To get back on topic, I don't understand why most posters do not consider the longtime bosses of smaller families to be as influential or powerful. Many of them wielded quite a bit of power not just in their local area, but throughout the states and in some cases, their power went beyond the state government. Food for thought.
I dont know whats whit you and all these small fimilies?!What you wanna talk about Dallas?Ok than...theres only Carlos Mracello,yes he was big and that was that.You wanna talk about Tampa?Santo Trafficante and thats it.IN Chicago you have many bosses more powerful than thouse two,not to mention NY.Also the population in thouse two cities is bigger than Dallas or Tampa for example.The NY italian mob together with jewish mobsters like Lansky had connections worldwide.The Chi mob during Giancanas reign had also connections world wide.Ever heard of Hy Larner?Yes the the smaller families were also very powerful but they all answered to the big ones.They all had their own DIFFERENT shares.I laught at the people who belive that TRafficante was involved in Giancanas or Rosellis murder.LOL Santo couldnt even get in Chicago with out ttheir approval.Some1 also once said the Bufalino was the top mob boss in the country...i mean common.lol
Again yes they were powerful but not as the powerful as the big families.Thats why we use the word "BIG".IF you wanna make them more powerful than the allegedly big ones,than you cannot convince me buddy...dunno about the rest of the posters
"Not as powerful as the big familes?" Smaller families didn't "answer" to anybody. They were represented on the commission by the large families in NY and Chicago, but the bosses of these smaller families ran their own family how they wanted to. They didn't ask permission to do anything in their respected territories. Explain to me why Cleveland had more of the skimming of the Vegas casino's than most families? It's because they owned the Teamsters and Jackie Presser through Bill Presser (Jackie' Father) and one of the most powerful Teamster board members in history. Philly, New England and most of the NY families didn't have nearly what Cleveland had in Vegas. Explain why Pittsburgh had the casino's in Havana, Cuba through Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino while Chicago, NY, Philly, New England, Detroit, Buffalo etc didn't have any of it. The point I have been trying to make is that smaller families had just as much power in their respected geographic territories as Chicago, Philly, New England, etc had in their area. Unions, truck hijacking, gambling, extortion, loansharking, prostitution, drugs, white collar crime, legitimate businesses etc.
I agree that Chicago had many "infamous" bosses and so did NY, but that doesn't mean that those infamous bosses were any better at their jobs than the bosses of smaller families. Cleveland through Bill Presser, Jackie Presser, Tony Milano, Moe Dalitz and Angelo Lonardo and John Scalish were nationally respected and in Milano's case, feared. The same with Frank Balistrieri in Milwaukee and Nick Civella in KC. Milano in Cleveland had rackets from Cleveland to Vegas to Los Angeles to Reggio Calabria, Italy and into Canada. Pittsburgh's John LaRocca ran four states and had significant pull in West Coast Operations in San Jose and San Francisco through Salvatore and Angelo Marino, both from the Pittsburgh area. Jack Tocco in Detroit "owned" Jimmy Hoffa and Frank Fitzsimmons, more so than Chicago. Further, my point is that the American La Cosa Nostra was made up of "mostly" smaller crime families with Chicago and NY the largest out of all of them. Outside of those two cities, most of the other small crime families prospered financially and without the headlines and headaches that both Chicago and NY had to endure. Elliot Ness came to Cleveland for a reason.
How do you define more powerful? By the size of the city? I'm not trying to argue with you Toodoped, but the American Mafia was made up of "mostly" smaller cities which is why I feel it is important to include them in the discussion because they ruled their cities for very long periods of time with minimal prison time because they owned everybody in the local and state sector of government.
Russell Bufalino was as powerful a mob boss as one could get. For you to minimize his wealth and influence is irresponsible. Where is your proof that Santo Traficante was not allowed to travel to Chicago without permission? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Could you validate that statement or is that your opinion?
Ofcourse we r not arguing,wer just discussing this and we have different opnions,and thats that.
Look it like this...Chicago had its own representative in KC for example(i really dont remember his name right now)so when Binaggio screw things up who do you think gave the order for his death sentance?!
Chicago didnt have a casino's in Cuba?Really?What about Sevilla Biltmore?Their frontman was Amletto Battisti.During the late 1920s and 30s, the Hotel Sevilla Biltmore, close to Cuba's presidential palace, was a home away from home for Chicago mob boss Al Capone, whose pictures still adorn the lobby and who to this day has a suite named for him tucked away at the end of a 6th floor labyrinth. It is marked by a plaque citing Capone as an "Italian American famous gangster.
Also the Sans Souci Casino.In 1938 Roselli was the Chicago representative and they owned that casino.
In Florida,Miami(and some in Tampa) all of the race tracks were owned by the Outfit.For example...
The Tropical Park-Race Track
Frontmen: William H. Johnston
Chicago Mob Connection:John Patton,Jake Guzik,Frank Nitti,Joe Fusco,Tony Accardo
Story:John Patton was one of the biggest share holders in this race track.
Beach Kennel Club-Race Track
Frontmen: William H. Johnston
Chicago Mob Connection: Patton,Jake Guzik,Frank Nitti,Joe Fusco,Tony Accardo
Story:Frank Nitti and Joe Fusco,together with John Patton,were the main stockholders in this track.
