The most famous mafiosi: list, biographies, interesting facts. The names of Italian mafiosi are the most famous gangsters in the world

The mysterious underground world of the mafia has always fascinated mere mortals. On the big screen, the gangster style looks incredibly exciting and attractive, and the legendary movie mafiosi seem to us to be real martyrs whose sacrifice was in vain. But how were things in real life? Here are the 15 gangsters who actually existed.

15. Frank Costello

Frank "Prime Minister" Costello was the leader of the formidable Luciano family. He left Italy at the age of four and moved to New York, where he quickly became involved in a life of crime. However, Costello became truly noticeable in 1936, after the arrest of Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Costello quickly rose to head crime family Luciano, which later became the Genovese family. He received the nickname "Prime Minister" for his competent leadership of the underground world of the mafia and his desire to be known as a political figure rather than a mafia boss. They say that it was he who became the prototype for Vito Corleone from “ Godfather" Costello was highly respected among his people, but even he had enemies. In 1957, an attempt was made on his life, and he miraculously survived being shot in the head. Costello died in 1973 as a result of a heart attack. In the history of the Italian-American mafia, he remained known as one of the most “nice” bosses.

14. Jack Diamond

Jack "Legs" Diamond was a well-known figure during the Prohibition era in the United States. Diamond, who earned the nickname “Legs” for his constant running away and love of dancing, also became famous for his active gangster activities - he has a huge number of murders and alcohol smuggling operations. His criminal status increased markedly when he ordered the murder of one of his bosses, Nathan Kaplan. Diamond himself was repeatedly assassinated, but each time he miraculously escaped death, for which he received the nickname “The Man Who Cannot Be Killed.” However, in 1931 his luck failed him and he was shot dead by an assassin unknown to this day.

13. John Gotti

John Joseph Gotti Jr., boss of the elusive Gambino family, became one of the most feared men in the Mafia. Gotti grew up in poverty, surrounded by 12 brothers and sisters, and quickly became involved in organized crime - he was an errand boy for local gangster Agnello Dellacroce, who later became his mentor. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was struck and killed by neighbor and family friend John Favara. Although the death was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was once beaten with a baseball bat. A few months later he mysteriously disappeared and his body was never found. Thanks to his almost stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly earned the nickname "The Dapper Don." In 1990, the FBI finally managed to catch Gotti, and he was found guilty of murder and racketeering. In 2002, Gotti died in prison from throat cancer.

12. Frank Sinatra

That's right, Mister Blue eyes was once an alleged associate of Sam Giancana and Luca Luciano. Sinatra, who once honestly admitted that “if it weren’t for music, I would most likely have gone into a life of crime,” was not shy about getting his hands dirty, and even openly attended the mafia’s Havana Conference in 1946, to which the press reacted with headlines “SHAME ON SINATRA.” " The singer’s double life was monitored not only by the media, but also by the FBI, which collected information about him from the very beginning of his career. However, the real problems began with Sinatra's collaboration with future President John F. Kennedy. It was believed that Sinatra used his connections to help the future US leader with his presidential campaign. But Sinatra lost the trust of the Mafia because of his friendship with Kennedy's brother, Bobby, who at the time was busy cracking down on organized crime. Giancana broke off relations with him, and the FBI left Sinatra alone.

11. Mickey Cohen

Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen was a real pain in the LAPD's side for years. Cohen moved with his family to Los Angeles from New York when he was six. Cohen was once a promising boxer, but gave up the sport and turned to organized crime. He eventually ended up in Chicago, where he began working for Al Capone. After several successful years during the Prohibition era, Cohen was sent back to Los Angeles under the supervision of notorious gangster Bugsy Siegel. The police soon began to notice the violent and hot-tempered gangster. After numerous assassination attempts, Cohen turned his home into a real fortress, surrounding it with an alarm system, searchlights and bulletproof gates. He also hired Hollywood starlet Lana Turner's boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, as his bodyguard. In 1961, Cohen was sent to Alcatraz for tax evasion, and he became the only prisoner who managed to get out of this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.

10. Henry Hill

The story of Henry Hill formed the basis of one of the best films about the mafia, Goodfellas. It was he who claimed: “For as long as I can remember, I always dreamed of being a gangster.” Born in New York in 1943, Hill came from an honest, hard-working family with no connections or connections to the Mafia. However, having seen enough of the numerous mafiosi in the neighborhood, he joined the Lucchese family at an early age and quickly “rose up.” However, he could never become a full-fledged member of the mafia due to the mixture of Irish and Italian blood. Hill was arrested for beating a gambler who refused to pay him and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. There he realized that life on the outside was practically no different from life in prison, since behind bars he regularly received privileges. But once free, he got serious about drug trafficking, which resulted in him being arrested again, and this time he betrayed the entire organization and helped catch the most powerful mafiosi in the world. Hill entered the witness protection program in 1980, but two years later he exposed himself and the feds ended their cooperation. Despite this, he still managed to live to the age of 69.

9. James Whitey Bulger

Another Alctras veteran, James Bulger earned the nickname "Whitey" for his blonde hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and was known as a real bully. He ran away from home more than once, and once even joined the circus. Bulger was first arrested when he was 14, but he did not join organized crime until the late 70s. Bulger was an FBI informant and reported to the police about the activities of the Patriarca family. However, as his own criminal network expanded, the police became increasingly interested in him, causing Bulger to flee Boston and remain on the "Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive" list for over 15 years. In 2011, he was caught and charged with 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After a two-month trial, he was sentenced to two life sentences and five years in prison, and Boston could finally sleep soundly again.

