The youngest rich criminals: to whom the law is not written. The most famous criminals in the world. The richest criminal in the world.
Since the release of the first list of the richest people in the world in 1982, Forbes magazine has included drug lords and gangsters - once organized crime is part of the global economy, these revenues must be calculated. For example, according to The Guardian, the Calabrian mafia Ndrangheta in 2013 was enriched more than Deutsche Bank and McDonald’s combined - by € 53 billion.
Below are the odious figures of the underworld, making millions and billions - Pablo Escobar, Shorty, Al Capone, Tony Salerno and others.
Pablo Escobar
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar was the first criminal to end up on the Forbes list of “100 international billionaires” in 1987 with an income of $ 3 billion. He dropped out only after his death in 1993. The Medellin cartel headed by Escobar from 1981 to 1986 had revenue of $ 7 billion, the drug lord took 40%. The cartel received its main wealth from cocaine smuggling in the USA (about 15 tons daily); in the late 1980s it owned 80% of the entire cocaine market in the world. According to Business Insider, Escobar earned $ 420 million a week, according to other sources, his fortune totaled more than $ 30 billion.
Each year, the king of cocaine lost about $ 2.1 billion (10% of revenue), since the money was randomly stored in warehouses and abandoned farms, they were destroyed by mold and rodents. Each month, he spent $ 2,500 on gum, which fastened notes. Once Escobar burned $ 2 million to warm his daughter: the family was hiding in the mountains then, and there was nothing to light a fire from. In 1984, the cartel offered to pay for Colombia's national debt in exchange for immunity. For the head of Escobar, the Drug Enforcement Administration awarded a reward of $ 11 million. In 1991, the drug lord made a deal with the Colombian government to build his own La Catedral prison (with a football field and his chosen guards), to which the authorities could not get closer than 5 km
The life of the drug lord was so bright that Netflix in 2015 released the series Narco dedicated to him.
Joaquin Guzman Loera
In 2009, Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, nicknamed “Shorty,” was put on the list of the richest people in the Forbes planet with a fortune of $ 1 billion. In 2012 and 2013, he ranked 63 and 67 among the most influential people in the world. Strategic Forecasting Inc. and at all estimated his wealth at $ 12 billion. The Sinaloa cartel, led by Loehr, was responsible for 25% of drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States and received $ 3 billion in revenue. The New York Times, citing drug enforcement administration, writes that the cartel sold more cocaine more than Escobar at the peak of his career.
Shorty started his business in the early 1990s, transporting cocaine, including in cans of chili peppers (in 1993, Mexican authorities confiscated such a 7-ton load). He was declared the “most wanted person in Mexico” with a reward for the capture of $ 7 million: $ 5 million from the United States and another $ 2 million from Mexico. He was first arrested in 1993, but he escaped from prison in 2001. The last time Mexico's intelligence services captured Loera in Sinaloa in January 2016. The drug lord destroyed vanity. He was going to make a biographical film about himself and casted. In addition, actor Sean Penn flew to the Shorty to meet for the sake of an interview. It is believed that the authorities were able to track the movements of the offender, including due to this.
Brothers Ochoa and Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha
In 1987, along with Escobar, the co-founders of the Medellin cartel, Jorge Luis Ochoa-Vazquez (with an income of $ 2 billion), with brothers Juan David and Fabio, who received 30% of the cartel's revenue, were included in the list of the richest Forbes. The Ochoa brothers remained on the Forbes list for another 6 years until they surrendered to the authorities.
At the same time, drug lord Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, who worked both with the Medellin cartel and independently: (for example, transporting cocaine disguised as flower deliveries to the United States from Bogotá) was also a billionaire. In 1988, Forbes estimated his fortune at $ 1.3 billion. Gacha stayed on the list for two years until he was shot dead by Colombian police.
Rafael Caro Quintero and Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Before the Mexican star of the drug shortcut “Shorties” ascended, two names rattled there - Rafael Caro Quintero (pictured) and Carrillo Fuentes. The head of the Guadalajara cartel, Rafael Quintero, owned a marijuana plantation called Rancho Bufalo. During the 1984 police raid, about 6,000 tons of marijuana were seized at the ranch, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, cost Quintero from $ 3.2 to $ 8 billion. The Guadalajara cartel earned $ 5 billion a year. There were rumors in the Mexican press that Quintero, following Escobar, was offering to pay Mexico's foreign debt in exchange for his freedom. In 1989, the drug lord was sentenced to 40 years in a Mexican prison, but 28 years later he was released.
