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121-510: Vincent Louis Gigante ( / dʒ ɪ ˈ ɡ æ n t i / jig- AN -tee , Italian: [dʒiˈɡante] ; March 29, 1928 – December 19, 2005), also known as " Chin ", was an American mobster who was boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City from 1981 to 2005. Gigante started out as a professional boxer who fought in 25 matches between 1944 and 1947. He then started working as
242-564: A Mafia enforcer for what was then the Luciano crime family, forerunner of the Genovese family. Gigante was one of five brothers. Three of them, Mario , Pasquale, and Ralph, followed him into the Mafia. Only one brother, Louis , stayed out of the crime family, instead becoming a Catholic priest. Gigante was the shooter in the failed assassination of longtime Luciano boss Frank Costello in 1957. In 1959, he
363-504: A $ 250,000 bribe to release him, then threatened Dickey when the offer was refused. Dickey was even instructed by his superiors in the military chain of command to refrain from pursuing Genovese, but refused to be dissuaded. On June 2, 1945, after arriving in New York by ship the day before, Genovese was arraigned on murder charges for the 1934 Boccia killing. He pleaded not guilty. On June 10, 1946, another prosecution witness, Jerry Esposito,
484-458: A Mafia boss. It was almost unheard of for a boss to even consider pleading guilty. Gigante agreed to the deal to ease the burden on his relatives. For instance, Andrew faced up to 20 years in prison had he gone to trial. Another provision of the plea agreement stipulated that any relatives who helped in his deception, including his wife, mistress and Father Louis, would not be charged with obstruction of justice. Gigante died on December 19, 2005, at
605-618: A business. Luciano, Frank Costello , and Genovese started their own bootlegging operation with financing from Rothstein. In 1930, Genovese was indicted on counterfeiting charges when police found $ 1 million of counterfeit US currency in a Bath Beach, Brooklyn , workshop. Later in 1930, Genovese allegedly murdered Gaetano Reina , the leader of a Bronx-based gang. Reina had been a Masseria ally, but Masseria decided to kill him after he began to suspect him of secretly helping Masseria's archrival, Brooklyn gang leader Salvatore Maranzano . On February 26, 1930, Genovese allegedly ambushed Reina as he
726-442: A dark psychological analysis of a fictionalized Al Capone . These films chronicle the quick rise, and equally quick downfall, of three young, violent criminals, and represent the genre in its purest form before moral pressure would force it to change and evolve. Though the gangster in each film would face a violent downfall which was designed to remind the viewers of the consequences of crime, audiences were often able to identify with
847-453: A firearm. By the 1920s, Genovese started working for Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria , the boss of a powerful Manhattan gang that would evolve into the family he would eventually lead. Charlie Luciano and his close associates started working for gambler Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein , who immediately saw the potential windfall from Prohibition and educated Luciano on running bootleg alcohol as
968-537: A gambling conviction. During this time, Gigante listed his occupation as a tailor. In the 1960s, Gigante took to walking around his neighborhood in a bathrobe, pajamas, and slippers while mumbling to himself, which law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and Mafia defectors would later describe as a staged performance intended to allow Gigante to avoid prosecution for his criminal activities. This would come to be known as "The Bathrobe Defense", in which those accused of criminal wrongdoing would feign mental incompetence to avoid
1089-522: A haircut and shave. As Anastasia relaxed in the barber chair, two men with their faces covered in scarves shot and killed him. Witnesses were unable to identify any of the gunmen, and competing theories exist today as to their identities. In November 1957, immediately after the Anastasia murder, after taking control of the Luciano crime family from Costello, Genovese wanted to legitimize his new power by holding
1210-543: A high-stakes card game. After the game, Boccia demanded a share of $ 35,000 because he had introduced the victim to Genovese. Rather than pay Boccia anything, Genovese decided to have him murdered. On September 19, 1934, Genovese and five associates allegedly shot and killed Boccia in a coffee shop in Brooklyn. On June 18, 1936, Luciano was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison as a result of his conviction on pandering . With Luciano's imprisonment, Genovese became acting boss of
1331-619: A hitman sent by Genovese. Valachi then became a government witness. Genovese died in prison on February 14, 1969. Vito Genovese was born on November 21, 1897, in Risigliano, a frazione in the comune of Tufino , in the Province of Naples , Italy . His father was Frances Felice Genovese and his mother Nunziata Aluotto. Vito had a sister, Giovanna Jennie (m. Richard Prisco), along with two brothers, Michael and Carmine, who later joined Genovese's crime family. His cousin, Michael , became boss of
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#17328836671061452-626: A life of organized crime, and Louis , who became a Catholic priest at St. Athanasius Church in the South Bronx and city councilman. According to his brother Louis, his nickname, "The Chin", stemmed from their mother affectionately calling him Chinzeeno as a boy, derived from the name Vincenzo , the Italian form of Vincent. Gigante graduated from Public School 3 in West Village, Manhattan and later attended Textile High School , but dropped out. Gigante
1573-411: A life sentence for that murder, Valachi decided to become a government witness. On August 24, 1964, Ernest Rupolo 's body was recovered from Jamaica Bay , Queens . His killers had attached two concrete blocks to his legs and tied his hands. It was widely assumed that Genovese had ordered Rupolo's murder for testifying against him in the 1944 Boccia murder trial. Genovese died of a heart attack at
1694-485: A meeting at his office, they knew Maranzano would kill them there. Instead, Luciano sent to Maranzano's office four Jewish gangsters whose faces were unknown to Maranzano's people. They had been secured with the aid of Meyer Lansky and Siegel. Luciano subsequently created The Commission to serve as the governing body for organized crime. In 1931, Genovese's first wife, Donata Ragone, died of tuberculosis and he quickly announced his intention to marry Anna Petillo, who
1815-427: A meeting where he was murdered at a restaurant called Nuova Villa Tammaro on Coney Island . While they played cards, Luciano allegedly excused himself to the bathroom, with the gunmen reportedly being Genovese, Albert Anastasia , Joe Adonis , and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel ; Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova drove the getaway car, but legend has it that he was too shaken up to drive away and had to be shoved out of
