"I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. . Santo was one of the FBIs targets in that case. 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. 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. He drove a forklift for 20 years. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. [15], Ragano also claimed that Trafficante, four days prior to his death, delivered a deathbed confession which suggested that Marcello was meant to assassinate Robert F. Kennedy instead of his brother, the President. While the senior Trafficante had been a major mobster in his own right, nobody could have expected the heights that were going to be reached by his son. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. He wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. 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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. A A. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. 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. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. Who better than his son, Trafficante Jr., to inherit his throne? Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. His sons, Dino and Joseph, run it for him, though he worries that sometimes they don't work hard. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. Try again later. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". He was again called to testify in April 1976 on the alleged conspiracy to kill Kennedy, but Rosselli never made it: His body was found in a barrel floating in Biscayne Bay off the coast of Florida. A year has passed. Rosselli later claimed to be involved with or to actually be a shooter in a Mob conspiracy to kill President John F. Kennedy, and some accounts have Trafficante involved in the alleged, and unproven, conspiracy. A year later they had their first son, Frank, born on April 16, 1910. Resend Activation Email. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. wills o' nats last of the summer wine. Trafficante scrambled out the passenger-side door. 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. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. 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. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. 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. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. He will always be remembered with fondness. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. 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. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . Donnie Brasco. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Other Mafia leaders, as well as newer organized crime networks, took over many of the rackets the family ran throughout the 20th Century. "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.". Josephine Marchese Trafficante Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. 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. Santo Trafficante then categorically denied every allegation about stating he wanted RFK or JFK dead and got off scot-free. I laughed _ until I realized it was a total f------ disaster," Trafficante says. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. RIP Santo. department.". He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the Apalachin agenda. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! All Rights Reserved. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. But once Kennedy actually entered the White House, he didnt live up to his end of the bargain. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. Failed to remove flower. In the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. used his ties to organized crime to secure votes for his son, John F. Kennedy. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. Share Santo's life story with friends and family. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". But then came Key Bank, a massive drug-money-laundering investigation. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. Or does he just look like one? Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. English Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. Trafficantes father was the lucky survivor of what was called the Era of Blood, when rival gangs based in Tampa fought for control of Prohibition-era nightclubs and, crucially, the local numbers rackets called bolitas. Battling Mob rivals in South Florida essentially weakened each other financially and, through murder, the number of available soldiers. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Italian Club of Tampa Cemetery Fund, 1731 East 7th Ave., Tampa, FL 33605. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. Learn more about managing a memorial . At Boxer Cycle Works. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. Search above to list available cemeteries. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. 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. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. In a 1978 legal testimony, Trafficante discussed how quickly Castro shut it all down, then reopened the casinos on his own terms. He was, in many ways, the archetypical old-school Mob boss. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. In 1946, Santo Sr. sent his son, already a family underboss, to Cuba to invest in the growing number of nightclubs and casinos in the island nation. He died on March 17, 1987. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. He is currently working on his seventh book, The Jersey Mob., Feedback or questions? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [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. Maheu hid the fact that he was sent by the CIA, instead portraying himself an advocate for international corporations. The guy really tried to do it right.". Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. Indeed, some people would rather not dwell on the less-than-noble aspects of our local history. Try again later. Weve updated the security on the site. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. In 1975, the CIA declassified a report stating that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation he denied. "[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. [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. 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, 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. The Unbelievable Story Of Richard Lee McNair The Man Who Mailed Himself Out Of Prison, What JFK's Mob-Affiliated Mistress May Have Known About His Assassination, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. 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. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? GitHub export from English Wikipedia. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. The other guys are two doctors, who say they'll testify if they're summoned to court. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. 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. "I think it's all bull----," says Trafficante's former horse trainer, Arthur Pedregal Jr. "It's only because his name is Trafficante. Despite all of this or, perhaps, because of it, a few writers and filmmakers have chosen to focus on organized crime, determined to give Tampa its due. [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. 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. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. 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.. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. 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. So, as the popular theory goes, the mob bosses that lent a helping hand in getting Kennedy into office wanted revenge. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in. She was a wonderful cook, and she loved to crochet and travel with her husband, but she lived her life for her family. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Santos Trafficante Jr. was the son of Santos Trafficante Sr., who owned several casinos in Havana. However, LoScalzo was nonetheless able to expand the families criminal reach into new locations across Florida, and took advantage of alliances with other Mafia families to ensure the mob maintained its hold on criminal activities. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo. 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. She is now living in Virginia. ". In fact, Florida had the dubious distinction of being home to a decades-old Mafia criminal network: the Trafficante Family. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . 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. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. "[12] He said that Trafficante complained about the honesty of the Kennedys and their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates. He is just a businessman, he says, his money tied up in wholesale automobiles, an orange grove and real estate. Trafficante tried to win Castro over to his side, but that didnt work. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. 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. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. Mobster Johnny Rosselli, who worked for both Trafficante and the Chicago Outfit, was another associate involved in the unsuccessful efforts to kill Castro and, according to some biographies, was the man who put Trafficante and Giancana together with Maheu. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. She misses him, but she's making do. As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. 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. 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. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante He had a big heart and will be missed. After the Kennedy hubbub, Trafficante kept a low profile or, lower that is. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. 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! The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire.
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