Johnny Donato Torrio was an Italian-born American mobster who helped to build a criminal organization, the Chicago Outfit, in the 1920s; it was later inherited by his protege, Al Capone. He also put forth the idea of the National Crime Syndicate in the 1930s and later became an unofficial adviser to the Genovese crime family….
27 Interesting And Scary Facts About Dean O’Banion
Charles Dean O’Banion was an American mobster who was the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone during the brutal Chicago bootlegging wars of the 1920s. The newspapers of his day made him better known as Dion O’Banion, although he never went by that first name. Take a look below for 27 more interesting…
26 Interesting And Bizarre Facts About Frank Nitti
Francesco Raffaele Nitto, commonly known as Frank Nitti, and nicknamed “The Enforcer,” was an Italian-American gangster. One of Al Capone‘s top henchmen, Nitti was in charge of all money flowing through the operation. Nitti later succeeded Capone as boss of the Chicago Outfit. 1. Nitti came to the United States from Salerno, Italy, in 1893,…
28 Interesting And Bizarre Facts About Joe Masseria
Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria was an early Mafia boss in New York City. He was the boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York City Mafia’s Five Families, from 1922 to 1931. Take a look below for 28 more interesting and bizarre facts about Joe Masseria. 1….
28 Strange And Scary Facts About Sam Giancana
Salvatore “Sam” Giancana was a Sicilian American mobster, notable as the boss of the criminal Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966. His nicknames were “Mooney,” “Momo” and “Sam the Cigar.” Take a look below for 28 more strange and scary facts about Sam Giancana. 1. Giancana was born Salvatore Giangana, in The Patch on Chicago’s…
30 Interesting And Scary Facts About Vito Genovese
Vito “Don Vitone” Genovese was an Italian-American mobster who rose to power during Prohibition as an enforcer in the American Mafia. A long-time associate and childhood friend of Charles Luciano, Genovese took part in the Castellammarese War and helped shape the rise of the Mafia and organized crime in the United States. Take a look…
30 Interesting And Bizarre Facts About Carlo Gambino
Carlo “Don Carlo” Gambino was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Gambino crime family, which is still named after him. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention, he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Take a look below for 30 more interesting and bizarre facts about Carlo Gambino. 1. Gambino was inconspicuous…
30 Interesting And Scary Facts About Frank Costello
Frank “The Prime Minister” Costello was an Italian-American Mafia gangster and crime boss. He rose to the top of American organized crime, controlled a vast gambling empire, and enjoyed political influence. Take a look below for 30 more interesting and scary facts about Frank Costello. 1. Nicknamed “The Prime Minister of the Underworld,” he became…
25 Bizarre And Interesting Facts About Vincenzo Colosimo
Vincenzo Colosimo, known as James “Big Jim” Colosimo or as “Diamond Jim”, was an Italian-American Mafia crime boss who emigrated from Calabria, Italy, in 1895, and built a criminal empire in Chicago based on prostitution, gambling and racketeering. Take a look below for 25 more bizarre and interesting facts about Vincenzo Colosimo. 1. He gained…
27 Scary And Interesting Facts About Joseph Colombo
Joseph Anthony “Joe” Colombo, Sr. was the boss of the Colombo crime family, one of the “Five Families” of the Cosa Nostra in New York. Take a look below for 27 more scary and interesting facts about Joseph Colombo. 1. Colombo was born into an Italian American family. 2. His father, Anthony Colombo, was an…