Chicago detectives worked hard last year to clear hundreds of murder cases off their books. The oldest one from 1966 is that of Larry Stubitsch, a Chicago Outfit loan shark and partner of Frank “Frankie Breeze” Calabrese,” one of the most feared mobsters in the city’s history. Outside a popular lounge and known mob hangout … [Read more…]
When the authorities start closing in on the Italian crime world, even the toughest mobsters flee to Britain. Some to hide and blend in; Some so they can keep running their criminal organizations Being associated with the Mafia is not recognized as a crime in Britain. The Mafia isn’t even recognized as a criminal organization. … [Read more…]
After nine years of trying, Pizza, one of Italy’s national dishes helps the FBI secure convictions on some slippery Mafia members. ‘The Pizza Connection’ case leads to the conviction of 18 people from various gangs. They were running an estimated $1.6 Billion drug smuggling operation. A large amount of cash was seized along with weapons … [Read more…]
Notorious Mafioso John “Sonny” Franzese has died at the age of 103. During his lifetime, he associated with celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Rocky Graziano, plus he spent many years in prison. He was released from his final stint about 3 years ago at the age of 100. He was the oldest prisoner in federal … [Read more…]
Two successful Australian businessmen, one of whom is a political donor have been named as the bosses “capos” of a large international mafia organization. Fruit and vegetable millionaires Tony Madafferi and Diego (Danny) Luppino have been identified in papers filed in an Italian court as doing business with the ‘Ndrangheta. Interestingly, the arrest warrants were … [Read more…]
After acquiring the rights to the story of the Colombo crime family’s second-in-command’s son, John Franzese Jr, The Oscar-nominated producer of ‘Hacksaw Ridge’, David Permut, can tell what I’m sure will be an interesting story. “Sonny” Franzese Sr. Recently passed away at the age of 103. Since the 1980s, Franzese Jr was heavily involved in … [Read more…]
Gino Accettola, a 52-year-old man with ties to Detroit’s “Tocco crew” Mafia, gambled away over $6 million of investors’ money that was supposed to be used towards construction projects. The investors then sued the casino saying they should be held responsible for the loss. According to official court papers, the swindled investors loaned a large … [Read more…]
Foggia, a small city in Italy’s Puglia region, recently saw its residents come out in large numbers on the streets to protest against the organized criminal Mafia that plagues the city. In the first 3 weeks of this year alone, several devasting bomb attacks and murders have rocked the city. Cerignola, Manfredonia, Mattinata, and Monte … [Read more…]
The New York borough of Queens had yet to see its boom in organized crime until the late 1930s. Not that Queens was a particularly popular area for Mafia families to carry out their Costa Nostra activities, rather they were lured in due to the airport built during the infrastructural developmental boom there, which took … [Read more…]
Salvatore Nicitra, ex-boss of the Magliana gang has been arrested. Over a period of a few years, he had taken mafia control of the management and distribution of the gambling equipment unit of Rome. The equipment includes video lottery, games, slot machines, and online betting. A brief overview of the Magliana Gang The Magliana Gang … [Read more…]
The Sicilian capital of Palermo hosted a marathon trial of the Mafia for almost 6 years, from 1986 to 1992. It ended with 338 members of La Cosa Nostra being convicted. 19 men were sentenced to life in prison (ergastolo). This trial was one of the longest in Mafia history. It was held after the Corleonesi … [Read more…]
Anthony Comello only wanted one thing the day he ended up at the house of Francesco Cali (Franky Boy); to make a citizen’s arrest. Little was it anticipated that he will end up killing one of the leaders of the Gambino crime family. The day of the incident He took his pickup truck to Todt … [Read more…]
With a little help from one of New York City’s most notorious crime families, it was the man in charge of protecting the game pieces of McDonald’s high-stakes Monopoly promotional game that ultimately led to a $24 million scam that robbed real customers of their chance to win the biggest prizes. Jerome Jacobson, a former … [Read more…]
Gambino crime family member Riccardo (Richie) Cefalu, an old-school wise guy known as a man who lived by the rule “admit nothing,” died Jan. 23 at the age of 92. Part of the Gambino’s Sicilian faction, Cefalu emigrated into the United States from Italy in 1965, settling in Greenlawn, Long Island, where he was still … [Read more…]
After 13 years in a Connecticut prison, 50-year-old Philadelphia Mafia member Damion Canalichio is out from behind bars and expected to be promoted after he is released from the Philly halfway house where he was sent following his prison stint. The mobster, who was released late last month, wasn’t expected to be up for parole until 2021, but before … [Read more…]