There were and still are gangster groups in the world, which, due to their high organization and the number of loyal followers, began to be called the mafia. Some have become so famous for their power and cruelty that it is impossible not to include them in the TOP.
1. Sicilian Mafia
It appeared in Sicily at the beginning of the century before last, and after a hundred years of existence it turned into an organization of international scale. Initially, the mafia protected planters and nobles from their own attacks, something very similar happened in Russia in the 90s. But then the Sicilians expanded their activities to other aspects.
2. Russian mafia
The group recognized as the most terrible. Even FBI agents name representatives of the Russian mafia the most dangerous people on the planet. Westerners consider not only Russian mafia, but also mafia structures of neighboring states to be the “Russian mafia”.
3. Mexican Mafia (La eMe)
This criminal organization became famous for its active work in the drug business. Members of the Mexican Mafia are distinguished by a special tattoo on their chest depicting a black hand. This organization was created in the 50s by representatives of a street gang serving time in a California prison. There were only thirteen organizers, some of them were members of another gang. La eMe was originally called Mexicananemi.
4. Yakuza
This largest and most dangerous crime syndicate originated in Japan. It contrasts greatly with other similar criminal organizations, for example, the Yakuza has its own office buildings, and their activities are widely covered in the press. The Yakuza love to make tattoos that are complex and multi-colored over the entire surface of the skin. Moreover, tattoos are made by manually injecting ink under the skin (irezumi). To decorate yourself in this way, you need to have a certain courage, as it causes severe pain.
5. Chinese Triad
The Triad is an association of secret criminal groups in China. This criminal society is distinguished by a common conviction and beliefs, for example, representatives firmly believe in secret meaning the numbers “3” (that’s where the name comes from). Today, triads have spread to Taiwan, America and other places of the Chinese diaspora. As a rule, the Triad specializes in drug trafficking. By the way, representatives of the Triad are very patriotic; for example, when the outbreak of atypical mycoplasma pneumonia began, the organization offered a prize of one million US dollars to anyone who would find a cure for this disease.
6. Hells Angels or Hell's Angels (United States)
This is the largest motorcycle club with branches scattered throughout the planet. It belongs to the “Big Four” outlaw clubs, and is considered the most sensational among them. They are known as a “motorcycle gang” by law enforcement agencies in many countries. They are involved in drug trafficking, banditry, resale of stolen goods, violence and murder. As the legend posted on the Hell's Angels website says, during the Second World War in the American air force There was a bomber squadron called the Hells Angels. After the war ended and the units were disbanded, the pilots were left without a livelihood. The offended bombers considered that their homeland had committed a betrayal, and decided to switch to bikes, unite in motorcycle clubs, with the goal of causing a rebellion across the entire system.
7. “Brigade of Salvadoran Stray Ants” (Mara Salvatrucha)
This mafia structure is involved in a variety of criminal activities: it sells drugs, weapons and even people, robs, kills, engages in racketeering, kidnapping, pimping, steals cars, launders money, etc. To be able to operate in the territory occupied by the Mara Salvatrucha, street vendors and shop owners have to give almost 50 percent of their proceeds to the mafia. Salvadorans living in the United States are also forced to pay a kind of rent; if they do not pay, their relatives face imminent death or injury.
8. Rizzuto (Montreal)
This criminal organization expanded its operations not only in Montreal, but also in Quebec and Ontario. One day, the Rizzutos merged with New York crime families, which eventually resulted in real wars in Montreal in the 70s. Representatives of Rizzuto own real estate in all countries, total cost hundreds of millions of dollars. They also own hotels, restaurants, bars, discos, construction, food, trade organizations, furniture factories and much more.
9. Mungiki (Kenya)
This criminal group is a political-religious organization and has been banned for more than ten years. The Mungiki want to revive the traditional religion of Africa, but so far they have only advanced massacres and conflicts with government officials.
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: 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 ("Love, honor and obedience: The Last Alliance Mafia, 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 Making money is 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 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.
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 ;).
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The general idea of fighting the government or laws, money laundering or drug trafficking, thirst for violence, sadism - all these factors gather people into separate groups. It is not uncommon for such groups to develop into the most dangerous and violent gangs.
Based on numerous films, we are accustomed to thinking that Sicilian mafia or “Yakuza” are the most widespread and brutal groups. But people from unfavorable areas of Latin America, notorious thugs from the African continent and lawless men from criminal areas of the United States have long surpassed the “film” bandits. The number of murders and violence, the inventive cruelty and mass character of many gangs are not at all similar to the “old mafia” with their ideas, laws and principles.
