Share Santo's life story with friends and family. Father of Private and Private She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. Try again. 0 cemeteries found in Ybor City, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. Desr Gerry, please know that I am thinking of you and never forget the kindness bestowed on me in my difficult time but especially the generosity and affection shown to my daughter and grandson. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. The beachfront properties were the site of many parties and barbecues. That horse won $161,080 for its new owners, according to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders Association. As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. [13], On January 14, 1992, Trafficante's former attorney, Frank Ragano, told Jack Newfield of the New York Post that he relayed a request from Hoffa to Trafficante and New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello to have Kennedy killed. Until last year, the younger Trafficante had never been accused of anything more dramatic than bookmaking, a charge that a judge dismissed. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. An editor and public historian, Carly Silver has written for Smithsonian, Narratively, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and Archaeology, among other publications. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. [18] According to Ragano, he met Hoffa at the Teamsters' headquarters in Washington, DC, then delivered the message to Trafficante and Marcello in a meeting at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Nicknames: The Silent Don Following his death, Mobster Vincent LoScalvo took over the Trafficante familys criminal network in Florida. Finally, in 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72. Santos Trafficante Jr. was the son of Santos Trafficante Sr., who owned several casinos in Havana. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-law's Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . Try again later. "I thought I could just go down to (former Hillsborough State Attorney) Bill James and (Assistant State Attorney) Lee Atkinson and explain it all away in 15 minutes.". Santo Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. He returned to Tampa for the last time for internment in the LUnione Italiana Cemetery. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. "The Mob? [21], Trafficante was summoned to court in 1986 and questioned about his involvement with the King's Court Bottle Club operated by members of the Bonanno crime family, including undercover FBI agent Joseph D. "Joe" Pistone, a.k.a. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. "He's very creative in terms of the combination of things he eats," Alessi says. Santo Trafficante 5 10 (1.78 m) Born November 15, 1914 Tampa, Florida, USA Died March 17, 1987 Spouse Josephine Marchese April 17, 1938 - March 17, 1987 (his death, 2 children) Publicity listings 2 Portrayals Did you know Edit Trivia Represented by Frank Ragano. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. "You hope things will just disappear two or three years from now.". He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! 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. 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. Like Trafficante Jr. before him, had many close calls with law enforcement, but always escaped serious charges. "I'm a freak for that kind of stuff," he says. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Florida Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. She was born on March 24, 1920. Please reset your password. In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. [5][6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island. President John. He drove a forklift for 20 years. Undercover detectives ran a gambling sting operation there, hoping to nab a circle of Tampa men they said were making illegal sports bets. It never did exist.". Today, Santo Trafficantes criminal legacy lives on through his nephew and namesake, Santo Trafficante III, who was charged with organized fraud in 1992. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. It was all on the up and up. wills o' nats last of the summer wine. He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. 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. In February 2016, many of Trafficante's personal belongings were sold at an auction in St. Petersburg, Florida. My prayers are with all of you. 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 . Maheu hid the fact that he was sent by the CIA, instead portraying himself an advocate for international corporations. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. Although a judge dismissed the charge for lack of evidence, the arrest had a lasting impact on another of Trafficante's ventures: thoroughbred breeding and racing. Like many of the most prominent mobsters of the 20th century, his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., grew up in Sicily, Italy but became a major player in the criminal world after migrating to America. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. In the 1950s, Tampas reputation for corruption and vice was so bad it prompted one national magazine to label the area the Hell Hole of the Gulf Coast. Given such negativity, who can blame people for just wanting to forget? After the death of his wife, the Trafficante family sold their Tampa 1970-built home for $950,000. Please try again later. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. My uncle, never wore a ring," Trafficante says. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. Robert Anderson aka The Killer Between 50 and 100 buildings were burned. The wiretap evidence has been thrown out of court. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. He headed the . Let others know about your loved one's death. Mob Lawyer Frank Ragano Says He Knows Who Killed JFK", "Book alleges plot to kill JFK in Tampa, cover-up", "At Santo Trafficante auction, a chance to buy a piece of Tampa's mob history", Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, Associated Press report on Trafficante's death, "Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life" By Robert Lacy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santo_Trafficante_Jr.&oldid=1140940042, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 15:02. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. 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. She lived an exciting life dividing her time between her multiple family members and friends in Tampa, Miami and Havana. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante Donnie Brasco. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. 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. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. 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. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. 12 talking about this. He died on March 17, 1987. Santo was one of the FBIs targets in that case. Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. I hold such fond memories of Santo & Gerry when I was growing up. Passing before her were her parents Antonino and Sarafina Marchese; her beloved husband Santo Trafficante Jr.; her son-in-laws Augie Paniello and Richard Valdes; and her brothers, Bennie Marchese, Tommy Marchese, and Peter Marchese. Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. 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. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. In 1975, the CIA declassified a report stating that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation he denied. The other guys are two doctors, who say they'll testify if they're summoned to court. He buys Jaguars for his two sons, hobnobs with sports stars on resort golf courses and occasionally flies to Miami for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Rascal House. Ex-FBI agent and later Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu of Las Vegas was one of the primary go-betweens for Trafficante. 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. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. Dr. Dennis Pupello was looking for heart disease, brought on by his overweight and diabetic patient's "voracious eating.". Add to your scrapbook. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. Trafficante Jr. controlled his Tampa-based crime network for over three decades. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. ". [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. 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. Fine food, and lots of it. Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. 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. The east coast of Florida was a loosely knit conglomerate of New York family interests with links to Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Angelo Bruno, Carlos Marcello, and Frank Ragano. 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. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. 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. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. He attended a notorious convention of Mafia bosses held in the upstate New York town of Apalachin on November 14, 1957. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. He was known as an organized crimes figure. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. [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. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. He grimaces at the thought that the rumor has persisted so long. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. We send our most sincere sympathies to the Trafficante family. Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. . Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Born: November 15, 1914, Tampa, Florida Verify and try again. Services will be followed by a graveside service at the Italian Club Cemetery and a reception at the family home. The mobsters also attempted to get Castro into a poisoned wetsuit and even offered to blow him up with an exploding seashell. 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. I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. Our thoughts and prayers with you. He walked outside and got into a 1951 Mercury sedan driven by one of his associates. "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. My heart goes out to the family. 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. 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. Thanks for subscribing! That arrest also led Cuban authorities to become warier of the mobster, especially as the political tides seemed to be turning there. Several were wounded. By 1987, the Mafia boss, who had walked the casino floors of the Sans Souci in Cuba, dined and hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra in the nightclubs and hotels of South Beach, and who commanded a presence in Tampa that is still felt today, was suffering from a diseased kidney and bad heart. Love and peace to you all. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. But the news was not good on the Key Bank front. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. Visitation will take place on Saturday, May 16th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, with service to follow at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. Rosselli testified in 1975 to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the efforts to kill Castro. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. 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. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. Another bank sued Trafficante and his wife in October for repayment of a $100,000 promissory note. The senior Trafficante's name has been linked to gambling, drug-dealing and even plots to kill Fidel Castro and John F. Kennedy. There was an error deleting this problem. However, while the Latin American drug trade has figured prominently in the sunshine states less savory history, so has the Mafia. Trafficante had now not only lost an ally but a significant portion of his income as his casinos were closed by the Marxist revolutionary. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. But once Kennedy actually entered the White House, he didnt live up to his end of the bargain. [22], sfn error: no target: CITEREFDouglass2010 (, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 15:02, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, "With Santo Trafficante, an era is ending", "SANTO TRAFFICANTE, REPUTED MAFIA CHIEF, DIES AT 72", "Why mob bigs who met to crown a king had to run like roaches", "For Sale, a House WithAcreage.Connections Extra;Site of 1957 Gangland Raid Is Part of Auction on Saturday", "20 Apalachin Convictions Ruled Invalid On Appeal", "Narcotic Traffic Called Topic In Apalachin Talks", Memorandum for the Director of Central Intelligence, Subject: Roselli, Johnny, "Witness denies assassination, Cuba tied", "Mafia Linked In JFK Probe; By Cuban Exile", "Hoffa Lawyer: Jimmy Recruited Mob for JFK Hit", "Lawyer Says Hoffa Told 2 Mob Bosses to Have President Kennedy Killed", "Frank Ragano, 75, Lawyer for Mob and Hoffa", "The Sins of the Godfather? Learn more about merges. His health had declined in his later years. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. The first case stemmed from the FBIs well-known Donnie Brasco undercover sting operation. According to the account of Judith Exner, however, one of JFKs many mistresses, it was she who introduced Kennedy to Chicago boss Giancana. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. As such, Trafficante Sr. controlled gambling rackets for bolita, a lottery game popular in Florida and Cuba, until 1940 when the murder of Tampa boss Ignacio Antinori pushed the Trafficantes to assume ultimate power in the Florida underworld. And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. He is currently working on his seventh book, The Jersey Mob., Feedback or questions? Claiming association with the CIA, Roselli knew of Trafficantes vendetta and told his new pal that the U.S. government also wanted to take down Castros Communist regime. We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. "Now when I walk in a bank," Trafficante says, "the president runs out the back door.". Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI Donnie Brasco investigation he never spent a single day of his life in jail. Departed this Life May 13, 2015 Mobster dies, two nations. Year should not be greater than current year. Santos ran numerous legitimate businesses as well as illegal, including several legal casinos in Cuba, a Havana drive-in movie theater, and shares in restaurants and bars in Tampa. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. You and Santo will always have a special place in my heart. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. Trafficante scrambled out the passenger-side door. 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. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. We have set your language to As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Failed to delete memorial. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab.
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