GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. Perched on the edge of a leather chair in his attorney's office, Santo J. Trafficante III wears a pained expression on his jowly face. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Published: March 15th, 2017 - By Scott M. Deitche, Contributing Writer, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17, El Chapos lawyers complain about strict rules at New York prison. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. [3] His wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by two of his daughters. U.S. Treasury Department documents indicate that law enforcement believed Trafficante's legitimate business interests to include several legal casinos in Cuba; a Havana drive-in movie theater; and shares in several restaurants and bars in Trafficante's hometown of Tampa, Florida. 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:. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 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 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Under pressure of a court order granting him immunity from prosecution, but threatening him with contempt if he refused to talk, Santos admitted to a Congressional committee in 1975 that he had in the early 1960s recruited other mobsters to assassinate Castro. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante One bank filed suit in November against him and a business partner, alleging that they defaulted on an $85,000 loan for a piece of property. Born Tampa, Florida March 24, 1920 "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. Geni requires JavaScript! I found on Findagrave.com. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. I think it was a case of mistaken identity.. Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Santo Traficante Jr fue uno de los ltimos y mas poderosos capos de la mafia en Florida y Cuba. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Honorary Pallbearers are Joe Castellana, Malio Iavarone, FrankCookie Fava, Antonino Marchese, Derek Iavarone, Frank Albano, Drew Smith, Joey Hunt, Michael Sierra, Tony Marchese, Peter Albano, Mario Pullara, Frank Miranda, Dino Trafficante, and Joseph Trafficante. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. 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. based on information from your browser. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. [22], sfn error: no target: CITEREFDouglass2010 (, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 15:02, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, "With Santo Trafficante, an era is ending", "SANTO TRAFFICANTE, REPUTED MAFIA CHIEF, DIES AT 72", "Why mob bigs who met to crown a king had to run like roaches", "For Sale, a House WithAcreage.Connections Extra;Site of 1957 Gangland Raid Is Part of Auction on Saturday", "20 Apalachin Convictions Ruled Invalid On Appeal", "Narcotic Traffic Called Topic In Apalachin Talks", Memorandum for the Director of Central Intelligence, Subject: Roselli, Johnny, "Witness denies assassination, Cuba tied", "Mafia Linked In JFK Probe; By Cuban Exile", "Hoffa Lawyer: Jimmy Recruited Mob for JFK Hit", "Lawyer Says Hoffa Told 2 Mob Bosses to Have President Kennedy Killed", "Frank Ragano, 75, Lawyer for Mob and Hoffa", "The Sins of the Godfather? At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife and children at his father-in-laws house in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. "I was going to ask him to come over and try our beignets to see how they compare to the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans," Alessi says. He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. Please try again later. Don Santo Trafficante Jr was one of the last of the old-time American Mafia bosses in the United States. Reputed 'boss of bosses' dies at 72 TAMPA, Fla, "' Trafficante dies at age 72 TAMPA. Josephine Marchese Trafficante Try again later. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. A system error has occurred. Departed this Life May 13, 2015 During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. Interestingly, Trafficante who was worth about $25 billion at his height in the 80s lived a fairly reserved, modest lifestyle. He buys Jaguars for his two sons, hobnobs with sports stars on resort golf courses and occasionally flies to Miami for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Rascal House. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Try again later. Sign up for service and obituary updates. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.. Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. Scott M. Deitche is the author of six books on organized crime, including a biography of Santo Trafficante Jr., and has written dozens of articles on organized crime for magazines and newspapers. He attended a notorious convention of Mafia bosses held in the upstate New York town of Apalachin on November 14, 1957. President John. Conspiracy theorists consider Giancana along with Mafia leaders Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello associated with the assassination of Kennedy. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: My heart goes out to the family. After this look at Santo Trafficante Jr., read the gruesome story of the murderous American dentist, Benjamin Salomon, of World War II. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. It never did exist.". Or does he just look like one? After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. One of the last surviving mobsters from the Luciano era, he died of heart disease in a Houston, Texas, hospital in 1987. We are one of them! Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. 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. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. In 1954, Santo Sr. died of natural causes (at a time when some of his remaining rivals were still being violently dispatched), and his son took over leadership of the crime family. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. We have set your language to Rosselli testified in 1975 to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the efforts to kill Castro. Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. There was an error deleting this problem. For all the power he wielded, Trafficante was often described as quiet and reserved. [18] According to Ragano, he met Hoffa at the Teamsters' headquarters in Washington, DC, then delivered the message to Trafficante and Marcello in a meeting at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Learn more about merges. