Side Gang leader, Dean O’Banion, had an accident earlier in life…
Whether you love him or hate, this is one hell of an interview with Sammy The Bull. From contracted hits, to growing up in the mob, Gravano breaks his silence after his last interview two decades ago. He also speaks about John Gotti and how things turned sour… “I rigged the trials, I threatened people, I f**king bribed people and he turns on me’ People cheer about what [Gotti] was doing. [But] he did more…
One if the biggest Hollywood stars to grace the screens of the 50’s and 60’s was the blonde bomb shell, Marilyn Monroe. So what do we know? We know that she was dating both Robert and John F Kennedy, and she was also in relations with Chicago Outfit boss, Sam Giancana. Sam Giancana had a major part in helping John F Kennedy get elected into the White House after his father Joe approached the Outfit…
After being held up in a maximum security prison in Colorado where he was to serve a life sentence after being convicted of murder and racketeering in the Operation Family Secrets trial in 2007, Outfit mobster Joey “The Clown” Lombardo has passed away at the age of 90. Not much in the way of information surrounding his death has been published yet, which occurred on Saturday 19th October. The trial, which began in 2007 looked…
This story, overtime has been added to and exaggerated by the decade. The more the story has been told the more elements that have been embellished, and Hollywood certainly has played its part in making this event more spectacular than it was. Let’s set the scene firstly. Al Capone in the late 1920’s had a lot of enemies, one of them was Joe Aiello. In February 1929 gangland Chicago, if not gangland America was shook…
Gang Wars were rife during the 1920’s in Chicago, constant drive-bys, shootouts in the street during daytime hours, you name it. No one was safe, especially Al Capone who was at the center of most news headlines and controversy. We all know about the 7-tonne bulletproof cadillac sedan that Al drove, which cost some $20,000 to customize – $250,000 in today’s money, but what else helped keep Capone safe? We look at some of…
For tourists and residents, New York City offers a world of excitement to unlock: There are numerous museums, restaurants, shops, neighborhoods, and famous sites to visit, so many that even lifelong New Yorkers will never be able to see them all in their lifetimes. And it’s also a great city to visit if you’re a huge fan of all things related to the mob. Here are the places mob lovers absolutely must check out in…
With our articles about the top mafia books and the best mafia movies, it only makes sense to come up with this list of the top 7 gang-related TV series. All of these shows have been critically-acclaimed, heavily awarded, and have grabbed the attention of millions around the globe. Here’s a little about each one of them. The Sopranos Without a doubt, the most popular mobster TV show of our age was The Sopranos. The series ran from…
Other Episodes Episode 21: Boat Rackets and Bad Bosses So, it’s been a while since I wrote a Chronicle. Not because I didn’t want to, or lack of contents, but because, well, life gets in the way. I spent 4 months filming an outdoor adventure series for YouTube that’s still in post-production. My apparel line, “OUR THING” Apparel, will soon be available at Amazon. I’m constantly working towards getting my TO BE A KING…
Choose your birth month from the calendar and see which mobster you share your birthday month with.
