It so happened that any criminal groups or gangs, groups of participants in money fraud, and smugglers are called the mafia. The governments of all states are trying to fight them, but members of mafia organizations conduct their criminal activities, no matter what. Their circles have their own laws and rules, they are cruel and willful.
And today in the criminal world there are also organized groups, headed by authorities. They conduct illegal business, persuade business owners and government officials to subjugate, they manage to evade criminal penalties, they are rich and fearless. The most famous mafiosi went down in history, their names are known all over the world and still inspire fear and horror.
Everyone knows that the homeland of the mafia is Sicily. It was in sunny Italy that such a phenomenon as the mafia originated. Until now, everyone has the most famous Italian mafiosi on their lips.
Racketeer
Al Capone was born in Italy in 1899. At a young age, his parents moved him to America. In the United States, Al Capone worked during the day at a bowling club, in a pharmacy and even in a pastry shop, and at night attended entertainment venues. So, once working in a billiard club, he had an argument with a woman. As it turned out later, she was the wife of Frank Galluccio. A fight broke out between Al Capone and Frank, during which he received a wound on the cheek from a knife. It is believed that this is the very turning point in his life.
At 19, he was admitted to the “Gang of 5 trunks”. His first crime was the killing of 7 authoritative leaders at once, subordinate to Bugs Moran. Moreover, for committing this and other criminal acts, he did not suffer punishment before the court. But still he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion. He served only five years and was released.
Al Capone is the most famous mafioso. The whole world shuddered on his behalf. He was involved in racketeering, drugs, bootlegging, gambling, and murders. He was very cruel and heartless. The police did not manage to catch him and they did not have enough evidence and grounds to put him in prison. In 1947, he contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 48.
The Godmother - La Madrina
There were mafia and women in the world. Maria Lichchardi - born in Italy, born in 1951. She was the leader of the Lichchardi clan in Naples. Maria entered the women's list of the most famous mafiosi in the world. When two brothers and a spouse were imprisoned, she assumed the role of leader of a powerful group. It was she who was able to unite several mafia families and expand the drug market.
In 2001, Mary was arrested because she fraudulently involved underage girls in prostitution.
Lucky
Charles Luciano was born in 1897 in Sicily in a poor family. When he was a young man, his family moved to live in America to arrange a new life. As a child, he was a street bully, bad companies always surrounded him.
At the age of 18, he was sentenced to imprisonment for drug trafficking. When the sale of alcohol was banned in the States, he was part of a smuggling organization for the supply of alcohol. So, by breaking the law, he turned from a beggar into a millionaire. It should be noted that at the time when the Prohibition was introduced in the USA, the most famous mafiosi of all time were promoted and raised on the bootleg.
At 34, the mafia organizes the "Big Seven", which included smugglers. Thus, Charles becomes the leader of the Cosa Nostra clan, which, in turn, subordinates the entire criminal structure of the United States.
They called Luciano “Lucky” - lucky because he was in the balance of death after torturing the gangsters of Maranzano.
Lucky Luciano today tops the list of America’s most famous mafiosi. He killed 10 leaders of competing criminal structures in a day. This made him the rightful owner of New York. And also, he created The Five Families of New York, National Syndicate. In 1936 he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for pimping. While in prison, Lucky still retained his authority, and continued to give orders from the cell. Soon he was released ahead of schedule, and then sent to his homeland in Italy. In 1962, the mafia had a heart attack, from which he died.
Gambler
Meer Lansky was born in the Russian Empire in 1902. At the age of 9, he and his parents moved to New York. There he met Charles Luciano. Lansky was the leader and authority of the underworld, not inferior to Lucky. He was engaged in the smuggling of alcohol, opened illegal bars and bookmakers. Meer has successfully developed gambling in America. And also he was able to conduct and control affairs in other countries. So, the most famous Russian mafiosi becomes one of the most influential leaders in the US criminal circle.
The police began to closely monitor him and collect the facts of crimes, so he decided to move to Israel. Two years later he had to return to America. He never suffered punishment; he lived up to 80 years. In 1983, he died of cancer.
