Roy Albert DeMeo: The Butcher of BrooklynSome gangsters made their money through gambling. Others built empires through labor racketeering, political corruption, or narcotics trafficking. Roy Albert DeMeo built his reputation…
Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria: The Old King of New York’s Underworld Joe Masseria looked exactly like what he was. Heavyset. Thick-faced. Suspicious. He carried himself with the blunt confidence…
Joseph Colombo: The Mob Boss Who Stepped Into the Spotlight Joe Colombo wanted to change the image of the Mafia. That was his first mistake. For decades, organized crime in…
Paul Castellano: The Quiet King Behind the Concrete MansionPaul Castellano did not look like the kind of gangster who needed to order a murder.He looked like a businessman.Behind the expensive…
Harry "Happy" Maione: Murder, Inc.'s Smiling ExecutionerThe nickname didn't fit the work.Harry "Happy" Maione carried a grin that friends remembered and enemies rarely forgot, but there was little happiness in…
Jacob "Gurrah" Shapiro: The Muscle Behind the Garment DistrictBefore the Mafia became a national institution, before Las Vegas glittered with mob money, and before organized crime perfected the art of…
Joe Adonis: The Charming Prince of the UnderworldJoe Adonis loved luxury the way some gangsters loved violence.Silk suits. Imported cigars. Champagne. Nightclubs glowing beneath Manhattan neon. Expensive women. Faster cars.…
Joe Profaci: The Godfather Who Ruled Through Fear, Faith, and Tribute Joe Profaci looked less like a gangster than a stern village patriarch transported from Sicily into twentieth-century Brooklyn. He…
Carlo Gambino: The Silent Emperor of the American MafiaCarlo Gambino understood something many gangsters never learned:The less the public knows about you, the more dangerous you probably are.He avoided flashy…
Al Capone: The King of ProhibitionAl Capone became the face of American organized crime because America secretly wanted one.He arrived at the perfect moment: a violent new century intoxicated by…
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