AMERICAN GANGSTERS

oseph Valachi came along at uFed-up with
the right time for lawmen and the Mob life and
the wrong time for the Mob. trying to avoid
a government
“Joe Cargo” killed people for death sentence,
mobster Vito Genovese, and when made-man
Joe Valachi
Jhe turned informer in 1963, he told Congress
became the first-made Mafia everything he
knew about
member to squeal. Testifying at the the Mafia

congressional “McClellan Hearings,” The mob

Valachi gave Americans their first look

inside La Cosa Nostra.

Then-Attorney General Robert Ken-

nedy, gangland’s greatest enemy in

Washington, hailed Valachi’s televised

testimony as “the

biggest single intel-

ligence breakthrough

yet in combating or-

ganized crime and

racketeering in the

United States.”

When Valachi

uVito broke “omerta,” the

Genovese Mafia’s sacred code

was ValachiÕs of silence, in ex-

boss change for a lesser

sentence on a murder

rap, America learned how Mafia mem-

bers were “made” in a secret ritual after ‘Joe Cargo’ Valachi
spills the beans on tV
killing for their boss.

As Americans were glued to their

TVs, he revealed how there was a “Com-

mission” of five Mafia families in New

York, which moderated Mob disputes

nationwide. He disclosed how the Mafia

families were a well-organized empire

of evil, with soldiers on the bottom to group. He confirmed there were at least does the Mob maintain momentum.

caporegimes (lieutenants) in the middle 2,000 “made men” in the Big Apple, Until Valachi, there had been several

and consiglieres as advisers to the dons. and personally identified 289 of the bureaucratic attempts to investigate and

The FIRST MAFIA RAT 383 hoodlums that had been profiled define just what organized crime was:

Thanks to “The Godfather” movies, by crime-busting investigators. most notably the congres-

the Mafia’s structure is now com- Over the past 30 years, Va- sional Kefauver Committee

mon knowledge to most Americans, lachi’s testimony – both on which roamed the country

but Valachi’s testimony was a big deal. an off the record – helped the interviewing gangsters like

The first Mafia rat made it necessary FBI do significant damage Frank Costello, who refused

for lawmen to admit that they were facing to the Mob. The Cosa Nostra to talk. They exposed some

a well-oiled crime corporation governed in California has almost com- political corruption, but never

by rules and regulations. pletely disappeared. Denver, established proof that the

Valachi also introduced a new expres- Kansas City, Mo., Dallas, Cleve- uFrank Mafia existed.

sion into the language when asked if the land, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Costello Joe’s shocking disclosures

crime families called themselves the N.Y., crews are nonexistent too. wouldnÕt sing came as the Mob’s reign in

Mafia. New Orleans, Tampa. Buf- Las Vegas faded, when reclu-

“No,” Valachi said. “We call it ‘Cosa falo and New England are shadows of sive billionaire Howard Hughes decided

Nostra.’ Our Thing.” their former selves. The gangs in Detroit, he wanted to be king of “Sin City” and

Valachi exposed Mob families in Philadelphia and New Jersey are on their bought 17 resorts. The syndicate’s power

New York City, New Jersey, Buffalo, knees. was eroding. Genovese put a $100,000

N.Y., Chicago, Detroit, Tampa, Fla., The once-powerful Chicago Syn- price on the turncoat’s head. But it was

Boston and Providence, R.I., identi- dicate is greatly reduced in numbers never collected. Valachi died in 1971 at a

fying bosses and senior men in each and effectiveness. Only in New York federal prison inTexas of a heart attack. v

4 9a m e r i C a n / / gangsters

the last
godfather

‘Dapper Don’ John Gotti
clawed his way to the top &
DieD a Mafia superstar

Known as the “Teflon uSurrounded by his crew, brazen
Don” for his ability to crime lord John Gotti (circled
escape prosecution, and below) hangs around outside
as the “Dapper Don,” his Bergin Hunt and Fish Club
for his habit of wearing headquarters. An artist sketched
$2,000 silk suits, New the moment (right) in 1992 when
York’s most ruthless he received a life sentence from
racketeer John Gotti died Judge I. Leo Glasser
alone from cancer in one

of the federal government’s most secure
prison facilities.

His passing in 2002 marked the
Mafia’s high water mark. As the all-
powerful head of New York’s Gambino
crime family, Gotti was the last true
American Godfather, thought to be
pulling the strings right up until the day
he died.

In truth, Gotti was a celebrity and
a superstar – embodying everything
Americans loved, feared and hated
about the Mob. He was tough, loyal and
refused to turn squealer. He was a vicious,

5 0a M e r i c a n / / GanGsters

uImmaculately Gottiwas
groomed and everythinG
decked out in americans
expensive Italian loved,feared
designs, the andhated
“Dapper Don”
looked more about
like a corporate themob
executive than
a bloodthirsty
Mafia boss. The
underworld czar
continued to run
his rackets from
behind bars in
a federal pen

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL!
Sammy The Bull did
19 hits Ð but got slap uColdhearted killer Sammy
on the wrist after Gravano took the witness stand and
ratting out his boss put away John Gotti – in what many
say was the death blow against the
Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, modern Mafia in New York
nicknamed for his thick neck and stocky torso, made his
Mafia reputation by killing 19 people AND for being the took the stand and testified he had killed time and again
highest-ranking “made man” ever to turn rat. on his boss’ orders – even rubbing out his own brother-in-
law! Gravano and Gotti planned the hit on former Gambino
Gravano was the underboss for the Gambino Crime
Family, second only to gang leader John Gotti, when he
turned canary in exchange for a life in the federal Witness
Protection Program.

In 1992, the feds sent Gotti away for life after Gravano

heartless killer who loved the good uGodfather Gallery: Carlo Gambino, Paul “Big Paulie” Castellano, Carmine
life. And for a while, at least, it seemed “Junior” Persico, Anthony “Tony Ducks” Corallo and Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno
like he could get away with anything!
(from left to right) all ran New York crime families
News organizations chronicled his
every public move and fascinated Amer- Gambino, who then was top dog on the 1985, he got some help from an unlike-
icans couldnÕt get enough of the smug, national crime Commission. ly source. In an unprecedented move,
confident crime lord. Gotti played his the Feds arrested and put on trial the
role with swagger and defiance. Don Carlo, a well-read mobster heads of the five New York families,
who liked to quote MachiavelliÕs ÒThe the so-called ÒCommissionÓ which
His headquarters werenÕt a secret. Prince,Ó appreciated GottiÕs Òpiece of ruled the Big Apple and, by extension,
Everyone knew it was a social club workÓ and even promoted him to head the rest of AmericaÕs criminal syndi-
in Little Italy. Everybody knew he had one of his two dozen crews of soldiers. cates.
another ÒclubhouseÓ in Queens called But Gambino distrusted the unedu-
the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club. He cated, foul-mouthed thug. Don CarloÕs In court together were Gambino
didnÕt lurk in shadows. He basked in successor, cousin Paul Castellano, Family boss Castellano; Colombo
the limelight. liked Gotti even less. John was dealing Family head Carmine ÒJuniorÓ Persico,
in heroin and that broke a Castellano Anthony ÒTony DucksÓ Corallo of
A SMIRK ON HIS FACE rule. Wiseguys whispered Gotti wasnÕt the Lucchese Family, Philip ÒRustyÓ
Every day, Gotti sat on his clubhouse long for the world. Rastelli from the Bonanno gang and
throne, a barberÕs chair, and got his hair Anthony ÒFat TonyÓ Salerno from the
trimmed to perfection. He wore pure The ambitious capo figured he Genovese Mob. Salerno was nailed
white shirts with his silk suits and $200 needed to land the first punch. And in
hand-painted ties. During courthouse
appearances, he sat most days with a
smirk on his face, the contemptuous
sneer of a coldblooded murderer who
knew the fix was in.
A high school dropout turned truck
hijacker, Gotti was sworn into ÒLa Cosa
NostraÓ in 1973. He whacked a gang
traitor at the behest of his boss, Carlo

