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The Architects of the American Mafia and Murder, Inc.
Executive Summary
This document synthesizes extensive source material on the transformative period of American organized crime, focusing on the lives of Vincent Mangano, Albert Anastasia, and Charles “Lucky” Luciano. The central themes are the strategic restructuring of the Mafia into a national corporate-style syndicate, the establishment and operation of its violent enforcement arm, Murder, Inc., and the internal power struggles that defined an era.
The analysis reveals that Charles “Lucky” Luciano was the primary architect of the modern American Mafia, dismantling the old guard’s destructive “boss of bosses” structure following the Castellammarese War. In its place, he established The Commission and the Five Families system in 1931, a governing body designed to mediate disputes, regulate territory, and maximize profitability. To enforce The Commission’s edicts, Luciano created Murder, Inc., a contract-killing squad co-led by the brutally efficient Albert Anastasia and the methodical Louis “Lepke” Buchalter.
Vincent Mangano was appointed as the inaugural boss of what would become the Gambino crime family, reigning for 20 years. An “old-fashioned gentleman,” Mangano consolidated his power on the Brooklyn waterfront through control of the International Longshoremen’s Association. However, his tenure was defined by an escalating and ultimately fatal conflict with his underboss, Albert Anastasia. Anastasia, whose loyalties lay with Luciano and Frank Costello, frequently bypassed Mangano’s authority, leading to intense personal animosity and physical altercations.
This conflict culminated in April 1951 with the murder of Philip Mangano and the disappearance of Vincent Mangano, a coup orchestrated by Anastasia. After seizing control, Anastasia’s reign as boss was brief (1951-1957), violent, and marked by reckless acts, such as the unsanctioned murder of civilian Arnold Schuster. His erratic behavior and ambition alienated allies and empowered rivals, primarily Vito Genovese and his own underboss, Carlo Gambino. In 1957, Anastasia was assassinated, allowing Gambino to take control and begin a new, prosperous era for the family. The Mangano-Anastasia conflict serves as a key historical precedent for later Mafia power struggles, such as the one between Paul Castellano and John Gotti.
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I. The Restructuring of American Organized Crime
The early 1930s marked a watershed moment in the history of the American underworld, witnessing the end of a bloody gang war and the rise of a new, highly organized criminal structure. This transformation was masterminded by a new generation of mobsters who prioritized business and efficiency over the old-world traditions of their predecessors.
The Castellammarese War
Between 1930 and 1931, a violent power struggle known as the Castellammarese War erupted within the New York Mafia. The conflict pitted two influential, old-school Sicilian bosses against each other:
• Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria: A dominant figure in New York, stubborn and traditional in his methods.
• Salvatore Maranzano: An educated and ruthless challenger from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, who saw himself as a modern leader.
The war created chaos in the streets of New York, with frequent drive-by shootings and murders. This constant violence drew unwanted attention from law enforcement and, critically, disrupted business and profits. A younger generation of mobsters, led by Charles “Lucky” Luciano, grew frustrated with the outdated feuds and saw the war as detrimental to their ultimate goal: making money.
Luciano’s Coup and the Rise of a New Order
Seeing that Maranzano was gaining the upper hand, Luciano and his allies, including Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, made a strategic decision to switch sides.
1. Elimination of Masseria: On April 15, 1931, Luciano orchestrated the assassination of his own boss, Joe Masseria, at a restaurant on Coney Island. After Luciano excused himself to use the restroom, a team of hitmen—including Albert Anastasia, Bugsy Siegel, Vito Genovese, and Joe Adonis—entered and gunned Masseria down.
2. Elimination of Maranzano: Maranzano declared himself capo di tutti capi (“boss of all bosses”) and organized New York’s Italian gangs into the Five Families. However, his autocratic style and prejudice against non-Italian associates like Meyer Lansky quickly created tension. Sensing Maranzano planned to eliminate him, Luciano acted first. On September 10, 1931, he sent a team of Jewish hitmen disguised as IRS agents to Maranzano’s office, where they stabbed and shot him to death.
