Famous Mobsters: World's Most Secretive Businessmen

Image Source: Simon Battensby | Getty Images The mafia. The mob. La Cosa Nostra. Whatever you call it, America's national crime syndicate is powerful, entrenched and almost impossible to nullify. Federal and local law enforcement have tried to stamp out organized crime for almost as many years as it has existed. The sheer size and scope of organized crime makes that nearly impossible. Organized crime activities bring in a worldwide annual income of between $50 billion and $90 billion according to a 2002 FBI study — more money than any major legitimate national industry. From loan-sharking and labor racketeering to illegal gambling and murder for hire to its recent invasion into Wall Street — it’s all part of the life-and-death business of organized crime. And it's all lead by the bosses. The often dapper, sometimes charming and always lethal men who rise to the top of the ranks and become known to the mainstream world. Here, we look at some of the most famous mobsters in US history. By Jamie Corsi with Constance PartenPosted 22 June, 2010

Image Source: United States Department of Justice Known as "The Boss of Bosses," Carlo Gambino ran the New York mafia family that still uses his name from 1957 to 1976. Law-enforcement officials said he commanded the largest, richest and strongest mafia family in the United States, "exerted great influence on the other four New York families and dominated the national commission that sets policy for all 26 mafia families in the country," according to his 1976 obituary in The New York Times.Unlike other well-known mafia bosses who ended their careers in exile, prison or as victims of underworld executions, Gambino remained immune to pressure from rivals and law enforcement, serving only 22 months in jail during his more than 50 years in organized crime.He died October 15, 1976, at the age of 74 in his Massapequa, Long Island, home.

Image Source: Yvonne Hemsey | Getty Images Carmine Persico, also known as "Junior," was (and is rumored to still be) the Colombo family boss. He is serving a life sentence in Butner, N.C., where he is reported to have become friends with other famous inmate Bernard Madoff.Persico had reportedly designated his son Alphonse Persico as his successor, but he and underboss John DeRoss were sentenced to life in prison in 2007 for ordering the 1999 killing of rival William Cutolo.

Image Source: AP Graphics Joseph Bonanno was the boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1930 to 1960. According to his obituary in The New York Times, Bonanno acknowledged in his autobiography, "A Man of Honor," published in 1983, that he was one of the original members of the "Commission," the select group of mob chiefs that was established to resolve internal disputes among the 20-odd mafia families or clans in the United States. Bonanno added that during the 1950s and early '60s, he served as the Commission's chairman, the pre-eminent position in the American mafia.

Image Source: Charles Payne | NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images Vito Genovese got his start in crime by stealing from pushcarts in Manhattan's Lower East Side, according to a 1959 New York Times article. While still a youth, he was running errands for the underworld lieutenants, making connections that would help his climb to power, the article said.It was not until 1959 that Genovese's luck in escaping prison terms ran out. A Federal jury found him guilty of violating narcotics laws and sentenced him to 15 years in jail.Genovese was famously involved in arranging the Apalachin Conference in 1957, a summit of more than 100 mafiosi from the United States, Canada and Italy.

Image Source: Jon Levy | AFP | Getty Images This Genovese family boss faked mental illness for years to hide his position as a mafia leader.The FBI And federal and state prosecutors regarded Gigante as the most elusive mafia leader of his era and the most difficult to bring to trial. He died in 1997 while serving a 12-year sentence for racketeering and conspiring to kill other mobsters. Officials at the prison medical center where he died did not provide the cause of death, but noted that he suffered from heart disease.

Image Source: APA | Getty Images Al Capone, one of the most famous American gangster, ruled Chicago's organized crime during the 1930s.He was born in Brooklyn and quit school after the sixth grade, becoming a member of a street gang led by Johnny Torrio, who later invited Capone to join him in Chicago where he had become an influential figure in the Colosimo mob.In 1925, Capone became boss when Torrio was seriously wounded. By then, he had built a fearsome reputation, and that reputation grew as he eliminated or nullified rival gangs.His final downfall occurred in June, 1931, when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and prohibition charges. He served more than seven years in prison, but his health had deteriorated significantly due to paresis derived from syphilis, and he never returned to gangland politics. He died of a stroke and pneumonia Jan. 25, 1947.

Image Source: Ron Galella Wire Images | Getty Images This legendary Gambino family boss during the 1990s was known by the media as "Dapper Don."In 1992 he was convicted of 13 murders, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking, obstruction of justice and tax evasion. Gotti, who some called the most important gangster since Al Capone, died June 10, 2002, in a prison hospital in Springfield, Mo., while serving a life sentence. He was 61.

Image Source: FBI Betrayed by his ex-best friend and seven other mob turncoats, this Bonanno crime boss was convicted in July 2004 of murder and racketeering charges, some dating back 25 years. The verdict was a crippling blow to both the Bonannos and Massino, who was dubbed "The Last Don" for his ability to avoid jail even while heads of the other New York families were all behind bars.Massino was sentenced to life in prison on June 23, 2005.

Image Source: AP Graphics Gravano was an underboss for the Gambino family and best known for testifying against John Gotti in 1991. He was accused of playing a role in the 1980 murder of a police detective, but charges were dropped when the witness died. Gravano was in prison at the time, serving a 19-year sentence for running an ecstasy ring.

Image Source: AP Graphics Scarpa, a soldier for the Colombo family, was called the "Grim Reaper" for being a ruthless hit man. After Scarpa's death in June 1994, his longtime girlfriend Linda Schiro testified that Scarpa was also a government informant who helped the FBI solve the "Mississippi Burning" case by strong-arming a KKK member for information about the murders of three civil rights activists. The FBI have never confirmed this information.

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