1936-430: A national Cosa Nostra meeting. Genovese selected Buffalo, New York boss and Commission member Stefano "The Undertaker" Magaddino to organize the meeting; he in turn chose northeastern Pennsylvania crime boss Joseph Barbara and his underboss Russell Bufalino to oversee all the arrangements for it. Cuba was one of the topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on
2057-457: A place where his family could be "out in the country", Genovese purchased a mansion in rural Middletown Township, New Jersey . The mansion's grounds were extensively landscaped into Italian gardens evoking Genovese's homeland, and included a small rock replica of Mount Vesuvius . Today, it is the site a public botanical gardens called Deep Cut Gardens . In 1937 while Genovese was in Italy due to
2178-540: A relatively small group of people who cooperate in criminal acts, as with the Jesse James gang, which ended with the leader's death in 1882. However, a gang may also be a larger group with a formal organization that survives the death of its leader. For example, each of the Five Families founded in the early 20th century, outlasted its founders and have survived into the 21st century. Large and well structured gangs such as
2299-409: A teenager, Gigante became the protégé of future Genovese crime family patriarch Vito Genovese , who had helped pay for Gigante's mother's surgery. Between the ages of 17 and 25, he was arrested seven times on charges ranging from receiving stolen goods, possession of an unlicensed handgun, and illegal gambling and bookmaking . Most were dismissed or resolved by fines, except for a 60-day jail-stay for
2420-477: A titular boss of bosses and let Genovese run everything. Luciano calmly rejected Genovese's suggestion: There is no Boss of Bosses. I turned it down in front of everybody. If I ever change my mind, I will take the title. But it won't be up to you. Right now you work for me and I ain't in the mood to retire. Don't you ever let me hear this again, or I'll lose my temper. Genovese was now a capo of his former Greenwich Village Crew . However, on October 4, 1951, Moretti
2541-531: A walk and was never seen again. His body was never recovered. In 1962, an alleged murder threat from Genovese propelled mobster Joseph Valachi into the public spotlight. In June, Genovese supposedly accused Valachi, also imprisoned in Atlanta, of being an informer and gave Valachi the kiss of death . In July, Valachi supposedly mistook another inmate for a mob hitman and killed him. A $ 100,000 bounty for Valachi's death had been placed by Genovese. After receiving
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#17328836671062662-473: Is agreement that the members of a gang have a sense of common identity and belonging and this is typically reinforced through shared activities and through visual identifications such as special clothing, tattoos, colors, or rings. Some preconceptions may be false. For example, the common view that illegal drug distribution in the United States is largely controlled by gangs has been questioned. A gang may be
2783-594: Is believed Genovese provided Ciano with cocaine . Genovese donated nearly $ 4 million to Mussolini's fascist party by the end of World War II . He was also awarded the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and made a commendatore , after he participated in helping create a new fascist party headquarters in Nola. In 1943, Genovese allegedly ordered the murder of Carlo Tresca , the publisher of an anarchist newspaper in New York and an enemy of Mussolini. Genovese allegedly facilitated
2904-537: Is presented as a moral outcome, it is usually seen as no more than an accidental failure. The gangster is typically articulate, although at times lonely and depressed, and his worldly wisdom and defiance of social norms has a strong appeal, particularly to adolescents. The years 1931 and 1932 saw the genre produce three classics: Warner Bros. ' Little Caesar and The Public Enemy , which made screen icons out of Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney , and Howard Hughes ' Scarface starring Paul Muni , which offered
3025-456: Is then broken down into smaller loads for smuggling across the U.S.–Mexico border . Arrests of key gang leaders, particularly in the Tijuana and Gulf cartels, have led to increasing drug violence as gangs fight for control of the trafficking routes into the United States. Cocaine traffickers from Colombia, and recently Mexico, have also established a labyrinth of smuggling routes throughout
3146-629: The Caribbean , the Bahama Island chain, and South Florida. They often hire traffickers from Mexico or the Dominican Republic to transport the drug. The traffickers use a variety of smuggling techniques to transfer their drug to U.S. markets. These include airdrops of 500–700 kg in the Bahama Islands or off the coast of Puerto Rico , mid-ocean boat-to-boat transfers of 500–2,000 kg, and
3267-489: The Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 in mainland China, law enforcement became stricter and tough governmental crackdown on criminal organizations forced the triads to migrate to Hong Kong, then a British colony, and other cities around the world. Triads today are highly organized, with departments responsible for functions such as accounting, recruiting, communications, training and welfare in addition to
3388-572: The Criminal Investigation Division examined Genovese's background, he discovered that Genovese was a fugitive wanted for the 1934 Boccia killing. However, there was seemingly little interest from the Army or the federal government in pursuing Genovese. After months of frustration, Dickey was finally able to make preparations to ship Genovese back to New York to face trial, but came under increasing pressure. Genovese personally offered Dickey
3509-501: The Fifth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution 150 separate times. Luciano allegedly helped pay part of $ 100,000 to a Puerto Rican drug dealer to falsely implicate Genovese in a drug deal. On July 7, 1958, Genovese was indicted on charges of conspiring to import and sell narcotics. The government's star witness was Nelson Cantellops, a Puerto Rican drug dealer who claimed Genovese met with him. On April 4, 1959, Genovese
3630-421: The Genovese crime family . A doorman identified Gigante as the gunman. In 1958, Costello testified that he was unable to recognize his assailant. Gigante was acquitted on charges of attempted murder. In 1959, Gigante was convicted, with Vito Genovese, of heroin trafficking and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was paroled after five years. Not long afterward, he was promoted from soldier to captain, running
