The most important were those in New York, known as “the five families”: Genovese, Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Colombo. Besides, of course, the famous Al Capone, Chicago’s biggest gangster and one of the biggest in the history of the United States. But, far from the hubbub of New York, Capone stayed out of the episode known as the Castellammare War (1929-1931), which defined the hierarchy that still exists today (see infographic below). Most of the American mafia families came from Sicily in the early 20th century, where they already made money with their typical methods, such as “protection” charging and illegal deals. In the 60’s the government began to severely punish organized crime and today families are weakened, without the glamor of before, without the sympathy of society and with many members in prison. (-:
Partnerships, betrayals and many deaths moved the five families in the 1930s
Genoese
Arrivals in the USA – 1922
Practice areas – Gaming, textile industry, loan sharking, conspiracy, pornography and extortion
Number of members – Between 200 and 250
Associate members – About 600
Curiosity – For structuring organized crime, “Lucky” Luciano was elected by Time magazine as one of the 20 greatest personalities of the 20th century in the business world, alongside names like Bill Gates
Bonanno
Arrivals in the US – 1925
Practice Areas – Drug trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy, pornography, gambling and extortion
Number of members – Between 100 and 150
Associate Members – About 500
Fun fact – Joe Bonanno, boss of the family between 1931 and 1964, was the first boss to break the omerta, the mob’s code of silence, by writing a book about his thug life
Lucchese
Arrivals in the US – 1920s
Areas of Practice – Trucking, garbage collection, conspiracy, money laundering and union racketeering
Number of members – Between 150 and 200
Associate Members – About 500
Fun fact – Tommy Lucchese, active in the mafia for almost 50 years and boss between 1951 and 1967, was never convicted of any crime
Gambino
Arrivals in the US – 1907
Practice Areas – Money laundering, car theft, loan sharking, conspiracy, drug trafficking and extortion
Number of members – Between 200 and 250
Associate members – About 600
Fun fact – Albert “Mad Hatter” Anastasia, boss from 1951 to 1957, ran Murder Inc., a group that killed between 400 and 700 people in the 1930s
Columbus
Arrivals in the USA – 1927
Practice Areas – Money Laundering, Conspiracy and Extortion
Number of members – Between 150 and 220
Associate Members – About 500
Fun fact – Catholic, Joe Colombo demanded that a crown stolen from the church be returned. The thief returned it, but without the precious stones. He was found dead with a rosary in his throat.
1. The Castellammare War begins when Joe Masseria of the Genovese kills Gaetano Reina, head of the family that would come to be known as the Lucchese. The crime occurred on 2/26/1930
2. Even though they are allies of the deceased’s family, Tommy Gagliano and Tommy Lucchese turn their coats and side with Joe Masseria, feeling that he could become a centerpiece in the mob scene
3. The Reina family joins Maranzano, of the Bonanno family, and on 9/9/1930 takes revenge by killing the man Masseria had put in charge of the Lucchese business in Reina’s place
4. On 10/23/1930, Masseria retaliates and kills a Maranzano ally, Aiello, leader of the Chicago Sicilian Union. Initially the crime was attributed to Al Capone, but the mastermind was later revealed.
5. The massacre continues with a violent retaliation by Maranzano: he kills three of Masseria’s allies between November 1930 and February 1931, including Mineo, who had shot Aiello months before
6. Charlie Luciano, of Genovese, was attacked in 1929, but escaped and became “Lucky” Luciano. In March 1931, he and Vito Genovese promise to betray Masseria and ally with Maranzano to stop the killing.
7. The alliance also includes Anastasia, from the Gambino family, and three more Genovese, who killed Masseria while he was having dinner at a restaurant. The war comes to an end, on 4/15/1931
8. Maranzano complies with the agreement and creates some rules to avoid further fights. Under his baton, each family started to have a boss – that’s when the surname Colombo entered the mafia hall, with Joe Profaci in command.
9. Maranzano places “Lucky” Luciano as subboss of the Bonannos without suspecting that the lucky man had already discovered that Maranzano had ordered the attack that gave him his nickname in 1929
10. Luciano retaliates and orders Maranzano killed on 9/10/1931. Luciano becomes the most powerful gangster in NY, extinguishes the position of capo di tutti capi and creates the Commission, which still exists today