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. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? A A. More troubling for Trafficante was a court document that listed him for the first time as "a member of the Trafficante crime family.". As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. One of the last surviving mobsters from the Luciano era, he died of heart disease in a Houston, Texas, hospital in 1987. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. He attended a notorious convention of Mafia bosses held in the upstate New York town of Apalachin on November 14, 1957. He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. My prayers are with all of you. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. To add further credence to this theory of JFKs assassination, famed prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi (who also wrote the infamous true crime novel on the Manson Family, Helter Skelter), who penned Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, quoted a witness who said that New Orleans boss Marcello had quipped: The dog [JFK] will keep biting you if you only cut off its tail [RFK]., The final piece of evidence for the theory that Santo Trafficante was involved in JFKs assassination was a witness who reported that the mobster had once said himself that JFK not going to make it to the [1964] election. By Santo III's own estimation, this was a wise move. . Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 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. After Fidel Castro's revolutionary government seized the assets of Trafficante's Cuban businesses and expelled him from the country as an "undesirable alien," Trafficante came into contact with various US intelligence operatives, and was involved in several unsuccessful plans to assassinate Castro. We have to admit we are fascinated by the whole idea of the mafia and the people we knew and the whispers we grew up hearing. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Every so often I think of the Jekyll Island and White Lake, NC trip and laugh. She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. Trafficante would rather be force-fed raw carrot sticks for eternity than be seen talking to a reporter. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Hey, they have more convicts at the track than straight people," Trafficante says. This is a carousel with slides. 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. For all the power he wielded, Trafficante was often described as quiet and reserved. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. On March 17, 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he had gone for heart surgery. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. Conspiracy theorists consider Giancana along with Mafia leaders Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello associated with the assassination of Kennedy. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. ). Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. Santo Trafficante Jr, was born on November 15, 1914 in Tampa, Florida and followed in the footsteps of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr, into a life of organized crime. Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. With over 30 years experience in the field of Mechanics, I will work with you on a personal basis, I will discuss with you your specific needs pertaining to your motorcycle. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Died: March 17, 1987, 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. She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. He was, in many ways, the archetypical old-school Mob boss. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. In the early 1980s Trafficante was ensnared in two major cases that could have sent the aging don to prison for the first time in his life, apart from his time in the Triscornia detention camp in Cuba following Castros takeover in 1959. "[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. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in. At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife and children at his father-in-laws house in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. 93461.". His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in New York City. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. [13] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. He was married to his wife for 49 years. A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. please know that i am praying for you and your family. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. But he was also the most powerful crime boss in pre-Castro Cuba, with influence that extended into Florida and the rest of the United States. "I don't go to the bank and make all these billion-dollar deposits," he says. She lived an exciting life dividing her time between her multiple family members and friends in Tampa, Miami and Havana. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. "My wife's got money. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. "I was going to ask him to come over and try our beignets to see how they compare to the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans," Alessi says. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. Trafficantes father was the lucky survivor of what was called the Era of Blood, when rival gangs based in Tampa fought for control of Prohibition-era nightclubs and, crucially, the local numbers rackets called bolitas. Battling Mob rivals in South Florida essentially weakened each other financially and, through murder, the number of available soldiers. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. In 1959, the Cuban Revolution toppled the corrupt Batista government and the rebel leader, Fidel Castro, nationalized foreign-owned properties and shuttered the casinos, a huge financial blow to Trafficante, who was second only to Meyer Lansky in the depth of his investments in Havana. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. Until last year, the younger Trafficante had never been accused of anything more dramatic than bookmaking, a charge that a judge dismissed. His luck has not improved recently. Santo Jr., who had inherited the leadership of the Tampa Mafia around 1950 when his father, Santo Sr., fell ill, had now completed his consolidation of power in Tampa and beyond. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. He is just a businessman, he says, his money tied up in wholesale automobiles, an orange grove and real estate. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. The "Family Jewels" confirmed that in September 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach the West Coast representative of the Chicago mob, Johnny Roselli. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. Donnie Brasco. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. 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. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. [13] He stated that he received no payment for his involvement and that he acted out of patriotism. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . "[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. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. Santo was one of the FBIs targets in that case. [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. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his notorious gang. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. Rosselli later claimed to be involved with or to actually be a shooter in a Mob conspiracy to kill President John F. Kennedy, and some accounts have Trafficante involved in the alleged, and unproven, conspiracy. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. He drove standard cars, lived in regular houses in quiet places, was married to the same woman, and generally described as a quiet man. She was born on March 24, 1920. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Like Trafficante Jr. before him, had many close calls with law enforcement, but always escaped serious charges. There was a problem getting your location. He was known as an organized crimes figure. He escaped conviction all but once, receiving a five-year sentence for bribery in 1954, but his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court before he entered prison. The Unbelievable Story Of Richard Lee McNair The Man Who Mailed Himself Out Of Prison, What JFK's Mob-Affiliated Mistress May Have Known About His Assassination, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. "But then you get into alias this and alias that and when they get you in court, you probably just create more problems," he says. [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. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI, Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. 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. A year has passed. In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr. Several were wounded. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. He flew to Houston on March 15 for heart bypass surgery. In the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. used his ties to organized crime to secure votes for his son, John F. Kennedy. He was accused of making false financial statements for loans he used to invest in his citrus business, to purchase luxury cars and to buy a beach condo. TAMPA The daughter sits on the front porch of a little bungalow in Seminole Heights, her new home since her husband died a few months ago down south. 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. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. He has thought about it. Consequently, while generally recognized as the most powerful organized crime figure in Florida throughout much of the 20th century, Trafficante was not believed to have total control over Miami, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, or Palm Beach. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. In October 1966, while waiting in a Queens courthouse for his turn to be questioned by a grand jury about the infamous LaStella meeting (later dubbed "Little Apalachin") held a couple of weeks earlier on September 22, Santo Trafficante Jr., who was the boss of the Tampa Bay Crime Family, overheard reporters talking about someone . "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". based on information from your browser. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. Oops, we were unable to send the email. However the meeting came to be, the mob nonetheless brought influential states like Illinois into the Kennedy fold in exchange for the White House going easy on organized crime. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. Trafficante was one of the last surviving members of the original Luciano mob era upon his death, and the truth behind the JFK assassination may have perhaps died with him. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. They never returned. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. And all this occurred throughout seven Sylvia at age 12 and her father Jimmy Velasco in California, June 1948 Jimmy Velasco was a political fixer. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. If the decision is upheld on appeal, charges against Trafficante may be dismissed. 2023, Tampa Mafia. Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante I think it was a case of mistaken identity.. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. The authorities continued to charge him with participating in illegal activities, but the aging mob boss escaped conviction each time. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF TAMPA'S UNDERWORLD IS OFTEN INTERTWINED WITH SOME OF Something went wrong. And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. On Oct. 26, 1937, Frank Trafficante named his first son after his own father, Santo Trafficante Sr. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. 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. Seven people were murdered. In 1946, Santo Sr. sent his son, already a family underboss, to Cuba to invest in the growing number of nightclubs and casinos in the island nation. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. [2] Trafficante Jr. had known Lucchese since the 1940s, when his father and Lucchese had trained him in the mafia traditions. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. 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. Santo Trafficante Sr. was a Florida mobster who survived a series of vicious gang wars to become the leader of a powerful Mafia crime family based in Tampa. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. 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. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. [1] Trafficante maintained several residences in New York City and Florida. While shouldering the legacy of his father and. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. 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. Reputedly the most powerful crime boss in Batista -era Cuba, he . 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. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. But the mobster tag has outlasted the case itself. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). Try again later. Try again later. Fine food, and lots of it. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. Please check your email for further instructions. Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. There was an error deleting this problem. TRAFFICANTE, Santo Jose, 72, of Tampa, passed away July 13, 2010, To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our, All my Love to the family Michael R. Tartaro. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida He grimaces at the thought that the rumor has persisted so long. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. U.S. Treasury Department documents indicate that law enforcement believed Trafficante's legitimate business interests to include several legal casinos in Cuba; a Havana drive-in movie theater; and shares in several restaurants and bars in Trafficante's hometown of Tampa, Florida.
