On this day in 1915, The Howard Hughes of the Mob was born in Brooklyn. Big Paul Castellano controversially succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family after Carlo’s passing in 1976. Many thought that Aneillo Dellacroce would take the reigns of the family, but he was in prison at the time of the decision, and couldn’t contest it. Castellano controlled the family for 9 years, ordering many hits during his time at…
Ahh the 1970’s a great period for films and of course for mob related deaths. We have Carlo Gambino, Carmine Galante, and of course Joe Colombo. The latter had a helping hand with the Godfather film. In the spring of 1971, Paramount Pictures started filming The Godfather with the assistance of Colombo and the Italian-American Civil Rights League. With the terms “Mafia” and “Cosa Nostra” pulled from the film, Colombo and the League allowed filming…
Tony ‘T’ is connected. Not only in America, but worldwide. What ‘T’ don’t know, ain’t worth knowing. You’ll know, because he’ll want you to know. Set in 1975, ‘Vault’ is, allegedly, based on a true story of how a gang of small-time hoodlums attempt to rob the Mafia of $30 million and will be available to watch on demand from tomorrow (06/14/2019). One would hope, that with a cast that includes the familiar faces of…
On this day in 2012 Henry Hill passed away at the age of 69. For 25 years he was a Luchesse Crime Family associate who took part in the 1968 Air France Heist and then ten years later in the infamous 1978 Lufthansa Heist. In the Lufthansa Heist an estimated $5 million in cash ($18.1 million today) and $875,000 in jewelry ($3.2 million today) were stolen. In 1980 he became an FBI informant and the…
Installment 17: The Cornero Gang & the Infamous Page Brother All out warfare over control of SoCal’s illegal liquor market blared throughout the span of the roaring twenties, and stepping into the the new decade, the struggle only continued. The competition too brutal, no single man or organization ever truly sat alone on the top. Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1931 California’s Home-Grown Racketeers, by Albert Nathan How the Local Racketeers Differ from the Well…
Although, allegedly murdered in September 1985, Pino Greco’s body has never been found. His death only confirmed in 1989 when pentito, Francesco Marino Mannoia, told authorities that his brother had been present at the time of Greco’s death. Francesco Marino’s brother, Agostino had told him everything, that he was downstairs in the house when he heard gunshots, and upon going upstairs saw Pino lying dead on the floor, with one of his assassins holding a…
Anthony Casso built his empire through various rackets from drugs to garment district operations and everything in between. He was a natural born killer who worked as an underboss to Vic Amuso in the Lucchese Crime Family. However, many have said that Casso pulled the strings. In 1994 he plead guilty to 72 counts he had been indicted on, including 15 murders. His lifelong motto; “kill or be killed.” Casso Rising Through the Ranks Ruthless…
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…