The term "gangster" is used primarily to refer to members of criminal organizations in the United States, Italy, Latin America and other countries associated with Prohibition or its American offshoot. Italian mafia. Here are the most famous of them. Prominent representatives the underworld and very colorful personalities...
Frank Costello
Born January 26, 1891, Cassano all’Ionio, Italy
Gangster Nickname: Frank "First Minister" Costello
In Italy, the boy was born under the name Francesco Castiglia. At the age of 4, his family moved to New York. He grew up on the tough streets of New York in a very difficult years economic crisis. Later, through a series of events, he would become one of the most famous gangsters of all time. Frank Costello, the name he later adopted, was friends with another gangster, Charlie Luciano, as a child. Subsequently, Costello earned a reputation in the gangster world and amassed great fortune smuggling alcohol, gambling, participating in several major New York gangs: the Morello gang, the Lower East Side gang and joint affairs with the Luciano family.
Frank Costello gained enormous authority and managed to lead the Luciano family - one of the top five influential families New York. He owes part of his success good connections in politics.
And after the gangster war, he focused on the gambling business and became a major money earner. He died of a heart attack in 1973.
Carlo Gambino
Born August 24, 1902, Palermo, Italy
Gangster nickname: Don Carlo, Godfather
Gambino was a real gangster, flesh and blood. He was born into one of the Sicilian mafia families. Therefore, it is not surprising that he began to take part in “family” affairs from an early age.
He moved to Brooklyn in 1921 and at the age of 19 became a member of Cosa Nostra, becoming involved in criminal activities. Carlo Gambino was arrested for tax evasion in 1938 and spent almost 2 years in prison. In the 1960s, the mafioso gained greater influence. And in 1976 he died from heart attack at home. The funeral was attended by 2 thousand people, including politicians, judges and police officers.
It was Gambino who became the founder of one of the most influential families in criminal America. After taking control of a row of high profitable areas, including illegal bootlegging, a government port and an airport, the Gambino family becomes the most powerful of the five families. Carlo forbade his people to sell drugs, considering this type of business dangerous and attractive public attention. At its height, the Gambino family consisted of more than 40 groups and teams, and controlled New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles.
After a short, relatively “quiet” life in New York, Gambino became involved in the murder of Albert Anastasia, the Don of one of the most famous gangster families of the Lucianos. Thus, in 1957, Gambino himself became a Don. In the gangster world, reputation and ego played a very big role. And since Gambino had both, the famous family decided to change their last name to Gambino. Gambino successfully ruled the family for another 22 years before his death.
Mayer Lansky
Born July 4, 1902, Grodno, Belarus
Gangster nickname: "Accountant" 
Mayer Lansky is one of the few famous gangsters born outside the USA, England or Italy. He was born Mayer Sukhovlyansky in Belarus and moved to New York with his family at the age of 9. Lansky started out in the Bugs and Meyer Mob and the National Crime Syndicate.
Also in childhood Meyer's friend was Charles Luciano. He demanded money from the stranger for patronage, but Lansky refused. There was a fight, the result of which was... friendship between the boys. After some time, Bugsy Seagal joined the guys, who was introduced into the company by Meyer. The friendly trio became the core of the Bug and Meyer group, which later grew into the famous Murder, Inc. At first, Lansky took up gambling and the money that comes with it. The arena of his actions was Florida, New Orleans and Cuba. Meyer became an investor in Seagal's casino, which he opened in Las Vegas; the mafioso even acquired an offshore Swiss bank in order to better launder money. When the National Crime Syndicate was formed in America, it was Lansky who was its co-founder. However, business is business, when Bugsy Seagal stopped giving money to the Syndicate, Lansky cold-bloodedly ordered the death of his old friend.
Lansky's forte is finance and gambling. He built a huge gambling empire, which spread its branches all over the world. He also managed to involve Swiss banks in his dirty deals. Lansky is known for his incredible intelligence and is recognized as the most cunning and resourceful gangster of all time. This is evidenced by the fact that Lanksy did not spend a single day behind bars. And this was commonplace for most gangsters.
Meyer Lansky died of cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital on January 15, 1983. Last words, which his second wife Teddy managed to make out, were: “Let me go! Let go!”
Benjamin Schiegel
Born February 28, 1906, Williamsburg, New York, USA
Gangster nickname: Bugsy 
Benjamin Schiegel, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, earned his nickname "Bugsy" due to his unpredictable personality. He was very powerful and was involved with Mayer Lansky's Murder Incorporated gang and also worked with the Luciano family. His specialization: trade in illegal alcohol and contract killings. However, he left a memory of himself that is associated not only with his criminal acts.
Seagal committed many murders for Charlie Luciano, which made him a lot of enemies. It is not surprising that in the late 30s Bugsy fled to Los Angeles, where he managed to make many acquaintances among Hollywood stars. After the passage of the Nevada gambling law, Segal borrowed millions of dollars from the Syndicate and founded the Flamingo Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, one of the first in the city. Thanks to this, he had many famous friends and acquaintances: singer Frank Sinatra, actors Clark Gable and Gary Grant. He was certainly a man with two different sides to his nature: a gangster and, at the same time, a man from high society. However, the business did not turn out to be profitable when criminal colleagues discovered that Seagal simply stole their money, Bugsy was killed. Benjamin Seagal was best portrayed by Warren Beatty in the 1991 film Bugsy and by Armand Assante in The Married Man (1991).
John Dillinger
Born June 22, 1903, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Gangster nickname: "Gentleman John", "Hare" 
You may remember John Dillinger from his role as Johnny Depp in the 2009 film Public Enemies. And if John Dillinger turned out to be famous enough for a Hollywood star to undertake to play his role, then he is certainly quite suitable for our list. The active phase of Dillinger's life occurred during the Great Depression in the United States. He was known as a gangster and bank robber. His life was very short - he was shot dead at the age of 31. He has two escapes from prison, as well as an affair with his own stepmother. It seems this man knew absolutely nothing about morality...
Charles Luciano
Born November 24, 1897 in Lercara Friddi, Italy
Gangster nickname: "Lucky" 
Charles Luciano is considered the father of organized crime and therefore he fully deserves his place on this list. At the young age of 10, Charles and his family moved from Sicily to New York, Lower East Side. It was thanks to him that the entire New York mafia was divided into 5 famous families. Naturally, after organizing the entire mafia in a similar way, Luciano headed one of the families - the Luciano family.
Charles Luciano was an incredibly powerful man. He is so influential that during the Second World War, the command navy The US turned to him for advice. Despite the fact that at that moment Luciano was in prison... For his useful tips and help he was subsequently released. But he was deported to Italy, where he spent the rest of his life.