8. Bugsy Siegel

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, who became famous for his criminal empire and exploits in Las Vegas, is one of the most notorious gangsters in Mafia history. As a typical young hoodlum from Brooklyn, he met Meer Lansky and formed the gang Murder Inc. - a group of Jewish bandits specializing in contract killings. Their popularity grew, and Siegel gained notoriety as a killer of New York Mafia veterans, having a hand in the demise of prominent mobster Joe "The Boss" Masseria. After for long years bootlegging and dodging bullets on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums, as a result of which he became close to the Hollywood elite. However, it was the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas that really helped him skyrocket to fame. The Mafia initially allocated $1.5 million for the construction of the hotel, but cost overruns and rising production costs ensued, and Siegel's old friend and new partner decided that he was pocketing some of the money for himself. Siegel was brutally murdered in his own home, riddled with bullets, and Lanxi quickly took control of the Flamingo.

7. Vito Genovese

Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian-American gangster who achieved enormous influence during the Prohibition era. The "Boss of All Bosses" led the Genovese family, and is best known as the man who brought heroin to the masses. Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Having established himself in criminal activity, he soon met Lucky Luciano, and it was this alliance that led to the murder of mafia rival Salvatore Maranzano. Genovese fled from the police to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II and even became friends with Benito Mussolini himself. However, upon his return, he immediately returned to power and again became the man whom everyone was so afraid of. But he was eventually caught and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.

6. Lucky Luciano

Charles "Lucky" Luciano, who has already been repeatedly mentioned in the adventures of other members of the mafia, became famous, in fact, for creating the modern mafia. Luciano got his nickname "Lucky (Lucky)" when he survived stab wound, being literally a minute away from death. During his 64 years of life, Lucky managed to achieve a lot, including the murder of two major bosses, the idea of ​​how organized crime should be organized, and, most importantly, the creation of the "Five Families of New York" and a completely new "National Crime Syndicate". For a long time Lucky lived in luxury, but at some point the police became interested in him, and as a result he was arrested and sentenced to prison. However, he did not lose his power behind bars and continued to manage affairs. At that moment he even had a personal chef. When Lucky was released, he was sent to Italy, but instead settled in Havana. But under US pressure, Cuba still had to send him to Italy, where he died of a heart attack in 1962.

5. Maria Licciardi

Although the mafia is largely a man's world, this does not mean that there is absolutely no place for women in it. Maria Licciardi, born in Italy in 1951, was the head of the Licciardi clan, the Camorra, a crime syndicate operating in Naples. Licciardi, nicknamed "La Madrina (The Godmother)", was and remains a well-known figure in the country due to her family's ties to the Camorra. Licciardi took over leadership of the clan after her two brothers and husband were jailed. She became the first woman at the head of a powerful organization and, although not everyone liked it, she managed to unite several clans in the city and thereby expand the drug trade market. Licciardi also became famous for her involvement in the sex trade - she used underage girls from neighboring countries and forced them into prostitution. By doing so, she violated the Camorra code, which prohibited making money from sex workers. Licciardi was arrested in 2001 and sent to prison, but she continues to run things from behind bars and apparently has no plans to stop.

4. Frank Nitti

The face of Al Capone's Chicago crime syndicate, Frank "Gun" Nitti eventually became the boss when Capone was sent to prison. Nitti was born in Italy and arrived in the United States when he was just seven. He almost immediately began to get into trouble, which eventually attracted the attention of Al Capone. Thanks to his services during the Prohibition era, Nitti became one of Capone's closest people and a full-fledged member of the Chicago mafia. Despite his nickname, Nitti was more about leading than breaking bones and was often used to develop plans for raids and criminal operations. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were imprisoned for tax evasion, and in prison Nitti suffered severely from claustrophobia - this haunted him until his death. When Nitti was released, he became a new main mafia Chicago and survived assassination attempts from competitors and even the police. However, with the threat of imprisonment looming over him, Nitti committed suicide with a shot in the head to escape the claustrophobic prison cell in which he had previously suffered so much.

3. Sam Giancana

Another mobster with a good reputation, Sam "Mooney" Giancana was once one of the most powerful gangsters in Chicago. Giancana started out as a driver for Capone's elite, but quickly rose through career ladder and developed connections with politicians, including the Kennedy family. Giancana was even forced to testify during the CIA's planning to assassinate Fidel Castro because he was believed to have key information. Giancano's name also appeared in rumors that the Mafia was involved in the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy - due to the close relationship between Giancano and the future president. Giancano lived the rest of his life as a fugitive, wanted by both the mafia and the CIA. He was shot in the head while cooking in the basement of his home.

2. Meer Lansky

No less influential than Lucky Luciano, Meer Sukhomlyansky - aka Meer Lansky - was born in Russia. He moved to the United States as a child and grew up on the streets, struggling for money. Not only could Lansky hold his own physically, he also had sharp mind. An integral part of the formation of American organized crime, he was at one point one of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world. He led operations in Cuba and several other countries. At some point, despite his success, Lansky became nervous and decided to emigrate to Israel. Although he was deported back to the United States two years later, he avoided prison time and died at the age of 80 from lung cancer.

1. Al Capone

No introduction needed - Alfonso Capone is perhaps the most famous gangster of all time. Capone grew up in a respected and stable family, which is quite a rare event among the mafiosi. However, when he was expelled from school at 14 for hitting a teacher, Capone chose a different path for himself and went into organized crime. Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone gradually began to make himself known. He received a scar that earned him his most famous nickname, "Scarface." Capone did everything from bootlegging to murder, and enjoyed impunity as the police failed to catch him. However, everything came to an end when Capone was linked to the bloody and brutal massacre on Valentine's Day. Then representatives of a rival group were killed in cold blood. The police were unable to pin the murders directly on Capone, but arrested the gangster for tax evasion. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, but due to a serious illness he was released early. The most famous mafioso in the world died of a heart attack in 1947.

The shady underground world of the Mafia has captured the imagination of people for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of thieves' groups has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women who are, in essence, just bandits living at the expense of those who are unable to defend themselves?

