The Luccheses: A Comprehensive Guide to the Notorious Crime Family

Introduction

The Lucchese crime family, one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime in New York City, has a long and violent history. Originating from the early 20th century, the Luccheses have been involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including racketeering, extortion, gambling, and drug trafficking. This comprehensive guide delves into the origins, structure, operations, and key figures of the Lucchese crime family, providing an in-depth understanding of their influence on the underworld and American society.

Origins and Early Days

The Lucchese crime family traces its roots to the early 1920s, when Gaetano Reina emerged as a powerful figure in the Castellammarese War. After Reina's assassination in 1930, his mantle was passed to Tommy Gagliano, who formally established the Lucchese family. Under Gagliano's leadership, the family expanded its operations, establishing a stronghold in the Bronx and Long Island.

Structure and Hierarchy

Like other Italian-American crime families, the Lucchese are structured in a hierarchical manner, with a boss, an underboss, consiglieres, capos, and soldiers. The boss is the supreme leader of the family, making all major decisions and controlling all criminal activities. The underboss is the second-in-command and takes over in the boss's absence. Consiglieres act as advisors to the boss, providing guidance and counsel. Capos lead individual crews, which are responsible for specific criminal operations such as gambling, loansharking, or drug trafficking. Soldiers are the lowest-ranking members, carrying out orders from their superiors.

Criminal Activities

The Luccheses have been involved in a wide range of criminal activities throughout their history, including:

• Racketeering: Extorting money from businesses by threatening violence or other illegal acts.
• Extortionion: Demanding money or property under threat of harm.
• Gamblingillegally operating casinos, sportsbooks, and other gambling operations.
• Drug traffickingimportiimporting and distributing illegal drugs.
• Labor racketeering: Controlling unions and extorting money from companies through intimidation or violence.
• Murder and other violent crimes.

Key Figures

Over the years, the Lucchese crime family has been led by several notorious figures, including:

• Tommy Gagliano (1930-1951): Founder and first boss of the family.
• Vincenzo Rao (1951-1953): Known as "The Executioner," Rao was known for his brutality and ruthlessness.
• Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo (1973-1986): A powerful boss who oversaw the family's expansion into Las Vegas.
• Victor Amuso (1986-1991): A violent and paranoid boss who ordered the murders of several underlings.
• Michael "Big Mike" DeSantis (1991-2004): A low-key boss who tried to distance the family from major criminal activities.
• Steven "Wonder Boy" Crea (2004-2017): A ruthless boss who regained control of the family after a power struggle.

Decline and Recent Developments

In recent years, the Lucchese crime family has faced significant challenges. Law enforcement crackdowns, internal power struggles, and the death or imprisonment of key figures have weakened the family. They have lost much of their dominance in traditional criminal activities, and their membership has dwindled.

Despite these setbacks, the Lucchese crime family remains a significant player in the criminal underworld. They continue to engage in low-level criminal activities, such as loansharking, gambling, and drug trafficking.

Statistics and Impact

• FBI: The FBI estimates that the Lucchese crime family has approximately 100-150 active members.
• RICO: The family has been successfully prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) on multiple occasions.
• Violence: The Luccheses have been responsible for numerous violent crimes throughout their history, including murders, kidnappings, and assaults.
• Economic Impact: The family's criminal activities have had a significant negative impact on the economy of New York City and surrounding areas.

Table 1: Lucchese Crime Family Bosses

Table 2: Lucchese Crime Family Criminal Activities

Table 3: Lucchese Crime Family Key Figures

Stories and Lessons Learned

Story 1: The Murder of Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso

Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso was a ruthless Lucchese capo who was responsible for numerous murders and other violent crimes. In 1989, he ordered the murder of his own underboss, Roy DeMeo. Casso was eventually arrested and convicted in 1994, and died in prison in 2020.

Lesson learned: Violence and brutality can lead to long prison sentences or even death.

Story 2: The Rise and Fall of Victor Amuso

Victor Amuso became boss of the Lucchese crime family in 1986. He was a violent and paranoid leader who ordered the murders of several underlings who he suspected of disloyalty. Amuso was eventually arrested in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison.

Lesson learned: Excessive paranoia and violence can lead to the downfall of a criminal organization.

Story 3: The FBI's Crackdown on the Luccheses

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the FBI launched a major crackdown on the Lucchese crime family. This resulted in the arrests and convictions of several key figures, including boss Victor Amuso and capo Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso. The crackdown significantly weakened the family and led to the decline of its power.

Lesson learned: Law enforcement can effectively disrupt criminal organizations through investigations and prosecutions.

Effective Strategies for Combating Organized Crime

• Increase law enforcement resources. Allocating more resources to law enforcement agencies can help them to investigate and prosecute organized crime more effectively.
• Strengthen witness protection programs. Protecting witnesses who testify against organized crime figures is essential to securing convictions.
• Target the financial assets of organized crime. Seizing the assets of criminal organizations can cripple their operations and make them less profitable.
• Promote community involvement. Encouraging community members to report suspicious activity can help law enforcement to identify and disrupt criminal organizations.
• Educate the public about organized crime. Raising awareness about the dangers of organized crime can help to prevent people from becoming involved in it.

Tips and Tricks for Staying Safe from Organized Crime

• Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to who is around you and what they are doing.
• Don't get involved in illegal activities. Staying away from drug use, gambling, and other illegal activities can help to keep you out of the sights of organized crime.
• Report suspicious activity to the police. If you see something suspicious,