It seems like Tampan was less a "code" as such, and more a lingua franca between Cuban and Italian mobsters. Its a composite, a sort of Pidgin Spanish. The languages are pretty similar, after all.
This is more a Florida phenomenon rather than an overtly mafia one. Seeing as most wiseguys speak bad enough English, let alone Italian, I dont think they're still doing business in a Spanish-Italian slang hybrid. Even most Cuban guys speak English.
Of course, there'd still be some folk who speak and use it daily. Probably old Spanish and Italian people in Ybor City, for one. Most probably while yelling at each other. Or while haggling for things at the markets, and generally being argumentative.
Yep, old people are weird.
The Tampa dialect is an Ybor/West Tampa slang combining Italian, English and Spanish. Many people in those neighborhoods were tri-lingual back in the day. As you said, very few people still speak it, mainly old-timers.
Santo Jr spoke fluent Italian, Spanish, and English.