The Formation of The Commission
With the old guard eliminated, Luciano implemented his vision for a modern, corporate-style crime syndicate. He abolished the “boss of all bosses” title, which he saw as a catalyst for conflict. In its place, he established The Commission, a governing body or “board of directors” for the American Mafia.
• Structure: The Commission initially comprised the heads of New York’s Five Families, the head of the Chicago Outfit, and a boss from the Buffalo/Cleveland region.
• Purpose: Its function was to mediate disputes, regulate inter-family territory, approve high-profile assassinations, and ensure that business interests superseded personal vendettas. This structure, which integrated Italian, Jewish, and Irish crime groups into a loose confederation known as the National Crime Syndicate, brought unprecedented stability and profitability to organized crime.
In 1931, the original bosses of the Five Families appointed under this new structure were:
• Lucky Luciano (Luciano Family, later Genovese)
• Vincent Mangano (Mangano Family, later Gambino)
• Thomas Gagliano (Gagliano Family, later Lucchese)
• Giuseppe “Joe” Profaci (Profaci Family, later Colombo)
• Joe Bonanno (Bonanno Family)
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II. Murder, Inc.: The Enforcement Arm of the Syndicate
To enforce the will of The Commission and prevent the kind of internecine warfare that had plagued the mob, Luciano established a dedicated enforcement wing. This group, later dubbed Murder, Incorporated by the press, became one of the most feared and prolific contract-killing organizations in American history.
Leadership and Operations
Murder, Inc. was a sophisticated and methodical killing machine, operating primarily from the back room of a Brooklyn candy store named Midnight Rose’s. It was co-led by:
• Albert Anastasia (“The Mad Hatter,” “Lord High Executioner”): He supervised the Italian hitmen. Known for his explosive temper and personal participation in killings, he was the group’s operational head.
• Louis “Lepke” Buchalter: A highly organized labor racketeer, he managed the Jewish killers and handled the business side of the operation, ensuring the hitmen were paid.
The organization is estimated to have committed between 400 and 1,000 murders. Its methodology was designed for efficiency and to insulate the top bosses from direct involvement.
• Compartmentalized Structure: Killers were given orders on a need-to-know basis. Different individuals would be tasked with separate parts of a hit (e.g., stealing a car, scouting a location, carrying out the murder) so that no single person knew the full picture.
• Professional Hitmen: The group recruited its killers from tough Brooklyn street gangs like the “Brownsville Boys” and the “Ocean Hill Hooligans.”
Key Members and Methods
Murder, Inc. assembled a cadre of ruthless and disciplined hitmen, each with a notorious reputation.
| Member | Nickname(s) | Noteworthy Characteristics |
| Abe Reles | “Kid Twist” | A prolific killer known for his use of the ice pick. He later became a government informant, leading to the group’s downfall. |
| Harry Strauss | “Pittsburgh Phil” | One of the most prolific and versatile killers, involved in an estimated 30 to 100 murders. He was known to use various weapons and disguises. |
| Martin Goldstein | “Bugsy” | A prominent figure who often worked with Reles. Known for making one-liners before a hit. |
| Frank Abbandando | “The Dasher” | Favored fatally stabbing victims through the heart with an ice pick. Known for laughing as he fled murder scenes. |
| Harry Maione | “Happy” | Leader of the Ocean Hill Hooligans, ironically named for his perpetually sullen expression. |
| Charles Workman | “The Bug” | Known for his role in the Dutch Schultz murder. Evaded the electric chair and was paroled in 1964. |
Notorious Assassinations
• Dutch Schultz (1935): When the volatile mob boss Dutch Schultz declared his intention to assassinate Special Prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey, The Commission vetoed the plan, fearing massive law enforcement blowback. When Schultz vowed to proceed anyway, The Commission issued a contract on him. Murder, Inc. hitmen Charles Workman and Mendy Weiss carried out the execution at a restaurant in Newark.
