Lucky Luciano

Lucky Luciano (born Salvatore Lucania on November 24, 1897 – January 26, 1962) was an influential Italian-American mobster, criminal mastermind, and crime lord who is credited as the father of modern organized crime in the United States. He was instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate.

Early Life

Luciano was born in Lercara Friddi, Sicily, Italy. His family immigrated to the United States in 1906 where they settled in New York City. As a teenager, Luciano started his own gang and by the age of 20, he was involved in prostitution rings.

Criminal Career

Luciano's criminal career took a turn for the better when he joined the Five Points Gang, where he met future mob leaders like Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. He was later introduced to the Mafia through his association with the Five Points Gang.

In the 1920s, during the Prohibition era, Luciano's criminal empire grew as he became involved in bootlegging and gambling operations. He worked with other crime figures like Frank Costello and Joe Adonis to control the New York waterfront, the garment industry, and union rackets.

In 1931, Luciano finalized his plans to take over the organized crime world by arranging the murders of old-world mob bosses Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. After their deaths, Luciano became the first official boss of what would become known as the Genovese crime family.

Later Life and Death

In 1936, Luciano was convicted on charges of compulsory prostitution and was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison. However, during World War II, the U.S. government struck a secret deal with Luciano. In exchange for his help in providing contacts and information to the U.S. military, Luciano was released from prison in 1946 and deported to Italy.

Luciano died of a heart attack in 1962 at Naples International Airport. His body was flown back to the United States where he was buried in St. John's Cemetery in New York.

Legacy

Luciano's influence on organized crime in America cannot be overstated. He was responsible for splitting the Italian-American Mafia into five different crime families in New York City, a structure that still exists today. His establishment of the National Crime Syndicate, a confederation of crime families across the country, set the standard for organized crime in the 20th century.