5 2a M e r i c a n / / GanGsters

family boss Paul Castellano, and the uLike father, collect the contract on his life.
two watched the rubout go down. like son; In Miraculously, the Mafia did not
2002, Sammy
Mob experts say Gravano turned The Bull and assassinate him – sending a message
informant because he was fed up with his kid Gerard he was now “small potatoes” and
all the attention the publicity-seeking were sent to beneath contempt. But Sammy the
Gotti was bringing to “La Cosa Nostra.” the slammer Snitch turned out to be his own worst
But Gravano brought even MORE in Arizona enemy, proving that once you’re used
attention to the outfit as scores of for running to easy money it’s hard to work for a
other Mafia affiliates went down with a massive living like a regular guy.
Gotti as a result of his testimony. drug ring.
However, despite his murder Now balding In 2000,
confessions, Sammy served less than and ravaged the former
five years for racketeering. For a time, by Graves’ wiseguy was
he disappeared with a new identity Disease, charged along
and a new life set up by the Feds. Sammy got with his
20 years. His son, Gerard,
But The Bull got antsy living far from boy got nine appropriately
New York. He missed the “respect” Ð and is now nicknamed
he once commanded on the streets out of the Baby Bull, of
and, ironically, missed the notoriety of Big House masterminding
being a gangster. He agreed to a book an Ecstasy ring
about his life.
68, sits in a
In 1997, Gravano plugged the book cage, serving 20
in a TV interview with Diane Sawyer years. Feds say
and even dared Mafia hit men to it couldn’t have
come looking for him at his Arizona happened to a
hideaway. He said he would have a
deadly welcome for them – if
they were stupid enough to try to

uAs part of his plan to convince instead of the REAL Genovese boss, Case dismissed. “I Forgotti,” said a
lawmen he was harmless, Mafia Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, the bath- headline the next day. Smart thing
family boss Vinny ÒThe Chin” Gigante robe-wearing mobster who feigned too. John Favara, a neighbor who’d ac-
wandered the streets around his mental illness. cidentally run over and killed Gotti’s
Manhattan apartment muttering to 12-year-old son Frank in 1980, was
himself and wearing a bathrobe. He Prosecutors had damning wiretap snatched off the street, stuffed into a
was arrested and imprisoned anyway evidence obtained under the mob- van and never heard from again.
busting R.I.C.O. law which proved
the “Commission” was a criminal Godfather Gotti’s next trial was
conspiracy dealing in murder and marked by a bomb scare and witness
racketeering. All the dons went to jail intimidation. Cocksure John knew he’d
except Castellano. Gotti made sure get off as he sat smirking in court. He’d
his boss would never see the inside of bribed a juror with $60,000. The ver-
a cell – by rubbing him out BEFORE dict: not guilty!
the trial ended.
Arrested again, this time for assault-
ÒI FORGOTTIÓ ing a union official and conspiracy,
Big Paulie was gunned down on Gotti told cops: “I’ll lay you three to
Dec. 16, 1985 outside a Manhat- one I beat it.” He did. Not surprisingly,
tan restaurant as Christmas shoppers the victim actually gave evidence FOR
scattered. Gotti watched from a near- THE DEFENSE!
by limo. He was now head of a crime
family that grossed about $500 million A fourth trial was different, how-
a year, from gambling, loan-sharking, ever. This time the Feds had a Mob rat
stock fraud, extortion from unions, gar- to bolster their wiretap evidence:
ment manufacturers, garbage-carting Salvatore “Sammy The Bull” Gravano
companies and food suppliers. – Gotti’s good friend and underboss
But a year after taking over the Gam- who turned squealer to save his own
bino gang, Gotti was in court accused skin after being charged with murder.
of assault. Not surprisingly, the victim
testified he couldn’t identify Gotti. Gotti got a life sentence – and the
smirk was finally wiped off his face
for keeps. v

5 3a M e r i c a n / / GanGsters

E C I M AT E D
by decades
of relentless
federal prosecu-
tion, turncoats
and harsh
competition

Dfrom ruthless
new underworld

organizations, the American

Mafia is battered, bruised

Ð and disrespected.

Gone are the days of

ruling the underworld Ð

enforcing their will with

savage efficiency Ð while

laughing at lawmen who

were either bought off or

powerless to stop them. Other

crime syndicates have taken

over huge chunks of the MobÕs

turf Ð and Mafia kingpins

have finally lost their ability to

cheat justice.

A NEW SUPERWEAPON

Winning battles against

the Mafia wasnÕt easy until uMob squealer Vincent ÒVinny
OceanÓ Palermo (left) is now living
the 1970s when authorities openly in Texas after helping put New
Jersey gangsters away. Even former
got a new superweapon, the godfather Joe ÒThe EarÓ Massino
(above) thumbed his nose at former
federal Racketeer Influenced associates by testifying for the Feds.
However, heÕs living undercover
and Corrupt Organizations
the owner of a controversial
Act, which imposes heavy Houston strip club.
Palermo is still living large as is
penalties specifically for either former Bonanno family godfather Joe
ÒThe EarÓ Massino, who became the
directing Ð or taking part in Ð the first head of a New York crime family
ever to turn canary when he faced
SyndicateÕs traditional crimes. a murder rap. In return for his help
nailing other gangsters and turning
By the 1980s, Mafia power was over $7 million in ill-gotten gains,
Massino got out of prison last year and
further diminished when the FBI is now living undercover.
“ThEy’vE lOST All RESPEcT”
helped cut off the MobÕs LasVegas ÒThese days, nobody is really
terrified of the American Mafia.
money stream. The Feds also TheyÕve lost all respect and street
cred,Ó said a law enforcement source.
loosened the gangsÕ testify against their partners in crime ÒThey donÕt have the money Ð or the
rather than go to prison Ð where even muscle Ð to call all the shots anymore.
stranglehold on truck- Godfather John Gotti was beaten so Now other bad guys from other ethnic
badly by another inmate he needed groups are taking away their play.Ó
ing, bartending and hospitalization! And thereÕs not much the Mob can
do to stop it! Changing demographics
construction unions, In the old days, that type of
ÒdisrespectÓ wouldÕve never been
removing a power tolerated by the Mob. But squealing
wasnÕt tolerated, either: It was an
base that helped automatic underworld death sentence.
The Mob proved, time and again, it
Mafia big shots could reach anyone, anywhere.

blackmail legitimate But the lawmen running the federal
Witness Protection Program learned
businesses in to outwit the Mafia, so todayÕs ÒratsÓ
have no fear of retribution Ð even
exchange for labor when theyÕre exposed like New Jersey
crime kingpin-turned-snitch Vincent
peace. ÒVinny OceanÓ Palermo. He was
outed in 2009 as ÒVincent Cabella,Ó
uFBI crime ÒWe aggressively
buster David attack them, and the
Shafer sentences are very
large,Ó said David

Shafer, special agent

who supervises FBI organized crime

investigations in NewYork.

