The largest mafias in the world. The most powerful mafias in the world (10 photos)

Intelligence, cunning, and sober calculation - that's what helped these bandits stay afloat. Oh yes, we almost forgot: they were also helped by their composure, cruelty, and desire for blood.

1. Al Capone (1899 - 1947)

A legend of the underworld of those times and the most famous mafia boss in history. He was a prominent representative of criminal America. His areas of activity were:

• bootlegging (illegal sale of alcohol during Prohibition in the USA);
• prostitution;
• gambling business.

Known as the organizer of the most brutal and significant day in the history of the criminal world - the St. Valentine's Day Massacre (then seven influential gangsters from the Irish gang Bugs Moran, including the boss's right hand, were shot dead).

Al Capone was the first among all gangsters to “launder” money through a huge network of laundries, the prices of which were very low. Capone was the first to introduce the concept of “racketeering” and successfully dealt with it, laying the foundation for a new vector of mafia activity.

Alfonso received the nickname “Scarface” at the age of 19, when he worked in a billiards club. He then confronted violent criminal Frank Galluccio and insulted his wife. After this, a fight and a stabbing occurred between the bandits. Result: Capone received the famous scar on his left cheek. By right, Al was the most influential person and a terror to everyone, including the government, which was able to put him behind bars just for tax evasion.

Find out about Capone's most notorious crimes in the following video:

2. Lucky Luciano (1897 - 1962)

Originally from Sicily, Lucky became, in fact, the founder of the criminal world in America. His real name is Charles. They began to call him Lucky (translated as “Lucky”) after the bandit was taken to a deserted highway, tortured, beaten, cut, burned in the face with cigarettes, and he remained alive after that.

The people who tortured him turned out to be Maranzano gangsters. They wanted to know the location of a drug cache. But Charles did not give up. After unsuccessful torture, they abandoned the bloody body without any signs of life by the road, thinking that Luciano was dead. There, 8 hours later, the poor fellow was picked up by a patrol car. Luciano received 60 stitches and survived.

After this incident, the nickname “Lucky” remained with him forever. Luckey organized the “Big Seven,” a group of bootleggers to whom he provided protection from the authorities. He became the boss of Cosa Nostra, which controlled all areas of activity in the criminal world.

Source: wikipedia.org

3. Pablo Escobar (1949 - 1993)

The most brutal and daring Colombian drug lord. He entered the history of the 20th century as the most brutal criminal and the head of the largest drug cartel. He organized the supply of cocaine to different parts of the world, mainly to the USA, on a grand scale, even transporting tens of kilograms on airplanes. As the head of the Medellin cocaine cartel, he is credited with killing more than 200 judges and prosecutors, more than 1,000 police officers and journalists, presidential candidates, ministers, and prosecutors general. Escobar's net worth in 1989 was more than $15 billion.

Source: wikipedia.org

4. John Gotti (1940 - 2002)

John Gotti was a famous figure, the press loved him, he was always dressed to the nines. Numerous prosecutions by New York law enforcement always failed; Gotti escaped punishment for a long time. For this, the press nicknamed him “Teflon John.” He received the nickname “Elegant Don” when he began to dress only in fashionable and stylish suits with expensive ties

John Gotti has been the leader of the Gambino crime family since 1985. During his “reign” this group was one of the most influential.

Source: wikipedia.org

5. Carlo Gambino (1902 - 1976)

It was Gambino who became the founder of the above-mentioned and one of the most influential families in criminal America. After seizing control of a number of highly profitable areas, including illegal bootlegging, a government port and an airport, the Gambino family became the most powerful of the five families.

Carlo forbade his people from selling drugs, considering this type of business dangerous and attracting public attention. At its height, the Gambino family consisted of more than 40 groups and teams, and controlled New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles.

Source: wikipedia.org

6. Meir Lansky (1902 - 1983)

Meir was born in Belarus, the city of Grodno. A native of the Russian Empire became the most influential person in the United States and one of the country's crime leaders. He is the creator of the “National Crime Syndicate” and one of the progenitors of the gambling business in the states. He was also the biggest bootlegger.

Source: wikipedia.org

7. Joseph Bonanno (1905 - 2002)

Patriarch of the Bonanno family and one of the richest mobsters in history. The reign of Joseph, who was called “Banana Joe,” goes back 30 years. At the end of this period, Bonanno voluntarily retired and lived in his personal huge mansion. Joe organized a criminal family that still operates in the United States.

