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ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
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Material presented on this website was gathered through decades of research into the history of American organized crime. My childhood interest in the subject blossomed into a full-time obsession in the late 1990s, when I began to organize data that had been gathered on notebook pages and index cards. That effort gave rise to this website in September 2002.
The website is more of a process than it is a document. Very often new historical data becomes available and causes old assumptions to be revised or abandoned. Over the past few years, many underworld legends appearing on these pages have given way to more defensible statements. And other revisions are sure to be made in the months and years ahead.
It is a pleasure to be able to share my interest with you. I welcome your emailed comments, questions, criticisms. I hope that the site is useful to you and that you check in from time to time to see what is new.
The website is organized into several major sections:
- Chronology - A collection of significant events in the development of the American Mafia from 1282 (in Sicily) through the 1980s. As my main interest in organized crime lies in its formative years, much of the chronology focuses on events before 1931. Recent major events are covered. However, I have tried not to spend too much time on already well-known aspects of Mafia history.
- Who Was Who - An alphabetical listing of the major characters in organized crime with biographical information. I have defined "major character" as one who influenced in a substantial way the evolution of the American Mafia. Because law enforcement has certainly influenced the Mafia, I created a separate Who Was Who for distinguished crimefighters.
- Locations - Maps of some important cities and descriptions of the events that happened in them. The "where" of an organized crime event is an often-neglected historical detail. But location played a critical role in many underworld occurrences.
- Articles - These are intended to put the small, individual pieces together into more complete pictures of the American Mafia. While it is important to know everything we can about individual trees, we mustn't forget the forest. This section also includes a glossary of underworld slang.
- Sources - The Bibliography section shows virtually every source that has influenced my thinking on the American Mafia. (Since I am a voracious reader on crime topics, the bibliography tends to slip out of date quickly.) The section also includes the text of government documents relating to organized crime and a number of categorized websites.
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RECENT UPDATES TO THIS WEBSITE
- 30 Jan 07 - Added Brasco review to Book Notes.
- 08 Jan 07 - Added Fred Randaccio to Who Was Who.
- 04 Jan 07 - Changed Current Events page.
- 12 Dec 06 - Updated entrance page.
- 17 Nov 06 - Revised Philip Buccola in Who Was Who.
- 17 Nov 06 - Updated New England crime bosses.
- 16 Nov 06 - Updated Charles Solomon in Who Was Who.
- 19 Oct 06 - Added James Balestrere to Who Was Who.
- 18 Oct 06 - Updated entrance page.
- 18 Oct 06 - Created news item for Gambino 1976 death.
- 30 Sep 06 - Updated entrance page.
- 13 Sep 06 - Created separate pages for Book Notes and Bookstore.
- 11 Sep 06 - Updated entrance with book and Maranzano items.
- 01 Aug 06 - Added mob history exhibit announcement to entrance.
- 24 Jun 06 - Streamlined main entrance page.
- 17 Jun 06 - Updated the main entrance page.
- 17 Jun 06 - Revised the About This Website page.
- 15 Jun 06 - Added partial NY waste hauling report.
- 08 Jun 06 - Added Lonardo testimony to Government Documents section.
- 19 May 06 - Updated Hoffa article with breaking news from FBI.
- 13 May 06 - Added Virgil Peterson testimony to Kefauver section.
- 06 May 06 - Substituted a Guestbook for the previous Feedback page.
- 04 May 06 - Added Final Report to Kefauver Hearings section.
- 03 May 06 - Added Interim Report 3 to Kefauver Hearings section.
- 02 May 06 - Uploaded Kefauver Hearings section and two reports.
- 01 May 06 - Uploaded FBI file links to Government Documents section.
- 01 May 06 - Added Government Documents selection to Main Menu.
- 05 Apr 06 - Uploaded bio of Natale Evola to Who Was Who.
- 03 Apr 06 - Added bios to Informants page.
- 02 Apr 06 - Uploaded revised Informants page.
- 02 Apr 06 - Added "Valachi" to Who Was Who section.
- 01 Apr 06 - Changed announcements on main entry page.
- 01 Apr 06 - Moved DiLeonardo testimony to Articles section.
- 01 Apr 06 - Added key to Western Sicily map in Locations.
- 31 Mar 06 - Revised the Locations (maps) section.
- 11 Mar 06 - Added "This Date in History" to main entry page.
- 09 Mar 06 - Linked update notices to site sections.
- 09 Mar 06 - Reorganized Books and DVDs sections.
- 08 Mar 06 - Reorganized and revised "Links" section.
- 03 Mar 06 - Uploaded Spilotro bio to "Articles" section.
- 25 Feb 06 - Updated policies on "About" page.
- 23 Feb 06 - Uploaded DiLeonardo testimony.
- 23 Feb 06 - Added US Attys and NY District Attys to "Links."
- 20 Feb 06 - Added Tampa "Crime Bosses" section.
- 20 Feb 06 - Revised Trafficante in "Who Was Who."
- 18 Feb 06 - Added Kansas City "Crime Bosses" section.
- 18 Feb 06 - Added Civella to "Who Was Who."
- 09 Feb 06 - Uploaded Lucchese bio to "Articles."
- 12 Jan 06 - Added Gotti, Dioguardi to "Who Was Who"
- 11 Jan 06 - Added DeSimone, Bufalino, Buccola to "Who Was Who"
- 11 Jan 06 - Updated "50 Years Ago" with Dio/Riesel
- 10 Jan 06 - Added Bruno, Bazzano, Bucceleri to "Who Was Who"
- 07 Jan 06 - Added Los Angeles to "Crime Bosses."
- 02 Jan 06 - Uploaded partial "Crime Bosses" section.
