I’ve been infatuated with La Cosa Nostra or the Mafia for a long time. I enjoy reading books and watching documentaries about the mob. So I thought it would be cool to put together a Top 5 list of the most badass real mobsters. This is a split article, I took 3 (which are in green) and Roll took 2 (which are in red).
1. Vincent “The Chin” Gigante
Crime Family: Genovese
Born: March 29, 1928
Died: December 19, 2005 (in prison)
Boss of the Genovese family: 1981-2005
The Chin is my favorite Mobster of all time for sure. An ex boxer, Gigante started as a muscle man for the Genovese family. At only 29, Chin was hired by Vito Genovese to kill boss Frank Costello. Genovese wanted to become the boss, although Chin was a terrible shot, they still trusted him to do this big job. Chin botched the hit, only grazing Costello’s head. Costello was a stand up real gangster, he kept his mouth shut although he knew it was Chin that tried to kill him. Shortly there after Costello knew he would be killed, so he stepped down as boss and Genovese took over. Genovese kept Gigante close by as his right hand. Genovese died in prison due to a heartattack, Chin took over as boss shortly after. Gigante was in and out of court, but the feds were never able to convict Chin. Gigante was an absolute genius of keeping under the radar.
His crew would simply touch their chin to reference Gigante to avoid being recorded by law enforcement. Not to mention his infamous “oddfather” shtick where he would roam the streets in an old bathrobe, mumbling to himself to give the perception that he was insane. He got off numerous times due to insanity, he later admitted it was all fake. I’m currently reading “The Chin” a book about Vincent Gigante by Larry McShane. I’m really enjoying it.. I’ll do a full review after I finish.
2. John “Dapper Don” Gotti
Crime Family: Gambino
Born: October 27, 1940
Died: June 10, 2002 (in prison)
Boss of the Gamino family: 1985-2002
Gotti is the most recognized mobster of the 90-2000’s. Many people think he ruined the entire Gambino crime family, others think he was the last REAL godfather. The other members of the five families looked down on Gotti although he was the boss. They didn’t like that he was in the public eye so much, flashy cars, jewelry, $5,000 suits, smiling for the popparazi cameras. They didn’t like this. “Cosa Nostra” means this thing of ours. They felt John was breaking the rules by being so public. But say what you want about Johnny Boy he never flipped, he could have easily snitched in prison to reduce his sentence but never did. Gotti had the boss of the Gambino family Paul Castellano killed on December 16, 1985, this is also against the rules. But he was able to get away with it ultimately because few people in the Gamino family actually respected Big Paul, they felt John would make a much better boss.
Carlo “Don Carlo” Gambino
Crime Family: Gambino
Born: August 24, 1902
Died: October 15, 1976 (Heart attack)
Boss of the Gamino family: 1930’s-1976
Carlo was a true gangster, from Italy. He came to America to take over the mob scene. He started the Gambino crime family which is still to this day named after him and one is the most powerful crime families. Carlo appeared as a sweet gentle old man, but he was a ruthless killer at heart. Many of his soldiers and captains highly respected him and loved working for him. Carlo while on his death bed appointed his cousin in law Paul Castellano to be the new head of the family when he dies. Many are shocked how Don Carlo didn’t get murdered or die in jail, as many crime bosses do. He also was the inspiration for the wildly famous film “The Godfather”.
Arthur Simon Flegenheimer (DUTCH SHULTZ)
Crime Family: NOE and SHULTZ Gang
BORN: AUGUST 6 1902
DIED: OCTOBER 24 1935. (SHOT IN RESTROOM 5 TIMES)
BOSS OF THE SCHULTZ GANG.
Dutch Schultz was a German Jewish-American mobster of the 1920s and 1930s who made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the numbers racket. Schultz was born to immigrant parents, Schultz dropped out of the 8th grade to support him and his mother. He held numerous jobs from being a feeder, to being a pressman, and ultimately ending up at the Schultz trucking company in the Bronx. He also did some work for a small time mobster at a night club, and began robbing craps games before turning to burglary.Schultz was caught breaking into an apartment and sent to the prison on Blackwell’s Island. After his release Schultz returned to the trucking company were he started to hang out will well known mobsters. This is where he started Calling himself Dutch Schultz. Schultz Trucking began smuggling liquor and beer into New York City from Canada. After an argument, Dutch left Schultz Trucking to work for Schultz’s Italian competitors. Later on Schultz became friends with Joey Noe and became a bouncer in Noe’s Night Club. Schultz formed a gang with friend and fellow criminal Joey Noe, and they built an illegal business selling beer. Schultz and Noe started to expand their business and started getting in to turf wars with Legs Diamonds. Then in 1928 Noe was shot and killed by members of Diamond’s gang. This really upset Schultz and he ordered the hit on Diamond’s associate Arnold Rothstein in retaliation, and Diamond himself met a bitter end in 1931, reportedly at the hands of one of Schultz’s thugs.
On the night of October 23, 1935, Schultz and four of his associates were shot at a restaurant in Newark, New Jersey. A brutal man believed to have been responsible for deaths of many others—at his hand or by his order—Schultz died the next day. Shortly before his death, he gave a rambling statement to the authorities, but he never named his killer.
Adelard Cunin ( George ‘Bugs’ Moran)
Family Association: North Side Gang
Born: August 21st 1891
Died: February 25th 1957 ( Cause of Death: Lung Cancer)
Boss Of The NorthSide Gang.
Moran, or Bugs as he is better known was a mobster from the early 20th century, and part of the famous North Side Gang, along with Dean O’Banion. In the 1920’s there where two major Gangs in Chicago, these were the North Side Gang and the South Side Gang. The South Side Gang was ran by Johnny Torrio and new comer Al Capone. Little fact about Bugs Moran.he made popular, a form of assassination that was a major part of the mob, the “Drive-By Shooting”.This form of assassination was used by all mobs. The war between the North and South side came when Dean O’Banion decided to hijack alcohol trucks that belonged to the South side. This move by O’Banion would spark anger in Al Capone, and would eventually lead to the assassination of O’Banion. The assassination came at a flower shop owned by O’Banion, and he thought he was collecting a delivery of flowers so he wasn’t suspicious in anyway. Then, at close range, Frankie Yale, John Scalise and Albert Anselmi fired off rounds into O’Banion killing him instantly. This event set off Bugs Moran and the rest of the NORTH SIDE GANG. This sparked the long time war between the rival gangs.
Moran went after everything that Capone loved, he burnt down Capone’s nightclubs, hijacked his liquor supplies and continued murdering anyone that came close to him.
Capone was left physically and mentally exhausted
St Valentine’s Day Massacre
Capone had enough and retaliated with big message by setting up the St Valentines day massacre, Known as the worst Mob Crime in History. This was so much for Moran that he broke gangster code and snitched out Capone. This put and end of the feud Between Moran and Capone. Capone was never charged.
Both men decided to lay low and call of the business of crime. Moran later years was arrested for extortion and robbery he did several bids in prison until he died of cancer in prison at the age of 66 .
The Feud between Moran and Capone will always be remembered for ever.
Follow us!