The shady underground world of the Mafia has captured the imagination of people for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of thieves' groups has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women who are, in essence, just bandits living at the expense of those who are unable to defend themselves?

The fact is that the mafia is not just some organized criminal group. Gangsters are seen as heroes rather than the villains they truly are. The criminal lifestyle looks like something out of a Hollywood movie. Sometimes it's a Hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events in the life of the mafia. In the cinema, crime is ennobled, and it already seems to the viewer that these bandits are heroes who died in vain. As America gradually forgets about the days of Prohibition, it is also forgotten that bandits were looked upon as saviors who fought against an evil government. They were the Robin Hoods of the working class, pitted against impossible and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire and idealize powerful, rich, and beautiful people.

However, not everyone is blessed with such charisma, and many major politicians are hated rather than admired by everyone. Gangsters know how to use their charm to appear more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on family history associated with emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic rags to riches storyline has captivated attention for centuries. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.

Frank Costello

Frank Costello was from Italy, like many other famous mafiosi. He headed the feared and famous Luciano family in the criminal world. Frank moved to New York at the age of four and, as soon as he grew up, immediately found his place in the world of crime, leading gangs. When the infamous Charles "Lucky" Luciano went to prison in 1936, Costello quickly rose through the ranks to lead the Luciano clan, later known as the Genovese clan.

He was called the Prime Minister because he ruled the criminal world and really wanted to get into politics, connecting the Mafia and Tammany Hall, the political society of the US Democratic Party in New York. The ubiquitous Costello ran casinos and gaming clubs throughout the country, as well as in Cuba and other Caribbean islands. He was extremely popular and respected among his people. Vito Corleone, the hero of the 1972 film The Godfather, is believed to be based on Costello. Of course, he also had enemies: in 1957, an attempt was made on his life, during which the mafioso was wounded in the head, but miraculously survived. He died only in 1973 from a heart attack.

Jack Diamond

Jack "Legs" Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant figure during Prohibition and a leader of organized crime in the United States. Earning the nickname Legs for his ability to quickly evade pursuit and his extravagant style of dancing, Diamond was also known for unprecedented cruelty and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did his liquor smuggling organizations in and around the city.

Realizing that this was very profitable, Diamond moved on to larger prey, organizing truck robberies and opening underground liquor stores. But it was the order to kill the famous gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped him strengthen his status in the world of crime, putting him on a par with such serious guys as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who later stood in his way. Although Diamond was feared, he became a target himself on several occasions, earning the nicknames Skeet and the Unkillable Man due to his ability to get away with it every time. But one day his luck ran out and he was shot dead in 1931. Diamond's killer was never found.

John Gotti

Known for leading New York's notorious and virtually invulnerable Gambino mob family during the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most powerful men in the Mafia. He grew up in poverty, one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Aniello Dellacroce. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was crushed to death by neighbor and family friend John Favara. Although the incident was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was later attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and his body has still not been found.

With his impeccable good looks and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became a tabloid darling, earning the nickname The Teflon Don. He was in and out of prison, difficult to catch red-handed, and each time he ended up behind bars for a short period of time. However, in 1990, thanks to wiretaps and inside information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 from laryngeal cancer and at the end of his life he faintly resembled the Teflon Don who never left the pages of the tabloids.

Frank Sinatra

That's right, Sinatra himself was once an alleged associate of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once stated: “If it weren’t for my interest in music, I probably would have ended up in the criminal world.” Sinatra was exposed as having ties to the mafia when his participation in the so-called Havana Conference, a mafia meeting in 1946, became known. Newspaper headlines then shouted: “Shame on Sinatra!” Sinatra’s double life became known not only to newspaper reporters, but also to the FBI, which had been monitoring the singer since the beginning of his career. His personal file contained 2,403 pages of interactions with the mafia.

What stirred the public the most was his relationship with John F. Kennedy before he became president. Sinatra allegedly used his contacts in the criminal world to help the future leader in the presidential election campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was involved in the fight against organized crime, and Giancana turned his back on the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a little. Despite obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra to such major mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with gangsters, calling such statements a lie.

Mickey Cohen

Myer "Mickey" Harris Cohen has been a pain in the LAPD's ass for years. He had a stake in every branch of organized crime in Los Angeles and several other states. Cohen was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. After starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen abandoned the sport to follow the path of crime and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.