The Sicilian gangster was the head of the international heroin trade. He began his criminal activities with smuggling, robberies, pimping, etc., this is how he earned authority and fortune. At first he was an ordinary member of the Giuseppe Masseria family. He survived an attack by a rival gang while being tortured to find out where a drug stash was. He survived and received the nickname "Lucky". He then removed his boss Masseria, strengthening his authority.
Luciano had excellent organizational skills. He decided to operate the mafia as a corporation and organized the Big Seven for alcohol sales. He also came up with the idea that a fictitious company could be used as a “cover” for bootlegging. Authorities sentenced Luciano to 50 years, but he was released early for helping to dismantle Sicilian gangs. In 1962, while meeting with a director to film a documentary about the mafia, he suffered a heart attack.
Kray Brothers
Born October 24, 1933, London, England 
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and Ronald "Rony" Kray were twin brothers who lived and worked in London. During the 50s and 60s they created the gang "The Firm" - a name similar to the names of countless gangs of the time and intended to demonstrate the influence and reputation of the gang. These people were involved in arson, murder, blackmail and armed robbery.
The Kray brothers opened night club in London (a rather unusual occupation for gangsters of that time), which was often visited by many film and show business stars, including Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra definitely gravitated towards the gangster circle of the time and maintained friendly relations with many.
Rotating in such a society, the Kray brothers eventually became famous themselves. They have appeared on TV shows many times, something that no other gangster on our list seems to have done. It would seem that they could have achieved incredible success, but the end of the Kray brothers was sad... In 1968, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. In addition, Reggie was diagnosed with cancer. He was released from prison 8 weeks before his death. His brother Rony was sent to Broadmoor Hospital for treatment of schizophrenia, where he died a few years later.
Joseph Bonanno
Born January 18, 1905, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy
Gangster nickname: Joe Banana, Banana Joe 
And this bandit was born in Italy, his homeland in 1905 was the island of Sicily. Already at the age of 15, the boy was left an orphan, and when he was 19, he fled from the fascist regime of Mussolini, first to Cuba, and from there to the USA. The young man soon became known as "Joey Bananas", becoming a member of the Maranzano family. Maranzano managed to form the “Commission”, which managed to establish control over the mafia families in Italy itself. However, Luciano soon killed his competitor. Bonanno gradually amassed large amounts of capital by managing cheese factories, as well as clothing and clothing businesses. funeral business. Only Joseph's plans for gradual elimination For the rest of the families, this was not possible. Bonanno was kidnapped, it took him 19 days to come to the decision to retire. But this decision allowed Joseph to live long life. As a result, the bandit was never convicted of anything serious during his career. It was about Bonanno that two films were made: Love, Honor and Obedience: The Last Alliance Mafia, 1993 with Ben Gazarra in leading role and Bonanno: The Story of the Godfather, 1999 with Martin Landau.
Joseph "Banana Joe" was the richest mobster and patriarch of the Bonanno family. He was a gangster for 30 years and founded a crime family that is still active in the United States today. Bonanno resigned voluntarily and ended his life in his huge mansion
Albert Anastasia
Born September 26, 1902, Tropea, Italy
Gangster nickname: "Lord Executioner" and "Mad Hatter" 
This mafia representative was born, like many of his colleagues, in Italy, but moved to America as a child. Albert's career began with the murder of a longshoreman on the Brooklyn docks. The killer began serving his sentence in the famous Sing Sing prison, but soon the only witness mysteriously died and Anastasia was released without serving his sentence. Albert earned the nicknames "Lord Executioner" and "Mad Hatter" for his many murders. Over time, the criminal ended up in Joe Masseria's gang, who just needed a cold-blooded killer. However, Albert was very friendly with his competitor, Charlie "Lucky", so Masseria's betrayal became a matter of time. It was Anastasia who became one of the four sent to kill the boss in 1931. Already in 1944, Albert became the leader of a group of murderers, which even got its name “Murder, Inc.” The perpetrator himself was never prosecuted for the murders, but according to authorities, his group was directly related to at least 400 deaths. The 50s elevated Albert to the status of leader of the Luciano family, but at the direction of Carlo Gambino, Anastasia was killed in 1957. The prototype of this mafioso became the basis for the films "Murder, Inc" with Peter Falk and Howard Smith in 1960, as well as "The Valacci Papers" in 1972 and "Lepke" in 1975.
John Gotti
Born October 27, 1940, Bronx, New York, USA
Gangster nickname: "Teflon Don" 
This gangster stands out from all New York celebrities of this kind. John was born in 1940 and was always considered smart. Already at the age of 16, Gotti was a member of the Fulton Rockaway Boys street gang. John's talents allowed him to quickly become the leader of the group. In the 60s, the “Guys” lived in petty theft and car theft. However, this was clearly not enough for Gotti; in the early 70s he was already the godfather of the Bergin group, which was part of the Gambino family. Gotti's ambitions pushed him to take dangerous steps even among the mafia - he began to distribute drugs, which was prohibited by family rules. It's no surprise that boss Paul Castellano decided to remove Gotti from his organization. However, in 1985, John and his henchmen managed to kill Castellano and personally lead the Gambino family. Although New York law enforcement tried numerous times to convict Gotti, the charges consistently failed. The mafioso himself always looked presentable, which the media liked. It was they who gave the gangster the nicknames “Elegant Don” and “Teflon Don.” The police only reached Gotti in 1992, convicting him of murder. The gangster's life was cut short in 2002; he died of cancer. The life of a mafioso has been embodied in films many times - he was played by Antonio Denilson in the film "Getting Gotti" in 1994, Armand Assante in "Gotti" in 1996. And in the 1998 films "Mafia Witness" with Tom Sizemoor and "The Big Heist" in 2001 without the participation of a famous bandit.
Tony Accardo
Born April 28, 1906, Chicago
Gangster nickname: "Big Tuna" 
Tony was the boss of the Chicago mafia for more than ten years, from the very end of World War II. At this time, his competitors left the scene - Paul Ricca went to prison, and Frank Nitti committed suicide. And Accardo came to his first roles during the time of Capone, being at first his bodyguard. It was Tony who in 1931 became the main suspect in the murder of his boss's rival, Joe Aillo. Accardo is also credited with participating in the famous Valentine's Day massacre. After Capone's capture, Tony became the right hand of the new boss, Frank Nitti. They say that it was Accardo who eventually managed to introduce the Chicago family into the gambling business, and he also “set up” the rackets of the entertainment and industrial industries. Tony remained an influential member of the Family for a long time. When Giancana fled the country in 1966, Accardo returned to his usual leadership role. As a result, Accardo retired from business in the 80s, moving to California. There he died on May 27, 1992.
