An old bootlegging associate of Dragna's, Anthony Cornero ran gambling ships off the coast of California. In the 1950s, Roselli left California and became the Mafia's main representative in Las Vegas. Roselli had been a member of the Chicago Outfit, but left for California and worked with Dragna in gambling. His close supporters included Girolamo "Momo" Adamo and John Roselli. Other businesses including running gambling ships, a heroin smuggling operation, and collecting extortion money. His brother Tom became his consigliere.Īs boss, Dragna's chief source of income came from extorting local bookmakers for "protection" money, although he was also the main illegal gambling operator in the city. The American Mafia wanted to make inroads in California, and supported Dragna, as opposed to the " Mustache Pete" Ardizzone. It was rumored that Dragna was involved in Ardizzone's disappearance and presumed murder. In 1931, Dragna succeeded Joseph Ardizzone as boss of the Los Angeles crime family. After his prison stint he worked closely with Joseph Ardizzone, a prominent mobster in Los Angeles.
In 1922, Dragna married his second cousin, Francesca Rizzotto. Dragna was arrested as Ignazio Rizzotto, leading to the assumption he was the brother of his criminal associate, Benigno Rizzotto, with whom he'd lived in New York City.ĭuring the Prohibition Era, Dragna and his brother Gaetano (now named Tom) ran extortion and illegal liquor distillation operations. In 1915, Dragna was arrested for Black Hand extortion of a Long Beach man and served three years in prison. He was extradited to New York, but never went on trial. After the killing, Dragna fled to California. That same year, Dragna petitioned for naturalization as Charles Dragna, and was a suspect in the murder of Jewish poultry dealer Barnet Baff. He appears to have had a relationship with Gaetano Reina, who eventually led his own crime family in Manhattan and the Bronx. As a young man, he joined the Italian Army and later the Sicilian Mafia. Dragna stayed in New York for ten years before returning to Sicily. It is unknown when Dragna's father arrived in the United States. They stayed in East Harlem, in Manhattan, with his mother's cousin Antonio Rizzotto's family, also from Corleone. Alsatia with his parents, older sister Giuseppa, and older brother Gaetano. On November 18, 1898, Dragna came to the United States on the S.S. Dragna was born to Francesco Paolo Dragna and Anna Dragna in Corleone, Sicily, on April 18, 1891.
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