No particular order; just a list I found. One of many.


Tony Accardo
(1906-1992)
Known to his associates and friends as Mr. Accardo and Joe Batters (a nickname no one dared to use in his presence), Anthony Joseph Accardo was a tough, brainy character who ruled the Chicago syndicate with an iron fist. Accardo's career in organized crime began in the 1920's as an enforcer under Al Capone. It was during his time as enforcer that he earned the nickname Joe Batters for his proficiency in the use of a baseball bat while performing his enforcement duties. After Capone went away to the big house on a tax evasion conviction, Accardo was placed in charge of enforcement. Eventually, he rose to the rank of boss and for a time shared power with his good friend Paul Ricca. Under Accardo, the Chicago family, better known as The Outfit, expanded operations outside of the city to places as far as California and Texas. By the 1940's Accardo, having already made his mark in the underworld, began to take a less direct role in the day-to-day operations. In his place he installed another fearsome mafioso, Sam Giancana. Accardo would remain in semi-retirement until the 1960's after Giancana had gained too much notoriety from the press and stepped in once again to rule alongside Ricca. After Ricca's passing in 1972, Accardo became the sole leader of The Outfit and retained the position until the late 1970's when he once more went into semi-retirement. He remained semi-retired throughout the eighties and until his death at the age of 86 in 1992.

Albert Anastasia
(1903-1957)
While not the most successful Mafia don, Albert Anastasia was certainly the most violent. A psychopath with a knack for killing, Anastasia ruled over Murder Incorporated, the Mafia's infamous hit squad that included some of the most proficient contract killers in organized crime. Arriving in the United States frome Italy between 1917 and 1920, Anastasia quickly immersed himself in the criminal underworld by becoming involved with the union rackets in New York. His first known murder, in the U.S. anyway, was that of a longshoreman in the early 1920's. Originally tried for the murder and sentenced to death, Anastasia went free after the key witnesses in his new trial went missing. Throughout the 1930's Anastasia would befriend and work with such gangsters as Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, and Lucky Luciano. Although Luciano, Costello, and Lansky all considered Anastasia a hothead, they recognized his talent for intimidation and mayhem. When Luciano organized plans to take over the Mafia in the United States, he let Anastasia in on the plans and even assigned him as part of the hit squad that would gun down Mafia don Joe "The Boss" Masseria. Anastasia did not dissapoint and Masseria was gunned down in a hail of bullets. During the 1940's, the "Mad Hatter," as he was known in the underworld, ruled with Buchalter over Murder Incorporated, a branch of the mob that some crime historians say carried out as many as 500 murders during their existence. After the fall of Murder Inc., Anastasia set his sights on murdering his boss Vincent Mangano. In 1951, Mangano disappeared and Anastasia was on top. Anastasia's demise began with his insistence that Meyer Lansky cut him in on some of the gambling profit's from the latter's casinos in Havana, Cuba. Lansky refused and Anastasia began a campaign to start his own gambling empire in Cuba. Lansky, normally a passive character, took offense to Anastasia's move and wasted no time in putting a contract on the Anastasia's head. On the morning of October 25, 1957, Anastasia was gunned down while getting shave inside his favorite barbershop. To this day Anastasia's murder remains unsolved.

Joe Bonanno
(1905-2002)
Born in the Sicilan town of Castellammare del Golfo, a location known for producing mafiosi like Virginia has produced American presidents, Bonanno came to the United States with his parents at the age of three. The Bonannos returned to their hometown a few years later where Joseph became an anti-fascist student protesting the takeover of Sicily by Benito Mussolini in 1922. Forced to flee the Italian island, Bonanno re-entered the United States in 1925. Living in Brooklyn, Bonanno quickly gained a reputation as a mob enforcer. An intensely ambitious young man, Bonanno began making his mark in unclaimed territories around Brooklyn. Eventually, he fell into the graces of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. After Luciano and is cohorts seized control of organized crime in America, Bonanno was named as the head of one of the five families in New York. At the age of 26, Bonanno was a boss and became a millionaire in a matter of no time as his family expanded into the garment industry and the mortuary business. Over the years Bonanno, known in Mafia circles as Joe Bananas, continued to emass wealth and influence in spite of the fact that of the five New York families his was the smallest. By the 1960's it had become apparent to some that Bonanno aimed to become more than just a boss. With operations in Arizona, California, and Canada, Bonanno dreamed of achieving the elite title of "Boss of Bosses." Bonanno planned, with the help of Profaci family (later Colombo) boss Joe Magliocco to assassinate the other three family bosses. The plan backfired when the intended hitman Joe Colombo revealed the plot to the intended victims. Magliocco was replaced by Colombo as boss and Bonanno, refusing to appear before the so-called Mafia commission to explain himself, started a war that would span from 1964 to 1969. The Bonanno was split during this time with half of the family siding with Bonanno while the other half sided with the commission-backed Gaspar DiGregorio. The Banana War produced many corpses but no clear winner. Finally, under pressure from the commission, Bonanno agreed to retire to Arizona as long as his son Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno succeeded him as boss. While in retirement Bonanno wrote his autobiography titled A Man of Honor which was published in 1983. Bonanno was jailed for a time in the 1980's for refusing to answer questions in front of a grand jury regarding certain revelations in his book. He died peacefully at the age of 97 in 2002.