And of course Al Capone
Born January 17, 1899, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Gangster nickname: Scarface (Big Al) 
Al Capone was the first among all gangsters to “launder” money through a huge network of laundries, the prices of which were very low. Capone was the first to introduce the concept of “racketeering” and successfully dealt with it, laying the foundation for a new vector of mafia activity. Alfonso received the nickname “Scarface” at the age of 19, when he worked in a billiards club. He allowed himself to object to the cruel and seasoned criminal Frank Galluccio, moreover, he insulted his wife, after which a fight and a stabbing occurred between the bandits, as a result of which Al Capone received the famous scar on his left cheek.
This gangster deservedly goes under Number One, because his name is known to everyone. Alphonse Capone was born in Brooklyn to a family of Italian immigrants. After some time, the young man joined the Five Points gang, where he played the role of a bouncer. It was then that Capone was given the nickname "Scarface." In 1919, in search of new challenges, the bandit moved to Chicago to work for Johnny Torrio. This allowed Capone to begin to quickly move up the criminal hierarchy. During Prohibition, Capone did not disdain to engage not only in bootlegging and gambling, but also in prostitution. In 1925, the gangster is only 26 years old, but he is already the head of the Torrey family and is not afraid to start a family war. Capone became famous not only for his pomp and vanity, but also for his cruelty and intelligence. Suffice it to recall the famous massacre that occurred during the celebration of St. Valentine's Day in 1929, during which many leaders of criminal groups were killed. The police managed to arrest Al Capone for... tax evasion! This was done in 1931 by federal tax agent Eliot Ness. In 1934, a gangster got into famous prison Alcatraz, from where he left 7 years later, already fatally ill with syphilis. Capone lost his influence; his friends preferred to tell him fictitious stories about the true state of affairs. There have been many films about Capone, the most famous of which are 1967's "Valentine's Day Massacre" with Jason Robards, 1975's "Capone" with Ben Gazarra and 1987's "The Untouchables" with Robert De Niro.
On January 17, 1899, Al Capone, the legendary gangster, who became the prototype for many movie characters. In the 1920s, Capone wielded enormous influence. The US authorities did not manage to put him in prison for a long time. We will tell you about the seven most influential gangsters in history.
The most powerful gangsters in the world
Al Capone
Legendary gangster Al Capone - perhaps famous criminal to date. His fortune was estimated at $1.3 billion. Italian by birth, he acted, like many other Italians, in the United States, in Chicago.
In 1925, at age 26, Capone became head of the Torrio family, starting a family war and becoming the leader of the bootleg alcohol market. Under cover furniture business Capone was involved in bootlegging, gambling and pimping. On business card bandit it was written: Alfonso Capone, antique furniture dealer. 
Known for his intelligence as well as his love of attention, Capone was also famous for his brutality.
The police could not prove Capone's involvement in serious crimes and therefore accused him of tax evasion. In July 1931, he was tried in Federal Court and sentenced to 10 years in prison at the Atlanta Correctional Institution. Capone left prison terminally ill, lost his authority in criminal world and died a few years later in disgrace.
Carlo Gambino
Another famous gangster om was Carlo Gambino. This Sicilian-born mafioso became the boss of one of the five families of the Italian-American mafia of New York, named in his honor, the Gambino Family.
In 1921, Gambino came to the United States illegally and settled in Brooklyn with the help of his friends who had moved there earlier. cousins Castellano. Later, Carlo facilitated the move of his brothers overseas. In the United States, Gambino immediately became involved in criminal activities and, at the age of 19, became a member of the Cosa Nostra, joining one of the largest crime families in New York, led by Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquillo.
On April 15, 1931, Luciano lured one of the biggest crime bosses in New York, Joe Masseria, to the Nuova Tammaro restaurant on Coney Island, where he was shot. After this, Maranzano proclaimed himself the Boss of Bosses.
In 1938, Carlo Gambino was arrested on charges of failure to pay taxes on liquor sales and on May 23, 1939, was sentenced to 22 months in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Carlo Gambino gained his greatest influence in the late 1960s. However, in the 1970s, he began to experience more frequent health problems. Carlo Gambino died at home in Brooklyn on October 15, 1976 from a heart attack while watching television. At least 2 thousand people attended the funeral, including police officers, judges and politicians.
Lucky Luciano
Sicilian gangster Lucky Luciano is believed to be the mastermind behind the massive post-war expansion of the international heroin trade.
Charlie Luciano's rise to the top of organized crime began as an ordinary gangster. The list of his crimes includes: racketeering, robbery, drug trafficking, organizing underground gambling houses, pimping, smuggling and many other types of criminal activity, thanks to which it was possible to make a fortune and gain authority. At first he was an ordinary member of the Giuseppe Masseria "family", one of the two largest gangster gangs in New York. He received his nickname “Lucky” after he managed to survive one of the showdowns. Maranzano's men, a rival gang, hung him from a tree and tortured him, hoping to find out the location of the drug stash. Gangsters They decided that he was dead and left him on the road without signs of life. But he survived. He received 55 stitches. He later removes his boss Masseria and strengthens his authority.
Luciano had great organizational skills. He came up with a scheme: a fictitious company as a “roof” for bootlegging. He was one of the first to decide that the mafia should function in the same way as corporations. He organized the "Big Seven" - a super trust of gangsters for the sale of alcohol. Authorities were able to arrest Luciano. He was sentenced to a significant term of up to 50 years. However, he helped the government in an operation to eliminate criminal gangs in Sicily, for which he was released early. In 1962, he was invited to film a documentary about the mafia, but during a meeting with the director he suffered a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital.
Susumu Ishii
This Japanese criminal was a participant in World War II. Then he became a gangster and sought great success at the head of his gang. The yakuza amassed his fortune of $1.5 billion mainly through loans, banking transactions and real estate fraud. Susumu Ishii enjoyed enormous prestige in Japan. Gangster died in 1991, more than 5 thousand people attended his funeral.
Frank Costello
Frank Costello is an American mafioso of Italian descent. He earned the nickname of the Prime Minister of the Underworld. Already as a child he was involved in criminal activities by his brother Edward. At the age of 13, Costello became a member of a local gang and then changed his name to Frankie. At first he committed petty crimes, and in 1908 and 1912 they tried to prosecute him for robbery, but in both cases he was released due to lack of evidence. Later he meets many leaders of the underworld, including Lucky Luciano and Gambino, and is involved in robbery, loan sharking, extortion, smuggling and illegal gambling. After the introduction of Prohibition, he was actively involved in bootlegging.
