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Mob History
@mobhistory.substack.com
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The history of organized crime in the United States.
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mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 18)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#ScrantonPA #Brooklyn #DuluthMN #Buffalo #KansasCity #Cleveland #Denver #NewJersey #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 18... • in 1905, an attempt is made to blow up the Scranton PA home of Antonio Fazio who had refused Mafia demands for tribute payments. In Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, future New York crime boss Joseph Bonanno is born. • in 1909, Giovanni Cardinali is shot and killed in his Brooklyn home by mafioso Pellegrino Scaglia. • in 1913, a federal jury in Duluth MN convicts Tony Milano of counterfeiting and acquits his brother Frank. • in 1920, a bomb damages the Buffalo grocery of Joseph Baudo who resisted Black Hand demands for payment. • in 1922, New York mafiosi Umberto Valenti and Saverio Pollaccia arrive back in the U.S. after time in Italy. • in 1930, Kansas City underworld figures Charles Binaggio and Anthony Gizzo are arrested in Denver for carrying concealed weapons. • in 1933, Brooklyn gangster Leopoldo Lauritano is released from prison following a perjury sentence. • in 1951, James Licavoli of Cleveland testifies before the Kefauver Committee. • in 1960, four New Jersey mobsters are indicted for the murder of Joseph Barbito. Image of Joseph Bonanno.
January 18, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Mob History
gangstersinc.bsky.social
Taliban Glizzy gets 18 years: Rapper-turned-ringleader led multi-state jewel heist crew gangstersinc.org/2026/01/17/t... - #Rap #HipHop #Music #Crime #Heist #TrueCrime
Taliban Glizzy gets 18 years: Rapper-turned-ringleader led multi-state jewel heist crew
By the time the feds caught up with Trevor Jonathan Wright, it wasn’t because they were fans of his rap music. In federal court, he wasn’t “Taliban Glizzy” the rapper. He was the architect of a vio…
gangstersinc.org
January 17, 2026 at 10:42 AM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 17)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Chicago #AtlanticCity #NewEngland #Detroit #Dallas #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 17... • in 1886, future American Mafia boss of bosses Giuseppe Masseria is born in Menfi, Sicily, to Giuseppe Sr. and Vita Marceca Masseria. • in 1896, newspapers report that Nicolo Taranto of Manhattan, accused counterfeiter, is leader of all mafiosi in the U.S. • in 1920, the Volstead Act, allowing enforcement of the Constitution's 18th Amendment (Prohibition), becomes effective. • in 1925, Johnny Torrio is sentenced to nine months, a $5,000 fine and court costs for his connection to the Seiben Brewery. • in 1930, the New York Evening Journal publishes a photo of Al Capone and Nucky Johnson walking together on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. • in 1946, Chicago racketeer Vincent 'Cheese King' Benevento is indicted for possession of an unregistered submachine gun and a sawed off automatic rifle. • in 1962, Pat Eboli of New York meets with Salvatore 'Lucky Luciano' Lucania at a Naples restaurant and urges him to cancel his movie deal with Martin Gosch. • in 1963, at a meeting with New England boss Raymond Patriarca and Andy 'Boston' Parilla, Detroit boss Joseph Zerilli explains that he serves as dispute mediator for the Mafia Commission. • in 1969, the Treasury Department places a $10,860 tax lien against Joseph Valachi's share of The Valachi Papers book sales. • in 1970, Joseph Francis Civello, Dallas underworld chief, dies of natural causes at age 67. Image of Giuseppe Masseria.