Al Capone
(1899-1947)
When people think of Prohibition-era Chicago they more more than likely associate it with one man. Perhaps the most famous gangster in the history of American crime, Alphonse "Scarface Al" Capone ruled Chicago's gangland with an iron fist boasting to anyone who'd listen that he "owned Chicago." In a way, he did. Not even Capone's most hated rival, the mostly Irish Northside O'Banion-Moran gang, could not withstand the firepower and strength of the Capone mob. Born in Brooklyn in 1899 to Italian immigrants, Capone was born to be a criminal. A sixth-grade dropout, Capone joined the notorious Five Points gang bossed by Paul Kelly as a teen and earned a reputation as a vicious street thug who was just as good with a gun as he was with his fists. A cut he received across his cheek during a knife fight left him with a nasty scar that soon bore him his infamous moniker. By the age of 20, Capone was suspected of a pair of murders that the police were desperately trying to pin on him. Feeling the heat he relocated to Chicago and the rest is history. A pupil of criminal mastermind Johnny Torrio, Capone proved to be Torrio's most trusted ally. Together they planned the successful murder of Big Jim Colosimo in 1921, at the time Chicago's most powerful gangster. Followng Colosimo's death, Torrio and Capone took over the slain mobster's empire and heavily expanded their operations into the prostitution and bootlegging rackets. During the early 1920's a bitter rivalry had erupted between the Torrio-Capone outfit and the O'Banion Gang, bossed by Irish gangster Dean O'Banion. A brutal and cunning killer himself, O'Banion proved to be a worthy opponent up until his demise in 1924 when he was gunned down outside his flower shop ( a front for his illegal activities). George "Bugs" Moran eventually succeeded as boss of the North Siders (as they were also called). The war for control of Chicago's bootlegging empire eventually forced Torrio into retirement after barely surviving an assassination attempt by the Moran gang in 1925. Torrio wasted no time in handing over the reigns to his young protege. At the age of 26, Al Capone was the boss. Realizing he would need as much muscle as possible to defeat the Moran gang and ward off any other challengers to this empire, Capone recruited members of other ethnicities and races including Poles, Jews, blacks, and Irish. At the height of its power the Capone mob numbered over 1,000 members and associates. One by one Capone eliminated the competition and survived numerous attempts on his life as well. On Valentine's Day 1929, Capone orchestrated the defining moment in his war with Bugs Moran when seven members of the latter's gang were machine-gunned to death in an abandon warehouse. Capone was never prosecuted for the infamous St. Valetine's Day Massacre. What finally put him behind bars was a conviction of tax evasion in 1931 that drew a sentence of 11 years. After serving 8 of the 11 (part of it in Alcatraz), Capone was released in 1939 due to ailing health. During his days as the king of Chicago, Capone had contracted syphilis from a prostitute. He spent the remainder of his days living a secluded life in his 14-room mansion in Florida. He died on January 25, 1947.

Don Vito Cascio Ferro
(1862-1932)
Some crime historians refer to Don Vito Cascio Ferro as the greatest of all dons of the Sicilian Mafia. While that remains up for debate there is little doubt to the man's charisma and ability to command respect wherever he went. Although he has been dead for quite some time Don Vito is still talked about with great admiration among his fellow Sicilians despite the fact that the Mafia in Italy is for the most part reviled. Born to tenants of a aristocratic family, Don Vito lived a relatively honest life until the early 1880's when he began committing such crimes as arson, extortion, and kidnapping for profit. After being accused of taking part in a plot to kidnap a baroness Don Vito fled to the United States in 1900. While in America it is not sure exactly what criminal activities Don Vito participated in. Suspected of murder he fled New York, where he had originally settled, and hid in New Orleans. During his time in the Big Easy he is believed to have run a counterfeiting operation by having illegitimate money produced in Sicily and smuggled into the United States. Shortly after his return to Sicily Don Vito began consolidating his power and in a few short years had organized much of the crime on the Italian island. Working out of Palermo, Don Vito's wealth and influence began to grow. In 1909, Don Vito committed his most celebrated crime by having American police detective and anti-Mafia crusader Joseph Petrosino murdered. The latter had gone on a mission to Italy to gather evidence for the deportation of Italian criminals from the United States. By the 1920's it is believed Don Vito had developed plans to take over the Mafia not only in Sicily but in America as well. In 1927 he sent his trusted ally Salvatore Maranzano to New York to lay the groundwork. The plan did not work out for Don Vito as he was arrested on a trumped up charge by the Italian government and sent to prison where he died in 1932. Thus ended the Don's dream of becoming the de facto boss of all bosses on both sides of the Atlantic.

Carlo Gambino
(1902-1976)
The real-life model for Mario Puzo's fictional Vito Corleone, Carlo Gambino was the most powerful Mafia don in the United States if not the world throughout the 1960's and until his death in 1976. A seemingly shy and passive man, Gambino used his mousy demeanor to his advantage. Manyof his peers, particularly Joe Bonanno and Albert Anastasia, considered Gambino something of a coward. In fact, Gambino was perhaps the most ruthless and devious Mafia don since Lucky Luciano. Beginning his career in the underworld as a driver and gopher, Gambino used his cunning to rise through the ranks and eventually became underboss to the murderous Anastasia. An acquaintance of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, Gambino learned from the best (even though he was most certainly naturally gifted with a refined criminal mind). He became the underboss by helping Anastasia murder then boss Vincent Mangano then went on to help plot the removal of Anastasia once Lansky gave the go ahead to have the former leader of Murder Incorporated rubbed out. After Anastasia's murder in 1957, Gambino took over as boss. But for someone as ambitious as Gambino being the boss simply wasn't enough. Vito Genovese, who'd wanted Anastasia dead as part of an effort to become the boss of bosses, promised Gambino he would be his number two man after Anastasia's demise. Gambino however knew better than to trust a snake like Genovese and approached Luciano, Lansky, and Frank Costello about Genovese's intentions. Together the four of them plotted Genovese's end by having the gangster arrested on charges as part of a federal narcotics case. Genovese was convicted and died in prison. With Genovese out of the way, Luciano in exile, and Lansky having his own legal troubles, Gambino was free to move up the ladder without any major distractions. By the 1960's the Gambino family was the most powerful Mafia outfit in New York if not the United States. They raked in hundreds of millions of dollars every year from interests and involvement in the gambling, narcotics, and loan-sharking rackets. When Gambino died from a massive heart attack in October 1976 at the age of 74, he was a wealthy and well-respected figure on both sides of law. His lavish funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners, a funeral fit for a don like Carlo Gambino.