Dillinger’s Corpse to Be Dug Up and DNA-Tested on September 16th 2019 to Settle Conspiracy Theory Last month we marked the 85th year anniversary of the death of one the most notorious bank robbers in America’s long history. Dillinger escaped death on many occasions during his short life, and even mocked FBI agents in their attempts to catch The Jack Rabbit. On July 22nd 1934 the feds finally caught up with him, or did they?…
Over the next month we are going to be covering some of the depression era bank robbers, the Bonnie & Clyde’s, Baby Face Nelson’s, Pretty Boy Floyd’s and Harry Peirpont’s. You can read our article ‘The Three Musketeers‘ to read more about Dillinger, Floyd and Nelson. Our first article comes from a prison escape, and one of the masterminds of his era, John Dillinger. Dillinger was the leader of The Terror Gang and was said…
Now aged 86, soon to be 87 in July of this year, Alphonse D’Arco also known as “The Professor” was the acting boss of the Lucchese Crime Family during the early 1990’s. But, Al wasn’t your stereotypical mobster. He didn’t drink (apart from the occasional glass of wine), he didn’t smoke, and he remained loyal to one woman, Dolores, who he married and had 5 children with. The first being Joe who was born in…
The Pizza Connection Trial began on September 30, 1985 and ended with convictions of 21 defendants in March 1987. The FBI had been investigating into a drug smuggling tie between the Sicilian Mafia and the Bonanno Crime Family since 1980, with the first arrests being made in 1984. What Was The Pizza Connection? Put simply, it was a massive drugs and cash laundering operation that would see $1.6 billion in heroin and cocaine moved into…
It was back in late 1978 when four of the five crime families of New York came together to embark on a lucrative racket that would make millions for the mob. The racket was to win contracts throughout New York City from the Housing Authority, to replace windows across the city. Each family designated a mobster or a couple of mobsters to control their respected interest in the scheme. The Lucchese Family were at the…
Chinatown, in the 1980’s was a hustling, bustling vibrant area that had a darker underbelly, not unlike the life a couple of blocks away in ‘Little Italy’. The five boroughs of New York City, a hive of organised crime activity with many accents, and each with their own dark history. However, America were ill prepared for the Chinese organised crime gangs. They had no one who could go undercover and infiltrate Chinatown, nor did they…
Extortion, shake-downs and bribery, all Mafia methods when it comes to increasing cash flow and getting strong holds within organizations. The Mafia have always invested an interest in legitimate businesses, whether that is a new business setup by a mobster to act as a front for laundering money from rackets and scams, or whether they have managed to infiltrate unions or enterprises and get in on the action. Don’t be fooled in thinking that the…
As a child, the years between 1977 – 1980, were a personal nightmare. It was also when I had begun my quest for an anti-hero. There was a few to choose from, but one interested me more than most. He had not long absconded, you cannot escape from an open jail, from HMP Spring Hill located in the village of Grendon Underwood, in Buckinghamshire, England. As a ten-year-old, I was fascinated, unfortunately, the internet didn’t…
Having a Mafia Nickname comes with the territory of being in the mob. Some are outrageous and some are intimidating, what’s your Mafia Nickname? Find out below. Share your names in the comments below… Left Column: Take the first initial of your real first name and match it to a letter from the alphabet. This will reveal the first name of your Mafia Nickname. Right Column: Take the first initial of your real last name (surname)…
The true test of a Mafia historian is knowing exactly when Paul Castellano got shot down outside Sparks Steakhouse, or when the Dutchman took a rusty bullet in the Palace Chop House bathroom. Can you complete our latest game and put the mobsters in order of when they met their end, starting with the earliest to the most recent?
In Al D’Arco’s biography, Mob Boss, he spoke about a mobster that he worked for by the name of Little Davey Petillo. A mobster who he met while incarcerated in prison, who had started out working as bodyguard for Al Capone before he later began working for Lucky Luciano. His partner in crime was Charles “Chalutz” Gagliodotto (who he would later go on to kill on the streets of Queens). Charles “Chalutz” Gagliodotto (1908 –…
From Dutch Schultz, to Albert Anastasia to Paul Castellano, the history of the mob has seen its fair share of gruesome and barbaric assassinations. Whether its a shotgun to the head in a drive-by-shooting, or a head in a vice, mobsters lived and died in a brutal world. Let’s put your answers to the test in our latest interactive game. We ask 9 questions to find out how you would meet your end as a…
Have you got what it takes to complete our memory board and match each mobster up to complete a pair? Test your skills now…the clock is ticking. Let us know how many cards you turned and what time it took you to complete the challenge!
Ever wondered which mobster you are most likely to take after? Take our personality test now to see which Mafia icon you are most matched to.
