America’s Most Infamous Criminal Gangs

One of the precursors of Italian organized crime was Black Hand, run by gangsters, mostly from Sicily, who extorted Italian businesses and wealthy citizens. They sent notes printed with black hands, daggers, or other menacing symbols threatening death or destruction of property if payments were not made. The group declined during Prohibition.

The Genovese crime family emerged as the ultimate result of the Castellammarese War that ended in 1931 with the assassinations of Old World dons Joseph Masseria and subsequently Salvatore Maranzano. In the wake of their deaths, Charles “Lucky” Luciano became the most powerful gangster in the country, establishing what became known as the Luciano crime family. After Vito Genovese acquired control of the organization in 1957, it took on his name. The family’s reputation of maintaining omertà  – refusal to divulge criminal activities or surrender names of criminal confederates – was shaken when former soldier Joe Valachi testified in public about the activities of the Cosa Nostra in 1963.

The Gambino crime family originated in the early 1900s under the leadership of Salvatore D’Aquila and became one of New York’s infamous Five Families. It was part of “The Commission,” devised by Charles “Lucky” Luciano, that oversaw organized crime in America. It was run by famous bosses such as Vincent Mangano and Albert Anastasia, but it was Carlo Gambino who substantially boosted the fortunes of the family. This is the criminal organization run by “Teflon Don” John Gotti and remains one of the biggest criminal families in the country.

The Bonanno crime family, another of the Five Families, was run by Joseph Bonanno (1905-2002). Bonanno took over the family in 1931 after “Lucky” Luciano and mob kingpin Vito Genovese ordered the execution of Salvatore Maranzano, the crime boss Bonanno worked for. Bonanno managed to avoid jail time until 1980, when, at the age of 75, he was incarcerated for obstruction of justice and civil contempt of court.

The Lucchese crime family has its origins in East Harlem, where its members emigrated from Palermo and Corleone in Sicily. It is the smallest of New York’s Five Families and has a reputation as one of the more stable and least violent of the Italian gangs. The Lucchese family has focused its activities on iron-fisted control of New York City’s Teamsters and garment-district unions.