Santo trafficante biography

Santo Trafficante Jr.

American crime boss

Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 – March 17, 1987) was halfway the most powerful Mafiabosses timely the United States. He armed the Trafficante crime family get out of 1954 to 1987 and impassive organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had beforehand been consolidated from several contender gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr.

Trafficante maintained links extract the Bonanno crime family bring in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago.

Consequently, long forgotten generally recognized as the nigh powerful organized crime figure tenuous Florida throughout much of depiction 20th century, Trafficante was slogan believed to have total sensitivity over Miami, Miami Beach, Job. Lauderdale, or Palm Beach. High-mindedness east coast of Florida was a loosely knit conglomerate expose New York family interests top links to Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Angelo Bruno, Carlos Marcello, and Frank Ragano.

Trafficante common his anti-Castro activities to rectitude United States House Select Conclave on Assassinations in 1978, stream vehemently denied allegations that recognized had knowledge of a estate to assassinatePresidentJohn F. Kennedy. Allied investigators brought racketeering and plan charges against him in rectitude summer of 1986.

Early life

Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Region Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. Lighten up dropped out of high grammar before the 10th grade.^[1] Trafficante maintained several residences in Spanking York City and Florida. U.S. Treasury Department documents indicate think it over law enforcement believed Trafficante's authentic business interests to include a sprinkling legal casinos in Cuba; spruce up Havanadrive-in movie theater; and shares in several restaurants and exerciser in Trafficante's hometown of Metropolis, Florida.

He was rumored submit be part of a Clique syndicate which owned many State hotels and casinos. As single of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Symposium in December 1946.

Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the Decennium on various charges of extortion and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor Be elastic district.

He escaped conviction detachment but once, receiving a five-year sentence for bribery in 1954, but his conviction was higgledy-piggledy by the Florida Supreme Deadly before he entered prison.

During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. repaired a narcotic trafficking network able Tommy Lucchese, the boss pay the Lucchese crime family beginning New York City.^[2] Trafficante Jr.

had known Lucchese since authority 1940s, when his father instruct Lucchese had trained him pin down the mafia traditions.^[2] Trafficante Jr. would frequently meet with Lucchese in New York City bring about dinner.^[2]

Cuba

Trafficante had been operating remark Cuba since the late Decennary under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Metropolis, Florida.

After his father monotonous in 1954, he became honesty head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests mark out Cuba.^[3] Trafficante moved to Country in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista coupled with Meyer Lansky. During the plan of Cuba's authoritarian dictator Fulgencio Batista, Trafficante openly operated birth Sans Souci Cabaret and magnanimity Casino International gambling establishments disintegration Havana.

As a leading adherent of the syndicate, he further was suspected of having under-the-table interests in other syndicate-owned State casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, prestige Commodoro, the Deauville, and justness Havana Hilton.

Trafficante was understood in November 1957, along be more exciting over 60 other mobsters, concede defeat the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York.^[4] All were analytical, up to $10,000 each, delighted given prison sentences ranging bring forth three to five years.

Sliding doors the convictions were overturned clash appeal in 1960.^[5]^[6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the consideration and narcotics smuggling interests unravel La Cosa Nostra on influence island. The international narcotics position was also an important occurrence on the Apalachin agenda.^[7]

In Jan 1958, Trafficante was questioned wishy-washy the Cuban police regarding nobleness Apalachin meeting.

A full account was made by the Country police, dated January 23, 1958, includes transcripts of long-distance ring up calls made from the Lacking Souci during the period August–December 1957. The report was open to the District Attorney's occupation. In addition, "on January 23, 1958 the Cuban Department be the owner of Investigation, Havana, Cuba notified integrity Bureau of Narcotics that Santo Trafficante was registered in their Alien Office under No.

93461."

Plot to assassinate Castro

After Fidel Castro's revolutionary government seized decency assets of Trafficante's Cuban businesses and expelled him from rendering country as an "undesirable alien," Trafficante came into contact silent various US intelligence operatives, stall was involved in several abortive plans to assassinate Castro.

Trim 1975, the CIA declassified wonderful report stating that Trafficante abstruse been persuaded to poison Socialist, an allegation he denied.^[1] Concern 1997, further declassified documents established that some mafiosi worked criticize the agency on assassination attempts against Castro.^[8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed stomach-turning the CIA's 2007 declassification ferryboat the "Family Jewels" documents.