The second Mexican drug lord is Carrillo Fuentes, head of the Juarez cartel. The Washington Post estimated his fortune at $ 25 billion. It is believed that wealth allowed him to escape justice for many years. Fuentes earned the nickname Lord of Heaven for an extensive fleet (22 aircraft) for transporting cocaine to the United States. Fuentes died in 1997 during a plastic surgery to change the appearance.
Morris Dalitz
Moritz (Mo) Dalitz was one of such legendary gangsters as Al Capone and Bugsy Siegel. In the era of prohibition, he was engaged in bootlegging, and later - in gambling and real estate. In 1982, Dalitz was on the first list of the richest Forbes along with artist Yoko Ono, actor Bob Hope and mafia accountant Meyer Lansky. Dalitz’s fortune was estimated at $ 110 million, but how much he actually earned remains a question.
Dalitz received a substantial share of the wealth from the first Las Vegas casinos. In 1949, he co-founded the Desert Inn Casino and Stardust Hotel. In the 1950s, he took part in the emergence of the Paradise Development Company, which built a university and conference center in Las Vegas. In the 1960s, he invested in the $ 100 millionth La Costa Resort complex near San Diego, after which he sued $ 640 million with Penthouse magazine, who wrote that the construction was funded by the mafia. Unlike many colleagues in the criminal past, Dalitz has lived to old age, in recent years he has been engaged in charity work.
Khun Sa
The fortune of Khun Sa, the "Opium King", Business Insider was estimated at $ 5 billion. Native Chang Shifu, the son of a Chinese woman and a Shan woman, in the 1960s changed his name to the pseudonym Khun Sa, which means "Prince is prosperous." During these years, he led the Burmese army, engaged in the cultivation of opium in the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia, which included 20,000 men. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Sa army controlled the Thai-Burmese border and was responsible for 45% of pure heroin entering the United States, for which the DEA called it “the best in business” (The Economist data).
For the head of the "Opium King" the US government has appointed a reward of $ 2 million. By the 1990s, the DEA was able to destroy the trading chain of Sa, he moved to Yangon and retired. Currently, opium production in the Golden Triangle has fallen to 5% of the global figure (in 1975 it was 70%).
There are different versions of whether the drug lord saved billions before his death in 2007, from “lived in luxury” to “was content with a modest pension”.
Griselda Blanco
The Western press called the Colombian Griselda Blanco “The Godmother of Cocaine”. Blanco was one of the key figures in the cocaine trade in Miami in the 1970s and 1980s. Even in the male drug business, she had a reputation as a ruthless businessman. According to Business Insider, her fortune was approaching $ 2 billion, however, she was far from the income of Exobar.
Three times a widow, whose spouses died, according to rumors, from her hands, one of the sons she named Michael Corleone. According to The Guardian, its distribution network made tens of millions of dollars and transported about 1,500 kg of cocaine per month. Before his arrest in 1985 in California, The Godmother was on the list of the most dangerous drug dealers along with Escobar and the Ochoa brothers. She was charged with 40 to 200 murders in Florida, but the woman was avoided due to a technical error in court: the officer who testified against her was discredited because she had a sex conversation on the phone with the secretary in the prosecutor’s office, Guardian wrote. Blanco was imprisoned in federal prison, deported to Colombia in 2004, where 8 years later she was shot dead by a killer on a motorcycle.
Al capone
Capone is the most famous American gangster. A character named Al Capone appears in 77 Mafia films.
At the time of his death in 1947, his fortune was estimated at $ 1.3 billion. Capone acted in various criminal areas - bootlegging, racketeering, murder. In 1929, the American government declared him "Enemy No. 1." Prosecutors repeatedly sentenced Capone to imprisonment, but a few months later he was released. As a result, in 1931, Capone could only be convicted of tax evasion - for 11 years. He was supposed to spend most of his time in Alcatraz.
In 1939, Capone came out, but his health was undermined - he suffered from syphilis and dementia.
In 2012, Forbes reviewed the former Capone property. The Chicago four-bedroom house that he bought for his first earnings was valued at $ 450,000, and the mansion in Miami Beach, where he died in 1947, was $ 9.95 million.
Dawood Ibrahim Cascar
The income of India’s most wanted criminal was estimated by Business Insider at $ 6.7 billion. Forbes included Cascar in the lists of the most influential people in the world in 2009, 2010 and 2011 (50th, 63rd and 57th, respectively). His crime syndicate D-Company is accused of terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 1993 and 2008, and was also involved in the smuggling of drugs and weapons. The US government believes that Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is associated with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. According to one version, Cascar is hiding in Pakistan.