After several successful years during the Prohibition era, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the patronage of the famous Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. Siegel's murder struck a nerve with the sensitive Cohen, and the police began to take notice of the violent and hot-tempered bandit. After several assassination attempts, Cohen turned his home into a fortress, installing alarm systems, floodlights and bulletproof gates, and hiring Johnny Stompanato, who was then dating Hollywood actress Lana Turner, as a bodyguard.

In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He became the only prisoner who was released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and constant manhunt, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.

Henry Hill

Henry Hill inspired one of the best mafia films, Goodfellas. It was he who said the phrase: “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to become a gangster.” Hill was born in New York in 1943 into an honest, working family with no connections to the mafia. However, in his youth he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He began to quickly advance in his career, but due to the fact that he was of both Irish and Italian descent, he could not occupy a high position.

Once Hill was arrested for beating a gambler who refused to pay the money he lost and was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the lifestyle he led in freedom was essentially similar to that behind bars, and he constantly received some kind of preferences. After his release, Hill became seriously involved in selling drugs, which is why he was arrested. He surrendered his entire gang and overthrew several very influential gangsters. He entered the federal witness protection program in 1980, but blew his cover two years later and the program ended. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 69. Hill died in 2012 from heart problems.

James Bulger

Another Alcatraz veteran is James Bulger, nicknamed Whitey. He received this nickname because of his silky blond hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and from the very beginning caused a lot of problems for his parents, running away from home several times and once even joining a traveling circus. Bulger was first arrested at the age of 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he found himself in the criminal underground.

Bulger worked for the mafia clan, but at the same time he was an FBI informant and told the police about the affairs of the once famous Patriarca clan. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, police began to pay more attention to him rather than the information he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and he ended up on the list of the most wanted criminals for fifteen years.

Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After a trial that lasted two months, the notorious gang leader was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences and an additional five years, and Boston could finally rest easy.

Bugsy Siegel

Known for his Las Vegas casinos and criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, known in the criminal world as Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most notorious gangsters in modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, young Bugsy met another aspiring bandit, Meer Lansky, and created the Murder Inc. group, specializing in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.

Becoming increasingly famous in the world of crime, Siegel sought to kill old New York gangsters and even had a hand in eliminating Joe “The Boss” Masseria. After several years of smuggling and shootings on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and acquired connections in Hollywood. He became a real star thanks to his Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The $1.5 million project was financed from the bandit common fund, but during construction the estimate was significantly exceeded. Siegel's old friend and partner Lansky decided that Siegel was stealing funds and partially investing in legal businesses. He was brutally murdered in his own home, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took over management of the Flamingo Hotel, denying any involvement in the murder.

Vito Genovese

Vito Genovese, known as Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who rose to fame during Prohibition and beyond. He was also called the Boss of Bosses and led the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a popular drug.

Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Quickly joining criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed their rival, gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Escaping from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, making friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately returned to his old lifestyle, seizing power in the world of crime and once again becoming the man everyone feared. In 1959, he was accused of drug trafficking and sent to prison for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.

Lucky Luciano

Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano received his nickname due to the fact that he survived a dangerous stab wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. Over the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two big bosses and create a completely new principle for the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in creating the famous "Five Families" of New York and the national crime syndicate.

Living the high life for quite a long time, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining an image and a stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own cook there. After his release he was sent to Italy, but settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of him, and Lucky went to Italy forever. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.

Maria Licciardi

Although the world of the mafia is mainly a world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women among the mafiosi. Maria Licciardi was born in Italy in 1951 and led the Licciardi clan, a notorious Camorra, Neapolitan criminal group. Licciardi, nicknamed the Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and much of her family has ties to the Neapolitan mafia. Licciardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She took over the clan when her two brothers and husband were arrested. Although many were unhappy since she became the first female head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell the unrest and successfully unite several city clans, expanding the drug trade market.

In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Licciardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, such as Albania, forcing them to work as prostitutes, thus violating the long-standing Neapolitan Mafia code of honor that one should not make money from prostitution. After a heroin deal went wrong, Licciardi was placed on the most wanted list and arrested in 2001. Now she is behind bars, but, according to rumors, Maria Licciardi continues to lead the clan, which has no intention of stopping.

Frank Nitti

Known as the face of Al Capone's Chicago crime syndicate, Frank "Bouncer" Nitti became the top man in the Italian-American Mafia once Al Capone was behind bars. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the United States when he was only seven years old. It didn't take long before he started getting into trouble, which attracted the attention of Al Capone. In his criminal empire, Nitti quickly succeeded.