On this day in 1921 eight men were acquitted in the Black Sox Scandal, a scandal which would cement its place in history as one of the biggest Major League Baseball match fixing incidents to have ever happened. Behind it all was one man, Arnold Rothstein,who would never be indicted for his part in the fix. Arnold Rothstein So What Happened? Eight Chicago White Sox players were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series…
Just when you thought you had seen it all, we have put together a list of 20 must-have items for Mafia lovers. From the inspiring and unique, to the crazy and bizarre, right through to the jaw-dropping and amazing – we brought them into one place. So whether you are looking for yourself, or your partner – take a look at the top 20 Mafia gift hit list. 1. The Al Capone Whiskey Barrel Mug…
Join us as we take a closer look at the woman that played a significant role in the gangster lifestyle. I have chosen the following ten based on no criteria other than trying to list the most infamous. Ma Barker The godmother of crime, Arizona Donnie Barker (aka Kate Barker), was merciless despite her sweet-sounding moniker of ‘Ma Barker’. Marrying George Barker at 19 they went on to have four sons; Herman, Lloyd, Arthur…
Finding a list of lavish properties proved to be as difficult as I thought, as Tony Accardo told his boys, to keep low level and below the radar. I have chosen these ten with the help of Rob Bailot Jr. who has also provided the pictures for this piece, thanks Rob. l. Al Capone’s Florida Mansion Bought For $40,000 in 1923 Now Worth $15,000,000 This is the Capone mansion, which he bought in 1923 for…
The dreaded Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, more commonly known as RICO, is an act that was passed back in 1970 and struck fear into mobsters nationwide, especially mob bosses. Until the 1970’s, a mob boss was untouchable but with the introduction of RICO it allowed them to be tried for crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them in doing. This act ultimately closed a loophole in the system that allowed…
The chances are that you have heard of The Bloods and The Crips at some point in your life, whether its on the TV, through word-of-mouth, or maybe through some kind of affiliation. For most people, the knowledge of Bloods and Crips stops there. They don’t know too much about how they came to be, or what they stand for. That’s where we come in. Gang Colors The first thing to notice is the color…
John Dillinger may have only been 31 years old at the time of his death, and that death may have occurred over 80 years ago now, but you can’t argue that the legacy he has left behind has imprinted his name deep into the annals of organized crime history. There’s something you just have to like about him, whether that was his charming persona and confident swagger, or the fact that during the severe worldwide…
The kiss of death, also known as the Mafia Kiss, is a sign given by a boss or maybe a capo that signifies that a member of the crime family has been marked for death. Usually because of betrayal. Don’t let that stop you having this Mafia Kiss cocktail though! It will leave you blown away… Ingredients 1.5oz of Jamaican Rum 1.5oz of Peutro Rican Gold Rum 0.25oz of Absinthe 0.5oz of Velvet Falernum 0.5oz…
Virginia Hill Associated with: Bugsy Siegel and Joe Adonis She was sassy, she was smart, she was well dressed…and she was good looking. To start any mob molls article off without featuring Virginia Hill would be pointless. Most people around the world who aren’t even mob aficionados have heard the name, most notably because she was the glamorous girlfriend of hot-headed mobster Bugsy Siegel, and of course for the controversy surrounding his death in 1947….
Frank Gusenberg Frank was one of the North-Side mobsters who was on the receiving end of a Tommy Gun in the famous St Valentines Day massacre. Gusenberg was an enforcer for Bugs Moran and he was barely alive when police turned up to see the aftermath of the shooting. When the police asked who had shot him, he stayed true to the code of silence and uttered the following words before passing away: “Nobody shot…
Some mob nicknames sound powerful, intimidating and down right terrifying, we’re talking of names like The Lord High Executioner, The Grim Reaper, The Killer, The Ice Man, The Devil… you get the picture, we could go on. Then, well, there’s names that shall we say don’t really portray that same effect. Ducks, chickens, sausages, eggs, and other weird, strange and confusing nicknames all appear in our list. Joseph “Junior Lollipops” Carna Joseph Carna was a…
The Genna Brothers were six brothers who operated in the Chicago area through the Prohibition era from 1921 until 1925. By mid-1925, three of the six Genna brothers had been killed and the Genna Crime Family had been absorbed by the Chicago Outfit. Despite being a prominent part of the Chicago underworld for several years, The Genna Brothers aren’t often spoken about. The Genna Brothers Angelo Genna (Feb 3, 1898 – May 26, 1925) –…