The fact is that the mafia is not just some organized criminal group. Gangsters are seen as heroes rather than the villains they truly are. The criminal lifestyle looks like something out of a Hollywood movie. Sometimes that's what it is hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events from the life of the mafia. In the cinema, crime is ennobled, and the viewer already thinks that these bandits are in vain fallen heroes. As America gradually forgets about the days of Prohibition, it is also forgotten that bandits were looked upon as saviors who fought against an evil government. They were the Robin Hoods of the working class, pitted against impossible and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire the powerful, rich and beautiful people and idealize them.

However, not everyone is blessed with such charisma, and many major politicians are hated rather than admired by everyone. Gangsters know how to use their charm to appear more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on family history associated with emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic rags to riches storyline has captivated attention for centuries. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.

Frank Costello

Frank Costello was from Italy, like many other famous mafiosi. He headed the feared and famous Luciano family in the criminal world. Frank moved to New York at the age of four and, as soon as he grew up, immediately found his place in the world of crime, leading gangs. When the infamous Charles "Lucky" Luciano went to prison in 1936, Costello quickly rose through the ranks to lead the Luciano clan, later known as the Genovese clan.

He was called the Prime Minister because he ruled the criminal world and really wanted to get into politics, connecting the Mafia and Tammany Hall, the political society of the US Democratic Party in New York. The ubiquitous Costello ran casinos and gaming clubs throughout the country, as well as in Cuba and other islands Caribbean Sea. He was extremely popular and respected among his people. Vito Corleone, the hero of the 1972 film The Godfather, is believed to be based on Costello. Of course, he also had enemies: in 1957, an attempt was made on his life, during which the mafioso was wounded in the head, but miraculously survived. He died only in 1973 from a heart attack.

Jack Diamond

Jack "Legs" Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant figure during Prohibition and a leader of organized crime in the United States. Earning the nickname Legs for his ability to quickly evade pursuit and his extravagant style of dancing, Diamond was also known for unprecedented cruelty and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did his liquor smuggling organizations in and around the city.

Realizing that this was very profitable, Diamond moved on to larger prey, organizing truck robberies and opening underground liquor stores. But it was the order to kill the famous gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped him strengthen his status in the world of crime, putting him on a par with such serious guys as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who later stood in his way. Although Diamond was feared, he became a target himself on several occasions, earning the nicknames Skeet and the Unkillable Man due to his ability to get away with it every time. But one day his luck ran out and he was shot dead in 1931. Diamond's killer was never found.

John Gotti

Known for leading New York's notorious and virtually invulnerable Gambino mob family during the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most powerful men in the Mafia. He grew up in poverty, one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Aniello Dellacroce. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was crushed to death by neighbor and family friend John Favara. Although the incident was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was later attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared in strange circumstances, and his body has still not been found.

With his impeccable good looks and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became a tabloid darling, earning the nickname The Teflon Don. He was in and out of prison, it was difficult to catch him red-handed, and each time he ended up behind bars for short term. However, in 1990, thanks to wiretaps and inside information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 from laryngeal cancer and at the end of his life he faintly resembled the Teflon Don who never left the pages of the tabloids.

Frank Sinatra

That's right, Sinatra himself was once an alleged associate of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once stated: “If it weren’t for my interest in music, I probably would have ended up in the criminal world.” Sinatra was exposed as having ties to the mafia when his participation in the so-called Havana Conference, a mafia meeting in 1946, became known. Newspaper headlines then shouted: “Shame on Sinatra!” Sinatra’s double life became known not only to newspaper reporters, but also to the FBI, which had been monitoring the singer since the beginning of his career. His personal file contained 2,403 pages of interactions with the mafia.

What stirred the public the most was his relationship with John F. Kennedy before he became president. Sinatra allegedly used his contacts in the criminal world to help the future leader in the presidential election campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was involved in the fight against organized crime, and Giancana turned his back on the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a little. Despite obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra to such major mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with gangsters, calling such statements a lie.

Mickey Cohen

Myer "Mickey" Harris Cohen has been a pain in the LAPD's ass for years. He had a stake in every branch of organized crime in Los Angeles and several other states. Cohen was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. After starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen abandoned the sport to follow the path of crime and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.

After several successful years during the Prohibition era, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the patronage of the famous Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. Siegel's murder struck a nerve with the sensitive Cohen, and the police began to take notice of the violent and hot-tempered bandit. After several assassination attempts, Cohen turned his home into a fortress, installing alarm systems, floodlights and bulletproof gates, and hiring Johnny Stompanato, who was then dating Hollywood actress Lana Turner, as a bodyguard.

In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He became the only prisoner who was released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and constant manhunt, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.

Henry Hill

Henry Hill inspired one of the best mafia films, Goodfellas. It was he who said the phrase: “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to become a gangster.” Hill was born in New York in 1943 into an honest, working family with no connections to the mafia. However, in his youth he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He began to quickly advance in his career, but due to the fact that he was of both Irish and Italian descent, he could not occupy a high position.

Once Hill was arrested for beating a gambler who refused to pay the money he lost and was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the lifestyle he led in freedom was essentially similar to that behind bars, and he constantly received some kind of preferences. After his release, Hill became seriously involved in selling drugs, which is why he was arrested. He surrendered his entire gang and overthrew several very influential gangsters. He entered the federal witness protection program in 1980, but blew his cover two years later and the program ended. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 69. Hill died in 2012 from heart problems.

James Bulger

Another Alcatraz veteran is James Bulger, nicknamed Whitey. He received this nickname because of his silky blond hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and from the very beginning caused a lot of problems for his parents, running away from home several times and once even joining a traveling circus. Bulger was first arrested at the age of 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he found himself in the criminal underground.

Bulger worked for the mafia clan, but at the same time he was an FBI informant and told the police about the affairs of the once famous Patriarca clan. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, police began to pay more attention to him rather than the information he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and he ended up on the list of the most wanted criminals for fifteen years.

Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After a trial that lasted two months, the notorious gang leader was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences and an additional five years, and Boston could finally rest easy.

Bugsy Siegel

Known for his Las Vegas casino and criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, known in the criminal world as Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most notorious gangsters in modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, young Bugsy met another aspiring bandit, Meer Lansky, and created the Murder Inc. group, specializing in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.