After the gang war that ended with the murders of Marranzano and Masseria, Costello focused on the gambling business and soon became one of the biggest money earners in the family. Approximately 25 thousand slot machines were installed throughout New York. Frank Costello is one of two Mafia bosses who used the services of a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. In the 1940s, Costello began to suffer from fears and insomnia, and he was often in a depressed mood.
In the 1960s, Costello stepped away from leadership of the family, but retained gambling income in Louisiana and Florida, as well as legal businesses. In 1973, he died of a myocardial infarction.
Pablo Escobar
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria is a Colombian drug lord and terrorist. In 1977, he and three other major traffickers founded the Medellin drug cartel. Escobar's specialty was his ruthlessness. Escobar was the head of this organization, ruling his empire with ostentatious impunity. At its peak, the Medellin cartel controlled about 80% of the world's cocaine market. The annual turnover was estimated at $30 billion, and the personal fortune of the drug lord himself, according to Forbes, was $9 billion in 1989. According to other sources, his fortune reached $25 billion.
In December 1993, Escobar was shot and killed by a sniper from the Colombian intelligence services, which operated with US support.
Amando Carillo Fuentes
Fuentes is a well-known, currently active Mexican criminal, a major drug trafficker, and the head of the Juarez drug cartel. Fuentes gained experience in the drug business while working for Colombians during the cocaine boom (1970s). Fuentes's first successful step in this business was a complete abandonment of cash. He came up with the idea of accepting payment in cocaine, using it to create his own drug distribution network. Fuentes created his own Juarez cartel in Mexico, which began to have significant power - its daily turnover was $30 million. The drug lord's fortune is estimated at $25 billion.
In 2005, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes was arrested. IN this moment runs the cartel from prison.
Number 10 - Vincent "The Chin" Gigante (1928 - 2005)
Vincent Gigante was born in New York in 1928. He was a man with complex character: Dropped out of school in ninth grade, after which he began boxing. Won 21 of 25 light heavyweight fights. From the age of 17 he was a member of a criminal gang, and at the age of 25 he was first arrested.
Gigante's first significant case as a member of the Genovese family was an attempted murder of Frank Costello, but he missed. Despite this, his rise in the Genovese family continued until he became first a godfather and, in the early 1980s, a consolire (Italian for advisor).
After mafia boss Tony Salerno was convicted, Gigante became the boss. What made Gigante so famous? After escaping jail time by pretending to be insane in the late 1960s, he continued to act crazy, such as walking the streets of New York City in a bathrobe. It was because of this fact that he received two more nicknames: "Weirdo" and "King of Pajamas." It was only after being convicted of racketeering in 2003 that he admitted that his mental health was fine.
Gigante died in prison on December 19, 2005 due to heart problems. Because of this and thanks to his lawyers, he was supposed to be released in 2010.
A film about him: Gigante's prototype was used for the television film Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (1999), episode Law & Order.
Number 9 - Albert Anastasia (1903 - 1957)
Albert Anastasia was born in Italy in 1903 and moved to America as a child. He was sentenced to 18 months for the murder of a longshoreman on the Brooklyn docks (Sing Sing Prison). Was released early due to mysterious death witness. Albert Anastasia (aka "Lord Executioner" and "Mad Hatter") gained fame thanks to numerous murders, after which Joe Masseria's gang hired him. Anastasia was very loyal to Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, so he had no problem betraying Masseria - he was one of the four men sent to kill him in 1931.
In 1944, he became the leader of a group of murderers, which even had its own name Murder, Inc. Although Albert Anastasia was never prosecuted for the murders, his group was linked to 400 to 700 murders. In the 50s, he became the leader of the Luciano family, but soon, in 1957, he was killed at the behest of Carlo Gambino.
Films about him: The hero of Albert Anastasia was the main actor movie Murder, Inc. (1960), starring Peter Falk and Howard Smith (Anastasia), as well as in the films The Valachi Papers (1972) and Lepke (1975).
Number 8 - Joseph Bonanno (1905 - 2002)
Joe Bananno was born in 1905 and grew up in Sicily and was orphaned at the age of 15. During the fascist regime of Mussolini, when he turned 19, he left Italy and arrived in the United States through Cuba. He soon received the nickname "Joey Bananas" and ended up in the Maranzano family. Before Luciano killed him, Maranzano formed a "Commission" that ruled the Mafia families in his homeland of Italy.
Bonanno amassed capital by running cheese factories, a clothing business, and a funeral business. However, his plans to eliminate the leaders of other families were not destined to come true, since he was kidnapped and forced to retire 19 days later. He was never convicted of any serious offense.
Films about him: There were two films about him: Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (1993) starring Ben Gazarra and Bonanno: A Godfather's Story ( "Bonanno: The Godfather", 1999) with Martin Landau.
Number 7 - Dutchman Schultz (1902 - 1935)
Arthur Flegenheimer, later known as Dutch Schultz, was born in 1092 in the Bronx. To impress his boss and mentor Marcel Poffo, he organized crap games in his youth. At the age of 17, he spent some time in prison for theft. He soon realized that the only way to make money was bootlegging (selling alcohol during Prohibition).
Wanting to become a member of the emerging syndicate, he made enemies in Luciano and Capone. After he was about to be convicted of another crime in 1933, he left for New Jersey. In 1935, after returning, he was killed by members of Albert Anastasia's group.
Films about him: Dustin Hoffman played a prominent role as Dutch Schultz in Billy Bathgate (1991), but was even better played by Tim Roth in Hoodlum (1997). In addition, we should recall the films Gangster Wars (1981), The Cotton Club (1984) and The Natural (1984).
Number 6 - John Gotti (1940 - 2002)
Among the famous gangsters of New York, John Gotti is especially noteworthy. He was born in 1940 in Brooklyn and was always considered a smart guy. At the age of 16, he joined a street gang called the Fulton Rockaway Boys. He quickly became their leader, in the 60s the gang was engaged in car thefts and petty theft, in the early 70s he became the godfather of the Bergin group - part of the Gambino family. Gotti was very ambitious and soon began to engage in drugs, which were prohibited by family rules.
As a result, Paul Castellano (mafia boss) decided to expel Gotti from the organization. In 1985, Gotti and his henchmen killed Castellano, and Gotti took over the Gambino family. Law enforcement agencies in New York tried to convict him many times, but the charges always failed. Due to the fact that he always looked presentable and was loved by the media, he received the nicknames "Elegant Don" and "Teflon Don". He was finally convicted of murder in 1992 and died of cancer in 2002.
Films about him: his character was played by Antonio John Denilson in the television film Getting Gotti ("Getting Gotti", 1994) and Armand Assante in the film Gotti ("Gotti", 1996). Of note are the films Witness to the Mob (1998) with Tom Sizemoor and The Big Heist (2001).