Reading Time: It was a cold and chilly morning in Chicago, the time was 10:30 a.m. and the date was February 14, 1929. This day would not only mark one of the most brutal mob killings in history, but it would also end the North and South side battle for power. A battle that dominated the Chicago underworld for years and saw over 200 mob murders. Some of those victims included North Side leaders, Dean…
The past is always present in the future, but sometimes the past can easily be disguised. Take Detroit for example, a city that has a dark and violent history that isn’t always present to the eye today. The truth is, that some of the iconic landmarks around the fourth-largest city in the Midwest, hold secrets from the past, hidden behind some of these forgotten sites and hangouts. Most notable the Purple Gang, a group of…
Two armed men entered the shop of Debilia Liacola as Vito DiGiorgio was sitting in the barber chair and James Casaio was playing pool. The gunmen drew pistols. “You take the one in the chair and I’ll take the one playing pool” one yelled. ~ Police believe the slayers trailed the men over the country to assassinate them. ~From the Freeport Journal-Standard in Freeport Illinois, Saturday May 13 1922~ Vito Di Giorgio, arguably the first…
What do these three Prohibition bank robbers all have in common? Well, two things, they were all Public Enemy Number One and they all met their end in the same year through shootouts with the law. 1934 was certainly a bad year for these three men, and in this article we take a look at how their end came to be. Starting with the first to go, John Dillinger. John Dillinger, Killed in Chicago, 22…
For many years, mobsters met at steakhouses and various other restaurants around the cities that they ran, and more often than not, it would be their final meal before they were gunned down in the very restaurant with who they were dining within. Nuovoa Villa Tammaro Restaurant 2715 W 15th St, Coney Island – April 15th 1933 Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria’s favorite restaurant was Nuovoa, it was a hit for lovers of seafood, on…
All Hallows’ Eve is upon us once again, and to celebrate the yearly event we are bringing you our very own Halloween special. So before you go trick or treating around your local neighborhood, you may want to check out our 5 most feared mobsters.
Don’t know your Waste Management Business from your Shylock Business? Our ultimate Mafia glossary is an on-going project here at the NCS that we are going to add to overtime. Scrub up on your mob slang. Administration: the top-level “management” of an organized crime Family — the boss, underboss and consigliere. Associate: one who works with mobsters, but hasn’t been asked to take the vow of Omertà; an almost confirmed, or made guy. Connected Guy:…
The Lufthansa Heist was one of the biggest cash thefts on American soil, it has been popularized in many a book and movie, the biggest being Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Goodfellas was of course the movie where Robert De Niro portrayed Jimmy Burke, who, in the movie had his name changed to ‘James Conway’ (which was in-fact his birth name), and not forgetting the book written by one of the organizers himself ‘The Lufthansa Heist – By…
Whether its a mob hit from the 1920’s or one as early as the 2000’s its interesting to know what happened to some of the more famous places where mobsters drew their final breath. We take you through 13 (unlucky for some) of the most prominent Mafia killings from the last century. 1. Park Central Hotel: 870 Seventh Avenue, New York. Albert Anastasia was in a barbers chair at the Park Sheraton Hotel on 870 7th…
Over the years the mob have used many social clubs in order to hold meetings, the following are a look at some of the most popular clubs used by the likes of the Gambino’s and Genovese crime families, then and now. 1. The Gemini Lounge: 4021 Flatlands Ave., Brooklyn The Gemini Lounge in Flatlands was a hotspot for Roy DeMeo and his crew in the 1980’s. He would often lure his contracted hits or victims to…
Murder Incorporated; the name given by the media to the Mafia’s enforcement arm who operated between the 1930’s and 1940’s. Lepke Buchalter started the murder for hire group in 1933 with the mission to kill anyone for a profit, as long as that contract was approved by the National Crime Syndicate. With Murder Inc protecting him from rivals, helping him to keep police and judges on his payroll, Lepke was one of the highest ranking mobsters in his…
He might adorn a pinstriped suit, he may fire a Tommy gun, and he may make you an offer you can’t refuse, but he’s not a mobster without a cool nickname. Dons, made men and associates, all are known for their violent deeds, as well as their distinctive nicknames. Jake “Greasy Thumb” Guzik In the 1920’s, Jake Guzik was a high-ranking member in the Chicago Outfit, second only to Al Capone. He was Capone’s chief accountant….
