1930s Castellammarese War

Joe "The Boss" Masseria1887 – April 15, 1931

Salvatore MaranzanoJuly 31, 1886 - September 10, 1931

Salvatore LucaniaCharles “Lucky” Luciano

• The body of underworld kingpin Joe "The Boss" Masseria. He holds a playing card in his hand, as he was murdered while playing pinochle in a restaurant

• April 15, 1931

• New York, New York: The body of Salvatore Maranzano, after he was murdered in his office on the ninth floor of the New York Central Tower on New York's fashionable Park Avenue. A girl stenographer told police of the three men who quarrelled with Maranzano before the shooting and stabbing took place.

Original Commission

Vincent Mangano

Charles Luciano

Joe Bonanno

Joe ProfaciTommy Gagliano

Stefano MagaddinoAlphonse Capone

The Mafia Hierarchy

The boss makes all the important decisions, much like a CEO of a company would. Although each mob boss may run his outfit in a different way, they have one thing in common: they are greatly respected and widely feared by their subordinates. All of the men in his outfit pay him a tribute, so he is also usually an extremely wealthy man.

Boss

The underboss is second-in-command in the hierarchy of the Mafia crime family. His level of authority varies from family to family, but he is ready to stand in for the boss at any given moment. In the violent and volatile world of the mob, the underboss can easily find himself at the helm of the family so, for the most part, they are usually groomed for an eventual takeover, particularly if the boss’s health is failing or if it looks like he’s headed for a stay in the joint.

Underboss

The consigliere, or chief advisor, is not officially part of the hierarchy of the Mafia, but he plays one of the most important roles in a crime family. He is the close trusted friend and confidant of the family boss. The consigliere is meant to offer unbiased information based on what he sees as best for the family. He’s not supposed to factor emotional concerns, such as retaliation and blood feuds, into his decisions.

Consigliere

The capo, or caporegime, is the captain or lieutenant of a division within the Mafia. He heads a crew of soldiers and reports directly to a boss or underboss, who hands down the instructions.

Capo

The lowest-ranking members of the hierarchy of the Mafia, the grunts of the organization who do the majority of the “dirty work.” Running errands, making deliveries, picking up cash, and generally sticking out their neck in the hope of making a name for themselves by demonstrating their loyalty to the organization.

Soldiers

Associates are not actual members of the Mafia but rather anyone who teams up with them on a criminal enterprise of some kind. They could be someone who does business with the mob, including money-laundering bankers, crooked cops, lawyers, politicians, drug dealers, etc.

Associates

Induction to the Family

• Formal induction was shrouded in mystery until 1963• Joe Valachi, a made man

broke the code of Omerta and testified before the U.S. Senate

The Ceremony• Ceremony has evolved over 100 years• An associate will be told by their Capo to put on

their finest suit. – The event is supposed to be a surprise, but usually isn’t

• Brought before the Boss• Finger is pricked with a needle• Card of a Saint or a tissue is lit on fire and placed in

their hands– They take an oath to “burn in hell if they ever betray the

family”

Omertà is the code of silence that prohibits mafia members from helping at all with the cops or prosecutors if they were arrested. The punishment for transgression of this commandment is death, and relatives/family of the turncoat may be murdered as well.

Omertà

Charles Luciano

• 1936 convicted of compulsory prostitution by Thomas Dewey

• Many of the witnesses were pimps and prostitutes who embellished their stories

• Sentenced 30-50 • Still ran his family even

though he was a “Guest of the State”

Frank CostelloBecame the Boss when Luciano was imprisoned and Vito Genovese fled back to Italy to avoid a murder charge

Gambino Family

Original GodfatherVincent Mangano

Disappeared: 1951His body was never found

Albert Anastasia• A.K.A. High Lord

Executioner• Became the Boss

when Mangano disappeared

• Part III• Part IV• Part V

Gambino Family

Carlos Gambino

• Orchestrated the “hit” on Albert Anastasia• Hit was done by “Crazy” Joe Gallo

• Became the longest serving “Boss” of the family

• Died of natural causes while watching a NY Yankees game

Paul Castellano • Brother in-law of Gambino• Known as Business Man Don• Didn’t start off in the streets like most made men• Focused on White Collar crimes.

Big Paul Whacked

• Killed outside of Sparks Steak House in NYC• Killed by a CAPO named John Gotti

John GottiA.K.A.: Teflon Don or Dapper Don

Mafia Hits

Louis Tuzzio: Bonanno Family

Benjamin “Bugsy” Segal

Colombo BossJoe Colombo

Henry Smurra: Colombo Family

Nicolas Gracio: Colombo Family

Albert Anastasia: Gambino Family

Gambino Boss: Paul Castellano

Edward Lino:Gambino Family

Anthony DiLappi: Luchesse Family

Abe Reles: Our Favorite Canary

Dutch Shultz

Not Dutch Shultz! Often implied this was him. He was sitting at the table with this man, but

took off to the kitchen when the gunman walked in.

Walter Sage

Crazy Joe Gallo

St. Valentine’s Day Masacre

Philadelphia Boss: Angeleno Bruno

Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn

Boss Frank Costello after botched hit

Frank stepped down after the attempt, and

Vito Genovese took over

Wrong Name