Jacksonville Kennel Club, Inc-Race Track
Frontmen: William H. Johnston,James Patton
Chicago Mob Connection:John Patton,Jake Guzik,Frank Nitti,Joe Fusco,Tony Accardo, Robert Larry McCullough
Story:James Patton is the son of John Patton and was the vice president of many dog tracks.
Miami Beach Kennel Club-Race Track
Frontmen: William H. Johnston,James Patton
Chicago Mob Connection:John Patton,Jake Guzik,Frank Nitti,Joe Fusco,Tony Accardo, Robert Larry McCullough
Story:John Patton was THE owner of this track.
Orange Park Kennel Club-Race Track
Frontmen: William H. Johnston,James Patton
Chicago Mob Connection:John Patton,Jake Guzik,Frank Nitti,Joe Fusco,Tony Accardo
Story:James Patton was the assistant treasurer of the Orange Park Kennel Club, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.
Outdoor Clubs, Inc-Race Track
Frontmen: William H. Johnston
Chicago Mob Connection:John Patton,Jake Guzik,Frank Nitti,Joe Fusco,Tony Accardo
Story:Located in Tampa, Fla,John Patton was the man from the shadows and William H. Johnston was the president.
This is just a small part of Chicagos gambling empire
and this is how the fuck i define powerful.....
Reno,Nevada
The Wilows
Frontmen: James McKay,Tex Hall
Chicago Mob Connection:Al Capone,Ralph Capone
Story:The Willows offered some of the finest liquor available in the nation. Graham and McKay could always get liquor from their suppliers in San Francisco, or their friend, bootlegger Cal Custer and ofcourse Al Capone from Chicago.James McKay took 20 percent of everything.
The Bank Club
Frontmen: George Wingfield,Bil Graham,William Harrah
Chicago Mob Connection:Ralph Capone, John Drew
Story:The Bank Club was Reno's largest casino in the 1930's and 1940's. Opened in 1931, it merged with the Golden Hotel and became the Golden Bank Club in 1952. John Drew, a familiar face in Chicago, represented the Chicago syndicate and came from the Bank Club casino in Reno, which the Chicago mob took over in the early 30’s.
Hurley,Wisonsin
The Rex(red?) Hotel-Gambling Joint
Mob Connection:Ralph Capone
Story: In the 1930s,Ralph Capone purchased a home and later was a silent partner in a hotel/tavern in Mercer, Wisconsin. The hotel was named "The Rex Hotel" and the tavern was named, "Billy's Bar." The hotel also served as a place for members of the Outfit to hide out.
Miami,Florida
The Saxony Hotel-Gambling joint
Frontmen:Mike Glitta, Joe Epstein
Chicago Mob Connection:James Allegretti,Tony Accardo,Sam Giancana
Story:At the Saxony Hotel,Allegretti operated the punch boards and some of the prostitution rackets.Joe Epstein was Allegretti's connection in Miami.
Des Moines, Iowa
The Club Belveder-Gambling Joint
Forntmen: Hymie Wiseman
Chicago Mob Connection:Louis Fratto,Sam Giancana,Tony Accardo
Story: Chicago-mob controlled Club Belvedere at a time when, according to a Chicago law enforcement official, Chicago underworld figures operating in Iowa "had a special interest in college athletes and sports writers." Club Belvedere hosted an illegal casino.
Des Moines, Iowa
The Club Belveder-Gambling Joint
Forntmen: Hymie Wiseman
Chicago Mob Connection:Louis Fratto,Sam Giancana,Tony Accardo
Story: Chicago-mob controlled Club Belvedere at a time when, according to a Chicago law enforcement official, Chicago underworld figures operating in Iowa "had a special interest in college athletes and sports writers." Club Belvedere hosted an illegal casino.
Des Moines, Iowa
The Club Belveder-Gambling Joint
Forntmen: Hymie Wiseman
Chicago Mob Connection:Louis Fratto,Sam Giancana,Tony Accardo
Story: Chicago-mob controlled Club Belvedere at a time when, according to a Chicago law enforcement official, Chicago underworld figures operating in Iowa "had a special interest in college athletes and sports writers." Club Belvedere hosted an illegal casino.
Lake Tahoe,Sierra Nevada
The Cal-Neva Lodge
Frontmen:Frank Sinatra
Chicago Mob Connection:Sam Giancana,Johnny Roselli,Chuckie English
Story:On opening night at the Cal-Neva Lodge, Sinatra's guests included Marilyn Monroe, Joe Kennedy and his son, John F. Kennedy.Giancana’s ownership of the Cal-Neva was confirmed by the FBI, which recorded a conversation between Giancana and Johnny Rosselli in which Giancana said, "I am going to get my money out of that joint (Cal-Neva).”Skinny D'Amato, was running a state wide prostitution ring out of this place.
San Diego
Rincon Indian Reservation-Bingo and card games
Frontmen: Chris Petti
Mob Connection: Samuel Carlisi and John “No Nose” DiFronzo, Donald Angelini, Michael Caracci
Story: Chicago mob leaders became interested in the Rincon gambling operations in the mid 1980s.
Is this enough for you?