Anthony Salerno
In 1986, Fortune magazine published a list of "The 50 Most Influential Mafia Bosses." The editor-in-chief explained the appearance of the material by the fact that "organized crime is a powerful economic factor." Anthony Salerno, nicknamed "Fat Tony", was also on the list. The gangster-led Genovese clan (300 people) was engaged in racketeering and drugs in New York. According to The New York Times, the clan’s influence extended to Cleveland, Nevada, and Miami, and the areas of interest included construction, usury, and casinos. Since the 1960s, the clan has earned $ 50 million per year. Between 1981 and 1985, Salerno introduced a two percent Mafia tax in New York for all concrete pouring contractors for buildings worth more than $ 2 million. Salerno’s real estate could be $ 1 billion.
In 1988, a gangster was sentenced to 70 years for racketeering and concealing illegal proceeds of $ 10 million a year (only $ 40,000 a year was indicated in the declaration). Four years later, at the age of 80, he died in prison.
Michael Franzeze
In the Fortune list of “The 50 Most Influential Mafia Bosses,” Michael Franzeze ranked 18th. Franzese, nicknamed Don Yuppie, is the son of a bank robber who made a cartel who was involved in the production of Category B films, the illegal sale of gasoline, car repair and sale scams, and fraudulent loans.
In a week Michael Franzeze received from $ 1 to $ 2 million of income. In 1985, the US government accused him of fraud, stripped $ 4.8 million of assets and ordered $ 10 million to be reimbursed for the illegal sale of gasoline through one-day firms. After eight years in prison and paying $ 15 million, Frances moved to California and decided to make money on his criminal past. He wrote two books - an autobiography, Blood Covenant, and a book with business tips, “I'll Make You An Offer You Can’t Refuse” (I'll Make You An Offer You Can’t Refuse), and sold CBS rights to a miniseries about his life. Now the former gangster lives in a house for $ 2.7 million, drives a Porsche, gives an interview to Vanity Fair and gives lectures at universities.
Shinobu Tsukasa
Shinobu Tsukasa, 74, runs the Yakuza clan called Yamaguchi-gumi. Fortune included Yamaguchi-gumi in the list of the five most powerful mafia groups in the world with an annual profit of $ 6.6 billion. Yamaguchi was founded in the port city of Kobe more than 100 years ago, with 23,400 people. Most of the income comes from the sale of drugs, as well as gambling and extortion.
Shinobu Tsukasa is the sixth clan leader in history. In the 1970s, he was sentenced to 13 years for killing with a samurai sword. In 2005, he was imprisoned for 6 years for possession of firearms. In 2015, a split occurred in Yamaguchi-gumi. According to Tokyo Reporter, most of the group remained with Tsukas, and 3,000 members formed a new clan led by Kunio Inoue.
John gotti
Gambino New York boss John Gotti has received two nicknames from the press. “Teflon Don” - because it was invulnerable to justice for a long time. And also Don Dandy - for expensive costumes to order (Brioni for $ 2000 and silk handkerchiefs for $ 400), a thorough hairstyle, black Mercedes 450 SL and magnificent parties.
Growing up in the South Bronx, Gotti joined the Gambino clan in the 1950s, one of the most powerful syndicates that traded in gambling, extortion, usury, and drugs. The US government suspected that on the way to the post of head of the Gambino, Gotti in 1985 eliminated his predecessor, Paul Castelano. The FBI agent who worked on the Gotti case said that "he was the first donor for the media, never tried to hide that he was a superboss." And his wide lifestyle and external gloss always gave food for articles in tabloids.
According to the New York Times, Gotti earned between $ 10 and $ 12 million annually, and the Gambino clan earned more than $ 500 million a year in the 1980s. Justice got to Gotti only in 1992, 10 years later he died in prison.
He presented a list of underworld figures who have made billions in drugs, racketeering and smuggling.
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Pablo Escobar
From 1981 to 1986, the Medellin cartel, led by Escobar, had revenues of $ 7 billion, while the drug lord took 40%. The cartel received the main wealth from cocaine smuggling in the United States - in the late 80s it owned 80% of the entire cocaine market in the world. According to Business Insider, Escobar earned $ 420 million a week.
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Joaquin Guzman
In 2009, Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, nicknamed El Chapo (Shorty), was put on the list of the richest people on the Forbes planet with a fortune of $ 1 billion. The Sinaloa Cartel, led by Guzman, was responsible for 25% of drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States. Shorty was first arrested in 1993, but he escaped from prison in 2001. The last time Mexico's intelligence services captured Guzman in Sinaloa in January 2016.
