It definitely seems that it was a collaboration between Genovese and Gambino, but I wonder what relatively small potatoes Lansky and Trafficante would've added to this conspiracy.
You make a good point. While nearly every source states that both Genovese and Gambino were behind Anastasia's death....Lansky and Trafficante's involvement are occasionally mentioned.
Anastasia was trying to muscle into Havana- Lansky and Trafficante's domain. According to a book I read (I believe it was TJ English's Havana Nocturne), Anastasia was actually in the process of building a hotel/casino there. Lansky considered Cuba his domain and warned Albert to stay out of Cuba- and was ignored.
Trafficante stayed at the Park Sheraton hotel, which was where the barbershop was located. He checked out the morning of the shooting and immediately left town. Like Lansky, his motive was to keep Anastasia from muscling in on his Havana operations. Coincidence or was he in town to discuss Anastasia's murder? This was in the Biography channel's Mobsters episode of Santo Trafficante, Jr.
The best explanation of what went on with the Joe Colombo hit was in a book called "Joey, portrait of a Mafia Hit man" it was written in the mid 1970s. Joey knew both Colombo and Gallo and accordingly to his version, Carlo Gambino the puppet master got tired of Colombo ignoring his request to lay low and stop antagonizing the FBI and used Joey Gallo to take Joe Colombo out. Both of them were a pain the ass to Gambino. After Joe Colombo was shot and disabled, Don Carlo stepped away from Joey Gallo and looked the other way when the Colombo’s went gunning for him. A master chess move that neither one saw coming
Excellent book, not very many people have read it. I'm just not sure how much of what Joey wrote was reliable, versus unsubstantiated rumors and gossip among the lower ranking mobsters.
Here's an interesting story from that book: Joey was a hitman, and he was approached by Genovese's people to whack Meyer Lansky. He declined the contract. Shortly afterward, he was ambushed and shot multiple times, it was implied it was due to refusing the contract. He survived and warned Lansky that he was in danger. Meyer paid Joey's hospital bills, out of appreciation, and gave him a safe hideout where he could heal. My guess is that this was shortly before Lansky recruited Nelson Cantellops to frame Genovese.
