The Atlantic City Conference held between 13–16 May 1929 was a historic summit of leaders of organized crime in the United States. It is considered by most crime historians to be the earliest organized crime summit held in the US. The conference had a major impact on the future direction of the criminal underworld and it held more importance and significance than the Havana Conference of 1946 and the Apalachin meeting of 1957. It also represented the first concrete move toward a National Crime Syndicate.
Details about the conference are difficult to verify.[3] However, it is thought that crime leaders at the conference allegedly discussed the violent bootleg wars in New York and Chicago and how to avoid them in the future, diversification and investment into legal liquor ventures, expansion of illegal operations to offset profit loss from the probable repeal of Prohibition, and reorganization and consolidation of the underworld into a National Crime Syndicate.
Atlantic City delegates[edit]
The terms capo and consigliere were not used until Salvatore Maranzano labeled the Italian underworld Cosa Nostra in 1931; the terms lieutenant and advisor were more common at the time, except with the Maranzano Family, (future Bonanno crime family), which had already been following the strict Cosa Nostra traditions of their native Sicily. The position of consigliere did not exist until Charlie "Lucky" Luciano became the defacto first amongst equals in La Cosa Nostra and added the position to the Family hierarchy in 1931, when he formed the Commission.
Underworld members, city or delegation they represented and their rank at time of conference:
Atlantic City:
Enoch "Nucky" Johnson - South Jersey/Atlantic City boss/host
New York/New Jersey:
John "The Fox" Torrio - Former Chicago Torrio/Capone Gang boss/New York advisor
Salvatore "Charlie Lucky" Luciano - Masseria Family underboss/New York
Frank "The Prime Minister" Costello - Masseria Family Lt./capo/New York
Giuseppe "Joe Adonis" Doto - Masseria Family Lt./capo/New York
Vito Genovese - Masseria Family Lt./capo/New York
Quarico Moretti - Masseria family Lt./capo/New Jersey
Vincent Mangano - D'Aquila/Mineo Family Lt./capo/New York
Frank Scalise - D'Aquila Mineo Family Lt./capo/New York
Albert Anastasia - D'Aquila/Mineo Family Lt./capo/New York
Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese - Riena Family Lt./capo/New York
Meyer "The Brain" Lansky - Bugs & Meyer Mob boss/New York
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel - Bugs & Meyer Mob boss/New York
Louis Buchalter - Buchalter/Shapiro Gang boss/New York
Jacob Shapiro - Buchalter/Shapiro Gang boss/New York
Dutch Schultz - Schultz Gang boss/New York
Abner Zwillman - North Jersey/Zwillman Gang boss/New Jersey
Owney Madden - Irish Combine boss/New York[5]
Frank Erickson - former Rothstein Lt./Costello associate/New York
Gaetano Gagliano - Riena Family underboss/ New York[6]
Carlo Gambino - D'Aquila/Mineo Family Lt./capo/New York[7]
Chicago:
Alphonse "Scarface" Capone - South Side/Capone Gang boss/Chicago
Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti - South Side/Capone Gang Lt./capo/Chicago
Jake Guzik - South Side/Capone Gang Lt./capo/Chicago
Frank "Frank Cline" Rio - South Side/Capone bodyguard/Chicago
Frank McErlane - Saltis/McErlane Gang boss/Chicago
Philadelphia:
Irving Wexler - Jewish Mob boss/Philly
Max Hoff - Jewish Mob boss/Philly
Harry Stromberg - Jewish Mob boss/Philly
Irving Bitz - Jewish Mob boss/Philly
Charles Schwartz - Jewish Mob boss/Philly
Samuel Lazar Jewish Mob boss/Philly
Cleveland:
Morris Dalitz - Little Jewish Navy boss/Cleveland
Louis Rothkopf - Little Jewish Navy boss/Cleveland
Leo Berkowitz - Little Jewish Navy/Mayfield Road Mob associate/Cleveland[8]
