Failed to remove flower. Trafficante admitted his anti-Castro activities to the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978, and vehemently denied allegations that he had knowledge of a plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. I can answer any questions you . In the meantime, the allegation that he is a mobster has dogged him and his family. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Oops, we were unable to send the email. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. Santo told the state attorney, I dont have an enemy in the world. 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. Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. Weve updated the security on the site. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. To use this feature, use a newer browser. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. 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. 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. They used to be my greatest friend," Trafficante says. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. 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. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. Other Mafia leaders, as well as newer organized crime networks, took over many of the rackets the family ran throughout the 20th Century. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. Nicknames: The Silent Don love gloria "owens" hill. There was an error deleting this problem. It never did exist.". Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. [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. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. He was accused of making false financial statements for loans he used to invest in his citrus business, to purchase luxury cars and to buy a beach condo. Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [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. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. On Oct. 26, 1937, Frank Trafficante named his first son after his own father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Santo Trafficante Jr Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. 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. We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. "[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. Santo was one of the FBIs targets in that case. After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. "I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. 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. Resend Activation Email. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. But once Kennedy actually entered the White House, he didnt live up to his end of the bargain. But before Trafficante testified, someone conveniently killed Roselli. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida 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. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. My heart goes out to the family. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. Desr Gerry, please know that I am thinking of you and never forget the kindness bestowed on me in my difficult time but especially the generosity and affection shown to my daughter and grandson. His business ventures have not always been successful. GREAT NEWS! Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. Santo, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. With over 30 years experience in the field of Mechanics, I will work with you on a personal basis, I will discuss with you your specific needs pertaining to your motorcycle. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Father of Private and Private His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. He will always be remembered with fondness. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. 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. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Until last year, the younger Trafficante had never been accused of anything more dramatic than bookmaking, a charge that a judge dismissed. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. He had a big heart and will be missed. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. 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. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. 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. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. She was born on March 24, 1920. He dressed nicely but not ostentatiously, and his choice of cars was never flashy. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. By the time Prohibition and the Era of Blood ended, he was the top man in the Florida Mafia, operating with the blessing of exiled Mob boss Charlie Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello of the Five Families, and Meyer Lansky of the national Syndicate. Husband of Private The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. This is a carousel with slides. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. 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. 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. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. 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. Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. In 1950, the aging Trafficante Sr. began to slow down. [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. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Sorry! 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. Despite his arrest, Trafficante managed to escape charges and continue to fly under the laws radar. Share Santo's life story with friends and family. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. Thanks for subscribing! She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. In 1975, the CIA declassified a report stating that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation he denied. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. You have been in pain too long. With deepest sympathy and love. "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. [13], On January 14, 1992, Trafficante's former attorney, Frank Ragano, told Jack Newfield of the New York Post that he relayed a request from Hoffa to Trafficante and New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello to have Kennedy killed. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. [3] His wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by two of his daughters. Like many of the most prominent mobsters of the 20th century, his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., grew up in Sicily, Italy but became a major player in the criminal world after migrating to America. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. It wasn't somebody going into a back room to kiss somebody's ring. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. [13] He stated that he received no payment for his involvement and that he acted out of patriotism. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. On the day that investigators raided Key Bank, a cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital was inserting a catheter in Trafficante's groin. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Trafficante's appetite and his legal woes seem linked like the strands of a cruller. [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. His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. During a recent trip to Lake Tahoe he bought two basketballs autographed by Michael Jordan. "[1][13] He stated that he was positive that he did not say it because he always spoke to Aleman in Spanish, and said that there was no way to state the phrase in Spanish. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. There is a problem with your email/password. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in. But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. We have set your language to One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. Departed this Life May 13, 2015 In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." Santo Jr., who had inherited the leadership of the Tampa Mafia around 1950 when his father, Santo Sr., fell ill, had now completed his consolidation of power in Tampa and beyond. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. 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. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Trafficante again escaped conviction. My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. When his father died in 1954 he took control of these establishments. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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." Or does he just look like one? He walked outside and got into a 1951 Mercury sedan driven by one of his associates. Our thoughts and prayers with you. So is Santo Jose Trafficante III a mobster? He died on March 17, 1987. wills o' nats last of the summer wine. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Try again. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante "[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. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. He was known as an organized crimes figure. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. The beachfront properties were the site of many parties and barbecues. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. Santo Trafficante Jr, was born on November 15, 1914 in Tampa, Florida and followed in the footsteps of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr, into a life of organized crime. "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. 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? 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.. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. A year has passed. His sons, Dino and Joseph, run it for him, though he worries that sometimes they don't work hard. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. 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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 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. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. 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:. 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. Donnie Brasco. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. 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. Reputed 'boss of bosses' dies at 72 TAMPA, Fla, "' Trafficante dies at age 72 TAMPA. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. 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. Finally, in 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72. Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. 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. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. ). By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. 2023, Tampa Mafia. We cant help ourselves when it comes to watching mob films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and HBOs Boardwalk Empire and the iconic cable TV show, The Sopranos. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. 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. Try again later. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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,. He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. "My wife's got money. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? "The Mob? He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. Year should not be greater than current year. "I'm in the I.O.U. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. 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. Verify and try again. 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. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-law's Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. 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.