Those long prison sentences

are convincing the Mafia thugs to

5 4a m e r i c a n / / gangsters

and the assimilation of Italian- BattereD,
Americans into U.S. society has limited BruiseD
the Mafia’s traditional recruitment base.
anD
Now the Russian Mafia, Chinese DisrespecteD
triads, Mexican drug cartels and
urban street gangs like the Crips and
the Bloods have taken over many
of the Syndicate’s former rackets
and business ventures. In Chicago,
politicians openly court the support of
gangbangers like the Vice Lords, Black
Disciples, Black Gangsters and Cobras
in the same way their Prohibition-era
ancestors romanced Al Capone.

However, the Mafia still has a
limited presence in the Windy City, the
Northeast, and parts of Canada. The
Syndicate’s coast-to-coast domination
is a thing of the past.

However, law enforcement officials
aren’t ready to count the Mafia out
– and many still consider the Mob
the largest organized crime group
in the U.S. And, depending on who
you listen to, the Mafia is poised to
make a comeback.

“It will regroup,” says a former
mobster, who asked not to be
identified. “Everybody will lay low
and see what happens. Then all of a
sudden, little by little, they’ll come
out and they’ll start regrouping. They
gotta. There’s too much money, and
you gotta remember their egos won’t
let them walk away.” v

GoinG, mafia getting
erased
by coppers and
new crime
cartels

GoinG,Gone!

5 5a m e r i c a n / / gangsters

What’s tanding just over 5 feet 4 inches tall and
mafia families weighing less than 140 pounds, Meyer Lansky
hardly looked the part of a ruthless Mafia kingpin.

Yet despite his small stature, he loomed large
as the brains of the most notorious, richest and
savage criminal empire of the 20th Century.

For nearly five decades, Lansky manipulated,

Sstrong-armed and worked his magic on a host of
illicit underworld endeavors – from Prohibition

bootlegging, to gambling operations, labor racketeering and

NEW YORK’S LOS ANGELES hundreds of other ventures around the globe.
BIG FIVE DeSimone – active
Bonanno – Active Known as the Mob’sAccountant for his financial wizardry,
New York, Arizona, MILWAUKEE
Connecticut & Florida Balistrieri the Jewish gangster was one of the founders and heads of the
Colombo – Active – On the ropes
New York, Connecticut notorious National Crime Syndicate, though he took a back
& Florida NEW ENGLAND
Gambino – Active Patriarca – Active in seat to the egotistical Italian godfathers.
New York, Connecticut Boston & Providence, R.I.
& Florida But in the end, he outlasted them all!
Genovese – Active NEW JERSEY
New York, Connecticut DeCavalcante As one of the organization’s major overseers and its
& Florida – On the ropes
Lucchese – Active banker, Lansky applied his Midas touch and laundered
New York, Connecticut NEW ORLEANS
& Florida Marcello millions through foreign accounts.
– On the ropes
BIRMINGHAM Some lawmen insist Lanksy enriched himself to the tune
Crime family PENNSYLVANIA
eradicated Bruno – Active of a whopping $300 million. He hid most of his loot in Swiss
in Philadelphia
BUFFALO & Atlantic City banks away from the Internal Revenue Service’s prying eyes
Magaddino – Active Bufalino – On the ropes
LaRocca – Active in – so he wouldn’t follow in Al Capone’s footsteps by getting
CHICAGO Pittsburgh & Ohio
The Outfit – Active nailed on a tax rap.
in Illinois & Las Vegas ROCHESTER
Crime family “BIGGER THAN U.S. STEEL”
CLEVELAND eradicated
Porrello – Active And in the days before electronic money transfers, he was
SAN FRANCISO
DALLAS Crime family said to keep a gangland associate as his full-time bagman,
Crime family eradicated
eradicated ready to carry millions in a briefcase to any place in the globe
SAN JOSE
DENVER Cerrito – On the ropes – at any time.
Crime family
eradicated SEATTLE “We’re bigger than U.S. Steel,” Lansky once boasted. His
Colacurcio – Active
DETROIT famous line was repeated in the movie “The Godfather: Part
Zerilli – Active ST. LOUIS
Giordano – Active II,” where his character tries to sucker his Italian-American
KANSAS CITY
Civella – Active TAMPA partner played byAl Pacino.
Missouri & Las Vegas Trafficante – Active
In real-life, Lansky was just as

slick. His prowess was so impressive,

he was both loathed and admired by

the very people who were trying to

put him behind bars.

“He would have been chairman of

the board of General Motors if he’d

gone into legitimate business,” an

FBI agent once begrudgingly said

of Lansky. uCuban dictator

Amazingly, Lansky was able to Fulgencio Batista

evade authorities and was only jailed was in Meyer’s

once – for two months in 1953 – on a pocket

gambling conviction.

Born in 1902, Lansky worked his way out of poverty in

New York City’s Lower East Side through the ranks of

organized crime. After doing odd jobs, he teamed up with

friends Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano in 1918. Together,

they ran a floating craps game.

Soon, they moved onto more lucrative projects such as rum

running and selling muscle to more established mobsters.

Lansky’s successes didn’t go unnoticed. By 1928, he had

attracted a gang of his own and developed a squad of elite hit

men for hire, which would later become known as Murder, Inc.

With the Syndicate gaining more influence and power,

Lansky developed gambling operations in the United States

5 6A M E R I C A N / / GANGSTERS

Mastermind
Meyer Lansky
and Cuba, where he arranged to pay off Cuban dictator
Fulgencio Batista. It would take Fidel CastroÕs rise to power in

1959 to topple LanskyÕs operations in the Caribbean country. died in bed Ñ
He also financed his friend Bugsy SiegelÕs Flamingo hotel and took glory

casino development in Las Vegas. And even though Lansky
rarely picked up arms himself after his youth, he was the one
who finally authorized SiegelÕs execution in 1947 Ð in part to

save himself from his Syndicate partners who were livid over days with him
the business disaster.

But Vegas ultimately boomed and other gambling oppor-

tunities emerged in the Bahamas and London, where Meyer

made sure he had a slice of the pie.

Lansky funneled the cash he earned from

gambling, drug smuggling, prostitution and loan-

sharking into legitimate enterprises such as hotels

and golf courses. His underworld partners joined

him in these ventures too.

But by 1970, fearing federal indictments for

income-tax evasion and other charges, Lansky

fled to Israel seeking to gain permanent residency.

His request for asylum sparked a 26-month-battle

between the Jewish nation and the U.S.

Ultimately, Israel expelled him and he wound

up back in America to face several indictments.