• Irving “Puggy” Feinstein (1939): On orders from Vincent Mangano, passed down to Anastasia, Feinstein was murdered for running an unsanctioned loan-sharking operation in Mangano’s territory. The murder was particularly gruesome, involving an ice picking, strangulation with a rope looped around his neck and feet, and the burning of his body.
• Peter Panto (1939): A dockworker and union activist who was campaigning against mob corruption on the Brooklyn waterfront was kidnapped and strangled by Murder, Inc. operatives on Anastasia’s orders.
The Downfall
The reign of Murder, Inc. began to crumble in 1940 when hitman Abe “Kid Twist” Reles was arrested for the 1936 murder of a candy store owner. Facing the electric chair, Reles turned informant. His detailed testimony exposed the inner workings of the organization, leading to the convictions and executions of many key members, including co-leader Louis “Lepke” Buchalter—the only major American mob boss to receive the death penalty. Reles’s cooperation effectively dismantled the syndicate’s killing machine.
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III. Profile of a Founder: Vincent “The Executioner” Mangano
Vincent Mangano was the first official boss of the crime family that would eventually become the most powerful in the country under Carlo Gambino. Though often overshadowed by his successors, Mangano was an influential “Old World” don who laid the foundation for the family’s future success during his 20-year rule.
Early Life and Rise to Power
Vincenzo Giovanni Mangano was born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1888. Records indicate he immigrated to the United States around 1906, settling in Brooklyn. His early career included legitimate work as a fish store clerk and later as an importer and real estate agent, which served as covers for his criminal activities.
During the 1920s, Vincent and his brother, Philip, became part of Salvatore D’Aquila’s Mafia clan, which was particularly strong in the rackets on the Brooklyn waterfront. Mangano established himself as a significant power, extorting the docks and building relationships within the underworld. His growing influence was evident when he was among 23 men detained at the infamous Cleveland Statler Hotel meeting in 1928, a gathering of mob leaders. During the Castellammarese War, Mangano and his faction, then led by Frank Scalise, defected from the Masseria alliance to back the eventual winner, Salvatore Maranzano.
A 20-Year Reign as Boss
Following Luciano’s reorganization of the Mafia in 1931, Frank Scalise was demoted, and Vincent Mangano was appointed as the head of one of the Five Families. As boss, he focused his operations on the Brooklyn waterfront, which became the family’s primary source of power and income.
• Control of the ILA: Mangano worked closely with Emil Camarda, a vice president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), and Anthony “Tough Tony” Anastasio (Albert’s brother), who was president of a powerful Brooklyn local. This gave the Mangano family control over the flow of goods on the Eastern Seaboard.
• The City Democratic Club: Mangano started this club as a political front, with charter members including his brother Philip and his underboss, Albert Anastasia. Investigators later learned that many crimes committed by Murder, Inc. were plotted in the club’s back rooms.
Character and Lifestyle
According to fellow boss Joe Bonanno, Mangano chaired Commission meetings for over 20 years. He was described as an “old-fashioned gentleman” who retained old-world values. Bonanno shared several anecdotes that humanized Mangano, portraying him as a man who enjoyed hosting elaborate, multi-course feasts for his friends, complete with wine, poetry, and traditional Sicilian toasting rituals. In an exasperated but friendly jab at Bonanno’s intellectualism, Mangano was quoted as saying, “Pepino, but with you we have to look up in the books! How do you expect us ever to finish our meal?” Despite this jovial side, he was a ruthless boss, as evidenced by the murder of Puggy Feinstein, which was ordered because Feinstein had “double-crossed Vince.”
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IV. Profile of an Enforcer: Albert “Lord High Executioner” Anastasia
Albert Anastasia was one of the most violent and feared figures in Mafia history. His reputation was built on a foundation of ruthless brutality, earning him the moniker “The Mad Hatter.” He rose from a dockside thug to become the operational head of Murder, Inc. and, eventually, the boss of a crime family.