Vito Genovese
(1897-1969)
One of several Mafia kingpins to aim for the elusive title of "Boss of Bosses," Vito Genovese fell short of his dream and ended up an inmate in a federal penitentiary. A cunning, brawny, cold-blooded killer, Genovese certainly had the qualifications to rise to the mythical rank of Boss of Bosses. Genovese got his start alongside Lucky Luciano and other "Young Turks," as they were commonly known as among the old-line Mafia bosses or "Mustache Petes." Throughout the 1920's Genevose murdered his way to the top and was a key player in the construction of the new national crime syndicate envisioned by Luciano and Meyer Lansky. In 1937, Genovese was forced to flee to Italy to avoid a murder rap. While in Italy, Genovese became a confidant of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. He became something of an enforcer for Mussolini despite the latter's hatred for the Mafia. In 1943, Genovese ordered the hit on U.S. journalist and Mussolini foe Carlo Tresca. The hit was successfully carried out by Carmine Galante, another mobster who would make a bid for the Boss of Bosses title before his assassination in July 1979. After Mussolini's fall Genovese began working for the U.S. Army's intelligence branch as an interpreter. His service for the Army ended when it was discovered that Genovese had been running the same black market operations the military had tried to end. After the World War II, Genovese returned to the United States and wasted no time in seizing control of the Luciano family. With Luciano in exile, Genovese sought to rub out the acting boss Frank Costello. The plan didn't come off as quickly as Genovese hoped as he was stalled the combined efforts of Luciano and Costello both of whom were just a tad smarter and more ruthless than Genovese. Finally, in 1957, Genovese made his move. Costello was his initial target. Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, a hitman who would eventually rise to the top in the Genovese family, carried out the hit. Costello survived the attempt but got the message and soon after retired. Next in line was Albert Anastasia. Several people had wanted The Mad Hatter dead among them Meyer Lansky. The hit went off without any problems and Carlo Gambino took over as boss. While Genovese had been plotting to take over the five families, Luciano, Lansky, Costello, and Gambino had been plotting the would-be Boss of Bosses' downfall. Genovese was arrested along with other high-ranking mafiosi at the Apalachin Conference in upstate New York. The feds had been tipped off by Lansky, Costello, and Gambino. Humiliated by his arrest Genovese was suddenly looked upon by other mob bosses with a certain degree of disfavor. His downfall at this point was imminent. Luciano, Lansky, and Costello concocted a narcotics scheme that sent Genovese to prison for 15 years where he died in 1969.

Sam Giancana
(1908-1975)
Nicknamed "Momo" and considered by many in law enforcement and Cosa Nostra as a sadistic psychopath, Sam Giancana was for a time the most ruthless Mafia boss west of New York. Originally dubbed "Mooney" because he was regarded as being nuttier than a fruitcake, Giancana was also the most feared mob boss in the mid-west. Giancana was simply too unpredictable. Before the age of 20, Momo had killed at least three men and was guilty of numerous other crimes including larceny, assault and battery, and burglary. He also did three prison terms in his early days as a vicious street thugs for convictions of auto theft, operation of an illegal still, and burglary. A member of the violent 42 Gang, Momo aspired to work for the Al Capone outfit. He got his wish working primarily as a driver for Tony Accardo and Paul Ricca. Giancana so impressed Ricca with his eagerness to kill at will that the latter took him under his wing and invited him to recruit other members of the 42 Gang. With Giancana's help some of the most vicious hitmen in Mafia history became made members of the Chicago Outfit. By the 1950's Giancana was running the show in Chicago (with Accardo and Ricca occasionally checking in on him) and expanded the family's operations to nearly every available racket. This included the numbers racket controlled and operated by the city's black gangsters. A few key murders committed by Giancana's crew allowed the Outfit to take over the numbers business and add millions of dollars more in annual revenue. Giancana, whose empire reached as far as Las Vegas, Mexico, and Cuba, also liked to keep company with Hollywood and political royalty which included Frank Sinatra, Phyllis McGuire, Joe E. lewis, and none other than the John F. Kennedy. There is little doubt that for a time Momo shared the same mistress with the 35th president of the United States one that did not ultimately sit well with Chicago boss. Giancana also maintained a relationship with the CIA having been in on the plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, a plot that proved to be a disaster for both the CIA and the Mafia. By the early 1970's Giancana was no longer in power. His ties with the CIA, numerous love affairs, and feuds with the FBI had drawn to much heat. Reluctantly, Paul Ricca decided to replace Giancana installing Joey Aiuppa as the new boss. Angered by the decision Giancana made his own decision to continue living excessively and ignoring further requests by Tony Accardo and Joey Aiuppa to lie low. In the early morning hours of June 19, 1975, Giancana was in his kitchen cooking a snack when an unidentified hitman approached the former don from behind and put a bullet into his brain. The assassin then proceeded to put six more bullets into Giancana's head to ensure the job was done.

