Oct 14, 2009
Frank McErlane
From 1923 through 1930 the beer wars raged in Chicago. Frank McErlane – the gangster the Illinois Crime Survey called "the most brutal gunman who ever pulled a trigger in Chicago" – stood at the center of this bloody Prohibition Era turf battle.
by Allan May...
Oct 14, 2009
Charles "Cherry Nose" GioeCharles "Cherry Nose" Gioe was the victim of his own naivete. He was forthright before the Kefauver Commission and he fatally misread "Joey" Glimco, Chicago's top labor racketeer. by Allan May Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe was a peripheral character in...
Oct 14, 2009
Gaetano "Thomas" GaglianoIf the ingredients for being a successful mob boss are keeping a low profile, avoiding arrest, shunning media publicity, and above all else longevity, then no Mafia leader can match the ghost-like performance of Gaetano "Thomas" Gagliano. by Allan...
Oct 14, 2009
Charles "Lucky" Luciano Lucky Luciano briefly reestablished himself as the "boss of bosses" at the mob's summit in Havana, but before he could consolidate his power the U.S. government forced the Cuban government – under threat of a medical-supplies boycott -- to deport him...
Oct 14, 2009
Frank "the Bomp" Bompensiero "The Bomp" was the most feared hit man of his era. His specialty was murdering fellow mobsters. He got away with being an informant for 10 years until the FBI hung him out to dry. He would die the same way he had lived. by Allan May Before...
Oct 14, 2009
Nicodemo Scarfo"Little Nicky" Scarfo took over the Philadelphia Mafia in 1981 following the murders of long-time Philly boss Angelo Bruno and his successor, "Chicken Man" Testa, but it took a war with Harry Riccobene to consolidate his power. by Allan May Two decades of...
Oct 14, 2009
Johnny "The Fox" TorrioA mentor to Al Capone, a confidante of Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello, Torrio even managed to win the begrudging respect of law enforcement. by Allan May Some people think that Johnny "The Fox" Torrio retired from organized crime after he...
Oct 14, 2009
Lawrence "Dago" ManganoHe’s obscure now, but "Dago" Mangano was one rung away from the top of the Chicago Outfit’s ladder in 1944 when hit men pumped some 200 shotgun pellets and five .45 caliber bullets into him. by Allan May Lawrence "Dago" Mangano was listed by the Chicago...
Oct 14, 2009
LaStella Restaurant Queens, NYWhen 13 mobsters sat down for lunch at La Stella restaurant in 1966, authors and journalists began to speculate on the meaning of the meet - and that speculation continues to this day. The lunch became known as "Little Apalachin." by Allan May...
Oct 14, 2009
Ciro Terranova The story of Ciro Terranova - believed by some to be the original "Boss of Bosses" in New York City. by Allan May As a history writer covering organized crime, one of my concerns is to find reliable sources for the stories I produce. One of the ways I try to do...
