[8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. The Unbelievable Story Of Richard Lee McNair The Man Who Mailed Himself Out Of Prison, What JFK's Mob-Affiliated Mistress May Have Known About His Assassination, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. He was going to be hit.. He was left with about 25 horses at his stable in Lutz that he couldn't race and couldn't sell for more than it cost to keep them fed. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Robert F. Kennedy even taunted those mobsters he brought into court, telling Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana that I thought only little girls giggled, Mr. Giancana.. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Santo Trafficante: Building the Family Business - Gangsters Inc Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Please check your entries and try again. I hold such fond memories of Santo & Gerry when I was growing up. He was a well-respected boss, even among the far larger New York crime families. He even sent his son, Santo Trafficante Junior, to New York, to gain a better understanding of how the mafia operated there. Share Santo's life story with friends and family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Trafficante_Jr. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. Organized Crime Figure. A year has passed. Santo TRAFFICANTE Obituary (2010) - Tampa, FL - TBO.com From bolitaan illegal version of the now-legal Florida lotteryto narcotics, Tampas experience with organized crime is as notable as Chicagos or New Yorks. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. The chairman cited a confession from Roselli that Trafficantes allies organized a sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, to take out the President. The choice was nothing more than honoring a tradition. In 1946, Santo Sr. sent his son, already a family underboss, to Cuba to invest in the growing number of nightclubs and casinos in the island nation. Josephine Trafficante Obituary - Tampa, FL I have thought of you and Santo many times over the past 50 years. Finally, after the infamous failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the CIA gave up on their attempts to kill the Cuban dictator and thus Trafficantes attempts at revenge never materialized. Episode 58: The Tampa Mafia- Santo Trafficante Jr - YouTube "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. His son, Santo Trafficante Jr., took over the crime family and became tangled in a web of conspiracies to kill the leader of revolutionary Cuba and, it is rumored, President John F. Kennedy. Trafficantes partnership with Batista was profitable for both parties and so the mobsters fate became inextricably tied to that of Cubas political climate. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Home - Boxer Cycle Works Trafficante was arrested on a bookmaking conspiracy charge. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. On the day that investigators raided Key Bank, a cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital was inserting a catheter in Trafficante's groin. So, as the popular theory goes, the mob bosses that lent a helping hand in getting Kennedy into office wanted revenge. Learn more about merges. "They'll sleep under trees on you.". Mobster Johnny Rosselli, who worked for both Trafficante and the Chicago Outfit, was another associate involved in the unsuccessful efforts to kill Castro and, according to some biographies, was the man who put Trafficante and Giancana together with Maheu. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. All the while, he lives in a palatial lakeside compound in rural northwest Hillsborough. The "Family Jewels" confirmed that in September 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach the West Coast representative of the Chicago mob, Johnny Roselli. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. Treasury Department History of Santo Trafficante Jr 1961 Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. The CIA came to Trafficante, and asked for his help in enlisting the Mafia to assassinate the Cuban leader. After the Kennedy hubbub, Trafficante kept a low profile or, lower that is. Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Santo Trafficante Jr. He wants Trafficante, whom he considers to have an authoritative palate, to sample a new pastry that Alessi plans to sell at his bakery. Sign up for service and obituary updates. In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. Spoiled by mobsters, Meyer Lansky's daughter recalls family men, not In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing his ownership of a car dealership, and employment at various restaurants and night clubs over the years. He attended the University of Florida for a year, then transferred to the University of Tampa and left without completing his degree. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. In a 1978 legal testimony, Trafficante discussed how quickly Castro shut it all down, then reopened the casinos on his own terms. President John. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. please know that i am praying for you and your family. He was again called to testify in April 1976 on the alleged conspiracy to kill Kennedy, but Rosselli never made it: His body was found in a barrel floating in Biscayne Bay off the coast of Florida. He buys Jaguars for his two sons, hobnobs with sports stars on resort golf courses and occasionally flies to Miami for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Rascal House. A full report was made by the Cuban police, dated January 23, 1958, includes transcripts of long-distance telephone calls made from the Sans Souci during the period AugustDecember 1957. Upon his return to the United States, he became determined to bring down the man who ended his empire. A A. Failed to remove flower. Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFrank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). Don Santo Trafficante Jr. the godfather from Tampa, Florida, USA. It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Try again later. The east coast of Florida was a loosely knit conglomerate of New York family interests with links to Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Angelo Bruno, Carlos Marcello, and Frank Ragano. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. ", Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Tampa man arrested in death of person found in apartment with unharmed infant, deputies say, Suspect in Hillsborough slaying of woman IDd, man known as Ya Dig, deputies say, After nearly a century of fixing Tampas flat tires, downtown Firestone closes, Under investigation, HART CEO proposes settlement, payout and exit, Dead body found in Hillsborough apartment with unharmed infant, deputies say, NAACP wants reparations for Tampas Black cemeteries that governments stole, Latin Kings gang leaders among 21 arrested in Hillsborough drug operation, sheriff says, Estimated 630,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Hillsborough River, records show, Tampa man who was first to face trial for Florida voter fraud in 2020 election gets probation. Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Our prayers are with you. In 1954, Santo Sr. died of natural causes (at a time when some of his remaining rivals were still being violently dispatched), and his son took over leadership of the crime family. A system error has occurred. 2023, Tampa Mafia. Failed to delete memorial. department.". This is a carousel with slides. When you start talking about organized crime, things can get dicey. TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER MAFIA SPIES. Seven people were murdered. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. We are one of them! santo trafficante daughters Early in Trafficantes federal court case in 1986, the judge declared a mistrial. His business ventures have not always been successful. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. Valenti hired his son-in-law at the produce company and allowed him to name his own salary. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. [5][6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island. He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Search results for "Images of America" at Rakuten Kobo.