Becoming increasingly famous in the world of crime, Siegel sought to kill old New York gangsters and even had a hand in eliminating Joe “The Boss” Masseria. After several years of smuggling and shootings on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and acquired connections in Hollywood. He became a real star thanks to his Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The $1.5 million project was financed from the bandit common fund, but during construction the estimate was significantly exceeded. old friend and Siegel's partner Lansky decided that Siegel was stealing funds and partially investing in legal businesses. He was brutally murdered in his own home, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took over management of the Flamingo Hotel, denying any involvement in the murder.

Vito Genovese

Vito Genovese, known as Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who rose to fame during Prohibition and beyond. He was also called the Boss of Bosses and led the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a popular drug.

Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Quickly joining criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed their rival, gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Escaping from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, making friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately returned to his old lifestyle, seizing power in the world of crime and once again becoming the man everyone feared. In 1959, he was accused of drug trafficking and sent to prison for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.

Lucky Luciano

Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano received his nickname due to the fact that he survived a dangerous stab wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. Over the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two big bosses and create a completely new principle for the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in creating the famous "Five Families" of New York and the national crime syndicate.

Living the high life for quite a long time, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining an image and a stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own cook there. After his release he was sent to Italy, but settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of him, and Lucky went to Italy forever. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.

Maria Licciardi

Although the world of the mafia is mainly a world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women among the mafiosi. Maria Licciardi was born in Italy in 1951 and led the Licciardi clan, a notorious Camorra, Neapolitan criminal group. Licciardi, nicknamed the Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and much of her family has ties to the Neapolitan mafia. Licciardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She took over the clan when her two brothers and husband were arrested. Although many were unhappy since she became the first female head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell the unrest and successfully unite several city clans, expanding the drug trade market.

In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Licciardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, such as Albania, forcing them to work as prostitutes, thus violating the long-standing Neapolitan Mafia code of honor that one should not make money from prostitution. After a heroin deal went wrong, Licciardi was placed on the most wanted list and arrested in 2001. Now she is behind bars, but, according to rumors, Maria Licciardi continues to lead the clan, which has no intention of stopping.

Frank Nitti

Known as the face of Al Capone's Chicago crime syndicate, Frank "Bouncer" Nitti became the top man in the Italian-American Mafia once Al Capone was behind bars. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the United States when he was only seven years old. It didn't take long before he started getting into trouble, which attracted the attention of Al Capone. In his criminal empire, Nitti quickly succeeded.

As a reward for his impressive successes during Prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and strengthened his position in the Chicago crime syndicate, also called the Chicago Outfit. Although he was nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks rather than breaking bones himself, and often orchestrated multiple approaches during raids and attacks. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia that plagued him for the rest of his life.

Upon his release, Nitti became the new leader of the Chicago Outfit, having survived assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things got really bad and Nitti realized that arrest could not be avoided, he shot himself in the head so that he would never suffer from claustrophobia again.

Sam Giancana

Another respected gangster in the underworld is Sam "Mooney" Giancana, who was once the most powerful gangster in Chicago. Having started out as a driver in Al Capone's inner circle, Giancana quickly made his way to the top, making acquaintances with several politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in a case in which the CIA organized an assassination attempt on Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Giancana was believed to have key information.

Not only was Giancana's name involved in the case, but there were also rumors that the mafia had made huge contributions to John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, including ballot stuffing in Chicago. The connection between Giancana and Kennedy was increasingly discussed, and many believed that Frank Sinatra was an intermediary to deflect the Feds' suspicions.

Things soon went downhill due to speculation that the Mafia had a hand in the assassination of JFK. After spending the rest of his life wanted by the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of the head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the perpetrator was never found.

Meer Lansky

Just as influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to Russian Empire. Having moved to America at a young age, Lansky learned the taste of the street by fighting for money. Lansky not only could take care of himself, but he was also exceptionally smart. Becoming an integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, Lansky was at one point one of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world, with operations in Cuba and several other countries.

Lansky, who was friends with such high-ranking mobsters as Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was both a feared and respected man. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during Prohibition, running a very profitable business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire by emigrating to Israel. However, he was deported back to the US two years later, but still managed to avoid prison as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.

Al Capone

Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed the Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster throughout history and he is known all over the world. Capone came from a respected and prosperous family. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.

Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone began his path to fame. He earned a scar that earned him the nickname Scarface. Doing everything from alcohol smuggling to murder, Capone was immune to the police, free to move around and do as he pleased.

The games ended when Al Capone's name was implicated in a brutal massacre called the Valentine's Day Massacre. Several gangsters from rival gangs died in this massacre. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but they had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster's health deteriorated greatly due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime was changed forever.

If you ask the first person you meet which country is the birthplace of the mafia, even the least knowledgeable person will give the correct answer without much thought: Italy. This country can actually be called a “flower garden” of the mafia, which has become one of the favorite topics in history and cinema textbooks.

It cannot be said that the mafiosi did something positive and outstanding, but many still admire the unsurpassed talent of the most famous criminals, most of which, of course, have Italian roots.

Al Capone, of course, this name is well known not only in the sunniest country located on the Apennine Peninsula, but throughout the world. The notorious gangster's name is probably the most recognizable. And it’s not surprising: several films were made about Capone, the most popular of which was the 1987 film “The Untouchables” with Robert De Niro in the title role.

The story of the notorious Mafia figure, who was born in Brooklyn in 1889 after his family migrated to the United States, begins in 1919, when he entered the service of Johnny Torii. In 1925, he headed the Torii family and since then his “criminal” career has grown rapidly. Soon Capone was no longer afraid of anyone or anything: his people were engaged in gambling, selling drugs and prostitution. He earned a reputation as an honest, intelligent, but endlessly cruel man.

One need only remember the famous St. Valentine's Day massacre, when a group led by a gangster killed many mafia leaders.