John Gotti
(1940-2002)
A throwback to the old street smart gangsters of the days of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, John Gotti seemed for a time to be untouchable by the hands of law enforcement. Dubbed the "Teflon Don," Gotti twice dodged a major conviction for multiple racketeering offenses under the RICO (Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) statute before his luck finally ran out in March 1992 when he was convicted of numerous counts of racketeering including murder and received a life sentence. A tough street hood, Gotti worked his way up through the ranks the old-fashioned way utilizing grit and ruthlessness. In the 1960's Gotti served a stint in prison for hijacking. In 1972 as a favor to boss Carlo Gambino, Gotti whacked an Irish gangster named James McBratney for participating in the kidnapping/murder of Gambino's nephew Manny. As a reward Gotti was promoted to caporegime. However, he was arrested for the hit on McBratney and sent back to prison for a 7-year stretch. Released early Gotti wasted no time getting back to his old routine. As the boss of his own crew he worked closely with Gambino family underboss Aniello "Mr. Neil" Dellacroce. Bitter about Carlo Gambino's deathbed decision that named Paul Castellano the new head of the family, Gotti angrily began to plot "Big Paul's" demise. Had it not been for Dellacroce's advice to remain patient Gotti may have acted on his plan much sooner than he eventually did. On December 2, 1985, Dellacroce died of cancer leaving Gotti a loose cannon. Castellano had recently been arrested on multiple racketeering charges. Members of the Gambino feared the 73-year-old Castellano, a mobster who'd never done hard time, would rat out his fellow mafiosi for exchange of a lighter sentence. To add salt to the wound Castellano had named Thomas Bilotti, his former driver and a brainless thug, as the new underboss. Two weeks after Dellacroce's death on December 16, 1985, Castellano and Bilotti were gunned down outside of Spark's Steakhouse in Manhattan. A week later Gotti was named the new boss of the Gambino family. Initially Gotti faced some flack from the Mafia commission for not receiving an official sanction on the Castellano hit. Not that it mattered. Gotti was the toughest and most feared mob boss in America and no one was going tell him right from wrong. In 1987, Gotti beat his first RICO case and then another in 1990. Leaving the courthouse with a smile and wearing one of his $3,000 suits, Gotti seemed untouchable. In late 1990, he was arrested once again. This time the government had something they had failed to produce in the two previous trials: a witness. The witness turned out to be Gotti's trusted underboss, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano. With Gravano's testimony and hundreds of hours of taped recordings from Gotti's headquarters, the Teflon Don was convicted on all counts and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. While an inmate Gotti reportedly continued to act as boss of the family until his son, John Gotti Jr., took over as the don. In 2002, Gotti died of throat cancer at the age of 61.

Charles Luciano
(1897-1962)
Born Salvatore Lucania in Palermo, Sicily, Charles "Lucky" Luciano is arguably the most important figure in American organized crime. It was Charlie Lucky who re-structured the Italian-Mafia into a national crime syndicate that continues to rake in billions of dollars annually. Together with the Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky, Luciano plotted the demise of the old-line Italian gangsters who operated within a limited territory, followed the ways of the Old Country demanding absolute respect for the boss, and refused to work with non-Italians. Luciano in a sense "Americanized" the Mafia or Cosa Nostra and invited members of all races and ethnic backgrounds to participate in the national crime syndicate. He was a true visionary, a gangster with enough brains to equal his tenacity. He emigrated to America with his family in 1906 and picked up his first arrest for shoplifting a year later. He also started his first racket by charging the smaller Jewish kids in his neighborhood a penny or two a day for protection against older, bigger non-Jewish kids. If they refused to pay he gave them a beating. One scrawny kid who refused to pay was none other than Meyer Lansky. The two became life-long friends and eventually business partners. A member of the Five Points gang as a teenager, Luciano was suspected of several murders by police. A knife fight with would-be kidnappers, one which left him with a scar over his right eye causing it to droop, earned him the nickname Lucky. By 1920, the first year of Prohibition, Luciano was making a name for himself as a bootlegger. He'd also struck up additional friendships with other soon-to-be infamous gangsters including Vito Genovese, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, and Frank Costello. It was Costello who convinced Luciano that the old-line mafiosi or Mustache Petes, were no good for business. Costello introduced Luciano to other ethnic gangsters such as Irish hood William "Big Bill" Dwyer and Jewish gangsters Arnold Rothstein and Dutch Schultz. One of the most important things Luciano learned (from Costello and Lansky) was that buying off the police and city politicians for protection practically ensured operations would not be tampered with for any reason. During the late 1920's, Luciano was a high-ranking member of the most powerful family in New York. The don, a traditional Mustache Pete named Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria, was secretly despised by Luciano for his refusal to do business with anyone who was not Italian hurting the family's chances of making any real money. In 1928, the Castellammarese War broke out between Masseria's family and members of a rival family bossed by another Mustache Pete named Salvatore Maranzano. Three years and dozens of bodies later a clear winner had yet to be decided. His patience wearing thin and seeing an opportunity to remove Joe the Boss and his Old World ways from the picture, Luciano organized the don's assassination. On April 15, 1931, Masseria was shot to death in a Coney Island restaurant by four gunmen (one of them Bugsy Siegel). Luciano had lured his boss to the restaurant before excusing himself to use the restroom. With Maranzano the victor he made Luciano his underboss and established five families in New York. He also went on to proclaim himself the "Boss of Bosses" and planned to take over the Mafia in the United States. To see his dream reach fruition, Maranzano planned to murder Al Capone and Luciano. However, Luciano beat Maranzano to the punch. He and Lansky had learned of the boss's true ambitions and plotted their own murder scheme. Four months after the so-called Boss of Bosses took control, Maranzano was gunned down in his office by four men pretending to be government agents. Maranzano's murder for the most part put an end to the old-line mafiosi, at least in New York. In any event, Charlie Luciano was in charge and the Mafia would never be the same. The new syndicate under Luciano saw the Mafia's dominance in nearly every racket including prostitution, narcotics, gambling, loansharking, and labor (the unions). For five years Luciano was the king of New York, dapper gangster with a taste for Broadway shows and fine dining. Then in 1936 Luciano's fortunes took a much different turn. Zealous prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey had Luciano arrested, tried, and convicted of what many in the underworld felt to be trumped up charges of prostitution. Sentenced 30 to 50 years, Luciano continued to boss the syndicate from his cell before being deported to Italy in 1946. He managed to sneak into Cuba where he ran some of the mob's gambling interests before the Cuban police caught on and forced him to flee back to Italy. While in exile he received some of the revenue his position as boss demanded yet his health began a swift decline. He series of heart attacks left him weak and frail. In 1962, Luciano died of a massive heart attack in a Naples airport at the age of 65. His body was returned to the United States and buried in St. John's Cemetery in New York City. Thus ended the life of America's most powerful and influential Mafia don.

