Luciano
LucianoNo other New York gangster in the twentieth century matched the capabilities of the sinister, crafty, powerful, and secretive Charles �Lucky� Luciano. Who with the help of his closest friends and allies, even enemies, established the National Crime Syndicate in the early 1930s, which still remains today (Nash 251). Lucky Luciano, the �true� American gangster, rewrote the rules of the Italian Mafia, under control of old-line Sicilian rule, and created an organization open to all ethnic backgrounds (Dewey). He worked his way from being a struggling messenger for a small gang, to eventually becoming the �Capo di Tutti Capi�(the Boss of All Bosses), the highest ranking in the Mafia (Dewey). During his reign, Charles Luciano decided that in order to make the most money possible, he needed to combine all of the crime �families� in the United States. He established this organization, la Cosa Nostra, and appointed a board of directors, including the legendary Al �Scar-face� Capone, with himself as the Chief Executive Officer. Luciano�s presence demanded respect from everyone and aided in the creation of the American Mafia, a malignant but far-reaching underworld force that, to this day, continues to flourish (Nash 251).
Born to the name Salvatore Luciana on November 24, 1897 in Lercardia Friddi, Sicily, the third child in the Luciana family, little Charles had a penchant for hanging around older kids that contributed to his mischievous behavior. The Lucianas set out for a better life in the great land of America in 1906, where they soon found it to be not so great. He logged his first arrest just a few months after his arrival for shoplifting in 1907, and started his first racket during that same year. For a penny or two a day, he offered younger and smaller Jewish children his personal protection against beatings on the way to school; if they didn�t pay, he beat them up. One runty boy, Meyer Lansky, refused to pay, so he and Luciano fought. It amazed Luciano how hard Lansky fought back, and they became best of friends from that day forward (Nichols). Luciano�s genius sense for the business world began to take shape at an early age. Arrested numerous times until the age of 18, Luciano struggled to stay alive by selling narcotics for the notorious Five Points Gang. Charles Luciana soon changed his name to Charles Luciano to protect his family from any embarrassment or shame caused by publicity. When Luciano went to jail for dealing heroin for them, the police set up an offer for him if he identified the members of the dope ring. However, Luciano kept the
code of omerta (silence) and served his jail time (Kohn). Proving his loyalty, the Five Points Gang made him a full-fledged member.
Luciano, a quick witted and pleasurable personality, liked the highlife. He lived by one simple fact; �Money is everything� and he went...
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