Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. But before Trafficante testified, someone conveniently killed Roselli. He has thought about it. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. Josephine Marchese Trafficante "[12], In 1978, both Trafficante and Aleman were called to testify before members of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigating possible links between Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and anti-Castro Cubans, including the theory that Castro had Kennedy killed in retaliation for the CIA's attempts on his own life. 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,. My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. Learn more about merges. [12] According to Aleman, when he told Trafficante that President John F. Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is going to be hit. Thanks for subscribing! Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. He buys Jaguars for his two sons, hobnobs with sports stars on resort golf courses and occasionally flies to Miami for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Rascal House. Santo Trafficante Jr. Wiki & Bio - everipedia.org Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. Like Trafficante Jr. before him, had many close calls with law enforcement, but always escaped serious charges. Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. 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. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-law's Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. Try again later. During the rule of Cuba's authoritarian dictator Fulgencio Batista, Trafficante openly operated the Sans Souci Cabaret and the Casino International gambling establishments in Havana. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central, Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. In a final disappointment, he sold a filly named "Run Marisa Run" (after his daughter) for $7,500. While the senior Trafficante had been a major mobster in his own right, nobody could have expected the heights that were going to be reached by his son. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. You have been in pain too long. The original Malio's Restaurant located on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. Failed to report flower. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. By the time Prohibition and the Era of Blood ended, he was the top man in the Florida Mafia, operating with the blessing of exiled Mob boss Charlie Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello of the Five Families, and Meyer Lansky of the national Syndicate. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? And while cocaine-fueled Latin American criminal networks have been a serious problem in Florida for decades, the Trafficante familys illicit activities were quite infamous as well. I hold such fond memories of Santo & Gerry when I was growing up. . [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. Try again later. GREAT NEWS! He headed the Trafficante crime family from 1954 to 1987 and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. I laughed _ until I realized it was a total f------ disaster," Trafficante says. At age 16, he boarded the S.S. Lombardia and set sail for American in search of a better life. James Traficant - Wikipedia Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Every so often I think of the Jekyll Island and White Lake, NC trip and laugh. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 Failed to delete memorial. Please check your email for further instructions. Failed to remove flower. It wasn't somebody going into a back room to kiss somebody's ring. He walked outside and got into a 1951 Mercury sedan driven by one of his associates. ". Try again. She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. Episode 58: The Tampa Mafia- Santo Trafficante Jr - YouTube Santo Trafficante Jr. - IMDb [9][10] The CIA and the Mafia had a common enemy in Castro, a communist revolutionary who had shut down Cuba's lucrative casino businesses. During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. 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. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. [5] Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Born in Tampa, Florida in 1914, Trafficante hailed from a family already deeply involved in organized crime. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. Santo Trafficante, Jr (1914 - 1987) - Genealogy - geni family tree "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. 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. In the meantime, the allegation that he is a mobster has dogged him and his family. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented ties with powerful Mafia families he had established as a young man in New York, and ruthlessly put down any attempts to usurp his territory or power. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. Share Santo's life story with friends and family. Pallbearers are Augie Castellana, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Anthony B. Marchese, Peter Marchese Jr., Ian Cordell, Don Smith, Frank Pancho Trafficante, John Castellana, and Dr. Santo Paniello. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. Search above to list available cemeteries. [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. It was also rumored that Santos was involved in a Mafia plot to kill President John F. Kennedy, though he denied there was any such conspiracy. [13] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. [13] During his testimony, Trafficante also admitted for the first time that he had worked with the CIA from 1960 to 1961 for an attempt to poison Castro but stated that his role was only as an interpreter between CIA officials and Cuban exiles. tampa crime boss santo trafficante jr plays a central role in thriller 'mafia spies' Bolita , Mob Hits , Scott M. Deitche , Tampa Mafia SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A 'Sicilian of the Old School,' RULED TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! The twister killed hls mother when lt touched down about 6, honored Wednesday us the nation's sute legislator. A system error has occurred. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. Anthony Accardo & Santo Trafficante Jr - Labor Union Kickbacks "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Add to your scrapbook. Fla. (AP), Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52792202/frank-cacciatore-trafficante, L'Unione Italiana Cemetery, Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr, Death of Santo Trafficante, Jr at Houston, TX. "I'm in the I.O.U. Please reset your password. He was rumored to be part of a Mafia syndicate which owned many Cuban hotels and casinos. He convicted infamous criminal labor union head, Jimmy Hoffa. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. We cant help ourselves when it comes to watching mob films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and HBOs Boardwalk Empire and the iconic cable TV show, The Sopranos. All Rights Reserved. That was in part due to his lifestyle. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. The guy really tried to do it right.". In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. A year has passed. [5][6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island.