Detroit:
William Joseph Bernstein - Purple Gang boss/Detroit (a.k.a. "Bill Bugs")
Abraham Bernstein - Purple Gang boss/Detroit
Kansas City:
Giovanni Lazia - Pendergast Machine/Balestrere Gang Lt./capo/Kansas City (a.k.a. Lazio)
Massachusetts:
Charles Solomon - Jewish Mob boss/Boston[9]
Frank "The Cheeseman" Cucchiara - Boston North End Gang/Buccola Family Lt.[10][11][12]
Frank "Bootsy" Morelli - Providence Morelli Gang boss.[13]
Florida:
Santo Trafficante Sr. - Senior Tampa Family Member/Tampa[14]
Louisiana:
Sylvestro Corallo - Matranga/Giacona Family Lt./capo/New Orleans[15]
The Havana Conference of 1946 was a historic meeting of United States Mafia and Cosa Nostra leaders in Havana, Cuba. Supposedly arranged by Charles "Lucky" Luciano, the conference was held to discuss important mob policies, rules, and business interests. The Havana Conference was attended by delegations representing crime families throughout the United States. The conference was held during the week of December 22, 1946 at the Hotel Nacional. The Havana Conference is considered to have been the most important mob summit since the Atlantic City Conference of 1929. Decisions made in Havana resonated throughout the US crime families for the ensuing decades.
Hosts[edit]
Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, former Luciano family boss, former chairman, co-founder and member of the Commission. Luciano was living in Naples, Italy. After the meeting he was named America's boss of bosses.
Meyer "The Little Man" Lansky, Jewish Syndicate boss, a top financial and gambling operations advisor for the Italian mafia in America and casino operations front man (Las Vegas, Cuba, Bahamas)
New York-New Jersey Delegation[edit]
Frank "The Prime Minister" Costello, Luciano family boss, Commission member.
Quarico "Willie Moore" Moretti, Luciano Family underboss.
Albert "The Mad Hatter" Anastasia, Mangano Family underboss and future boss.
Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno, Bonanno Family boss, charter Commission member.
Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese, Gagliano Family underboss and future boss.
Giuseppe "The Old Man" Profaci, Profaci Family boss, charter Commission member.
Giuseppe "Fat Joe" Magliocco, Profaci Family underboss.
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese, Luciano Family caporegime and future boss.
Giuseppe "Joe Adonis" Doto, Luciano Family caporegime.
Anthony "Little Augie Pisano" Carfano, Luciano Family caporegime.
Michele "Big Mike" Miranda, Luciano Family caporegime and future consigliere.
Chicago Delegation[edit]
Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo, Chicago Outfit boss, Commission member.
Charles "Trigger Happy" Fischetti, Chicago Outfit consigliere.
Sam Giancana, Chicago Outfit front boss
Buffalo Delegation[edit]
Stefano "The Undertaker" Magaddino, Buffalo Family boss, charter Commission member.
New Orleans Delegation[edit]
Carlos "Little Man" Marcello, New Orleans Family boss (some mob historians dispute his position at this time).
Tampa Delegation[edit]
Santo "Louie Santos" Trafficante Jr., Tampa Family caporegime, moved to Havana in 1946 to oversee La Cosa Nostra and Tampa Family casino and business interests, future Tampa Family boss.
Jewish Syndicate Delegation[edit]
Abner "Longy" Zwillman, New Jersey Jewish Syndicate boss, National Syndicate Commission member.
Morris "Moe" Dalitz, Cleveland Jewish Syndicate boss, casino front man (Desert Inn, Las Vegas)
Joseph "Doc" Stacher, New Jersey Jewish Syndicate boss, casino front man (Sands Hotel, Las Vegas)
Philip "Dandy Phil" Kastel, Jewish Syndicate boss, Frank Costello's Louisiana slots operations and Tropicana Casino, Las Vegas partner.
