Albert Anastasia
Albert Anastasia, born Umberto Anastasio in 1902, was an Italian-American mobster who played a significant role in organized crime in the United States. He immigrated with his brother Tony to the U.S. during World War I and became involved in criminal activities early in his life, facing a murder charge in 1921. After a series of legal twists, including witness disappearances, he was acquitted and subsequently changed his last name to Anastasia, possibly to protect his family's reputation as he anticipated a life of crime.
Rising through the ranks, Anastasia became a bodyguard for Mafia boss Vincent Mangano and was instrumental in the violent power struggles of the 1930s, notably the Castellemmarese War. He eventually led a notorious group known as Murder Incorporated, responsible for numerous mob hits. By the early 1950s, he had ascended to the position of boss of the Mangano crime family but struggled with political maneuvering within the syndicate, ultimately losing favor with other Mafia leaders.
His reign ended abruptly when he was assassinated in 1957 in a barbershop, marking a significant shift in the power dynamics of the New York crime syndicate. Anastasia's legacy includes his contributions to the Mafia's operations during Prohibition and his violent methods, which left a lasting impact on organized crime in America.
Subject Terms
Albert Anastasia
New York Mafia boss
- Born: February 26, 1902
- Birthplace: Tropea, Italy
- Died: October 25, 1957
- Place of death: New York, New York
Cause of notoriety: Anastasia served as the homicide contract negotiator for the national crime syndicate.
Active: 1921-1957
Locale: New York, New York
Early Life
Albert Anastasia (AL-burt ah-nah-STAHSH-yah) was born Umberto Anastasio in 1902. He and his brother Anthony (“Tough Tony”) immigrated to the United States during World War I. By young adulthood, both brothers were employed on the New York docks, where Albert was arrested for murder in 1921. There were several witnesses to his crime, and Albert was convicted and sentenced to death. However, he won a new trial after spending eighteen months on death row in Sing Sing prison. During the new trial, four witnesses disappeared. Others reversed their statements. The trial could not continue, and Albert was free. In 1922, he changed his name from Anastasio to Anastasia. It is speculated that he anticipated a life of crime and did not want to embarrass his family. Tony kept the family name and continued to gain influence around the docks.
Criminal Career
Anastasia began working as a bodyguard for Mafia boss Vincent Mangano during the 1920’s. The Castellemmarese War—a conflict between two Prohibition-era crime bosses in New York, Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano—raged from 1930 to 1931. In 1930, Charles “Lucky” Luciano approached Anastasia about overthrowing Masseria and Maranzano. Anastasia was enthusiastic and stated that he would “kill everybody” for the charismatic Luciano. Luciano successfully conspired with Meyer Lansky to gain the cooperation of many underbosses in overthrowing both Masseria and Maranzano. The coup left Luciano as the de facto “boss of bosses” in New York.
Luciano and Lansky then placed Anastasia, along with Louis Buchalter, in charge of a unit specially charged with carrying out syndicate-authorized murders. Crime historians have dubbed this unit Murder Incorporated. In 1944 Buchalter was executed, and Anastasia became the singular head of Murder Incorporated.
Anastasia achieved the title of “boss” in 1951, when Mangano disappeared. Both Anastasia and Frank Costello (who acted as syndicate boss during Luciano’s exile) had reasons to want Mangano dead. Costello was facing a veiled threat from crime boss Vito Genovese. Mangano, never considered loyal to Luciano’s upper echelon, could not provide Costello with “muscle.” With Murder Incorporated at his disposal, Anastasia therefore seemed the logical replacement for Mangano.
Anastasia and Mangano had often squabbled about Anastasia’s loyalty to Luciano, who in 1936 was sentenced to fifty years in prison for operating houses of prostitution. When an Allied troop ship caught fire during World War II, Luciano was tapped by the Navy to thwart pro-Nazi sabotage on the New York waterfront. Anastasia and his brother Tony were in a perfect position to “protect” the docks—and after the war, Luciano was pardoned.