Number 5 - Meyer Lansky (1902 - 1983)
Mayer Sachovlyansky was born in 1902 in Russia. At the age of 9 he moved to New York. When they were boys, he met Charles Luciano. Luciano wanted Lansky to give him protection money, but he refused. There was a fight, after which they became bosom friends. After some time, Lansky met Bugsy Seagal. The trio became very friendly. Lansky and Seagal formed the group Bug and Meyer, which later became Murder, Inc.
Initially, Lansky was involved in money and gambling in Florida, New Orleans and Cuba. He was Seagal's investor in the Las Vegas casinos, and even bought an offshore bank in Switzerland in order to launder money. He was a co-founder of the National Crime Syndicate and the Council. However, business is never personal, and he was soon forced to kill Bugsy Seagal because... he stopped giving money to the Syndicate. Although he was involved in gambling rackets around the world, Lansky never spent a day in prison.
Films about him: not only Richard Dreyfuss played well in the HBO Lansky film of the same name (1999), but also Nyman Roth in The Godfather Part II (The Godfather Part II, 1974), Mark Rydell in the film Havana (Havana, 1990), Patrick Dempsey in Mobsters (1991) and Ben Kingsley in Bugsy (1991).
Number 4 - Frank Costello (1891 - 1973)
Francesco Castiglia was born in 1891 in Italy and moved to the United States at the age of 4. At the age of 13, he joined a criminal gang and changed his name to Frank Costello. After serving time in prison, he became best friend Charlie Luciano. They engaged in bootlegging and gambling together. Costello's strength was that he was the link between the mafia and the politicians, especially the Democratic Party Tammany Hall in New York, which allowed him to avoid persecution.
After the arrest of Luciano Costello became a man in law. His feud with Vito Genovese led to Genovese attempting to kill Costello in the mid-50s. Frank Costello retired peacefully and died quietly in 1973.
Films about him: the best role played by James Andronicus in the 1981 television project The Gangster Chronicles, as well as Costas Mandylor Mobsters (1991), Carmine Caridi in the film Bugsy (1991), and Jack Nicholson in the film The Departed ", 2006).
Number 3 - Carlo Gambino (1902 - 1976)
Carlo Gambino grew up in a family that was part of the Italian mafia clan for several centuries. He began killing on demand at the age of 19. As Mussolini was gaining power at this time, Gambino immigrated to America, where his cousin Paul Costellano lived.
After Luciano was extradited in the 40s, Albert Anastasia took his place. However, Gambino believed that this was his time and in 1957 he ordered the death of Anastasia. He appointed himself Boss of the family and kept it in iron fist until his natural death in 1976.
Films about him: Al Ruccio played him excellently in the film Boss of Bosses ("Boss of Bosses", 2001). The image of Gambino could also be seen in such films as Between Love & Honor (1995), Gotti (1996) and Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (Bonanno: The Godfather, 1999).
Number 2 - Charlie "Lucky" Luciano (1897 - 1962)
Salvatore Luciania was born in Sicily in 1897, and nine years later his family moved to New York. After a while, he joined the Five Points gang. For five years, his gang made money mainly from prostitution; Luciano controlled rackets throughout Manhattan. After an unsuccessful attempt on his life in 1929, Luciano decided to create the National Crime Syndicate.
There was no rivalry, and by 1935, "Lucky" Luciano became known as the "Boss of Bosses" - not only in New York, but throughout the country. In 1936 he was sentenced to 30 to 50 years, but was released in 1946 for good behavior on the condition that he leave the country for Italy. He had this strong influence that during World War II the US Navy turned to him for help in landing in Italy. He died in 1962 as a result of a heart attack.
Films about him: Christian Slater played him in Gangsters (1991), Bill Graham in Bugsy (1991) and Anthony LaPaglia in the TV movie Lansky (1999).
Number 1 - Al Capone (1899 - 1947)
If there was ever a gangster who deserved to know Number One, it was Al Capone. Alphonse Capone was born in 1899 in Brooklyn to a family of Italian immigrants. After a while, he joined the Five Points gang and became a bouncer. It was during this time that he earned the nickname "Scarface". In 1919, he moved to Chicago and working for Johnny Torrio, he quickly began to rise in the criminal hierarchy.
It was the time of Prohibition, and Capone was involved in prostitution, gambling and bootlegging. In 1925, when he was 26 years old, Capone became head of the Torrio family and started a family war. Known for his intelligence, as well as his bombast and love of attention, Capone was also famous for his cruelty. It is worth remembering the massacre during the Valentine's Day concert in 1929, in which many heads of criminal gangs were killed. In 1931, federal tax agent Eliot Nass arrested him for tax evasion.
Films about him: Many films have been made about Capone, the most famous of which are The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) starring Jason Robards, Capone (1975) with Ben Gazarra and The Untouchables (1987) with Robert De Niro.
Worthy of Mention - Benjamin "Bugsy" Segal (1906 - 1947)
Benjamin Segal was born in 1906 in Brooklyn and soon met Meyer Lansky. He received the nickname "Bugsy" due to his unpredictable character. However, by killing people for Charlie Luciano, he made many enemies, and in the late 30s he was forced to flee to Los Angeles, where he met many stars.
Shortly after the passage of gambling laws in Nevada, he "borrowed" millions of dollars from the Syndicate and founded one of the first casino hotels in Las Vegas, the Flamingo. However, the business was not profitable, and soon after it was discovered in 1947 that he was simply stealing money from his friends, he was killed.
Films about him: the best actors who played Capone were Warren Beatty (Bugsy (1991) and Armand Assante The Marrying Man (1991).
Of course, these people were not saints, but we cannot help but admire the influence they had in their time. Now you know who was who in the criminal world. Stay out of trouble, smart guys ;).
I bring to your attention the top most famous American gangsters of all time! What's interesting is that most of them lived to old age and died a natural death :)
Number 10 - Vincent "The Chin" Gigante (1928 - 2005)
Vincent Gigante was born in New York in 1928. He was a man with a complex character: he dropped out of school in the ninth grade, after which he began boxing. Won 21 of 25 light heavyweight fights. From the age of 17 he was a member of a criminal gang, and at the age of 25 he was first arrested.
Gigante's first significant case as a member of the Genovese family was an attempted murder of Frank Costello, but he missed. Despite this, his rise in the Genovese family continued until he became first a godfather and, in the early 1980s, a consolire (Italian for advisor).
After mafia boss Tony Salerno was convicted, Gigante became the boss. What made Gigante so famous? After escaping jail time by pretending to be insane in the late 1960s, he continued to act crazy, such as walking the streets of New York City in a bathrobe. It was because of this fact that he received two more nicknames: "Weirdo" and "King of Pajamas." It was only after being convicted of racketeering in 2003 that he admitted that his mental health was fine.