As a reward for his impressive successes during Prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and strengthened his position in the Chicago crime syndicate, also called the Chicago Outfit. Although he was nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks rather than breaking bones himself, and often orchestrated multiple approaches during raids and attacks. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia that plagued him for the rest of his life.

Upon his release, Nitti became the new leader of the Chicago Outfit, having survived assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things got really bad and Nitti realized that arrest could not be avoided, he shot himself in the head so that he would never suffer from claustrophobia again.

Sam Giancana

Another respected gangster in the underworld is Sam "Mooney" Giancana, who was once the most powerful gangster in Chicago. Having started out as a driver in Al Capone's inner circle, Giancana quickly made his way to the top, making acquaintances with several politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in a case in which the CIA organized an assassination attempt on Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Giancana was believed to have key information.

Not only was Giancana's name involved in the case, but there were also rumors that the mafia had made huge contributions to John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, including ballot stuffing in Chicago. The connection between Giancana and Kennedy was increasingly discussed, and many believed that Frank Sinatra was an intermediary to deflect the Feds' suspicions.

Things soon went downhill due to speculation that the Mafia had a hand in the assassination of JFK. After spending the rest of his life wanted by the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of the head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the perpetrator was never found.

Meer Lansky

Just as influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to the Russian Empire. Having moved to America at a young age, Lansky learned the taste of the streets by fighting for money. Lansky not only could take care of himself, but he was also exceptionally smart. Becoming an integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, Lansky was at one point one of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world, with operations in Cuba and several other countries.

Lansky, who was friends with such high-ranking mobsters as Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was both a feared and respected man. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during Prohibition, running a very profitable business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire by emigrating to Israel. However, he was deported back to the US two years later, but still managed to avoid prison as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.

Al Capone

Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed the Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster in history and he is known all over the world. Capone came from a respected and prosperous family. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.

Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone began his path to fame. He earned a scar that earned him the nickname Scarface. Doing everything from alcohol smuggling to murder, Capone was immune to the police, free to move around and do as he pleased.

The games ended when Al Capone's name was implicated in a brutal massacre called the Valentine's Day Massacre. Several gangsters from rival gangs died in this massacre. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but they had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster's health deteriorated greatly due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime was changed forever.

It so happened that any criminal groups or gangs, groups of participants in financial fraud, or smugglers are called mafia. The governments of all states are trying to fight them, but members of mafia organizations carry on their criminal activities, no matter what. Their circles have their own laws and rules; they are cruel and self-willed.

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 submit, they manage to evade criminal penalties, they are rich and fearless. The most famous mafiosi have gone down in history, their names are known all over the world and still inspire fear and horror.

Everyone knows that the birthplace of the mafia is Sicily. It was in sunny Italy that such a phenomenon as the mafia originated. The most famous Italian mafiosi are still on everyone’s lips.

Racketeer

Al Capone was born in Italy in 1899. At a young age, his parents moved him to America. In Al Capone, he worked during the day at a bowling alley, in a pharmacy and even in a candy store, and at night he visited entertainment venues. So, one day while working in a billiards club, he had a fight with a woman. As it turned out later, she was the wife of Frank Galluccio. A fight ensued between Al Capone and Frank, during which he received a knife wound on his cheek. It is believed that this is the turning point in his life.

At the age of 19 he was accepted into the “Gang of 5 Trunks”. His first crime was the murder of 7 authoritative leaders at once, subordinate to Bugs Moran. Moreover, for committing this and other criminal acts, he was not punished in court. But he was still sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion. He served only five years of them and was released.

Al Capone is the most famous mafioso. The whole world shook at his name. He was involved in racketeering, drugs, bootlegging, gambling and murder. He was very cruel and heartless. The police were unable to catch him and they lacked evidence and grounds to put him in jail. In 1947 he fell ill with pneumonia and died at the age of 48.

"The Godmother" - La Madrina

There were women in the world of the mafia. Maria Licciardi is a native of Italy, born in 1951. She was the leader of the "Licciardi" clan in Naples. Maria was included in the women's list of the most famous mafiosi in the world. When two brothers and a husband were put behind bars, she took on 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, Maria was arrested for fraudulently luring underage girls into prostitution.

Lucky

Born in 1897 in Sicily into a poor family. When he was a young man, his family moved to America to build a new life. As a child, he was a street hooligan; bad companies always surrounded him.

