Lucky Luciano

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Lucky Luciano

Lucky Luciano is known as one of the greatest gangsters of all time. He was born in

Lercara Friddi, Sicily on November 11, 1896. His parents were Antiono and Rosalia

Luciana. He was born with the name Salvatore Lucinia. Luciano left Sicily with his

parents in 1906 on route to New York. Salvatore wanted to fit in so he called himself

Charles. His parents were never home, so he grew up on the streets. By the age of 9 he

was already involved in extortion, mugging, and shoplifting. At age 10 he was arrested

for shoplifting In 1916 at the age of 20 Luciano served a six month sentence for selling

heroin.

Jail didn't teach Charles a lesson. As soon as he got out he started to run around

with other gangsters. This is about the time he met up with Frank Costello and Meyer

Lansky who became legendary gangsters in there own right. Also at this time he obtained

the nickname that would last his entire life. He earned the nickname "Lucky" for being

able to allude police and his craps winnings.

By 1920 Lucky had made quite a name for himself in the underworld. He was

well respected by his peers. He joined the ranks of New York's fastest mob boss, Joe

Masseria. By 1925 he was Masseria's right hand man. He was in charge of bootlegging,

prostitution, narcotics distribution, and many other rackets. Everything was going great

for Lucky until October 1929. Lucky became one of the only gangstar's to survive a "one

way ride". He was abducted by four men. The men through him in a car. They took him

to the docks where the beat him, stabbed him repeatedly with an ice pick. Then the men

slit his throat from ear to ear and left him for dead. But Lucky proved his nickname true

by surviving the attack. He never named his abductors but, soon after the attack he

changed is last name to Luciano.

The bloody gang wars of 1930 and 1931 between Masseria and rival boss

Salvatore Maranzano was great for the young gangster's. Lucky saw a chance to take

charge and he went for it. He invited Masseria to a Coney Island restaurant and had him

assassinated by some loyalists Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia, Joe Adonis, and Bugsy

Siegel. Lucky was done yet, six months later on September 10, he had Maranzano gun

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