based on information from your browser. [20], In 2005, Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann's book Ultimate Sacrifice said that Trafficante was behind an aborted plot to kill Kennedy in Tampa on November 18, 1963. Indeed, he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreclosures to local banks, which he says treat him "like I had leprosy" because of Key Bank. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens.
Santo TRAFFICANTE Obituary (2010) - Tampa, FL - TBO.com If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. We are one of them! On the day that investigators raided Key Bank, a cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital was inserting a catheter in Trafficante's groin. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. Robert F. Kennedy even taunted those mobsters he brought into court, telling Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana that I thought only little girls giggled, Mr. Giancana.. Trafficante along with 56 other mobsters was arrested in New York while discussing what to do about the recent death of Gambino family head, Albert Anastasia. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. My prayers are with all of you. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. My heart goes out to the family. In 1950, the aging Trafficante Sr. began to slow down. So, as the popular theory goes, the mob bosses that lent a helping hand in getting Kennedy into office wanted revenge. [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. Oops, something didn't work. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. 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. Try again later. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. In the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. used his ties to organized crime to secure votes for his son, John F. Kennedy. Santo Trafficante Jr., one of the last of the old-time reputed Mafia dons, who was reportedly enlisted in 1960 in a futile effort to kill Fidel Castro, has died at the age of 72. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial.
Santo Trafficante Jr. Learns About Sonny Franzese In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. 12 talking about this. After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. 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? His business ventures have not always been successful. [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. They used to be my greatest friend," Trafficante says. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. An editor and public historian, Carly Silver has written for Smithsonian, Narratively, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and Archaeology, among other publications. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. Brother of Frank Cacciatore Trafficante; Private and Private. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. [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. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. 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 Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior .
Santo Trafficante Jr. - Wikipedia Home - Boxer Cycle Works There was a problem getting your location. So is Santo Jose Trafficante III a mobster? The people of Tampa, especially the ones still around to remember those days still feel a duty of sorts to keep quite of these things, as if these people are still amongst us and can hear our chatter. He offered to pay $150,000 to have Castro killed, but Roselli declined any pay and introduced Maheu to two men he referred to as "Sam Gold" and "Joe." The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. He drove a forklift for 20 years. He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. Trafficante was jailed and deported when Fidel Castro rose to power, leading him to spend a good portion of his adult life hatching a plan of revenge. "[12] He said that Trafficante complained about the honesty of the Kennedys and their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates. . Santo told the state attorney, I dont have an enemy in the world. Sorry! Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Associates: Sam Giancana, Charlie Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Johnny Rosselli, Robert Maheu. His son, Santo Trafficante Jr., took over the crime family and became tangled in a web of conspiracies to kill the leader of revolutionary Cuba and, it is rumored, President John F. Kennedy. TAMPA The daughter sits on the front porch of a little bungalow in Seminole Heights, her new home since her husband died a few months ago down south. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. Finally, after the infamous failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the CIA gave up on their attempts to kill the Cuban dictator and thus Trafficantes attempts at revenge never materialized. [5][6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-laws Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. Please try again later. Resend Activation Email. We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. [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. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. I will never forget him as a fellow stroke survivor. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. However, LoScalzo was nonetheless able to expand the families criminal reach into new locations across Florida, and took advantage of alliances with other Mafia families to ensure the mob maintained its hold on criminal activities. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The Trafficante Family - American Mafia History The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. A full report was made by the Cuban police, dated January 23, 1958, includes transcripts of long-distance telephone calls made from the Sans Souci during the period AugustDecember 1957. As such, Trafficante Sr. controlled gambling rackets for bolita, a lottery game popular in Florida and Cuba, until 1940 when the murder of Tampa boss Ignacio Antinori pushed the Trafficantes to assume ultimate power in the Florida underworld. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. [11], In 1976, Cuban exile and FBI informant Jose Aleman told The Washington Post that in September 1962, Trafficante had offered him a loan of $1.5million to replace Aleman's three-story "ramshackle motel with a 12-story glass wonder. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Services will be followed by a graveside service at the Italian Club Cemetery and a reception at the family home. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood.Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The guy really tried to do it right.". In fact, Florida had the dubious distinction of being home to a decades-old Mafia criminal network: the Trafficante Family. ). Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. By Santo III's own estimation, this was a wise move. 93461.". The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. the daughter of immigrants from the Italian region of Basilicata. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia.
Episode 58: The Tampa Mafia- Santo Trafficante Jr - YouTube REPUTED FLORIDA GODFATHER TRAFFICANTE, 72, DIES - Sun Sentinel She lived an exciting life dividing her time between her multiple family members and friends in Tampa, Miami and Havana. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. Nicknames: The Silent Don In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. Visitation will take place on Saturday, May 16th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, with service to follow at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. He headed the Trafficante crime family from 1954 to 1987 and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. 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. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Santos ran numerous legitimate businesses as well as illegal, including several legal casinos in Cuba, a Havana drive-in movie theater, and shares in restaurants and bars in Tampa.
Santo Trafficante, Reputed Mafia Chief, Dies at 72 He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. Santo worked closely with Lucchese family boss Tommy Lucchese, who was a friend of his father, and a man who helped train him in the 1940s. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. Father of Private and Private https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. And all this occurred throughout seven Sylvia at age 12 and her father Jimmy Velasco in California, June 1948 Jimmy Velasco was a political fixer. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. Born Tampa, Florida March 24, 1920 Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Santo Trafficante Jr. However the meeting came to be, the mob nonetheless brought influential states like Illinois into the Kennedy fold in exchange for the White House going easy on organized crime. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Our thoughts and prayers with you. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. 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. "I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. 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. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. In 1975, the CIA declassified a report stating that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation he denied. 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! [8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: Seven people were murdered. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. He buys Jaguars for his two sons, hobnobs with sports stars on resort golf courses and occasionally flies to Miami for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Rascal House.