He was cleared of all charges, partly because of his

chronic ill health. uShrewd and ruthless Meyer Lansky, a bootlegger, killer and
He spent his final years living modestly in gambler, owned a string of hotels in Cuba. He used his ill-gotten
gains to take over legit businesses – and move into Vegas
Miami Beach, Fla., before dying on Jan. 15, 1983,
of lung cancer at age 81. The MafiaÕs golden era

was buried with him. v

uSurrounded by federal
agents and New York cops,
Domenico “Greaseball” Cefalu
was cuffed during a 2008 raid
that nailed him and 60 other
thugs for murder, extortion and
racketeering. Amazingly, Cefalu
only did about two years in jail.
After he got out, the “bakery
salesman” became godfather of
the Gambino Crime Family

reVeALeD!

running the
mafia noW

New bosses have lost their
bark but Not their bite!

5 8A m e r i c A N / / gANgsters

uLabor racketeer Steven “Wonderboy” Crea (left) is the top dog in the Lucchese Family, which was the brains behind the heroin
ring made famous by the 1971 movie “The French Connection.” Andrew “Mush” Russo (in FBI custody, above) is currently running
the Colombos from behind bars. Chicago boss John “No Nose’ DiFronzo owes his looks to cops. Word is he sliced off his honker while
crawling through a broken window during a 1949 burglary – and police gave it back! He then had it surgically re-attached

Today, the Mafia’s most Crippled by government prosecutions, leadership crisis. “Part of the problem
powerful godfathers have
retreated to the shadows. the Lucchese group answers to Steven the modern Mob faces is that many of
Gone are the days when
the crime kingpins basked in “Wonderboy” Crea who did time for the best and the brightest second- or
their notoriety and flaunted
their wealth. But only their running labor rackets. Crea has stayed third-generation family members are
public profile has changed.
Modern Mob bosses under the radar since his probation becoming doctors and lawyers. They’re
still are driven by greed and the
lust for power. And they are still ended in 2009. not interested in becoming gangsters,”
absolutely ruthless.
But Andrew “Mush” Russo, head said George Anastasia, a newsman
Right now, Sicilian-born Gambino
Family crime boss Dominico “Greaseball” of the Colombo Family, got sent away and author who specializes in covering
Cefalu is among the most influential
mobsters in America, according to law for 33 months last year. Talk on the organized crime.
enforcement sources.
streets says his New York City prison “The American Mafia is now a brand,
Incredibly, the 66-year-old lives with
his mother and works at a New York cell is his new office. like Prada or Versace. It’s a part of pop
City bakery supply company! Police say
he only became head of John Gotti’s old Meanwhile, Daniel “The Lion” Leo, culture, and that’s not a good thing if
outfit after wise guy Frank Cali turned
the job down. Word is Cali didn’t want 73, is the cagey boss of the Genovese you are supposed to be a criminal secret
to be a target for federal prosecutors.
gang. Despite serving five years society. The smarter ones are realizing
A MUCH LOWER PROFILE
“That’s how it is these days. The for loan sharking and that it’s better to stay in the
Mob has finally learned to keep a much
lower profile,” says Ed Scarpo, editor racketeering, The Lion is shadows.”
and founder of the respected Cosa
Nostra News website. so far under the radar few But don’t rule out the
The other New York families are
trying to follow suit. But it hasn’t made men will even admit rise of another Boss of
always worked.
The Bonannos named Michael his role at the top of the All Bosses, says Scarpo.
“Mikey Nose” Mancuso their boss last
year even though he’s doing fifteen nation’s most powerful There’s too much money,
years in prison.
crime family. power and ego at play. And

Chicago boss John the idea of a Don Corleone-

“No Nose” DiFronzo is style Godfather still feeds

cut from the same cloth. gangsters’ imaginations

He’s managed to stay one as much as it also attracts

step ahead of the Feds for uPhilly godfather the spotlight from lawmen.
decades – and ordered his “Uncle Joe” “I think the Mob is
henchmen never to talk Ligambi beat
about him in public! two federal tired of the fat, lazy Italian
racketeering raps Americans who turn into
Joseph “Uncle Joe” earlier this year rats,” said a law enforcement
Ligambi, 74, is the current source. “I wouldn’t be sur-
king of Philadelphia’s under- prised if more natural-born

world. He’s known as “old Sicilians or members of the

school,” insisting mobsters avoid splashy Italian-based ÔNdrangheta crime syndi-

displays of money, power and blood that cate make a major push in the U.S. and

attract the law. force a return to the old days of Omerta

Still, experts say the Mafia has a – and make their point in blood.” v

5 9A m e r i c A N / / gANgsters

uBeefy biker Andrew Lozano (above), who rode with the Vagos, was collared
by California cops in 2011. A judge dismissed all charges but outlaw motorcycle
clubs have been in police crosshairs since the 1950s

Motorcycle gangs are says Cook. “They don’t care where they
more organized, settle their rivalries,” he said in an ex-
more sophisticated clusive interview. “Innocent members
and more danger- of the public can easily be hurt. That’s
ous than they have not something that matters to them.”
ever been since the
first Hells Angels The Hells Angels, in particular,
chapter was have a historic allegiance to certain

Mob families, often provid-

founded ing muscle or roughing up

in California more than 60 people who have crossed the

years ago. wise guys.

And while they may cul- Supervisory Special FBI

tivate the outlaw image of Agent Jeffrey Sallet, of the

lone wolf desperados, the Providence, R.I., office, The feud extends across the world
to other countries with Hells Angels
Angels and rival biker gangs said mobsters consider biker chapters, like Germany, Denmark, Aus-
tralia, England and Israel. In January
like the Mongols and the gangs as valuable assets in this year, a Hells Angel was arrested
for launching a series of bomb attacks
Pagans have strong ties with uBiker gang one very specific area. on rival gang members in Melbourne,
the most feared organized expert CREATING FEAR Australia.
crime groups in America – in- Steve Cook
cluding the Italian Mob, the “They create fear,” said The biker gangs revel in their image
as “Easy Rider” outlaws living free out-
Sallet. “And I think that’s side the confines of society, nicknam-
ing themselves the “one-percenters.”
Mexican drug cartels and even something outlaw motorcycle
But Cook, past president of the
Russian and Ukrainian gangsters. groups specialize in, is creating fear.” Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang
Investigators Association and current
That’s the disturbing insight of Kan- Other gangs may carry out their vice president of the International As-
sociation of Undercover Officers, says
sas City Metro Police Detective Steve crooked operations in the shadows, try- they are fundamentally criminal enter-
prises.
Cook, the country’s top police expert on ing not to attract attention. But outlaw
“I have interviewed many of these
outlaw motorcycle gangs and an under- bikers roar up full throttle in their leath- guys from different motorcycle gangs
and every single one of them says they
cover officer who has busted countless er jackets daring anybody to stop them.

bikers on drug and gun charges. “They advertise who they are,” says

The underworld alliances range from Agent Sallet. “That’s how they generate

drug running to protection shakedowns, their fear.”

extortion, kidnapping, prostitution, “They are kind of a unique sub-

armed robbery and even murder. group,” adds Cook, who said the Hells

But the bikers specialize in intimida- Angels are currently “at war” with the

tion. And that’s what makes them still Pagans, the Mongols, the Vagos, the

so “extremely dangerous” to the public, Outlaws and the Bandidos.

