Tampa Mafia

A man holding a gun in front of a martini glass.
Cocktail Noir Drink Recipes!
Several cocktails are named after mobsters. Scott M. Deitche explored the intersection of gangsters and...
A man holding up a newspaper with castro on it.
CASTRO AND THE TAMPA MAFIA CONNECTION
Fidel Castro holds up a newspaper headlining the discovery of a plot to kill Castro...
A man and a woman standing next to each other.
“I TAKE THE FIFTH AMENDMENT!”
Santo Trafficante and lawyer Henry Gonzalez In June of 1981, at age 66, Santo Trafficante...
A man in glasses and suit sitting at a bar.
TAMPA CRIME BOSS SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THRILLER ‘MAFIA SPIES’
Tampa organized crime boss Santo Trafficante Jr. is pictured at the Sans Souci nightclub in...
A group of men in suits and ties posing for the camera.
SANTO TRAFFICANTE SR, A ‘Sicilian of the Old School,’ RULED TAMPA’S UNDERWORLD FOR MORE THAN A DECADE!
Members of the Tampa Mafia: Santo Trafficante Sr., standing, second from left. Sitting: Alphonso Diecidue...
A man with a beard is speaking to reporters.
THE RISE OF CASTRO AND THE FALL OF THE HAVANA MOB
Fidel Castro’s revolution swept former president Fulgencio Batista out of Cuba on December 31, 1958....
A black and white photo of a man in a suit.
JOE VAGLICA’S LAST PLATE OF FRIES
Joe Vaglica In the early morning of December 5, 1928, patrolman Frank Osowski was walking...
A black and white photo of the front of a restaurant.
THE BEST OF TAMPA’S MOBSTER HANGOUTS
The original Malio's Restaurant located on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida. THE HIDDEN...
A man and woman standing next to each other.
THROUGH THE EYES OF A DAUGHTER: THE HIT ON JIMMY VELASCO
Sylvia at age 12 and her father Jimmy Velasco in California, June 1948 Jimmy Velasco...
A man in a suit and tie with a mustache.
TAMPA’S FIRST MAFIA BOSS
Ignazio Italiano's mug shot Sicilian Black Hand activities have existed in Tampa and Ybor City...
A group of people sitting around a table.
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BOLITA
Forget everything you THINK you know about Tampa mafia wives and girlfriends in the 1950s....
A man in suit and tie posing for the camera.
THE HIT THAT EXPOSED SOME OF TAMPA’S ELITE
Jimmy Velasco Wearing a long coat and a hat that covered half his face, the...
A white house with two black dogs statues in front of it.
AL CAPONE’S TAMPA BAY CONNECTION
The Shore Acres home is 2,350-square-feet with 10 rooms that Capone reputedly built in 1925...
A group of men standing next to each other.
THE DEVIL LOOKS AFTER HIS OWN
THE CHARLIE WALL STORY Kingpin Charlie Wall (center holding bottle, right of child) and his...
A wooden board with buttons on it
BOLITA VICE SQUAD
Bolita Bust In March of 1958, Buddy Meisch, a young, hard-nosed ex-Tampa cop turned deputy,...
A black and white photo of fidel castro and an older man.
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
Did the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Make a Deal With Fidel Castro for the Release...
A man with a very large forehead and eyes.
HORROR IN YBOR CITY-The Victor Licata Murders
Victor Licata nicknamed, “The Dream Slayer.†Blood soaked the beds and dripped off the sides,...