Carlos Marcello
(1910-1993)
A tough, hard-lined mafioso who demanded permission from anyone even interested in setting up shop in New Orleans, Carlos Marcello ruled over the Big Easy the way Capone ruled Chicago. The difference however was longevity. Marcello's rule spanned more then five decades. Born in Tunisia to Sicilian parents, Marcello was brought to the United States at eight months. He was arrested for bank robbery at the age of 20 and although he never did any hard time he managed to log several arrests over the years ranging from aggravated assault to armed robbery. In the 1930's Marcello, serving as the acting boss of the family, organized a deal with Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, and corrupt state senator Huey Long to bring in gambling operations to the state of Louisiana. The deal went off smoothly and resulted in millions of dolllars of annual revenue for the family. As the years passed and Marcello became the boss of the New Orleans family his success and ruthlessness continued. Law enforcement and the federal government tried numerous times, all unsuccessful, to have the don deported. Marcello bribed members of Italian Parliament to avoid deportation to Italy. Other countries such as France and Tunisia refused to take him. Finally, in an act of desperation, the government literally kidnapped Marcello and dumped him in Guatemala. Through precise maneuvering with his attorneys and other members of his network Marcello made it back to the United States by simply hopping on a place bound for Miami. The New Orleans don was in the United States for good. In the early 1960's, Marcello became a target for US Attorney General Robert Kennedy whose aim it was to jail Marcello along with Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. However, with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy backed off from his plans to prosecute Marcello. Since the Kennedy assassination Marcello has been considered a suspect by conspiracy buffs and even former members of the Warren Commission. Whether or not Marcello had any involvement in the assassination of JFK remains a mystery. During the 1970's and 80's more legal woes troubled the don but he managed to hold on to his empire. When he died in 1993 at the age of 83, Marcello was a wealthy man with a fortune estimated at over $60 million.

Raymond Patriarca
(1908-1984)
The long-time boss of the New England family, Raymond Patriarca was considered by members of law enforcement and his fellow mafiosi as one of the most ruthless and double-dealing bosses of his generation. Patriarca, the son of Italian immigrants, ruled his family and the territory of New England with an iron fist. When Patriarca did time in the 1970's he ordered others Mafia bosses to stay clear of Providence (his home base) and the rest of New England. Out of respect (and perhaps fear) the bosses agreed to Patriarca's demands. Patriarca began his career in crime after a short stint as a bellhop. For a time in the 1930's a series of bank robberies and smuggling activities made Patriarca the most wanted man in Providence. After doing only a few months of a five-year sentence for armed robbery in 1938, Patriarca quickly rose up through the Mafia ranks. He reached the coveted position of boss by the 1950's. Throughout the years as the Providence flourished and took over Boston and the rest of New England, Patriarca's legend grew. He once ordered a fellow mafioso to murder his own son because of a botched job that caused Patriarca money. The mafioso begged for his son's life and the only reason Patriarca backed off was due to his underboss's calm and persuasive demeanor. Although the son had been spared Patriarca sent the father into exile. Another display of Patriarca's menacing temper was the ordering of his own brother's death for failing to spot an FBI bug that had been planted in his office. Patriarca's brother had been placed in charge of family security. Once again, Patriarca did manage to come to his senses before carrying out the hit. Following a six--year stretch for murder conspiracy in the 70's, Patriarca resumed total control of the family. In the 1980's the family was dealt a substantial blow when a high-ranking member named Vinnie Teresa turned informer. As a result many mafiosi were convicted of various crimes and sent away. Teresa however had refused to testify against Patriarca out of respect. More accurately, Teresa probably feared retaliation from Patriarca. Fortunately for Teresa, Patriarca passed away in 1984 at the age of 76.

Paul Ricca
(1897-1972)
For five decades Paul "The Waiter" Ricca shared power over the Chicago mob with Tony Accardo. Where Accardo was known for his brutality and brawn, Ricca was known for displaying a certain degree of elegance and class. He was in a sense the gentleman gangster, a mafioso who appreciated good manners and fancy suits. This however was only one side to Ricca. Underneath his suave exterior Ricca was just as mean and ruthless as Accardo. Whenever he put out a contract on someone (and Ricca put out many since he had the best hitmen in the business at his disposal) he simply waved his hand and uttered "Make'a him go away." There has also been debate as to who was really in charge of the Chicago family following Al Capone's incarceration. The fact is that Ricca was really the one in charge. Tony Accardo and Joey Aiuppa were certainly high-ranking and wielded much power and influence but it was Ricca who had the final say in any and all important deals the Outfit put together. Born in Sicily, Ricca arrived in America in 1920. While in Sicily he had murdered a man named Emilio Parillo and served two years in prison. After his release Ricca killed the chief witness in his murder trial, Vincenzo Capasso, then fled to Chicago to avoid arrest and prosecution. His first years in America saw him working as a movie usher and waiter as a front for his mob activities. He became fast friends with Capone, the latter serving as his best man on his wedding day in 1927. By the end of the 1930's, Ricca was the boss of the Chicago family. Over the years Ricca utliized the numerous street thugs and hitmen working under him. Like his predecessor Capone, Ricca understood the value of such muscle. He was also one who used the bribe whenever necessary paying off city officials at nearly every level. His arrests during his time as boss were many and he did time on several occasions including a four-year bit in the 1940's for extorting members of the motion picture industry. In the 1950's Ricca went into a semi-retirement role as did Accardo handing power over to Sam Giancana. In 1959, Ricca was ordered to be deported to Italy after being stripped of his citizenship two years earlier. A lengthy appeals process delayed the action and Italy eventually refused to take Ricca back. Thirteen years later when Ricca died at the age of 75 he was still living comfortably in the United States as no country had offered to take him in. Ricca had applied to nearly 60 countries for citzenship but had been rejected by all of them. He'd always made a point to include newspaper clippings with his application outlining the reasons why the United States government was trying to deport him. Apparently, Ricca's scheme had worked much like many of the other ones he'd been guilty of during his lifetime.

