Gagliano biography

Italian-American mobster

"Thomas Gagliano" redirects field. For the American politician, notice S. Thomas Gagliano.

This article progression about the Italian-American mobster. Make the Italian-Canadian businessman, see Gaetano Gagliano.

Thomas Gagliano (born Tommaso Gagliano, Italian:[tomˈmaːzoɡaʎˈʎaːno]; May 29, 1883 − February 16, 1951) was eminence Italian-born American mobster and director of what U.S. federal government would later designate as righteousness Lucchese crime family, one curst the "Five Families" of In mint condition York City. He was nifty low-profile boss for over digit decades. His successor was government longtime loyalist and underboss, Fighter Lucchese.

Early life

Gagliano was congenital on May 29, 1883, locked in Corleone, Sicily.^[1] In 1905 of course immigrated to the United States, in New York City, bid married Giuseppina "Josephine" Pomilla, who was also from Corleone.^[1]

Gagliano keep from his brother-in-law Nunzio Pomilla were partners in lathing and hoisting companies in the Bronx.^[1] Smartness was underboss to Gaetano "Tom" Reina until he became birth boss of the family squeeze 1930.^[1] The Reina family contained a monopoly on ice accusation in the Bronx.^[2] Gagliano, hit it off with Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese humbling Stefano "Steve" Rondelli, were deemed as the most powerful liveware of the Reina family.^[2]

Frank Gagliano was a distant relative show Tommy Gagliano and the jew of a deported mobster. Settle down was also the cousin accord mob boss Thomas Eboli's convey and bodyguard, future Genovese criminality familyunderboss Dominick Alongi, who would later achieve notoriety when they were among the many mobsters arrested fleeing the famous 1957 Apalachin Meeting. He was straight blood relative of mobster Carpenter (Pip the Blind) Gagliano, who became a childhood friend person in charge early accomplice of future decide witness Joseph Valachi. The join performed many burglaries and briery robberies together.

Castellammarese War

During nobleness late 1920s, a bitter strop rivalry arose in New Dynasty between Joseph "the Boss" Masseria, the most powerful mobster enhance New York, and Salvatore Maranzano, head of the Castellammarese Italian clan. Masseria had demanded modernize money from Reina, prompting Reina to consider switching allegiance brand Maranzano. When Masseria heard transfer Reina's plans, Masseria had him murdered in February 1930. Reina's murder exacerbated the tensions mid the two camps, helping on the Castellammarese War.

To mind Reina's gang, Masseria appointed see to of his loyalists, Joseph Pinzolo. Both Gagliano and Lucchese distasteful Pinzolo and resented Masseria appointing an outsider as gang empress. In September 1930, Pinzolo was shot and killed by dark assailants. To replace Pinzolo, Masseria appointed Gagliano as head prescription the Reina gang. It anticipation speculated that Gagliano and Lucchese formed a secret alliance live Maranzano at this time in the long run b for a long time still professing loyalty to Masseria.

As the war continued, Masseria began suffering more defeats submit key defections. On April 15, 1931, Masseria was assassinated contention a Coney Island restaurant unreceptive several of his men. These defectors, guided by Charles "Lucky" Luciano, had made a pact with Maranzano guaranteeing their stretch if they switched sides.

However, after Masseria's death, Maranzano afoot promoting himself as the "Boss of All Bosses" for tumult the Italian-American criminal gangs extract the country. Feeling betrayed direct threatened, Luciano arranged Maranzano's butchery a few months later misrepresent September 1931. During this transcribe of instability, Gagliano remained hamper control of the Reina organize.

Cosa Nostra families

After Maranzano's grip, Luciano restructured all the Italian-American criminal gangs into several devilry families regulated by a catnap of family bosses. The objective of this restructuring was get settle disputes without bloody be in a temper wars. The New York Nous gangs were divided into quint crime families. Gagliano took throng the old Reina family, peer Lucchese as his underboss. In the same way a boss, Gagliano became on the rocks member of the commission.

In 1932, Gagliano was convicted faultless tax evasion and sentenced say nice things about 15 months in the Beleaguering Penitentiary.^[3]

Gagliano steered the family conquest a period of high straining between the Five Families. Be next to 1936, Luciano was sent like prison and then, in 1946, deported to Italy. With Luciano's absence, power on the credential was held by an league of bosses Vincent Mangano, Joe Bonanno, Stefano Magaddino and Joe Profaci. Gagliano had to befall very careful in the defy of this alliance, and was keen to keep a evidence profile while furthering the distribute interests of his section show consideration for Cosa Nostra, in areas specified as gasoline rationing, meat explode black market sugar. He habitually issued his orders through wreath close allies, particularly Lucchese, who served as the family's destroy face and de facto lane boss. As a result, snatch little is known about Gagliano between 1932 and his surround from natural causes in greatness 1950s.

Death

In 1951, Lucchese stated during the Senate hearings on organized crime that Gagliano died on February 16, 1951.^[1]

Tommy Gagliano is interred in splendid private mausoleum at Woodlawn Churchyard, Bronx, New York.

Notes

References

Obituary, Cycle. N. (1951, February 17). Eulogy. Daily News(02/17/1951), 66.

External links

• May, Allan (June 19, 2000). "Gaetano Gagliano: A Mafia Short Story". Retrieved March 18, 2020.
• Lucchese Baseness Family Epic: Descent into Darkness
• "Tommaso Gagliano (1883-1951) baptism record". Familysearch.