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Brothers Ochoa and Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha
In 1987, along with Escobar, the co-founders of the Medellin cartel - Jorge Luis Ochoa-Vazquez with the brothers Juan David and Fabio, who received 30% of the cartel's revenue, were included in the list of the richest Forbes. The Ochoa brothers remained on the Forbes list for another six years, until they surrendered to the authorities. Drug lord Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, who worked both with the Medellin cartel and independently, was also a billionaire - in 1988 Forbes estimated his fortune at $ 1.3 billion.
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Rafael Caro Quintero and Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Before the star of El Chapo rose in Mexico, two names rattled there - Rafael Caro Quintero (pictured) and Carrillo Fuentes. The head of the Guadalajara cartel, Rafael Quintero, owned a marijuana plantation called Rancho Bufalo. The cartel earned $ 5 billion a year. Carrillo Fuentes led the cartel of Juarez. The Washington Post estimated its fortune at $ 25 billion. Fuentes earned the nickname Lord of Heaven for an extensive fleet to transport cocaine to the United States.
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Morris Dalitz
In the era of prohibition, this legendary gangster was engaged in bootlegging, and later - in gambling and real estate. In 1982, Dalitz was on the Forbes richest list along with artist Yoko Ono, actor Bob Hope and Mafia accountant Meyer Lansky. The fortune of Dalitz was estimated at 110 million dollars, but how much he actually earned remains a question.
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Khun Sa
Born Chang Shifu, who later changed his name, led the Burmese army cultivating opium in the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia. In the 70–80s, the Sa army controlled the Thai-Burmese border and was responsible for 45% of pure heroin entering the United States. Business Insider estimated the status of the "Opium King" at $ 5 billion.
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Griselda Blanco
The Western press called the Colombian Griselda Blanco "The Godmother of Cocaine." Blanco was one of the key figures in the cocaine trade in Miami in the 70s and 80s. According to Business Insider, her fortune was approaching $ 2 billion.
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Al capone
At the time of his death in 1947, his fortune was estimated at $ 1.3 billion. In 1929, the American government declared him "Enemy No. 1." Prosecutors repeatedly sentenced Capone to imprisonment, but a few months later he was released. As a result, in 1931, Capone could only be convicted of tax evasion - for 11 years.
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Dawood Ibrahim
Business Insider estimated the income of India's most wanted criminal at $ 6.7 billion. His crime syndicate D-Company is accused of terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 1993 and 2008, and was also involved in the smuggling of drugs and weapons. According to one version, Cascar is hiding in Pakistan.
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Anthony Salerno
The gangster-led Genovese clan was engaged in racketeering and drugs in New York. According to The New York
The dubious underground world of the mafia has been amazing for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of thieves has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women, who, in essence, are simply bandits living at the expense of those who are not able to defend themselves?
The fact is that the mafia is not just any organized criminal group. Gangsters are considered heroes, not villains, which they actually are. The criminal lifestyle looks like in a Hollywood movie. Sometimes this is a Hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events from the life of the mafia. In cinema, crime is ennobled, and the viewer already thinks that these bandits are heroes who have been lost in vain. As America is gradually forgetting the days of Prohibition, it is also forgotten that the bandits were looked upon as deliverers who were fighting the evil government. They were the working class Robin Hoods who opposed themselves to impracticable and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire the powerful, rich and beautiful people and idealize them.
However, not everyone is given such charisma, and many large politicians are hated by all, and not bowed before them. Gangsters know how to use their charm to seem more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on a family history related to emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic story "from rags to riches" for centuries has attracted attention. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.
The richest
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was originally from Italy, like many other famous mafiosi. He led the terrifying and famous in the criminal world Luciano family. Frank moved to New York at the age of four, and as soon as he grew up, he immediately found his place in the world of criminals, leading gangs. When the infamous Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, went to prison in 1936, Costello quickly climbed the "career" ladder, leading the Luciano clan, later known as the Genovese clan.
He was called the Prime Minister because he ruled the criminal world and really wanted to get into politics by linking the mafia and Tammany Hall, the political society of the US Democratic Party in New York. The omnipresent Costello has run casinos and gaming clubs throughout the country, as well as in Cuba and other Caribbean islands. He enjoyed great popularity and respect among his people. It is believed that the image of Vito Corleone, the hero of the 1972 film "The Godfather", is based on Costello. Of course, he also had enemies: in 1957 an attempt was made on him, during which the mafiosi was wounded in the head, but miraculously survived. He died only in 1973 from a heart attack.
Jack diamond
Jack “Legs” Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant prohibitionist and leader of organized crime in the United States. Having earned the nickname Legs for his ability to quickly get away from chasing and the extravagant manner of dancing, Diamond was also known for unprecedented cruelty and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did alcohol smuggling organizations in and around the city.