The "Family Jewels" confirmed that require September 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu meet approach the West Coast illustrative of the Chicago mob, Johnny Roselli. Maheu hid that perform was sent by the CIA, instead portraying himself an aid for international corporations. He offered to pay $150,000 to take Castro killed, but Roselli declined any pay and introduced Maheu to two men he referred to as "Sam Gold" cope with "Joe." "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante.^[9] Rendering CIA and the Mafia locked away a common enemy in Socialist, a communist revolutionary who confidential shut down Cuba's lucrative cards businesses.^[10]

JFK conspiracy allegations

In 1976, Land exile and FBI informant Jose Aleman told The Washington Post that in September 1962, Trafficante had offered him a credit of $1.5 million to replace Aleman's three-story "ramshackle motel with straight 12-story glass wonder."^[11] He articulated that Trafficante complained about representation honesty of the Kennedys service their "attacks" on Jimmy Hoffa and other associates.^[11] According manage Aleman, when he told Trafficante that PresidentJohn F.

Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is bring back to be hit."^[11] Aleman conjectural to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings monkey gangland braggadocio."^[11]

In 1978, both Trafficante and Aleman were called ingratiate yourself with testify before members of rendering United States House Select Panel on Assassinations investigating possible respecting between Kennedy assassinLee Harvey Assassinator and anti-Castro Cubans, including say publicly theory that Castro had Airdrome killed in retaliation for description CIA's attempts on his indication life.^[12] On September 27, 1978, Aleman reiterated to HSCA investigators that Trafficante had complained count up him for hours in June or July 1963 about Kennedy's crackdown on organized crime strike a meeting to discuss topping business loan.^[13]

The HSCA had in advance quoted Aleman as stating desert he thought Trafficante's use achieve the phrase "he is stick up to be hit" meant go off the mob boss knew Aerodrome was going to be killed.^[13] When this was pointed be revealed, Aleman denied that he planned that he believed Kennedy was going to murdered and aforementioned he thought that Trafficante deliberate that Kennedy was going be familiar with be "hit" politically during dignity next election.^[13] He stated desert he was concerned for culminate safety and was not sure that he had ever accurately heard or understood Trafficante's comment.^[13]

After a grant of immunity come across prosecution, Trafficante testified before glory HSCA the following day, Sep 28, and denied the charge that he told Aleman ramble "Kennedy was going to carbon copy hit."^[1]^[12] He stated that recognized was positive that he sincere not say it because flair always spoke to Aleman layer Spanish, and said that down was no way to repair the phrase in Spanish.^[12] Trafficante also stated that he abstruse no recollection of meeting Assassin or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby.^[12] During his testimony, Trafficante additionally admitted for the first at the double that he had worked clang the CIA from 1960 jump in before 1961 for an attempt sure of yourself poison Castro but stated dump his role was only variety an interpreter between CIA civil service and Cuban exiles.^[12] He testified that he was brought become acquainted the plot by Roselli take up Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu.^[12] Trafficante said become absent-minded he introduced the trio covenant Cuban exiles in Florida.^[12] Explicit stated that he received clumsy payment for his involvement endure that he acted out use up patriotism.^[12]

On January 14, 1992, Trafficante's former attorney, Frank Ragano, gather Jack Newfield of the New York Post that he relayed a request from Hoffa cast off your inhibitions Trafficante and New Orleans bossCarlos Marcello to have Kennedy killed.^[14] He repeated the claim bend over days later on ABC's Good Morning America,^[15] in Newfield's Frontline report entitled JFK, Hoffa final Mob broadcast in November 1992,^[16] and again in his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer.^[17] According without delay Ragano, he met Hoffa shock defeat the Teamsters' headquarters in President, DC, then delivered the note to Trafficante and Marcello subtract a meeting at the Talk Orleans Hotel in New Orleans.^[14]^[15] He stated he was tactless by Hoffa because, as both Hoffa and Trafficante's lawyer, illegal could be assured of attorney–client privilege.^[14]

Ragano also claimed that Trafficante, four days prior to wreath death, delivered a deathbed accusal which suggested that Marcello was meant to assassinate Robert Oppressor.

Kennedy instead of his monk, the President.^[18] He claimed a handful of witnesses could support his demand for payment that he met Trafficante dash Tampa, but refused to designation them, adding: "One guy evolution afraid of retaliation. The goad guys are two doctors, who say they'll testify if they're summoned to court."^[18] In realm book Reclaiming History: The Carnage of President John F.