The expert hit is the trademark of organized gangs. These kind of murders are committed to get rid of a problematic person in the criminal world, and due to the specialist nature of such crimes, some of them remain unsolved. John Favara In the year 1980, John Favara lived in the Howard Beach part of NY, here he had the hard luck to meet quite a few members of the Mafia, counting his neighbor, John…
History has provided us with stories of bloodthirsty hitmen from the mob world. Here are 10 of the most strange and prolific contract killers. Chester Wheeler Campbell All through the 1970s and ’80s, Campbell worked for both the Italian Mafia and the urban drug lords in Detroit. [amazon_link asins=’0985244062′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’naticrimsynd-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’26eaeebe-2c4b-11e8-be19-63f5b2d8d8fa’]He had a lot more surveillance apparatus on him when you compared it with most of the tech that the police at that…
Real life can be more bizarre, amusing, or terrifying than a movie. Some famous people like Steven Seagal, Jackie Chan, Jimi Hendrix, have all had petrifying run-ins with nasty gangland killers. The Mob and Steven Seagal In the year 2001, the FBI were examining the Gambino crime family when they heeded the gangsters making fun of their extortion victim, Steven Seagal, who didn’t live up to his tough guy personality. The FBI got in touch with…
Who Were Murder Inc? Murder incorporated also known as The Combination within the syndicate circle was the name given by the press to organized crime groups. Murder Inc. were split up based upon ethnic lines, these were Jewish and Italian groups, Joe Valachi a Mafia turncoat insisted within his own biography that Murder Inc. did not commit crimes for the Mafia. Murder, Inc. was established after the formation of the commission of the National Crime…
You may have heard the term “he was killed with a garrote”, but probably have no idea what this is. Back in the early 20th century this weapon was a Mafia favorite, and the weapon was very easy to make. All you needed was a piano wire, fishing line or some other type of cord, then the hitman would strangle the victim. As the wire would usually be made from steel the weapon was effective…
Thank you for keeping it dialed to the National Crime Syndicate. I have collected a few bits that didn’t make it into the first two pieces I wrote about Frank Costello, and I thought some of you might enjoy them. Until part two of ‘I Never Sold No Bibles’ is in the bag, I wanted to post a few shorter bits to avoid what they refer to in show business as dead air. Welcome to…
It was a cold and chilly morning in Chicago, the time was 10:30 a.m. and the date was February 14, 1929. This day would mark the end of the North and South side battle for power, which went on for years and saw over 200 mob killings including Dean O’Banion and Hymie Weiss. Read more about the St Valentines Day Massacre, and check out our St. Valentines Day Massacre Video. Download this infographic.Embed Our Infographic On…
At the upper tip of Little Italy in Manhattan, one block from the old police headquarters, lies Petrosino Square. It’s more of a triangle really, with a handful of park benches, rubbish bins, and tactfully placed flower pots. An iron fence surrounds this modest “square,”and on that fence hangs an old placard with a well placed touch of vandalism asking, “Who was Petrosino?” If you are unfamiliar with the name, it is truly an honor to introduce Lieutenant Joe Petrosino; a mob-busting, super-cop who…
The roaring 20’s was an age where Prohibition was enforced across the US bringing radical social and political changes. The Jazz age had touched down in the aftermath of World War I and mobsters saw there was plenty of money to be made in the bootlegging of alcohol across the country, in a decade that would see an economic boom as the US entered the age of consumerism. Technology has come on leaps and bounds…
Wine tasting has been an ongoing practice for centuries. There are even professional tasters that claim to determine what you should seek in a good wine. These are all personal opinions though, since we all have different tastes. While in most cases it is usually a matter of personal taste, some distinct qualities are characteristics of a good wine. You do not need to be a professional wine taster to determine which is best for…
Meal delivery services are very popular right now and Home Chef is one of the top ones that people turn to. It’s also a great experience learning to cook the new recipes that will be sent to you. Home Chef meal reviews have shown that they are one of the best in the business, and here are some of the benefits you can get when you avail of their services. There will be less food…
On this day in 1919, Tony Giacalone was born. He was a capo in the Detroit crime family and is better know as one half of the ‘Two Tony’s’ that were investigated in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, who at the time was the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The other mobster involved in the disappearance was Tony Provenzano. Today would have been Tony Giacalone’s 101st birthday! For more information on the Detroit…