Realizing that it was very profitable, Diamond switched to larger production, organizing robberies of trucks and opening underground points for the sale of alcoholic beverages. But it was the order for the murder of the famous gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped him consolidate his status in the world of crime, putting him on a par with such serious guys as Lucky Luciano and the Dutchman Schulz, who then got in his way. Although Diamond was feared, several times he himself became a target, receiving the nickname Shooting plate and Unkillable man because of the ability to come out of the water every time. But once luck left him, and in 1931 he was shot dead. Diamond's killer was never found.
John gotti
Known for leading the famous and almost invulnerable New York Gambino mafia clan at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most influential people in the mafia. He grew up in poverty, being one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Agnello Dellacroce. In 1980, the 12-year-old son of Gotti Frank was crushed to death by a neighbor and friend of the family, John Favard. Although the incident was recognized as an accident, Favara received many threats, and later he was attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared under strange circumstances, and his body has not yet been found.
With an impeccable appearance and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became the darling of the yellow press, earning the nickname Teflon Don. He went to prison and got out of it, it was difficult to catch him red-handed, and each time he found himself in jail for a short time. However, in 1990, thanks to wiretapping and insider information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 from laryngeal cancer and at the end of his life faintly resembled the Teflon don who did not get off the pages of the tabloids.
Frank Sinatra
Yes, yes, Sinatra himself was once the alleged accomplice of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once said: “If it were not for my interest in music, I would probably end up in the underworld.” Sinatra was convicted of having connections with the mafia when it became known about his participation in the so-called Havana conference - a mafia gathering in 1946. The headlines then shouted: “Shame on Sinatra!” About the double life of Sinatra became known not only to newspaper men, but also to the FBI, who had been following the singer from the beginning of his career. In his personal file there were 2,403 pages about interaction with the mafia.
The public was most worried about his relationship with John F. Kennedy before he became president. Sinatra allegedly used his contacts in the criminal world to help the future leader in the presidential election campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was engaged in the fight against organized crime, and Giancan turned away from the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a bit. Despite the obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra with such large mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with the gangsters, calling such statements a lie.
Mickey Cohen
Maier Harris Cohen, nicknamed Mickey for many years, was a thorn in the ass with the Los Angeles police. He had a stake in all sectors of organized crime in Los Angeles and several other states. Cohen was born in New York, but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. Starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen quit the sport to follow the path of crime, and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.
After several successful years in Prohibition era, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the patronage of the famous Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. The killing of Siegel touched the sensitive Cohen for the living, and the police began to notice a cruel and fiery gangster. After several attempts at assassinating him, Cohen turned his house into a fortress, installing alarm systems, searchlights and bulletproof gates, as well as hiring Johnny Stompanato, who then met with Hollywood actress Lana Turner.
In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He was the only prisoner released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and the constant hunt for him, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.
Henry Hill
Henry Hill inspired the creators of one of the best films about the mafia - "Goodfellas." It was he who said the phrase: "As long as I remember, I always wanted to become a gangster." Hill was born in New York in 1943 in an honest working family with no ties to the mafia. However, in his youth, he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He began to quickly advance in service, but due to the fact that he was of both Irish and Italian descent, he could not occupy a high position.
Once Hill was arrested for beating a player who refused to pay the lost money, and sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the lifestyle that he led in the wild, in fact, is similar to that behind bars, and constantly received some kind of preferences. After his release, Hill was seriously engaged in the sale of drugs, which is why he was arrested. He surrendered his entire gang and overthrew several very powerful gangsters. He fell under the federal witness protection program in 1980, but two years later broke his cover and the program ceased. Despite this, he managed to live to 69 years. Hill died in 2012 from heart problems.
James bulger
Another Alcatraz veteran is James Bulger, nicknamed Whitey. He received such a nickname because of his blond silky hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and from the very beginning caused many problems for parents, several times running away from home and once even joining a wandering circus. The first time Bulger was arrested at age 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he was in the criminal underground.
Bulger worked for the mafia clan, but he was an FBI informant and told the police about the affairs of the famous Patriarch clan. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, the police began to pay more attention to himself, and not to the information that he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and he was on the list of the most wanted criminals for fifteen years.
Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After the trial, which lasted two months, the famous leader of the gang was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences and five more years in prison, and Boston was finally able to sleep peacefully.
Bugsy Siegel
Known for his casino in Las Vegas and the criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, who in the world of crime was called Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most famous gangsters in modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, the young Bugsy met another novice gangster, Meer Lansky, and created Murder Inc., a group specializing in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.