January 17, 2026 at 3:08 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 16)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#NewOrleans #Bronx #NewJersey #FBI #Nevada #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 16... • in 1874, Joseph Florda of New Orleans is tried for the shooting murder of Joseph Sansoni. • in 1896, thirteen suspected counterfeiters, including alleged bosses Nicola Taranto and Candelaro Bettini, are in custody in New York City. • in 1901, the body of Manhattan jewelry salesman Meyer Weissbard is found within a trunk left by the East River piers. • in 1911, rumors suggest imprisoned Mafia boss Giuseppe Morello has provided information to authorities about the assassination in Sicily of NYPD Lieutenant Petrosino. • in 1914, Joseph 'Joe Pep' Viserti begins a Sing Sing sentence for the manslaughter of Jerry 'the Lunchman' Maida. • in 1920, the manufacture, transport and sale of intoxicating beverages becomes illegal across the United States. • in 1930, Ciro Terranova is formally charged with staging a fake holdup at a Bronx testimonial dinner in December. • in 1934, New York Police Chief Inspector Valentine announces a new push to apprehend Dutch Schultz, wanted on a year-old income tax indictment. • in 1960, New Jersey racketeer Anthony Provenzano, facing trial on bribery charges, wins Teamsters Local 560's first ever competitive election for president. • in 1963, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover instructs the New York field office to refer to the Mafia as 'La Cosa Nostra.' • in 1976, the Nevada Gaming Control Board unanimously denies a gambling license to Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal. Image of Dutch Schultz.
January 16, 2026 at 12:55 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 15)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Chicago #LosAngeles #Philadelphia #KansasCity #Miami #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 15... • in 1896, an Italian counterfeiting gang led by Nicola Taranto is arrested in New York. • in 1917, Vito Genovese is arrested for carrying a revolver in New York City. Mafioso Nick Gentile files a naturalization petition at Pittsburgh. • in 1930, Ciro Terranova is charged with conspiracy, assault and robbery in connection with the Dec. 8, 1929, Vitale dinner incident. • in 1945, a key state witness in a murder case against Vito Genovese, Peter LaTempa dies of a drug overdose while in protective custody in Brooklyn. • in 1953, Chicago gangsters including Tony Accardo and Sam Giancana arrive at Los Angeles International Airport but then quickly depart when local police threatened them with arrest. • in 1959, Philadelphia Mafia boss Joseph Ida returns to Italy. • in 1965, authorities expect the fractured Bonanno crime family will experience a civil war. • in 1966, Vincent Mangiaracina pleads guilty in Kansas City federal court to giving false grand jury testimony. • in 1972, narcotics racketeer Alphonso Attardi dies of natural causes at age 74. • in 1983, Meyer Lansky, 81, dies of lung cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach. Image of Meyer Lansky.
January 15, 2026 at 12:10 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 14)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Chicago #CarbondalePA #Brooklyn #PassaicNJ #NewOrleans #Philadelphia #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 14... • in 1885, future Chicago underworld leader Johnny Torrio arrives with his mother in New York City. • in 1904, Carbondale PA anti-Mafia crusader Joseph Colandri is mortally wounded at his home by four assailants wielding razors. Colandri was a former Italian police chief. • in 1909, Ignazio Lupo is ordered to appear in bankruptcy court. • in 1924, a Brooklyn court injunction restrains police from interfering with slot machines and punchboards. • in 1954, prosecutors prove that New York gangster Joe Adonis, who asserted that Passaic NJ was his birthplace, was actually born in Italy. He is on trial for making false statements relating to his immigration. • in 1963, Joseph Riccobono, said to have been an Apalachin convention attendee, apparently attempts suicide at the Commodore Hotel in Manhattan. • in 1982, New Orleans underworld leader Carlos Marcello, charged with bribery, puts up his Metairie LA home as bond for his release. • in 2017, Philadelphia mob boss Nicodemo Scarfo, 87, dies in federal custody. He has been imprisoned since 1988. Image of Joe Adonis.
January 14, 2026 at 11:11 AM
mobhistory.substack.com
Was there a 1905 #Mafia headquarters on Mott Street in #NYC ?
Probably not.
But it's an interesting story.

New free post on MobHistory Substack.

#MafiaHistory #Skystorians
Was there a 1905 Mafia HQ on New York's Mott Street?
