2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. At 76,. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. One of the last surviving mobsters from the Luciano era, he died of heart disease in a Houston, Texas, hospital in 1987. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Father of Private and Private love gloria "owens" hill. But before Trafficante testified, someone conveniently killed Roselli. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. Scott M. Deitche is the author of six books on organized crime, including a biography of Santo Trafficante Jr., and has written dozens of articles on organized crime for magazines and newspapers. Husband of Private He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. However, there were events outside of the United States and even organized crime that inadvertently led Santo Trafficante Jr. to put his own peculiar stamp on American history. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. The mobsters also attempted to get Castro into a poisoned wetsuit and even offered to blow him up with an exploding seashell. The Trafficante family formed a strong alliance with the Batista government in Cuba and profited from their investments, although they never achieved the goal of dominating gambling on the island. Trafficante took control of the Tampa mob in 1954 after the death of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Anthony Accardo & Santo Trafficante Jr - Labor Union Kickbacks (1977- 1981)https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/05/us/16-indicted-over-union-fund-use.htmlCredit:. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. As Jimmy Hoffas former lawyer Frank Ragano would later recall, Jimmy told me to tell [New Orleans boss Carlos] Marcello and Trafficante they had to kill the president. He owned a West Tampa restaurant called Cafe Sevilla. By 1987, the Mafia boss, who had walked the casino floors of the Sans Souci in Cuba, dined and hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra in the nightclubs and hotels of South Beach, and who commanded a presence in Tampa that is still felt today, was suffering from a diseased kidney and bad heart. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Despite all of this or, perhaps, because of it, a few writers and filmmakers have chosen to focus on organized crime, determined to give Tampa its due. She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Trafficante had now not only lost an ally but a significant portion of his income as his casinos were closed by the Marxist revolutionary. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida Nicknames: The Silent Don Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. A native and lifelong resident of Tampa, Mr. Traffi-cante is survived by his loving family, wife, Geraldine "Gerry" L. Trafficante; sons, Dino Jose and Joseph Frank Trafficante; daughters,. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-laws Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. The wiretap evidence has been thrown out of court. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. But those werent even their most ridiculous ideas. That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in Scarface, or the heyday of Miami Vice. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. [14], After a grant of immunity from prosecution, Trafficante testified before the HSCA the following day, September 28, and denied the allegation that he told Aleman that "Kennedy was going to be hit. The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the Apalachin agenda. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. In addition, "on January 23, 1958 the Cuban Department of Investigation, Havana, Cuba notified the Bureau of Narcotics that Santo Trafficante was registered in their Alien Office under No. 2023, Tampa Mafia. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. At this point in our collective history, we're not sure anyone would be surprised to learn that there is, in fact, something called The Mafia. What you might be surprised to learn, however, is how prevalent-even rampantorganized crime in Tampa was in the early and mid-20th century. When he applied to the state for a parimutuel license that would allow him to race his horses at Tampa Bay Downs, he was refused. And as for the rest of the Trafficante Crime family? In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Italian Club of Tampa Cemetery Fund, 1731 East 7th Ave., Tampa, FL 33605. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. In 1950, the aging Trafficante Sr. began to slow down. When his father died in 1954 he took control of these establishments. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Those were some of the greatest memories growing up. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . "[19] In his book Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vincent Bugliosi has claimed there to be many flaws in Ragano's claims, including his own claim that Trafficante was most likely not in Tampa on the day in question, but was rather in North Miami Beach, Florida, receiving dialysis treatments. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. "[12] He said that Trafficante complained about the honesty of the Kennedys and their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates. Under pressure of a court order granting him immunity from prosecution, but threatening him with contempt if he refused to talk, Santos admitted to a Congressional committee in 1975 that he had in the early 1960s recruited other mobsters to assassinate Castro. Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Until last year, the younger Trafficante had never been accused of anything more dramatic than bookmaking, a charge that a judge dismissed. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Fine food, and lots of it. Now he owns a 210-acre orange grove in southern Hillsborough. the daughter of immigrants from the Italian region of Basilicata. [13], On January 14, 1992, Trafficante's former attorney, Frank Ragano, told Jack Newfield of the New York Post that he relayed a request from Hoffa to Trafficante and New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello to have Kennedy killed. He flew to Houston on March 15 for heart bypass surgery. For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. There was a problem getting your location. Add to your scrapbook. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Claiming association with the CIA, Roselli knew of Trafficantes vendetta and told his new pal that the U.S. government also wanted to take down Castros Communist regime. Fifteen years following the assassination, Trafficante testified in front of the United States House Select Committee on the murder of JFK in exchange for immunity. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. Resend Activation Email. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. The twister killed hls mother when lt touched down about 6, honored Wednesday us the nation's sute legislator. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Please check your entries and try again. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. Please try again later. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. I will never forget him as a fellow stroke survivor. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. ". Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. The guy really tried to do it right.". The east coast of Florida was a loosely knit conglomerate of New York family interests with links to Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Angelo Bruno, Carlos Marcello, and Frank Ragano. Finally, in 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72. [15] He repeated the claim two days later on ABC's Good Morning America,[16] in Newfield's Frontline report entitled JFK, Hoffa and Mob broadcast in November 1992,[17] and again in his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer. While shouldering the legacy of his father and. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. I laughed _ until I realized it was a total f------ disaster," Trafficante says. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. GREAT NEWS! Thanks for your help! [13] On September 27, 1978, Aleman reiterated to HSCA investigators that Trafficante had complained to him for hours in June or July 1963 about Kennedy's crackdown on organized crime at a meeting to discuss a business loan. That was in part due to his lifestyle. In 1954, Santo Sr. died of natural causes (at a time when some of his remaining rivals were still being violently dispatched), and his son took over leadership of the crime family. A few months later, two members of that group took the train to New York City to drum up support for a move against Santo. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. RIP Santo. Forget everything you think you know about Tampa mafia wives and girlfriends in the 1950s. "Banks are my greatest enemy. One bank filed suit in November against him and a business partner, alleging that they defaulted on an $85,000 loan for a piece of property. His health had declined in his later years. [18] According to Ragano, he met Hoffa at the Teamsters' headquarters in Washington, DC, then delivered the message to Trafficante and Marcello in a meeting at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. Verify and try again. If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. His sons, Dino and Joseph, run it for him, though he worries that sometimes they don't work hard. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. Honorary Pallbearers are Joe Castellana, Malio Iavarone, FrankCookie Fava, Antonino Marchese, Derek Iavarone, Frank Albano, Drew Smith, Joey Hunt, Michael Sierra, Tony Marchese, Peter Albano, Mario Pullara, Frank Miranda, Dino Trafficante, and Joseph Trafficante. [14] When this was pointed out, Aleman denied that he meant that he believed Kennedy was going to murdered and said he thought that Trafficante meant that Kennedy was going to be "hit" politically during the next election.