At the age of 18, he was sentenced to prison for drug distribution. When the sale of alcohol was prohibited 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 Prohibition was introduced in the United States, the most famous mafiosi of all time rose to prominence in bootlegging.

At the age of 34, the mafioso organized 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 nicknamed Luciano “Lucky” - the lucky one, because he was on the verge of death after being tortured by the Maranzano gangsters.

Lucky Luciano currently tops the list of the most famous mafiosi in America. He killed 10 leaders of competing criminal organizations in 24 hours. This made him the rightful master of New York. He also created the Five Families of New York and the 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 his cell. Soon he was released early and then deported to his homeland in Italy. In 1962, the mafioso suffered 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 a leader and authority in the underworld, in no way inferior to Lucky. He smuggled alcohol and opened illegal bars and bookmakers. Meer successfully developed gambling in America. He also managed to conduct and control affairs in other countries. Thus, the most famous Russian mafioso becomes one of the most influential leaders of the US criminal circle.

The police began to closely monitor him and collect facts of crimes, so he decided to move to Israel. Two years later he had to return back to America. He never suffered punishment and lived until he was 80 years old. In 1983 he died of cancer.

Drug lord

Pablo Escobar was born in Colombia in 1949. In his youth, he stole tombstones, erased the inscriptions from them and resold them. From a young age, he was involved in drug and cigarette speculation, and also forged lottery tickets. As he grew up, he moved on to larger transactions - car theft, robbery, racketeering and even kidnapping. Already at the age of 22, Pablo became an authority in criminal areas.

This is the most famous mafioso - drug lord. He was incredibly cruel, and his drug empire had the ability to supply cocaine anywhere in the world. By the age of 40, he was a billionaire thanks to drug sales. He was involved in the murder of one thousand people. In 1991 he was arrested and a year later escaped from prison. In 1993, Pablo was shot and killed by a sniper.

Carlo Gambino

Carlo Gambino is the founder and leader of the Gambino mafia empire. As a teenager, he traded in theft and extortion, and later began to engage in smuggling.

The Gambino crime family consisted of 40 factions, these most famous mafiosi held fear and 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” businesses. 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 part of the Gambino family. He organized his own criminal gang, Murder Inc. The gangsters of this group killed more than 700 people. The killers did not leave any witnesses, so Anastasia remained unpunished. But in 1957, Albert ordered the murder 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 as a young boy, he fell under the influence of the gangster Aniello Dellacroce.

John Gotti was part of the Gambino family group, and later replaced its boss, Paul Castellano. His name terrified and feared all of New York. But, like many other mafiosi, despite numerous crimes, he managed to evade criminal punishment.

He was nicknamed “The Elegant Don” for his impeccable taste in dressing. Gotti got rich from theft, he was involved in racketeering, car theft and murder. Next to John was always Salvatore Gravano, whom Gotti considered his reliable friend. But in 1992, Salvatore, whom Gotti trusted so much, turns him over to the police. The court sentenced him for all his “dark deeds” - life imprisonment. In 2002, he died from cancer.

Banana Joe

Joseph Bonanno Born in 1905 into 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 organized the Bonanno crime family. He was the leader of this group for 30 years of his life. While leading the clan, he becomes a multimillionaire, the likes of which have never been seen in history. “Banana Joe” decided to leave crime in order to quietly retire in his old age. But at the age of 75, he was still arrested for illegal sales of real estate. He served 14 months in prison and died in 2002, when he was 97 years old.

Godfather

When listing 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. At the age of 9 he dropped out of school and went into professional boxing. At the age of 17 he begins to commit his 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 mafioso is a cruel and unbalanced person. I could go for a walk at night in just my dressing gown. Thus, he created the opinion of himself as a mentally ill person. So, he hid from the police for 40 years. In 1997, the court nevertheless decided to imprison him for 12 years. Even while behind bars, Vincent managed to commit criminal acts. In 2005, his heart gave out 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 a group whose leader was Yevsey Agron. Russia's most famous mafiosi fled to the United States after imprisonment in search of a good life, or to avoid long-term criminal punishment in their home country.

In 1985, after the murder of Yevsey Agron, Balagula becomes the leader of the clan. He successfully established relationships with such families as Cosa Nostra, Genovese, and Luchese. He organizes a gasoline business. Then, running a huge scam on citizens’ credit cards, he is caught by the police. But he doesn't have to go to jail. He is released on bail of 500 thousand dollars and Marat flees to South Africa. After 4 years, he was still arrested for 8 years. For tax evasion, he gets another 14 years.

