MICHAEL FRANZESE REVEALS TOP MAFIA BOSSES OF HIS ERA
In a recent interview, former Colombo crime gang captain Michael Franzese revealed the top bosses of his era. Franzese, who was part of the notorious ‘Five Families’ in New York City, spoke candidly about the power and influence of these crime syndicates.
One name that stood out was Vincent Gigante, also known as “Chin” Gigante. According to Franzese, Gigante was the most powerful figure in New York and possibly the entire country. Despite his eccentric behavior and the media dubbing him the “Oddfather,” Gigante was a mastermind who called the shots.
Gigante’s tactics were legendary. He pretended to have dementia for years, dressing in pajamas and a bathrobe while mumbling incoherently. This ruse allowed him to avoid prosecution and maintain control over his criminal empire. Even his rival, John Gotti, acknowledged Gigante’s cunning, describing him as “crazy like a fox.”
Law enforcement officials also recognized Gigante’s brilliance. The FBI squad assigned to bring him down admitted that he was the most clever organized crime figure they had ever encountered. Gigante’s rise to power as the head of the Genovese family in the 1980s solidified his status as the nation’s most powerful crime boss.
While Franzese acknowledged that government lists of wealthy and powerful mafia bosses may not accurately reflect their true earnings, he emphasized the significant influence these individuals held during his era. The legacy of figures like Vincent Gigante continues to captivate the public’s imagination, even inspiring iconic films like Martin Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas.’
The era of the ‘Five Families’ may be behind us, but their impact on American organized crime will forever be remembered.
GIGANTE’S FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON CRIME BOSS
In a shocking turn of events, Vincent Gigante, a notorious mobster, has been apprehended after his failed assassination attempt on Frank Costello, the leader of the Genovese crime family. The incident, which took place in August 1957, has left the criminal underworld in shock.
Michael, a witness to the encounter, has come forward with his account of the incident. He reveals that Gigante once offered him a position in his crew, showcasing the power and influence the mobster held. Michael recalls walking down Houston Street in Little Italy with Gigante, describing their conversations as pleasant and enlightening. Despite Gigante’s eccentric appearance, with his bathrobe, slippers, and unshaven face, he proved to be sharp and astute during their interactions. Michael also shares that Gigante had great respect for his father, which led him to treat Michael with kindness and extend an invitation to join his family. This unexpected offer left Michael feeling honored and surprised, given Gigante’s reputation and standing in the criminal world.
Gigante’s eccentric behavior, which earned him the nickname “crazy like a fox,” played a crucial role in shielding him from indictment during the Mafia Commission trial. This landmark trial resulted in the imprisonment of many high-ranking members of the Cosa Nostra, who were handed 100-year sentences. Gigante, however, managed to avoid the same fate by utilizing his “crazy act” as a defense mechanism. By feigning mental instability, he successfully evaded prosecution, leaving law enforcement baffled.
Among the figures implicated in the trial were Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno, who acted as Gigante’s front boss to conceal his true position, and Paul “Big Paul” Castellano, who succeeded Carlo Gambino as the reputed “boss of bosses” of New York’s Five Families. Tragically, Castellano was assassinated on the orders of John Gotti before the trial. Franzese, an expert on the mafia, highlights the immense power wielded by these individuals during that era. He also includes Tony “Joe Batters” Accardo, the head of the infamous “Chicago Outfit,” and Santo Trafficante, a Tampa-based boss, who has long been rumored to be involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
CASTELLANO’S DOWNFALL AND THE RISE OF GOTTI
Following the death of his cousin Carlo Gambino in 1976, Paul Castellano inherited the role of head of the Gambino crime family. At that time, the borgata had split into two factions, with Castellano leading one side and Gambino’s underboss, Aniello Dellacroce, commanding the other. Dellacroce, known for his firm grip on the younger, more aggressive soldiers, served as a check on Castellano’s greed and detached leadership style.
However, when Dellacroce passed away from a heart attack, the soldiers under his command, led by John Gotti, saw an opportunity to overthrow Castellano. Their resentment towards the boss’s avarice and lack of empathy had reached its peak, exacerbated by Castellano’s failure to attend Dellacroce’s wake. Two weeks later, as Castellano and his underboss, Thomas Bilotti, arrived at Sparks Steak House in Manhattan, they were ambushed and fatally shot by a hit team under the command of Gotti and Gravano.
