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| Founded | c. 1927 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Sam andRosario Maceo |
| Founding location | Galveston, Texas |
| Years active | c. 1920s-1980s |
| Territory | Southeast Texas |
| Criminal activities | Racketeering,illegal gambling,prostitution,bootlegging,numbers game,bribery,political corruption,electoral fraud,extortion,money laundering,smuggling, anddrug trafficking |
| Allies | Beach Gang |
| Rivals | Downtown Gang |
TheMaceo Organization, also known as theMaceo Syndicate, was acriminal organization, that ranGalveston, Texas politically and criminally throughout most of Galveston'sopen era. The organization's bosses,Sam andRosario Maceo, operatedillegal gambling,prostitution,bootlegging andracketeering activities.[1]
The Maceo brothers got their start by being associated with the Beach Gang, which was under the control ofIrish AmericanOllie Quinn andGerman AmericanDutch Voight. They mostly controlled the Beach area of Galveston during the 1910s and 1920s. Their gang was a rival ofJohnny Jack Nounes andGeorge Musey'sDowntown Gang. However, Dutch and most notably Quinn remained very powerful figures on the island due to the many political connections that reached theTexas State Senate.[2]
Soon, Quinn began mentoring Sam and Rosario Maceo. By the late 1920s, as they climbed up the ranks, the two brothers took control and transitioned the Beach Gang into their own personal organization, with Voight and Quinn acting more like partners than bosses. By the 1930s, the brothers eventually ran the Downtown Gang away from operating on the city, and now had complete control over it.[3]
Sam Maceo expanded theextortion system Quinn had established. He further developed the organization's political connections, establishing ties to prominent political figures, such asTexas GovernorJames V. Allred,William Lewis Moody Jr. and onetime Galveston Mayor, Herbert Y. Cartwright, eventually emerging as aprominent figure in politics and entrepreneurship himself. After therepeal of Prohibition, Sam capitalized the popularity of gambling in Texas and started building anillegal gambling empire in Galveston City andGalveston County, teaming up with notorious gangsters, such asMoe Dalitz,Frank Nitti andAlbert Anastasia, although those figures never operatedrackets in the city or county.[4] Maceo was known to be a very well dressed and nice man, whose charisma and ability to influence people were legendary. On the other hand, Rose was the more quiet enforcer type in the family. Their annualincome was reported to exceed beyond one million dollars. In the early 1930s, the Maceos backed Frank L. Biaggne for the position of Galveston Countysheriff and supported Walter Johnston as citypolice commissioner. Through his control of many politicians and other elected officials in Galveston County, as well as some inAustin andWashington, Sam Maceo was able to make several improvements to the city and transform it not only into a leading resort city, but also into a major cultural and economical center as well.[5] The brothers also established many clubs andcasinos, including the Turf Club, the Maison Rouge, theBalinese Room and theHollywood Dinner Club, which was just a small part of the Maceo empire.
After Sam and Rose's deaths in the early 1950s, the brothers were succeeded by the Fertitta Group, who moved the organization toLas Vegas,Nevada, where gambling has been legalized in 1931, and worked in the casino industry. These casino properties included theStardust, theTropicana,Circus Circus, theSahara, and theFremont, whichFrank Fertitta Jr. managed. Frank Jr. also foundedPalace Station andStation Casinos which is today one of the largest local casino operators in Las Vegas.[6]
Bosses