Godfather of the Russian mafia

Vyacheslav Ivankov - nicknamed Yaponchik - was an authoritative thief in law in the 90s. Vyacheslav was born in 1940. He decided to commit his first crime at the age of 25. Then he falls under the influence of Gennady Korkov, nicknamed Mongol. So, Yaponchik begins to engage in extortion, blackmailing underground millionaires, collectors and blackmailers. They, in turn, do not want to go to the police so as not to talk about their illegal income, so they obeyed and paid money.

In 1974, Ivankov gets involved in a fight in which one of the criminals dies from a bullet. Vyacheslav will end up in “Butyrka” (Butyrka prison), where he receives the status of thief in law. The Jap sat on the bunk more than once. And while in prison, he had to prove his authority: he fought with fellow inmates, his punishment was tightened. There was an attempt on his life, but he died in 2009 in a hospital from cancer.

The most famous mafiosi, as a rule, did not commit criminal acts themselves, but gave orders to other gang members. That is why the police were unable to find evidence for criminal punishment. Often the police know the leaders of the groups by sight and sometimes do not even try to catch them or convict them of anything. Today, many films are made about mafias. Gangsters are idealized, admired and tried to imitate their manners.

Jamaican-British

The Jamaican-British Mafia consisted of Jamaicans who immigrated to Britain in the 1950s. They took part in gang violence and became known as the mafia. They carry out organized crimes such as drug trafficking and other armed crimes. They did not try to infiltrate law enforcement systems, so they were not considered as strong as other mafia groups. All crimes involve the use of firearms, the use of which is strictly controlled in the UK.

Albanian mafia

The Albanian mafia consists of a large number of criminal organizations that are based in Albania. They are active in the USA and European countries. The Albanian mafia is said to have spread internationally in the 1980s. Organized crime has prevailed in right-wing Albania since the 15th century. In the United States and the United Kingdom, they control sex and drug trafficking, and they are known for their rapid use of violence to exact revenge.

Serbian mafia

The Serbian mafia operates in more than ten countries, including Germany, USA, UK, France, etc. They are involved in various activities like drug trafficking, smuggling, contract killings, racketeering, gambling and theft. It consists of three main groups called Voždovac, Surcine and Zemun, which control smaller groups. Currently there are about 30-40 groups operating in Serbia.

Israeli mafia

The Israeli Mafia operates in many countries in its areas of activity, drug trafficking and prostitution. Times have changed as the Israeli Mafia was once looked upon with awe and known for its patronage, but today they are ruthless and would not think of killing Stender. The Russian-Israeli mafia is so present in the US political system that the US military has been unable to make significant progress in stopping its activities.

Mexican mafia

It appeared in the late 1950s to protect prisoners from other prisoners and clashes with officers. The gang also engages in extortion and drug trafficking and has approximately 30,000 members, all in the United States. Gang members sometimes get a tattoo with a common design, which is the Mexican national symbol over a flaming fire intersecting a circle with knives.

Japanese Yakuza

The Japanese Yakuza is an organized crime group. Their organization was created in the 17th century. The missing severed little finger is a sign of gang members. This is often offered to the leader as a sign of appeasement or apology. Some members get full body tattoos. There are approximately 110,000 active members in this group who come from 2,500 families. They are involved in racketeering, importing censored pornography from Europe and America, prostitution and illegal immigration.

Chinese triads

Chinese triads consist of many criminal organizations that are based in mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, etc. They are also very active in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, as well as San Francisco. Their crimes involve theft, contract killings, drug trafficking, extortion, piracy, etc. Currently involved in piracy as well. The organization was created in the 18th century, but was then called Tian Di Hui. A triad can have anywhere from 50 to over 30,000 members. They are also involved in counterfeiting Chinese currency.

Colombian drug cartels

Colombian drug cartels were formed primarily to control drug trafficking. They have many organizations that deal with the political, military and legal aspects of the cartels. The main cartels from Colombia are the Cali cartel, the Medellin cartel and the Norte del Valle cartel. At some point, these cartels were threatened by the extradition treaty between the United States and Colombia. The lords went into hiding and ordered their members to kill his supporters. They also took part in many kidnappings and terrorism

Sicilian and American Cosa Nostra

The Sicilian and American Cosa Nostra is a relatively new group. It appeared in the second half of the nineteenth century in Italy. Despite being a relatively young mafia, it has great ability to plan and carry out major crimes. It is involved in racketeering, drug and arms trafficking, mediation of criminal business are some of the things of the Sicilian and American Cosa Nostra. It has a small number of members ranging from 3500 to 4000. In addition to these members there are their associates who are not full members. The member must undergo a rite of passage, where he may have to kill someone to prove his loyalty. Each member will follow a code of silence.