Drug baron
Pablo Escobar was born in Colombia in 1949. In his youth, he was engaged in theft of tombstones, erased inscriptions from them and resold them. From childhood, he was engaged in speculation in drugs and cigarettes, and also faked lottery tickets. Growing up, he switched to larger deals - car theft, robbery, racketeering and even kidnapped people. Already at the age of 22, Pablo became an authority in criminal neighborhoods.
This is the most famous mafia - drug lord. He was incredibly cruel, and his drug empire was able to ship cocaine anywhere in the world. By his 40s, he was a billionaire thanks to drug sales. He was implicated in the killing of one thousand people. In 1991 he was arrested and a year later escaped from prison. In 1993, Pablo was shot by a sniper.
Carlo Gambino
Carlo Gambino is the founder and leader of the Gambino mafia empire. As a teenager, he hunted theft and extortion, and later began to engage in smuggling.
The criminal family "Gambino" consisted of 40 groups, these most famous mafiosi kept in fear and had power over the largest cities in America. It should be noted that Carlo himself was not involved in drug trafficking, he loved gambling, put people on the “counters”, and “protected” the business. And he was imprisoned once in 1938 for 2 years for tax evasion. At 74, he died of a heart attack.
Albert Anastasia
Albert was born in 1902. He was a member of the Gambino family. He organized his own crime gang, The Killing Corporation. The gangsters of this group killed more than 700 people. The killer did not leave any witnesses, so Anastasia went unpunished. But in 1957, Alberta ordered the death of Carlo Gambino.
Elegant Don
John Gotti was born in 1940. He grew up in a large poor family, he had 12 sisters and brothers. Even in his infancy, he falls under the influence of the gangster Agnello Dellacroce.
John Gotti was part of the Gambino family, and later replaced her boss - Paul Castellano. His name terrified and terrified the whole of New York. But, like many other mafiosi, despite numerous crimes, he managed to escape from criminal punishment.
For his impeccable taste in the manner of dressing, he was nicknamed "Elegant Don." Gotti became rich in theft, he was engaged in racketeering, car theft and killing people. Next to John was always Salvatore Gravano, whom Gotti considered his reliable friend. But in 1992, Salvatore, whom Gotti trusted so much, turned him over to the police. The court for all his "dark affairs" passed a sentence - life imprisonment. In 2002, he died from oncology.
Banana Joe
Joseph Bonanno Born in 1905 in a poor family in Italy. At the age of fifteen, he lost his parents and moved to the United States. At the age of 26, Joseph organizes the Bonanno crime family. He was the leader of this group for 30 years of his life. During the leadership of the clan, he becomes a multimillionaire, which was not in history. "Banana Joe" decided to leave the crime to calmly retire in old age. But at 75, he was still arrested for illegal sale of real estate. He served 14 months in prison and died in 2002 when he was 97 years old.
Godfather
Enumerating the names of the most famous mafiosi and clans, it is necessary to note the Genovese family and its organizer, Vincent Gigante. He was born in 1928 in New York. From the age of 9, drops out of school and goes to professional sports - boxing. At 17, begins to commit the first crimes. In one of the authoritative criminal groups, he becomes a leader - “The Godfather”, and then an adviser.
In 1981, Vincent organized the Genovese family. This mafia is a cruel and unbalanced person. Could go for a walk at night in one housecoat. Thus, he created the opinion of a mentally ill person. So, he hid from the police for 40 years. In 1997, the court nevertheless decided on imprisonment for 12 years. Even sitting behind bars, Vincent was able to commit criminal acts. In 2005, his heart could not stand it, and he died.
Big man
Marat Balagula was born in 1943 in Odessa. At the age of 34, he moved to America, where he joined the group, whose leader was Eusei Agron. Russia's most famous mafiosi fled to the USA after imprisonment in search of a good life, or to avoid lengthy criminal punishment in their country.
In 1985, after the assassination of Eusebius Agron, Balagul became the leader of the clan. He successfully established relations with such families as Cosa Nostra, Genovese, Luchese. He runs a gas business. Then, scrolling through a scam with citizens' credit cards for a huge amount, he comes across a policeman. But he does not have to sit in prison. He is released on bail of 500 thousand dollars and Marat escapes to South Africa. After 4 years, he is still arrested for 8 years. For non-payment of taxes, he is added another 14 years.