When the police were lucky enough to apprehend the great criminal, they simply could not charge him with anything other than tax evasion. However, in the end, Al Capone still ended up behind bars: he was in the famous Alcatraz prison, from where he was released seven years later with fatal disease and soon died.

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Bernardo Provenzano

Bernardo Provenzano, a native of a small village located on, was simply destined to become one of the members of the group of the same name. Already in his youth he fell into the Corleone clan, and after a couple of years he had already killed several people and carried out a lot of illegal transactions. For 10 years, the name Provenzano hung in police stations on the “Wanted” stand, but the local carabinieri did not even try to find him dangerous criminal. Meanwhile, he continued to move up the career ladder and gain authority. It was rumored that Provenzano for some time controlled all the illegal business in Palermo, from drug sales to prostitution. He was known for his intransigence and stubbornness, for which he received the nickname Bulldozer.

Many years later, the police managed to detain the criminal: they saw a thin old man in ordinary jeans and a T-shirt. Provenzano will spend the rest of his days in prison.

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Albert Anastasia

Like many of his colleagues, Albert Anastasia was born in sunny Italy (the city of Tropea), but soon after his birth he migrated with his parents to America. The first time he went to prison was in his youth, when he killed a longshoreman in Brooklyn. He was sentenced to several years, but after some time the main witness in the Anastasia case died in mysterious circumstances, and the criminal himself was released.

Albert Anastasia gained fame as one of America's most ruthless killers.

He was a member of the Masseria gang, but over time he went over to the side of his boss’s competitors, and a couple of years later he was even present at the murder of his former boss. After this, Anastasia became the head of the gang of highly professional killers “Murder Inc.”, the Gambino clan. Police say the group has been involved in at least 400 deaths. The killer himself was killed on the order of one of the American mafiosi.

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Since the release of the first list richest people world in 1982, Forbes magazine includes drug lords and gangsters - since organized crime is part of the world economy, these incomes need to be counted. For example, according to The Guardian, the Calabrian mafia 'Ndrangheta became richer in 2013 than Deutsche Bank and McDonald's combined - by €53 billion.

Below are the odious figures underworld who made millions and billions - Pablo Escobar, "Shorty", Al Capone, Tony Salerno and others.

John Gotti

New York boss of the Gambino clan John Gotti received two nicknames from the press. “Teflon Don” - for being invulnerable to justice for a long time. And also “Don the Dapper” - for expensive custom suits (Brioni for $2000 and hand-painted silk scarves for $400), careful hairstyle, black Mercedes 450 SL and lavish parties.

Growing up in the South Bronx, Gotti joined the Gambino clan in the 1950s, one of the powerful syndicates involved in gambling, extortion, loan sharking and drugs. The US government suspected that on his way to becoming head of the Gambinos, Gotti eliminated his predecessor Paul Castellano in 1985. An FBI agent who worked on the Gotti case said that "he was the first media don, never trying to hide the fact that he was a superboss." And his large lifestyle and external gloss always provided food for articles in the tabloids.

According to New York Times, Gotti received an annual income of $10 to $12 million, and the Gambino clan earned more than $500 million a year in the 1980s. Justice did not reach Gotti until 1992, and 10 years later he died in prison.

Shinobu Tsukasa

74-year-old Shinobu Tsukasa leads a yakuza clan called the Yamaguchi-gumi. Fortune listed the Yamaguchi-gumi as one of the five most powerful mafia groups in the world, with annual profits of $6.6 billion. Yamaguchi was founded in the port city of Kobe more than 100 years ago and has 23,400 members. Most of the income comes from drug sales, as well as gambling and extortion.

Shinobu Tsukasa is the sixth leader of the clan in history. In the 1970s, he was sentenced to 13 years for murder with a samurai sword. In 2005 he was jailed for 6 years for possession firearms. In 2015, a split occurred in the Yamaguchi-gumi. According to Tokyo Reporter, most of the group remained with Tsukasa, and 3,000 members formed a new clan led by Kunio Inoue.

Michael Franzese

On Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Mafia Bosses, Michael Franzese was ranked 18th. Franzese, nicknamed “Don Yuppie,” is the son of a bank robber who formed a cartel that was involved in the release of B-movies, the illegal sale of gasoline, scams involving the repair and sale of cars, and fraudulent loans.

Michael Franzese received between $1 and $2 million in income per week. In 1985, the US government charged him with fraud, stripped him of $4.8 million in assets and ordered him to repay $10 million for illegally selling gasoline through shell companies. After eight years in prison and a $15 million settlement, Frances moved to California and decided to capitalize on his criminal past. He has written two books - an autobiography, Blood Covenant, and a business advice book, I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse, as well as sold the rights to a miniseries about his life to CBS. Now the former gangster lives in a $2.7 million house, drives a Porsche, gives interviews to Vanity Fair and gives lectures at universities.

Anthony Salerno

In 1986, Fortune magazine published a list of the "50 Most Powerful Mafia Bosses." Chief Editor explained the appearance of the material by the fact that “organized crime is a powerful economic factor.” Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno also made the list. Led by a gangster, the Genovese clan (300 people) was involved in racketeering and drugs in New York. According to The New York Times, the clan's influence extended to Cleveland, Nevada and Miami, and its interests also included construction, loan sharking and casinos. Since the 1960s, the clan has earned $50 million a year. Between 1981 and 1985, Salerno imposed a two percent Mafia tax in New York on all contractors pouring concrete for buildings costing more than $2 million. Salerno's real wealth may have been $1 billion.

In 1988, the gangster was sentenced to 70 years for racketeering and concealing illegal income of $10 million a year (the declaration indicated only $40,000 a year). Four years later, at the age of 80, he died in prison.

Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar

The income of India's most wanted criminal is estimated by Business Insider at $6.7 billion. Forbes included Kaskar in the lists of the most influential people in the world in 2009, 2010 and 2011 (50th, 63rd and 57th place, respectively). His crime syndicate, D-Company, is blamed for the 1993 and 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and has also been involved in drug and arms smuggling. The US government believes that Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar has ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. According to one version, Kaskar is hiding in Pakistan.

