The 15 most famous mobsters of all time

The dubious underground world of the mafia has fascinated people for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of the thieves ' groups has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women who are, in fact, just bandits, living at the expense of those who are not able to protect themselves?

The fact is that the mafia is not just any organized criminal group. Gangsters are considered heroes, not the villains they really are. The criminal lifestyle looks like something out of a Hollywood movie. Sometimes this is a Hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events from the life of the mafia. 

In the movies, crime is ennobled, and it already seems to the viewer that these bandits are heroes who died in vain. As America gradually forgets about the days of prohibition, it also forgets that the bandits were seen as deliverers who fought against the evil government. They were working-class Robin Hoods who opposed impossible and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire and idealize powerful, rich, and beautiful people.

However, not everyone is given such charisma, and many major politicians are hated by everyone, rather than worshipped by them. Gangsters are able to use their charm to appear more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on family history related to emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic plot of "from dirt to princes" has been attracting attention for centuries. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.

Jack "Legs" Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant figure during prohibition and a leader of organized crime in the United States. Earning the nickname Legs for his ability to quickly evade pursuit and his extravagant dancing style, Diamond was also known for unprecedented brutality and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did the liquor smuggling organizations in and around the city.

Realizing that it was very lucrative, Diamond moved on to larger mining, organizing truck robberies and opening underground liquor outlets. But it was the order to kill the famous gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped him consolidate his status in the world of crime, putting him on a par with such serious guys as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who then stood in his way. Although Diamond was feared, he was targeted several times himself, earning the nicknames Shooting Saucer and Unkillable Man due to his ability to get away with it every time. But one day his luck ran out, and in 1931 he was shot dead. Diamond's killer was never found.

Born in Philadelphia in 1897, Jack "Legs" Diamond was a prominent figure in the era of prohibition and organized crime that raged throughout the United States. Earning the name "legs" due to his quick escapes and questionable dance moves, Diamond also became famous for not being the most passive gangster on the scene, with extreme violence and murder. Better known for his criminal escapades in New York City, Diamond was known for his alcohol smuggling organizations in and around the city.

Finding it extremely profitable, Diamond went into bigger and better things, eventually organizing truck robberies and owning high-profile establishments across the country. However, it was his commission to kill infamous mob boss Nathan Kaplan that really transcended his criminal status, pairing him with big guys like Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who, incidentally, later became a huge thorn in his side. Although Diamond was a man to be feared, he was also repeatedly targeted, so that he received various nicknames, such as" The Clay Pigeon "and" The Man who cannot be Killed", referring to the fact that each time he recovered unharmed. But luck turned against Diamond, and he was shot in 1931, and the identity of the killer remains a mystery to this day.

Known for leading the famed and virtually invulnerable New York mafia clan of the Gambinos at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most powerful men in the mafia. He grew up in poverty as one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Agnello Dellacroce. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was crushed to death by a neighbor and family friend, Jon Favara. Although the incident was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was later attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared under strange circumstances, and his body has not yet been found.

With his impeccable looks and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became a tabloid favorite, earning him the nickname Teflon Don. He got in and out of prison, it was difficult to catch him red-handed, and each time he was behind bars for a short time. Nevertheless, in 1990, thanks to wiretaps and insider information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 of laryngeal cancer, and at the end of his life, he faintly resembled the Teflon don who never left the pages of the tabloids.

Yes, Sinatra himself was once the alleged accomplice of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once said, " If it wasn't for my interest in music, I probably would have ended up in the underworld." Sinatra was caught in the mafia when it became known about his participation in the so — called Havana Conference-mafia gathering in 1946. The headlines then screamed: "Shame on Sinatra!" Sinatra's double life became known not only to the newspapers, but also to the FBI, which had been following the singer since the beginning of his career. His personal file had 2,403 pages about his interactions with the mafia.

Most of all, the public was excited by his connection with John F. Kennedy. Kennedy before he became president. Sinatra allegedly used his contacts in the criminal world to help the future leader in the presidential election campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was engaged in the fight against organized crime, and Giancana turned away from the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a little. Despite the obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra to such major mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with gangsters, calling such statements a lie.

Mayer Harris "Mickey" Cohen has been a pain in the ass for the LAPD for years. He had a stake in all the organized crime industries in Los Angeles and some other states. Cohen was born in New York City, but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. Starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen gave up the sport to go on the path of crime, and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.

After several successful years in the prohibition era, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the protection of the famous Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. Siegel's murder struck a chord with the sensitive Cohen, and the police began to notice the violent and short-tempered thug. After several attempts to assassinate him, Cohen turned his home into a fortress, installing alarm systems, floodlights and bulletproof gates, and hiring Johnny Stompanato, who was then dating Hollywood actress Lana Turner, as a bodyguard.

In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He was the only inmate to be released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and a constant hunt for him, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.

Henry Hill inspired the creators of one of the best films about the mafia — "Nice Guys". It was he who uttered the phrase: "As long as I can remember, I always wanted to become a gangster." Hill was born in New York City in 1943 to an honest, hard-working family with no ties to the mafia. However, in his youth, he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He rose rapidly in the ranks, but because he was both of Irish and Italian descent, he was unable to take a high position.

Hill was once arrested for beating up a gambler who refused to pay the money he lost, and was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the way of life that he led in the wild, in fact, is similar to that behind bars, and constantly received some preferences. After his release, Hill became seriously involved in the sale of drugs, which led to his arrest. He turned in his entire gang and overthrew some very powerful gangsters. He was placed under the federal witness protection program in 1980, but broke his cover two years later and the program ended. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 69. Hill died in 2012 of heart problems.