18th Street Gang
The ranking of the most violent gangs opens with a street gang from Los Angeles. Murder, violence, drug trafficking are the main activities of the criminal gang, which numbers more than 70,000 people in its ranks. Even five years ago, reports on 18th Street reported daily homicides in the Los Angeles area.
Ethnic organized crime group from the 90s. Almost the entire gambling business in Moscow was under the control of the mafia. Laundering unimaginable amounts of money, brutal reprisals against competitors and those who got in the way. Having seized control of more than 200 banks in the country, they supplied bandit groups with weapons and money. In Russia, the gang lasted only eight years, but in some countries members of organized crime groups They still dominate the oil market, the banking sector, and construction.
Wah Ching
Chinese-American street gang. From an ordinary gang of petty violators in San Francisco, in seven years an army of seventy thousand thugs grew. Constant clashes with other clans, crime and murder. In the 90s, the FBI discovered the gang's underground warehouses, where weapons and explosives were manufactured.
Bloods
A gang also based in Los Angeles. It developed as a competitor to the criminal group Crips. The gang is known not only for brutal reprisals against rivals and drug mafia, it has created a separate culture with its own alphabet, slang language, and dance style. Some famous rappers come from the group.
Jamaican Posse
The group from the island of Jamaica, created under the protection of the government, is known for its sophisticated methods of murder. Any available means - a shovel, an iron, an ax - often became a weapon for reprisals. The gang has several of its “brigades” in Latin America and the USA.
Area Boys
Once created by a bunch of teenagers, a gang of extortionists from Nigeria has grown into a well-coordinated criminal group known for its kidnappings, extortion and murders. The inability of local authorities to prevent the gang's activities only swells its ranks and strengthens its influence throughout the country.
The main troublemakers of Brazilian streets. The gang was created due to the unjust oppression of prisoners in the country's prisons. Numerous showdowns with law enforcement agencies, kidnapping of people, including tourists, drug trafficking - the main business of the group. In 2001, a mass prison uprising, escape and destruction in Brazilian cities resulted in 150 innocent victims.
Aryan Brotherhood
The constant oppression of white prisoners in US prisons gave impetus to the need to create their own clan. Forty years ago, a group of white men in a California prison declared their brotherhood. Today it is the most powerful and brutal movement. Those wishing to join the team must kill someone. A fifteen-thousandth gang of thugs, scattered throughout US prisons, consisting mainly of those with life sentences. There are no laws or principles for them.
Los Zetas
Location – Mexico. Under the leadership of one of Mexico's most famous drug lords, a cartel was created from professional team mercenaries, former army soldiers, police officers. The Los Zetas cartel is known for its brutal fight against competitors, as well as numerous reprisals against innocent people. Terrible torture, dismemberment of corpses, mass graves - all this is on the account of the Mexican gang.
For more than a hundred years, the organization with a list of moral and ethical rules has grown into a gangster structure, brutally dealing with those who stand in their way. Bribery of officials and control of business, destruction of competitors and ruthless reprisals against the families of enemies, all this led to thousands of victims. The Sicilian mafia, and later the American one, became popular all over the world after the film “The Godfather”.
An organized network of gang units. The number of people who have joined the ranks of the Yakuza throughout Japan exceeds 120 thousand people. The official location of the headquarters and their own establishments with symbols speaks of their “roof” on the part of the authorities. Distinctive feature gangs - a code of honor, compliance with internal laws and unquestioning obedience to the boss. The criminal organization has its gangster branches in South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, USA. Controls the gambling business, the porn industry, and the banking sector. Engaged in human trafficking, including for the purposes of prostitution, drug trafficking, and kidnappings. The gang is known for its sophisticated methods of punishment against those who do not agree to obey them.
Triad
The largest association of bandits (over 2.5 million). The triad is widespread throughout the territory Asian world. Gang members are involved in absolutely everything - business control, contract killings, selling people, drug trafficking, car thefts. Members of the group who are members of the government structures make it possible to commit crimes with impunity. The triad has one of the best disguises in the system: secret call signs, gestures and signs that identify each other. The popularity of the gang was brought by the disappearance without a trace of people who refused to obey them.