Early Life and Violent Beginnings
Born Umberto Anastasio in Tropea, Calabria, in 1902, Anastasia illegally entered the U.S. in 1917 by jumping ship in New York. He began working as a longshoreman on the Brooklyn docks, a violent and lawless environment where he quickly established a reputation for toughness.
• First Murder Conviction: In 1921, at age 18, Anastasia was convicted for the murder of a fellow dockworker, Joe Torino, whom he beat to death during a dispute. He was sentenced to die in the electric chair at Sing Sing prison.
• Conviction Overturned: After 18 months on death row, Luciano’s lawyers managed to get his conviction overturned on a technicality after key witnesses were eliminated. This experience taught Anastasia a crucial lesson: eliminate witnesses to evade justice.
Released from prison, Anastasia became a key enforcer for Luciano, playing a vital role in the Castellammarese War, including participating in the assassination of Joe Masseria.
The Head of Murder, Inc.
When Luciano created The Commission, he appointed Anastasia to co-run Murder, Inc. This position allowed Anastasia to become one of the most powerful figures in the underworld, serving as the chief enforcer for the entire National Crime Syndicate. He was known for being a hands-on leader who personally participated in murders and relished his role. His leadership was marked by chilling efficiency and a near-total lack of remorse.
The Arnold Schuster Murder
In 1952, long after the official disbandment of Murder, Inc., Anastasia ordered one of his most infamous hits. He was reportedly enraged after seeing Arnold Schuster, a 24-year-old clothing salesman, on television being celebrated for identifying and helping capture bank robber Willie Sutton. Seeing Schuster as a “rat,” Anastasia broke a cardinal mob rule by ordering the murder of a civilian. Schuster was shot to death, a brazen act that outraged other mob bosses and contributed to the view that Anastasia was too volatile and reckless to be a leader.
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V. The Central Conflict: Mangano vs. Anastasia
When Vincent Mangano was made boss in 1931, Luciano appointed Albert Anastasia as his underboss. Luciano believed their different styles—Mangano the traditionalist, Anastasia the violent enforcer—might complement each other. Instead, it created a 20-year power struggle that defined Mangano’s tenure and ended in his death.
Genesis of the Feud
The conflict was rooted in fundamental differences in personality and loyalty.
• Opposing Styles: Mangano was described as an aloof “rich man with clean fingernails,” leaving the “sweat and grime” of the piers to Anastasia. Anastasia, in turn, saw Mangano as out of touch.
• Conflicting Loyalties: Anastasia was appointed by and remained fiercely loyal to Luciano and his allies, particularly Frank Costello. Mangano knew this and feared that Anastasia’s presence meant that major decisions would bypass him.
• Breaches of Protocol: Mangano was deeply offended when Costello, fearing a move from Vito Genovese while he was briefly in prison, asked Anastasia directly for help without consulting Mangano first. In the Mafia world, going to a subordinate was a grave insult to the head of a family and a signal of shifting alliances.
Escalating Tensions
The relationship deteriorated into open hostility. Joe Bonanno described the tension, noting that Mangano felt the pressure of younger men coveting his position and was especially wary of Anastasia, whom Bonanno called “Il Terremoto” (The Earthquake). The two men were known to get into physical altercations, with others often having to pull Anastasia off the older Mangano. This was a direct violation of the rule that “made men” are not supposed to raise hands to each other, let alone a boss. Mangano didn’t trust Anastasia but had to tolerate him because he was The Commission’s man.
The 1951 Coup
The simmering conflict finally boiled over in April 1951.
• April 19, 1951: The body of Philip Mangano was discovered in a marshland in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He had been shot three times in the head.
• At the same time, Vincent Mangano disappeared. His body has never been found, and he was declared legally dead in 1961.
It was widely understood that Anastasia had orchestrated a coup. According to a biography by Frank DiMatteo, Anastasia personally killed Vincent Mangano at a warehouse on Columbia Street after learning Vincent was planning to kill him. Anastasia allegedly shot Mangano as he walked in with a smile, his arms outstretched.
