American Mafia History

Raymond Patriarca Sr. – The Godfather of New England

When most people think of the American Mafia, they think of New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, or maybe Philadelphia. They think of men like Lucky Luciano, 

James T. Licavoli stands as one of the most significant figures in Cleveland organized crime history, presiding over the family during its most turbulent and violent era. Known by the aliases “Jack White” and “Blackie,” Licavoli rose from St. Louis bootlegger to become boss of the Cleveland crime family in 1976. His reign was marked by a brutal gang war with Irish mobster Dan...

Aladena “Jimmy the Weasel” Fratianno carved out a unique place in American organized crime history. He rose from Cleveland street thief to acting boss of the Los Angeles crime family, only to become the highest-ranking Mafioso to flip and testify for the government—until Sammy “The Bull” Gravano surpassed that distinction a decade later. Fratianno’s story reads like a mob epi...