She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. Scott M. Deitche is the author of six books on organized crime, including a biography of Santo Trafficante Jr., and has written dozens of articles on organized crime for magazines and newspapers. He was rumored to be part of a Mafia syndicate which owned many Cuban hotels and casinos. 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. We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. 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. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. By 1987, the Mafia boss, who had walked the casino floors of the Sans Souci in Cuba, dined and hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra in the nightclubs and hotels of South Beach, and who commanded a presence in Tampa that is still felt today, was suffering from a diseased kidney and bad heart. Santo Trafficante, Reputed Mafia Chief, Dies at 72 Please check your email for further instructions. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. [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. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. 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? 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. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. Rosselli later claimed to be involved with or to actually be a shooter in a Mob conspiracy to kill President John F. Kennedy, and some accounts have Trafficante involved in the alleged, and unproven, conspiracy. Failed to report flower. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. ". Scott M. Deitche, Mob Museum Advisory Council member and mob http://www.scottdeitche.com/books.htmlauthor of Tampa's favorite books, Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld & The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jror Manny Leto, previous Editor of Cigar City Magazine and Tampa historian, will guide you on a 1.5 -2 hour walking tour to old gambling palaces, street corners, and alleys where some mobsters met their demise, and restaurants where wise guys, like famed boss Santo Trafficante Jr, held court. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida 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. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. She was born on March 24, 1920. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? There is a problem with your email/password. Pallbearers are Augie Castellana, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Anthony B. Marchese, Peter Marchese Jr., Ian Cordell, Don Smith, Frank Pancho Trafficante, John Castellana, and Dr. Santo Paniello. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. Geni requires JavaScript! Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI Donnie Brasco investigation he never spent a single day of his life in jail. There was a problem getting your location. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.. Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. He attended a notorious convention of Mafia bosses held in the upstate New York town of Apalachin on November 14, 1957. Please try again later. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. Returning to Miami, he joined his father, managing some . Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. The twister killed hls mother when lt touched down about 6, honored Wednesday us the nation's sute legislator. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. Learn more about managing a memorial . He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Reputedly the most powerful crime boss in Batista -era Cuba, he . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Welcome to Boxer Cycle Works. 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. [13] He stated that he received no payment for his involvement and that he acted out of patriotism. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. 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. It never did exist.". "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. [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. 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 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. Trafficante proceeded to open casinos in Cuba at his fathers behest and facilitated heroin smuggling by working together with famous mobsters Charles Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. She is now living in Virginia. 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. Under pressure of a court order granting him immunity from prosecution, but threatening him with contempt if he refused to talk, Santos admitted to a Congressional committee in 1975 that he had in the early 1960s recruited other mobsters to assassinate Castro. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. 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: Building the Family Business - Gangsters Inc [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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Josephine Marchese Trafficante I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Trafficante would rather be force-fed raw carrot sticks for eternity than be seen talking to a reporter. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. After the Kennedy hubbub, Trafficante kept a low profile or, lower that is. Who better than his son, Trafficante Jr., to inherit his throne? According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. Trafficante scrambled out the passenger-side door. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. While shouldering the legacy of his father and. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. Authorities said he leaked a list of suspects in the case and then lied about it. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Undercover detectives ran a gambling sting operation there, hoping to nab a circle of Tampa men they said were making illegal sports bets. ", 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. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. We have to admit we are fascinated by the whole idea of the mafia and the people we knew and the whispers we grew up hearing. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. He was married to his wife for 49 years. He was known as an organized crimes figure. santo trafficante daughters - shantisrl.com Santo Trafficante, Jr (1914 - 1987) - Genealogy - geni family tree He had a big heart and will be missed. More troubling for Trafficante was a court document that listed him for the first time as "a member of the Trafficante crime family.". After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. [14] He stated that he was concerned for his safety and was not certain that he had ever correctly heard or understood Trafficante's comment. 93461.". As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. Learn more about merges. The choice was nothing more than honoring a tradition. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. This account has been disabled. In 1946, Santo Sr. sent his son, already a family underboss, to Cuba to invest in the growing number of nightclubs and casinos in the island nation. 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. Brother of Frank Cacciatore Trafficante; Private and Private. 