Authorities in northeastern Pennsylvania announced a shocking discovery
mobhistory.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:02 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 13)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#EastHarlem #Chicago #NewEngland #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 13... • in 1908, authorities in Sicily send Giuseppe Morello's criminal record to the New York Police Department. • in 1917, Dominick 'Terry Burns' DiDato is imprisoned on a federal narcotics conviction. • in 1920, Tommaso Gagliano of East Harlem applies for a U.S. passport to sail to Italy. • in 1928, Eugene Giannini is sentenced to 10 years in prison for armed robbery. • in 1943, Carmine Galante is arrested for the Manhattan murder of journalist Carlo Tresca. • in 1947, former New York Mafia leader Ignazio 'the Wolf' Lupo dies of heart disease at age 49. • in 1948, about 1,000 people, including political leaders, attend the Manhattan funeral of Tammany-linked gangster 'Jimmy Kelly' DiSalvio. • in 1965, federal investigators grant immunity to racketeer Vincent Rao in an effort to compel him to testify about the Lucchese crime family. • in 1966, Chicago loan shark Sam DeStefano invokes the Fifth Amendment 370 times during questioning before the Illinois Crime Investigating Committee. • in 1969, Supreme Court refuses to review the murder conspiracy conviction of New England boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca. • in 1987, Commission trial defendants Anthony Salerno, Anthony Corallo, Carmine Persico, Gennaro Langella, Salvatore Santoro, Christopher Furnari and Ralph Scopo are sentenced to 100 years in prison. Anthony Indelicato gets 40 years. Image of Anthony Salerno.
January 13, 2026 at 12:50 PM
Reposted by Mob History
writersofwrongs.bsky.social
#OTD in 1987, #NewYork federal Judge Richard Owen sentences eight #Mafia #Commission Case defendants to a total of 740 years in prison.

#MafiaHistory #Skystorians
Crime bosses receive hundred-year sentences
News, notes, articles and book excerpts from authors of crime history.
www.writersofwrongs.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:43 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 12)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Brooklyn #Ohio #SanFrancisco #Cleveland #LosAngeles #Pennsylvania #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 12... • in 1904, Ignazio Lupo is arrested on a ferry between Brooklyn and Manhattan and charged with carrying a concealed weapon. • in 1914, Joseph Viserti and Santo Barbara are sentenced to long prison terms for the Manhattan manslaughter of Jerry Maida. • in 1916, Louis Buchalter is arrested in New York for burglary. • in 1935, a commutation by the Ohio governor frees bank robber Roy Marino after just 14 months of a 20 years to life sentence. • in 1943, police question Carmine Galante, suspect in the murder of journalist Carlo Tresca. • in 1944, a special judge overseeing vice rackets in Mahoning County Ohio is accused of granting favors to certain convicted criminals. • in 1949, John Stoppelli of New York is indicted by a San Francisco federal grand jury on narcotics charges. • in 1957, Los Angeles mafiosi Frank DeSimone and Joseph Giammona visit New York and telephone the City Island home of Frank Scalise. • in 1960, U.S. Circuit Court halts the deportation of Mafia boss Joseph Profaci. • in 1962, Carmine Persico is beaten in a nightclub by gangsters of the Gallo brothers faction. • in 1969, former Cleveland hoodlum Julius Anthony Petro is found dead in a borrowed Cadillac at Los Angeles International Airport. Raymond Ferrito is a suspect. • in 1979, New York racketeer Johnny Dioguardi dies of natural causes at a Pennsylvania hospital while serving a federal sentence for stock fraud. Image of Frank DeSimone.
January 12, 2026 at 12:57 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 11)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Brooklyn #Buffalo #WashingtonDC #Detroit #TucsonAZ #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 11... • in 1911, Italian court sentences Giuseppe Piraino (listed as escaped) to more than 25 years in prison. • in 1921, a New York grand jury indicts former Prohibition agent Jeremiah Bohan for the murder of Monk Eastman. • in 1922, Brooklynites James Bellantonio, Vincent SanFilippo and Henry Rossi are charged with the recent shooting death of Louis Goldberg. • in 1924, future Genovese Crime Family leader Michele Miranda returns to the U.S. after a visit to his native San Giuseppe Vesuviano in Italy. • in 1930, Samuel 'Red' Levine is charged in New York with felonious assault. • in 1932, immigration officials interrogate Buffalo mafioso Joseph DiCarlo. In New York City, police arrest and soon release Vincent Coll, Lottie Kreisberger and Mike Basile. • in 1943, Bonanno crime family capodecina Carmine Galante is widely believed responsible for the shooting death of anti-fascist newspaper editor Carlo Tresca. • in 1973, accused Watergate burglars stand trial in District of Columbia. • in 1984, former Detroit underworld leader Peter Licavoli Sr. dies of natural causes at Tucson AZ. Image of Carmine Galante.