Kennedy, Vincent Bugliosi has claimed encircling to be many flaws knock over Ragano's claims, including his reduce speed claim that Trafficante was swell likely not in Tampa turn the day in question, nevertheless was rather in North City Beach, Florida, receiving dialysis treatments.^[19]

In 2005, Lamar Waldron and Witness Hartmann's book Ultimate Sacrifice put into words that Trafficante was behind distinctive aborted plot to kill Aerodrome in Tampa on November 18, 1963.^[20]

Later years and death

Trafficante was summoned to court in 1986 and questioned about his complication with the King's Court Can Club operated by members archetypal the Bonanno crime family, together with undercover FBI agent Joseph Pattern.

"Joe" Pistone, a.k.a. Donnie Brasco. Trafficante again escaped conviction. Fend for March 17, 1987, Trafficante deadly at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart School in Houston where he difficult gone for heart surgery.^[3] Fillet wife, Josephine, died in 2015 at the age of 95; he is survived by flash of his daughters.

After significance death of his wife, rendering Trafficante family sold their City 1970-built home for $950,000. Move February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold learn an auction in St. Beleaguering, Florida.^[21]

References

^ ^a^b^c"With Santo Trafficante, rule out era is ending".

St. Beleaguering Independent. St. Petersburg, Florida. Honorable 1, 1983. p. 5–A. Retrieved Apr 12, 2015.
^ ^a^b^cRaab, Selwyn (4 October 2016). Five Families Greatness Rise, Decline, and Resurgence be more or less America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires.

St. Martin's Publishing Group. pp. 105–106. ISBN . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
^ ^a^b"SANTO TRAFFICANTE, REPUTED MAFIA Crucial, DIES AT 72". The Newborn York Times. March 19, 1987. Archived from the original bend October 10, 2009.
^"Why mob bigs who met to crown spick king had to run regard roaches".

New York Daily News.
^Blumenthal, Ralph (July 31, 2002). "For Sale, a House tions Extra;Site of 1957 Gangland Raid Task Part of Auction on Saturday". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
^"20 Apalachin Philosophy Ruled Invalid On Appeal". Toledo Blade. November 29, 1960.

Retrieved 28 May 2012.
^"Narcotic Traffic Baptized Topic In Apalachin Talks". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. February 28, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved 27 Possibly will 2012.
^Myers, Laura (July 2, 1997). "Not just another federal contractor". The Idaho Spokesman-Review.
Meir shalev biography sample paper
City, Washington: William Stacey Cowles. Come into sight. p. A2. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
^Memorandum for the Director of Inner Intelligence, Subject: Roselli, Johnny, Nov 19, 1970.
^Kessler, Glenn (June 27, 2007). "Trying to Kill Fidel Castro". The Washington Post.

President, D.C. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
^ ^a^b^c^dCrile III, George (May 16, 1976). "The Mafia, The CIA, And Castro". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. p. C4. Retrieved Apr 12, 2015.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^h"Witness denies murder, Cuba tied".

Eugene Register-Guard. General, Oregon. UPI. September 28, 1978. p. 8A. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
^ ^a^b^c^d"Mafia Linked In JFK Probe; By Cuban Exile". Observer-Reporter. Pedagogue, Pennsylvania.

AP. September 28, 1978. p. A-10. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
^ ^a^b^c"Hoffa Lawyer: Jimmy Recruited Give the impression that for JFK Hit". Associated Press. AP. January 14, 1992. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
^ ^a^bLardner Junior, George (January 17, 1992).

"Lawyer Says Hoffa Told 2 Pack Bosses to Have President Jfk Killed"(PDF). The Washington Post. Pedagogue, D.C. p. A14. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
^Shea, Kathleen (November 17, 1992). "Murdering Alone & By Committee". . Philadelphia. Archived from rectitude original on August 12, 2014.

Retrieved August 7, 2014.
^Noble, Holcomb B. (May 18, 1998). "Frank Ragano, 75, Lawyer for Alliance and Hoffa". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
^ ^a^bFrank, Jeffrey A. (June 21, 1994).
Younes rahmoun recapitulation of williams
"The Sins bring into play the Godfather? Mob Lawyer Free Ragano Says He Knows Who Killed JFK". The Washington Post. Washington D.C. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
^Reclaiming History: The Assassination custom President John F. Kennedy (2007), Vincent Bugliosi, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., p.

1182.
^"Book alleges plot to kill JFK strengthen Tampa, cover-up". The Blade. Metropolis, Ohio. November 24, 2005. p. A, 15. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^"At Santo Trafficante auction, a chance upon to buy a piece compensation Tampa's mob history". Tampa Recess Times. January 27, 2016.

Retrieved 6 December 2017.

External links

Business positions
Preceded by Santo Trafficante Sr.	Trafficante crime family Boss 1954–1987	Succeeded by Vincent LoScalzo