Russian Mafia Russian mafia

The Russian mafia originated in the Soviet Union and currently has great influence throughout the world. It has between 100,000 and 500,000 members. They are involved in organized crimes in countries such as Israel, Hungary, Spain, Canada, UK, USA, Russia, etc. In addition, they emigrated to Israel, America and Germany with the help of Jewish and German nationality. Their activities include drug control and firearms trafficking, bombings, smuggling, pornography, internet fraud, etc. One of their rules is to never cooperate with the authorities. If any members "talk" when captured by the police, they will be killed upon release. They engage in vandalism, terrorism, organ trafficking and contract killings.

The world has long been fighting the state against criminal clans, but the mafia is still alive. Currently, there are many criminal groups, each of which has its own boss and mastermind. Crime bosses often feel unpunished and create real criminal empires, intimidating civilians and government officials. They live by their own laws, violation of which often leads to death. This article presents 10 famous mafiosi who really left a noticeable mark on the history of the mafia.

1. Al Capone

Al Capone was a legend in the underworld of the 30s and 40s. last century and is still considered the most famous mafioso in history. The authoritative Al Capone struck fear into everyone, including the government. This American gangster of Italian origin developed a gambling business, was involved in bootlegging, racketeering, and drugs. It was he who introduced the concept of racketeering.

When the family moved to the United States in search of a better life, he was forced to work hard. He worked in a pharmacy and a bowling alley, and even in a candy store. However, Al Capone was attracted to the nocturnal lifestyle. At the age of 19, while working in a billiards club, he made a cheeky comment about the wife of criminal Frank Galluccio. After the resulting fight and stabbing, he was left with a scar on his left cheek. The daring Al Capone learned to skillfully handle knives and was invited to the Gang of Five Smoking Barrels. Known for his cruelty in dealing with competitors, he organized the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, when, on his orders, seven tough mafiosi from Bugs Moran's group were shot.
His cunning helped him get out and avoid punishment for the crimes he committed. The only thing he was put in prison for was tax evasion. After leaving prison, where he spent 5 years, his health was undermined. He contracted syphilis from one of the prostitutes and died at the age of 48.

2. Lucky Luciano

Charles Luciano, born in Sicily, moved with his family to America in search of a decent life. Over time, he became a symbol of crime and one of the toughest gangsters in history. Since childhood, street punks have become a comfortable environment for him. He actively distributed drugs and went to prison at the age of 18. During the prohibition of alcohol in the United States, he was a member of the Gang of Four and smuggled alcohol. He was a penniless immigrant, like his friends, and ended up making millions of dollars from crime. Lucky organized a group of bootleggers, the so-called “Big Seven,” and defended it from the authorities.

He later became the leader of Cosa Nostra and controlled all areas of activity in the criminal environment. Maranzano's gangsters tried to find out where he was hiding drugs and to do this they tricked him into taking him to the highway, where they tortured, cut and beat him. Luciano kept the secret. The bloody body without signs of life was thrown onto the side of the road and 8 hours later it was found by a police patrol. The hospital gave him 60 stitches and saved his life. After that they began to call him Lucky. (Lucky).

3. Pablo Escobar

Pablo Escobar is the most famous brutal Colombian drug lord. He created a real drug empire and arranged the supply of cocaine around the world on a huge scale. Young Escobar grew up in poor areas of Medellin and began his illegal activities by stealing tombstones and reselling them with erased inscriptions to resellers. In addition, he sought to earn easy money by selling drugs and cigarettes, as well as counterfeiting lottery tickets. Later, theft of expensive cars, racketeering, robberies and kidnappings were added to the scope of criminal activity.

At the age of 22, Escobar had already become a famous authority in poor neighborhoods. The poor supported him as he built them cheap housing. After becoming the head of a drug cartel, he earned billions. In 1989, his fortune was more than 15 billion. During his criminal activities, he was involved in the murders of more than a thousand police officers, journalists, several hundred judges and prosecutors, and various officials.