January 11, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Mob History
writersofwrongs.bsky.social
#OTD in 1943, #NewYork mafioso Carmine #Galante *almost* certainly murdered left-wing newspaper editor Carlo #Tresca.

#Mafia #MafiaHistory #Skystorians
He did it, but they couldn't prove it
News, notes, articles and book excerpts from authors of crime history.
www.writersofwrongs.com
January 11, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Reposted by Mob History
gangstersinc.bsky.social
Harlem’s Godfather: Profile of New York crime boss Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson gangstersinc.org/2026/01/10/h... - #Underworld #Gangland #Crime #BlackMafia #BlackGodfather #Harlem #MafiaHistory #NewYorkMafia #NewYork
Harlem’s Godfather: Profile of New York crime boss Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson
Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson was a poet with a pistol. A crime boss who quoted Shakespeare and forced the Italian Mafia to the negotiation table. He didn’t just run Harlem’s underworld, he helped shap…
gangstersinc.org
January 10, 2026 at 1:36 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 10)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#NewOrleans #Cleveland #Detroit #Pittsburgh #Texas #Chicago #Brooklyn #NewEngland #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 10... • in 1876, a New Orleans grand jury refuses to indict 'Nine-Fingered Frank' Romeo for killing Bernard Ditte. • in 1908, at Cleveland, Salvatore Lupo confesses to his role in a Baltimore bombing. • in 1910, Giuseppe Morello, Ignazio Lupo and other mafiosi from New York are indicted for manufacturing and possessing counterfeit currency. • in 1912, suspected Black Hand leader Andrea Badalamenti pleads guilty in Detroit to carrying concealed weapons. • in 1914, Benny Fein and three members of his Manhattan gang are arrested for murder. • in 1917, Nick Gentile, Sam DiBella and Orazio Leone are indicted for conspiracy at Pittsburgh. • in 1918, Tom Lee, former leader of the On Leong Tong in New York's Chinatown, dies of natural causes. • in 1940, Alfonso Attardi, Biaggio Angelica, Anthony Virzi and three codefendants are sentenced to prison terms after pleading guilty in Texas federal court to narcotics trafficking conspiracy. In New York, Edward Capobianco is arrested for the murder of Joseph Piscitello. • in 1962, six Chicago men are charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to transport stolen goods across state lines. • in 1973, two diamond-studded crowns are reported stolen from the Regina Pacis shrine in Brooklyn. The crowns had been stolen and returned 21 years earlier. • in 1992, Chicago Outfit big shots John 'No Nose' DiFronzo, Sam 'Wings' Carlisi and eight others are indicted for trying to control gambling at a Native American casino near San Diego. • in 1995, New England crime boss Frank Salemme is indicted for racketeering along with James Bulger, Stephen Flemmi and Robert DeLuca. Image of James Bulger.
January 10, 2026 at 11:19 AM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 09)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Boston #OldForgePA #SewickleyPA #Cuba #RhodeIsland #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 09... • in 1894, Boston police believe a Camorra or Mafia vendetta might have been behind the brutal razor murder of Neapolitan Pasquale Sacco. • in 1905, Black Hander Vincenzo Laposi, arrested in Old Forge PA, is found to be in possession of Mafia credentials from 42 Mott Street, New York City. • in 1910, New York Mafia boss Ignazio 'the Wolf' Lupo is charged with counterfeiting. • in 1926, Sewickley PA gangster Frank Valenzi begins serving a term at Western State Penitentiary for the second-degree murder of Michael Rosato. • in 1930, Governor Roosevelt grants two-week reprieves to convicted underworld murderers Frank Plaia and Michael Sclafani. • in 1946, in preparation for his deportation from the U.S., Salvatore 'Charlie Luciano' Lucania is transferred from Great Meadow Prison to Sing Sing Prison. • in 1948, former Manhattan gangster and Tammany political leader Giovanni 'Jimmy Kelly' DeSalvio dies at a Bronx hospital following a stroke. • in 1958, investigators suggest that Albert Anastasia's recent murder in New York City was due to his intrusion into Cuban gambling rackets. • in 1966, an editorial in the Il Progresso newspaper condemns a plan to publish the memoirs of Joseph Valachi. • in 1975, New England crime boss Raymond Patriarca is paroled from Rhode Island State Prison after serving four years for murder conspiracy. • in 2003, FBI agents arrest Bonanno boss Joseph Massino at his home, charging him with ordering the murder of Dominick 'Sonny Black' Napolitano. Image of Ignazio Lupo.