Salvatore Riina
(1930- )
In the 1980's and early part of the 90's, Salvatore "Toto" Riina was the most powerful boss of the Sicilian Mafia. His other nicknames included "The Beast" and "The Short One" (he was only five feet two inches tall) he is believed to have committed 40 or so murders by his own hand while ordering hundreds of more. During his reign as boss, Riina ordered the murders of anti-Mafia crusaders Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone, both of them prosecuting attorneys. The result of the murders caused a nationwide outrage in Italy and resulted in a massive crackdown on the Mafia that saw the arrest, trial, and conviction of Riina. Born in Corleone, Sicily, Riina joined the local Mafia family at the age of nineteen after committing a murder at the mob's behest. In 1958, the Corleone boss Michele Navarra was killed on orders of Luciano Leggio who became the new boss of the Corleone family. With Riina and another mafioso named Bernardo Provenzano at his side, Leggio built the Corleone family into a formidable power, one that the Palermo family could no longer dismiss as small-time. During the 1960's, Riina and Provenzano murdered dozens of Navarra supporters before finally being arrested and tried for several of the murders in 1969. Both men were acquitted of the charges as the result of jury intimidation. Later that same year Riina was indicted on another murder charge and went into hiding. When Leggio was convicted of murder in 1974 and imprisoned, Riina became the boss of the Corleone family. The 1970's a profitable time for the Sicilian Mafia thanks to their direct role in the heroin trade one that Riina wanted to take control of by going to war with other Mafia families. Riina also orchestrated the murders of numerous public officials and members of law enforcement. He eluded arrest because of his low profile due to his status as a fugitive. Whenever a police officer, judge, or attorney was killed the more high profile members of the Mafia were placed under heavy scrutiny while Riina remained untouched. The Mafia was of 1981-1983 saw Riina virtually wiping out his Palermo rivals and taking control of the heroin trade. Riina remained in power until his arrest in January 1993 as the result of the government's crackdown on the Mafia and an anonymous informant's tip. Riina was eventually tried and convicted on multiple charges including murder and drug trafficking and received several life sentences. He currently resides as an inmate in a maximum security prison.

Nicky Scarfo
(1929- )
The violent, hot-tempered boss of the Philadelphia mob, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo was a complete contrast to the long-time boss of the Philly family, Angelo Bruno, aka "The Gentle Don." The five foot, five-inch Scarfo murdered his way to the top over a span of four years that saw the killings of more than 20 rival gangsters. By 1984, Little Nicky was the boss simply because there was no one left to challenge him. Scarfo was first sent away for a conviction of manslaughter in 1963 after he stabbed a longshoreman to death over an argument about a table. Scarfo and some of his fellow hoodlums had sat down at the man's table thinking it was empty. In truth the Irish longshoreman had went to use the restroom and had come back to find Scarfo and his cronies sitting at the table. The ensuing argument led to the longshoreman's murder. After his release from prison, Bruno exiled Scarfo to Atlantic City, at the time a rundown, desolate town that had seen better days. When things started to improve for the city a decade later Scarfo was in the middle of a growing gambling empire. Bruno was eventually murdered for refusing to allow members of the Genovese and Gambino families a cut of the casino. For years Bruno had insisted (in the end wrongfully) that Atlantic City belonged to Philadelphia. After Bruno's demise the once peaceful Philadelphia outfit fell into a violent turf war that produced more than twenty corpses over four years. The war claimed the life of Bruno's successor Philip "Chicken Man" Testa in 1981 and Testa's son Salvatore in 1984. After Chicken Man Testa's murder Scarfo claimed the throne and went on to do something that had cost Testa and Bruno their lives: he made peace with the New York families allowing them a free pass into Atlantic City. The Philadelphia family would share the profits with the New York families. While Scarfo had solved the Atlantic City problem another debacle had developed in the form of 74-year-old Harry Riccobene, a mafioso resembling Santa Claus who operated his own gang. The clash between the Scarfo and Riccobene did not last long however as Scarfo's forces killed twice as many of Riccobene's men. The end of 1984 saw Riccobene convicted of murder and sent to prison. Under Scarfo, the Philadelphia family flourished in the gambling and drug trafficking rackets. Scarfo also had interests in construction and the unions. What ended Scarfo's reign was a conviction for attempted extortion in 1987 and another under the RICO statute in 1988 that included the drug trafficking, extortion, and murder. Sentenced to 45 years Scarfo continued to run things from the can but eventually the power shifted to John Stanfa who'd been in on the Bruno hit. During Scarfo's trial several key members of his outfit turned informant including his underboss Philip Leonetti. Little Nicky currently resides in a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

Saved me a trip to Wikipedia, thanks.

oO theMechanic, do you believe everything without further questions/cross examination on the internet?

Thanks GaryMartin

Great list..I think Joe Aiuppa belongs there though too. Accardo was the most respected man in The Outfit but Aiuppa was definitely the most powerful and feared. He headed the Cicero Crew and then broke up Giancana's Taylor Street crew and loaded up other crews with people loyal to HIM -not Accardo. Joe Ferriola went to Cicero. Turk Torello and the La Pietra brothers to Chinatown. The Grand Avenue Crew - which included Aiuppa's hometown of Melrose Park - was headed by guys like Joe Lombardo and Louie Eboli. All these guys were loyal to Aiuppa and not Accardo. Accardo thru Jackie Cerone had Elmwood Park - which although powerful couldn't have held their own against the others if push had ever come to shove. It appears guys like Accardo and Cerone and Aiuppa were smart enough to know they needed each other and genuinely liked each other, but in my opinion Aiuppa was the real power in the 70's until his imprisonment in 86

My understanding about Ricca though is that he was Napolitan and not Sicilian.

