The gap between those who can access and use digital technology and those who can't
Denaro was held responsible for numerous crimes, including orchestrating multiple murders, notably those of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. In addition, he received multiple life sentences in absentia for his involvement in fatal bombings that occurred in Milan, Florence, and Rome during the late 1990s. Furthermore, Denaro was known for the brutal torture and murder of an 11-year-old boy, whose father had provided evidence against the Cosa Nostra.
Alphonse Gabriel Capone, born into an immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York, rose to infamy as the infamous gangster during Prohibition. Referred to as "Scarface," he co-founded and led the Chicago Outfit.
Capone controlled organized crime in Chicago between 1925 and 1931, operating illegal gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging activities. He violently eliminated competitors to expand his influence. The image displays Capone’s FBI criminal record in 1932, revealing that many charges against him were dropped or dismissed.
At 33 years old, he was imprisoned after ruling as a crime boss for seven years. Initially held in Atlanta, Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz. Following his release after eight years, he passed away in 1947 from cardiac arrest, living as a powerless recluse.
John Herbert Dillinger headed a ruthless gang that instilled fear in the American Midwest during the Great Depression. His actions resulted in him being labeled as "Public Enemy Number 1."
Between the years 1933 and 1934, the gang was accountable for the deaths of 10 individuals, injuring seven others, committing bank and police arsenal robberies, and conducting three prison escapes. The photograph captures Dillinger standing in court at Crown Point, Indiana in 1934.
Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were a couple known for their criminal activities that fascinated the American media and its audience during the early 1930s.
Barrow was suspected of various killings and was sought after for murder, robbery, and state charges related to kidnapping. It is believed that together, they murdered at least nine police officers and four civilians. In this well-known image, Parker whimsically aims a shotgun at her criminal companion.
Kate Barker, commonly referred to as Ma Barker, was the mother of numerous American criminals who operated as the Barker-Karpis gang amid the "public enemy era" in the 1930s. Her own sons were among the gang's members.
Ma Barker was known as a tough crime boss who oversaw and orchestrated her sons' illegal activities. Fred Barker, her youngest son, partnered closely with Alvin Karpis to create the gang. This criminal organization thrived from 1931 to 1935, making it one of the most enduring during the Great Depression.
Fred's brother Arthur "Doc" Barker was known for his violent nature and joined the gang as a key member. The gang's notable activities included bank robberies and kidnappings. Tragically, Ma and Fred Barker lost their lives during a lengthy exchange of gunfire with special agents on January 16, 1935. "Doc" Barker met his demise in 1939 while attempting to flee from Alcatraz.
Charles "Lucky" Luciano, an Italian-born criminal, is recognized for designing The Commission, an arrangement that formed the framework of contemporary organized crime in the United States.
Luciano effectively led the modern Genovese crime family, overseeing profitable illegal activities in New York City including gambling, extortion, bookmaking, loansharking, and drug trafficking as its inaugural official boss.
Imprisoned in 1936, the mob leader proposed aiding the war effort in World War II, leveraging his illicit associations in Italy to aid the Allies. Eventually, this agreement granted him early release and deportation. However, his fortune waned in January 1962 when he succumbed to a fatal heart attack in Naples. He now rests in Queens, New York.
Lester Joseph Gillis holds the unfortunate distinction of having killed more FBI agents than anyone else. A comrade of John Dillinger, Gillis was recognized as "Baby Face Nelson" due to his youthful looks.
Nelson became involved with a gang during his early teenage years. At the age of 14, he had become skilled in stealing cars and later advanced to engaging in bootlegging, operating stills, and armed robbery in his early twenties.
The escape from prison in 1934 involving John Dillinger was made possible with the help of Nelson and his gang. Following the demise of Dillinger and fellow criminal "Pretty Boy Floyd," the FBI labeled Nelson as "Public Enemy No 1" (as displayed in the bureau's circular). Nelson's fate caught up with him during The Battle of Barrington, when he was fatally shot by FBI agents near Chicago.
George Kelly Barnes, also known as "Machine Gun Kelly," was a gangster hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era.
In addition to bootlegging and armed robbery, Kelly gained notoriety for the July 1933 abduction of oil tycoon and businessman Charles F. Urschel. During this incident, Kelly and his gang successfully obtained a sizable ransom of US$200,000 (equivalent to approximately US$4 million in today's currency). The accompanying photograph depicts Kelly being led away in handcuffs by FBI agents after his arrest. Both Kelly and his accomplice, his wife Kathryn Kelly, were later given life sentences.
Kelly spent some time at Alcatraz, where he earned the nickname "Pop Gun Kelly" from other prisoners. He was known for bragging and exaggerating about his past exploits. In 1951, he was moved to Leavenworth, and he passed away there three years later due to heart failure.
Francesco Castiglia, known as Costello, was an Italian-American leader of the Luciano crime organization. As a prominent gangster, he maintained strong connections with Lucky Luciano and profited from illegal activities like bootlegging and gambling.