Al Capone

Capone - the most famous American gangster. A character named Al Capone appears in 77 Mafia films.

At the time of his death in 1947, his fortune was estimated at $1.3 billion. Capone operated in various criminal spheres - bootlegging, racketeering, murder. In 1929, the American government declared him "Enemy No. 1." Prosecutors repeatedly sentenced Capone to prison, but he was released several months later. As a result, in 1931, Capone was only sentenced for tax evasion - for 11 years. He was to spend most of his sentence in Alcatraz.

In 1939, Capone was released, but his health was poor - he suffered from syphilis and dementia.

In 2012, Forbes conducted an analysis of Capone's former properties. The Chicago four-bedroom house he bought with his first earnings was valued at $450,000, and the Miami Beach mansion where he died in 1947 was valued at $9.95 million.

Griselda Blanco

The Western press called Colombian Griselda Blanco the “Godmother of Cocaine.” Blanco was a key figure in the Miami cocaine trade in the 1970s and 1980s. Even in the male drug business, she had a reputation as a ruthless operator. According to Business Insider, her fortune was approaching $2 billion, however, she was far from the income of Exobar.

A three-time widow whose spouses were rumored to have died at her hands, she named one of her sons Michael Corleone. Its distribution network made tens of millions of dollars and transported about 1,500 kilograms of cocaine a month, according to The Guardian. Before his arrest in 1985 in California, “Godmother” appeared on the list of the most dangerous drug traffickers along with Escobar and the Ochoa brothers. She was charged with 40 to 200 murders in Florida, but death penalty the woman escaped due to a technical error in court: the officer who testified against her was discredited because he had a telephone sex conversation with the secretary in the prosecutor’s office, the Guardian wrote. Blanco was imprisoned in federal prison and deported to Colombia in 2004, where she was shot and killed by a motorcycle killer eight years later.

Khun Sa

Khun Sa, the “Opium King,” was estimated by Business Insider to be worth $5 billion. Born Chang Shifu, the son of a Chinese man and a Shan woman, in the 1960s he changed his name to the pseudonym Khun Sa, which means “Prosperous Prince.” During these years, he led the Burmese army engaged in the cultivation of opium in the Golden Triangle South-East Asia, there were 20,000 men there. In the 1970s and 80s, the Sa army controlled the Thai-Burmese border and was responsible for 45% of the pure heroin entering the US, earning it the title of "the best in the business" by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (The Economist).

The US government placed a $2 million bounty on the head of the “Opium King.” By the 1990s, the DEA was able to destroy Sa’s trading chain, he moved to Yangon and retired. Currently, opium production in the Golden Triangle has fallen to 5% of the global figure (in 1975 it was 70%).

There are different versions about whether the drug lord saved billions before his death in 2007 - from “lived in luxury”, but “was content with a modest pension.”

Morris Dalitz

Moritz (Moe) Dalitz was one of these legendary gangsters, like Al Capone and Bugzy Siegel. During the Prohibition era, he was involved in bootlegging, and later in the gambling business and real estate. In 1982, Dalitz appeared on the first Forbes list of the richest, along with artist Yoko Ono, actor Bob Hope and mafia accountant Meyer Lansky. Dalitz's fortune was estimated at $110 million, but how much he actually earned remains a question.

Dalitz received a significant share of his wealth from the first Las Vegas casinos. In 1949, he co-founded the Desert Inn and Stardust Hotel casinos. In the 1950s, he took part in the emergence of the Paradise Development Company, which built a university and convention center in Las Vegas. In the 1960s, he invested in the $100 million La Costa Resort complex near San Diego, after which he sued Penthouse magazine for $640 million, which wrote that the construction was financed by the mafia. Unlike many of his colleagues with a criminal past, Dalitz lived to old age and in recent years was involved in charity work.

Rafael Caro Quintero and Amado Carrillo Fuentes

Before the star of the drug lord "Shorty" rose in Mexico, two names thundered there - Rafael Caro Quintero (pictured) and Carrillo Fuentes. The head of the Guadalajara cartel, Rafael Quintero, owned a marijuana plantation called Rancho Bufalo. During a police raid in 1984, about 6,000 tons of marijuana were seized at the ranch, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, cost Quintero between $3.2 and $8 billion. The Guadalajara cartel earned $5 billion a year. There were rumors in the Mexican press that Quintero, following Escobar, offered to pay Mexico's foreign debt in exchange for his freedom. The drug lord was sentenced to 40 years in a Mexican prison in 1989, but was released 28 years later.

The second Mexican drug lord is Carrillo Fuentes, head of the Juarez cartel. The Washington The Post estimated his fortune at $25 billion. It is believed that his wealth allowed him to evade justice for many years. Fuentes received the nickname "Lord of the Skies" for his extensive fleet (22 aircraft) for transporting cocaine to the United States. Fuentes died in 1997 during plastic surgery to change his appearance.

Pablo Escobar

Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar became the first criminal to appear on the Forbes 100 International Billionaires list in 1987 with an income of $3 billion. He dropped out only after his death in 1993. The Medellin cartel, led by Escobar, had revenues of $7 billion from 1981 to 1986, with the drug lord taking 40% for himself. The cartel received its main wealth from smuggling cocaine into the United States (about 15 tons daily); in the late 1980s, it owned 80% of the entire cocaine market in the world. According to Business Insider, Escobar earned $420 million a week; according to other sources, his fortune totaled more than $30 billion.

Every year, the king of cocaine lost about $2.1 billion (10% of revenue) as the money was haphazardly stored in warehouses and abandoned farms, destroyed by mold and rodents. Every month he spent $2,500 on rubber bands to hold bills together. Escobar once burned $2 million to warm his daughter: the family was then hiding in the mountains, and there was nothing to light a fire with. In 1984, the cartel offered to pay Colombia's national debt in exchange for immunity. The Drug Enforcement Administration placed a reward of $11 million on Escobar's head. In 1991, the drug lord made a deal with the Colombian government to build his own La Catedral prison (with a football field and guards chosen by him), which the authorities could not approach closer than 5 km.

