Lucky Luciano
Charles "Lucky" Luciano (/ˌluːtʃiˈɑːnoʊ/ LOO-chee-AH-noh, Italian: [luˈtʃaːno]; born Salvatore Lucania [salvaˈtoːre lukaˈniːa]; November 24, 1897 – January 26, 1962) was an Italian-born gangster who operated mainly in the United States. He started his criminal career in the Five Points Gang and was instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate. 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.
Lucky Luciano | |
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1936 mugshot | |
| Born | Salvatore Lucania November 24, 1897 Lercara Friddi, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | January 26, 1962 (aged 64) |
| Resting place | Saint John's Cemetery, Queens, New York |
| Known for | First head of the modern Genovese crime family, establishing the Commission, head of the modern American Mafia, and the first and only head of the National Crime Syndicate |
| Predecessor | Giuseppe Masseria |
| Successor | Frank Costello |
| Allegiance | Five Points Gang Luciano crime family National Crime Syndicate |
| Criminal charge | Compulsory prostitution |
| Penalty | 30 to 50 years' imprisonment (1936) |
| Partner(s) | Gay Orlova (1929–1936) Igea Lissoni (1948–1959; possibly married 1949) |
| Signature | |
In 1936, Luciano was tried and convicted for compulsory prostitution and running a prostitution racket after years of investigation by District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey. He was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison, but during World War II an agreement was struck with the Department of the Navy through his Jewish Mob associate Meyer Lansky to provide naval intelligence. In 1946, for his alleged wartime cooperation, his sentence was commuted on the condition that he be deported to Italy. Luciano died in Italy on January 26, 1962, and his body was permitted to be transported back to the United States for burial.