Becoming more and more famous in the world of crime, Siegel sought to kill the old New York gangsters and even had a hand in eliminating Joe Masseria, nicknamed the Boss. After several years of smuggling and skirmishes on the west coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and gained connections in Hollywood. He became a real star thanks to his Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas. The project worth $ 1.5 million was funded from a gangster community fund, but during the construction the estimate was significantly exceeded. Siegel Lansky, an old friend and partner, decided that Siegel steals funds and partially invests in legal business. He was brutally killed in his own house, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took over the management of the Flamingo Hotel, denying his involvement in the murder.
Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese, who was called Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who became widely known during Prohibition and in subsequent years. He was also called the Boss of Bosses, and he led the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a mass drug.
Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Having quickly merged into criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed the rival, the gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Running away from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, making friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately began to lead the old way of life, seizing power in the world of crime and again becoming the man whom everyone was afraid of. In 1959, he was accused of drug trafficking and imprisoned for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.
Lucky Luciano
Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano got his nickname because he survived after a dangerous knife wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. Over the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two large bosses and create a completely new principle for the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in creating the famous Five Families of New York and the national crime syndicate.
For quite a long time, living a secular life, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining his image and stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own cook there. After his release, he was deported to Italy, but he settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of it, and Lucky went to Italy forever. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.
Maria Lichchardi
Although the mafia world is basically the world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women at all among the mafia. Maria Lichchardi was born in Italy in 1951 and led the Lichchardi clan, the famous camorra, a Neapolitan criminal gang. Lichchardi, nicknamed the Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and most of her family is associated with the Neapolitan mafia. Lichchardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She led the clan when her two brothers and husband were arrested. Although many were unhappy as she became the first woman to be the head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell unrest and successfully unite several urban clans, expanding the drug trade market.
In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Lichchardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, for example from Albania, forcing them to work as prostitutes and thus violating the long-standing code of honor of the Neapolitan mafia, according to which you can not earn on prostitution. After one of the deals to sell a shipment of heroin broke, Lichchardi was on the list of most wanted criminals and was arrested in 2001. She is now behind bars, but according to rumors, Maria Lichchardi continues to lead the clan, which is not going to stop.
Frank Nitti
Known as the face of the Al Capone crime syndicate in Chicago, Frank Nitti, nicknamed the Bouncer, became the first person in the Italian-American mafia as soon as Al Capone was jailed. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the United States when he was only seven years old. It was not long before he began to get into trouble, which attracted the attention of Al Capone. In his criminal empire, Nitti quickly succeeded.
In reward for his impressive successes during Prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and strengthened his position in the Chicago Crime Syndicate, also called Chicago Outfit. Although he was nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks more than breaking bones on his own, and often organized many approaches during raids and attacks. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia, which haunted him until the end of his life.
Upon his release, Nitti became the new leader of Chicago Outfit, having survived the assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things went really bad and Nitti realized that arrest could not be avoided, he shot himself in the head to never again suffer from claustrophobia.
Sam Giancana
Another gangster respected in the underworld is Sam Giancana, nicknamed Mooney, who was once the most influential gangster in Chicago. Starting as a driver of the inner circle of Al Capone, Giancana quickly made his way upstairs, having made acquaintances with some politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in the case when the CIA staged an assassination attempt on Cuban leader Fidel Castro. It was believed that Giancana possesses key information.
The case involved not only the name of Giancana, but there were also rumors that the mafia made a huge contribution to the campaign of John F. Kennedy, including ballot box stuffing in Chicago. The connection between Giancana and Kennedy was discussed more and more, and many believed that Frank Sinatra was an intermediary to avert the suspicions of the federals.
Soon things were going downhill due to speculations that the mafia had a hand in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After living the rest of his life on the wanted list by the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of his head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the performer was never found.
Meer Lansky
As influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to the Russian Empire. Having moved to America at a young age, Lansky learned the taste of the street, fighting for money. Lansky could not only fend for himself, but he was exceptionally smart. Having become an integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, at one point, Lansky was one of the most influential people in the United States, if not the world, doing business in Cuba and some other countries.
Lansky, who was friends with such high-ranking mafiosi as Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was at the same time a man whom they feared and respected. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during Prohibition, leading a very lucrative business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire, emigrating to Israel. Nevertheless, two years later he was deported back to the United States, but he still managed to escape the prison, as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.
Al capone
Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster in history and is known throughout the world. Capone came from a respected and prosperous family. At age 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.
Influenced by the gangster, Johnny Torrio Capone began his journey to fame. He earned a scar, due to which he was nicknamed the Scarface. Engaged in everything from alcohol smuggling to murders, Capone was invulnerable to the police, able to move around freely and do whatever he pleased.
