According to the Illinois Crime Survey, Frank McErlane was "the most brutal gunman who ever pulled a trigger in Chicago." In critical condition at a hospital, Duffy survived. He was never seen again. Rose died in 1954. But before Luciano could move in and take over, Schultz found out about Weinberg's betrayal. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. We decided to put it to public vote and see who you thought were the top 10 mobsters of all time. Ontario also got in on the not-fun with the Temperance Act of 1916, which was pretty much a blanket ban against booze. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Known as "the only man Al Capone feared", Hymie Weiss was the leader of the North Side Gang in Chicago during the Prohibition era. Police could not figure if Roe or the bodyguard shot Caifano as the bullet went missing. More Stories . After embarking on a criminal career as a teenager, he gained a reputation as a lunatic with a ferocious temper, earning the nickname "Bugs"(which, at the time, was slang for "crazy"). Though he fled, first to Canada and then New Mexico, Looney was eventually apprehended, and was convicted of Gabel's demise, as well as "conspiracy to protect gambling, prostitution and illicit liquor traffic." He promptly got himself arrested for another alleged robbery and assault and battery, but got off. Top 10 Nefarious American Mobsters 5 Chelsais Bouras Chelsais Bouras piloted the Greek mob of Philadelphia through the turbulent 70s, forging a close tie with Raymond Martorano (pictured), a soldier for the city's longstanding crime family the Scarfos, and overseeing loan sharking, gambling and methamphetamine operations. On September 9, 1921, George, 34, and Nettie, 24, and their associates raided the Outerbridge Horsey bonded distillery in Burkittsville, Maryland. 3. Sometimes it turned physical. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "naticrimsynd-20"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "naticrimsynd-20"; His criminal career . Before the age of 21, he had already been incarcerated three times. 13. In order to avoid being prosecuted Gigante faked mental problems for decades to protect him while on trial, often wandering the streets in a bathrobe to which the media dubbed him the Oddfather. He would go on to use the publication to extort powerful local residents (threatening to publish unflattering stories unless he received a payoff) and to attack other personal enemies. But there was another, more murderous side to Ardizzone. Frustrated Prohibition agents marveled at Netties scheming and driving ability. A rival of the Shelton Brothers Gang, Birger waged war with Carl, Earl, and Bernie over the Southern Illinois territory. In 1919, a judge sentenced him to three years in Pennsylvania state prison for aggravated assault and battery with intent to kill, carrying concealed weapons and assault with intent to steal. And the FBI thinks it's possible Zizzo went on the run to avoid possible prosecution. That September 7, several gangsters stormed the Boston Club and fired shots at Roe, but he escaped unhurt and continued to run his games. John Herbert Dillinger was an iconic American Depression era gangster known for robbing banks along with his infamous Dillinger Gang. Who killed him remained a mystery until 1935, following an inquiry by the Pennsylvania Bar Association into underworld corruption among lawyers and police. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Suddenly, a large sedan sped by and a gunman inside unleashed a burst from a Thompson submachine gun toward Duffy, wounding him five times. The story goes that despite being so far on the North Side, Capone's . Alterie fled to Colorado at the request of one of his criminal associates, but soon attracted unwanted attention by the state authorities and had to return to Illinois. He went for a walk to try and shake it, saying he'd be back by lunch. amzn_assoc_title = "Related Products"; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = "top"; No famous mobster names list would be complete without the likes of Reginald Kray, Al Capone, and others. Later, a barn owner three miles away told police that after George compelled him to house the stolen liquor, Nettie supervised the unloading. The Maceos, in an unusually short time, expanded their bootlegging racket with a speakeasy offering illicit gambling, called the Hollywood Dinner Club. amzn_assoc_rows = "1"; 1. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search"; The Martins were part of a so-called Bootleggers Trust consisting of five large liquor-stealing and dealing gangs. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). While Chicago gangster Thomas O'Connor picked up the sobriquet "Terrible Tommy" somewhere along the way, in 1962, The Lakeland Ledger sniffed that he "wouldn't rate a line alongside the Dillingers and Capones and Baby Face Nelsons." He was a member of the Chicago Outfit, the Italian-American mafia in that city. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Afterward, he crawled into bed for a nap. He was dubbed Public Enemy Number One.. He liked his money and power, and if his boss fell, he risked losing it all. He perisheddestitute in 1957, mere weeks after beginning a new sentence for bank robbery. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is Irish American and a mobster . amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Construction began on the Flamingo, Vegas's first big casino/hotel, in 1945, and it opened in March 1947. And yes, if the O'Leary/Chicago connection seems familiar, it should: Big Jim's parents, Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, owned the barn where the infamous Great Chicago Fire of1871 is thought to have started. Top five mobsters youve probably never heard of, This newspaper report about the death of Frank McErlane was published on November 6, 1932, in the, Ozark and upcoming Sylvester Stallone series draw attention to Missouri mobsters. 2. Though he killed multiple people, he never did time for murder. In a gun battle with Roe and a bodyguard, Leonard Fat Lenny Caifano, a higher-up in the syndicate, was shot through the head and killed and another gunman wounded. He only found financial success following the passing of Chicago crime lord Michael Cassius MacDonald, which led to O'Leary's assuming control of gambling on Chicago's South Side in the 1890s. But his carelessness would be his downfall. But his continuous trips to prison weren't that big a deal to him, because Tenuto was extremely good at breaking out. Paolo Renda had trouble with impolite Canadian gangsters CTV Montreal Canada has a surprisingly active and violent underworld, and Paolo Renda was right in the middle of it. Joe Bonanno Lucky Luciano was an Italian-born American mobster best known for engineering the structure of modern organized crime in the United States. A doorman was seriously injured. amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; After 30 years on the run, Italys most wanted Mafia boss has finally been caught. The Maceo empire finally unraveled in 1957, amid a state crackdown on illegal gambling. amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; The victims were standing in an alley in the 3900-block of . Big Jim O'Leary was a powerful Irish mob boss in Chicago for more than a decade, controlling gambling on the city's South Side with an iron fist. The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that before Duffys violent death in 1931, he held South Jerseys beer and other rackets in the palm of his hand.. While in a Chicago hospital with the broken leg, a group of gunmen thrust into his room, guns blazing. 15. Despite nearly being killed in a 1957 power move attempt by Vito Genovese, Frank always preferred to swap the gun for a handshake in many of his business dealings. In the end, George got five years in prison for assault to rob, and Nettie 30 days for obstructing justice. From 1906 until his death in 1992, he only spent one night in jail in a criminal career that spanned 8 incredible decades. When high school guidance counselors discuss possible career paths, "gangster" doesn't usually come up. He was shot in a drive-by in February 1931, and barely survived. Though it's never been proven, their cow was supposedly the arsonist responsible. Maybe she appreciated the irony. In 50 years of crime he served only 22 months in prison (193738). 2. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Illinois has a colorful history, with connections to notorious mobsters, bandits and thieves since the territorial days through the Great Depression. Nettie, a former beauty shop owner, and George, a one-time used car lot owner, were among the early organized outlaws of Prohibition, even in 1919, before the official ban on producing, buying or transporting liquor went into effect in 1920. Usually, it's probably because they too were killed horribly, but no one can be completely sure, since their bodies have never been found. McGrath was a union guy and worked as an organizer for the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) along the Hell's Kitchen waterfront. Bernardo Provenzano is a member of the Cosa Nostra Sicilian Mafia who was born in Corleone, Sicily, on January 31 . Cook County "discontinued hanging" and moved on to the electric chair in 1927. On September 9, 1935, Weinberg left a friend's house, got in a car, and was never seen again. Although Dillinger was able to evade police capture for nearly a year across four different states, he eventually returned to Chicago where he was killed at the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue at the hands of federal agents. I only sell locally. amzn_assoc_linkid = "e58c0a996f2a0bd294e36be27a8767ce"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; McErlane somehow avoided death while the object of a dozen shootings. