Italian Criminals

Rank the Most Wicked Italian Criminals

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 1 
Carlo Gambino
(Italian-American Crime Boss of the Gambino Crime Family)
Carlo Gambino
16
Birthdate: August 24, 1902
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Palermo, Italy
Died: October 15, 1976

Carlo Gambino was an Italian-American kingpin of the famous Gambino crime family. He took over the Commission of the Mafia after the incarceration of Vito Genovese in 1959. Although he was involved in organized crime for more than five decades, he was imprisoned for only 22 months for a tax evasion charge. Carlo Gambino is often portrayed in crime films.

 2 
Joe Gallo
(Mobster)
Joe Gallo
21
Birthdate: April 7, 1929
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: April 7, 1972

Italian-American gangster Joe Gallo, nicknamed "Crazy Joe,” was part of New York’s Colombo crime family. Initially an associate of the Profaci crime family, Gallo was later involved in the First Colombo War. He was suspected of launching an attack on Joseph Colombo and was shot dead on his 43rd birthday.

 3 
Vito Genovese
(American Mobster and Head of the Notorious 'Genovese Crime Family')
Vito Genovese
17
Birthdate: November 21, 1897
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tufino, Italy
Died: February 14, 1969
Italian-born American mafia leader Vito Genovese was an associate of Lucky Luciano. Genovese was part of the Castellammarese War and was instrumental in the rise of organized crime in the U.S. He later led the Luciano crime family, which became known as the Genovese crime family.
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 4 
Albert Anastasia
(One of the Founders of the Modern American Mafia and Co-founder of 'Murder, Inc' Crime Group)
Albert Anastasia
14
Birthdate: February 26, 1902
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Parghelia, Italy
Died: October 25, 1957
Italian-American mobster Umberto "Albert" Anastasia, or Anastasio, co-founded the American Mafia and later co-established Murder, Inc. Nicknamed The One-Man Army, he later became the boss of the Gambino crime family and also began controlling the New York waterfront. He was killed on the orders of Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese.
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 5 
Charles Ponzi
(Con Artist)
Charles Ponzi
10
Birthdate: March 3, 1882
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lugo, Italy
Died: January 18, 1949

Charles Ponzi was an Italian con artist and swindler who operated in Canada and the USA. He is best remembered for his money-making scheme in which he paid his earlier investors using the money given to him by later investors. Although this type of swindling investment scheme existed before Ponzi's time, it came to be known as a Ponzi scheme.

 6 
Salvatore Maranzano
(Italian-American Mobster, Mafia Boss)
Salvatore Maranzano
12
Birthdate: July 31, 1886
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Castellammare del Golfo, Italy
Died: September 10, 1931
Italian crime lord Salvatore Maranzano was associated with the organized crime sector of Castellammare del Golfo of Sicily. A Cosa Nostra leader, he later joined the Bonanno Crime Family of New York. He initiated the Castellammarese War and formed New York’s Five Families. Lucky Luciano got him murdered.
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 7 
Frank Nitti
(Italian-American Gangster and Body Guard of Al Capone)
Frank Nitti
14
Birthdate: January 27, 1886
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Angri, Italy
Died: March 19, 1943

Frank Nitti was an Italian born-American mobster and one of Al Capone's main henchmen. Renowned for his leadership skills, Nitti succeeded Al Capone to become the boss of the Chicago Outfit. His life and work inspired the 1988 biopic Nitti: The Enforcer.

 8 
Joseph Bonanno
(Italian-American Crime Boss of the Bonanno Crime Family)
Joseph Bonanno
11
Birthdate: January 18, 1905
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Castellammare del Golfo, Italy
Died: May 11, 2002

Italian-American crime boss Joseph Bonanno was the leader of the Bonanno crime family for almost four decades. Introduced to organized crime as a child, he proceeded to become one of the youngest-ever bosses of a crime family at just 26. He successfully evaded arrest for many decades. He lived a long life and became a writer in his later years.  

