The Mob in Miami (Late 1970s/Early 1980s)

Hello Everyone,

Longtime lurker, first-time poster here on the forums. I know the mob has had a long history in South Florida, which continues even today, but have few questions pertaining to their activities in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

During this time, what were the primary rackets for the mob in South Florida? And how involved were guys getting in the cocaine trade? I know of certain stories such as Chris Rosenberg robbing/killing the connected Cubans from Miami. Are there other examples of wiseguys interacting with Colombian/Cuban drug cartels in Miami during this era?

Jon Roberts.

I don't know much about Miami crime unfortunately; there is a book though, "Gangsters of Miami", by Ron Chepesiuk, I only read some parts, but it seems to be an interesting chronology of Miami organized crime. However, the Italian Cosa Nostra didn't have a local family there, their main base in Florida was Tampa, with the Trafficante family.

The whole Tommy Agro and Joe Ianuzzi thing. The Bonannos also tried to get in on the action using Donnie Brasco.. backed by the Sonny Black crew of course.

Tony plate was a longtime enforcer and loanshark who operated in miami

Some great examples so far.

Don't know how I forgot about Jon Roberts. Was he still kicking anything to/associating with the Gambinos once we was a kingpin? Seems like he went independent after he left New York.

Gerry Chilli Sr. had a crew in Miami around then. Also the Nicky Corozzo and Lenny DiMaria had some things goin on down there around then.

Wasn't mia in the 70tys a trashy place then all the coke money threw out then and the 80tys transformed to a tourist place. Kinda of like a.c. then the casinos came in the 70tys. Think its always been a open city all the north family's go there and do shit. The guy Santo had the rest of the state.

Steven Raffa rules the Miami faction of the Trafficantes until commit suicide in the 2000.

The late 1970s saw a shift from the early Cuban mob (Castro refugees), to the younger "Scarface" generation.

The older Cuban mobsters (like Humberto Trueba, Raul Jerez, and Evaristos Garcia) ran bookmaking and bolita with the Trafficantes and partnered with the Mafia figures operating down there. By the late 70s most had died or retired.

Also you saw a large move of the Mafia out of Miami and up into Broward and Palm Beach County. Operation Cherokee, that targeted the Lucchese, Gambino, BUffalo, Bufalino, Philly, and Cleveland families, was primarily overseen by the Broward County Sheriff.

By 1990 it was estimated that over 600 mobsters and associates were active in South Florida.

As a night club musician here during that time let me tell you......

This place was packed with wiseguys (especially during the season).

They didn't hang too much in Miami per se, all the action was from North Miami Beach, up through Hallandale, Hollywood, Ft.Lauderdale, and Pompano (Back then Boca Raton was a heavy WASP/ Jewish area).

The Major clubs they hung at were The Bonfire, Place for Steak, Club Top Draw (thats just a few in north miami beach). In Halandale you had Bootsiese, the Round Table, the The Aztec Hotel Lounge, Villa Perrone, The bar a Dorias, and late at night you could find tables of them all sitting together at the Rascal House Deli in Sunny Isles.

Hollywood had Hemmigways and the Top of the Home Lounge (that was a BIG hangout. Also the Tack room bar in the old Diplomat Hotel.There was also a place called The Grand Saloon in Young Circle. Oh, how could I forget Joe Sonkens Gold Coast Restaurant

Ft.Lauderdale.......Too many to mention. But some of the main places were The Bachelors III, Septembers, Mr.Pips tons of Hotel lounges, Le Club International.

Before I became a full time musician one of my first jobs was as a busboy in a little tiny joint called the "Tre Amici". It was on US1 in Hollywood about 2 miles north of Young Circle.

Well as it turns out the FBI had the whole place wired up. It seems that Jimmy Blues Eyes (who lived right in Hollywood in the Lakes section) plus a bunch of other heavy hitters Terry Zappi, Tony and Frank Galgano of "Bobby Rubinos" fame were hanging out in there every night. I remember it making all the papers back then.

Now in the late 1980's you had all the Latin druglords with bilions in coke money. I worked in many of those clubs too, but they were loud and had none of the real class that the wiseguy joints had back in the day.

And yes I did see some famous gangsters while working in these places. They always treated the musicians great and were fantastic tippers.

Boy how I miss the "good old days"........

Sal

Was it ever determined why Raffa committed suicide?

Excellent post- thank you for sharing.

He had late stage cancer from what I've heard. But there is always the question if that indeed was the case.

I'm not in to conspiracies but you never know. I don't believe Longy Zwillman killed himself. I don't believe Salvatore Rizzo killed himself. Had it happened in the 60's-70's I would be seriously questioning it, but in the year 2000, I do lean towards Raffa being down in the dumps. There was a lot going on in his life after all.

George Barone had the waterfront down there during that time after he was banned from the NY docks.

There was an old documentary on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExEzrh2uV8s