Charles "Lucky" Luciano, born Salvatore Lucania on November 24, 1897, in Lercara Friddi, Sicily, Italy, would become one of the most influential and notorious gangsters in American history. Luciano's family immigrated to the United States in 1906 when he was nine years old, settling in New York City's Lower East Side.Growing up in the impoverished and crime-ridden neighborhood, Luciano quickly fell into a life of delinquency. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began engaging in petty crimes, such as shoplifting and pickpocketing. As a teenager, Luciano befriended other young Italian-American hoodlums, including Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel, who would become his lifelong associates in the criminal underworld.In his early years, Luciano worked for Jewish gangster Arnold Rothstein, who recognized his intelligence and ambition. Under Rothstein's tutelage, Luciano learned the intricacies of organized crime, including gambling, loan sharking, and labor racketeering. He also developed a reputation for his cunning and ruthlessness, traits that would serve him well as he climbed the ranks of the criminal underworld.In the early 1920s, Luciano joined the Mafia family led by Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria, one of the most powerful Italian-American crime bosses in New York City. As a member of Masseria's organization, Luciano quickly made a name for himself as a skilled operator and earner, overseeing the family's bootlegging operations during the Prohibition era.However, Luciano grew increasingly dissatisfied with Masseria's leadership style, which he viewed as old-fashioned and ineffective. Masseria's reliance on traditional Mafia customs, such as the "Mustache Petes" (older, more conservative Sicilian gangsters), and his reluctance to work with non-Italian criminals, particularly Jewish gangsters like Lansky and Siegel, frustrated Luciano, who saw the potential for greater profits and power through collaboration.In 1929, a rival Mafia faction led by Salvatore Maranzano launched the Castellammarese War, a bloody conflict for control of the New York underworld. Luciano initially fought on behalf of Masseria but secretly began plotting with Maranzano to eliminate his boss. In April 1931, Luciano orchestrated Masseria's assassination at a Coney Island restaurant, effectively ending the war and positioning himself as a rising star in the Mafia.Following Masseria's death, Maranzano declared himself the "Boss of All Bosses" and reorganized the New York Mafia into the Five Families structure. Luciano was appointed as Maranzano's second-in-command, but he quickly grew wary of his new boss's dictatorial leadership style. In September 1931, just months after Masseria's murder, Luciano arranged for Maranzano's assassination, consolidating his power and ushering in a new era for the American Mafia.With Maranzano out of the way, Luciano set about restructuring the Mafia according to his vision of a more modern, efficient, and cooperative criminal organization. He established the Commission, a governing body composed of the leaders of the Five Families and other influential crime bosses from across the country. The Commission served to resolve disputes, regulate criminal activities, and ensure a more equitable distribution of profits among the families.Under Luciano's leadership, the Mafia underwent a significant transformation. He encouraged cooperation between Italian and Jewish gangsters, recognizing the benefits of working with a more diverse network of criminals. Luciano also sought to minimize the Mafia's public profile, discouraging flamboyant displays of wealth and violence that could attract unwanted attention from law enforcement and the media.Luciano's vision for the Mafia emphasized the importance of treating organized crime as a business, with a focus on maximizing profits and minimizing risks. He expanded the Mafia's interests beyond traditional rackets like gambling and loan sharking, moving into more sophisticated ventures such as labor racketeering, extortion, and narcotics trafficking.Through his alliance with Meyer Lansky and other Jewish gangsters, Luciano also forged connections with corrupt politicians, law enforcement officials, and labor union leaders. These relationships provided the Mafia with political protection and access to legitimate businesses, further strengthening its power and influence.Despite his efforts to maintain a low profile, Luciano's criminal activities eventually caught the attention of Thomas E. Dewey, an ambitious young prosecutor determined to make a name for himself by taking down high-profile gangsters. In 1936, Dewey launched an investigation into Luciano's involvement in a massive prostitution racket that spanned several states.The investigation, which relied heavily on the testimony of several prostitutes who had worked for Luciano, revealed the extent of his control over the sex trade in New York City and beyond. Luciano and several of his associates were ...
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Apr 28 202414 mins