The games ended when the name of Al Capone was implicated in the brutal massacre that was called the Massacre on Valentine's Day. In this massacre, several gangsters from rival factions died. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but she had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster’s state of health worsened due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime has changed forever.
To become a millionaire, you need to go to your goal with the help of the mind, and in no case get involved with crime. This is what parents, relatives and close people teach us. What if not so? Reputable criminals who have secured millions of money through their criminal acts will sooner or later end up in jail. But who are they?
Frank Lucas
This is a world famous drug dealer who managed to earn 52 million dollars. He did his dirty work with the help of the corpses of American soldiers - transporting heroin to the United States in the very coffins of the dead. Despite his huge profits, he spent only 12 years in prison. In 2007, Lucas’s life story was portrayed in the grand film American Gangster.
Jose Figueroa Agosto
The activities of this guy were also related to drugs. He spent his fraud in Puerto Rico and earned $ 100 million. He was arrested several times: in 2009 and 2010.
George Young
This man was also called Boston George because of his origin - from Boston. In the 80s, he transported cocaine to America, for which he was arrested and sentenced to twenty years in prison. His occupation brought 100 million dollars.
Nicky Barnes
Nicky Barnes or Mr. Untouchable earned $ 105 million on drugs. Initially, he went to prison, as he was caught using drugs. After going free, he decided to continue dealing with heroin, but this time as a merchant. Thus, he earned a lot of money and now, when he is 81 years old, he feels great.
Pavel Lear Alexander
El Loko Parito or just Alexander is a true businessman. He worked very interestingly: he controlled the supply of cocaine to the United States and at the same time helped the government catch other smugglers. He thus saved up $ 170 million, for which he was sentenced to 12 years in the United States, and after graduation the line was sent to his homeland - to Brazil, where he was sentenced to 42 years in prison. It is also interesting that in 2011 he would have been released into the wild, but he had previously managed to escape and has not yet been found.
Jenly Ye Gon
This person was selling drugs to Mexican pharmaceutical companies under the guise of pseudoephedrine. Actively working in Mexico, Hong Kong and the USA, he has already earned more than $ 200 million.
Joseph Kennedy
He is one of the most influential politicians in the United States and a great businessman. He was engaged in the illegal trade in alcohol and all this during Prohibition. He also bought and sold real estate, was the head of the bank and at the age of 35 he already became a multimillionaire.
Ricky Ross
Ricky distributed cocaine in the 80s, making $ 600 million from it. In 1996 he was convicted, and already in 2009 released. In 2014, he issued an interesting book about the history of his life.
Rafael Quintero Caro
Rafael, together with his brother, organized the Guadalajara Cartel, this is in Mexico. He was sentenced to 40 years, but not for drugs, but for numerous murders. However, he earned $ 600 million from this dirty business.
Joaquin Guzman Loera
Forbes magazine in 2009 recognized Loera as the most powerful person in the world. This drug lord was arrested in 1993, and in 2001 fled, bribing prison guards. In 2014, he was arrested again in Mexico.
Al capone
World famous gangster who was arrested for tax evasion. He was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment, but served only 8, having died due to a stroke.
Griselda Blanco
The only woman (Black Widow) on this list who has earned $ 2 billion. In Colombia, she controlled a huge flow of cocaine; in 2012, she was shot dead by a drug dealer.
Carlos Leder
Founding Member of the Cartel in Colombia. He transported cocaine from South Florida to Colombia. He earned $ 2.7 billion, but is still in custody.
Brothers Rodriguez Orehuela
They created their own Kali cartel and earned $ 3 billion in profit. Initially smuggled marijuana, then cocaine. They were arrested in 1995 and are still being detained in the United States.
Jose Rodriguez Gonzalo
Member of Medellin, managed to earn $ 5 billion. He killed more than 20 people and committed lynching using a grenade. Interestingly, about a thousand people attended the funeral of this terrible person.
Hun sa
He was engaged in drugs and arms transportation. He organized his own army to participate in the civil war and appropriated $ 5 billion.
Ochoa brothers
Juan David, Jorge Luis and Fabio Ochoa initially started their business with the opening of a restaurant. Then they mastered the drug business, appropriating $ 6 billion. Now they are already free.
Amado Carrillo Fuentes
He became the leader of the cartel, killing his boss Juarez. Delivering cocaine from Colombia to Mexico earned $ 25 billion. To not be found, he changed his appearance with the help of plastic surgeons.