Costello formed connections with politicians and businessmen in New York and became an important political link for the syndicate. When Luciano was imprisoned in 1936, he named Costello as the temporary boss. In the early 1950s, Costello not only had to deal with internal conflicts within the mob, but also faced opposition from the US Senate's efforts to limit organized crime.
Costello, convicted for contempt and tax evasion, also narrowly escaped an assassination in 1957. Famed as the "Prime Minister of the Underworld," he retired from criminal activities in the late 1960s. On February 18, 1973, he passed away due to a heart attack.
Carlo Gambino, a native of Sicily, relocated to the United States in 1921. Progressing through the organized crime hierarchy, he ultimately assumed leadership of the Gambino syndicate.
In 1932, Gambino married Catherine Castellano, who happened to be the sister of mobster Paul Castellano. This connection helped him become a member of the Mafia. By the 1950s, Gambino had established various illegal activities such as gambling, loansharking, hijacking, narcotics trafficking, and labor racketeering.
Gambino's deteriorating health and multiple heart attacks caused delays in his trials for criminal activities, even though he only spent 22 months in prison during the late 1930s out of his 50-year life of crime. In 1976, he finally succumbed to coronary failure. At his funeral mass in Brooklyn, approximately 150 relatives and close friends, including prominent Mafia lieutenants, gathered to pay their respects.
Paul Castellano took over the leadership of the Gambino crime family after Carlo Gambino. Known as the "boss of bosses" or "the Godfather," Castellano ran the most dominant and influential crime organization in New York City. He viewed himself primarily as a businessman rather than a criminal, using legal businesses to extract money alongside more traditional illegal activities like gambling, pornography, and loansharking.
While the previous leader chose a humble lifestyle away from attention, Castellano managed his group from an extravagant Staten Island mansion called the "white house."
After Castellano passed away, John Gotti assumed leadership of the Gambino crime family, resulting in its ascent as the most dominant criminal organization in the United States.
Gotti ruled firmly and swiftly rose to become one of the most dreaded and perilous crime leaders in the United States. He earned the nickname "Dapper Don" for his fashionable clothing and later became known as the "Teflon Don" because the numerous accusations against him never seemed to have any consequence. In 1992, Gotti was ultimately found guilty of several homicides with the assistance of underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, who cooperated with the FBI as a state's witness in a plea bargain.
Gotti was convicted on April 12, 1992, and received a life sentence with no possibility of parole. He passed away from cancer while incarcerated on June 10, 2002. This event signified the commencement of the downfall of the Cosa Nostra and its dominance over organized crime in both the United States and other regions.
See also: The most feared gangs in the world
Matteo Messina Denaro, a notorious crime boss, had been on the run since 1993, and was wanted by Italy's authorities for his leadership role in the Cosa Nostra Mafia in Sicily. He was finally captured by the police in a private medical clinic in Palermo on January 16, 2023. On September 25, 2023, he died in custody while receiving medical treatment for colon cancer at the San Salvatore hospital in L’Aquila, in central Italy.
In the history of organized crime, the gangsters and mobsters that operated in the United States during the early and mid-20th century are known for their extreme violence and ruthlessness. The criminal syndicate known as the Sicilian Mafia, or Cosa Nostra, was especially active during the 1920s, '30s, '40s, and '50s, and enjoyed near legendary status among law enforcement agencies and the public alike. However, this period also saw the emergence of numerous hardened criminals who engaged in robbery, murder, and intimidation, solidifying their infamous status. So, who stands out as the most hateful among them all?
Take a look at this gallery featuring mobsters and gangsters, all of who were convinced that a life of crime would be worth it.
The couple's demise was bloody and violent. After a colorful and much publicized manhunt, the pair were shot to death by law enforcement officers in an ambush near Sailes in Louisiana on May 23, 1934.
Castellano's appointment as the Gambino crime boss displeased many within the family and he was disrespected by most, including one lieutenant called John Gotti. It was Gotti who allegedly ordered the successful hit on Castellano outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan on December 16, 1985.
On July 22, 1934, the man referred to by the FBI as a "lurid desperado" met his fate. John Dillinger, after leaving the Biograph Theater in Chicago, was shot and killed by federal agents as he attempted to escape. The image shows Dillinger after being identified and placed in the Cook County morgue.
Who are the most notorious mobsters and gangsters in history?
Very few lived to enjoy their golden years...
LIFESTYLE Crime
In the history of organized crime, the gangsters and mobsters that operated in the United States during the early and mid-20th century are known for their extreme violence and ruthlessness. The criminal syndicate known as the Sicilian Mafia, or Cosa Nostra, was especially active during the 1920s, '30s, '40s, and '50s, and enjoyed near legendary status among law enforcement agencies and the public alike. However, this period also saw the emergence of numerous hardened criminals who engaged in robbery, murder, and intimidation, solidifying their infamous status. So, who stands out as the most hateful among them all?
Take a look at this gallery featuring mobsters and gangsters, all of who were convinced that a life of crime would be worth it.