3751-1010: The Greenwich Village Crew , and headquartered at the Triangle Civic Improvement Association. In 1969, Gigante was indicted in New Jersey for conspiracy to bribe the entire five-member Old Tappan, New Jersey police force to alert him to surveillance operations by law enforcement agencies. The charge was dropped after Gigante's lawyers presented reports from psychiatrists that he was mentally unfit to stand trial. Since 1969, Gigante had been treated 20 times for psychiatric disorders. Gigante's "primary treating psychiatrist", Eugene D'Adamo, noted: "Vincent Gigante has been diagnosed since 1969 as suffering from schizophrenia, paranoid type with [periodic] acute exacerbations which result in hospitalization." Gigante's lawyers and relatives said that Gigante had been mentally disabled since
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3872-635: The Javits Center , as well as protection payoffs from merchants at the Fulton Fish Market . Gigante also had influence in the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy , operating gambling games, extorting payoffs from vendors, and pocketing thousands of dollars donated to a neighborhood church—until a crackdown in 1995 by New York City officials. On April 13, 1986, Gambino crime family underboss Frank DeCicco
3993-622: The Mafia , drug cartels , Triads , Crips , Bloods , or even outlaw motorcycle gangs can undertake complex transactions that would be far beyond the capability of one individual, and can provide services such as dispute arbitration and contract enforcement that parallel those of a legitimate government. The term " organized crime " is associated with gangs and gangsters, but is not synonymous. A small street gang that engages in sporadic low-level crime would not be seen as "organized". An organization that coordinates gangs in different countries involved in
4114-571: The Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri . His funeral and burial were held four days later, on December 23, at Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Greenwich Village, largely in anonymity. Since Gigante's death, his family has continued to live well. According to a 2011 report by Jerry Capeci , Gigante's relatives earn nearly $ 2 million a year as employees of companies on
4235-632: The Pittsburgh crime family . As a child in Italy, Genovese completed school only to the American equivalent of the fifth grade. In 1913, when Genovese was aged 15, his family immigrated to the United States onboard the SS Taormina and took up residence in New York City 's Little Italy . Genovese was 5 ft 7 in (170 cm). Until 1934, Genovese lived in New York City. In 1935, looking for
4356-512: The Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s. The classic gangster movie ranks with the Western as one of the most successful creations of the American movie industry. The "classic" form of gangster movie, rarely produced in recent years, tells of a gangster working his way up through his enterprise and daring, until his organization collapses while he is at the peak of his powers. Although the ending
4477-725: The Rizzuto crime family . The terms "gangster" and "mobster" are mostly used in the United States to refer to members of criminal organizations associated with Prohibition . In 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption. Many gangs sold alcohol illegally for profit, and used acute violence to stake turf and protect their interest. Often, police officers and politicians were paid off or extorted to ensure continued operation. Al Capone
4598-575: The Serbian Mafia , Bosnian Mafia , Bulgarian Mafia , and so on. In China, Triads trace their roots to resistance or rebel groups opposed to Manchu rule during the Qing dynasty , which were given the triangle as their emblem. The first record of a triad society, Heaven and Earth Gathering , dates to the Lin Shuangwen uprising on Taiwan from 1786 to 1787. The triads evolved into criminal societies. When
4719-596: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York , Eugene Nickerson , ruled that Gigante was mentally competent to stand trial. He pleaded not guilty and had been free for years on $ 1 million bail. Gigante had another cardiac operation in December 1996. On June 25, 1997, Gigante's trial started. Gigante stood trial in a wheelchair. On July 25, 1997, after almost three days of deliberations,
4840-794: The Whyos and the Dead Rabbits . These were followed by the Italian Five Points Gang and later a Jewish gang known as the Eastman Gang . There were also " Nativist " anti-immigration gangs such as the Bowery Boys . The Italian-American Mafia arose from offshoots of the Mafia that emerged in the United States during the late 19th century, following waves of emigration from Sicily. There were similar offshoots in Canada among Italian Canadians , such as
4961-473: The boss of bosses title by ordering the murder of Albert Anastasia and the botched hit of Frank Costello . Immediately following this, he called a mafia summit to consolidate his power, but the meeting was raided by police. In 1959, Genovese's reign was cut short as he was convicted on narcotics conspiracy charges and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. While he and his underling Joe Valachi were in prison together, Valachi killed an inmate he thought to be
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5082-532: The 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and run by Ochoa Vázquez brothers with Pablo Escobar . By 1993, the Colombian government, helped by the US, had successfully dismantled the cartel by imprisoning or hunting and gunning down its members. Although Mexican drug cartels, or drug trafficking organizations, have existed for several decades, they have become more powerful since the demise of Colombia's Cali and Medellín cartels in
5203-546: The 1980s. In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a surge of imports of action movies from Hong Kong. The first of the new wave of important home grown gangster movies was Im Kwon-taek 's General's Son (1990). Although this movie followed the earlier tradition, it was followed by a series of sophisticated gangster noirs set in contemporary urban locations, such as A Bittersweet Life (2005). Vito Genovese Vito Genovese ( Italian: [ˈviːto dʒenoˈveːze, -eːse] ; November 21, 1897 – February 14, 1969)
5324-404: The 1990s. Mexican drug cartels now dominate the wholesale illicit drug market in the United States. Sixty five percent of cocaine enters the United States through Mexico, and the vast majority of the rest enters through Florida. Cocaine shipments from South America transported through Mexico or Central America are generally moved over land or by air to staging sites in northern Mexico. The cocaine
5445-545: The Apalachin meeting in protest. In response, Genovese decided to murder him. On September 25, 1959, Carfano and a female companion were found shot to death in his Cadillac automobile on a residential street in Jackson Heights, Queens . In April 1962, Genovese allegedly ordered the murder of Anthony Strollo after concluding that Strollo was part of the plot that put him in prison. On April 8, Strollo left his house to go for