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; While in court after Netties arrest in the Foust case that December in Harrisburg, Maryland, a reporter labeled her a young petite, pretty blonde of the flapper type who was dressed in a sports costume and flashed a big cluster diamond ring. Georges unfortunate nickname in the news was Monkey Face.. No list of mob murders would be complete without the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the climax of . While Anastasia denied involvement, it's believed he had both brothers killed on the same day. While Boles is most notorious for his stagecoach robberies in states like California and Oregon, he also served as a private in the 116th Illinois Regiment (organized in Decatur, IL) during the American Civil War. In addition to being a small-time boxer, Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn was a key member of Al Capone's Chicago Mafia. Coincidentally, this was one day after the seventh anniversary of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Court TV's Crime Library reports an inquiry held after Walsh's disappearance failed to figure out what happened. In 2006, a major mob trial was about to begin, but Zizzo "conspicuously wasn't charged." Roe and his partners often used their profits to invest in real estate and other legitimate businesses. Remember Francis Ford Coppola's film The Cotton Club? Canada has a surprisingly active and violent underworld, and Paolo Renda was right in the middle of it. Madden was heavily involved in all aspects of Irish mob activity, but in 1932, he was implicated in the slayingof mobster Vincent "Mad Dog"Coll, spent a year behind bars and, afterward, retired to Arkansas to live out his golden years. They escaped unseen. They used the end of the pier to quietly unload bootlegged liquor from Cuba, trucked it east to New Orleans and as far north as Cleveland. Many people think he was murdered, either by his own crew for the rumors he'd snitched to the government, or by his nemesis Sarno. His death, believed ordered by underlings Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, made way fro Capone's rise as Chicago's number one mobster. His commanding presence and intimidation would see Genovese take control of the New York area for a period of time in 1957 after he worked with Carlo Gambino to get rid of Lucky Lucianos allies. Hit by double-o pellets in the head and chest, Roe died at a local hospital. The Chicago Outfit is that city's branch of the American Mafia. Comptroller Susana Mendoza pledged to appeal the decision and called the former lawmakers "shameless grifters" pursuing a "brazen money grab.". In November 1924, O'Banion was slain while working in his flower shop. 20 outlaws and criminals with ties to Illinois. The job fell to Tenuto. If the Mafia can get gain a monopoly on something, they acquire more control and lots of money, which is kind of their raison d'tre. Weiss was killed on October 11, 1926 by rival gunmen. McGrath eventually retired to Floridain 1959. Strollo's loyalty was just as flexible as his friendships. In Chicago in December 1950, both Roe and Edward Jones testified openly before the U.S. Senates Kefauver Committee. While not as famous these days as mob bosses like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, in the 1920s and 30s, Vincent Mangano commanded just as much respect as head of his crime family. (He even had a duel with Wilmerton at one point, during which Looney was wounded.). He left Edith $400,000 cash plus $150,000 in property. The Globe and Mail reports that in 1972 he was convicted of arson, 2006 saw him arrested in a huge mob raid, and in 2008, he pleaded guilty to "two counts of possessing profits from organized crime." amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = "top"; George plotted the theft strategies while Nettie scouted out places to rob, the best routes to maneuver whiskey-loaded trucks between Baltimore and Washington and aided the gang in eluding police and dry agents. Frank had many