Gigante died in prison on December 19, 2005 due to heart problems. Because of this and thanks to his lawyers, he was supposed to be released in 2010.
A film about him: Gigante's prototype was used for the television film Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (1999), episode Law & Order.
Number 9 - Albert Anastasia (1903 - 1957)
Albert Anastasia was born in Italy in 1903 and moved to America as a child. He was sentenced to 18 months for the murder of a longshoreman on the Brooklyn docks (Sing Sing Prison). He was released early due to the mysterious death of a witness. Albert Anastasia (aka "Lord Executioner" and "Mad Hatter") gained fame thanks to numerous murders, after which Joe Masseria's gang hired him. Anastasia was very loyal to Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, so he had no problem betraying Masseria - he was one of the four men sent to kill him in 1931.
In 1944, he became the leader of a group of murderers, which even had its own name Murder, Inc. Although Albert Anastasia was never prosecuted for the murders, his group was linked to 400 to 700 murders. In the 50s, he became the leader of the Luciano family, but soon, in 1957, he was killed at the behest of Carlo Gambino.
Films about him: Albert's character Anastasia was the main character in the film Murder, Inc. (1960), starring Peter Falk and Howard Smith (Anastasia), as well as in the films The Valachi Papers (1972) and Lepke (1975).
Number 8 - Joseph Bonanno (1905 - 2002)
Joe Bananno was born in 1905 and grew up in Sicily and was orphaned at the age of 15. During the fascist regime of Mussolini, when he turned 19, he left Italy and arrived in the United States through Cuba. He soon received the nickname "Joey Bananas" and ended up in the Maranzano family. Before Luciano killed him, Maranzano formed a "Commission" that ruled the Mafia families in his homeland of Italy.
Bonanno amassed capital by running cheese factories, a clothing business, and a funeral business. However, his plans to eliminate the leaders of other families were not destined to come true, since he was kidnapped and forced to retire 19 days later. He was never convicted of any serious offense.
Films about him: There were two films about him: Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (1993) starring Ben Gazarra and Bonanno: A Godfather's Story ( "Bonanno: The Godfather", 1999) with Martin Landau.
Number 7 - Dutchman Schultz (1902 - 1935)
Arthur Flegenheimer, later known as Dutch Schultz, was born in 1092 in the Bronx. To impress his boss and mentor Marcel Poffo, he organized crap games in his youth. At the age of 17, he spent some time in prison for theft. He soon realized that the only way to make money was bootlegging (selling alcohol during Prohibition).
Wanting to become a member of the emerging syndicate, he made enemies in Luciano and Capone. After he was about to be convicted of another crime in 1933, he left for New Jersey. In 1935, after returning, he was killed by members of Albert Anastasia's group.
Films about him: Dustin Hoffman played a prominent role as Dutch Schultz in Billy Bathgate (1991), but was even better played by Tim Roth in Hoodlum (1997). In addition, we should recall the films Gangster Wars (1981), The Cotton Club (1984) and The Natural (1984).
Number 6 - John Gotti (1940 - 2002)
Among the famous gangsters of New York, John Gotti is especially noteworthy. He was born in 1940 in Brooklyn and was always considered a smart guy. At the age of 16, he joined a street gang called the Fulton Rockaway Boys. He quickly became their leader, in the 60s the gang was engaged in car thefts and petty theft, in the early 70s he became the godfather of the Bergin group - part of the Gambino family. Gotti was very ambitious and soon began to engage in drugs, which were prohibited by family rules.
As a result, Paul Castellano (mafia boss) decided to expel Gotti from the organization. In 1985, Gotti and his henchmen killed Castellano, and Gotti took over the Gambino family. Law enforcement agencies in New York tried to convict him many times, but the charges always failed. Due to the fact that he always looked presentable and was loved by the media, he received the nicknames "Elegant Don" and "Teflon Don". He was finally convicted of murder in 1992 and died of cancer in 2002.
Films about him: his character was played by Antonio John Denilson in the television film Getting Gotti ("Getting Gotti", 1994) and Armand Assante in the film Gotti ("Gotti", 1996). Of note are the films Witness to the Mob (1998) with Tom Sizemoor and The Big Heist (2001).
Number 5 - Meyer Lansky (1902 - 1983)
Mayer Sachovlyansky was born in 1902 in Russia. At the age of 9 he moved to New York. When they were boys, he met Charles Luciano. Luciano wanted Lansky to give him protection money, but he refused. There was a fight, after which they became bosom friends. After some time, Lansky met Bugsy Seagal. The trio became very friendly. Lansky and Seagal formed the group Bug and Meyer, which later became Murder, Inc.
Initially, Lansky was involved in money and gambling in Florida, New Orleans and Cuba. He was Seagal's investor in the Las Vegas casinos, and even bought an offshore bank in Switzerland in order to launder money. He was a co-founder of the National Crime Syndicate and the Council. However, business is never personal, and he was soon forced to kill Bugsy Seagal because... he stopped giving money to the Syndicate. Although he was involved in gambling rackets around the world, Lansky never spent a day in prison.
Films about him: not only Richard Dreyfuss played well in the HBO Lansky film of the same name (1999), but also Nyman Roth in The Godfather Part II (The Godfather Part II, 1974), Mark Rydell in the film Havana (Havana, 1990), Patrick Dempsey in Mobsters (1991) and Ben Kingsley in Bugsy (1991).
Number 4 - Frank Costello (1891 - 1973) 
Francesco Castiglia was born in 1891 in Italy and moved to the United States at the age of 4. At the age of 13, he joined a criminal gang and changed his name to Frank Costello. After serving time in prison, he became best friends with Charlie Luciano. They engaged in bootlegging and gambling together. Costello's strength was that he was a liaison between the Mafia and politicians, especially Democratic Party member Tammany Hall in New York, which allowed him to avoid persecution.
After the arrest of Luciano Costello became a man in law. His feud with Vito Genovese led to Genovese attempting to kill Costello in the mid-50s. Frank Costello retired peacefully and died quietly in 1973.
Films about him: the best role was played by James Andronica in the 1981 television project The Gangster Chronicles, as well as Costas Mandylor Mobsters (Gangsters, 1991), Carmine Caridi in the film Bugsy (1991), and Jack Nicholson in film The Departed (2006).
Number 3 - Carlo Gambino (1902 - 1976)
Carlo Gambino grew up in a family that was part of the Italian mafia clan for several centuries. He began killing on demand at the age of 19. As Mussolini was gaining power at this time, Gambino immigrated to America, where his cousin Paul Costellano lived.