5566-551: The Barbara estate. The police stopped a car driven by Bufalino, whose passengers included Genovese and three other men, at a roadblock as they left the estate; Bufalino said that he had come to visit his sick friend, Barbara. Genovese said he was just there for a barbecue and to discuss business with Barbara. The police let him go. On June 2, 1958, Genovese testified under subpoena in the U.S. Senate McClellan Hearings on organized crime. Genovese refused to answer any questions, citing
5687-527: The Bathrobe" by the media, Gigante often wandered the streets of Greenwich Village in his bathrobe and slippers, mumbling incoherently to himself. He was indicted on federal racketeering charges in 1990, but was determined to be mentally unfit to stand trial. In 1997, he was tried and convicted of racketeering and conspiracy , and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Facing obstruction of justice charges in 2003, he pleaded guilty and admitted that his supposed insanity
5808-468: The Boccia murder by mobster Ernest "The Hawk" Rupolo , a former Genovese associate. Facing a murder conviction, Rupolo had decided to become a government witness. On August 27, 1944, U.S. military police arrested Genovese in Italy during an investigation into his running of a black market ring. It was revealed that Genovese had been stealing trucks, flour, and sugar from the Army. When Agent Orange C. Dickey of
5929-494: The Boccia murder, the mansion burnt down and was never rebuilt. After the mansions' destruction, he and his family lived a quiet life in a house in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey . Genovese started his criminal career stealing merchandise from pushcart vendors and running errands for mobsters. He later collected money from people who played illegal lotteries. At 19, Genovese spent a year in prison for illegal possession of
6050-596: The Bronx, where Franse was strangled to death by Pasquale Pagano and Fiore Siano (Valachi's nephew). During the mid-1950s, Genovese decided to move against Costello. However, Genovese needed to also remove Costello's strong ally on the Commission, Albert Anastasia , the boss of the Anastasia crime family . Genovese was soon conspiring with Carlo Gambino , Anastasia's underboss, to remove Anastasia. In early 1957, Genovese decided
6171-563: The FBI that Salerno had been a front for the real boss, Gigante. Cafaro revealed that the Genovese family had been keeping up this ruse since 1969. FBI bugs had captured a conversation in which Salerno and capo Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello were reviewing a list of prospective candidates to become made members in another family. Frustrated that the nicknames of the potential inductees had not been included, Salerno shrugged and said, "I'll leave this up to
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#17328836671066292-659: The Gambino crime family, who became a cooperating witness in 1991, and Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco , former acting boss of the Lucchese family, testified that Gigante was lucid at top-level Mafia meetings and that he had told other gangsters that his eccentric behavior was a pretense. Gigante's lawyers got testimony and reports from psychiatrists that from 1969 to 1995 Gigante had been confined 28 times in hospitals for treatment of hallucinations and that he suffered from "dementia rooted in organic brain damage ". In August 1996, senior judge of
6413-466: The Genovese family, while other mobsters were entrusted to run the day-to-day activities of the family. Gigante relayed orders to the crime family through his son, Andrew, who visited him in prison. On January 23, 2002, Gigante was indicted with several other mobsters, including his son Andrew, on racketeering and obstruction of justice charges. Prosecutors accused him of continuing to rule his family from prison, and that he used Andrew to funnel messages to
6534-452: The Luciano crime family. On November 25, 1936, Genovese became a naturalized United States citizen in New York City. In 1937, fearing prosecution for the Boccia murder, Genovese fled to Italy with $ 750,000 cash and settled in the city of Nola , near Naples . With Genovese's departure, Costello became acting boss. After bribing some fascist party members, Genovese became a friend of Galeazzo Ciano , Benito Mussolini 's son-in-law; it
6655-469: The New Jersey Superior Court appellate division, in 1954. In 1953, Genovese allegedly ordered the murder of mobster Steven Franse. Genovese had tasked Franse with supervising Anna while he hid in Italy. Outraged over Anna's potential love affairs and her lawsuit against him, Genovese ordered Joseph Valachi to set up Franse's murder. On June 18, 1953, Valachi lured Franse to his restaurant in
6776-482: The New Jersey waterfront. Mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang . Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime . Gangsters are also called mobsters , a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster . Gangs provide a level of organization and resources that support much larger and more complex criminal transactions than an individual criminal could achieve. Gangsters have been active for many years in countries around
6897-640: The New York City Housing Authority to install windows. Gigante attended his arraignment in pajamas and bathrobe. Due to his defense stating that he was mentally and physically impaired, legal battles ensued for seven years over his competence to stand trial. In June 1993, Gigante was under indictment again, charged with sanctioning the murders of six mobsters and conspiring to kill three others, including Gambino boss John Gotti. At sanity hearings in March 1996, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano , former underboss of
7018-461: The U.S. Army, accepted a 1938 Packard Sedan as a personal gift from Genovese. Genovese was appointed to a position of interpreter/liaison officer in the U.S. Army headquarters in Naples and quickly became one of Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories ' (AMGOT) most trusted employees. Poletti and the entire AMGOT department were completely unaware of his history. Genovese established one of
7139-495: The United States being the world's largest consumer of cocaine. Colombia is the world's leading producer of cocaine , and also produces heroin that is mostly destined for the US market. The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of drug suppliers and smugglers originating in the city of Medellín , Colombia. The gang operated in Colombia, Bolivia , Peru , Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout
7260-457: The United States often joined these tongs. With a new wave of migration in the 1960s, street gangs began to flourish in major cities. The Tongs recruited these gangs to protect their extortion, gambling and narcotics operations. As American society and culture developed, new immigrants were relocating to the United States. The first major gangs in 19th century New York City were the Irish gangs such as
7381-523: The absolute dictator of the Soviet Union had previously founded the Outfit, a criminal gang that were involved with armed robberies , racketeering , assassinations , arms procurement and child couriering . In the period of Soviet Union , Vory v Zakone emerged, a class of criminals that had to abide by certain rules in the prison system. One such rule was that cooperation with the authorities of any kind
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#17328836671067502-483: The acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai was a gangster movie, As Tears Go By . In it the protagonist finds himself torn between his desire for a woman and his loyalty to a fellow gangster. Infernal Affairs (2002) is a thriller about a police officer who infiltrates a triad and a triad member who infiltrates the police department. The film was remade by Martin Scorsese as The Departed . Gangster films make up one of
7623-429: The boss." Gigante was reclusive, and almost impossible to capture on wiretaps , speaking softly, eschewing the phone and even at times whistling into the receiver. He almost never left his home unoccupied because he knew FBI agents would sneak in and plant a bug. Genovese members were not allowed to mention Gigante's name in conversations or phone calls. When they had to mention him, members pointed to their chins or made
7744-632: The bosses of the most powerful families would have equal say and vote on important matters and solve disputes between families. This group ruled over the National Crime Syndicate and brought in an era of peace and prosperity for the American Mafia. Most cocaine is grown and processed in South America, particularly in Colombia , Bolivia , Peru , and smuggled into the United States and Europe,
7865-457: The charismatic anti-hero. Those suffering from the Depression were able to relate to the gangster character who worked hard to earn his place and success in the world, only to have it all taken away from him. Latin American gangster movies are known for their gritty realism. Soy un delincuente (English: I Am a Criminal) is a 1976 Venezuelan film by director Clemente de la Cerda. The film tells
7986-468: The commercial shipment of tonnes of cocaine through the port of Miami. Another route of cocaine traffic goes through Chile, this route is primarily used for cocaine produced in Bolivia since the nearest seaports lie in northern Chile. The arid Bolivia-Chile border is easily crossed by 4x4 vehicles that then head to the seaports of Iquique and Antofagasta . Gangs have long been the subject of movies. In fact,
8107-404: The driver's seat by Siegel. Luciano took over Masseria's family, with Genovese as his underboss. In September 1931, Luciano and Genovese planned the murder of Salvatore Maranzano. Luciano had received word that Maranzano was planning to kill him and Genovese, and prepared a hit team to kill Maranzano first. On September 10, 1931, when Maranzano summoned Luciano, Genovese, and Frank Costello to
8228-576: The end of the '60s and the beginning of the '80s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and criminal Knockout Ned . The film received four Academy Award nominations in 2004. The first yakuza (gangster) film made in Japan was Bakuto (Gambler, 1964). The genre soon became popular, and by the 1970s the Japanese film industry was turning out a hundred mostly low-budget yakuza films each year. The films are descendants of
8349-465: The expansion of the heroin trade to an international level. He fled to Italy in 1937, and for a brief period during World War II he supported Benito Mussolini 's Fascist regime for fear of being deported back to the U.S. to face murder charges. After returning to the U.S. in 1945, Genovese served as mentor to Vincent "the Chin" Gigante , the future boss of the Genovese family. In 1957, Genovese vied for
8470-457: The family. They also wanted him held responsible for causing a seven-year delay in his previous trial by feigning insanity. Several days later, Andrew was released on $ 2.5 million bail. Federal prosecutor Roslynn R. Mauskopf had planned to play tapes showing him "fully coherent, careful and intelligent," running crime operations from prison. Faced with this evidence, Gigante pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice on April 7, 2003, just hours before
8591-480: The first feature-length movie ever produced was The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), an Australian production that traced the life of the outlaw Ned Kelly (1855–1880). The United States has profoundly influenced the genre, but other cultures have contributed distinctive and often excellent gangster movies. The stereotypical image and myth of the American gangster is closely associated with organized crime during
8712-429: The first half of the 1980s. He also ordered the failed murder attempt of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti in 1986. With the arrest and conviction of Gotti and various Gambino family members in 1992, Gigante was recognized as the most powerful crime boss in the United States. For about 30 years, Gigante feigned insanity in an effort to throw law enforcement off his trail. Dubbed "The Oddfather" and "The Enigma in
8833-722: The government have displaced the Vory from some of their traditional niches, although the Vory are still strong in gambling and the retail trade. The Albanian Mafia is active in Albania , the United States, and the European Union (EU) countries, participating in a diverse range of criminal enterprises including drug and arms trafficking . The people of the mountainous country of Albania have always had strong traditions of family and clan loyalty, in some ways similar to that of southern Italy. Ethnic Albanian gangs have grown rapidly since 1992 during
8954-553: The heroin trade, Cuban gambling, and what to do about Bugsy Siegel and the floundering Flamingo Hotel project in Las Vegas . The conference took place at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba and lasted a little more than a week. On December 20, during the conference, Luciano had a private meeting with Genovese in Luciano's hotel suite. Unlike Costello, Luciano had never trusted Genovese. In the meeting, Genovese tried to convince Luciano to become
9075-480: The increasing crime wave. At first, the Vory v Zakone played a key role in arbitrating the gang wars that erupted in the 1990s. By the mid-1990s it was believed that "Don" Semion Mogilevich had become the "boss of all bosses" of most Russian Mafia syndicates in the world, described by the British government as "one of the most dangerous men in the world". More recently, criminals with stronger ties to big business and
