Ask a question about REAL LIFE mob people or events after you have answered the previous question. Keep the answers brief and to the point. Avoid questions requiring long lists as answers or topics that we have no definitive answers to eg. Where is Hoffa buried? Anyone can correct a previous answer but only if you have an answer to the current question. I'll start off easy.

Q: Al Capone was not native to Chicago. What was his home town?

A. Brooklyn, NY.
Q. Who arranged for Capone to go to Chicago?

A. Johnny Torrio, his "mentor".

Q. What is Meyer Lansky's real (birth) name? (Hint: Its not Hyman Roth).

Rusty, you forgot to ask a question...you are holding up the game...WAKE UP!

A. Virginia Hill

Q. Joe Valachi named all the crime families for the McLellan Comission. Of all the current 5 NY family names which was the only one to change since his testimony?

A. That would be Virginia Hill (portrayed by Annette Bening in "Bugsy").

Q. Frank Costello, the "Prime Minister of the Underworld" was shot in 1957. What (current) mob boss was the triggerman?

A. Gregory Scarpa I think.

Q. Meyer Lansky held a legit job for a short time before he went into crime. What was his profession?

The Profaci family, which is based in a part of Brooklyn, was one of the five mentioned in Valachi's testimony. The boss of the family at the time, Joseph Magliocco, had taken over after the chieftain the family was named after, Joseph Profaci, died of cancer. Magliocco died of a heart ailment later in 1963, and tough capo Joseph Colombo Sr. was anointed as the new boss by friend Carlo Gambino, then boss of the Gambino crime family. Colombo became a media superstar by late 1970, when he picked the F.B.I.'s offices in New York, demanding they release his son (who had been arrested for an infraction). The picket soon turned into a protest, and then into a quasi-legitimate civil rights league, of which Colombo was the brainchild. In reality, it was a scam but it earnt Colombo the support of many Italian-Americans, aswell as the ire of law enforcement. Eventually, Colombo was incapacitated and permanently retired by being gunned down at a 1971 rally, but the name had stuck to his crime clan from his aegis as boss. The family, therefore, is now referred to as the Colombos, not the Profacis.

Q. Which powerful Genovese mob member was murdered and never found in 1962, on the orders of boss Vito Genovese who decided that "he couldn't take prison like you and I", as he told Valachi in prison.[/b][/quote]Jake Russo! I included this in my Gf4 script! wow! He was survived by Frank valenti.

There is a current question about Lansky, answer that.

A. Was it Cesar Bonaventre?

Q. Meyer Lansky held a legit job for a short time before he went into crime. What was his profession?

Tommy Eboli died of gunshot. I believe Jerry Catena, a former associate of NJ mob bigshot Abner (Longy) Zwillman, died of natural causes. Frank (Funzi) Tieri went to the can in the Commission case.
Q. What mob boss's control of an industry was so complete that the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against him under the Sherman Act?

(Re. earlier answer: Al Capone was sent to Chicago by Francesco Uole, aka Frankie Yale, not by Johnny Torrio, who was already in Chicago.)

As with many "legends" there are differing versions of what really happened. Here's a link to a version stating that Johnny Torrio was primarily responsible for Big Al's trip to Chicago.

AL CAPONE

(check the bottom paragraph of the chapter entitled "Scarface").

I believe Capone, Torrio, and Yale ALL worked in Brooklyn. Then Torrio moved to Chi-Town in 1919, Capone moved to Chi-Town in 1921, and Yale died in 1928.

It's how the question is wordered. If he was SENT it was YALE if he was BECKONED it was TORRIO.

Torrio couldn't have SENT him!

Thanks for the site SC.

I love CrimeLab

Meyer Lansky, born Meyer Suchowljansky, was later christened Meyer Lanksy by Francesco Castiglia, whom Salvatore Luciana had anointed as Frank Costello early during their friendship. Luciana would himself change his name to Charles Luciano, and obtain the sobriquet of "Lucky" when he was found by a policeman rolled over on the beach shore, beaten bloody and barely hanging on to life in the late 1920s.[/b][/quote]In his biography of Lansky, "Little Man," Robert Lacey says, "Books and articles about Meyer Lansky have generally assumed that he fashioned the American version of his long Polish surname forhimself when he embarked on his career of lawbreaking in his late teens. But his school record card shows him registered from the start as plain Lansky, not Suchowljanksy. His brother's record shows the same." Lacey also reproduces Lansky's first report card, from 1911, showing him as "Lansky, Meyer." Had to be way before he met Costello, unless the school was in Sicily.
The antitrust case referred to earlier was filed against Louis (Lepke) Buchalter, who in the '30's so dominated the manufacturing, trucking and labor unions in the NYC garment industries that the Justice Dept. sought to break up his "combination in restraint of trade."
To keep the game going:
Which Mob biggie had a son who went to West Point?

Rusty, it's your turn to ask a Q.

I'm guessing it's Anthony (Tony Ducks) Corallo.
I wasn't aware that one of the Gambinos went to West Point, or that Junior Gotti was there. In fact, I wasn't aware that Junior could read or write! I was thinking of Baldassere Lucchese, Tommy's son, and Paul Lansky, Meyer's boy.
Rusty, you're right-on about Lepke Buchalter being the wealthiest gangster ever put to death. He may have been the wealthiest gangster ever. I read somewhere that, at his peak, he took in $300 million a year in nice, hard '30's dollars.
Q. Which Hollywood star was Abner (Longy) Zwillman's mistress until Howard Hughes took Longy's place in her bed?