6 0a m e r i c a n / / gangsters

uA horde of Hells Angels rolled into San Jose, Calif., for
the 2011 funeral of club member Steve Tausan. Police
said he was shot down while attending the send-off of

ANOTHER biker, Jethro Pettigrew, who was murdered in
Nevada during a showdown with members of the Vagos

TheAngelsAre
ATWArWIThThe
MOngOls,PAgAns
AnDBAnDIDOs

BorntoBe
Outlaw bike
gangs run drugs,

hookers &

wild!errands for mob

6 1a m e r i c a n / / gangsters

commit murder, conspiracy and other

offences.

“The outlaw motorcycle gangs link Now, as Cook explains, the leaders

Marlon Brando keep a lower profile, focusing on mak-
became an
anti-hero in ing money rather than bolstering their
“The Wild One”
tough guy reputations.
just how it is. All of them are involved
in drugs – it’s easy revenue for them,” INTERCEPTED A PLANE
he said.
He also says the Angels criminal net
The cop, who rides motorcycles
himself, has successfully prosecuted “Generally the motorcycle gangs has spread much wider. On Oct. 13,
members of the Hells Angels, the Sons
of Silence, El Forastero, and Galloping 2010, U.S. drug agents intercepted a
Goose motorcycle gangs for metham-
phetamine and firearms charges. plane flying from Los Angeles to Mon-

“It’s all about organized crime – treal and discovered
although some of the members will say
$5.5 million in cash

– repayment of a loan

hardcore and would provided by the Mafia

do anything without so bikers could buy co-

fear of the conse- caine from Mexico’s

quences. Now they Sinaloa Cartel.

are more criminally The Angels’ $1 bil-

sophisticated.” lion cocaine, marijuana

and Ecstasy empire was

Sonny Barger, at 75 one orchestrated by the Riz-

of the Hells Angels’ two zuto crime family in

oldest members, is prob- Canada – with muscle

ably the best-known uAngel Sonny Barger provided by the Hells
old school member. is a founder of the Angels Motorcycle
The founding mem- Oakland chapter Club.
ber of the Oakland,
It’s all a far cry from

California, chapter, the Hollywood glamor

he’s served two stretches totaling 13 of Marlon Brando’s Black Rebel Mo-

years in maximum security prison with torcycle Club in the 1953 classic, “The

convictions for assault with intent to Wild One.”v

6 2a m e r i c a n / / gangsters

uArmed and dangerous,
these men dress in the style
of gang members – blue for

the Crips and red for the
Bloods – as they celebrate

a “thug life” glorified
by millionaire hip-hop
music stars. The criminal
organizations frequently
clash over control of their
local drug trade – and

innocent victims are
caught in the crossfire

The crowds had flocked to hit men!
Las Vegas to watch Mike
Tyson in his prime take Gangbangers turn the
just seconds to win an- hood into war zonE
other knockout bout at the
MGM Grand. hit man, a member of the rival Crips, feud, which was marked by drive-by
But a very different would get away with murder! But vio- shootings and savage beatings. It’s a
kind of fight was brewing lent, mysterious death was nothing new dog-eat-dog world.
behind the scenes, a grudge in the drug -peddling gangs’ 40-year
match between two heavyweight street The Bloods dress in red, the Crips Ú
gangs in a turf war that had spread
an aura of intimidation and violence
across the entire country.

On this night, Sept. 7, 1996, the
most famous rapper in the world,
Tupac Shakur, a member of the notori-
ous Bloods, was about to become the
world’s most famous victim of modern
street gang warfare.

And, like other gangland killings
stretching back to Prohibition, the

6 3a m E r i c a n / / GanGstErs

u“Gangsta” rapper Biggie Smalls (above) ran with the
Crips and put a bounty on rival musician Tupac Shakur
(right), a notorious Blood. Both men died in a hail of lead
– about six months apart. Biggie’s GMC Suburban (below)
was riddled by bullets on March 9, 1997

6 4a m E r i c a n / / GanGstErs

uThe brutal life detailed in Tupac’s hip-hop lyrics caught up with him
in Las Vegas (above) when he was killed in a drive-by shooting after

confronting a rival gangster. Just hours before, Tupac and his Death Row
Records producer Suge Knight (right) had swapped their “thug life”
outfits for tuxedoes to attend a championship prize fight

wear blue. They shot five times at a NewYork recording investigation, Smalls, then just 24,
may live doors studio two years earlier. He blamed was tight with Crips gang leaders and
apart, but they the ambush on Smalls. So when he even offered to pay handsomely for any
are sworn and his entourage spotted a well- gangbanger willing to “hit” Shakur.
enemies. And known Crips gang member after the
Tyson fight, they beat him to a pulp in Cops believe Orlando Anderson,
while both groups the MGM lobby. the Crip beaten at the MGM by Tupac
are passionate about and his posse, and Wardell “Poochie”
hip-hop, the urban The attack signed Shakur’s death Fouse, a Blood enforcer, are the gun-
street music that warrant. Minutes later, the rapper and men in the tit-for-tat murders. Both
glorifies the “gangsta life,” the war his ex-con record company boss Suge later died in gang-related violence –
even extended to the recording busi- Knight were driving down Vegas’ without spilling the beans.
ness – making stars marked men! Strip in a black BMW. A Crips assas-
When 25-year-old Tupac headed to sin pulled up next to them in a white escaped the crossfire
Vegas for the Tyson fight, he was the Cadillac. Four bullets hit Tupac in the In modern street gangs, no one
most successful hip-hop artist ever, chest, and he died six days later. talks. Ever. While Tupac and Smalls
with a hit Hollywood movie under his were both killed in public places
belt. But Shakur, under contract to Knight was wounded in the head, with numerous witnesses, no one
California’s Death Row Records, was but survived. When Smalls, whose was ever charged in connection with
caught up in a bitter feud with rapper real name was Christopher Wal- their deaths, which are still officially
Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, lace, got killed six months later in a unsolved.
who was signed by New York’s Bad March 9, 1997, Los Angeles drive-by, But some rappers have escaped the
Boy Records and linked to the Crips. there was little doubt in anyone’s mind crossfire with their lives – even if only
The rift was all the more raw for that it was retribution from the Bloods by dumb luck.
Tupac because he’d been robbed and for Tupac’s violent end. Snoop Dogg, real name Calvin
Broadus Jr., frequently ran into Ú
According to a “Los Angeles Times”

