The birth of the mob and everything since.
Talking to us won’t make you a rat. Share your story with us and it could end up on our Timeline.
We welcome contributions to the timeline in the form of a story or photo. Please note: Once contributions are submitted, they will be reviewed by The Mob Museum before being posted.
September 25, 1931
Salvatore Maranzano is killed by assassins on behalf of Charles “Lucky” Luciano. With the old guard out of the way, Luciano becomes “chairman of the board” of New York’s Five Families.
April 13, 1931
New York Mafia boss Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria is killed by assassins on behalf of Charles “Lucky” Luciano.
March 19, 1931
Governor Fred Balzar signs bill legalizing “wide open gambling” in Nevada.
February 14, 1929
Seven members of Bugs Moran’s Northside Gang in Chicago are gunned down in what became known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Al Capone’s gang is suspected but no one is prosecuted.
November 6, 1928
Arnold Rothstein, a key founder of the modern Mob, is killed in New York City by a gambler to whom he owed money.
May 16, 1927
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that citizens may be prosecuted for not paying taxes on their ill-gotten gains, giving prosecutors a new tool against mobsters.