“I have not killed anyone” THE CRIME: Dorothea Puente was born in San Bernardino County, California on 9 January 1929 as Dorothea Helen Gray and raised in an orphanage because both parents were alcohlics who died when she was young. In 1945 she married Fred McFaul and gave birth to two daughters but gave them… Read More »
“They’re telling me I’m too tough for the job” THE CRIME: “The Teflon Don” was John Gotti’s nickname for many years because it appeared that no charges would stick. In 1972 Manny Gambino, the nephew of Carlo Gambino, was kidnapped and murdered. The FBI arrested two of the kidnappers while Gambino put a contract out… Read More »
“I started clubs where drinking was 24 hours. They were a bit illegal” THE CRIME: The Richardson brothers — Charlie (born 18 January 1934) and Eddie (born 1936) — ran criminal activities in south London. They began the Peckford Scrap Metal Company in 1956 in Addington Square, but that was really a front for their… Read More »
“The Prime Minister of the Underworld” THE CRIME: Born as Francesco Castiglia in Lauropoli, near Cosenza in Calabria, southern Italy on 26 January 1891, Costello arrived in New York in 1895. On 25 April 1908 he was arrested on charges of assault and robbery. On 16 October 1912 he was again in court on the… Read More »
“We only kill each other” THE CRIME: Benjamin — no one called him “Bugsy” to his face if they had sense — Siegel was born on 28 February 1906 in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn, New York. He started his first protection racket before he was a teenager, charging local stallholders $5. He met and… Read More »
“Stick to the girls and gambling” THE CRIME: Born in Calabria, Italy, Colosimo moved to America in 1895, arriving at the Levee district in Chicago. He quickly became the aide for corrupt politicians “Bathhouse” John Coughlin and Michael “Hinky Dink” Kenna, who made him manager of a poolroom and then a saloon. His job included… Read More »
“I never abused anybody in my life” THE CRIME: The founder of the Mafia in the United States was born Salvatore Lucania in Lercara Friddi, Sicily on 11 November 1897. The family arrived in America in 1906 and ten years later, in June 1916, Luciano was sentenced to a year in prison for opium trafficking.… Read More »
“Mother is the best bet and don’t let Satan draw you too fast” THE CRIME: Dutch Schultz was born on 6 August 1902 (his grave states he was born in 1901) at 1690 Second Avenue, off 89th Street, in the Bronx, as Arthur Flegenheimer. He began his crime career in 1919, aged 17, when he… Read More »
“Look out for number one” THE CRIME: Known as “Mr Big”, Rothstein was born in New York City and soon rebelled against his Jewish background. He used his mathematical brain to win at gambling, running his own dice games. Described as the spiritual godfather of organized crime, most of the big names — Luciano, Lansky,… Read More »
“Put the money into wine, women and song. They’ll get the same return and have more fun” THE CRIME: Tall (1.93 m/6 ft 4 in), handsome (after some plastic surgery), stylish, rich, successful in business — John Zachary DeLorean seemed to have it all. He had risen to become Executive Vice-President of General Motors before… Read More »