6 5a m E r i c a n / / GanGstErs

uBodyguard McKinley Lee and his rapper boss Snoop Dogg await the verdict in their Feb. 20, 1996, murder trial. Both beat
the rap for killing a gangbanger from another crew

trouble with the law as a teenager. He murder attempt despite being shot The turntable wizard, who performed
was said to be a member of the feared nine times! with Run DMC, was executed gang-
Rollin’ 20 Crips gang in his native style in his Queens, N.Y. recording
Long Beach, Calif. And, like Tupac, he But hip-hop pioneer DJ Jam Master studio on Oct. 30, 2002. Word is he,
was a Death Row Records star with a Jay, born Jason Mizell, wasn’t as lucky. too, angered the dope peddler who
rags-to-riches rise. had 50 Cent shot. But Jay’s killer was
u50 Cent was shot nine times never identified.
When Snoop and his bodyguard – apparently by a gangster
went on trial for murder in Febru- he had angered Cops say that’s not unusual in
ary 1996, Tupac turned up in court America’s meanest neighborhoods,
to support his “homies,” who were where the savage gangs have become
charged with murdering rival gang- a law to themselves – and even police
ster Philip Woldemariam. The victim don’t dare patrol. In modern Chicago,
was gunned down Aug. 25, 1993, after the politicians have new gangland mas-
making a bad mistake – flashing a ters to replace the aging Mafia.
rival gang sign at the rapper’s posse.
In a recent report, it emerged 30
Snoop was acquitted, and the politicians seeking office in the
November 1996 release of “Tha citywide 2011 elections met with
Doggfather,” his second album, only street gang representatives to seek
helped burnish his gangsta creden- their support and a seemingly harm-
tials among his fans, who ate up less organization, The Black United
uncompromising rap lyrics with Voters of Chicago, REALLY repre-
references to urban gangs, guns, sented perverted posses like the Vice
hookers and dope deals. Lords, Gangster Disciples, Black
Disciples, Cobras, Black P Stones and
shot NiNe tiMes! Black Gangsters.
But sometimes rap music’s words
can be too close to the bone. A New But bloodshed is finally wash-
York drug lord was suspected of mas- ing away some of the gangsta glam-
terminding the hit on 50 Cent, real our. Even Snoop Dogg appeared to
name Curtis Jackson, because his be changing his tune when he said:
lyrics exposed the gangster’s criminal “These youngsta’s that’s in it right now
activities! don’t understand the consequences.
Jackson, who began dealing drugs They don’t realize that their life is on
at the age of 12, survived the 2000 the line every five minute.” v

6 6a m E r i c a n / / GanGstErs

uWith Joe “Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels,
Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell (above right) became a
hip-hop superstar in the group Run DMC. Mizell was
fatally shot in the head at his Queens, N.Y. recording
studio (right). Although there were five other people
there, the gunmen were never identified

Rapmusic’s
hisToRy
issoaked
inblood

6 7a m E r i c a n / / GanGstErs

Meaner than

the Mob
Russian Mafa is now
MoRe poweRful than the
Americans who taught them

The bloodthirsty Russian uLurking among the immigrant community in BrooklynÕs Brighton Beach
Mafia is using murder, neighborhood, Russian gangsters use strong-arm tactics to enforce their will.
kidnapping, blackmail and
white-collar crime to extend Crew leader Semion Raichel made the FBIÕs Most Wanted List (above) after
evil tentacles to every corner being accused of vicious crimes
of the United States!
The vicious gangsters are Four members of the Russian Mob, and dumped in the New Melones
so coldblooded, they even Iouri Mikhel, Jurijus Kadamovas, Petro Reservior – even though the gangsters
strike fear into the Cosa Krylov and Ainar Altmanis, were con- collected $1.2 million in ransom!
Nostra, which can seem soft and cuddly victed for the 2001 torture murders of
by comparison! five wealthy people in Stockton, Calif. The Russian mobsters’ terrible thirst
The gangsters were first drawn to L.A. for blood has sent shock waves through
“These days Italian organized crime by what they saw as “easy money” in the America’s underworld.
in the U.S. is a pimple on a horse’s butt movie business.
compared with Russian organized crime In the Russian neighborhood of
in America and around the world,” says But when they weren’t slick enough to Brighton Beach, N.Y., mob crew leader
Robert I. Friedman, author of the book scam Hollywood producers by offering Semion Raichel once threw a naked
“Red Mafia.” $50 million in seed money – that didn’t prostitute into a bathtub and threatened
exist – for a movie project, they moved to electrocute her, by tossing a plugged-
Police agree. Investigators say the on to more basic tricks – like kidnapping. in appliance into the water, unless she
incredible scope of ruthless Russians’ handed over part of her income.
crimes – pulling off brilliant billion- Incredibly, five victims were snuffed
dollar financial scams that destroy Amazingly, she reported the assault to
companies or executing rival drug dealers
– is what makes the thugs so dangerous.

A GREATER THREAT
In fact, lawmen call the Russians,
who now control the world’s dope trade,
money laundering, teen prostitution
rackets and arms dealing, the “most
dangerous people on Earth.” Ameri-
can intelligence officers even claim the
gangsters may be a greater threat to U.S.
security than even global terrorism!
Certainly, the mobsters see America
as ripe for the plucking.

6 8A M e R i c A n / / gAngsteRs

uA Russian mobster hides behind a gas mask as he displays his
wares. The Red Mafia deals in arms world-wide – and boss Viktor

Bout (right) was convicted of conspiring to sell weapons to
terrorists who were specifically targeting Americans

the betting ring.
But despite their slick scams

and celebrity veneer, brutal vio-
lence always lurks beneath the
surface when you are dealing
with the Russian Mafia.
And it will stop at nothing.
“Italian organized crime has

rang, and a man who said he was calling prostitution, drugs and protection rackets infiltrated the gang: “They have no
from her parents’ house in Ukraine, told to more sophisticated crimes! qualms about murdering people. They
the woman “someone wanted to talk to will even sell their souls to the devil if it
her.” Her three-year-old child screamed Now the Russians run guns, master- means a big payday.”
into the phone: “Mommy, Mommy, mind penny stock manipulations, control
Mommy, they will kill me!” The charges big parts of the diamond trade, smuggle That was never more evident than
against Raichel were dropped – when the cigarettes, direct health care and credit events surrounding the arrest of notorious
hooker refused to testify. card fraud, launder money, run pornogra- Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who
phy rings, cyber blackmail and gasoline was captured inThailand in 2008.
Since then, the Russians have become tax frauds. The gangsters even lured pro
even MORE brazen. athletes, movie stars and Wall Street ex- Despite the 9/11 bloodbath that killed
ecutives to an illegal $100 million poker thousands, the Russian conspired to
Emerging during the latter stages of ring that funneled profits overseas. sell weapons to a terrorist group target-
the Soviet Union when thousands of ing America. He was convicted and is
hardcore criminals were released from Russian racketeer Vadim Trincher, serving a 25-year sentence.
Siberian labor camps, the Russian orga- 53, cut a deal with Feds after his
nized crime syndicates eventually left the gambling operation – based in a swank “Greed drives everything,” the under-
Eastern Bloc for new homes inAmerica. New York condo – was taken apart. cover FBI agent says. “It’s all available
Actors Tobey Maguire and Leonardo for the right price. The Russian Mafia
Working under the protection of the has no heart.” v

6 9A M e R i c A n / / gAngsteRs

Loszetasinva
Merciless
drug cartel
is building mountain
of headless corpses

What was expected “We figured everything had kind of arrested a regional Los Zetas leader for
to be a leisurely calmed down,” she says wistfully. Sadly, Hartley’s murder and for assassinating
day on the water the violence was only heating up. the investigator.
exploded into sav-
age violence and As David, 30, and Tiffany, then While the Hartley tragedy was the
heartbreak for 29, were riding jet skis toward first exposure many people in the U.S.
David and Tiffany Guerrero Viejo, a half-submerged had to the merciless Mexican cartel,
Hartley–and ghost town on the Mexican side of Los Zetas were already well-known
ultimately thrust the water, Los Zetas “soldiers” began by authorities for leaving a terrifying
the ruthless Los Zetas Mexican drug chasing them. David was shot in trail of murder and mayhem through
gang into the American spotlight. the head. Mexico – and across the border.