I thought Felice DeLucia was a Sicilian who killed a man in Italy named Ricca and fled to the U.S. after stealing the man's identity
And one thing about Accardo's nickname, Joe Batters not being used in his presence, well actually Accardo was called "Joe" by many closest to him for years. The hell do I know though...

Well, if he were Sicilian its fine with me lol as I am too..:) I have always heard he was from Napoli though - meaning Ricca. Even Accardo's wife called him "Joe". Nobody ever called him Tony.

Ricca was born in Naples, Italy.

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list of THE top mobsters, just SOME of the top mobsters.

IMO, Aiuppa was a gangster through and through. He would kill for real or perceived reasons. He did not take chances. I, too, would consider him a top mobster.

As far as Aiuppa and Accardo, I believe one of our members, StonePark, gave one of the best synopsis I have ever seen regarding Accardo. I would encourage anyone interested to check his posts relative to The Outfit, Accardo, Giancana, Aiuppa, etc.

I would enjoy some good discussion about the era of Ricca, Accardo and Giancana, but the dialogue almost always results in flaming remarks and name calling. Absolutely not my cup of tea.

Information about this era is always appreciated.

Some basic info about Paul Ricca. Straight from Internet


Paul 'The Waiter' Ricca was born Felice DeLucia in Naples, Italy, in 1897. He was first in trouble with the authorities in 1915 when, at the tender age of 19, he murdered his sisters exboyfriend Emilio Perillo. Perillo's family disapproved of the DeLucia's and ordered Emilio to stop seeing Amelia, Felice's sister. Emilio was taught a final lesson not to disrespect the DeLucia family.
Felice confessed to the murder and was sentenced to 2 years in prison. When he was eventually released, Felice found and killed Vincenzo Capasso, the lone eyewitness to the Perillo murder. Felice then went on the run from the law. He fled to Apricena, ninety miles north of Naples, and took on the alias of Paul Maglio. From there, he journeyed to France and boarded the boat to the United States. Felice DeLuca, under the alias of Paul Maglio, stepped off the boat in New York on August 10th, 1920, just five days after the real Paul Maglio. Felice took the name Paul Ricca and headed for Chicago where he began working for 'Diamond' Joe Esposito as a waiter.
Esposito was a political boss involved in numerous mob rackets and mobsters were known to dine at his restaurants. Ricca got to know a few well placed mobsters and soon left his waiter job to run the Dante Theater in 'Little Italy' and the World Playhouse, a club run by Al Capone.
Capone and Ricca were to become firm friends. Capone was Ricca's best man at his wedding in 1927.
In 1928, Ricca was given American Citizenship under the name Paul DeLucia. His mob friends continued to call him Ricca or, a nickname from his humble beginnings in the U.S., 'The Waiter'.
Ricca was seen as a promising up and coming mobster by many in Chicago and the East Coast. He was sent east to help pacify the warring factions in the Castellammarese War. The crews of Salvatore Maranzano and Joe Masseria, regarded as a 'Mustache Pete' by many. Ricca was Al Capone's emissary on the East Coast.
In this role, he earned a lot of respect from his fellow mobsters.
By the mid thirties, Ricca was more and more involved with the running of the Mob in Chicago and he made more and more trips back east to consult with the Commission ( the Mobs board of directors ) without Frank Nitti's knowledge, then the current Mob boss in Chicago. He eventually became a member of that board.
In the 1940's Ricca was involved in 'The Hollywood Extortion Case'. Frank Nitti, Ricca and others muscled into Hollywood and threatened to bring down the big movie studios with strike action from the Projectionists Union, which was wholly controlled by the Mob. Warner Brothers stumped up $100,000, Balaban & Katz paid up $60,000 and RKO forked out $87,000. MGM and Twentieth Century Fox, then run by the Schenck brothers, Nick and Joe, also paid up. But things began to turn sour on the deal when two major players on the scam were arrested and charged with extortion. Not one's for hard time, the two of them ratted on their coconspirators and indictments began to flow forth. March 18th 1943 saw indictments for Frank Nitti, Paul Ricca, 'Little New York' Campagna, Ralph Pierce, Johnny Roselli, Nick Circella and others.
They would all have to stand trial later that year in New York for the extortion case.
Most of those indicted were unhappy about the way Frank Nitti had handled the case. Nitti was responsible for the men who had started the landslide of indictments, George Brown and William Bioff, and they should not have been allowed to testify. After the arraignment in New York, a meeting was held at Nitti's Riverside home. Ricca argued with Nitti about the handling of the affair, about the weakness of Brown and Bioff and in no uncertain terms put the blame for the whole mess squarely on his shoulders. Nitti was told to be a 'stand up guy' and take the rap for extortion case. Nitti, who had previously done 18 months in jail, had no wish to go back to prison and told Ricca that he was just as responsible as anyone else and told Ricca, Campagna, Pierce and the others to leave. This effectively broke the Mob's code of honor. The next day, at 2 p.m., March 19th, 1943, Frank Nitti took his own life by shooting himself in the head.
Ricca was elevated to the top spot in the Chicago Mob.
Ricca's spot at the top was short lived, however. Later that same year, he was found guilty in the extortion case and sentenced to ten years at Leaven worth Penitentiary. His shoes were filled by Tony Accardo who would often consult with Ricca in prison, either by messenger or in person by pretending to be one of Ricca's lawyers.
One of Accardo's primary missions as the new head of the Chicago Mob was
to get Ricca and the others out of jail as soon as possible.
The first obstacle in getting Ricca out was to pay off the tax debt that he owed to Uncle Sam. A prisoner cannot be paroled in the U.S. if he has another case pending. Ricca had a tax evasion case pending to the tune of $160,000. This was accomplished by one of the Mobs tax layers. He went to the judge with the $160,000 and said that people had come into his office, thrown bundles of cash on his desk and said "This is for Paulie" or "Give this to Paul". When asked just who these mysterious men had been, the lawyer, Gene Bernstein, said he had no idea and "You don't ask men like that their business".
The debt was paid and hurdle one was out of the way.
Hurdle two involved the dismissing of an indictment for mail fraud. This was overcome by promising the Attorney General of the United States, Tom Clark, the next appointment to the Supreme Court.
Clark accepted the deal and Ricca's indictment for mail fraud in New York was vacated.
This just goes to show how deeply the Mob's tendrils were embedded in the justice system.
Now the way was open for Ricca to be paroled. The next step was to influence the parole board. The minutes of the parole hearing for Paul Ricca and those others imprisoned for the Hollywood Extortion Case were never made public knowledge. Even the Congress of the United States or the press under subpoena could not get them. No one, to this day, has seen these minutes. And so it was that on August 13th, 1947, on the first day they became eligible for parole, Ricca and the others were set free after just 3 years and 4 months of a ten year sentence.
Two years later, a seat on the Supreme Court opened up and Harry Truman nominated Tom Clark for the position. On October 3rd, 1949, Tom Clark became the newest Supreme Court Justice.
Paul Ricca resumed a position in the Mob as a confidant and advisor to Tony Accardo. Consorting with known mobsters would be a parole violation and so he was never again an active member of the Outfit. Accardo often discussed Mob business with him behind closed doors though.
Ricca was once again attacked by the authorities in the 50's when the Immigration and Naturalization Services, acting on an anonymous tip off nine years earlier, investigated Ricca's entrance into the U.S. For two years Robert Ticken, U.S. Attorney for Northern Illinois, built a case against him. The real Paul Maglio was found living in New York and Ricca's path to the U.S. was traced back to Apricena where he first took the Maglio alias. The sister of Ricca's first murder victim, Emillio Perillo, was found in New York also. She identified Ricca as Felice DeLucia, the murderer of her brother in Naples, and agreed to testify. The Mob convinced her otherwise by threatening violence. Still, Ticken and his assistant prosecutor John Bickley pushed on with the case. It finally came to trial in April 1957. Ticken and Bickley presented over 200 pieces of evidence to show that Paul Ricca had entered the U.S. illegally after being convicted of murder in absentia in Italy.
Ricca's citizenship was revoked and an order for his deportation to Italy was drawn up.
Ricca fought the deportation order. He even sent the Italian government newspaper clippings of his involvement in the Chicago Mob, in the hope that it would dissuade them from accepting him back in Italy. The deportation order was eventually dropped but the authorities nailed Ricca on an income tax evasion charge in 1959. He went back to prison for 27 months. Ricca was again hit for income tax evasion in 1965. In 1963, Ricca had claimed an income of $80,159 all of it from winnings at the race track. Ricca testified in court that he had placed some 86 bets on 37 or so races. Each time, his horse had come in first. The jury found that the court could not produce sufficient evidence for a conviction and so Ricca was acquitted.
Paul 'The Waiter' Ricca died of natural causes on October 11th, 1972.