Crips
The three finalists are opened by a gang organized by 16-year-old black teenagers in Los Angeles. After 6 years, the group has grown significantly and spread throughout America. Petty hooliganism, beating passers-by, fighting with competitors, arson, theft, robbery, kidnapping, violence - the gang has more than a thousand of all kinds of crimes on its record. Having surpassed the number of participants of 50 thousand people, mostly from African countries, the organization represents serious danger US residents.
Mungiki
These thugs from Kenya can hardly be called an organized gang. The number of these scumbags has reached 500 thousand. A distinctive feature of the group is brutal showdowns with beheadings, massacres with huge knives, and mass fights.
Make a request in any search engine for the most brutal gang, the clear winner is the MS-13 gang. These most dangerous, bloodthirsty and merciless members of the group live in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the USA. The American government calls the Salvatrucha organization the most dangerous after al-Qaeda. Almost every one of the 300 thousand members of the group participated in violence, brutal reprisals, and kidnappings. The gang earns huge profits from drug trafficking and the sale of weapons to Middle Eastern countries, including terrorist organizations.
2016.04.03 byNovel Puzo Mario“The Godfather” and the film trilogy of the same name are very well known and have become a cult work for many generations of readers and viewers. From television screens and the pages of novels, a world of brutal murders, drug cartels and gangsters, ruled by powerful and influential “Dons,” entered our homes forever. But the famous hero of the novel, Vito Corleone, is just a fiction created by the author’s imagination. But is everything in the novel fiction?
Gangsters action
Pablo Escobar
Gangster nicknames: Doctor, Patron, Don Pablo, Senor
Pablo Escobar is a gangster who lived relatively recently. Also known as the "King of Cocaine", Escobar led the Medellin Cartel. He was an incredibly powerful drug king who ruled a vast empire between the 1970s and 1980s of the 20th century. This continued until the end of 1993, when he was shot and killed. There is still no exact information whether it was suicide or whether he was killed by the police. The story of his death remains a mystery. A few years before his death, he was recognized as one of the fittest criminals in the world. According to Forbes magazine, his fortune was estimated at $3 billion.
Frank Costello
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 made a large fortune through smuggling alcohol, gambling, participating in several large New York gangs: the Morello gang, the Lower East Side gang and joint affairs with the Luciano family.
Carlo Gambino
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. At the age of 19, he already became a full member of the gang, which was very unusual: such young members had never been accepted into the family. At the same time he moved to New York.
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
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.
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.
Benjamin Schiegel
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.
Flamingo is one of the very first casinos built in Las Vegas and Schiegel invested money in its construction. 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. But nevertheless, his sworn enemies got to him and he was killed in 1947. His death remains mysterious to this day, and his life is a gripping detective story.
John Dillinger
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
Gangster nickname: "Lucky"
Charles Luciano is believed to be the father organized crime and as such, it fully deserves its place on this list. At the young age of 10, Charles and his family moved from Sicily to NY, 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 Luciano was in prison at that moment... For his useful tips and help he was subsequently released. But he was deported to Italy, where he spent the rest of his life.
Kray Brothers
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 a nightclub in London (a rather unusual activity for gangsters of that time), which was frequented 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.
Al Capone
Gangster nickname: Scarface
Without a shadow of a doubt, Al Capone is one of the most famous gangsters in the world. He embarked on a criminal path at the age of 14, attacking a teacher at school - of course, even then this was a very alarming omen. He later joined the New York gang Five Points. His main activities were illegal trade in alcohol, brothels, and contract killings.
At the end of his life, Al Capone was in Alcatraz prison, but was released 8 years before his death. Towards the end of his life he suffered from illness. He was a very smart and tough man who managed to achieve enormous power during his life.
Jesse James
Jesse James was one of the world's first famous gangsters. He lived during the Wild West and participated in the American Revolutionary War. He later became a member of the James-Younger gang. James participated in bank robberies, stagecoaches and train attacks, which made him a legend during his lifetime.
Despite the fact that world states are desperately fighting criminal gangs, the latter continue their illegal activities and are not even going to retreat. The mafia keeps you in fear, instills horror and lives by its own rules and laws, heartless and cruel, failure to comply with which often leads to death.
In the modern world, there are a large number of criminal clans that are under the patronage of their mastermind and leader. Often these crime bosses creating true empires of the underworld.
Feeling their impunity, they intimidate not only representatives government agencies, but also ordinary serene residents. This article presents the ten most influential and ruthless mafiosi, whose names are known throughout the world and who have forever gone down in the history of the mafia.