In September 2010, the young David’s body was never found. Formed by deserters from an
American married couple traveled Tiffany narrowly escaped to the elite Mexican army special
to Falcon Lake, a dammed section U.S. side of the lake. Lawmen believe forces unit and rogue
of the Rio Grande river that straddles the Hartleys had stumbled into the
the border between Texas and Mexico middle of a drug transaction.
and is near the heartland of Los
Zetas’ operations. HEAD WAS CUT OFF
Cops on both sides of the border
The lake is a popular recreation turned up the heat – demanding justice
destination. However, in recent for the innocent American. But shortly
years it’s been plagued by drug cartel after the slaying, the lead Mexican
violence so intense U.S. officials have investigator’s head was cut off – and
urged citizens to be careful on Falcon’s delivered in a suitcase to a local
warm waters. military post!
Two years later, lawmen finally
Tiffany says she and her mate had
heard the warnings, but went out
boating anyway, believing it was safe
because “there’d been no problems”
in the months before their vacation.

adeamerica!

uSavage members of MexicoÕs Los Zetas killed David Hartley Ð right in front of his wife Tiffany Ð as they jet-skied on Falcon Lake (left),
where lawmen hunted for his body. The outlaws were armed with weapons purchased in Texas (above) and sent across the border to
slaughter innocents. Victims were beheaded (below) and warnings were attached to their bodies with stakes driven into their chests!

law enforcement officials, Los Zetas responsible for the majority of the and deliberately mutilate victims
originally served as enforcers for the homicides, beheadings, kidnappings to terrorize their enemies and build
Gulf Cartel. But the two organizations and extortions that take place in mountains of skulls.
had a violent split in 2009. Mexico,Ó says Ralph Reyes, the U.S.
Drug Enforcement AgencyÕs chief for GRUESOME TROPHIES
Since then, Los Zetas have quickly Mexico and Central America. The dismembered bodies of ZetasÕ
assumed the title of the most feared victims are often found hanging from
drug gang in Mexico Ð unleashing a The Zetas are feared Ð on both sides bridges throughout Mexico. Members
brutal wave of terror in a nation already of the border Ð for their indiscriminate of rival cartels, law enforcement
rocked by barbaric killings. officials and innocent victims caught
use of violence. They in the wrong place at the wrong time
ÒThe Zetas have assumed the kidnap civilians at random, are routinely beheaded. The gruesome
role of being the No. 1 organization murder without thought

uNine bodies were hung from a bridge across the river from Laredo, Texas, (above) as
a grim warning to people who want to fight the cartel. Los Zetas was responsible for
shipping a pyramid of pot and cocaine (left) into Colorado

they no longer looked like humans. Deep the U.S. and take advantage of the

lacerations tore deep into their bloodied proposed national amnesty on illegal

torsos and their heads were beaten in immigrants. Once granted the special

like pinatas. The road was lined red with status, the gangsters will then run drug

blood as butchered limbs lay scattered operations inside America! So far, two

across the tarmac. illegal immigrants have been linked to

And itÕs not just their savage murder the plot Ð and lawmen in other states

methods that spread fear, but also the are conducting investigations.

sheer volume of their bloodlust. But the Zetas want immediate

In April 2011, Mexican authorities results, too. In their attempt to wrest

dug up 127 bodies from mass control of drug routes in America and

graves in the northeastern state protect their operations, Los Zetas

of Tamaulipas, just across the border has ordered assassinations and other

from Brownsville, Texas. acts of violence against U.S. law

The victims, Mexicans and Central enforcement officers.

trophies are mounted on poles Ð or and South American migrants, were In 2011, a hit squad ambushed
even used instead of a ball in terrifying
soccer matches that have been caught targeted because they refused to work two U.S. Immigration and Customs
on film.
for Los Zetas as gunmen or Enforcement agents on a
ÒThe Zetas are determined to gain
the reputation of being the most drug mules, officials believe. major Mexican highway
sadistic, cruel and beastly organization
that ever existed,Ó said George W. Women were raped while 250 miles north of Mexico
Grayson, a professor of government
at the College of William & Mary that men were forced to fight for City. Jaime Zapata was
specializes in Mexican drug gangs.
ÒMany of MexicoÕs existing drug their lives in gladiator-like fatally shot three times in
cartels will kill their enemies, but not
go out of their way to do it. The Zetas death matches. the chest while his partner
look forward to inflicting fear on
their targets. They wonÕt just cut off But asTiffany Hartley found Victor Avila Jr., was wounded
your ear, theyÕll cut off your head and
think nothing of it.Ó out, the gang is no longer just twice in the leg.

NO LONGER LOOKED LIKE HUMANS MexicoÕs problem. Federal officials say the
That was never more apparent than
in December 2009, when the thugs TheyÕre growing more uU.S. customs cartel represents the most
laid waste to a back street on the border powerful and their reach agent Jaime serious organized crime
town of Reynosa, Mexico Ð just across is expanding northward Zapata was threat confronting the
the Rio Grande from McAllen, Texas. Ð spanning the United States murdered by U.S. The Federal Bureau
They didnÕt just murder their victims from Texas to Baltimore Los Zetas of Investigation recently
Ð they hacked up the bodies to the point and more than 276 cities issued the following

in between. warning: ÒThe FBI judges

And they are very cagey about with high confidence that Los

planning their invasion. Los Zetas use Zetas will continue to increase its

AmericaÕs prison system to recruit recruitment efforts to maintain

operatives who donÕt have Hispanic their drug-trafficking and support

roots and can escape the scrutiny Latin operations, which may increase

gang members often attract. violence along the Southwest

An even more insidious strategy border posing a threat to U.S.

calls for Los Zetas soldiers to enter national security.Ó v

7 2a M e r i c a n / / gangsters

more dangerous
J oaquin ÒEl ChapoÓ than capone!
(ÒThe Short OneÓ)
Guzman has been uVicious Joaquin ‘El Chapo’
officially branded Guzman, known as is world’s
Chicago’s Public “The Short One,” is most
Enemy Number armed to the teeth. wanted
One by the city’s A suspected rival fugitive
Crime Commission was kidnapped,
Ð a distinction last killed and skinned person on the planet by
held byAl Capone in 1930. (below). The victim’s ÒForbesÓ magazine.
face was sewn on a
But the horrific murders soccer ball And he is happy to throw
and butchery of Guzman’s his cash around to retain
feared Sinaloa Mexican drug his freedom. Guzman once
cartel leaves Capone’s noto- boasted he spends $5 million
rious Prohibition-era Saint a month in bribes to law
Valentine’s Day Massacre, enforcement officers.
which claimed the lives of
seven mobsters, in the shade. After fighting