January 9, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by Mob History
gangstersinc.bsky.social
Spain takes down Black Axe cell in major blow to Nigerian crime syndicate gangstersinc.org/2026/01/09/s... - #BlackAxe #Nigeria #BlackMafia #Africa #Crime #NigerianMafia
Spain takes down Black Axe cell in major blow to Nigerian crime syndicate
Spanish authorities have carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on the Nigerian-founded criminal organization known as Black Axe, arresting 34 suspects in what investigators describe as a direct hit …
gangstersinc.org
January 9, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Reposted by Mob History
gangstersinc.bsky.social
“Tommy Three-Finger Brown” - Profile of New York Mafia boss Gaetano Lucchese gangstersinc.org/2026/01/06/t... - #MafiaHistory #Mafia #NewYork #Crime #CosaNostra #AmericanMafia
“Tommy Three-Finger Brown” – Profile of New York Mafia boss Gaetano Lucchese
Gaetano “Tommy Three-Finger Brown” Lucchese built his power the old way: quietly, patiently, and with an accountant’s understanding of crime. By the time of his death in 1967, he had spent over fou…
gangstersinc.org
January 6, 2026 at 3:40 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 07)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#SanFrancisco #Brooklyn #KansasCity #Miami #Philadelphia #Detroit #NewEngland #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 07... • in 1879, an alleged member of 'La Maffia,' Florindo Biagini is arrested at San Francisco and charged with stealing horses from a ranch in San Mateo. • in 1922, Michael Abbatemarco and Walter Carney are arrested on the Brooklyn docks and charged with smuggling liquor. • in 1949, in San Francisco, Leonard Calamia pleads not guilty to the murder of Nick DeJohn. • in 1954, former Kansas City underworld boss Charles Carollo is deported to Italy. • in 1959, Meyer Lansky is detained for questioning as he arrives from Havana at Miami International Airport. • in 1974, racketeer Dominick DiQuarto is arrested in New York on a federal obstruction of justice charge. • in 1982, gambling and loan sharking racketeer Frank 'Chickie' Narducci is shot to death as he steps from his car near his South Philadelphia home. • in 1992, Colombo Crime Family capodecina Nicholas Grancio is fatally shot in his car at Gravesend, Brooklyn. • in 2008, Detroit mobster Vincent Angelo Meli dies of bone cancer at age 87. • in 2011, a federal grand jury returns conspiracy and extortion indictments against New England Mafia big shot Luigi Manocchio. The indictments remain sealed until Jan. 20. Image of Luigi Manocchio
January 7, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Mob History
tom-hunt.com
Friend Fabien Rossat has written this article about the ill-fated #Genna #Mafia of #Chicago.