[


Q. Which late Luchese boss was indicted in September, 1984, for allegedly conspiring to reduce competition in Long Island's carting industry through coercion, threats and illegal agreements? He was freed on $35,000 bail. He once was recorded talking to Jimmy Hoffa in a 1961 conversation about taking loans of the Brotherhood of Teamsters fund. He died in 2000, at the Missouri Federal Correctional Centre.[/QB][/QUOTE]

A. Would that be Tony "Ducks" Corallo?

Both jailed Gambino acting-boss John A. "Junior" Gotti, and Gambino capo Thomas Gambino were enlisted to West Point during their apprenticeship of the family business.

A. I know for sure that Lansky's son was in West Point and Meyer was extremely proud of that. Possibly Tommy Luchese's son too. I don't think Gotti Jr. could make the grade mentally nor Tommy Gambino make the grade physically.

NEW Q. Who was Roy DeMeo's capo?

I'm thinking it was Philip Leonetti, although Little Nicky had enough enemies to fill a phone book.
Anyone care to take a guess at Longy Zwillman's Hollywood mistress?

A Longy was bangin Gene Harlow, carried her pubic hair in his wallet to show the boys. How romantic.

Q. Lansky was involved in an unsucessful electronics company. What was their product?

Way to go, Fanucci! (There's them who thinks Zwillman's nickname applied to something other than his height.)
A. Tele-King TV (rental TVs for bars).
Q. What mob leader had a brother who spelled his last name differently, and who was a powerful labor leader?

OK two answers for the price of one.
Turnbull A: That would be Tough Tony Anastasio (the correct spelling) brother of Albert Anastasia

Rusty A: "DB" DeBono can't remember his first name.

Q: Where was Carlos Marcello dumped by the INS when he was deported.

A. I'm guessing that it's Joe Profaci.

B. What is the name of the Chin's NYC hangout. He hasn't been around in a while though.

Oho! Harry (the Hump) Riccobene! Lotta cogliones for a little old, hunched-over guy. Wasn't he shot in a phone booth, and lived to tell about it?
I think the Detroit guy you're referring to was Vito (Billy Jack) Giacolone.
Q. What incident led to the Federal government's seeking/accepting Charlie Luciano's help during WWII?

I'm thinking it was Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco, although I don't know how far back he defected.

Q. How did Newark, NJ, Mob boss Richie "The Boot" Boiardo get his nickname? (Hint: not the way Billy Batts described Tommy D's nickname in "Goodfellas.")

(Re. Luciano and government cooperation: The story I read was that, after the French surrendered to the Nazis in 1940, the US seized the luxury liner Normandie in the Port of New York. When the US entered the war, the Navy started converting it to a troop carrier. A careless worker accidentally started a fire that caused the Normandie to burn and capsize. The Navy's commander of the Port immediately assumed it was sabotage by Italian and German stevadores. This paranoia came to the attention of Joseph "Socks" Lanza, Mob boss of the waterfront, who brought it to Albert Anastasia, who brought it to Meyer Lansky. Lansky figured that, if the Navy thought it was sabotage, the least he could do was go along with it. Lansky approached the Naval commander with the scheme of trading favorable treatment for Charlie Luciano, then serving 30 years in Dannemora Prison for "white slavery," for peace on the waterfront. The Navy accepted, and importuned NY governor Thomas E. Dewey, who prosecuted Luciano. Dewey agreed. Luciano was transferred to the much better digs at Great Meadow Prison and in 1946 was released into exile.)

A. Rusty, the hint in your question is NY State so I will have to say Magaddino.

Q. There was a NJ waterfront Genovese member who sucessfully acted as his own attorney in the 80's. He was whacked by the family supposedly for being too high profile and vocal with the press. His name? If you get this you're good, there is not a lot in the books about him.

Turnbull, how DID the Boot get his name?

A. I'm guessing the high-profile guy who acted as his own attorney was Harold (Kayo) Koenigsberg.
Q. What high-profile person did Carmine (Lilo) Galante murder on his way up?

(Answer to "Richie the Boot": He got his nickname because he did all his business from a "phone boot'." May have been the inspiration for Joe Pesci's remark about "yoot's" in "My Cousin Vinnie."

A. I'm guessing the high-profile guy who acted as his own attorney was Harold (Kayo) Koenigsberg

I was thinking of John DiGilio from Bayonne who was found in a body bag floating in the river in Carlstadt. I believe he was in the same crew as Konigsberg, maybe his capo, not sure of rank. I was very surprised to learn that the hiring shakedown racket has survived til this day. I'm referring to the recent arrests on the Bayonne/JC waterfront.

Angelo Lonardo?

The Castellamarre war was named after what Sicilian city?

That'd be Philadephia's Angelo Bruno, the "gentle Don," killed by Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro.

Q. Name the establishment that was Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel's first foray into the Nevada hotel business.

I know but I won't answer. Maybe we can lure some other players into this game. Cmon somebody, this ones easy.

I'll join you in waiting on the Kuby answer, Fanucci.
Rusty: Close on the Flamingo, but no cigar--Flamingo was the second hotel Bugsy Siegel owned or partly owned. Siegel holed up in Vegas in '40 after murder charges against him in the "Big Greeny" Greenberg case were dropped. He tried to muscle into the El Ranch Vegas hotel/casino, but was rebuffed by the owner, who lived to tell about it. He then tried the El Cortez, and was successful in buying a majority share, along with Meyer Lansky and other NYC partners. They sold their shares 9 months later and doubled their money. Then he set his sights on the Flamingo, which had been partially constructed by Billy Wilkerson, publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, a degenerate gambler whose debts kept him from finishing it. His $1m original estimate soared to $5m actual cost, and the casino lost big $ on its opening night, 12/26/46. He was forced to close it to finish the sleeping rooms. It started making money when he reopened it the following March, but by that time he'd made too many enemies to live. Within minutes of his assassination, two big-time gambling figures--Moe Sedway and Gus Greenbaum--claimed the Flamingo, and it soon made money hand over fist.