9196-506: The international trade in drugs or prostitutes may not be considered a "gang". There are several organized crime groups in Italy . Notably, the Sicilian Mafia , or Cosa Nostra is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy . It is a loose association of criminal groups that share common organizational structure and code of conduct . The origins lie in
9317-482: The island. The international narcotics trade was also an important topic on the agenda. The New York garment industry interests and rackets, such as loansharking to the business owners and control of garment center trucking, were other important topics on the agenda. On November 14, 1957, powerful mafiosi from the United States and Italy convened at Barbara's estate in Apalachin, New York . The meeting agenda included
9438-626: The jury convicted Gigante of conspiring in plots to kill other mobsters and of running rackets as head of the Genovese family. Prosecutors stated that the verdict finally established that Gigante was not mentally ill, as his lawyers and relatives had long maintained. On December 18, 1997, Gigante was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $ 1.25 million by judge Jack B. Weinstein , a lenient sentence due to Gigante's "age and frailty", who declared that Gigante had been "... finally brought to bay in his declining years after decades of vicious criminal tyranny". While in prison, he maintained his role as boss of
9559-543: The jury, but I believe that if there were even a shred of corroborating evidence, you would have been condemned to the (electric) chair . With his release from custody in 1946, Genovese was able to rejoin the Luciano family in New York; however, neither Costello nor his underboss Willie Moretti was willing to return power to him. In 1946, Lansky called a meeting of the heads of the major crime families in Havana that December . The three topics which would come under discussion were
9680-710: The land was to become private property of the peasants. Other similarly large and powerful Italian criminal organizations, often composed of smaller gangs or "clans" generally operating under a shared criminal subculture or code, include the Camorra in Naples and Campania and the Ndrangheta in Calabria . Organized crime has existed in Russia since the days of Imperial Russia in the form of banditry and thievery. Joseph Stalin , who emerged as
9801-605: The largest black market operations in southern Italy, together with the Cosa nostra's boss Calogero Vizzini . Vizzini sent truck caravans loaded with all the basic food commodities necessary for the Italian diet rolling northward to hungry Naples, where their cargoes were distributed by Genovese's organization. All of the trucks were issued passes and export papers by the AMGOT administration in Naples and Sicily, and some corrupt American army officers even made contributions of gasoline and trucks to
9922-584: The late 1960s, with a below-normal IQ of 69 to 72. In 1981, Genovese's successor, Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo , stepped down as boss due to poor health. With Lombardo's support, Gigante became boss of the Genovese family. Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was made front boss of the Genovese family in order to fool law enforcement. Gigante built a vast network of bookmaking and loansharking rings and from extortions of garbage, shipping, trucking and construction companies seeking labor peace or contracts from carpenters', Teamsters and laborers' unions, including those at
10043-399: The legal consequence of such behavior. In early 1957, Genovese decided to move on Luciano family boss Frank Costello . Genovese ordered Gigante to murder Costello, and on May 2, 1957, Gigante shot and wounded Costello outside his apartment building. Although the wound was superficial, it persuaded Costello to relinquish power to Genovese and retire. Genovese then controlled what is now called
10164-436: The legitimacy of Genovese's conviction. For instance, longtime NYPD detective Ralph Salerno argued that "anyone who understands the protocol and insulation procedures" of the Mafia would find it "almost unbelievable" that a crime boss would be directly involved in a drug operation. In September 1959, Genovese allegedly ordered the murder of mobster Anthony Carfano . Angered at the murder attempt on Costello, Carfano had skipped
10285-489: The letter "C" with their fingers. During Gigante's tenure as boss of the Genovese family, after the imprisonment of John Gotti in 1992, Gigante came to be known as the figurehead capo di tutti capi , the "Boss of All Bosses", despite the position being abolished in 1931 with the murder of Salvatore Maranzano . From 1978 to 1990, four of the five crime families of New York , including the Genovese family, rigged bids for 75 percent of $ 191 million, or about $ 142 million, of
10406-480: The mainstream movies in the genre deal with Triad societies portrayed as quasi-benign organizations. The movie gangster applies the Taoist principles of balance and honor to his conduct. The plots are often similar to those of Hollywood gangster movies, often ending with the fall of the subject of the movie at the hands of another gangster, but such a fall is far less important than a fall from honor. The first movie made by
10527-538: The mid- Edo period : tekiya , those who primarily peddled illicit, stolen or shoddy goods; and bakuto , those who were involved in or participated in gambling. In the late 1860s, many Chinese emigrated to the United States, escaping from insecurity and economic hardship at home, at first working on the west coast and later moving east. The new immigrants formed Chinese Benevolent Associations. In some cases these evolved into Tongs , or criminal organizations primarily involved in gambling. Members of Triads who migrated to
10648-677: The most notorious being the Rizhsky market where prostitution rings were run next to the Rizhsky Railway Station in Moscow. As the Soviet Union headed for collapse many former government workers turned to crime, while others moved overseas. Former KGB agents and veterans of the Afghan and First and Second Chechen Wars , now unemployed but with experience that could prove useful in crime, joined
10769-479: The most profitable segments of the South Korean film industry. Films made in the 1960s were often influenced by Japanese yakuza films, dealing with internal conflict between members of a gang or external conflict with other gangs. The gangsters' code of conduct and loyalty are important elements. Starting in the 1970s, strict censorship caused decline in the number and quality of gangster movies, and none were made in
10890-725: The murder as a favor to the Italian government. On January 11, 1943, a gunman shot and killed Tresca outside his newspaper office in Manhattan. The shooter was later alleged to be Carmine Galante , a member of the Bonanno crime family . No one was ever charged in the Tresca murder. When the Allies invaded Italy in September 1943, Genovese switched sides and quickly offered his services to the U.S. Army. Former New York governor Charles Poletti , then attached to