#MafiaHistory #Skystorians
Les meurtres liés à la faction Genna et à la Mafia de Chicago en 1925-1926
unehistoiredecrimeorganise.blogspot.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:49 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 06)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Buffalo #Brooklyn #PatersonNJ #Boston #HackensackNJ #KansasCity #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 06... • in 1890, Nicholas 'Coco' Morello is born in Corleone, Sicily. • in 1913, federal authorities charge Frank Filasto of New York and Joseph Ribuffo of Paterson NJ as leaders of a human trafficking ring headquartered at Filasto's business address, 293 Mott Street. • in 1921, Manhattan crime figure Hyman Holz is convicted of third-degree burglary and sentenced to four years and a month in prison. • in 1922, New York mafiosi Umberto Valenti and Saverio Pollaccia board the S.S Presidente Wilson in Naples, Italy, for a return trip to the U.S. • in 1923, narcotics agents conduct raids across the Buffalo NY area, making 40 arrests. • in 1929, Meyer Lansky is arrested on a narcotics charge but soon released. • in 1933, racketeer Charles 'King' Solomon, indicted for liquor conspiracy in Brooklyn NY, surrenders to authorities in Boston. • in 1944, former NYPD Italian Squad leader Antonio Vachris dies in Hackensack NJ at the age of 77. • in 1966, Salvatore Palma is found murdered in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kansas City MO. Author Peter Maas has his first meeting with turncoat mafioso Joseph Valachi at the District of Columbia Jail. • in 2012, Genovese Crime Family associate Frank DiMattina is convicted in Brooklyn of using gunpoint extortion to win a Catholic school lunch contract. Image of Umberto Valenti
January 6, 2026 at 11:02 AM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 05)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#NewOrleans #OldForgePA #NewYork #Chicago #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 05... • in 1874, a Mafia gunman known as Joseph Florda is suspected of killing Joseph Sansoni in New Orleans. • in 1888, Rocco Geraci, member of the New Orleans Stuppagghieri Mafia, shoots and kills Giardinieri Mafia member Anthony Bonora. • in 1905, northeastern Pennsylvania businessmen organize to combat the 'Special Home Society,' a Mafia branch centered in Old Forge, PA. • in 1908, New York Police Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino tells the New York Times that there is no single 'Black Hand' network. • in 1910, printer Antonio Comito confesses his role in creating counterfeit currency and gives the Secret Service a statement implicating Giuseppe Morello, Ignazio Lupo and others. • in 1912, a two-year break in New York's Chinatown 'Tong Wars' ends with the shootings of two leading figures in the Hip Sing Tong. • in 1932, Frank Macaluso, 42-year-old president of New York's Columbia Republican Club, is shot to death on East 14th Street just after midnight. • in 1939, Charles Sberna and Salvatore Gati are executed at Sing Sing Prison for the 1937 killing of Patrolman John Wilson. • in 1946, Frank Quattrocchi is shot to death in Chicago after a night of drinking with Paul Labriola and Lawrence Mangano. • in 1962, a U.S. appeals court awards Chicago crime boss Tony Accardo a new trial on income tax fraud charges. • in 1965, New York Mafia boss Joseph Colombo elevates Carmine Persico to capodecina and places him in charge of the group formerly led by ailing underboss Charles Mineo. Image of Tony Accardo
January 5, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by Mob History
writersofwrongs.bsky.social
#OTD (Jan 5) in 1939, Charles #Sberna was sent to the chair. Son of a wanted #anarchist terrorist and son-in-law of early #NewYork #Mafia boss Giuseppe #Morello, Sberna had been convicted of killing a NYC police officer. Many believed he was innocent of the charge.

#CapitalPunishment #Skystorians
Sberna goes to The Chair
News, notes, articles and book excerpts from authors of crime history.