connections in the political arena which helped his influence in the underworld. By taking a close look at the beginnings of this era, you can discover how these circumstances gave the famous crime boss Alphonse Capone the opportunity to run the Chicago Outfit. He was low-profile, but a ruthless mob boss who came up through the ranks from the early inception of the Commission. Their back-and-forth series of attacks and retaliations lasted through the rest of the Prohibition era, and led Moran to popularize the technique of driving by Capone's properties and peppering them with gunfire, an iconic image of organized crime from the era and the inspiration behind "drive-by shooting.". Lester Joseph Gillis, AKA "Baby Face Nelson," was a known associate of another famous Illinois outlaw: John Dillinger. After a hurricane damaged the Grotto, Sam reopened it in 1932 as the Sui Jen, a high-class, Chinese-themed caf. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "naticrimsynd-20"; Although streets gang demographics have changed, and the vice trade has changed along with it, the Chicago Mob, or Outfit, which often recruited its deadly talent from these very street gangs, remains an elusive traditional organized crime entity. Frank McErlane Upon his death from a torturous, four-day bout with pneumonia in 1932, Frank McErlane was described by Chicago Police as the "toughest gangster of them all." The shooting of an Outfit torpedo made Roe a neighborhood hero. But soon he was back in LA, and back to his old habits. He checked into the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City, hired two heavily armed bodyguards and never left the hotel alone. During his marathon pneumonia delirium, medical attendants heard him scream, Dont let them take me for a ride!. Newspapers referred to him as the Night Club King., In 1934, Sam told an interviewer: We break the law, but in a way that people like. Ex-NFL player formulates Bears' offseason to-do list. In 1933, Walsh had a dinner with friends, later dubbed his "death supper." He started injecting himself with morphine to ease his nerves. On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls . McErlanes ill-famed debut of the Tommy gun during the beer wars occurred on September 25, 1925, with ODonnell his intended victim. The first reports came from officials in Virginia, who wondered about a mysterious blonde woman associated with illicit liquor trafficking along the Richmond Highway. McErlane proved himself a merciless killer during the Outfits beer wars, slaying three members of a rival liquor gang run by Edward Spike ODonnell. According to Mafia Summit: J. Edgar Hoover, the Kennedy Brothers, and the Meeting That Unmasked the Mob, Mangano and Anastasia often had "heated arguments" in public. In 1957, a Senate committee revealed a 5'1 fruit-peddler-turned-gangster named Vincent James Squillante was "the absolute czar of the private sanitation industry in Greater New York," according to Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime. Despite failing to kill Frank Costello in a 1957 plot ordered by Vito Genovese, Gigante still managed to continue his criminal career and would eventually take over the family in the early 1980s. When Prohibition rolled around, he got involved in bootlegging like all gangsters. amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; Madden was much more than a mere Irish street mobster and bootlegger; he controlled an interest in Harlem's famed Cotton Club, among other things. McErlane met his end on October 8, 1932 after falling ill with pneumonia. Despite the kidnappers' promise, Walsh wasn't returned, dead or alive. But Nettie determined to go straight post-Prohibition with a license to buy and sell liquor, legally, at 117 N. Eutaw Street, Baltimore. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "e58c0a996f2a0bd294e36be27a8767ce"; Upon his death from a torturous, four-day bout with pneumonia in 1932, Frank McErlane was described by Chicago Police as the toughest gangster of them all. His ruthless bootlegging peers in the Windy City feared him so much they reportedly paid him a pension of hundreds of dollars a week just to stay out of town. Lawmakers reported the men grossed $5.6 million (about $60 million in 2021 dollars) from 1949 to 1950 alone, $4.6 million from illegal gaming dice games, tip books, bingo, 500 slot machines and five bookie venues. National Crime Syndicate reports that Mangano, while known as "The Executioner," believed in doing things the old way. A rival gang began fighting them for power, sending messages that included kidnapping Rizzuto's gangsters, who would later reappear