The life of the drug lord was so colorful that Netflix released the series “Narcos” dedicated to him in 2015.

Brothers Ochoa and Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha

In 1987, along with Escobar, the co-founders of the Medellin cartel, Jorge Luis Ochoa-Vazquez (with an income of $2 billion) and his brothers Juan David and Fabio, who received 30% of the cartel's revenue, were included in the Forbes list of the richest. Ochoa Brothers stayed in Forbes list another 6 years until they surrendered to the authorities.

The drug lord Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, who lived at the same time, worked both with the Medellin cartel and independently (for example, transporting cocaine from Bogota to the United States disguised as flower deliveries) was also a billionaire. In 1988, Forbes estimated his fortune at $1.3 billion. Gacha remained on the list for two years until he was shot dead by Colombian police.

Joaquin Guzman Loera

In 2009, Mexican drug lord Joaquin “Shorty” Loera Guzman was included in the list of the richest people Planet Forbes with a fortune of $1 billion. In 2012 and 2013, he ranked 63rd and 67th among the most influential people in the world. Strategic Forecasting Inc. and even estimated his wealth at $12 billion. The Sinaloa Cartel under the leadership of Loehr was responsible for 25% of illegal drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States and received revenue of $3 billion. The New York Times, citing data from the Drug Enforcement Administration, writes that the cartel sold more cocaine than Escobar at the peak of his career.

“Shorty” started his business in the early 1990s, transporting cocaine, including in cans of chili peppers (in 1993, Mexican authorities confiscated such a 7-ton cargo). He was declared "Mexico's most wanted man" with a $7 million reward for his capture: $5 million from the United States and another $2 million from Mexico. He was first arrested in 1993, but escaped from prison in 2001. IN last time Mexican intelligence agencies captured Loera in Sinaloa in January 2016. The drug lord was killed by vanity. He was going to make a biographical film about himself and was conducting a casting. In addition, actor Sean Penn flew to "Shorty" for an interview. It is believed that the authorities were able to track the movements of the criminal due to this.

Despite the fact that world states are desperately fighting criminal gangs, the latter continue their illegal activities and they are not even going to retreat. The mafia keeps you in fear, instills horror and lives by its own rules and laws, heartless and cruel, failure to comply with which often leads to death.

IN modern world There are a large number of criminal clans that are under the patronage of their mastermind and leader. Often these crime lords create veritable underworld empires.

Feeling their impunity, they intimidate not only representatives of government agencies, but also ordinary serene residents. This article presents the ten most influential and ruthless mafiosi, whose names are known throughout the world and who have forever gone down in the history of the mafia.

Al Capone

Al Capone (1899 - 1947) is a legendary mafioso, whose name inspired fear not only in the government, but literally in the whole world. He went down in history as the most famous gangster. Despite the fact that he had Italian roots, this did not stop him from engaging in racketeering, bootlegging, drugs and gambling on American soil. In addition, he is the founder of the concept of “racketeering”.

When Al Capone was still a young man, he and his parents had to leave their native lands and move to America, where he worked hard in a candy store, a bowling alley, and even in a pharmacy. But despite his fatigue from a hard day’s work, he spent almost every night in entertainment venues, since the nocturnal lifestyle was the most acceptable and attractive for him.

While earning his living at a billiards club, he once insulted a woman who, as it turned out, was the wife of a criminal named Frank Galluccio. A scuffle broke out, from which a scar from a knife wound remained on the gangster’s left cheek. This moment changed him radically. Over time, the mafioso developed skillful skills in handling edged weapons, and the daring nineteen-year-old youth was invited to join the “Gang of Five Smoking Barrels.”

Al Capone became famous for his integrity, cruelty and heartlessness. His first major crime was the murder of seven influential mafiosi at that time, who were subordinate to Bugs Moran. However, he was too cunning and smart to fall into the hands of justice.

He was never punished for all the crimes he committed, but he still ended up in prison for tax evasion. He was jailed for five years. Upon leaving prison, the legendary mafioso contracted syphilis after spending the night with a courtesan. However, he died at the age of forty-eight from pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, May Josephine Coughlin, and his son, Albert Francis Capone.

Lucky Luciano

Charles Luciano (1897-1962) was born in Sicily, but as a teenager he moved with his family to America, as they say, in search of a better life. Since childhood, he hung out mainly with street hooligans; apparently, he liked such company more. Perhaps such hobbies and preferences of little Charles Luciano contributed to his becoming one of the most famous gangsters in the world.

At the age of eighteen, Luciano received prison term for drug distribution. During the period of prohibition in the United States, he was part of the "Gang of Four", which was actively involved in smuggling alcohol. His youth was spent in poverty, but adult life he was swimming in millions of dollars, which, naturally, were earned by crime.

In 1931, a gangster created the "Big Seven", which included bootleggers. Its main activity was the illegal distribution of alcohol. Over time, Charles becomes the leader of Cosa Nostra and absolutely the entire sphere of the criminal world comes under his full control. He received his nickname "Lucky" after he almost died after being tortured by Maranzano gangsters.

At the hospital he received sixty stitches, so for everyone he became “lucky.” This one of the most legendary mafiosi was able to get rid of dozens of his competitors in just one day, which allowed him to become the sole owner of New York. In 1936, Luciano received thirty-five years in prison for pimping, but after some time he was released and deported to his homeland. In 1962, his heart stopped - according to the official version, it was a heart attack.

Pablo Escobar

Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) - drug lord No. 1, who had Colombian roots and became famous for his cruelty. He was able to create a huge drug empire that supplied incredible quantities of cocaine throughout the world. His first youthful “job” was illegal: he stole tombstones and, erasing the inscriptions, resold them to resellers.