Tribune articles about Outfit guys. Nothing new, but you may find something interesting.

Click on heading and get an expanded version of the article.


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/joseph-aiuppa

No. My comment was a vailed poke at the thread starter that this was copied and pasted, and the very basic of information. Any more questions?

Something to add about Ricca during the 30's....first there are rumours that Ricca set up the murder of Diamond Joe in the late 20's.In the early 30's Ricca attended a lot of meetings with the New York's Genovese family and the connection continued for many years after.Theres a story that Ricca once ordered the murder of a unkown NY mobster that insulted him.Also during this period the Chicago outfit took over many unions,for examle,the barbers union Ricca handled pretty well.He have sent Giancana to kick the shit out of every barber in the state with the help of young gangsters like Mad Sam DeStefano,Turk Torello and Fat Leonard.They were given specific territories under their rule and hustled on the streets.Rumours are that he had some enforcers or hired killers as a special breed(like the 42's),with no territory and can only be called by members of the hierarchy or by the Boss.Ricca made a sucesfull push to power in 1937 and the new direction of the Outfit was taking towards infiltrating legitimate businesses.Money from unions and many other illegal or legal activities were taken and distributed up the ranks.Police authorities stated that Ricca was suspected in more than 55 murders during his rise as top guy in the Chicago outfit.

Who is name calling ? This would be a discussion with no definable answer just a debate based on opinions for which we are all entitled. I am not a groupie who cheers on the Outfit as I would my Hawks or Sox..:) I'm just a middle aged Italian guy who grew up in Cicero and Berwyn. Aiuppa was a guy for whom violence was usually the first resort not the last one.

Thanks Toodoped. Good info.

Not directed at you whatsoever, 12 th Street. But you've been here long enough to know exactly what I'm saying. Some members escalate these threads into personal attacks and arguments. Eventually name calling comes into play and someone is suspended. My point is simple: agree to disagree and save the moderators the unpleasant task of suspending someone.

Thanks for your response. As far as Aiuppa, I think it would have been entertaining to see a boxing match bet. Aiuppa and Roemer. Both were boxers. Of course Roemer would have to get down on his knees to make it a fair fight since Aiuppa was only about 5'5" and Roemer was around 6'2". LOL !

Yeah, no doubt, Aiuppa was quick on the trigger, maybe too quick at times.

Roemer vs Mad Sam would've been better..:) lol. Trafficante would be a good add to the list as well. Marcello down in New Orleans is fascinating to me.

Mad Sam was crazier than a run over dog. I have read a lot about him. I realize he was very connected, but I'm still amazed that he lasted as long as he did. I suppose Ricca was a big factor in Sam's longevity.

Marcello was / is a very interesting character. Don't know much about him but he did survive for a long time, in spite of the Kennedy's & others. Tough guy.

I don't much about Trafficante, but he was apparently as ruthless as some of the others we've discussed. Here's a newspaper article from 1977 about Trafficante and Giancana. Hope it opens. Probably have to cut and paste.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9-IzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YzgHAAAAIBAJ&pg=1185,301928&dq=sam+giancana&hl=en