Jack Dragna | |
|---|---|
 Dragna in 1953 | |
| Born | Ignazio Dragna (1891-04-18)April 18, 1891 |
| Died | February 23, 1956(1956-02-23) (aged 64) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Other names | Charles Dragna, Antonio Rizzotto |
| Occupation | Crime boss |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Tom Dragna (brother) Louis Tom Dragna (nephew) |
| Allegiance | Los Angeles crime family |
Jack Ignatius Dragna[1] (bornIgnazio Dragna,Italian pronunciation:[iɲˈɲattsjoˈdraɲɲa]; April 18, 1891 – February 23, 1956) was a Sicilian-AmericanMafia member, entrepreneur andBlack Hander who was active in bothItaly and theUnited States in the 20th century. He was active inbootlegging in California during the Prohibition Era in the United States. In 1931, he succeededJoseph Ardizzone as theboss of theLos Angeles crime family after Ardizzone's mysterious disappearance and death. BothJames Ragen andEarl Warren dubbed Dragna the "Capone of Los Angeles". Dragna remained the boss of the Los Angeles crime family from 1931 until his death in 1956.
Dragna was born to Francesco Paolo Dragna and Anna Dragna inCorleone,Sicily, on April 18, 1891. On November 18, 1898, Dragna came to the United States on the S.S.Alsatia with his parents, older sister Giuseppa, and older brother Gaetano.[2] They stayed in East Harlem, in Manhattan, with his mother's cousin Antonio Rizzotto's family, also from Corleone. It is unknown when Dragna's father arrived in the United States. Dragna stayed in New York for ten years before returning to Sicily. As a young man, he joined theItalian Army and later theSicilian Mafia.
In 1914, Dragna returned to America. He appears to have had a relationship withGaetano Reina, who eventually led his own crime family inManhattan andthe Bronx. That same year, Dragna petitioned for naturalization as Charles Dragna, and was a suspect in the murder of Jewishpoultry dealerBarnet Baff. After the killing, Dragna fled to California. He was extradited to New York, but never went on trial. In 1915, Dragna was arrested forBlack Hand extortion of aLong Beach man and served three years in prison. Dragna was arrested as Ignazio Rizzotto, leading to the assumption he was the brother of his criminal associate, Benigno Rizzotto, with whom he had lived in New York City.
During theProhibition Era, Dragna and his brother Gaetano (now named Tom) ran extortion and illegal liquor distillation operations. In 1922, Dragna married his second cousin, Francesca Rizzotto.[3] After his prison stint, he worked closely withJoseph Ardizzone, a prominent mobster in Los Angeles.
In 1931, Dragna succeededJoseph Ardizzone as boss of theLos Angeles crime family. It was rumored that Dragna was involved in Ardizzone's disappearance and presumed murder. TheAmerican Mafia wanted to make inroads in California, and supported Dragna, as opposed to the "Mustache Pete" Ardizzone. His brother Tom became hisconsigliere.
As boss, Dragna's chief source of income came from extorting localbookmakers for"protection" money, although he was also the mainillegal gambling operator in the city. Other businesses including runninggambling ships, aheroin smuggling operation, and collecting extortion money. His close supporters includedGirolamo "Momo" Adamo andJohn Roselli. Roselli had been a member of theChicago Outfit, but left for California and worked with Dragna in gambling.[4] In the 1950s, Roselli left California and became the Mafia's main representative inLas Vegas. An old bootlegging associate of Dragna's,Anthony Cornero rangambling ships off the coast of California.Tommy Lucchese, of theLucchese crime family, was Dragna's main contact in New York. Dragna also controlled unions in thelaundromat business and dress importing companies.[5]
As boss, Dragna often had to do business with representatives from the more powerful Cosa Nostra families in New York. WhenBenjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, an associate of the New YorkLuciano crime family, relocated to the West Coast during the late 1930s, he started his own rackets and formed an uneasy relationship with Dragna. Siegel brought in much more income for the Los Angeles family and generated a great deal of 'respect', which Dragna resented. Although many sources speak of a rivalry between them, Dragna and Siegel worked closely together, especially at organizing a racing wire service on the West Coast.[6]
In June 1947, the East Coast crime families murdered Siegel inBeverly Hills due to his failure to properly manage the newFlamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.Mickey Cohen, who had been serving as Siegel's bodyguard, immediately took over Siegel's rackets and refused to accept Dragna's authority. Dragna ordered several murder attempts on Cohen, but he managed to survive them all. On February 14, 1950, the California Commission on Organized Crime singled out Dragna as the head of a crime syndicate that controlled crime inSouthern California.[7] Soon after, several Los Angeles family members were arrested for the bombing of Mickey Cohen's home. Dragna fled the state to avoid questioning. He later surrendered to authorities, and was questioned in the U.S. SenateKefauver hearings, but denied all accusations against him.[8] Cohen was also questioned in the hearings, and as a result was convicted of federaltax evasion and was forced to give up control of his rackets to the Los Angeles family.
In 1953, the federal government ordered Dragna to be deported toSicily. Back in 1932, Dragna had violated immigration law by illegally entering the United States at theSan Ysidro border crossing inSan Diego after a three-day stay inMexico.[9] However, at the time of his death Dragna was still living in California, appealing against thedeportation order.
Dragna was a very private boss who eschewed flashiness and attention. However, in the 1950s, theLos Angeles Police Department (LAPD) under ChiefWilliam H. Parker engaged in a campaign ofharassment against organized crime figures. Dragna and his family were frequently arrested. When his wife Frances died in 1953, Dragna lost interest in running the Los Angeles family and instead focused on meeting new women. On one occasion, several members of the LAPD stationed themselves outside a trailer where Dragna and a girlfriend were having sex. Using listening devices, officers gained enough evidence to arrest Dragna for engaging inlewd acts.
On February 23, 1956, Dragna died of aheart attack in Los Angeles. His body was interred atCalvary Cemetery inEast Los Angeles, California. Dragna was survived by two children. His son Frank Paul Dragna was aUSC graduate andWorld War II veteran[10] who lost an eye in the war and was nicknamed "One Eye" to distinguish him from his cousin who had the same name ("One Eye" also had aglass eye).[11]
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| American Mafia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Los Angeles crime family Boss 1931-1956 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by ? | Los Angeles crime family Underboss 192?-1931 | Succeeded by |
