Torrio had several nicknames, primarily "The Fox" for his cunning and finesse. The US Treasury official Elmer Irey considered him "the biggest gangster in America" and wrote, "He was the smartest and, I dare say, the best of all the hoodlums. 'Best' referring to talent, not morals".
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.
A woman who's the companion or conspirator to a gangster can be called a moll. One of the most famous molls was Bonnie Parker, of the criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde.
Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for the establishment of the Commission in 1931, after he abolished the boss of bosses title held by Salvatore Maranzano following the Castellammarese War. He was also the first official boss of the modern Genovese crime family.
Wheelchair-bound Franzese, now 102 and living in a nursing home, told Newsday about his life of crime — and how he stuck to the “Goodfellas” adage of “Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut” despite facing 50 years behind bars. “They wanted me to roll all the time,” Franzese insisted.
Hoffa disappeared on July 30, 1975. It is generally accepted that he was murdered by the Mafia, and in 1982 he was declared legally dead. Hoffa's legacy and the circumstances of his disappearance continue to stir debate.
At the age of 26, Bonanno became one of the youngest-ever bosses of a crime family. Bonanno's role in the events leading up to Maranzano's death has been disputed. Years later, Bonanno wrote in his autobiography that he did not know about Luciano's plans; he claimed to have only learned about them from Magaddino.
Top woman mafia boss known as "the little one" sentenced to almost 13 years in Italian prison. An Italian court on Wednesday sentenced Camorra boss Maria Licciardi, one of the few women to lead a mafia clan, to almost 13 years in prison, media reports said.
It also estimated that the Genovese family consists of about 270 "made" members. The family maintains power and influence in New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City and Florida. It is recognized as the most powerful Mafia family in the U.S., a distinction brought about by their continued devotion to secrecy.
They are the Gambino family, the Genovese family, the Lucchese family, the Colombo family, and the Bonanno family. Each family has its own storied history and stems from the Italian island of Sicily. The five families are notorious for engaging in criminal behavior and extreme acts of violence.
The Genovese family is still active in the 21st century, reportedly engaged in such white-collar crimes as extortion, loan sharking, and gambling. A 2006 raid led to the conviction of as many as 30 members of the family on racketeering charges, and 6 alleged associates were arrested in 2022.
The families still exist, but with far less widespread control. In recent years, they have faced charges for similar types of organized crime — extortion, illegal gambling, fraud — in smaller cases with a few defendants as well as large-scale conspiracy cases.
The Genovese Family is considered one of the most powerful and longest-established organized crime groups in the United States, with its origins tracing back to the early 20th century.
Emerging in the late 1980s, gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles (originally New Jersey), later expanding with artists such as N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, and the Notorious B.I.G.
Charles “Lucky” Luciano was an Italian-American gangster who was said by the FBI to be the man who “organized” organized crime in the United States. In many ways, he was the model for the character Don Corleone in the popular book and movie, The Godfather (1972).
Al Capone (estimated net worth in 1929: $100 million)
According to Biography, by 1929 notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone had a fortune of $100 million: or as much as $18.6 billion in today's money.
The legendary “five families” still exist, experts said, and still operate in the same realms of organized crime: extortion, loan-sharking, racketeering, gambling.
Currently, it is believed that the Gambino family is still active in the United States, but it is no longer controlled by the Gotti family.
We have about 51 Italian organised crime clans in Australia. We have identified 14 confirmed 'ndrangheta clans across Australia, involving thousands of members. The 'ndrangheta, widely considered Italy's wealthiest and most powerful mafia group, are connected with Calabria, a region in southern Italy.
Known by the names "The Honoured Society", L'Onorata Societa or La Famiglia to Italians but more simply as the Mafia to most Australians, the 'Ndrangheta has controlled Italian-Australian organised crime all along the East Coast of Australia since the early 20th century.
Police say that there are 38 outlaw motorcycle gangs operating in Australia, with around 4,600 patched members and hundreds, or even thousands, of hopefuls waiting in the wings. Culturally, the reach of this relatively small group is great.