Justification to The Commission
Killing a boss without The Commission’s approval was a capital offense. When summoned, Anastasia did not admit to the murders but claimed that Vincent Mangano had a contract out on him. He argued he acted in “kill or be killed” self-defense. This claim was corroborated by his powerful ally, Frank Costello. Faced with a fait accompli and not wanting to start a war, The Commission reluctantly accepted Anastasia’s explanation and officially sanctioned him as the new boss of the family.
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VI. The Aftermath and Shifting Alliances
Anastasia’s seizure of power destabilized the delicate balance within the New York underworld and set in motion a series of events that would lead to his own demise and the rise of Carlo Gambino.
Anastasia’s Reign (1951-1957)
After taking over, the Mangano family was renamed the Anastasia crime family. However, Anastasia’s rule was marked by paranoia and violence. His reckless behavior, including the Schuster murder and a brazen attempt to move in on Meyer Lansky’s gambling operations in Cuba, made other bosses see him as a dangerous liability. He also broke protocol by selling Mafia memberships, a transgression for which he had his former associate Frank Scalise murdered.
The Rise of Vito Genovese and the Costello Hit
Meanwhile, a parallel power struggle was unfolding in the Luciano family. Vito Genovese, who had returned from Italy, was determined to take control from the acting boss, Frank Costello. Costello relied on Anastasia for muscle. Genovese, needing to neutralize Anastasia, formed an alliance with Anastasia’s own underboss, Carlo Gambino, who was also quietly ambitious.
• May 1957: Genovese ordered a hit on Frank Costello. Though Costello survived the attempt, he was shaken enough to cede control of the family to Genovese.
The Assassination of Albert Anastasia
With his main ally Costello out of power, Anastasia was isolated. On October 25, 1957, as he sat in a barber’s chair at the Park Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan, two masked gunmen entered and shot him to death. The plot was hatched by Genovese and Gambino. The hit was reportedly carried out by members of the Gallo crew, acting on orders from Gambino.
The Gambino Era
Following the assassination, Carlo Gambino took over as boss, and the family was once again renamed, becoming the Gambino crime family. Gambino’s quiet, careful, and calculating leadership style was the antithesis of Anastasia’s. He steered the family to unprecedented prosperity and power for the next 19 years, solidifying its position as the most powerful Mafia family in America.
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VII. Legacy and Analysis
The intertwined stories of Mangano and Anastasia offer a compelling case study in Mafia leadership, internal conflict, and the evolution of organized crime.
Comparative Analysis: Mangano vs. Anastasia
An analysis of their tenures suggests that despite Anastasia’s notoriety, Mangano may have been a more effective long-term boss.
• Longevity and Stability: Mangano ruled for 20 years with no prison sentences and successfully insulated himself from law enforcement. Anastasia was boss for only six years before he was assassinated and was constantly attracting media and legal scrutiny.
• Business vs. Violence: Mangano focused on making money, not headlines, understanding the importance of a low profile. Anastasia relished murder and violence, which created heat and dissension.
• Adherence to Rules: Mangano was a traditionalist who stuck to the mob’s core principles. Anastasia regularly broke protocol, most egregiously by killing a civilian and selling memberships.
Historical Parallels: Precursor to Castellano-Gotti
The Mangano-Anastasia conflict is seen as a precursor to the Castellano-Gotti conflict 30 years later.
• In both cases, an aging, business-oriented boss (Mangano, Castellano) was perceived as being out of touch by his underlings.
• A more violent, high-profile underling (Anastasia, Gotti) grew disenfranchised and rose up to kill the boss and take over.
• In both instances, the violent successor’s reign was short-lived and turbulent (Anastasia was killed; Gotti was imprisoned for life), and the family ultimately became more stable under the leader who followed (Gambino after Anastasia; Cefalù/Cali after Gotti).
Ultimately, Vincent Mangano’s foundational contributions to the Gambino family’s success are often overlooked. Without his 20-year reign establishing control over the lucrative waterfront, the family may not have achieved the prominence it did under his more famous successors.
