Charles "Lucky" Luciano: Difference between revisions

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Luciano emigrated with his parents from Sicily to New York City in 1906 and at the age of 10 was already involved in mugging, shoplifting, and extortion; in 1916 he spent six months in jail for selling [[heroin]]. Out of jail, he teamed up with [[Frank Costello]] and [[Meyer Lansky]] and other young gangsters; he earned his nickname “Lucky” for success at evading arrest and winning craps games.

In 1920 he joined the ranks of New York’s rising crime boss, [[Joe Masseria]], and by 1925 he had become Masseria’s chief lieutenant, directing bootlegging, prostitution, narcotics distribution, and other rackets. In October 1929 he became the rare gangster to survive a “one-way ride”; he was abducted by four men in a car, beaten, stabbed repeatedly with an ice pick, had his throat slit from ear to ear, and was left for dead on a Staten Island beach—but survived. He never named his abductors. (Soon after, he changed his name to Luciano.)

In 1920 he joined the ranks of New York’s rising crime boss, [[Joe Masseria]], and by 1925 he had become Masseria’s chief lieutenant, directing bootlegging, prostitution, narcotics distribution, and other rackets. In October 1929 he became the rare gangster to survive a “one-way ride”; he was abducted by four men in a car, beaten, stabbed repeatedly with an ice pick, [[Glasgow smile|had his throat slit from ear to ear]], and was left for dead on a Staten Island beach—but survived. He never named his abductors. (Soon after, he changed his name to Luciano.)

The bloody gang war of 1930–31 between Masseria and rival boss [[Salvatore Maranzano]] was anathema to Luciano and other young racketeers who decried the publicity and loss of business, money, and efficiency. On April 15, 1931, Luciano lured Masseria to a Coney Island restaurant and had him assassinated by four loyalists—[[Vito Genovese]], [[Albert Anastasia]], [[Joe Adonis]], and [[Bugsy Siegel]].

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 Luciano emigrated with his parents from Sicily to New York City in 1906 and at the age of 10 was already involved in mugging, shoplifting, and extortion; in 1916 he spent six months in jail for selling [[heroin]]. Out of jail, he teamed up with [[Frank Costello]] and [[Meyer Lansky]] and other young gangsters; he earned his nickname “Lucky” for success at evading arrest and winning craps games.
-In 1920 he joined the ranks of New York’s rising crime boss, [[Joe Masseria]], and by 1925 he had become Masseria’s chief lieutenant, directing bootlegging, prostitution, narcotics distribution, and other rackets. In October 1929 he became the rare gangster to survive a “one-way ride”; he was abducted by four men in a car, beaten, stabbed repeatedly with an ice pick, had his throat slit from ear to ear, and was left for dead on a Staten Island beach—but survived. He never named his abductors. (Soon after, he changed his name to Luciano.)
+In 1920 he joined the ranks of New York’s rising crime boss, [[Joe Masseria]], and by 1925 he had become Masseria’s chief lieutenant, directing bootlegging, prostitution, narcotics distribution, and other rackets. In October 1929 he became the rare gangster to survive a “one-way ride”; he was abducted by four men in a car, beaten, stabbed repeatedly with an ice pick, [[Glasgow smile|had his throat slit from ear to ear]], and was left for dead on a Staten Island beach—but survived. He never named his abductors. (Soon after, he changed his name to Luciano.)
 The bloody gang war of 1930–31 between Masseria and rival boss [[Salvatore Maranzano]] was anathema to Luciano and other young racketeers who decried the publicity and loss of business, money, and efficiency. On April 15, 1931, Luciano lured Masseria to a Coney Island restaurant and had him assassinated by four loyalists—[[Vito Genovese]], [[Albert Anastasia]], [[Joe Adonis]], and [[Bugsy Siegel]].