mafia figures

Al capone

infamous Chicago gangster known for his role in bootlegging during Prohibition; orchestrated the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Charles “Lucky” Luciano

Founder of the modern American Mafia; established the Commission, which governed organized crime in the U.S

John Gotti

Head of the Genovese crime family; a powerful New York mafia boss involved in narcotics trafficking.

Meyer Lansky

Financial genius of the mafia; instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate.

Frank Costello

Known as the “Prime Minister of the Underworld”; boss of the Luciano crime family and a major influence in American politics.

Paul Castellano

Boss of the Gambino crime family; his assassination led to John Gotti’s rise to power.

Carlo Gambino

Head of the Gambino crime family; one of the most powerful and low-profile mafia bosses in U.S. history

Joseph Bonanno

Founder of the Bonanno crime family; one of the original members of the Commission.

Sam Giancana

Chicago mob boss; involved in organized crime and alleged connections to the Kennedy family and CIA plots against Fidel Castro

Albert Anastasia

Head of Murder, Inc.; known for his ruthless enforcement and control over the waterfronts.

Bugsy Siegel

Jewish-American mobster; played a major role in the development of Las Vegas as a gambling hub

Joseph “Crazy Joe” Gallo

Member of the Colombo crime family; known for his rebellious nature and the Gallo-Profaci conflict.

Frank Nitti

Al Capone’s enforcer and successor as head of the Chicago Outfit.

Angelo Bruno

Long-time boss of the Philadelphia crime family; known as the “Gentle Don” for his preference for negotiation over violence.

Vincent “The Chin” Gigante

Head of the Genovese crime family; feigned insanity for years to avoid prosecution

Ralph DeMasi

New England mobster and associate of the Patriarca crime family; involved in numerous criminal activities including robbery and extortion

Tommy Lucchese

Head of the Lucchese crime family; known for his influence over labor unions and the garment industry.

Joe Colombo

Head of the Colombo crime family; became a public figure with his involvement in Italian-American civil rights

Frank Matthews

African-American drug kingpin; operated a large-scale heroin and cocaine network in the 1970s before disappearing mysteriously.

Lepke Buchalter

Jewish-American mobster; head of Murder, Inc. and the only major mobster to be executed by the U.S. government.

Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria

Early New York Mafia boss; his death marked the end of the Castellammarese War and the rise of Luciano.

Carmine “The Snake” Persico

Long-time head of the Colombo crime family; involved in organized crime for over 50 years.

Raymond Patriarca

Head of the New England crime family; dominated organized crime in the region for decades.

Nicholas Corozzo

Member of the Gambino crime family; known for his involvement in loansharking, drug trafficking, and murder.

Anthony “Tony Ducks” Corallo

Head of the Lucchese crime family; key figure in the Commission trial of the 1980s.

Vincent Mangano

Early boss of what became the Gambino crime family; was murdered during a power struggle within the family.

James “Whitey” Bulger

Leader of the Winter Hill Gang in Boston; became an FBI informant while continuing his criminal activities.

Giuseppe Morello

Early New York Mafia boss; known for his role in the barrel murders and his influence over the Mafia in New York.

Johnny Torrio

Mentor to Al Capone and influential Chicago mob boss; helped shape organized crime in the U.S

Nicolo Schiro

Early leader of the Bonanno crime family; known for his efforts to keep peace among the mafia factions in New York.

Salvatore Riina

Sicilian Mafia boss known as “The Beast”; led the Corleonesi faction in a brutal campaign against the Italian state

Tommaso Buscetta

 Sicilian Mafia member who turned informant, leading to significant anti-mafia prosecutions in Italy.

Gaetano Badalamenti

Sicilian Mafia boss involved in the heroin trade; implicated in the Pizza Connection trial in the U.S.

Michele Greco

1.  Sicilian Mafia boss known as “The Pope”; oversaw the Mafia Commission during a period of violent internal conflict.

Salvatore Maranzano

Founder of the Bonanno crime family; his murder led to the rise of Charles “Lucky” Luciano.

Giovanni Brusc

Sicilian Mafia member involved in hundreds of murders; known for his role in the assassination of judge Giovanni Falcone.

Stefano Magaddino

Head of the Buffalo crime family; a powerful and feared figure in the American Mafia (though he was based in the U.S., his roots were deeply Italian).

Pablo Escobar

Colombian drug lord; leader of the Medellín Cartel, responsible for a significant portion of the cocaine trade into the U.S.

El Chapo (Joaquín Guzmán)

Mexican drug lord; leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, known for his dramatic prison escapes and extensive drug trafficking network