Costello ensured that Anastasia, who named Carlo Gambino his underboss, was given the top seat in Mangano’s former family. Unfortunately Anastasia (as Luciano had suspected) was better suited to killing than to acting as “godfather.” Anastasia’s lack of political savvy did little to thwart Genovese’s plans to usurp Costello’s leadership.
Genovese used an indirect approach, secretly undermining the authority of Costello. Genovese also gained a financial advantage by becoming one of the first Mafiosi to succeed in the narcotics market.
By 1957, Anastasia had lost favor with the syndicate. Some evidence suggests that Anastasia’s psychopathic tendencies, which often disturbed other Mafia bosses, were the source of his undoing. Others have speculated that he was becoming too ambitious, attempting to interfere with Lansky’s Cuban casino operations. On October 25, 1957, two assassins shot and killed Anastasia in the barbershop of a New York hotel.
Legal Action and Outcome
In 1954, Anastasia was tried on charges of tax evasion after building a lavish home that, according to his tax statements, he could not afford. The government called Charles Ferri as a witness. Ferri was a plumber whom Anastasia had paid for work done on his home. Ferri’s statement was damaging. The government intended to call next upon Vincent Macri, a former Anastasia bodyguard. After Macri was found dead, a mistrial was declared. In 1955, the government tried Anastasia again, with the intention of using Ferri as a key witness. However, when federal agents tried to locate Ferri, he could not be found. As the trial was finally about to begin, Anastasia pleaded guilty to tax evasion. The terms of his plea bargain were a sentence of one year in jail and a twenty-thousand-dollar fine. It was the first time since 1921 that Anastasia was imprisoned.
Impact
Albert Anastasia was responsible for the prosperity of the New York crime syndicate after Prohibition. While he headed Murder Incorporated, the syndicate asserted influence over underworld operations in several major cities. Anastasia’s manipulation of waterfront operations ensured that Luciano, perhaps the most important figure in the syndicate, could maintain power.
Anastasia’s failures as a Mafia don also bore a legacy. Genovese took Anastasia’s murder to mean that he himself was now the top boss in New York. However, the ascension of Genovese to the chief position in the syndicate was convenient for Gambino. In 1959, Gambino helped federal agents collar Genovese in a narcotics bust. Genovese was convicted on weak evidence and spent the last years of his life in prison. His demise paved the way for Gambino, and the Gambino family emerged from the 1950’s at the head of the syndicate. Gambino’s territory was inherited by John Gotti in 1985. Gotti had always been fond of the Anastasia legend.
Anastasia’s demise also lends credibility to the claim that the syndicate may have had some “code of honor” regarding murder. One famous anecdote involves Anastasia’s 1952 execution of a clothing salesman. The man had helped police identify a bank robber and was then rewarded; his story appeared on national television. The bank robber was not affiliated with the syndicate in any regard, but Anastasia issued a curt order to his own men: “Hit that guy! I can’t stand squealers!”
Anastasia’s small funeral did not truly befit a don. His wife, Elsa, moved to Canada after his death. Tony lost most of his clout when his brother was killed. Federal agents tried to convince Tony to be an informant; however, he died of natural causes before he could pursue such a career.
Bibliography
Abadinsky, Howard. Organized Crime. 6th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2000. An introductory text on the Mafia and organized crime.
Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: Harper, 1994. Covers the history of the Gambino family.
Gosch, Martin A., and Richard Hammer. The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano. New York: Little, Brown, 1975. Luciano’s account of Mafia activities in the United States.
Maas, Peter. The Valachi Papers. Rev. ed. New York: Pocket Books, 1986. Joseph Valachi’s official testimony regarding the activities of the Mafia in the United States.
Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2005. A comprehensive analysis of the Mafia families in New York City.
Turkus, Burton B., and Sid Feder. Murder, Inc.: The Story of “the Syndicate.” New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. Covers the syndicate before, during, and after Anastasia’s rule.