Al Capone
Al Capone (1899 - 1947) is a legendary mafioso, whose name inspired fear not only in the government, but literally in the whole world. He went down in history as the most famous gangster. Despite the fact that he had Italian roots, this did not stop him from engaging in racketeering, bootlegging, drugs and gambling on American soil. In addition, he is the founder of the concept of “racketeering”.
When Al Capone was still a young man, he and his parents had to leave their native lands and move to America, where he worked hard in a candy store, a bowling alley, and even in a pharmacy. But despite his fatigue from a hard day’s work, he spent almost every night in entertainment venues, since night image life was the most acceptable and attractive for him.
While earning his living at a billiards club, he once insulted a woman who, as it turned out, was the wife of a criminal named Frank Galluccio. A scuffle broke out, from which a scar from a knife wound remained on the gangster’s left cheek. This moment changed him radically. Over time, the mafioso developed skillful skills in handling edged weapons, and the daring nineteen-year-old youth was invited to join the “Gang of Five Smoking Barrels.”
Al Capone became famous for his integrity, cruelty and heartlessness. His first major crime was the murder of seven influential mafiosi at that time, who were subordinate to Bugs Moran. However, he was too cunning and smart to fall into the hands of justice.
He was never punished for all the crimes he committed, but he still ended up in prison for tax evasion. He was jailed for five years. Upon leaving prison, the legendary mafioso contracted syphilis after spending the night with a courtesan. However, he died at the age of forty-eight from pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, May Josephine Coughlin, and his son, Albert Francis Capone.
Lucky Luciano
Charles Luciano (1897-1962) was born in Sicily, but in his youth he moved with his family to America, as they say, in search of better life. Since childhood, he hung out mainly with street hooligans; apparently, he liked such company more. Perhaps such hobbies and preferences of little Charles Luciano contributed to his becoming one of the most famous gangsters in the world.
At the age of eighteen, Luciano received prison term for drug distribution. During the period of prohibition in the United States, he was part of the "Gang of Four", which was actively involved in smuggling alcohol. His youth was spent in poverty, but in his adult life he swam in millions of dollars, which, naturally, were earned by crime.
In 1931, a gangster created the "Big Seven", which included bootleggers. Its main activity was the illegal distribution of alcohol. Over time, Charles becomes the leader of Cosa Nostra and absolutely the entire sphere of the criminal world comes under his full control. He received his nickname "Lucky" after he almost died after being tortured by Maranzano gangsters.
At the hospital he received sixty stitches, so for everyone he became “lucky.” This one of the most legendary mafiosi was able to get rid of dozens of his competitors in just one day, which allowed him to become the sole owner of New York. In 1936, Luciano received thirty-five years in prison for pimping, but after some time he was released and deported to his homeland. In 1962, his heart stopped - according to the official version, it was a heart attack.
Pablo Escobar
Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) - drug lord No. 1, who had Colombian roots and became famous for his cruelty. He was able to create a huge drug empire that supplied incredible quantities of cocaine throughout the world. His first youthful “job” was illegal: he stole tombstones and, erasing the inscriptions, resold them to resellers.
WITH early years Pablo sought “easy money” and he received it for selling cigarettes and drugs, and also made “fake” lottery tickets. As he got a little older, he began to earn big by engaging in car theft, robbery, racketeering and even kidnapping. By the age of twenty-two, Escobar had become an authority figure in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
The mafioso earned his first billions as the head of a drug cartel. The poor people of Medellin loved and revered Pablo Escobar because they received from him, although inexpensive, their own housing. By 1989, he had more than $15 billion in his account. More than a thousand people were killed on his orders. In 1991, the gangster went to prison, but a year later he was able to escape. In 1993, Pablo Escobar was shot and killed by a sniper during a police assault.
John Gotti
The name of John Gotti (1940-2002) was on the lips of every New Yorker. Despite the “dark deeds” he committed, the police were unable to accuse him of even one of them. Gotti was always one step ahead, which is why he earned the nickname “Teflon Don.” He was also often called the “Elegant Don” because he loved to dress beautifully and stylishly.
John was a rather resourceful gangster who was able to rise from poverty to unheard of wealth and became the leader of the Gambino family, removing the previous boss, Paul Castellano. His activities included car theft, theft, racketeering and murder.
Next to him was always his most reliable person, as he thought, Salvatore Gravano. However, it was he who handed his mentor over to the FBI in 1992. John Gotti was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment. He died of cancer in his cell in 2002.
