Born: September 1, 1902
Died: October 15, 1975

Carlo Gambino ruled the most powerful Mafia family in the United States. Unlike the majority of other Mafia bosses, whose careers were cut short by rivals and law enforcement officials, Gambino seemed to be unthreatened by his enemies—and by the government that attempted to curtail the Mafia’s activities.

The road to Sotocapo

Carlo Gambino was born in Palermo, Sicily, in a section that was so thoroughly controlled by the Mafia that police reportedly would not visit the area. As a teenager he traveled to America as a stowaway on a ship called the S.S. Vincenzo Florila. After arriving in Newport, Virginia, on December 23, 1921, Gambino made his way to Brooklyn, New York, where a number of close relatives lived. Living in a small apartment on Navy Street, he went to work for a small trucking company owned by...