Santo Trafficante Jr. - IMDb We are one of them! Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. James Anthony Traficant Jr. (May 8, 1941 - September 27, 2014) was an American politician who served as a Democrat, and later independent, member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.He represented the 17th Congressional District, which centered on his hometown of Youngstown and included parts of three counties in northeast Ohio's Mahoning Valley. Try again later. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. Please reset your password. One bank filed suit in November against him and a business partner, alleging that they defaulted on an $85,000 loan for a piece of property. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter. And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? There is a problem with your email/password. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. [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. The choice was nothing more than honoring a tradition. 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. Trafficante's appetite and his legal woes seem linked like the strands of a cruller. Thanks for your help! Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. Santo Trafficante, Jr. - facebook.com 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.. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba On March 17, 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he had gone for heart surgery. wikipedia.en/Sam_Giancana.md at main chinapedia/wikipedia.en On Oct. 26, 1937, Frank Trafficante named his first son after his own father, Santo Trafficante Sr. 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. A A. "I thought I could just go down to (former Hillsborough State Attorney) Bill James and (Assistant State Attorney) Lee Atkinson and explain it all away in 15 minutes.". The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. The Internal Revenue Service tried to collect $400,000 in back taxes owed on the business, saying it had not been run as business eligible for tax write-offs, but a hobby. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. They never returned. Santo Trafficante, Reputed Mafia Chief, Dies at 72 She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. Reputed 'boss of bosses' dies at 72 TAMPA, Fla, "' Trafficante dies at age 72 TAMPA. For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. 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. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. 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? Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The IRS was unsuccessful, according to Fernandez, Trafficante's attorney. Failed to delete memorial. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. Despite his arrest, Trafficante managed to escape charges and continue to fly under the laws radar. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. In 1959, the Cuban Revolution toppled the corrupt Batista government and the rebel leader, Fidel Castro, nationalized foreign-owned properties and shuttered the casinos, a huge financial blow to Trafficante, who was second only to Meyer Lansky in the depth of his investments in Havana. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Santo Trafficante Jr Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? Donnie Brasco. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. That horse won $161,080 for its new owners, according to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders Association. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. "[19] In his book Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vincent Bugliosi has claimed there to be many flaws in Ragano's claims, including his own claim that Trafficante was most likely not in Tampa on the day in question, but was rather in North Miami Beach, Florida, receiving dialysis treatments. 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. After Fidel Castro's revolutionary government seized the assets of Trafficante's Cuban businesses and expelled him from the country as an "undesirable alien," Trafficante came into contact with various US intelligence operatives, and was involved in several unsuccessful plans to assassinate Castro. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. It was also rumored that Santos was involved in a Mafia plot to kill President John F. Kennedy, though he denied there was any such conspiracy. The chairman cited a confession from Roselli that Trafficantes allies organized a sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, to take out the President. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. He was rumored to be part of a Mafia syndicate which owned many Cuban hotels and casinos. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. ", Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Tampa man arrested in death of person found in apartment with unharmed infant, deputies say, Suspect in Hillsborough slaying of woman IDd, man known as Ya Dig, deputies say, After nearly a century of fixing Tampas flat tires, downtown Firestone closes, Under investigation, HART CEO proposes settlement, payout and exit, Dead body found in Hillsborough apartment with unharmed infant, deputies say, NAACP wants reparations for Tampas Black cemeteries that governments stole, Latin Kings gang leaders among 21 arrested in Hillsborough drug operation, sheriff says, Estimated 630,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Hillsborough River, records show, Tampa man who was first to face trial for Florida voter fraud in 2020 election gets probation. [2] Trafficante Jr. had known Lucchese since the 1940s, when his father and Lucchese had trained him in the mafia traditions. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). It never did exist.". Despite all of this or, perhaps, because of it, a few writers and filmmakers have chosen to focus on organized crime, determined to give Tampa its due. [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. Born Tampa, Florida March 24, 1920 Santo Trafficante Jr. - Wikipedia More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. 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. [12] According to Aleman, when he told Trafficante that President John F. Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is going to be hit. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 Santo Trafficante Sr. was a Florida mobster who survived a series of vicious gang wars to become the leader of a powerful Mafia crime family based in Tampa. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing his ownership of a car dealership, and employment at various restaurants and night clubs over the years. Husband of Private Trafficante tried to win Castro over to his side, but that didnt work. 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. And while cocaine-fueled Latin American criminal networks have been a serious problem in Florida for decades, the Trafficante familys illicit activities were quite infamous as well. Love and peace to you all. The mobster would later testify: I got news that Cuban officials were looking for to put me in jail because one of the things was that I was a Batista collaborator. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. Santo Traficante Jr fue uno de los ltimos y mas poderosos capos de la mafia en Florida y Cuba. Published: March 15th, 2017 - By Scott M. Deitche, Contributing Writer, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17, El Chapos lawyers complain about strict rules at New York prison. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." In the early 1980s Trafficante was ensnared in two major cases that could have sent the aging don to prison for the first time in his life, apart from his time in the Triscornia detention camp in Cuba following Castros takeover in 1959. Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. All Rights Reserved. They used to be my greatest friend," Trafficante says. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17 He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. 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. please know that i am praying for you and your family. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. Our thoughts and prayers with you. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. To use this feature, use a newer browser. A year has passed. There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. [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. Trafficante weathered the violence of Floridas Mob wars and the various conspiracy theories, the Cuban Revolution and the loss of his offshore casinos, as well as intense law enforcement scrutiny, without ever spending time in prison. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Jo Paniello and Sarah Ann Valdes; her grandchildren, Dr. Santo Paniello and wife Susan; Dina Smith and husband Don; Melissa Castellana and husband John; and Valerie Cordell and husband Ian; her great-grandchildren, Michael Sierra, Elizabeth Paniello, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Christina Castellana, Augie Castellana, Alexa Cordell, Anna Cordell Drew Smith, Allison Hunt and husband Joey; as well as endless extended family. Santo Trafficante Sr. was a Florida mobster who survived a series of vicious gang wars to become the leader of a powerful Mafia crime family based in Tampa. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. For all the power he wielded, Trafficante was often described as quiet and reserved. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. [9][10] The CIA and the Mafia had a common enemy in Castro, a communist revolutionary who had shut down Cuba's lucrative casino businesses. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. 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. THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. Claiming association with the CIA, Roselli knew of Trafficantes vendetta and told his new pal that the U.S. government also wanted to take down Castros Communist regime. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. "The Mob? "[12], In 1978, both Trafficante and Aleman were called to testify before members of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigating possible links between Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and anti-Castro Cubans, including the theory that Castro had Kennedy killed in retaliation for the CIA's attempts on his own life. So, as the popular theory goes, the mob bosses that lent a helping hand in getting Kennedy into office wanted revenge. He was, in many ways, the archetypical old-school Mob boss. Make sure that the file is a photo. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Santo TRAFFICANTE Obituary (2010) - Tampa, FL - TBO.com Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. Fifteen years following the assassination, Trafficante testified in front of the United States House Select Committee on the murder of JFK in exchange for immunity. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. Failed to remove flower. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Santo Trafficante Sr., a 'Sicilian of the old school,' ruled Tampa's However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. While the senior Trafficante had been a major mobster in his own right, nobody could have expected the heights that were going to be reached by his son. Forget everything you think you know about Tampa mafia wives and girlfriends in the 1950s. 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. 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. In a 1978 legal testimony, Trafficante discussed how quickly Castro shut it all down, then reopened the casinos on his own terms. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. Santo Trafficante Jr. (1914-1987) - Find a Grave Memorial I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. [7], In January 1958, Trafficante was questioned by the Cuban police regarding the Apalachin meeting. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. This browser does not support getting your location. Santo Trafficante Jr.: The Florida Godfather Who Tried To Kill Castro Notoriety comes with family name - Tampa Bay Times Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Trafficante Family - American Mafia History The original Malio's Restaurant located on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida. 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. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. [19] He claimed three witnesses could support his statement that he met Trafficante in Tampa, but refused to name them, adding: "One guy is afraid of retaliation. Santo Trafficante Jr - Mafia Facts [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. [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. He owned a West Tampa restaurant called Cafe Sevilla. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Trafficante was one of the last surviving members of the original Luciano mob era upon his death, and the truth behind the JFK assassination may have perhaps died with him. Sorry! She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. To add further credence to this theory of JFKs assassination, famed prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi (who also wrote the infamous true crime novel on the Manson Family, Helter Skelter), who penned Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, quoted a witness who said that New Orleans boss Marcello had quipped: The dog [JFK] will keep biting you if you only cut off its tail [RFK]., The final piece of evidence for the theory that Santo Trafficante was involved in JFKs assassination was a witness who reported that the mobster had once said himself that JFK not going to make it to the [1964] election. In October 1966, while waiting in a Queens courthouse for his turn to be questioned by a grand jury about the infamous LaStella meeting (later dubbed "Little Apalachin") held a couple of weeks earlier on September 22, Santo Trafficante Jr., who was the boss of the Tampa Bay Crime Family, overheard reporters talking about someone . The "Family Jewels" confirmed that in September 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach the West Coast representative of the Chicago mob, Johnny Roselli. The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the Apalachin agenda.
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