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. Some people also alleged that Trafficante Jr played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy due to his anti-organized crime efforts, but Trafficante Jr. always denied it. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Or does he just look like one? That horse won $161,080 for its new owners, according to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders Association. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. "There's no such thing as organized crime in Hillsborough County," Trafficante says, clapping his hands for emphasis. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. department.". He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. 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. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. 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. 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. Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. 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. Authorities also said he urged former bank vice president Michael Pupello to impersonate him in calls to federal bank regulators. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". 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. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). [1] Trafficante maintained several residences in New York City and Florida. Trafficante Sr. passed away four years later, leaving Jr. his Tampa and Cuba-based criminal empire. He grimaces at the thought that the rumor has persisted so long. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). And the Trafficante Crime family found out that it had an unusual ally in their concerns about Castro: the Central Intelligence Agency. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). 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. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". There are no volunteers for this cemetery. He has been featured on the History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, AHC, Oxygen Network and many local and national news shows. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in. We have set your language to He was going to be hit.. In a final disappointment, he sold a filly named "Run Marisa Run" (after his daughter) for $7,500. Search above to list available cemeteries. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. GREAT NEWS! Trafficante tried to win Castro over to his side, but that didnt work. Try again later. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. According to some, he was even involved in the infamous assassination of President John F. Kennedy. A full report was made by the Cuban police, dated January 23, 1958, includes transcripts of long-distance telephone calls made from the Sans Souci during the period AugustDecember 1957. Resend Activation Email. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing his ownership of a car dealership, and employment at various restaurants and night clubs over the years. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI, Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. Trafficante admitted his anti-Castro activities to the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978, and vehemently denied allegations that he had knowledge of a plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. He was rumored to be part of a Mafia syndicate which owned many Cuban hotels and casinos. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas 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. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. [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. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. He walked outside and got into a 1951 Mercury sedan driven by one of his associates. ). Geni requires JavaScript! Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. He offered to pay $150,000 to have Castro killed, but Roselli declined any pay and introduced Maheu to two men he referred to as "Sam Gold" and "Joe." I can answer any questions you . Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? They raided my apartment, they were looking for money, they tore up all the furniture, they used to come and get me at nighttime, take me out in the woods, trying to tell where I had my money, this and that, until I finally went into hiding.. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. 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. 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. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. RIP Santo. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Failed to delete memorial. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. But those werent even their most ridiculous ideas. His son, Santo Trafficante Jr., took over the crime family and became tangled in a web of conspiracies to kill the leader of revolutionary Cuba and, it is rumored, President John F. Kennedy. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. For the last 20 years, everyone knew her as JuJu. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. He is currently working on his seventh book, The Jersey Mob., Feedback or questions? In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr. He was married to his wife for 49 years. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. The mobster would later testify: I got news that Cuban officials were looking for to put me in jail because one of the things was that I was a Batista collaborator. And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. English Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. 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. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. However, LoScalzo was nonetheless able to expand the families criminal reach into new locations across Florida, and took advantage of alliances with other Mafia families to ensure the mob maintained its hold on criminal activities. On Oct. 26, 1937, Frank Trafficante named his first son after his own father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. 93461.". Donnie Brasco. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Chris and I will never forget Santo's presence at Leia's welcome home party. Failed to remove flower. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. Scott M. Deitche, Mob Museum Advisory Council member and mob http://www.scottdeitche.com/books.htmlauthor of Tampa's favorite books, Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld & The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jror Manny Leto, previous Editor of Cigar City Magazine and Tampa historian, will guide you on a 1.5 -2 hour walking tour to old gambling palaces, street corners, and alleys where some mobsters met their demise, and restaurants where wise guys, like famed boss Santo Trafficante Jr, held court. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Gerry and your family. They used to be my greatest friend," Trafficante says. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida The seeds for Trafficantes most interesting historical chapter were planted, as the mobster would go on to have a well-established relationship with the CIA in an ongoing effort to assassinate Castro. The guy really tried to do it right.". Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. While shouldering the legacy of his father and. 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. [8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. 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 is survived by her daughters, Mary Jo Paniello and Sarah Ann Valdes; her grandchildren, Dr. Santo Paniello and wife Susan; Dina Smith and husband Don; Melissa Castellana and husband John; and Valerie Cordell and husband Ian; her great-grandchildren, Michael Sierra, Elizabeth Paniello, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Christina Castellana, Augie Castellana, Alexa Cordell, Anna Cordell Drew Smith, Allison Hunt and husband Joey; as well as endless extended family. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. 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. [11], In 1976, Cuban exile and FBI informant Jose Aleman told The Washington Post that in September 1962, Trafficante had offered him a loan of $1.5million to replace Aleman's three-story "ramshackle motel with a 12-story glass wonder. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Born Tampa, Florida March 24, 1920 He is hardly the "Dapper Don." 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. 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. [14], The HSCA had previously quoted Aleman as stating that he thought Trafficante's use of the phrase "he is going to be hit" meant that the mob boss knew Kennedy was going to be killed. As a leading member of the syndicate, he also was suspected of having behind-the-scenes interests in other syndicate-owned Cuban casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, the Commodoro, the Deauville, and the Havana Hilton. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. Robert Anderson aka The Killer Between 50 and 100 buildings were burned. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. The next son was Luigi Santo Trafficante Jr. (his namesake and future Mafia boss), born on November 15, 1914. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. They had three daughters, Antoinette born . You can always change this later in your Account settings. Mrs. Gerry, Gina, Dino, Joe and Marisa - they broke the mold with Traff. There is a problem with your email/password. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. 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 wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. You'll learn about bolita, the rumored tunnels of Ybor, and the Era of Blood.Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood. Learn more about managing a memorial . [15], Ragano also claimed that Trafficante, four days prior to his death, delivered a deathbed confession which suggested that Marcello was meant to assassinate Robert F. Kennedy instead of his brother, the President. He was again called to testify in April 1976 on the alleged conspiracy to kill Kennedy, but Rosselli never made it: His body was found in a barrel floating in Biscayne Bay off the coast of Florida. The twister killed hls mother when lt touched down about 6, honored Wednesday us the nation's sute legislator. Drag images here or select from your computer for Santo Trafficante Jr. memorial. Santo Trafficante then categorically denied every allegation about stating he wanted RFK or JFK dead and got off scot-free. "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. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. Sorry! [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. Organized Crime Figure. The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. Rosselli testified in 1975 to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the efforts to kill Castro. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. 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. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Sign up for service and obituary updates. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. His son, Santo Trafficante Jr., took over the crime family and became tangled in a web of conspiracies to kill the leader of revolutionary Cuba and, it is rumored, President John F. Kennedy. Father of Private and Private Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Nicknames: The Silent Don Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. Trafficante had now not only lost an ally but a significant portion of his income as his casinos were closed by the Marxist revolutionary. 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. "My wife's got money. [15][16] He stated he was chosen by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, he could be assured of attorneyclient privilege. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. Finally, after the infamous failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the CIA gave up on their attempts to kill the Cuban dictator and thus Trafficantes attempts at revenge never materialized. wills o' nats last of the summer wine. "[12] He said that Trafficante complained about the honesty of the Kennedys and their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates. Published: March 15th, 2017 - By Scott M. Deitche, Contributing Writer, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17, El Chapos lawyers complain about strict rules at New York prison. You and Santo will always have a special place in my heart. "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.
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