Another Alcatraz veteran is James "Whitey" Bulger. He got this nickname because of his light, silky hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and caused his parents a lot of trouble from the very beginning, running away from home several times and once even joining a traveling circus. Bulger was first arrested at the age of 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he was in the criminal underground.

Bulger worked for a mafia clan, but he was also an informant for the FBI and told the police about the affairs of the well-known Patriarca clan at the time. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, the police began to pay more attention to him, rather than to the information he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and he was on the list of most wanted criminals for fifteen years.

Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 counts of murder, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After a two-month trial, the notorious gang leader was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences and another five years in prison, and Boston was finally able to sleep in peace.

Known for his Las Vegas casino and criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, known in the criminal world as Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most famous gangsters in modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, young Bugsy met another aspiring mobster, Meer Lansky, and formed Murder Inc., a group that specialized in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.

As Siegel became increasingly well-known in the criminal world, he sought to kill old New York gangsters and even had a hand in eliminating Joe "Boss" Masseria. After years of smuggling and gunfights on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and acquired connections in Hollywood. He became a real star thanks to his hotel "Flamingo" in Las Vegas. The $ 1.5 million project was funded from the bandit community fund, but the construction estimate was significantly exceeded. An old friend and partner of Siegel's, Lansky, decided that Siegel was stealing funds and partially investing in a legitimate business. He was brutally murdered in his own home, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took over the management of the Flamingo Hotel, denying any involvement in the murder.

Vito Genovese, known as Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who became widely known during the Prohibition era and in the following years. He was also called the Boss of Bosses, and he was the head of the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a mass drug.

Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York City in 1913. Quickly joining the criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed a rival, gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Fleeing from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, becoming friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately began to lead the old way of life, seizing power in the world of crime and once again becoming the man everyone feared. In 1959, he was charged with drug trafficking and jailed for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.

Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano got his nickname because he survived a dangerous knife wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. During the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two major bosses and create a completely new principle of the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in the creation of the famous "Five Families" of New York and the national crime syndicate.

Having lived a social life for quite a long time, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining an image and a stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own chef there. After his release, he was exiled to Italy, but settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of him, and Lucky went to Italy for good. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.

Although the world of the mafia is mostly a world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women among the mafiosi at all. Maria Licciardi was born in Italy in 1951 and was the head of the Licciardi clan, the famous Camorra, a Neapolitan criminal gang. Licciardi, nicknamed the Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and most of her family is associated with the Neapolitan mafia. Licciardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She took over the clan when her two brothers and her husband were arrested. Although many were unhappy, as she became the first female head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell the unrest and successfully unite several urban clans, expanding the drug market.

In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Licciardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, such as Albania, to force them to work as prostitutes, thus violating the long-standing code of honor of the Neapolitan mafia, according to which it is impossible to earn money from prostitution. After one of the deals for the sale of a batch of heroin fell through, Licciardi was placed on the list of most wanted criminals and was arrested in 2001. Now she is behind bars, but, according to rumors, Maria Licciardi continues to lead the clan, which is not going to stop.

Known as the face of the Al Capone crime syndicate in Chicago, Frank "Bouncer" Nitti became the first man in the Italian-American mafia once Al Capone was behind bars. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the United States when he was just seven years old. It wasn't long before he started getting into trouble, which caught Al Capone's attention. In his criminal empire, Nitti quickly succeeded.

As a reward for his impressive success during prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and consolidated his position in the Chicago crime syndicate, also known as the Chicago Outfit. Although nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks rather than breaking bones on his own, and often organized multiple approaches during raids and assaults. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia that haunted him for the rest of his life.

After being released, Nitti became the new ringleader of Chicago Outfit, surviving assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things got really bad and Nitti realized that he could not avoid being arrested, he shot himself in the head so that he would never suffer from claustrophobia again.

Another well — respected gangster in the underworld is Sam "Mooney" Giancana, who was once the most powerful gangster in Chicago. Starting out as a driver in Al Capone's inner circle, Giancana quickly worked his way up, making acquaintances with some politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in the case when the CIA organized an assassination attempt on the Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Giancana was believed to have key information.

Not only did Giancana's name appear in the case, but it was also rumored that the mafia had made a huge contribution to John F. Kennedy's re-election campaign, including ballot stuffing in Chicago. The Giancana-Kennedy connection was increasingly discussed, and many believed that Frank Sinatra was a go-between to deflect federal suspicions.

Soon things went downhill due to speculation that the mafia had a hand in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After spending the rest of his life on the wanted list of the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of the head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the perpetrator was never found.

As influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more so, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to the Russian Empire. Moving to America at a young age, Lansky got a taste of the street by fighting for money. Not only could Lansky stand up for himself, but he was also exceptionally smart. An integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, Lansky was at one point one of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world, doing business in Cuba and several other countries.

Lansky, who was friends with such high-ranking mobsters as Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was both a man who was feared and respected. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during prohibition, running a very lucrative business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire, emigrating to Israel. However, two years later, he was deported back to the US, but he still managed to avoid prison, as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.

Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed the Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster in history and he is known all over the world. Capone came from a well-respected and prosperous family. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.

Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone began his journey to fame. He earned a scar that earned him the nickname Scarface. Engaged in everything from alcohol smuggling to murder, Capone was invulnerable to the police, able to move freely and do as he pleased.

The games ended when Al Capone's name was implicated in a brutal mass murder that was called the Valentine's Day Massacre. Several gangsters from rival factions died in the massacre. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but they had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster's health deteriorated due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime changed forever.