Historians and politics buffs often informally rank U.S. presidents, and the results are sometimes very interesting. Has anything similar ever been done with Mafia godfathers? Who would you consider the best and worst? I would say that Tony Accardo, Santo Trafficante Jr. of Tampa, and Carlo Gambino would be among the former. What do you think?

I think the "best" bosses would be those that grew the business, mostly managed to avoid jail, kept the peace and died of natural causes.

So in addition to those you mentioned (Accardo/Gambino/Trafficante Jr)I would include Tommy Lucchese, Carlos Marcello, Frank Costello, Luciano, and Joe Zerelli.

The worst bosses would be people like Sam Giancana, John Gotti, Nicky Scarfo, and Amuso/Casso-people that didn't know how to build business, liked killing too much or couldn't keep a low profile.

That makes sense. I wonder how someone like Joe Bonnano fares in this analysis. On the one hand, he was successful for several decades, on the other, he made stupid decisions in the 1960s that touched off the "Banana War," and he was kicked out of the mob and barely escaped with his life.

Jimmy Lanza of San Francisco..

Then you have a boss like Vincent Gigante. He did ultimately die in prison, though of natural causes. But this was after years of successfully avoiding prison through his crazy act. Not exactly keeping a low profile, to to speak, but it worked.

In terms of leadership ability, he is often credited by law enforcement as being the primary reason the Genovese family has remained the most powerful mob family in the country.

You made an apt analogy with presidential rankings, Vito: both depend on the criteria the ranker selects for "greatness" or "best," etc. Not easy for presidents, lots harder for Mafia Dons.
My criteria for most effective Dons would include building and expanding business, avoiding limelight, spending little or no time in prison, and dying peacefully. I certainly agree with all the choices made by you and the other posters so far, as well as Lilo's choices for the worst. And I'd include Luciano, even though he served 10 years in prison and was exiled, because he was the first modern Don: willing to include non-Sicilians and even non-Italians in the councils of power; farsighted in forming the Commission, and brilliant for not appointing himself capo di tutti capi. And, even though he wasn't a Mafia guy per se, and spent more than 10 years in prison and was a public loudmouth, I'd include Capone, because he pioneered relatively sophisticated rackets (business and labor "associations" among others) that set the Outfit on its feet after Prohibition was repealed; and because of his political influence.

Turnbull,

You said that Luciano was "brilliant for not appointing himself capo di tutti capi."

That actually sounds a lot like George Washington! Washington could easily have become king of the United States but chose not to do so. Even King George III respected him immensely for this. When he was told after the war that Washington planned to retire rather than become a king, he supposedly said that if he did that, he would be the "greatest man in the world."

...and there's another parallel between them, Vito (although I'm not trying to equate Washington with Luciano):

If Washington had agreed with those who wanted him to be "king," he'd have been taking a stand against everything the Revolutionaries fought for. And as a practical matter, given the spirit of liberty, he'd have been reduced to a figurehead--a "constitutional monarch," which would have made him and all subsequent chief executives impotent and would have upset the checks and balances system by putting far more power in the courts and Congress.

Luciano arranged to get rid of Masseria and Maranzano because he believed the "moustache Petes" were obsolete and were holding back organized crime from making real money in modern America. For him to be the new capo di tutti capi, he'd be recreating the very position that led him to be the point man in whacking the last capo: Maranzano. And, as a practical matter, he didn't need to declare himself the top guy: everyone knew he was tops. He brilliantly appointed Capone as chairman of the Commission and Bonanno as secretary because he wanted the Chicago outfit (not a Mafia organization) to be brought into the fold; and to give Bonanno an incentive to cooperate with others. The titles were honorifics--he was the real boss.

But at the same time, he never attempted to impose his will on the Commission. He knew Dons would cooperate only when they wanted to and saw something in it for themselves. So, for example, he got the Commission to approve the assassination of Dutch Shultz because Shultz's intention to kill special prosecutor Thomas Dewey would have brought unacceptable law enforcement heat on all of them.

Tony Accardo - hands down. Santos Trafficante a very close second.

Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Carlo Gambino.

Turnbull,

It's ironic in the extreme that Dewey was the one who sent Luciano to prison, given that Lucky thwarted Schultz's plan to kill him. Right after WWII ended, Luciano wrote then Governor Dewey a letter asking for clemency (which was granted, of course, although he had to leave the U.S.) as a reward for assistance during WWII, including help on the waterfront against espionage and with the invasion of Sicily. He might also have mentioned that he saved his (Dewey's) life!

Tony Accardo.

I have to put Carlo Gambino in there; the guy's a legend in his own right.

I'd rank Vito Rizzuto as well.

And the Todaro family seem to be doing pretty well, despite all the allegations they have no convictions, and its claimed that Lead Pipe Joe and/or his son have been running the Buffalo Family since '84. Thats a pretty good run.

Actually, I think Luciano wrote Dewey right after WWII ended in Europe, not after the entire war ended like I said before.

In my opinion I don't think that Capone can even be included.

Capone was not really a Godfather.

Considering the fact that he was one of the most powerful Mafiosi of his time he could be considered as a Godfather.

Capone wasn't Mafiosi.

I think I would know what he is SC.

You probably would think that you'd know, but you'd be wrong if you believe Al Capone was a Mafia member.

Wasn't Capone already in prison for good (October-1931) by the time the official commision was formed - ca. 1933?

Mark,

No, the Commission was founded in 1931 (not sure what month).

Actually, it looks like the Commission was founded right around the time Capone went to prison. Maranzano was assassinated in September 1931, ending the Castellamarese War, and the Commission was established after that--so it was sometime between September and the end of the year.

Capone went in May, 1932.

He was a Mafia member.

Actually Capone was barred from Mafia membership due to the fact that he was NOT a sicilian.

The Mafia equivalent in Chicago at that time was the Unione Siciliana, which was kind of a civic organization with muscle. Capone respected the Unione and its boss, Mike Merlo, and did not initiate violence while he was alive. But after Merlo died, Capone declared war on the Northside gang and tried to put his own Sicilian men as officers of the Unione.

Whether or not he was barred from Mafia membership he had his own Mafia.

I always thought it more of a gang.

You people need to watch some more documentaries and read more books.

I love you!

That was very odd and random.