If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53540265/santo-trafficante. Then, check out these photos of the aftermath from some of the bloodiest mob hits. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. TAMPA The daughter sits on the front porch of a little bungalow in Seminole Heights, her new home since her husband died a few months ago down south. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. His sons, Dino and Joseph, run it for him, though he worries that sometimes they don't work hard. Salcines was observed at the properties the weekend of June 9, 1967. GREAT NEWS! So, as the popular theory goes, the mob bosses that lent a helping hand in getting Kennedy into office wanted revenge. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. Our deepest condolences to the Trafficante family. Hey, they have more convicts at the track than straight people," Trafficante says. Son of Santo Trafficante and Maria Giuseppa Trafficante "I still don't think I did anything wrong," Trafficante says. Please reset your password. "Banks are my greatest enemy. But according to declassified documents released in 1992, Santo Trafficante Jr. made a deathbed confession of his involvement in the Presidents murder. My ex-wife Erline Lazzara was a childhood friend you might remember. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. After months of wiretapped phone conversations, investigators seized boxloads of documents, some with Trafficante's name on them. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Hoffa said to me, This has to be done.'. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. Thanks for subscribing! My aim is to provide you with the best Service experience for you and your motorcycle. Love, Jimmy Schaffer. An editor and public historian, Carly Silver has written for Smithsonian, Narratively, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and Archaeology, among other publications. Trafficante Sr. hung back and developed relationships with politicians and his Mob colleagues in New York and Chicago. "When I woke up, they told me they raided Key Bank. Undercover detectives ran a gambling sting operation there, hoping to nab a circle of Tampa men they said were making illegal sports bets. THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPAS ELITE. please know that i am praying for you and your family. Indeed, a wiretapped conversation picked up a Key Bank official calling Trafficante a "sacred cow," with loans in excess of a million dollars. Trafficante was jailed and deported when Fidel Castro rose to power, leading him to spend a good portion of his adult life hatching a plan of revenge. Please try again later. His son was turned away from a date's house and his daughter has been refused jobs. Trafficante had been operating in Cuba since the late 1940s under his father, Santo Trafficante Sr., a mobster in Tampa, Florida. Try again later. Robert Anderson aka The Killer Between 50 and 100 buildings were burned. The elder Trafficante set up illegal casinos in Cuba in the 1940s, which were sanctioned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. He convicted infamous criminal labor union head, Jimmy Hoffa. He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. Trafficante maintained links to the Bonanno crime family in New York City, but was more closely allied with Sam Giancana in Chicago. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. By this point, Trafficante Jr. had fully taken over the oversight of drugs shipped between Florida, Cuba, and the rest of the States. More importantly, Castro imprisoned Trafficante and then had him exiled from Cuba. Their plans ranged from simply shooting him to having him smoke poisoned cigars or drinking a tainted milkshake. In 1975, the CIA declassified a report stating that Trafficante had been persuaded to poison Castro, an allegation he denied. "I thought I could just go down to (former Hillsborough State Attorney) Bill James and (Assistant State Attorney) Lee Atkinson and explain it all away in 15 minutes.". While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI, Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Many of the familys gangsters were in prison, or too old to be effective. He worked to expand the crime familys business holding and territory he was particularly interested in Cuba as a location for gambling, hotels and night clubs and worked to cement good ties with his fellow mobsters in. She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. And despite relatively small time beginnings, Trafficante proved to be a shrewd mobster. "I think it's all bull----," says Trafficante's former horse trainer, Arthur Pedregal Jr. "It's only because his name is Trafficante. Pupello determined that his diabetic patient's arteries were healthy. After a lifetime in organized crime, Trafficante Jr. died of national causes in 1987. With deepest sympathy and love. When you think of Florida and organized crime, it is difficult to avoid conjuring up images of Tony Montana in. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. The other case was a RICO indictment for insurance fraud. "I'm in the I.O.U. His health had declined in his later years. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. He died on March 17, 1987. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. In addition, "on January 23, 1958 the Cuban Department of Investigation, Havana, Cuba notified the Bureau of Narcotics that Santo Trafficante was registered in their Alien Office under No. It was all on the up and up. F. Kennedy not only failed to deliver on his promise to the mob but also actually put the Mafia under increasing pressure. The twister killed hls mother when lt touched down about 6, honored Wednesday us the nation's sute legislator. Donnie Brasco. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Search above to list available cemeteries. He wears tasselled leather loafers without socks. Trafficantes father was the lucky survivor of what was called the Era of Blood, when rival gangs based in Tampa fought for control of Prohibition-era nightclubs and, crucially, the local numbers rackets called bolitas. Battling Mob rivals in South Florida essentially weakened each other financially and, through murder, the number of available soldiers. And purchase valuable sports memorabilia for himself. After that, he ordered casino owners to cough up employee back pay, then shut them down again. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. His positioning in Florida was prime for drug shipping as the product often passed through these ports en route to elsewhere in America. When Fidel Castro began his ascent to power in the 1950s, Santo Trafficante feared the radical Marxist revolutionary wouldnt cooperate with him. He drove a forklift for 20 years. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Though his prison sentence wasnt long and he returned to a strong position in Florida, Trafficante never forgave Castro. Authorities said he leaked a list of suspects in the case and then lied about it. However, by the late 1920s, facing little pressure, Sicilian gangsters began setting up lucrative gambling and narcotics rackets. The guy really tried to do it right.". 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Trafficante Jr. was nonetheless a ruthless and old-school mob boss. While shouldering the legacy of his father and. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia Commons. So, who was this so-called Silent Don who wielded enough power to allegedly kill the President? The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. He will be sorely missed and his heart of gold will be remembered by all who new him. All the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960. Please check your email for further instructions. Finally, after the infamous failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the CIA gave up on their attempts to kill the Cuban dictator and thus Trafficantes attempts at revenge never materialized. Santo Trafficante, Jr. was born in the United States on November 15, 1914, as one of five sons of Mafia boss Santo Trafficante. Buy the time LoScalzo took over in 1987, the Trafficante Crime Family was far past its heyday. The Trafficante family formed a strong alliance with the Batista government in Cuba and profited from their investments, although they never achieved the goal of dominating gambling on the island. Trafficante was arrested frequently throughout the 1950s on various charges of bribery and of running illegal bolita lotteries in Tampa's Ybor City district. We guarantee you'll never look at Ybor City the same way again. Afterwards, the son he had groomed to take his place, Santo Trafficante Jr., took the reins of the Trafficante crime family. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Santo Trafficante Jr. In his previous statements, Roselli also tied Lee Harvey Oswalds killer, Jack Ruby, to Santo Trafficante. "My kids suffered a lot by it," he says. While the plot never came to fruition, Trafficante later testified that he did help the CIA recruit other mobsters for the surreal plot. Scott M. Deitche is the author of six books on organized crime, including a biography of Santo Trafficante Jr., and has written dozens of articles on organized crime for magazines and newspapers. And all this occurred throughout seven Sylvia at age 12 and her father Jimmy Velasco in California, June 1948 Jimmy Velasco was a political fixer. The other guys are two doctors, who say they'll testify if they're summoned to court. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his father's footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. However, there were events outside of the United States and even organized crime that inadvertently led Santo Trafficante Jr. to put his own peculiar stamp on American history. Now in his late 70s or early 80s, LoScalzo is reported to be retired. He headed the Trafficante crime family and controlled organized criminal operations in Florida and Cuba, which had previously been consolidated from several rival gangs by his father, Santo Trafficante Sr. "But then you get into alias this and alias that and when they get you in court, you probably just create more problems," he says. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. prosecution, fled temporarily to Cuba. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. While he had several close calls with law enforcement including the famed FBI Donnie Brasco investigation he never spent a single day of his life in jail. [1] In 1997, further declassified documents indicated that some mafiosi worked with the agency on assassination attempts against Castro. Santo Trafficante Jr., one of the last of the old-time reputed Mafia dons, who was reportedly enlisted in 1960 in a futile effort to kill Fidel Castro, has died at the age of 72. But then came Key Bank, a massive drug-money-laundering investigation. One small gang, led by Italian immigrant Santo Trafficante Senior, profited from the illegal lottery-style games they ran across Tampa. He will always be remembered with fondness. ). In the mid-2000s, he would say he was a legitimate businessman, citing, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. Most mornings Trafficante spends a few hours at his modest wholesale automobile lot at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and W Broad Street. [14] When this was pointed out, Aleman denied that he meant that he believed Kennedy was going to murdered and said he thought that Trafficante meant that Kennedy was going to be "hit" politically during the next election. Santo worked closely with Lucchese family boss Tommy Lucchese, who was a friend of his father, and a man who helped train him in the 1940s. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Try again later. Santo Trafficante Senior died in 1954. "My wife's got money. They never returned. Failed to report flower. He has thought about it. "[12] Aleman claimed to have reported Trafficante's comments to his FBI contacts, who "dismissed the Kennedy warnings as gangland braggadocio. Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. In 1954, Santo Sr. died of natural causes (at a time when some of his remaining rivals were still being violently dispatched), and his son took over leadership of the crime family. Organized Crime Figure. After the Kennedy hubbub, Trafficante kept a low profile or, lower that is. However, LoScalzo was nonetheless able to expand the families criminal reach into new locations across Florida, and took advantage of alliances with other Mafia families to ensure the mob maintained its hold on criminal activities. Late in life LoScalzo denied any connections to organized crime. Zeng8r/Wikimedia Common A set of bolita balls. Getting in bed with Trafficante and other leading members of Americas organized crime seems like a strange thing to do for the CIA. Santo met and married Maria Giuseppe Cacciatore on April 20, 1909. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. She handled great adversity and difficult, troubling times with grace, dignity, and style; with respect and love for all around her. Santos ran numerous legitimate businesses as well as illegal, including several legal casinos in Cuba, a Havana drive-in movie theater, and shares in restaurants and bars in Tampa. Year should not be greater than current year. The gunmen drove off, unaware they had failed to kill Trafficante, merely grazing his arm. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Santo Trafficante Jr. had long followed in his fathers footsteps, and proved to be an even more effective Mafia kingpin. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter of J.C. Valenti, who owned a thriving produce business. There was a problem getting your location. In 1959, the Cuban Revolution toppled the corrupt Batista government and the rebel leader, Fidel Castro, nationalized foreign-owned properties and shuttered the casinos, a huge financial blow to Trafficante, who was second only to Meyer Lansky in the depth of his investments in Havana. In the early 20th Century, Tampa was a small but growing city, and the organized crime it faced was modest. Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: Instead of Italian suits, he wears horizontally striped golf shirts. Batista let Trafficante and other mobsters build as many casinos and hotels as they wanted in exchange for a cash kickback. Trafficante was arrested again in 1957 for attending the famous Apalachin summit of Mob leaders in New York, but those charges were dropped. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). [20], In 2005, Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann's book Ultimate Sacrifice said that Trafficante was behind an aborted plot to kill Kennedy in Tampa on November 18, 1963. In Trafficante's food chain, reporters rank only marginally higher than prosecutors and bank regulators, whom he likes to refer to as "rat bastards.". Nicknames: The Silent Don One bank filed suit in November against him and a business partner, alleging that they defaulted on an $85,000 loan for a piece of property. Wife : Josephine MARCHESE (Santo TRAFFICANTE Jr. married Josephine in Tampa, Florida on April 17, 1938). [13] During his testimony, Trafficante also admitted for the first time that he had worked with the CIA from 1960 to 1961 for an attempt to poison Castro but stated that his role was only as an interpreter between CIA officials and Cuban exiles. Resend Activation Email. On March 17, 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he had gone for heart surgery. Weve updated the security on the site. A year has passed. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior. Wikimedia CommonsPresident John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Dr. Dennis Pupello was looking for heart disease, brought on by his overweight and diabetic patient's "voracious eating.". As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. This was proven in 1953 when he eliminated the last contender to the Tampa mob throne: Joe Antinori, son of the late Ignacio. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Santo Trafficante (53540265)? Sign up for service and obituary updates. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. There was an error deleting this problem. "The Mob? "[1][13] He stated that he was positive that he did not say it because he always spoke to Aleman in Spanish, and said that there was no way to state the phrase in Spanish. In the early 1980s Trafficante was ensnared in two major cases that could have sent the aging don to prison for the first time in his life, apart from his time in the Triscornia detention camp in Cuba following Castros takeover in 1959. santo trafficante daughters "I was going to ask him to come over and try our beignets to see how they compare to the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans," Alessi says. Father of Private and Private Thanks for your help! Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. [19] He claimed three witnesses could support his statement that he met Trafficante in Tampa, but refused to name them, adding: "One guy is afraid of retaliation. Trafficante would be charged with bank fraud, perjury and disclosure of criminal investigation. His uncle, the late Santo Trafficante Jr., was reputed to have been the boss of the local Mafia. He is just a businessman, he says, his money tied up in wholesale automobiles, an orange grove and real estate. He was, in many ways, the archetypical old-school Mob boss. Returning to Miami, he joined his father, managing some . The people of Tampa, especially the ones still around to remember those days still feel a duty of sorts to keep quite of these things, as if these people are still amongst us and can hear our chatter. 93461.". Daughters: Mary Josephine Sarah Ann Brothers: Frank, Salvatore (Sam), Epifanio and Enrico (Henry) Uncle: Joseph M. CACCIATORE (convicted narcotic trafficker) CRIMINAL HISTORY: Forget everything you think you know about Tampa mafia wives and girlfriends in the 1950s. She was predeceased in death, by other loving family members. He moved to Cuba in 1955 where he met the countrys authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista. He was rumored to be part of a Mafia syndicate which owned many Cuban hotels and casinos. He owned and operated some of the most lavish casinos in pre-Castro Cuba. He dropped out of high school and spent time in New York learning the trade from some of the countries toughest mobsters. During the rule of Cuba's authoritarian dictator Fulgencio Batista, Trafficante openly operated the Sans Souci Cabaret and the Casino International gambling establishments in Havana. Santo Trafficante, Sr., the powerful Trafficante crime family's patriarch, was born on May 28, 1886, in Alexandria Della Rocca, Sicily. Seven people were murdered. gerry,i am so sorry to hear about santo. Trafficante was apprehended in November 1957, along with over 60 other mobsters, at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York. Mobster Johnny Rosselli, who worked for both Trafficante and the Chicago Outfit, was another associate involved in the unsuccessful efforts to kill Castro and, according to some biographies, was the man who put Trafficante and Giancana together with Maheu. I am sorry I am unable to attend the services due to a illness. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! The senior Trafficante's name has been linked to gambling, drug-dealing and even plots to kill Fidel Castro and John F. Kennedy. Santos married Josephine Marchese in 1938, they would have two daughters. In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr. Josephine Marchese Trafficante The Trafficante Family Under Santo Junior . He maintained all of the lucrative casinos in Cuba, further cemented, After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Peter Moruzzi/Wikimedia Commons The glamorous casino in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba in Havana in 1958. As a leading member of the syndicate, he also was suspected of having behind-the-scenes interests in other syndicate-owned Cuban casinos: the Hotel Habana Riviera, the Tropicana Club, the Sevilla-Biltmore, the Capri Hotel Casino, the Commodoro, the Deauville, and the Havana Hilton. With that act, Santo Trafficante now reigned supreme in Tampa. Our heartfelt condolences go out to your family. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. As Jimmy Hoffas former lawyer Frank Ragano would later recall, Jimmy told me to tell [New Orleans boss Carlos] Marcello and Trafficante they had to kill the president. In January 1963, he married Geraldine Valenti, the daughter. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Ed Giorandino/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesSanto Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A Sicilian of the Old School, RULED TAMPAS UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE! Finally, in 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72. Harris & Ewing/Library of Commons/Wikimedia CommonsCuban leader Fulgencio Batista in Washington, D.C. in 1938. Santo Jr., who had inherited the leadership of the Tampa Mafia around 1950 when his father, Santo Sr., fell ill, had now completed his consolidation of power in Tampa and beyond. So, at his attorney Ralph Fernandez's urging, he has agreed to talk publicly, hoping to shore up his damaged reputation. This is a carousel with slides. [3] Trafficante moved to Cuba in 1955, where he came into contact with Batista and Meyer Lansky. [15] He repeated the claim two days later on ABC's Good Morning America,[16] in Newfield's Frontline report entitled JFK, Hoffa and Mob broadcast in November 1992,[17] and again in his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer. [4] All were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years. She was born on March 24, 1920. TRAFFICANTE, Santo Jose, 72, of Tampa, passed away July 13, 2010, To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our, All my Love to the family Michael R. Tartaro. In 1963, the Mob allegedly had enough of Kennedy. She touched all who knew her, and upon meeting her, she would embrace you, and you would instantly become part of the family. Meanwhile, he continued to make money from the drugs that came through Tampa. [14], After a grant of immunity from prosecution, Trafficante testified before the HSCA the following day, September 28, and denied the allegation that he told Aleman that "Kennedy was going to be hit. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. Died: March 17, 1987, Houston, Texas During a recent trip to Lake Tahoe he bought two basketballs autographed by Michael Jordan. Trafficante enjoyed life in Cuba, developed a relationship with its strongman, the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and helped the Trafficante Crime family garner even more profits from its legitimate gambling operations there. "If my uncle knew I was talking to the press, Christ, he'd shoot me," Trafficante says, half-laughing. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. In October 1966, while waiting in a Queens courthouse for his turn to be questioned by a grand jury about the infamous LaStella meeting (later dubbed "Little Apalachin") held a couple of weeks earlier on September 22, Santo Trafficante Jr., who was the boss of the Tampa Bay Crime Family, overheard reporters talking about someone . He went to Jesuit High School and played some football. Failed to remove flower. Trafficantes chance came in the 1960s when he became acquainted with mobster John Handsome Johnny Roselli. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. In 1957 he was suspected of involvement in the barbershop slaying of Albert Anastasia, the . But those werent even their most ridiculous ideas. He maintained close working ties with the Lucchese crime family and the Bonanno crime family from New York City. Maheu hid the fact that he was sent by the CIA, instead portraying himself an advocate for international corporations. . In the 1950s, Tampas reputation for corruption and vice was so bad it prompted one national magazine to label the area the Hell Hole of the Gulf Coast. Given such negativity, who can blame people for just wanting to forget? Santo Trafficante arrives at Queens Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. Santo Trafficante Jr. was a reserved, modest man married to the same woman for 49 years. He sought treatment for stomach cancer and was ready to hand power over to a trusted lieutenant. Bankruptcy court documents show that Trafficante is owed $500,000 by a business partner. After a violent mob war left several of Trafficantes rivals dead or weakened, his gang rapidly rose to prominence in Tampa. The mobster would later testify: I got news that Cuban officials were looking for to put me in jail because one of the things was that I was a Batista collaborator. RIP Santo. Oops, something didn't work. President John F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Dennis Caruso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Although a judge dismissed the charge for lack of evidence, the arrest had a lasting impact on another of Trafficante's ventures: thoroughbred breeding and racing. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. "I thought all this would end when my uncle died. [2] Trafficante Jr. had known Lucchese since the 1940s, when his father and Lucchese had trained him in the mafia traditions. The men started to drive away when another sedan drove past the Mercury, the occupants unloading a blast of buckshot as they passed. At age 16, he boarded the S.S. Lombardia and set sail for American in search of a better life. [7], In January 1958, Trafficante was questioned by the Cuban police regarding the Apalachin meeting. "Sam Gold" was Sam Giancana; "Joe" was Trafficante. Santo Trafficante Jr, was born on November 15, 1914 in Tampa, Florida and followed in the footsteps of his father, Santo Trafficante Sr, into a life of organized crime. The wiretap evidence has been thrown out of court. When the CIA decided to recruit the Mob in their efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro, they went to see Trafficante. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. He is hardly the "Dapper Don." Santo, Jr. never spent a day in jail, and he died of natural causes in 1987. We have set your language to Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. After Cuban revolution, the Mafia saw Castro as a threat to their business. Services will be followed by a graveside service at the Italian Club Cemetery and a reception at the family home.