They lived in modest, ranch-style houses in quiet neighborhoods in Tampa and Miami. He was severed from that trial for medical reasons. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. Santo Trafficante grew up in the Florida underworld, working his father's gambling rackets and getting experience in the business. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. The people of Tampa, especially the ones still around to remember those days still feel a duty of sorts to keep quite of these things, as if these people are still amongst us and can hear our chatter. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Visitation will take place on Saturday, May 16th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, with service to follow at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL. 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. Notoriety comes with family name - Tampa Bay Times His new attorney general his beloved brother, Robert F. Kennedy went after organized crime with a vengeance. He will always be remembered with fondness. In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante was wanted in 48 states by the time he was 43. At this point in our collective history, we're not sure anyone would be surprised to learn that there is, in fact, something called The Mafia. What you might be surprised to learn, however, is how prevalent-even rampantorganized crime in Tampa was in the early and mid-20th century. Oops, something didn't work. "I was going to ask him to come over and try our beignets to see how they compare to the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans," Alessi says. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. As Jimmy Hoffas former lawyer Frank Ragano would later recall, Jimmy told me to tell [New Orleans boss Carlos] Marcello and Trafficante they had to kill the president. This browser does not support getting your location. [14], The HSCA had previously quoted Aleman as stating that he thought Trafficante's use of the phrase "he is going to be hit" meant that the mob boss knew Kennedy was going to be killed. Our thoughts and prayers with you. Santo Trafficante Jr. - IMDb Try again later. Trafficante was a ruthless mob boss, and quickly consolidated control over the criminal networks in Tampa. wikipedia.en/Sam_Giancana.md at main chinapedia/wikipedia.en [13] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Still, he lives comfortably enough to give his sons Jaguar sports cars, red for Dino and white for Joseph. Santo Trafficante Jr.: The Florida Godfather Who Tried To Kill Castro Fine food, and lots of it. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Trafficante had now not only lost an ally but a significant portion of his income as his casinos were closed by the Marxist revolutionary. It was all on the up and up. Trafficante would rather be force-fed raw carrot sticks for eternity than be seen talking to a reporter. There are few indicators that the family is still an active crime network. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. He allegedly controlled organized crime operations in Florida and Cuba Honorary Pallbearers are Joe Castellana, Malio Iavarone, FrankCookie Fava, Antonino Marchese, Derek Iavarone, Frank Albano, Drew Smith, Joey Hunt, Michael Sierra, Tony Marchese, Peter Albano, Mario Pullara, Frank Miranda, Dino Trafficante, and Joseph Trafficante. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. She was a wonderful cook, and she loved to crochet and travel with her husband, but she lived her life for her family. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. [8] Allusions to these historic connections were confirmed by the CIA's 2007 declassification of the "Family Jewels" documents. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. [1] Trafficante maintained several residences in New York City and Florida. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. But Santo knew who was behind the killing a rival Mafia faction. [13] Trafficante said that he introduced the trio to Cuban exiles in Florida. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. I found on Findagrave.com. Learn more about merges. As a leading member of the syndicate, he also was suspected of having behind-the-scenes interests in other syndicate-owned Cuban casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, the Commodoro, the Deauville, and the Havana Hilton. "Even my uncle (Santo Jr.) told me, "Santo, why don't you change your name?' Failed to delete memorial. Santo Trafficante Jr Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. The charges of bank fraud against Trafficante and more than a dozen bank employees and customers may well be dismissed. 93461.". And then there are the infinite conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy, many of them featuring Trafficante. Perched on the edge of a leather chair in his attorney's office, Santo J. Trafficante III wears a pained expression on his jowly face. He was right, and when Castro took power in 1959, Trafficantes burgeoning gambling-and-drugs empire went under siege. [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. There was a problem getting your location. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. "They wouldn't even let me go to the track. He died on March 17, 1987. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. [13] He testified that he was brought into the plot by Roselli and Giancana, who had been recruited by Maheu. The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925 for his mother. According to Scott M. Deitche in The Silent Don, the family was profiting not only from its offshore casinos but from narcotics trafficking. Chronicles of Events and Biographies Related to the American Mafia. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. A car registered to former state attorney and current state appellate judge E.J. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Santo was known to have been deeply involved in the CIA efforts to involve the underworld in assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. He was the lynchpin in Tampa Charlie Wall The Kefauver hearings arrived in Tampa in December of 1950. Some people also alleged that Trafficante Jr played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy due to his anti-organized crime efforts, but Trafficante Jr. always denied it. Frank Ragano and Santo Trafficante Jr. (right). This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Pupello determined that his diabetic patient's arteries were healthy. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. santo trafficante daughters Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. Over the next 30-plus years, Trafficante, Jr. rose to oversee Mafia operations across the state of Florida. His health had declined in his later years. She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. Every so often I think of the Jekyll Island and White Lake, NC trip and laugh. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. On March 17, 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he had gone for heart surgery. James Traficant - Wikipedia Santo told the state attorney, I dont have an enemy in the world. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Father of Private and Private Santo Trafficante Jr. (1914-1987) - Find a Grave Memorial Trafficante again escaped conviction. It was also rumored that Santos was involved in a Mafia plot to kill President John F. Kennedy, though he denied there was any such conspiracy. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. All Rights Reserved. Whether or not a Mafia conspiracy was behind the assassination of Kennedy is still up for debate. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. [20], In 2005, Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann's book Ultimate Sacrifice said that Trafficante was behind an aborted plot to kill Kennedy in Tampa on November 18, 1963. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas It was clear that federal and local law enforcement had an acute interest in the Trafficante family. As we all know, he was right, and Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper in November 1963. He drove a forklift for 20 years. Failed to remove flower. By December 1953, one more rival was dead and another was too scared to even venture out of his home. The American governments close ties to Santo Trafficante Jr. and the rest of the Mafia didnt end with their attempts to kill Castro. He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Reputedly the most powerful crime boss in Batista -era Cuba, he . He escaped conviction all but once, receiving a five-year sentence for bribery in 1954, but his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court before he entered prison. He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. You have been in pain too long. The idea behind the assassination wasnt just to punish JFK but also to get his brother off the Mobs back. Phil Alessi, a childhood friend, marvels at Trafficante's taste and capacity. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. He died of natural causes, at the age of 72, in Houston, Texas. But once Kennedy actually entered the White House, he didnt live up to his end of the bargain.