Carlo Gambino
Carlo Gambino is probably the most mysterious mafioso. He was the founder and leader of one of the most powerful American criminal empires, the Gambinos, to which he devoted his entire life. Also in adolescence Gambino began to engage in extortion and theft. Over time, bootlegging also became one of his hobbies.
At the peak of its prosperity, his brainchild consisted of forty teams that kept major American cities under control and fear. In 1932, he married his cousin, who gave him four children.
Throughout his life, Carlo Gambino was involved in illegal gambling, loan sharking and protection rackets. However, his scope of activity did not include selling drugs, as he considered this business dangerous and attracting unnecessary attention. In 1938, he received a twenty-two month prison sentence for tax evasion. In 1976, the mafioso died in his own bed from a heart attack. At that time he was 74 years old.
Meir Lansky
Meir Lansky was born in 1902 in Grodno into a Jewish family. At the age of nine, he and his parents moved to New York, where he met Charles Luciano, who significantly influenced his future fate.
For decades, Lansky occupied a leading position among important American crime bosses. When the so-called “prohibition law” was in effect in America, Meir Lansky was involved in the sale and transportation of alcohol. Over time, he founded a whole system of bookmakers and illegal bars.
For many years, the mafioso developed the gaming business in the United States. Between 1950 and 1962, Meir was constantly monitored by the FBI, so he decided to temporarily move to Israel on a two-year visa. Naturally, American police demanded that the criminal be handed over to them, but in vain.
After two years, he had to leave the country, but he had no other way but to return to the United States - other countries refused to accept him. The charges against the mafioso were dropped, but his foreign passport was revoked, so he could not leave America. Meir Lansky spent the last years of his life in Miami, where he died in 1983 from cancer.
Joseph Bonanno
A mobster named Joseph Bonanno (1905-2002) was one of the most powerful leaders in the American crime world. He was only fifteen years old when he became an orphan. Joseph comes to the United States, naturally, illegally, where he quickly finds like-minded people for illegal activities.
In 1931, he founded the influential Bonanno crime family, which was under his control for thirty years. He was also known by the nickname "Banana Joe". Once Bonanno became the richest gangster in history, he decided to retire in order to quietly meet his old age.
In 1983, he was arrested on suspicion of real estate speculation and sentenced to five years in prison, however, given that the convict was seventy-five years old at the time, the sentence was reduced to fourteen months. The legendary mafioso died among his family in 2002 from heart failure, at the age of ninety-seven.
Albert Anastasia
Albert Anastasia (1902-1957) - leader of the Gambino family, which inspired fear and horror with its ruthlessness and cruelty. Also under his control was a group called “Murder Corporation,” which was responsible for more than 700 deaths. Each of these crimes remained unpunished, since all the witnesses disappeared somewhere without a trace.
His mentor was Lucky Luciano, whom he listened to in everything and to whom he was completely devoted. Often, Albert carried out the orders of his leader, which included eliminating the bosses of other criminal clans. In 1957, on the orders of Carlo Gambino, he was killed in a barbershop.
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante - mafioso, under whose control absolutely everyone was big cities America, but his “lair” was located in New York. At the age of nine, he begins to box professionally, completely abandoning schooling. From the age of seventeen, Gigante took an active part in carrying out various types of crimes.
Being a member of one of the influential groups, he achieved the status of “ Godfather", after which he became a consoler. In 1981, Vincent became boss of the Genovese family. His special and incomprehensible habit for many was walking around the city at night in a robe. In principle, the mafioso himself was a rather inadequate and aggressive person.
However, as it turned out later, this behavior was an ordinary simulation mental disorders, thanks to which he managed to avoid prison for forty years. But still, in 1997, the gangster fell into the hands of justice and he was sentenced to twelve years. While serving his sentence, Vincent Gigante continued his criminal activities until 2005. He died of a heart attack.
Heriberto Lazcano
For many years, the criminal acts of one of the most merciless and brutal Mexican criminals, Heriberto Lazcano, remained unpunished. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in a specialized squad dedicated to fighting drug cartels. However, a few years later he became a member of one of them, going over to the side of drug dealers.
Over time, Lazcano founded his own drug cartel, Los Zetas, which quickly became authoritative and one of the largest in Mexico. He became famous for his terrible and ruthless murders of not only competitors, public figures, officials and police, but also children and women.
That is why he was given the nickname "Executioner". More than 47,000 people were killed during the massacre. However, Mexican residents were able to put their fears behind them when Heriberto Lazcano was killed in 2012.
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