safe and sound. On August 30, 1931, at the hotel, Duffy met with his lawyer, then-U.S. He may have been murdered by the mob for "personal misconduct," or so he couldn't squeal at trial. His wife had to wait years until he was officially declared dead. A Tony Accardo Joe Aiello Joey Aiuppa Felix Alderisio Harry Aleman Gus Alex William Aloisio Samuzzo Amatuna Joseph Andriacchi Donald Angelini B Charles Baron Dominick Basso Sam Battaglia James Belcastro William Morris Bioff Herbert Blitzstein Fiore Buccieri Frank Buccieri C Marshall Caifano Richard Cain Frank Calabrese Sr. Nicholas Calabrese amzn_assoc_linkid = "e58c0a996f2a0bd294e36be27a8767ce"; He lavished more money on outlandish snappy clothes and liked to refer himself as a modern Beau Brummel, as the Inquirer put it. Who are the most infamous Irish mobsters in UShistory? Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner Beulah Annan, Photo Credit: Chicagology From Bulger to Spillane, check out this list of infamous Irish mob members ordered from earliest to most recent, and learn how these mob kings rose to infamy. He wanted to muscle in on other gang's bootlegging operations, and they wanted to take over his. But the murder inquiries never produced any chargeable suspects. In 1958, he switched families and set up his old boss Genovese in a drug bust. Anastasia also wanted to be in charge. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; In 1922, his fortunes changed after Looney allegedly ended William Gabel, a man who had provided evidence against Looney to Prohibition agents. The Chicago Crime Commission placed Frank on the citys 28-member public enemies list, headed by Al Capone. We found quite a few compelling stories about forgotten members of one-time syndicates, large and small, and picked a handful of the best. On the last days of his life in summer 1931, Duffy told police of seeing strangers hanging around his property. And he kept killing people, although the law never got any murder charges to stick. Hard-Boiled Hollywood: Crime and Punishment in Postwar Los Angeles says two gangs emerged in LA, with Ardizzone heading one. Apple warranty - 1 yr. Unlocked for all mobile carriers. Take a look at Chicago's most infamous mobster restaurants. That wasn't the case for Renda. 2. Top members of the Outfit approved Giancanas plan to muscle in on Roes policy racket. The decade has been the romanticized setting for countless gangster movies and novels. There are rumors he's under the West Side Highway, or that his body was dumped in a cement mixer and became part of a skyscraper. He garnered the nickname "Ice Pick Willie" by murdering people using an ice pick to stab them through the ear drum . There, in 1921 during Prohibition, a man named Dutch Voight became a regular customer. 2. Both faded into obscurity. After serving in the Army during World War I, the 30-year-old Sam returned to Galveston, where he and Rose (age 33) served as barbers, but strained to make a living at only 25 cents a cut. In 1924, he racked up still more arrests for alleged possession of illegal liquor, a jewelry robbery and assaulting a police officer. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = "top"; 3. The Mob Wife Stands for high-quality home decor and accessories such as sculptures, umbrellas, and backpacks in the medium price range. Old gangsters and popular gangsters are included on this list. Ms. Lightfoot . Green Mill. The history of the 20th century contains many stories of notable true crime characters who dared to flout state and national laws, some through violence, and others avoiding it, for profit. He was dubbed "Public Enemy Number One.". He was an important guy, the right-hand man of New York mob boss Vito Genovese for many years, according to The Mafia Encyclopedia. Sam admitted he knew two of the dozens of people indicted, but vehemently denied taking part. He was the son of immigrants from Poland his real name was Michael J. Cusick, but he chose an Irish pseudonym and spoke and read Polish. amzn_assoc_linkid = "e58c0a996f2a0bd294e36be27a8767ce"; In 1927, he and his gang member brother Vincent rebuffed attempts by police to undergo mental testing for a possible hold in a psychiatric hospital. George and several men dressed as federal Prohibition agents flashed badges to make the security guard feel at ease. For decades, any suspicious corpse was compared to Walsh's dental records, but they never matched. Newspapers noted that the feds nicknamed Nettie the queen of the bootleggers for her roles in the Foust robbery and raids on six other distilleries resulting in $500,000 (about $8.2 million in 2021) worth of liquor.