The Dragna family of Los Angeles, California

Aside from boss Jack Dragna himself, who were the two or three most important and successful members of that crew at the height of their power during the 1940s through 1970s era? Likewise, who was the most deadly soldiers in their membership ranks?

Simple questions...or maybe not?

Frank "Bomp" Bompensiero should be the mostly deadly soldier of the family.

Good pick Furio.

I will add Nicolo Licata and Angelo Polizzi as successful during that time.
Most feared hitman Frank Bompensiero takes the the cake. Followed by Frank Gruttadauria.

Anthony Cornero,was the top man during Prohibition and take the family in the las vegas casinos before he had ships where the rich people can gamble and have fun outside the national waters limits.

Respectable choices fellas. Obviously Dragna, his brother Tom, and they're sons were wealthy. And influential. Later on Johnny Roselli was a top guy as well.

Dangerous guys? Bompensiero and Fratianno were obviously two of their more deadly fellas. Mike Rizzi was also.

There were a few who fell into all categories.

Tony Mirabile was a capo of San Diego before Bompensiero. He was a good earner, had bars in whats today's downtown Gaslamp district. Pretty lucrative area, even then. They had a lock on the Sailor, Dive and Gay bars. He also had a lucrative "resort" of sorts in Tijuana I believe in the late 40s.

I would also add the Matranga Brothers.

San Diego, although not particularly important to the overall scheme of things in CN, it has a quiet history of its own. Alot of money out there. All the Los Angeles guys back then lived in nice residential areas. I imagine it was a perfect city to operate (in those days) if you're not looking to be the Vito Genovese or Tony Accardo.

Another very influential mafioso, a extremely wealthy one at that, was Anthony (Tony) Pinelli. He was a multimillionaire with interests in a wide swath of businesses in different industries who moved out that way. Many people (even mob groupies) don't even know his name let alone anything about his life.

The Los Angeles Family had alittle more then meets the eye imo. Not like the powerhouse back east but nothing to sneeze at if you're a boss

I agree. Jack Dragna and his key men had enough there to earn with. Nowhere close to what the NYC or eastern seaboard crews had, but they made a living. For sure!

Do you think the L.A Family was the strongest of the West Coast Familes???

Definitly.San Francisco and San José was just crews,the Smaldones from Denver was more organizated but more or less the Dragna was the more active ans strong.

Didn't the LA family answer to Chicago, or am I off on that?

Correct. The Dragna family was much larger numerically speaking and had a wider berth of activities and contacts. Both San Francisco, and San Jose, although autonomous in their own right, with personal contacts to east coast crews and individual mafiosi all their own, were not as large nor active.

Im not sure if LA had to answer to Chicago but LA did have deep ties
With the Cleveland Family.
Frank and Tony Milano had homes in LA. Mickey Cohen I believe was born
In Cleveland and started out as a feather weight boxer.
Cleveland underboss Frank Brancato and low level solider Frank Visconti had several
Investments in the LA restaurant scene.
John Scalish and Mickey Cohen were very close as they shared legit business arraingements

Jack Dragna's closest ties were always to the Gagliano/Lucchese family of Harlem and to Tommy Brown directly. Dragna hailed from Corleone, Sicily, if I'm not mistaken. Many members of the Lucchese crew originated from Corleone as well, the La Salle brothers being two of them. Steve LaSalle was also very close with the Dragna's. In fact, the Lucchese family was originally believed to have represented the Dragna family before NY's Commission for many years.

I've been inside Tony Milano's house. It's a beautiful property. It was owned by Anna Shay and was sold last year for c. $15 million if I remember correctly

$15 million? Lol, thats not chicken feed!

It's first class Beverly Hills overlooking Sunset Boulevard. You need deep pockets for that my friend

So the C.A. family is now a Gambino crew?

There is a restaurant owner in San Diego who allegedly has some Gambino connections (that is if he's still alive. The guy was already old last I heard of him). He's pretty well known in the area, he has a beautiful house in there Little Italy neighborhood.

The Gambinos have been connected the since at least the 50's.

Michael Franzese and other Mafiosi make the point that a non-made guy cannot lay hands on a made guy without severe consequences. However, Siegel is portrayed as doing just that. If true, how did Siegel get away with his manhandling of Dragna?

There are always exceptions to the rules.
The rules are really for mostly everybody, mostly all the time.

With exceptions.

If you raise your hands to a made guy the punishment could be death.
Back when LCN, killed people every day.

Now it’s more so you would get shelved
Or a beaten

I read an article here in this site about Buffalo LCN,
And there was a guy from Hamilton, who got whacked, the article stated that he, I don’t remember his name was recently made into the L.A. fanmily, and the reason why he was killed was because he some how dis respected the Boss of Buffalo LCN, Joe Todaro.

If the story is true than C.A. Is still making new members.

Or atleast That’s what L.E. Believes

Question is, is there any proof that Bugsy Siegle actually manhandled Jack Dragna? I highly doubt that. And if it's true, who's to say it didn't have something to do with his murder?

If Bugsy Siegel did that, (who knows if he did) maybe that's why he ended up a bloody mess on Virginia Hill's couch.

Wherever that BS came from is just that. All bullshit. No guy. Especially a non-Italian, is gonna raise his hands to a made guy, a BOSS of a family no less! Bugsy Siegel might have been a bit outlandish, but he was no idiot. They would not have shot him down the road. He would have been slaughtered! Slaughtered with his hands, his head, and his legs chopped off his torso!

And LA would not have waited for NY to send somebody out to do the work either. They would have killed Siegel straight out themselves, for the sheer pleasure of it. And to avenge the massive insult of having their "representante" slapped, cursed, or even touched, in any way, shape, or form....And THATS a hard fact!

The "Capo" of a family? Jack Dragna no less? Siegel wouldn't have stood a chance. 1, 2, 3, Finito!