11011-508: The operation. According to Luke Monzelli, a lieutenant in the Carabinieri assigned to follow Genovese during his time in Italy: "Truckloads of food supplies were shipped from Vizzini to Genovese — all accompanied by the proper documents which had been certified by men in authority, Mafia members in the service of Vizzini and Genovese." In the summer of 1944 in New York, Genovese was implicated in
11132-412: The operational arms. They engage in a variety of crimes including extortion, money laundering, smuggling, trafficking and prostitution. Yakuza are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. They are notorious for their strict codes of conduct and very organized nature. As of 2009 they had an estimated 80,900 members. Most modern yakuza derive from two classifications which emerged in
11253-576: The other by Salvatore Maranzano . This caused the Castellammarese War , which led to Masseria's murder in 1931. Maranzano then divided New York City into five families . Maranzano, the first leader of the American Mafia, established the code of conduct for the organization, set up the "family" divisions and structure, and established procedures for resolving disputes. In an unprecedented move, Maranzano set himself up as boss of all bosses and required all families to pay tribute to him. This new role
11374-537: The prolonged period of instability in the Balkans after the collapse of Yugoslavia. This coincided with large scale migration throughout Europe and to the United States and Canada. Although based in Albania, the gangs often handle international transactions such as trafficking in economic migrants, drugs and other contraband, and weapons. Other criminal organizations that emerged in the Balkans around this time are popularly called
11495-416: The resolution of open questions on illegal gambling and narcotics dealing, particularly in the New York City area. State trooper Edgar D. Croswell had become aware that Barbara's son was reserving rooms in local hotels along with the delivery of a large quantity of meat from a local butcher to the Barbara home. That made Croswell suspicious, and he therefore decided to keep an eye on Barbara's house. When
11616-430: The samurai epics, and are closer to Westerns than to Hollywood gangster movies. The hero is typically torn between compassion for the oppressed and his sense of duty to the gang. The plots are generally highly stylized, starting with the protagonist being released from prison and ending in a gory sword fight in which he dies an honorable death. Although some Hong Kong gangster movies are simply vehicles for violent action,
11737-419: The state police found many luxury cars parked at Barbara's home they began taking down license plate numbers. Having found that many of these cars were registered to known criminals, state police reinforcements came to the scene and began to set up a roadblock. When the mobsters discovered the police presence, they started fleeing the gathering by car and by foot. Many Mafiosi escaped through the woods surrounding
11858-407: The story of Ramón Antonio Brizuela, a real-life individual, who since childhood has to deal with rampant violence and the drugs, sex and petty thievery of a Caracas slum. Starting with delinquency, Ramón moves on to serious gang activity and robberies. He grows into a tough, self-confident young man who is hardened to violence. His views change when his fiancée's brother is killed in a robbery. The film
11979-418: The time to move on Costello had come. Genovese ordered Vincent Gigante to murder Costello, and on May 2, 1957, Gigante shot and wounded Costello outside his apartment building. Although the wound was superficial, it persuaded Costello to relinquish power to Genovese and retire. A doorman identified Gigante as the gunman, however, in 1958, Costello testified that he was unable to recognize his assailant; Gigante
12100-574: The trial was to start. Judge I. Leo Glasser sentenced him to an additional three years in prison. Mauskopf stated, "The jig is up ... Vincent Gigante was a cunning faker, and those of us in law enforcement always knew that this was an act ... The act ran for decades, but today it's over." On July 25, 2003, Gigante's son Andrew was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $ 2.5 million for racketeering and extortion. The New York Times organized-crime reporter and mob historian Selwyn Raab described Gigante's plea deal as an "unprecedented capitulation" for
12221-413: The upheaval of Sicily's transition out of feudalism in 1812 and its later annexation by mainland Italy in 1860. Under feudalism, the nobility owned most of the land and enforced law and order through their private armies. After 1812, the feudal barons steadily sold off or rented their lands to private citizens. Primogeniture was abolished, land could no longer be seized to settle debts, and one fifth of
12342-587: The wife of a mob figure. Two years earlier, she had moved out of the family home in New Jersey. She asked the judge for $ 350 per week. Vito filed a counter-suit for divorce on the grounds of desertion. According to Anna Genovese, Vito Genovese ruled the Italian lottery in New York and New Jersey, bringing in over $ 1 million per year, owned four Greenwich Village night clubs, a dog track in Virginia, and other legitimate businesses. Both claims were ultimately dismissed in
12463-495: The window contracts awarded by the New York City Housing Authority . Installation companies were required to make union payoffs between $ 1 and $ 2 for each window installed. In 1988, Gigante had open-heart surgery. On May 30, 1990, Gigante was indicted along with other members of four of the New York crime families for conspiring to rig bids and extort payoffs from contractors on multimillion-dollar contracts with
12584-413: The world. Gangsters are the subject of many novels, films, television series, and video games. In modern usage, the term " gang " is generally used for a criminal organization and the term "gangster" invariably describes a criminal. Much has been written on the subject of gangs, although there is no clear consensus about what constitutes a gang or what situations lead to gang formation and evolution. There
12705-537: Was a blockbuster hit in Venezuela. City of God ( Portuguese : Cidade de Deus ) is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund , released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. All the characters existed in reality, and the story is based on real events. It depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro , between
12826-561: Was a professional light heavyweight boxer between 1944 and 1947, who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 117 rounds. His first professional boxing match was against Vic Chambers on July 18, 1944, in Union City, New Jersey, which he lost. He then fought Chambers a second time at the St. Nicholas Arena on October 6, 1944, and defeated him. He defeated him again on June 29, 1945, at Madison Square Garden. His last match
