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The 5 Mafia Families of New York
The 5 Families had a long reign over New York, lasting decades. Their influence allowed them to get away with their crimes for years, including murder, theft, racketeering and much more. Their eventually downfall came because of the informants the FBI was able to flip against them. This timeline details some of the things the mafia did, and the things they were convicted of between 1931 when their reign of influence first began, to 2004 when their powerful reign appears to have ended. -
Charles Luciano takes over New York mob.
Charles (Lucky) Luciano takes over New York's mob, beginning the reign of the five families, after orchestrating a series of hits, including the murder of boss Salvatore Maranzano. Luciano's underboss, Vito Genovese, flees to Italy to escape murder charges. (Picture shown is Maranzano's body after assassination.) -
Frank Costello takes over.
Frank Costello, legal name Francesco Castiglia, takes over after Luciano is jailed for running a prostitution ring. (Picture shown is Luciano being arrested.) -
Mob creates modern Vegas
Mob begins infiltrating unions on the waterfront of New Jersey and West side of Manhattan. Costello teams up with Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel to create Las Vegas. (Picture shown. is a poster made advertising Vegas with Bugsy Siegel on it.) -
Thomas Lucchese becomes boss.
Tommy Gagliano dies of natural causes. Thomas Lucchese, his underboss, takes charge of what will be known for the rest of the century as the Lucchese Family. -
Vito Genovese returns.
Vito Genovese returns to the U.S., and takes over Luciano's family. Now known as the Genovese crime family – the most powerful in America, making most of its money through control of New York's labor unions. (Picture shown is US Attorney’s office release of the charges against the Genovese crime family.) -
John Gotti is arrested for first time
Bronx high school drop out, John Gotti, is arrested for fights between street gangs. -
Gambino takes over family.
Albert Anastasia is assassinated while sitting in a barber chair. Carlo Gambino takes over the family and finalizes the alliance with Meyer Lansky's. (Picture shown is the crime scene of Anastasia's assassination.) -
Police uncover a national gangster convention.
A state police officer stumbles upon a historic national convention of gangsters at the home of Joseph, Joe the Barber, Barbara in upstate Apalachin. (Picture shown is the Barbara home.) -
The Gallo Brothers start a war
Brothers, Joey, Larry, and Albert Gallo start a bloody civil war within the Profaci family in Brooklyn. (Picture shown is the Gallo Brothers.) -
Informant releases details of the mob.
Vito Genovese's cellmate, Joe Valachi, becomes the first informant to describe inner workings of the mob. (Picture shown is Joe Valachi.) -
Lucchese family makes millions from Lufthansa Heist.
Thomas Lucchese dies, and is replaced by Anthony (Tony Ducks) Corralo. The Lucchese family made millions stealing from airports, including the $6 million Lufthansa heist at JFK. They stole an estimated 5 million in cash and 875k in jewelry. (Picture shown is the wanted poster for the Lufthansa Heist.) -
Jimmy the Weasel cooperates with FBI>
Aladena Fratianno, aka Jimmy the Weasel, a hit man for the West Coast mob, cooperates with FBI after believing he's marked for death. His testimony helped convict Colombo crime boss, Carmine Persico, and Genovese boss Frank Tieri. (Picture shown is a newspaper article with a quote said about Jimmy the Weasel.) -
U.S. Attorney brings racketeering charges against Five Families.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani brings racketeering charges against five bosses of the New York crime families. Genovese boss, Anthony, Fat Tony, Salerno, Bonanno boss, Philip, Rusty, Rastelli, Colombo boss, Carmine, Junior, Persico and Anthony, Tony Ducks, Corallo, and Gambino boss, Paul Castellano. -
Gotti has Castellano Killed
Gotti orchestrates assassination of Castellano in front of a Steak House. -
Convictions from Commission Case
Persico, Corallo and Salerno are convicted in the U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani's Commission case and sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison. (Picture shown is the newspaper article about the convictions.) -
John Gotti acquitted of murder charges.
John Gotti is acquitted of charges he ordered the murder of carpenter's union leader, John O'Connor. This made Gotti's third acquittal in five years, giving him the nickname The Teflon Don. (Picture shown is newspaper article documenting Gotti's acquittal.) -
Gotti Arrested for last time
John Gotti is arrested after having beat three attempts to put him away. He is joined in lockup by his underboss Salvatore, Sammy Bull, Gravano. Gravano cooperates with the government, sealing Gotti's fate. He admits involvement in 19 murders, and serves less than five years in prison. He then moves to Phoenix, where he's later busted for drug dealing. -
Gotti Convicted
John Gotti convicted of multiple racketeering counts that put him in jail for life. He dies in June 2002. -
Last surviving boss of five familes dies.
Years after reluctant retirement, Joe Bonanno, the last surviving member of the original five bosses, dies of heart failure in Arizona. -
Bonanno Boss Convicted for life
Bonanno crime boss, Joseph Massino, sentenced to life after convicted of murder and racketeering charges. He immediately decides to become a cooperator, marking the first time a sitting Mafia boss switches sides. -
Citations
Granger, NYC. Body of Albert Anastasia. A Mafia Boss Also Known as the 'Mad Hatter' and 'Lord High Executioner,' Known for Running Brooklyn's 'Murder, Inc.' Anastasia Was the Victim of a Gangland Murder at the Barber Shop of the Park-Sher. n.d.
Gragg, Larry. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel: The Gangster, the Flamingo, and the Making of Modern Las Vegas. n.d.
Dickson, Mike. The First Rat. n.d. -
Citations Continued
Britis, Ted. Wanted Poster for the Lufthansa Heist. n.d.
“5 Of the Dumbest Moves in Mafia History.” Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org, September 27, 2013. https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/5-of-the-dumbest-moves-in-mafia-history.
Hunt, Thomas. “Barbara, Joseph ‘Barber’ (1905-1959).” The American Mafia - Who Was Who. Accessed October 23, 2022. http://mob-who.blogspot.com/2011/04/barbara-joseph-barber-1905-1959.html. -
Citations Continued
New York Daily News. “Timeline of New York City's Five Crime Families.” New York Daily News, April 9, 2018. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/timeline-new-york-city-crime-families-article-1.376401.
Blake, Gene. “Hitman Bares Mafia Secrets.” Los Angelos Times, n.d.
Lubasch, Arnold. “US Jury Convicts Eight as Members of Mob Comission.” New York Times, n.d.
Raab, Selwynn. “Gotti Not Guilty on All 6 Charges in Assault Trial.” New York Times, n.d.