4. John Gotti

John Gotti was a household name in New York. He was called the “Teflon Don,” because all the accusations miraculously flew away from him, leaving him unsullied. He was a very resourceful mafioso who worked his way from the bottom to the very top of the Gambino family. His flamboyant and elegant style also earned him the nickname "The Elegant Don". While managing the family, he was involved in typical criminal matters: racketeering, theft, car theft, murder. The boss's right hand in all crimes has always been his friend Salvatore Gravano. As a result, this became a fatal mistake for John Gotti. In 1992, Salvatore began cooperating with the FBI, testified against Gotti, and sent him to prison for life. In 2002, John Gotti died in prison from throat cancer.

5. Carlo Gambino

Gambino is a Sicilian gangster who led one of the most powerful crime families in America and led it until his death. As a teenager, he began stealing and extorting. Later he switched to bootlegging. When he became the boss of the Gambino family, he made it the richest and most powerful by controlling such lucrative facilities as the state port and airport. During its heyday, the Gambino criminal group consisted of more than 40 teams and controlled major American cities (New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and others). Gambino did not welcome drug trafficking by members of his group, as he considered it a dangerous business that attracted a lot of attention.

6. Meir Lansky

Meir Lansky is a Jew born in Belarus. At the age of 9 he moved with his family to New York. Since childhood, he became friends with Charles “Lucky” Luciano, which predetermined his fate. For decades, Meir Lansky was one of America's most important crime bosses. During Prohibition in America, he was involved in the illegal transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. Later, the National Crime Syndicate was created and a network of underground bars and bookmakers was opened. For many years, Meir Lansky developed a gambling empire in the United States. In the end, tired of constant police surveillance, he leaves for Israel on a visa for 2 years. The FBI demanded his extradition. After his visa expires, he wants to move to another state, but no one accepts him. He returns to the United States, where he awaits trial. The charges were dropped, but the passport was revoked. In recent years he lived in Miami and died in a hospital from cancer.

7. Joseph Bonanno

This mafioso occupied a special place in the American criminal world. At the age of 15, the Sicilian boy was left an orphan. He moved to the United States illegally, where he quickly joined criminal circles. He created the influential Bonanno crime family and ruled it for 30 years. Over time, they began to call him “Banana Joe.” Having achieved the status of the richest mafioso in history, he voluntarily retired. He wanted to live the rest of his life quietly in his personal luxurious mansion. For a while he was forgotten by everyone. But the release of the autobiography was an unprecedented act for the mafia and once again attracted attention to him. He was even sent to prison for a year. Joseph Bonanno died at the age of 97, surrounded by relatives.

8. Alberto Anastasia

Albert Anastasia was called the head of the Gambino, one of the 5 mafia clans. He was nicknamed the Chief Executioner because his group, Murder, Inc., was responsible for over 600 deaths. He never went to prison for any of them. When a case was opened against him, it was unclear where the main prosecution witnesses disappeared to. Alberto Anastasia liked to get rid of witnesses. He called Lucky Luciano his teacher and was devoted to him. Anastasia carried out assassinations of the leaders of other criminal groups on Lucky's order. However, in 1957, Albert Anastasia himself was killed in a hairdresser, ordered by his competitors.

9. Vincent Gigante

Vincent Gigante is a well-known mafioso authority who controlled crime in New York and other major American cities. He dropped out of school in 9th grade and switched to boxing. He became involved in a criminal gang at the age of 17. Since then, his rise in the criminal world began. He first became a godfather and then a consolere (adviser). Since 1981, he became the leader of the Genovese family. Vincent earned the nickname "Boss Crazy" and "Pajama King" for his erratic behavior and walking around New York City in a bathrobe. It was a simulation of a mental disorder.
For 40 years he avoided prison by posing as a madman. In 1997, he was nevertheless sentenced to 12 years. Even while in prison, he continued to give instructions to gang members through his son Vincent Esposito. In 2005, the mafioso died in prison from heart problems.

10. Heriberto Lazcano

For a long time, Heriberto Lazcano was on the list of wanted and most dangerous criminals in Mexico. From the age of 17 he served in the Mexican army and in a special unit to combat drug cartels. A couple of years later he went over to the side of drug gangsters when he was recruited by the Gulf cartel. After a while, he became the leader of one of the largest and most respected drug cartels - Los Zetas. Due to his boundless cruelty against competitors, bloody murders against officials, public figures, police and civilians (including women and children), he received the nickname Executioner. More than 47 thousand people died as a result of the massacres. When Heriberto Lazcano was killed in 2012, all of Mexico breathed a sigh of relief.