Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. Conspiracy theorists consider Giancana along with Mafia leaders Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello associated with the assassination of Kennedy. 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. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. On Oct. 26, 1937, Frank Trafficante named his first son after his own father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. For all the power he wielded, Trafficante was often described as quiet and reserved. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? The original Malio's Restaurant located on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. 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. Trafficante was one of the last surviving members of the original Luciano mob era upon his death, and the truth behind the JFK assassination may have perhaps died with him. Several were wounded. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. The investigators were looking for proof of drug-money laundering. Mob Lawyer Frank Ragano Says He Knows Who Killed JFK", "Book alleges plot to kill JFK in Tampa, cover-up", "At Santo Trafficante auction, a chance to buy a piece of Tampa's mob history", Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, Associated Press report on Trafficante's death, "Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life" By Robert Lacy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santo_Trafficante_Jr.&oldid=1140940042, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 15:02. Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. All Rights Reserved. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. Donnie Brasco. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. We found ourselves in a love affair with Tony Soprano and we could not stop watching. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 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. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. We have set your language to Fine food, and lots of it. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. 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. "[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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Authorities said he leaked a list of suspects in the case and then lied about it. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Santo was known to have been deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Sorry! He is just a businessman, he says, his money tied up in wholesale automobiles, an orange grove and real estate. Verify and try again. 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. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. At age 16, he boarded the S.S. Lombardia and set sail for American in search of a better life. Mobster dies, two nations. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. English 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. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. I can answer any questions you . [3] His wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by two of his daughters. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. [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. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. The other guys are two doctors, who say they'll testify if they're summoned to court. 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. [15] He repeated the claim two days later on ABC's Good Morning America,[16] in Newfield's Frontline report entitled JFK, Hoffa and Mob broadcast in November 1992,[17] and again in his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer. Rosselli testified in 1975 to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the efforts to kill Castro. Failed to remove flower. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. He had a big heart and will be missed. Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFrank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). He grimaces at the thought that the rumor has persisted so long. 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. Trafficante again escaped conviction. Although a judge dismissed the charge for lack of evidence, the arrest had a lasting impact on another of Trafficante's ventures: thoroughbred breeding and racing. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." 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. As a leading member of the syndicate, he also was suspected of having behind-the-scenes interests in other syndicate-owned Cuban casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, the Commodoro, the Deauville, and the Havana Hilton. Santos Trafficante Jr. was the son of Santos Trafficante Sr., who owned several casinos in Havana. Trafficante scrambled out the passenger-side door. In a final disappointment, he sold a filly named "Run Marisa Run" (after his daughter) for $7,500. GREAT NEWS! 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. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI, Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. His health had declined in his later years. 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. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. 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. He was married to his wife for 49 years. He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. In 1950, the aging Trafficante Sr. began to slow down. Our prayers are with you. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. 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. It was all on the up and up. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. [13] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. Thanks for your help! According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. [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. She is now living in Virginia. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. Santo told the state attorney, I dont have an enemy in the world. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. 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 will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. tampa crime boss santo trafficante jr plays a central role in thriller 'mafia spies' Bolita , Mob Hits , Scott M. Deitche , Tampa Mafia SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A 'Sicilian of the Old School,' RULED TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! He headed the . [21], Trafficante was summoned to court in 1986 and questioned about his involvement with the King's Court Bottle Club operated by members of the Bonanno crime family, including undercover FBI agent Joseph D. "Joe" Pistone, a.k.a. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. 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 owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. Geni requires JavaScript! This browser does not support getting your location. [14] When this was pointed out, Aleman denied that he meant that he believed Kennedy was going to murdered and said he thought that Trafficante meant that Kennedy was going to be "hit" politically during the next election. "I thought I could just go down to (former Hillsborough State Attorney) Bill James and (Assistant State Attorney) Lee Atkinson and explain it all away in 15 minutes.". For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. love gloria "owens" hill. The guy really tried to do it right.". [12] According to Aleman, when he told Trafficante that President John F. Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is going to be hit.

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