Santo Trafficante Sr., a ‘Sicilian of the old school,’ ruled Tampa’s underworld for more than a decade

On August 12, 1954, Tampa, Florida, Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Sr. died from stomach cancer. Laid to rest in a…


‘A good man in a bad business’

The 1930s were a tumultuous time in the Tampa underworld. Dubbed the “Era of Blood” by local journalists, the sound…


Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. died 30 years ago March 17

At 7:25 p.m. on January 3, 1953, Florida Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. had just finished dinner with his wife…