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. But then came Key Bank, a massive drug-money-laundering investigation. By 1987, the Mafia boss, who had walked the casino floors of the Sans Souci in Cuba, dined and hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra in the nightclubs and hotels of South Beach, and who commanded a presence in Tampa that is still felt today, was suffering from a diseased kidney and bad heart. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." Pupello determined that his diabetic patient's arteries were healthy. His sons, Dino and Joseph, run it for him, though he worries that sometimes they don't work hard. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. [19] He claimed three witnesses could support his statement that he met Trafficante in Tampa, but refused to name them, adding: "One guy is afraid of retaliation. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . Santo, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. He drove standard cars, lived in regular houses in quiet places, was married to the same woman, and generally described as a quiet man. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Failed to delete memorial. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. Year should not be greater than current year. ". He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? Thanks for your help! However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. Undercover detectives ran a gambling sting operation there, hoping to nab a circle of Tampa men they said were making illegal sports bets. Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. department.". He convicted infamous criminal labor union head, Jimmy Hoffa. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. His business ventures have not always been successful. TAMPA The daughter sits on the front porch of a little bungalow in Seminole Heights, her new home since her husband died a few months ago down south. Try again. The people of Tampa, especially the ones still around to remember those days still feel a duty of sorts to keep quite of these things, as if these people are still amongst us and can hear our chatter. Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. It was all on the up and up. [5] [8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFrank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). Fine food, and lots of it. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. 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. please know that i am praying for you and your family. Associates: Sam Giancana, Charlie Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Johnny Rosselli, Robert Maheu. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. 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. 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. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. Every so often I think of the Jekyll Island and White Lake, NC trip and laugh. Now he owns a 210-acre orange grove in southern Hillsborough. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. And while cocaine-fueled Latin American criminal networks have been a serious problem in Florida for decades, the Trafficante familys illicit activities were quite infamous as well. THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented ties with powerful Mafia families he had established as a young man in New York, and ruthlessly put down any attempts to usurp his territory or power. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. But before Trafficante testified, someone conveniently killed Roselli. Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. You and Santo will always have a special place in my heart. Donnie Brasco. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. "I think it's all bull----," says Trafficante's former horse trainer, Arthur Pedregal Jr. "It's only because his name is Trafficante. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. "[12] He said that Trafficante complained about the honesty of the Kennedys and their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. ). Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. He dressed nicely but not ostentatiously, and his choice of cars was never flashy. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. 12 talking about this. 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. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. 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. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. This browser does not support getting your location. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. 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. Verify and try again. 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. Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. 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. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. santo trafficante daughters 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. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. 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. Weve updated the security on the site. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. The Trafficante family formed a strong alliance with the Batista government in Cuba and profited from their investments, although they never achieved the goal of dominating gambling on the island. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in Scarface, or the heyday of Miami Vice. You've got to be a fool to marry wrong," he says. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood.Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. 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. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in. [2] Trafficante Jr. would frequently meet with Lucchese in New York City for dinner.[2]. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. A A. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Husband of Private Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. Claiming association with the CIA, Roselli knew of Trafficantes vendetta and told his new pal that the U.S. government also wanted to take down Castros Communist regime. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954.
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santo trafficante jr daughters