After Luciano was extradited in the 40s, Albert Anastasia took his place. However, Gambino believed that this was his time and in 1957 he ordered the death of Anastasia. He appointed himself Boss of the family and held it with an iron fist until his death from natural causes in 1976.
Films about him: Al Ruccio played him excellently in the film Boss of Bosses ("Boss of Bosses", 2001). The image of Gambino could also be seen in such films as Between Love & Honor (1995), Gotti (1996) and Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (Bonanno: The Godfather, 1999).
Number 2 - Charlie "Lucky" Luciano (1897 - 1962)
Salvatore Luciania was born in Sicily in 1897, and nine years later his family moved to New York. After a while, he joined the Five Points gang. For five years, his gang made money mainly from prostitution; Luciano controlled rackets throughout Manhattan. After an unsuccessful attempt on his life in 1929, Luciano decided to create the National Crime Syndicate.
There was no rivalry, and by 1935, "Lucky" Luciano became known as the "Boss of Bosses" - not only in New York, but throughout the country. In 1936 he was sentenced to 30 to 50 years, but was released in 1946 for good behavior on the condition that he leave the country for Italy. He had such a strong influence that during World War II the US Navy turned to him for help in landing in Italy. He died in 1962 as a result of a heart attack.
Films about him: Christian Slater played him in Gangsters (1991), Bill Graham in Bugsy (1991) and Anthony LaPaglia in the TV movie Lansky (1999).
Number 1 - Al Capone (1899 - 1947)
If there was ever a gangster who deserved to know Number One, it was Al Capone. Alphonse Capone was born in 1899 in Brooklyn to a family of Italian immigrants. After a while, he joined the Five Points gang and became a bouncer. It was during this time that he earned the nickname "Scarface". In 1919, he moved to Chicago and working for Johnny Torrio, he quickly began to rise in the criminal hierarchy.
It was the time of Prohibition, and Capone was involved in prostitution, gambling and bootlegging. In 1925, when he was 26 years old, Capone became head of the Torrio family and started a family war. Known for his intelligence, as well as his bombast and love of attention, Capone was also famous for his cruelty. It is worth remembering the massacre during the Valentine's Day concert in 1929, in which many heads of criminal gangs were killed. In 1931, federal tax agent Eliot Nass arrested him for tax evasion.
Films about him: Many films have been made about Capone, the most famous of which are The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) starring Jason Robards, Capone (1975) with Ben Gazarra and The Untouchables (1987) with Robert De Niro.
The shady underground world of the Mafia has captured the imagination of people for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of thieves' groups has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women who are, in essence, just bandits living at the expense of those who are unable to defend themselves?
The fact is that the mafia is not just some organized criminal group. Gangsters are seen as heroes rather than the villains they truly are. The criminal lifestyle looks like something out of a Hollywood movie. Sometimes it's a Hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events from the life of the mafia. In the cinema, crime is ennobled, and it already seems to the viewer that these bandits are heroes who died in vain. As America gradually forgets about the days of Prohibition, it is also forgotten that bandits were looked upon as saviors who fought against an evil government. They were the Robin Hoods of the working class, pitted against impossible and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire the powerful, rich and beautiful people and idealize them.
However, not everyone is blessed with such charisma, and many major politicians are hated rather than admired by everyone. Gangsters know how to use their charm to appear more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on family history associated with emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic rags to riches storyline has captivated attention for centuries. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was from Italy, like many other famous mafiosi. He headed the feared and famous Luciano family in the criminal world. Frank moved to New York at the age of four and, as soon as he grew up, immediately found his place in the world of crime, leading gangs. When it's sad famous Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, went to prison in 1936, Costello quickly rose through the “career” ladder, leading the Luciano clan, later known as the Genovese clan.
He was called the Prime Minister because he ruled the criminal world and really wanted to get into politics, connecting the Mafia and Tammany Hall, political society US Democratic Party in New York. The ubiquitous Costello ran casinos and gaming clubs throughout the country, as well as in Cuba and other islands Caribbean Sea. He was extremely popular and respected among his people. Vito Corleone, the hero of the 1972 film The Godfather, is believed to be based on Costello. Of course, he also had enemies: in 1957, an attempt was made on his life, during which the mafioso was wounded in the head, but miraculously survived. He died only in 1973 from a heart attack.
Jack Diamond
Jack "Legs" Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant figure during Prohibition and a leader of organized crime in the United States. Earning the nickname Legs for his ability to quickly evade pursuit and extravagant dancing, Diamond was also known for unprecedented cruelty and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did his liquor smuggling organizations in and around the city.
Realizing that this was very profitable, Diamond moved on to larger prey, organizing truck robberies and opening underground liquor stores. But it was the order to kill the famous gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped him strengthen his status in the world of crime, putting him on a par with such serious guys as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who later stood in his way. Although Diamond was feared, he became a target himself on several occasions, earning the nicknames Skeet and the Unkillable Man due to his ability to get away with it every time. But one day his luck ran out and he was shot dead in 1931. Diamond's killer was never found.
John Gotti
Known for leading New York's notorious and virtually invulnerable Gambino mob family during the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most powerful men in the Mafia. He grew up in poverty, one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Aniello Dellacroce. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was crushed to death by neighbor and family friend John Favara. Although the incident was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was later attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and his body has still not been found.
With his impeccable good looks and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became a tabloid darling, earning the nickname The Teflon Don. He was in and out of prison, it was difficult to catch him red-handed, and each time he ended up behind bars for short term. However, in 1990, thanks to wiretaps and inside information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 from laryngeal cancer and at the end of his life he faintly resembled the Teflon Don who never left the pages of the tabloids.
Frank Sinatra
That's right, Sinatra himself was once an alleged associate of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once stated: “If it weren’t for my interest in music, I probably would have ended up in the criminal world.” Sinatra was exposed as having ties to the mafia when his participation in the so-called Havana Conference, a mafia meeting in 1946, became known. Newspaper headlines then shouted: “Shame on Sinatra!” Sinatra’s double life became known not only to newspaper reporters, but also to the FBI, which had been monitoring the singer since the beginning of his career. His personal file contained 2,403 pages of interactions with the mafia.
What stirred the public the most was his relationship with John F. Kennedy before he became president. Sinatra allegedly used his contacts in the criminal world to help the future leader in the presidential election campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was involved in the fight against organized crime, and Giancana turned his back on the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a little. Despite obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra to such major mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with gangsters, calling such statements a lie.
Mickey Cohen
Myer "Mickey" Harris Cohen has been a pain in the LAPD's ass for years. He had a stake in every branch of organized crime in Los Angeles and several other states. Cohen was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. After starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen abandoned the sport to follow the path of crime and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.
