Over the year the mafia has found itself under more and more pressure from law enforcement and watched its power diminish as more and more made guys got convicted and rackets effected.
But the downfall of the mafia today can’t only be blamed on the Justice Department it also has a lot to do with turncoats from with in the mob families themselves. Many of the cases being made against the mob these days are typically strengthened and made because someone has flipped and turned on their fellow mobsters.
There have now been quite a few infamous rats in mob history which even includes such high ranking members as bosses, underbosses, and more. We have seen mobsters turn from every major mafia family across the country including the New York Mafia and the trend seems to be growing. Here are some of the mob rats who have turned on their wiseguys pals and done some real damage helping the feds attempt to dismantle La Cosa Nostra.
Here we have outlined a few mob turncoats from the last several years from various mafia families around the country. Most mob rats have done their share of damage to the mob but some have definitely done a lot more then others and lead to many more convictions and turned over a lot more damaging information. Which of these mafia rats do you think has caused the American Mafia the most by turning and joining team America ?
Joseph Massino – Massino was known to many as one of the last old school bosses on the streets responsible for bringing the Bonanno family to power in the 1990’s after the death of then boss Carmine Galante. When he flipped in 2004 after being convicted of racketeering and murder he became the first sitting boss of a New York Mafia family to turn rat. He would go on to testify twice for the feds against fellow mobsters including acting boss Vincent Basciano. He also supplied the feds with tons of information on the inner working of not only the Bonanno family but the Mafia in general.
“Joseph Massino”
Gregory Scarpa – A powerful capo in the Colombo crime family Scarpa was known to many as “The Grim Reaper” as one of the chief enforcers for Carmine Persico the Colombo family boss. He would become a FBI informer in 1962 after being arrested for armed robbery and the relationship between the two would span approx 30 years. During the bloody Colombo wars of the 1980’s he supplied the feds with information about is organized crime enemies with in his own family. His relationship with the feds was one of the longest in mob history and also one of the most questionable as to the ethics and handling by federal authorities but there is no doubt he helped in the dismantling of the Colombo’s.
“Greg Scarpa”
Philip Leonetti – The then underboss of the Philadelphia mafia under his uncle and then boss Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo when he decided to turn on him and his mob family. At the time he was the highest ranking member of any mob family to turn rat after being convicted for multiple murders and other mob crimes. He supplied the feds with information that lead to convictions of multiple mobsters including members of Philly mob along with high ranking members from the New York mob. He ended the Scarfo era which many believe was when it all started to go down hill for the Philly mob family and they have yet to recover.
“Phil Leonetti”
Sammy Gravano – Perhaps one of the most infamous rats in the history of the American mafia Gravano was the underboss of the poweful Gambino crime family when he flipped. At the time he became the highest ranking member of any New York mafia family to become an informant. He turned back in 1991 and testified in one of the highest profile mob cases in history against mob boss John Gotti leading to his conviction and life sentence. He supplied the feds with information on the working of the Gambino family and all of the other New York mob families and would testify on other occasions on behalf of the feds.
“Sammy Gravano”
Alphonse D’Arco – The then acting boss of the Lucchese crime family became the first acting or other wise boss of a New York mafia family to turn government witness. He would go on to testify multiple times for the feds leading to indictments of multple mobsters including then acting Colombo family boss Victor “Little Vic” Orena, Genovese family boss Vincent Gigante, Bonanno family consigliere Anothony Spero, and many others. He also supplied information on and testified against Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito the duo known as the “Mafia Cops”. He is credited with almost single handedly destroying the Lucchese crime family which has struggled to rebuild ever since that time.
“Al D’Arco”
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