Lucky Luciano changed organized crime from chaotic street gangs into a structured business. He preferred boardrooms over blood, yet he remained a ruthless leader. Furthermore, his influence reached beyond the streets, affecting international politics during World War II. Consequently, his legacy defines the image of the modern gangster. Explore the gritty details of the man who organized the American Mafia.
Lucky Luciano
Lucky Luciano earned his famous nickname after surviving a brutal attack in 1929. Attackers slashed his throat, yet he miraculously recovered to lead again.
Surprisingly, the US Navy asked Lucky Luciano for help during World War II. He ordered dock workers to watch the harbor for German spies.
Authorities never convicted Lucky Luciano of a single murder during his career. Instead, prosecutors finally jailed him for running a massive prostitution ring.
Lucky Luciano created “The Commission” to resolve mafia disputes peacefully. Therefore, this governing body replaced violent gang wars with business meetings.
Although the government deported Lucky Luciano to Italy, he rests in New York. A court allowed his family to bury him in Queens.
He formed a lifelong partnership with Jewish mobster Meyer Lansky. Thus, they proved that money mattered more than ethnic backgrounds in crime.
His birth name was actually Salvatore Lucania before he changed it. He adopted a new name because he wanted to sound more American.
Remarkably, he died of a simple heart attack at an airport in Naples. He was waiting to meet a producer about a movie biography.
He reportedly hated the nickname “Lucky” throughout his entire life. He felt it sounded cheap, so friends simply called him “Charlie.”
During Prohibition, he worked for the legendary gambler Arnold Rothstein. Consequently, Rothstein taught him to treat illegal bootlegging like a corporation.
He organized the historic Atlantic City Conference for mob bosses. There, leaders from across the country gathered to coordinate their operations.
He ended the bloody Castellammarese War by betraying his own boss. Specifically, he ordered a hit on Joe Masseria to seize absolute power.
While exiled in Italy, he secretly traveled to Havana, Cuba. There, he held a summit with Frank Sinatra and other powerful leaders.
Additionally, he started his life of crime at a very young age. He forced Jewish kids to pay him for protection on their walk to school.
Finally, police constantly monitored him during his later years in Naples. They forbade him from leaving the city limits after dark.