www.writersofwrongs.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:34 AM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 04)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Chicago #NewYork #WestVirginia #PittstonPA #Boston #Brooklyn #AlbanyNY #SanFrancisco #Cleveland #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 04... • in 1880, future Chicago underworld leader Michele Merlo is born in Sambuca Zabut, Sicily. • in 1910, Secret Service agents arrest Antonio Comito, suspected of printing counterfeit currency for the Morello-Lupo organization in New York. • in 1924, three convicted 'Black Hand' murderers are executed by hanging in West Virginia. • in 1928, Chicago gangsters Phil D'Andrea and Lawrence Mangano are believed responsible for shooting up Dominic Aiello's bakery. • in 1931, in Pittston PA, Calogero Calamera, shot six times and mortally wounded, names local mafioso Tony Morreale as one of his attackers. • in 1932, Vincent Coll, recently acquitted of the killing of an East Harlem youngster, obtains a license to marry Lottie Kreisberger. • in 1933, Charles 'King' Solomon, Boston-area bootlegger, is one of four men indicted in Brooklyn NY for liquor conspiracy. • in 1934, police arrest Ciro Terranova for vagrancy as he crosses from Bronx to Manhattan. • in 1945, Chicago racketeer Dominic Brancato is held for questioning in connection with the shooting of Vincent Benevento. • in 1951, New York crime boss Frank Costello receives a subpoena to testify before the Senate's Kefauver Committee. • in 1955, Dominic Anzalone of western Pennsylvania appeals a U.S. deportation order. • in 1967, an informant tells the FBI that the Mafia Commission has reinstalled Joseph Bonanno as boss of New York's Bonanno Crime Family. San Francisco Mafia underboss Charles Carbone dies. • in 1978, Ronald Carabbia is arraigned on charges related to the 1977 car-bomb murder of Daniel Greene. Image of Ciro Terranova
January 4, 2026 at 3:39 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 03)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#NewYork #ScrantonPA #HartfordCT #Detroit #Brooklyn #Philadelphia #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 03... • in 1905, alleged regional Mafia leader John Costa, facing charges of felonious wounding, robbery, attempted robbery, conspiracy and threatening, is released on bail in Scranton PA. • in 1912, the Hartford CT murder of Antonio Pietrolino is linked to the Mafia in Scranton PA. • in 1919, Detroit mob boss Antonio Giannola is shot to death on Rivard Street. • in 1921, former Prohibition agent Jeremiah Bohan confesses that he fatally shot Monk Eastman on the morning of Dec. 26. • in 1923, Brooklyn gangster William Lovett, 29, is mortally wounded by a gunman at his apartment on Front Street. • in 1929, New York Police Commissioner Whalen asserts that George McManus fired the shot that killed racketeer Arnold Rothstein. Gangster Vincent Coll is sent back to Elmira Reformatory for violating parole terms. • in 1939, Antonio Pollina of Philadelphia is arrested for operating an illegal distillery. • in 1941, Brooklyn racketeer Louis Capone is indicted for the 1939 murder of Irving Penn. • in 1946, New York Governor Thomas Dewey commutes the remainder of the compulsory prostitution sentence of Salvatore 'Charlie Luciano' Lucania on the condition that he be deported. • in 1956, Joe Adonis voluntarily leaves the country, avoiding jail time and deportation for a perjury offense. • in 1966, as he begins work on The Valachi Papers project, author Peter Maas agrees that the government may eliminate from his book any material deemed injurious to law enforcement. • in 2005, convicted Bonanno crime boss Joseph Massino agrees to wear an FBI wire during a conversation with his successor. Image of Joe Adonis.
January 3, 2026 at 1:24 PM
mobhistory.substack.com
#OTD (Jan. 02)
Events in U.S. organized crime #history.

#Brooklyn #Pittsburgh #HighlandNY #BuffaloNY #Canada #Pennsylvania #Philadelphia #NewYork #Mafia #MafiaHistory 🗃️ #Skystorians
On this date, January 02... • in 1888, future Brooklyn underworld leader Leopoldo Lauritano is born in Gragnano, Italy. • in 1894, cross charges of felonious assault and battery between Valentine Piazza and Salvatore Catanzaro go to trial in Pittsburgh. • in 1903, Brooklyn Black Hand suspect Andrea Gambino is charged with extortion. • in 1909, the Morello Mafia's counterfeiting operation at Highland NY begins production of Canadian currency. • in 1916, John H. Crowley, one of the few non-Italian-American detectives to work on the New York Police Italian Squad, dies in Brooklyn after a short illness. • in 1919, Giuseppe 'Clutching Hand' Piraino is arrested in Brooklyn and charged with murder. He is later discharged by a magistrate. • in 1924, in Buffalo, Joseph DiCarlo, Joseph Ruffino, Gaetano Capodicaso and Pete Galleli are arrested for attempting to kill government witness Joseph Pattitucci. • in 1937, Rocco Strange waives extradition from Canada to the U.S., where he is to be charged with a 1906 western Pennsylvania murder. • in 1939, Philadelphia gangster Antonio Pollina is arrested for assault and battery - attempt to kill. The complaint against him is quickly withdrawn. • in 1940, 'Lepke' Buchalter is convicted of federal narcotics violations. Image of Joe DiCarlo.
January 2, 2026 at 1:23 PM