Daoud Ibrahim Cascar
This man organized terrorist operations, sold drugs and weapons. Having earned $ 6.7 billion, he is still on the wanted list.
Information about the fabulous state each of the malicious lawbreakers in this list had or has made will make you think: are we doing everything right in life if the criminal is richer than any honest person? In any case, even just watching the luxurious life of notorious villains is an interesting occupation. That is what we offer you in this post!
Nicky Barnes: $ 105 Million
New York drug lord Nicky Barnes definitely “got his share” from working in the hazardous substances market. Over 82 years of his life, he was charged with various charges by the authorities, but he even managed to become an informant of law enforcement agencies, which significantly mitigated the punishments imposed by law. The result of his work is evident - this is a state in excess of $ 100 million.
Ricky Ross Freeway: $ 600 Million
This is another drug lord earning about $ 3 million a day from the cocaine trade. It’s difficult to determine from the appearance of Freeway Ricky Ross that he controls huge flows of narcotic substances, but this is so - this man in an expensive suit made his fortune this way, although he looks like a businessman from Wall Street.
George Young: over $ 100 million
In the smuggling of drugs and drug trafficking George Young in the United States has virtually no equal. The 73-year-old drug lord, who was released from prison two years ago, is notorious for being one of the main players in the cocaine market in the 1970s and 80s. The exact size of his condition is difficult to assess, but they definitely exceed $ 100 million.
Rafael Caro Quintero: $ 650 Million
In the seventies, Rafael Caro Quintero was considered one of the most dangerous criminals - mainly because he had many influential friends in the field of drug trafficking who could "take care" of any of his problems. Prior to his arrest for drug smuggling in the United States, he managed to become the owner of incredible amounts of money - they reached 650 million dollars. Quintero was released from prison in 2013.
Joseph Kennedy: $ 500 Million
It is hard to imagine that a family member of the former US president was involved in criminal matters, but this is so: Joseph Kennedy participated in organized smuggling of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Kennedy’s illegal business allegedly brought him considerable profits, but he was never formally charged.
Al Capone: $ 1.3 billion
Perhaps Al Capone is one of the smartest drug dealers in history: he always calculated all his moves ahead. He never worried that he could be caught by the police - the carefully created image of a generous benefactor and a person with a good heart protected him from this. In other words, every day he earned millions of dollars, and gave hundreds of thousands of them to the poor, thereby silencing those who were interested in where he got such money. Throughout his life, Al Capone managed to grab the "big jackpot" of 1.3 billion dollars.
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman: $ 1 billion
If there are exemplary drug lords in the world. doing everything according to the rules and laws of their craft, then Joaquin Guzman is one of them. In his case, we are talking about incredible amounts of drug smuggling - a 61-year-old criminal began to hit his surroundings with these volumes, when he was 25! That is how he came to $ 1 billion, and at the same time to fame - he is often mentioned in popular culture. for example, in Hollywood films and rap compositions.
Griselda Blanco: $ 2 billion
By his example, Griselda Blanco proves that not only men rule the drug business. In a way, she is a real feminist in her field! You can imagine Griselda. growing up in a poor family, she felt when she became the owner of two billion dollars. But do not be deceived by her gaze: according to the instructions of this divine dandelion, about 200 people were killed.
Ochoa brothers
When it became clear to the Ochoa brothers that you couldn’t make a lot of money on livestock raising, they decided to start their own business in another, more profitable area. They managed to build a real empire in the field of trafficking in cocaine and heroin. The ties and business acumen of the Ochoa brothers made them happy owners of $ 6 billion (for three).
Dawood Ibrahim: $ 6.7 billion
Dawood Ibrahim is known not only for the fact that he managed to build a drug empire with fabulous incomes, but also for his connections with Al-Qaeda. They are not joking with Dawood - especially considering that he has a reputation as a person for whom nothing is impossible (for example, being smart enough to make a fortune of $ 6.7 billion).
Khun Sa: $ 5 billion
Who would have thought that the commander of the United Army, Shang, who trained a soldier during the Chinese Civil War, ran a shadow business in parallel and was considered the “opium king”? Khun Sa differs from all those listed here in that for him it was only an “extra income” parallel to his main activity, but nevertheless this did not stop him from making $ 5 billion on the heroin trade.
Pablo Escobar: $ 30 billion
Without a doubt, the greatest drug lord of all time, Pablo Escobar managed many illegal organizations around the world. On the day, Pablo made 5, and sometimes 10 million. At this rate, he reached one of the most impressive amounts, not only on this list, but in the world in general: 30 BILLION DOLLARS! And all this is money made on drugs, one of the most dangerous and all-consuming passions of mankind ...