Guzman’s trademark is his Mexico, the Sinaloa
gruesome warning messages
to rivals. ing of cocaine street gangs are a ready-made top and pushed into
rival Rodolfo Car- retail network.
Two years ago, in the rillo Fuentes of the his gang has been in-
Mexican resort city of Aca- Juarez Cartel. The 56-year-old, 5-foot-6 creasingly challenged
pulco, the headless bodies of crime billionaire Ð named by the equally sav-
15 people were found near a ÒWhatAl Capone the world’s most wanted age Los Zetas. But
shopping mall with personal was to beer and fugitive after Osama bin right now, El Chapo’s
threatening notes to rival traf- whiskey, Guzman is Laden’s death in 2011 Ð has organization peddles
fickers from Guzman himself. to narcotics, says Art been on the run for years heroin, cocaine and
Bilek, the Chicago using a vast collection of meth to more than
Five heads were also left in Crime Commis- hideouts and underground 1,000 U.S. cities.
a sack and placed outside an sion’s executive vice fortresses to escape authori- In fact, more than half of
elementary school as an ulti- president. ties. He’s currently ranked the drugs entering America
matum to teachers who were the 67th most powerful from Mexico are supplied by
failing to give up half of their But the drug lord Òis clearly the Sinaloa cartel. In Chicago
salaries to Mexico’s most more dangerous than Al Ca- alone, Guzman is thought to
powerful cartel. pone was at his height,Ó adds control 70 to 80 percent of
Bilek, whose city has been the drug trade.
ACT OF INHUMANITY named the nation’s No. 1 ÒVirtually all of our major
And in a ghastly act of inhu- destination for heroin ship- investigations at some point
manity, Sinaloa gang members ments and a major hub for lead back to him,Ó said
kidnapped a 26-year-old man marijuana, cocaine and meth- Jack Riley, director of the
in 2010 and chopped up amphetamine. Guzman calls Drug Enforcement Agency’s
his body. They then sliced Chicago his gang’s Òhome Chicago office.v
the skin from his face and portÓ and loves the Windy
stitched it onto a soccer ball. City because the 70 local
There was a note with the
body that read ÒHappy New
Years because this will be
your last.Ó
Under ÒThe Short One’sÓ
ruthless command are noto-
rious henchmen suspected
of committing more than
1,000 murders across
Mexico, including the kill-

7 3a m E r i C a n / / gangstErs

riginally formed by inmates Intheslammer
who wanted protection and It’sOftenjust
influence while serving amatterOfkIll
time, AmericaÕs notorious OrbekIlled
prison gangs rapidly
evolved into criminal
enterprises that have sunk

Otenacious roots into the
nationÕs mean streets.
The gangs, split almost exclusively
along racial lines, are heavily involved
in the drug trade, prostitution, extortion
and murder. They have become a law
enforcement nightmare, both inside
and outside U.S. penitentiaries.

Behind bars, authorities often strug-
gle to find punishments tough enough
to tame crime bosses and their hench-
men – who are facing life without
parole and have no hope of ever being
free. And inmates who DO get released
follow orders without question because
the gangs are relentless.

Quite often, the only way to be
accepted into a prison gang is to carry
out a murder behind bars. And death is
the ONLY way out, especially in what
lawmen say are the five most dangerous
organizations.

■ Aryan Brotherhood prison
The white supremacist group was powerh
founded in 1964 by a group of Irish
bikers at CaliforniaÕs San Quentin
prison in response to what they
saw as the racial segregation of
AmericaÕs lock-ups. Also known as
AB or the Brand, the Brotherhood
is thought to have about 20,000
exclusively white male members, some
behind bars and some on the outside.
Despite making up about 1% of the
nationÕs prison population, the gang
is thought to be behind 20% of all
prison murders. Distinctive tattoos in-
clude the numbers 666 and shamrocks.
Charles Manson, probably the most
famous member, carved a swastika on
his forehead and was given protection
from other gangs by the AB.

■ Mexican Mafia
One of the oldest and deadliest
prison gangs in the U.S. was formed
in 1957 when 13 Mexican street hood-
lums teamed up in a juvenile prison
in Tracy, Calif. The number 13 is
used as a symbol by the gang, which
also goes under the name ÔLa EmeÕ

7 4A M e r i c A n / / gAngsters

– Spanish for the letter M. It is probably
the most powerful gang in California
and Texas slammers. In San Antonio
alone, members are responsible
for 10% of the city’s total mur-
der rate! Members have an alliance
with the Aryan Brotherhood as the
two are sworn enemies of the Black
Guerilla Family.

u Tattoos show gang allegiance. ■ Black guerilla Family
White supremacists in the Aryan While some black street gangs like
the Bloods and the Crips may fight turf
Brotherhood often use the wars on the outside, they come togeth-
Nazi swastika, which psycho er behind bars to unite against other
Charles Manson had inked into racial groups as members of the Black
his forehead after joining the Guerilla Family. The club was formed
pack. Other crews have more by former Black Panther George
Jackson in San Quentin in 1966, and
elaborate symbols (left) it is the largest and most politically
active of the American prison gangs.
Violent crime clans There are estimated to be at least 300
extend their full-time BGF members and as many
eViL grip to as 50,000 associates, all of them
America’s streets black. They are involved in a range of
criminal operations including drug
houses peddling, car theft and murder.

■ neta
Hispanic members claim to be part
of an education-orientated group
focusing on teaching Latin culture.
But while some of the estimated
8,000 associates may be active with
inmate rights, the gang’s chief source
of income is through the jailhouse
sale of heroin, crack cocaine and
methamphetamine. Launched in Puerto
Rico’s Oso Blanco prison in 1970,
Neta is now active on the east coast of
the U.S.

■ nazi Low riders
The Nazi Low Riders are willing
to do anything necessary to prove
themselves more violent and more
extreme than the more established
Aryan Brotherhood. The NLR has
about 1,000 members, mainly in the
Los Angeles and Orange County
areas, and has fast earned a fear-
some reputation for the severity of
attacks on both fellow inmates and
prison staff. Formed by young white
supremacists in California’s juvenile
halls, it is now one of the state’s fast-
est growing gangs – and is believed
to have spread into the Southwest and
America’s heartland. v

7 5A M e r i c A n / / gAngsters

ith terrifying tattoos covering their faces language to go with their distinctive body ink. The size of the
and bodies, MS-13 gangsters make no tattoos marks the seniority of the member, with older or more
attempt to pretend they are a secret society. prominent leaders boasting the biggest designs.

These thugs don’t wear Italian suits or The body art sends a clear message: Keep away or pay
$200 Nike sneakers.They belong toAmer- the consequences.
ica’s most brutal gang – and they want you
to know all about it. And the consequences are not very pretty! An Oklahoma
teen was tortured and killed in 2011 when she balked at joining
Formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s an MS-13 prostitution ring. Cops say other girls were forced

joined MS-13 after it spread from
Los Angeles to Honduras. He found
religion and quit, but still remembers the
organizationÕs secret sign language