ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. He attended a notorious convention of Mafia bosses held in the upstate New York town of Apalachin on November 14, 1957. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. But the mobster tag has outlasted the case itself. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. Santo Trafficante Jr. continued to develop his interests in Cuba serving as Luciano and Lanskys local liaison. santo trafficante daughters 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. That horse won $161,080 for its new owners, according to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders Association. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. According to some, he was even involved in the infamous assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 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. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. RIP Santo. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. 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 year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. During a recent trip to Lake Tahoe he bought two basketballs autographed by Michael Jordan. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. 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. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Thanks for subscribing! After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. 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. "But then you get into alias this and alias that and when they get you in court, you probably just create more problems," he says. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. Every so often I think of the Jekyll Island and White Lake, NC trip and laugh. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Santo Trafficante 5 10 (1.78 m) Born November 15, 1914 Tampa, Florida, USA Died March 17, 1987 Spouse Josephine Marchese April 17, 1938 - March 17, 1987 (his death, 2 children) Publicity listings 2 Portrayals Did you know Edit Trivia Represented by Frank Ragano. The choice was nothing more than honoring a tradition. You've got to be a fool to marry wrong," he says. Sign up for service and obituary updates. ". 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. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. 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. Who better than his son, Trafficante Jr., to inherit his throne? As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. 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:. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. He convicted infamous criminal labor union head, Jimmy Hoffa. 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. GREAT NEWS! The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. 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 was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. 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. Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. The guy really tried to do it right.". My thoughts and prayers are with you all! please know that i am praying for you and your family. At age 16, he boarded the S.S. Lombardia and set sail for American in search of a better life. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. Santo Jr. was indicted several times through the 1950s but was convicted only once, on state charges in 1954 for bribery, and that conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court. She is now living in Virginia. Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. At this point in our collective history, we're not sure anyone would be surprised to learn that there is, in fact, something called The Mafia. What you might be surprised to learn, however, is how prevalent-even rampantorganized crime in Tampa was in the early and mid-20th century. [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. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.