Santo Trafficante Sr.
Born(1886-05-28)May 28, 1886
Cianciana, Sicily, Italy
DiedApril 11, 1954(1954-04-11) (aged 68)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
OccupationCrime boss
Spouse
Maria Giuseppa Cacciatore
​
​
(m. 1909)​
Children5 sons, including Santo Trafficante Jr.
AllegianceTrafficante crime family

Santo Trafficante Sr. (May 28, 1886 – August 11, 1954) was a Sicilian-born mobster, and father of the powerful mobster Santo Trafficante Jr.

Santo Trafficante Sr. gained power as a mobster in Tampa, Florida and ruled the Mafia in Tampa from the 1930s until his death in 1954. Trafficante was heavily involved in the operation of illegal bolita lotteries. During his reign, Trafficante was a well-respected boss with ties to Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Thomas Lucchese.

During the 1940s, Trafficante Sr. maintained a strong alliance with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City.[1] Lucchese would help train his son Trafficante Jr. in the mafia traditions.[1]

Trafficante died of stomach cancer on August 11, 1954; he was a member of L'Unione Italiana, and he was buried in L'Unione Italiana Cemetery in Ybor City.[2] His son, Santo Trafficante Jr. subsequently took over the crime family.

References

  1. 1 2 Raab, Selwyn (4 October 2016). Five Families The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. St. Martin's Publishing Group. pp. 105–106. ISBN 9781250101709. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Trafficante Family Head Dies At 68". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. August 12, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved March 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

  • Dietche, Scott M. Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld. Barricade Books, 2004. ISBN 1-56980-266-1
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