C.F. Marciano

Tex Gill

Dante “Tex” Gill: The Gangster Who Defied the Law—and Gender Norms

Dante “Tex” Gill: Pittsburgh’s Gender-Bending Crime Boss and His Mafia Ties The streets of Pittsburgh in the 1970s were a battleground where blood mixed with vice, and power was held by those willing to seize it. In the shadows of the steel mills and the underworld’s smoky backrooms, one name loomed large—Dante “Tex” Gill. A […]

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Charlie Luciano

The Godfather of Smack: How Lucky Luciano Built the Global Heroin Empire

Luciano’s Return: How the Mafia Architect Rebuilt the Global Heroin Trade In 1946, American military intelligence gave the Mafia one final, priceless gift—freedom for its greatest criminal mastermind, Charles “Lucky” Luciano. After spending nearly a decade behind bars, Luciano was released and deported to Italy, thanks to vague wartime services rendered to the U.S. Navy.

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Dutch Schultz

Dutch Schultz’s Lost Treasure: Blood Money in the Catskills

The legend of Dutch Schultz’s lost fortune is one soaked in blood, paranoia, and greed. Somewhere in the misty Catskill Mountains, buried beneath layers of dirt and history, lies a cache of stolen wealth—millions in cash, gold, and bonds. It was hidden away in desperation, meant to be retrieved when the heat died down. But

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Huey Long

The Kingfish’s Fatal Mistake: How Huey Long’s Greed Sealed His Fate

On the evening of September 8, 1935, the walls of the Louisiana State Capitol echoed with gunfire. The larger-than-life Huey Long—senator, former governor, and self-styled savior of the common man—staggered down the hallway, blood seeping from his wounds. Aides rushed to his side, and he was swiftly transported to the hospital, where he underwent emergency

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Barney Gallant

Barney Gallant

Barney Gallant, a Hungarian-born entrepreneur with a flair for the illicit and the extravagant, carved out a name for himself in the roaring underbelly of 1920s Greenwich Village. A longtime Village resident and member of the Liberal Club, Gallant was more than just a businessman—he was a provocateur, an impresario of the forbidden. Before launching

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Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak and President FDR

The Attempted Assassination of a President… or Was It?

Lemme tell ya somethin’, pal. When it comes to Chicago, coincidences are about as rare as a teetotaler in a speakeasy. You get shot in this town, odds are somebody meant for it to happen. And when you’re talkin’ about Mayor Anton Cermak and the so-called attempted assassination of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, you’d be

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Vito Genovese

The Untouchable Vito Genovese: Wartime Schemes and Mafia Dreams

A Wartime Opportunist When Charlie “Lucky” Luciano was locked away in 1937, his underling Vito Genovese knew the heat was on. New York’s relentless prosecutor Thomas Dewey had a knack for putting high-ranking gangsters behind bars. And Genovese? He had a corpse in his past—Ferdinand Boccia, gunned down on his orders. Worse yet, there was

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Las Vegas

William Gallagher: A Brief and Controversial Legacy in Nevada’s Gaming History

William Gallagher: A Brief and Controversial Legacy in Nevada’s Gaming History The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) was established to ensure the integrity of Nevada’s gaming industry, safeguarding the public interest through licensing, regulation, and enforcement. It was a vital component of the state’s efforts to legitimize gambling as a respectable industry. Yet, beneath its

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