This unsanctioned assassination of a boss enraged fellow members of the Commission, including Gigante and Anthony Corallo, the head of the Lucchese family. Seeking revenge, they plotted to kill Gotti through a car bombing, but tragically, the blast claimed the life of Gotti’s underboss instead.
The criminal underworld continues to reel from the aftermath of these shocking events, as the balance of power shifts and new leaders emerge. Stay tuned for more updates on this gripping saga.
Big Paul Castellano, brother-in-law of reputed underworld boss Carlo Gambino and next in line to lead the Gambino Mafia family, was a prominent figure in the criminal world. Similarly, Anthony ‘Fat Tony’ Salerno held significant positions within the Genovese family, serving as consigliere, underboss, and acting boss. Although law enforcement believed Salerno to have taken control of the gang in 1981, he was merely a front boss for Gigante. However, prosecutors continued to view Salerno as the head of the family and indicted him as the lead defendant in the Commission trial. In fact, Fortune Magazine even ranked him as America’s top gangster in terms of power, wealth, and influence. Eventually, Salerno was convicted in the Commission trial and received a 100-year sentence. Yet, it was later revealed that both law enforcement and FBI agents had missed vital clues from conversations among wiseguys, which indicated that Gigante wielded true control. For instance, a conversation between Gotti and Angelo ‘Fat Ange’ Ruggiero overheard by agents revealed that Gigante was equal in power to Castellano. Ruggiero explained that “Paul and Chin made a pact” regarding the death penalty imposed by the Commission for drug dealing. Another conversation caught Salerno expressing dissatisfaction with the exclusion of nicknames from a list of soldiers proposed for induction into another family. He stated, “I don’t know none of them. They don’t put the nicknames down there. But anyway, I’ll leave this up to the boss.”
Anthony ‘Joe Batters’ Accardo’s career in the mob spanned eight decades, starting from his days as a small-time hoodlum to becoming the head of the notorious ‘Chicago Outfit’. Accardo earned his nickname after using a baseball bat to brutally murder three mobsters who had betrayed the gang. This act impressed the legendary Al Capone, who famously remarked, “Boy, this kid’s a real Joe Batters.” Accardo’s rise continued when he was given his own crew under Frank Nitti’s leadership and later became Paul Ricca’s underboss when Ricca took control of the Outfit in the 1940s. These two men ran the Outfit for the next 30 years until Ricca’s death in 1972, leaving Accardo in power. He remained a prominent figure until his death in 1992 at the age of 86.
Santo Trafficante Jr, the Florida boss, was one of the last remaining old-time Mafia dons. He was responsible for running mob operations in Tampa and Miami and held significant influence as the dominant US Mafiosi in Cuba before Fidel Castro’s rise to power in 1959. Trafficante’s strong opposition to the new dictator caught the attention of the CIA, who had begun plotting to overthrow the leftist regime. Trafficante joined forces with John Roselli from Los Angeles and Sam Giancana from Chicago in these efforts. A declassified CIA report from 1975 claimed that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation that he vehemently denied.
In a tragic turn of events, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas shortly after smiling at the crowds.
Trafficante Suspected in JFK Assassination Plot
One of the key figures in an alleged mob plot to kill President John F Kennedy was Santo Trafficante, according to new evidence. Jose Aleman, a Cuban exile leader, revealed to investigators that Trafficante had informed him that Kennedy was “going to be hit”. However, Aleman later backtracked on his claim when called to testify before the House Assassination Committee. G Robert Blakey, the committee’s chief counsel, stated that “organised crime had a hand” in the assassination. The committee’s final report also implicated Trafficante and Carlos Marcello as the Mafia leaders most likely to have conspired against Kennedy.
Fortune Magazine’s Controversial List
John Franzese, a former mobster, has criticized Fortune Magazine’s list of the “50 Most Powerful People in the World”. Franzese questioned the ranking process, stating, “How do I get to be number 18? I don’t know.” He highlighted his own past success, claiming to have brought in millions of dollars each week. Franzese jokingly suggested that he should have been ranked higher on the list before expressing sadness over the fact that 48 of the men on the list are now deceased. He pointed out that the only person still alive and free from the list is himself.