- 21 Dec 05 - Uploaded Anastasia bio to "Articles" section.
- 20 Dec 05 - Added Vincent Gigante to "Who Was Who."
- 11 Dec 05 - Completed name links for "Chron. I."
- 09 Dec 05 - Uploaded Hoffa article.
- 08 Dec 05 - Added entries to "Chronology V."
- 07 Dec 05 - Added Anthony Provenzano to "Who Was Who."
- 24 Nov 05 - Updated "Web Links" page.
- 28 Oct 05 - Redesigned the remainder of the website.
- 30 Sep 05 - Redesigned "Who Was Who" and "Crimefighters."
- 31 Jul 05 - Added Zerilli, Zwillman to "Who Was Who."
- 30 Jul 05 - Uploaded frames version of "Who Was Who."
- 29 Jul 05 - Revised New Orleans in "Locations" section
- 28 Jul 05 - Uploaded frames version of "Crimefighters."
- 23 Jul 05 - Updated Books section of "Bibliography."
- 20 Jul 05 - Repaired, updated bookstore.
- 01 Feb 05 - Updated "Links" Page.
- 12 Jan 05 - Created front page link to join e-mail group.
- 07 Dec 04 - Added letter to "Feedback."
- 26 Aug 04 - Corrected errors in Catania entries in "Who Was Who"
- 08 Aug 04 - Added Francis Dimaio to "Distinguished Crimefighters."
- 04 Jul 04 - Added Oldfield, Ness to "Distinguished Crimefighters."
- 04 Jul 04 - Added a letter to "Feedback."
- 03 Jul 04 - Updated "Bibliography" with 13 additional sources.
- 17 May 04 - Added three letters to "Feedback."
- 11 Mar 04 - Added Fiaschetti to "Distinguished Crimefighters."
- 09 Mar 04 - Uploaded partial "Distinguished Crimefighters" page.
- 04 Feb 04 - Added four letters to "Feedback."
- 03 Feb 04 - Revised Catania Sr. in "Who Was Who" and "Chronology."
- 11 Sep 03 - Added four letters to "Feedback."
- 12 Apr 03 - Added "Boo Boo" Hoff biography to Articles section.
- 20 Mar 03 - Added news clippings for Adonis, Anastasia, Colosimo.
- 20 Mar 03 - Created animated GIF image for Gambino.
- 05 Jan 03 - Added Mangano item to "Feedback."
- 21 Dec 02 - Updated "Bookstore" with mention of "Gangs of NY" movie.
- 10 Dec 02 - Added Farach item to "Feedback."
- 16 Nov 02 - Revised and updated Quarteraro in "Who Was Who."
- 16 Nov 02 - Added Gallucci to "Who Was Who."
- 15 Nov 02 - Added Trafficante, Tramunti to "Who Was Who."
- 15 Nov 02 - Reworked color scheme to improve readability.
- 07 Nov 02 - Added "Counterfeit Capone" to "Articles."
- 07 Nov 02 - Uploaded sketches for Anselmi, John Scalise.
- 07 Nov 02 - Added Torrio to "Who Was Who."
- 06 Nov 02 - Added Tagliagamba, Terranovas to "Who Was Who."
- 05 Nov 02 - Created clickable map of East Harlem 1910.
- 04 Nov 02 - Uploaded reader e-mail, response in "Feedback."
- 04 Nov 02 - Added Stracci, Strollo to "Who Was Who."
- 03 Nov 02 - Added Patriarca, Prisco, Russomano to "Who Was Who."
- 03 Nov 02 - Added Salerno, Solomon, Spinelli to "Who Was Who."
- 03 Nov 02 - Updated bibliography with 10 new articles.
- 02 Nov 02 - Added Scalise, Schiro, Schultz, Siegel to "Who Was Who."
- 02 Nov 02 - Updated bibliography with 8 new articles.
- 01 Nov 02 - Added Celantano bio to "Who Was Who" section.
- 01 Nov 02 - Added/revised items in Chronology Part II.
- 01 Nov 02 - Updated Lamonti bio in "Who Was Who" section.
- 29 Oct 02 - Updated/added items in sections 1 and 2 of "Chronology."
- 27 Oct 02 - Updated bibliography with 22 new books & articles.
- 25 Oct 02 - Uploaded animated Lupo image to "Who Was Who."
- 18 Oct 02 - Created "Reader Feedback" section.
- 18 Oct 02 - Added "Faster than a Speeding Bullet" to "Articles."
- 18 Oct 02 - Added Ricca and Rothstein to "Who Was Who" section.
- 16 Oct 02 - Added "Recent Updates" to "About this Website" page.
- 16 Oct 02 - Updated bibliography, two entries in "Books" section.
- 16 Oct 02 - Added 52 more items to "Organized Crime Chronology."
- 15 Oct 02 - Added 04 more items to "Organized Crime Chronology."
- 13 Oct 02 - Uploaded "Clutch Hand Confusion" to "Articles" section.
- 11 Oct 02 - Expanded "Chronology" from four sections into five.
- 30 Sep 02 - Incorporated "About this Website" page into the site.
- 29 Sep 02 - Added Jack Dragna bio to the "Who Was Who" section.
- 29 Sep 02 - Added Rastelli and Reles to the "Who Was Who" section.
- 28 Sep 02 - Included online FBI Files links in "Who Was Who" section.
- 26 Sep 02 - Added Marcello to "Who Was Who" section.
- 25 Sep 02 - Added Quarteraro brothers to "Who Was Who" section.
- 20 Sep 02 - Redesigned website to improve appearance and ease of use.
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Copyright © 2002-06
All Rights Reserved
Thomas P. Hunt
New Milford, CT
thunt@onewal.com
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