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. Despite his arrest, Trafficante managed to escape charges and continue to fly under the laws radar. Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife and children at his father-in-laws house in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. . Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. love gloria "owens" hill. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. When he applied to the state for a parimutuel license that would allow him to race his horses at Tampa Bay Downs, he was refused. He has thought about it. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. 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. the daughter of immigrants from the Italian region of Basilicata. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. We never paid cash. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." The hit man and the mobster: Jack Ruby and Santos Trafficante This is a carousel with slides. All Rights Reserved. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. Fine food, and lots of it. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Santo Trafficante Jr.: The Florida Godfather Who Tried To Kill Castro 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. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. He was going to be hit.. 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. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. 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. Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 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. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. The Trafficante Family - American Mafia History A system error has occurred. His luck has not improved recently. However, there were events outside of the United States and even organized crime that inadvertently led Santo Trafficante Jr. to put his own peculiar stamp on American history. Please enter your email and password to sign in. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Notoriety comes with family name - Tampa Bay Times Fla. (AP), Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52792202/frank-cacciatore-trafficante, L'Unione Italiana Cemetery, Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr, Death of Santo Trafficante, Jr at Houston, TX. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. A year has passed. 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. She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. His abiding passion is food. But then came Key Bank, a massive drug-money-laundering investigation. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Consequently, while generally recognized as the most powerful organized crime figure in Florida throughout much of the 20th century, Trafficante was not believed to have total control over Miami, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, or Palm Beach. He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. She was the Matriarch of the Trafficante Family; and we will all miss her presence, guidance, love and affection. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. A native and lifelong resident of Tampa, Mr. Traffi-cante is survived by his loving family, wife, Geraldine "Gerry" L. Trafficante; sons, Dino Jose and Joseph Frank Trafficante; daughters,. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. wikipedia.en/Sam_Giancana.md at main chinapedia/wikipedia.en My heart goes out to the family. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. Anthony Accardo & Santo Trafficante Jr - Labor Union Kickbacks (1977- 1981)https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/05/us/16-indicted-over-union-fund-use.htmlCredit:. Thanks for subscribing! Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas His health had declined in his later years. My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. In a 1978 legal testimony, Trafficante discussed how quickly Castro shut it all down, then reopened the casinos on his own terms. If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. Oops, something didn't work. wills o' nats last of the summer wine. Santo told the state attorney, I dont have an enemy in the world. The seeds for Trafficantes most interesting historical chapter were planted, as the mobster would go on to have a well-established relationship with the CIA in an ongoing effort to assassinate Castro. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Trafficante's appetite and his legal woes seem linked like the strands of a cruller. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. "I think it's all bull----," says Trafficante's former horse trainer, Arthur Pedregal Jr. "It's only because his name is Trafficante. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. [14], After a grant of immunity from prosecution, Trafficante testified before the HSCA the following day, September 28, and denied the allegation that he told Aleman that "Kennedy was going to be hit. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. [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. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Try again later. There was an error deleting this problem. She was a wonderful cook, and she loved to crochet and travel with her husband, but she lived her life for her family. U.S. Treasury Department documents indicate that law enforcement believed Trafficante's legitimate business interests to include several legal casinos in Cuba; a Havana drive-in movie theater; and shares in several restaurants and bars in Trafficante's hometown of Tampa, Florida. Indeed, some people would rather not dwell on the less-than-noble aspects of our local history. Santo Trafficante Jr News reports - YouTube 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. Mobster dies, two nations. Family members linked to this person will appear here. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. Santo Trafficante Jr. - Wikipedia So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? On the day that investigators raided Key Bank, a cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital was inserting a catheter in Trafficante's groin. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. [3] His wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by two of his daughters. Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented ties with powerful Mafia families he had established as a young man in New York, and ruthlessly put down any attempts to usurp his territory or power. 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. During the rule of Cuba's authoritarian dictator Fulgencio Batista, Trafficante openly operated the Sans Souci Cabaret and the Casino International gambling establishments in Havana. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. James Traficant - Wikipedia Bankruptcy court documents show that Trafficante is owed $500,000 by a business partner. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. [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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. The guy really tried to do it right.". He escaped conviction all but once, receiving a five-year sentence for bribery in 1954, but his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court before he entered prison. 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.
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