12947-568: Was acquitted on charges of attempted murder. Genovese now became boss of what is known as the Genovese crime family and promoted his longtime lieutenant, Anthony Strollo , to underboss. In late 1957, Genovese and Gambino allegedly ordered Anastasia's murder. Genovese had heard rumors that Costello was conspiring with Anastasia to regain power. On October 25, 1957, Anastasia arrived at the Park Central Hotel barber shop in Midtown, Manhattan, for
13068-650: Was against Jimmy Slade on May 17, 1947, at Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, which he lost by technical knockout. Gigante lived in Old Tappan, New Jersey, with his wife Olympia Grippa, whom he married in 1950, and their five children, Andrew, Salvatore, Yolanda, Roseanne, and Rita. He had a second family at a townhouse in the Upper East Side, Manhattan with his longtime mistress and common-law wife, Olympia Esposito and their three children, Vincent, Lucia and Carmella. He often stayed at his mother's apartment in Greenwich Village. As
13189-416: Was already married to Gerard Vernotico. On March 16, 1932, Vernotico was found strangled to death on a Manhattan rooftop, and on March 28, 1932, Genovese married his widow, Anna, who was Genovese's cousin via her mother, Concetta y Cassini Genovese. In 1934, Genovese allegedly ordered the murder of mobster Ferdinand Boccia . Genovese and Boccia had conspired to cheat a wealthy gambler out of $ 150,000 in
13310-602: Was an Italian-born American mobster of the American Mafia . A childhood friend and criminal associate of the legendary Lucky Luciano , Genovese took part in the Castellammarese War and helped Luciano shape the new American Mafia's rise as a major force in organized crime in the United States. He would later lead Luciano's crime family, which would in 1957 be renamed by the FBI as the Genovese Crime Family after its then boss Vito. Along with Luciano, Genovese helped
13431-493: Was an elaborate effort to avoid prosecution, as he was sentenced to an additional three years in prison. He died in the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners on December 19, 2005. Gigante was born in New York City to Italian immigrants from Naples , Salvatore Gigante, a watchmaker, and Yolanda Gigante (née Scotto), a seamstress. He had four brothers, Mario , Pasquale, and Ralph, who followed him into
13552-591: Was assassinated by order of the Mafia Commission ; the mob bosses were unhappy with his testimony during the Kefauver Hearings , and were worried, with the syphilis now affecting his brain, he might start talking to the press. Costello appointed Genovese as the new underboss. In December 1952, Anna Genovese sued her husband for financial support, and later divorce in 1953, as well as testifying to Vito's involvement in criminal rackets, an unheard-of action by
13673-540: Was convicted in New York of conspiracy to violate federal narcotics laws. On April 17, 1959, Genovese was sentenced to 15 years in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta , where he tried to run his crime family from prison. In his book, Five Families, longtime New York Times organized-crime reporter Selwyn Raab wrote that a number of detectives, lawyers and organized crime experts have questioned
13794-518: Was detonated after a soldier who rode with DeCicco was mistaken for the boss. In January 1987, Salerno was sentenced to 100 years in prison for racketeering, along with top members of the other New York families , as part of the Mafia Commission Trial . Salerno had initially been billed as the boss of the Genovese family. However, shortly after the trial, Salerno's longtime right-hand man, Vincent "The Fish" Cafaro , turned informant and told
13915-418: Was forbidden. During World War II some prisoners made a deal with the government to join the armed forces in return for a reduced sentence, but upon their return to prison they were attacked and killed by inmates who remained loyal to the rules of the thieves. In 1988, the Soviet Union legalized private enterprise but did not provide regulations to ensure the security of market economy. Crude markets emerged,
14036-457: Was found shot to death beside a road in Norwood, New Jersey . Earlier, another witness, Peter LaTempa , was found dead in a cell where he had been held in protective custody. Without anyone to corroborate Rupolo's testimony, the government's case collapsed, and the charges against Genovese were dismissed on June 10, 1946. In making his decision, Judge Samuel Leibowitz commented: I cannot speak for
14157-452: Was killed when his car was bombed following a visit to Paul Castellano loyalist James Failla . The bombing was carried out by Victor Amuso and Anthony Casso of the Lucchese crime family , under orders of Gigante and Lucchese boss Anthony Corallo , to avenge Castellano and Thomas Bilotti by killing their successors. John Gotti planned to visit Failla that day, but canceled, and the bomb
14278-519: Was leaving his mistress's house in the Bronx and shot him in the back of the head with a shotgun. Masseria then took direct control of the Reina gang. In early 1930, the Castellammarese War broke out between Masseria and Maranzano. In a secret deal with Maranzano, Luciano agreed to engineer the death of his boss, Masseria, in return for receiving Masseria's rackets and becoming Maranzano's second-in-command. On April 15, 1931, Luciano had lured Masseria to
14399-574: Was one of these notorious gangsters during the Depression era for the Chicago Outfit . Capone would rise to control a major portion of illicit activity such as gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging in Chicago during the early 20th century. In New York City, by the end of the 1920s, two factions of organized crime had emerged to fight for control of the criminal underworld, one led by Joe Masseria and
14520-421: Was received negatively, and Maranzano was murdered within six months on the orders of Charles "Lucky" Luciano . Luciano was a former Masseria underling who had switched sides to Maranzano and orchestrated the killing of Masseria. As an alternative to the previous despotic Mafia practice of naming a single Mafia boss as capo di tutti capi , or "boss of all bosses," Luciano created The Commission in 1931, where
14641-473: Was sentenced to seven years in prison for drug trafficking, and after sharing a prison cell with Costello's rival, Vito Genovese , Gigante became a caporegime overseeing his own crew of Genovese soldiers and associates based in Greenwich Village . Gigante quickly rose to power during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1981 he became the family's boss, while Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno served as front boss during
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