After several successful years during the Prohibition era, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the patronage of the famous Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. Siegel's murder struck a nerve with the sensitive Cohen, and the police began to take notice of the violent and hot-tempered bandit. After several assassination attempts, Cohen turned his home into a fortress, installing alarm systems, floodlights and bulletproof gates, and hiring Johnny Stompanato, who was then dating, as a bodyguard. Hollywood actress Lana Turner.
In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He became the only prisoner who was released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and constant manhunt, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.
Henry Hill
Henry Hill inspired one of the best mafia films, Goodfellas. It was he who said the phrase: “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to become a gangster.” Hill was born in New York in 1943 into an honest, working family with no connections to the mafia. However, in his youth he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He began to quickly advance in his career, but due to the fact that he was of both Irish and Italian descent, he could not take a high position.
Once Hill was arrested for beating a gambler who refused to pay the money he lost and was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the lifestyle he led in freedom was essentially similar to that behind bars, and he constantly received some kind of preferences. After his release, Hill became seriously involved in selling drugs, which is why he was arrested. He surrendered his entire gang and overthrew several very influential gangsters. He entered the federal witness protection program in 1980, but blew his cover two years later and the program ended. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 69. Hill died in 2012 from heart problems.
James Bulger
Another Alcatraz veteran is James Bulger, nicknamed Whitey. He received this nickname because of his silky blond hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and from the very beginning caused a lot of problems for his parents, running away from home several times and once even joining a traveling circus. Bulger was first arrested at the age of 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he found himself in the criminal underground.
Bulger worked for the mafia clan, but at the same time he was an FBI informant and told the police about the affairs of the once famous Patriarca clan. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, police began to pay more attention to him rather than the information he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and he ended up on the list of the most wanted criminals for fifteen years.
Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After trial, which lasted two months, the famous gang leader was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences prison terms and five more years of imprisonment, and Boston was finally able to sleep peacefully.
Bugsy Siegel
Known for his Las Vegas casino and criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, known in the criminal world as Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most notorious gangsters in the world. modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, young Bugsy met another aspiring bandit, Meer Lansky, and created the Murder Inc. group, specializing in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.
Becoming increasingly famous in the world of crime, Siegel sought to kill old New York gangsters and even had a hand in eliminating Joe “The Boss” Masseria. After several years of smuggling and shootings on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and acquired connections in Hollywood. A real star he became thanks to his Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The $1.5 million project was financed from the bandit common fund, but during construction the estimate was significantly exceeded. Siegel's old friend and partner Lansky decided that Siegel was stealing funds and partially investing in legal businesses. He was brutally killed in own home, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took control of the Flamingo Hotel, denying any involvement in the murder.
Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese, known as Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who rose to fame during Prohibition and beyond. He was also called the Boss of Bosses and led the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a popular drug.
Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Quickly joining criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed their rival, gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Escaping from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, making friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately returned to his old lifestyle, seizing power in the world of crime and once again becoming the man everyone feared. In 1959, he was accused of drug trafficking and sent to prison for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.
Lucky Luciano
Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano received his nickname due to the fact that he survived a dangerous stab wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. Over the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two big bosses and create a completely new principle for the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in creating the famous "Five Families" of New York and the national crime syndicate.
Living the high life for quite a long time, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining an image and a stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own cook there. After his release he was sent to Italy, but settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of him, and Lucky went to Italy forever. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.
Maria Licciardi
Although the world of the mafia is mainly a world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women among the mafiosi. Maria Licciardi was born in Italy in 1951 and led the Licciardi clan, a notorious Camorra, Neapolitan criminal group. Licciardi, nicknamed the Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and much of her family has ties to the Neapolitan mafia. Licciardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She took over the clan when her two brothers and husband were arrested. Although many were unhappy since she became the first female head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell the unrest and successfully unite several city clans, expanding the drug trade market.
In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Licciardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, such as Albania, forcing them to work as prostitutes, thus violating a long-standing code of honor Neapolitan mafia, according to which one cannot make money from prostitution. After a heroin deal went wrong, Licciardi was placed on the most wanted list and arrested in 2001. Now she is behind bars, but, according to rumors, Maria Licciardi continues to lead the clan, which has no intention of stopping.
Frank Nitti
Known as the face of Al Capone's Chicago crime syndicate, Frank "Bouncer" Nitti became the top man in the Italian-American Mafia once Al Capone was behind bars. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the United States when he was only seven years old. It didn't take long before he started getting into trouble, which attracted the attention of Al Capone. In his criminal empire Nitti quickly succeeded.
As a reward for his impressive successes during Prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and strengthened his position in the Chicago crime syndicate, also called the Chicago Outfit. Although he was nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks rather than breaking bones himself, and often orchestrated multiple approaches during raids and attacks. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia that plagued him for the rest of his life.
Upon his release, Nitti became the new leader of the Chicago Outfit, having survived assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things got really bad and Nitti realized that arrest could not be avoided, he shot himself in the head so that he would never suffer from claustrophobia again.
Sam Giancana
Another respected gangster in the underworld is Sam "Mooney" Giancana, who was once the most powerful gangster in Chicago. Having started out as a driver in Al Capone's inner circle, Giancana quickly made his way to the top, making acquaintances with several politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in a case where the CIA organized an assassination attempt. Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Giancana was believed to have key information.
Not only was Giancana's name involved in the case, but there were also rumors that the mafia had made huge contributions to John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, including ballot stuffing in Chicago. The connection between Giancana and Kennedy was increasingly discussed, and many believed that Frank Sinatra was an intermediary to deflect the Feds' suspicions.
Things soon went downhill due to speculation that the Mafia had a hand in the assassination of JFK. After spending the rest of his life wanted by the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of the head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the perpetrator was never found.
Meer Lansky
Just as influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to the Russian Empire. Having moved to America at a young age, Lansky learned the taste of the streets by fighting for money. Not only could Lansky take care of himself, but he was also exceptionally smart. Becoming an integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, Lansky was at one point one of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world, with operations in Cuba and several other countries.
Lansky, who was friends with such high-ranking mobsters as Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was both a feared and respected man. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during Prohibition, operating very profitable business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire by emigrating to Israel. However, he was deported back to the US two years later, but still managed to avoid prison as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.
Al Capone
Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed the Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster in history and he is known all over the world. Capone came from a respected and prosperous family. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.
Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone began his path to fame. He earned a scar that earned him the nickname Scarface. Doing everything from alcohol smuggling to murder, Capone was immune to the police, free to move around and do as he pleased.
The games ended when Al Capone's name was implicated in a brutal massacre called the Valentine's Day Massacre. Several gangsters from rival gangs died in this massacre. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but they had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster's health deteriorated greatly due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime was changed forever.
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