La Cosa Nostra in St. Louis

St. Louis X St. Louis History of Crime

The St. Louis crime family, also known as the Giordano crime family, is an American Mafia crime family based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.

Historical Italian gangs in St. Louis The Green Ones — was a Sicilian gang led by Vito Giannola. On September 9, 1927 gang member Alfonse Palazzolo was murdered. Then on December 28, 1927 the leader of the gang Vito Giannola was murdered. The remaining members fled the city. The Russo Gang — was a splinter group of the Green Ones, led by Tony Russo, they were allies to Pillow gang leader Fresina. After the murders of Giannola and Palazzolo they fought with the Pillow gang. By 1928 the three remaining Russo brothers fled St. Louis. The Pillow Gang — was an Italian gang led by Pasquale Santino from 1911 till his murder in 1927. Carmelo Fresina took control of the gang, until he himself was murdered in 1931. The gang was then led by Thomas Buffa who became boss of the St. Louis Mafia family. In 1943, Buffa fled the city and was murdered in 1947 in Lodi, California.

Prohibition era

Mafia activity was recorded in St. Louis as early as the mid-1890s. By the early 1910s, the recognized Mafia boss in St. Louis was Dominick Giambrone. During the prohibition era in St. Louis, there were seven different ethnic gangs; the Green Ones, the Pillow Gang, the Egan's Rats, the Hogan Gang, the Russo Gang, the Shelton Gang and the Cuckoos all fighting to control illegal rackets in the city. The seven rival gangs continued fighting until the end of Prohibition. By this time, the various Mafia factions now functioned as one family.

Giordano and the Detroit family

After Tony Lopiparo's death, Anthony Giordano became boss and declared independence from the Kansas City crime family. In the 1970s, Giordano along with Detroit mobsters Anthony Joseph Zerilli and Michael Polizzi attempted to gain control of the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. They failed and all three men were convicted of conspiracy. In 1975, Giordano was sent to prison, his nephew Vincenzo Giammanco became the acting boss until Giordano was released in December 1977. On August 29, 1980, Giordano died from cancer in his St. Louis home.

Trupiano era

In 1982, Matthew Trupiano took over the family. He was a powerful boss and was president of Local 110 of the Laborers Union. Trupiano was charged with conducting an illegal gambling operation and with labor racketeering, including the embezzlement of union benefit funds. He was found guilty and sent to three years in prison in 1992. Trupiano died on October 22, 1997.

Current status The St. Louis crime family has stayed under the radar of both local and federal authorities, who have been focused on organized crime that inflicts public violence. It is alleged that Anthony "Nino" Parrino, who was the boss of the St. Louis crime family since 1997 died on November 3, 2014. The last known underboss was Joseph Cammarata, he died in September 2013.