To use this feature, use a newer browser. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Born Tampa, Florida March 24, 1920 It never did exist.". Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Josephine Marchese Trafficante According to some, he was even involved in the infamous assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Alongside Chicago boss Sam Giancana, Roselli and Trafficante came up with some truly insane plots to kill Fidel Castro. As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. Now he owns a 210-acre orange grove in southern Hillsborough. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. 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. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. His wife also was named in the fraud charges. Trafficante had now not only lost an ally but a significant portion of his income as his casinos were closed by the Marxist revolutionary. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. santo trafficante daughters All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. 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? Verify and try again. Santo was one of the FBIs targets in that case. My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. [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. [14], After a grant of immunity from prosecution, Trafficante testified before the HSCA the following day, September 28, and denied the allegation that he told Aleman that "Kennedy was going to be hit. Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 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. 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. Perched on the edge of a leather chair in his attorney's office, Santo J. Trafficante III wears a pained expression on his jowly face. Make sure that the file is a photo. Many fond memories of Santo will continue with me. "I was the most expensive forklift driver in the world," he says with a smile. Trafficante was born in Tampa, Florida, to Sicilian parents Santo Trafficante Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore in 1914. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987 ). For the U.S. government, it was a classic case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.. Trafficante crime family - Wikipedia "[1][13] He stated that he was positive that he did not say it because he always spoke to Aleman in Spanish, and said that there was no way to state the phrase in Spanish. We are one of them! Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Santo Trafficante, Reputed Mafia Chief, Dies at 72 Santo Jr.'s daughters still owns 3610, where Santo spent time when he wasn't in Tampa or Miami. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. 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. ", Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Tampa man arrested in death of person found in apartment with unharmed infant, deputies say, Suspect in Hillsborough slaying of woman IDd, man known as Ya Dig, deputies say, After nearly a century of fixing Tampas flat tires, downtown Firestone closes, Under investigation, HART CEO proposes settlement, payout and exit, Dead body found in Hillsborough apartment with unharmed infant, deputies say, NAACP wants reparations for Tampas Black cemeteries that governments stole, Latin Kings gang leaders among 21 arrested in Hillsborough drug operation, sheriff says, Estimated 630,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Hillsborough River, records show, Tampa man who was first to face trial for Florida voter fraud in 2020 election gets probation. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife and children at his father-in-laws house in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? Welcome to Boxer Cycle Works. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. Santo worked closely with Lucchese family boss Tommy Lucchese, who was a friend of his father, and a man who helped train him in the 1940s. Fine food, and lots of it. My prayers are with all of you. A Hillsborough judge threw out the wiretaps, the spine of the state's case. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. In the meantime, the allegation that he is a mobster has dogged him and his family. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. I think it was a case of mistaken identity.. santo trafficante daughters - shantisrl.com JFK Assassination - Santo Trafficante Jr - gibson's world Born in Tampa, Florida to Sicilian parents Mafia don Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his wife Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore. Resend Activation Email. Pallbearers are Augie Castellana, Sam Paniello, Christopher Paniello, Anthony B. Marchese, Peter Marchese Jr., Ian Cordell, Don Smith, Frank Pancho Trafficante, John Castellana, and Dr. Santo Paniello. Santo Trafficante Jr News reports - YouTube [13] Trafficante said that he introduced the trio to Cuban exiles in Florida. Santo Trafficante Jr.: The Florida Godfather Who Tried To Kill Castro Failed to report flower. James Traficant - Wikipedia While the senior Trafficante had been a major mobster in his own right, nobody could have expected the heights that were going to be reached by his son. A few months later, two members of that group took the train to New York City to drum up support for a move against Santo. After Fidel Castro's revolutionary government seized the assets of Trafficante's Cuban businesses and expelled him from the country as an "undesirable alien," Trafficante came into contact with various US intelligence operatives, and was involved in several unsuccessful plans to assassinate Castro. Santo Trafficante Sr., a 'Sicilian of the old school,' ruled Tampa's President John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Meet Santo Trafficante: The Silent Don Who Tried To Kill Fidel Castro And May Have Ordered JFKs Assassination. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. 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. But considering the fiercely anti-Soviet atmosphere of the Cold War, its not that hard to believe. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. Failed to delete memorial. Indeed, he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreclosures to local banks, which he says treat him "like I had leprosy" because of Key Bank. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. Organized Crime Figure. Spoiled by mobsters, Meyer Lansky's daughter recalls family men, not 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. Geni requires JavaScript! On March 17, 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he had gone for heart surgery. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. love gloria "owens" hill. The people of Tampa, especially the ones still around to remember those days still feel a duty of sorts to keep quite of these things, as if these people are still amongst us and can hear our chatter. But once Kennedy actually entered the White House, he didnt live up to his end of the bargain. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. James Anthony Traficant Jr. (May 8, 1941 - September 27, 2014) was an American politician who served as a Democrat, and later independent, member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.He represented the 17th Congressional District, which centered on his hometown of Youngstown and included parts of three counties in northeast Ohio's Mahoning Valley. [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. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. We found ourselves in a love affair with Tony Soprano and we could not stop watching. 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. She was a native of Tampa, a second-generation Sicilian immigrant who grew up in Ybor city. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. Brother of Frank Cacciatore Trafficante; Private and Private. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. We never paid cash. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. He has played golf with former New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles and former New York Islanders hockey player Clark Gillies. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. A year has passed. 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 . I will always remember your perseverance, happiness and smiles at Marisa's wedding. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. I found on Findagrave.com. Still, theres a fine line between exploring a topic and glorifying it. As law enforcement pressure increased on the Mafia in the late 1940s, Santo, fearing. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. 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. My heart goes out to the family. 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. "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. "When my uncle visited it was like a family reunion. "I think it's all bull----," says Trafficante's former horse trainer, Arthur Pedregal Jr. "It's only because his name is Trafficante. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. [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? Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. Despite all of this or, perhaps, because of it, a few writers and filmmakers have chosen to focus on organized crime, determined to give Tampa its due. "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, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. He will always be remembered with fondness. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. Conspiracy theorists consider Giancana along with Mafia leaders Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello associated with the assassination of Kennedy.