WITH early years Pablo sought “easy money” and he received it for selling cigarettes and drugs, and also made “fake” lottery tickets. As he got a little older, he began to earn big by engaging in car theft, robbery, racketeering and even kidnapping. By the age of twenty-two, Escobar had become an authority figure in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The mafioso earned his first billions as the head of a drug cartel. The poor people of Medellin loved and revered Pablo Escobar because they received from him, although inexpensive, their own housing. By 1989, he had more than $15 billion in his account. More than a thousand people were killed on his orders. In 1991, the gangster went to prison, but a year later he was able to escape. In 1993, Pablo Escobar was shot and killed by a sniper during a police assault.

John Gotti

The name of John Gotti (1940-2002) was on the lips of every New Yorker. Despite the “dark deeds” he committed, the police were unable to accuse him of even one of them. Gotti was always one step ahead, which is why he earned the nickname “Teflon Don.” He was also often called the “Elegant Don” because he loved to dress beautifully and stylishly.

John was a rather resourceful gangster who was able to rise from poverty to unheard of wealth and became the leader of the Gambino family, removing the previous boss, Paul Castellano. His activities included car theft, theft, racketeering and murder.

Next to him was always his most reliable person, as he thought, Salvatore Gravano. However, it was he who handed his mentor over to the FBI in 1992. John Gotti was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment. He died of cancer in his cell in 2002.

Carlo Gambino

Carlo Gambino is probably the most mysterious mafioso. He was the founder and leader of one of the most powerful American criminal empires, the Gambinos, to which he devoted his entire life. As a teenager, Gambino began to engage in extortion and theft. Over time, bootlegging also became one of his hobbies.

At the peak of its prosperity, his brainchild consisted of forty teams that kept major American cities under control and fear. In 1932, he married his cousin, who gave him four children.

Throughout his life, Carlo Gambino was involved in illegal gambling, loan sharking and protection rackets. However, his scope of activity did not include selling drugs, as he considered this business dangerous and attracting unnecessary attention. In 1938, he received a twenty-two month prison sentence for tax evasion. In 1976, the mafioso died in his own bed from a heart attack. At that time he was 74 years old.

Meir Lansky

Meir Lansky was born in 1902 in Grodno into a Jewish family. At the age of nine, he and his parents moved to New York, where he met Charles Luciano, who significantly influenced his future fate.

For decades, Lansky occupied a leading position among important American crime bosses. When the so-called “Prohibition Law” was in effect in America, Meir Lansky was involved in the sale and transportation of alcohol. Over time, he founded a whole system of bookmakers and illegal bars.

For many years, the mafioso developed the gaming business in the United States. Between 1950 and 1962, Meir was constantly monitored by the FBI, so he decided to temporarily move to Israel on a two-year visa. Naturally, the American police demanded that the criminal be handed over to them, but in vain.

After two years, he had to leave the country, but he had no other way but to return to the United States - other countries refused to accept him. The charges against the mafioso were dropped, but his foreign passport was revoked, so he could not leave America. Last years Meir Lansky spent his life in Miami, where he died in 1983 from cancer.

Joseph Bonanno

A mobster named Joseph Bonanno (1905-2002) was one of the most powerful leaders in the American crime world. He was only fifteen years old when he became an orphan. Joseph comes to the United States, naturally, illegally, where he quickly finds like-minded people for illegal activities.

In 1931, he founded the influential Bonanno crime family, which was under his control for thirty years. He was also known by the nickname "Banana Joe". Once Bonanno became the richest gangster in history, he decided to retire in order to quietly meet his old age.

In 1983, he was arrested on suspicion of real estate speculation and sentenced to five years in prison, however, given that the convict was seventy-five years old at the time, the sentence was reduced to fourteen months. The legendary mafioso died among his family in 2002 from heart failure, at the age of ninety-seven.

Albert Anastasia

Albert Anastasia (1902-1957) - leader of the Gambino family, which inspired fear and horror with its ruthlessness and cruelty. Also under his control was a group called “Murder Corporation,” which was responsible for more than 700 deaths. Each of these crimes remained unpunished, since all the witnesses disappeared somewhere without a trace.

His mentor was Lucky Luciano, whom he listened to in everything and to whom he was completely devoted. Often, Albert carried out the orders of his leader, which included eliminating the bosses of other criminal clans. In 1957, on the orders of Carlo Gambino, he was killed in a barbershop.

Vincent Gigante

Vincent Gigante is a mafioso who controlled absolutely all the big cities of America, but his “lair” was located in New York. At the age of nine, he begins to practice boxing professionally, completely abandoning schooling. From the age of seventeen, Gigante took an active part in the implementation various kinds crimes.

Being a member of one of the influential groups, he achieved the status of “Godfather”, after which he became a consolere. In 1981, Vincent became boss of the Genovese family. His special and incomprehensible habit for many was walking around the city at night in a robe. In principle, the mafioso himself was quite inadequate and aggressive person.

However, as it turned out later, this behavior was an ordinary simulation of mental disorders, thanks to which he managed to avoid prison for forty years. But still, in 1997, the gangster fell into the hands of justice and he was sentenced to twelve years. While serving his sentence, Vincent Gigante continued his criminal activities until 2005. He died of a heart attack.

Heriberto Lazcano

For many years, the criminal acts of one of the most merciless and brutal Mexican criminals, Heriberto Lazcano, remained unpunished. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in a specialized squad dedicated to fighting drug cartels. However, a few years later he became a member of one of them, going over to the side of drug dealers.

Over time, Lazcano founded his own drug cartel, Los Zetas, which quickly became authoritative and one of the largest in Mexico. He became famous for his terrible and ruthless murders of not only competitors, public figures, officials and police officers, but also children and women.

That is why he was given the nickname "Executioner". More than 47,000 people were killed during the massacre. However, Mexican residents were able to put their fears behind them when Heriberto Lazcano was killed in 2012.