“I wasn’t crazy. I was telling the truth” THE CRIME: Sam Giancana was a vicious thug but a brave one nonetheless. He was a bagman for Al Capone (search the article) and if any job was deemed dangerous, it was handed to “Momo” Giancana. He was a prime suspect in three murders before he turned… 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 »
“I don’t want to be murdered beside the garbage cans in some Chicago alley” THE CRIME: Born in Minnesota as Adelard Cunin, he moved to Chicago when he was a teenager and adopted the name George Moran so that he could join an Irish gang. His first arrest came on 17 September 1910 and they… Read More »
Reiser murdered him but made the death look like suicide THE CRIME: A safe-cracker by trade, Reiser was also a devoted family man. Using the name Charles Shopes, he was friendly and helpful. He used the money from robberies to buy a large apartment building in Chicago where he was known to be a good… Read More »
Before Amatuna could say “I do” he slipped into unconsciousness THE CRIME: Born in 1899, Amatuna began his career as a messenger for the Genna brothers. He progressed to become an enforcer and later bodyguard for “Bloody Angelo” Genna in 1920. He would beat up anyone who even criticized the brothers and was handy with… Read More »
“They can never nail me for it. The weapon is gone” THE CRIME: Sven Olof Joachim Palme joined the Social Democratic Party in Sweden, becoming head of its youth section in 1955 when he was 28. Three years later he became an MP and in 1963 joined the cabinet for the first time. On 1… Read More »