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 […]
Dante “Tex” Gill: The Gangster Who Defied the Law—and Gender Norms Read More »
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.
The Godfather of Smack: How Lucky Luciano Built the Global Heroin Empire Read More »
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
Dutch Schultz’s Lost Treasure: Blood Money in the Catskills Read More »
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
The Kingfish’s Fatal Mistake: How Huey Long’s Greed Sealed His Fate Read More »
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
The Attempted Assassination of a President… or Was It? Read More »
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
The Untouchable Vito Genovese: Wartime Schemes and Mafia Dreams Read More »
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
William Gallagher: A Brief and Controversial Legacy in Nevada’s Gaming History Read More »
In a tale as unexpected as it was fascinating, the infamous Los Angeles racketeer Mickey Cohen and the renowned evangelist Billy Graham formed an unlikely friendship. At the heart of their relationship lay a question that gripped both the media and the faithful: Would Cohen, a man steeped in the shadowy world of organized crime,
Mickey Cohen and Billy Graham: A Friendship Tested by Faith Read More »
Few figures in the annals of criminal history have embodied the cunning audacity and moral bankruptcy of John Factor, infamously known as “Jake the Barber.” While his brother, Max Factor, achieved fame as a cosmetics mogul, Jake carved out a legacy as a master swindler who left ruin and devastation in his wake. For over
I’ve Been Kidnapped… How Inconvenient Read More »