 9 
Johnny Torrio
(Gangster)
Johnny Torrio
16
Birthdate: January 20, 1882
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Irsina, Italy
Died: April 16, 1957
 10 
Leonarda Cianciulli
(Italian Serial Killer)
Leonarda Cianciulli
24
Birthdate: April 18, 1894
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Montella, Italy
Died: October 15, 1970

Leonarda Cianciulli was an Italian serial killer who murdered three women and turned their bodies into soaps and tea cakes. She is also known as the "Soap-Maker of Correggio." Between 1939 and 1940, she killed three of her neighbors--all of them middle-aged women--as part of human sacrifices. She was eventually found guilty of her crimes and sentenced to prison.  

 11 
Vito Rizzuto
(Italian-Canadian Crime Boss)
Vito Rizzuto
11
Birthdate: February 21, 1946
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Cattolica Eraclea, Italy
Died: December 23, 2013
 12 
Joe Masseria
(Italian-American Mafia Boss of ‘Genovese Crime Family’)
Joe Masseria
16
Birthdate: January 17, 1887
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Menfi, Italy
Died: April 15, 1931

Joe Masseria was an Italian-American Mafia boss who controlled the Genovese crime family from 1922 to 1931. He was killed in the Castellammarese War, which was fought for control over illegal activities in New York City. Since his death, Joe Masseria has been portrayed in several films like The Valachi Papers, Lucky Luciano, Mobsters, and Lansky.

 13 
Russell Bufalino
(Gangster)
Russell Bufalino
10
Birthdate: September 29, 1903
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Montedoro, Sicily, Kingdom of Italy
Died: February 25, 1994
 14 
Ralph Capone
(Al Capone's Brother)
Ralph Capone
6
Birthdate: January 12, 1894
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Italy
Died: November 22, 1974

Ralph Capone, older brother of infamous gangsters Al and Frank Capone, was a mobster in his own right. He followed his brothers to Chicago, where he formed his own legitimate soft drink business, earning the nickname “Bottles.” His business was once second only to Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage market.

 15 
Giulia Tofana
(Poisoner)
Giulia Tofana
5
Birthdate: 1620 AD
Birthplace: Palermo, Italy
Died: June 30, 1659
 16 
Vincent Mangano
(Criminal)
Vincent Mangano
7
Birthdate: March 28, 1888
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Villabate, Italy
Died: April 19, 1951
 17 
Francesco de' Pazzi
(Banker, Murderer)
Francesco de' Pazzi
1
Birthdate: January 28, 1444
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: April 26, 1478
 18 
Joe Adonis
Joe Adonis
0
Birthdate: November 22, 1902
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Montemarano
Died: November 26, 1971
 19 
Giuseppe Zangara
9
Birthdate: September 7, 1900
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ferruzzano, Italy
Died: March 20, 1933
Screaming “Too many people are starving!,” Giuseppe Zangara, an unemployed bricklayer, fired at the then-president-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt as Roosevelt ended his speech at Miami’s Bayfront Park. Though Roosevelt escaped unhurt, Zangara’s bullets fatally wounded Chicago mayor Anton Cermak. Zangara was later executed on the electric chair.
 20 
Carlo Gesualdo
(Composer)
Carlo Gesualdo
2
Birthdate: March 8, 1566
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Venosa, Italy
Died: September 8, 1613
 21 
Roger de Flor
(Italian Condottiere and Military Adventurer)
Roger de Flor
0
Birthdate: 1267 AD
Birthplace: Brindisi, Italy
Died: April 30, 1305

Roger de Flor was an Italian condottiere and military adventurer who was active in Italy, Aragonese Sicily, and the Byzantine Empire. He is remembered for his service as the commander of the Catalan Company. The last days of his life inspired Spanish poet Mariano Capdepón to compose a play, which was later adapted into an opera titled Roger de Flor.

 22 
Gaetano Reina
(Gangster)
Gaetano Reina
4
Birthdate: September 27, 1889
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Corleone, Italy
Died: February 26, 1930
 23 
Luigi Lucheni
(Italian Anarchist Who Assassinated Empress Elisabeth of Austria)
Luigi Lucheni
1
Birthdate: April 22, 1873
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: October 19, 1910

Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni was initially part of the Italian army. He later became determined to kill a member of the elite class and zeroed in on Empress Elisabeth of Austria. He stabbed Elisabeth with a file and was sentenced to life imprisonment, but was eventually found hanged in his cell.

 24 
Michele Sindona
(Italian Banker and Lawyer)
Michele Sindona
0
Birthdate: May 8, 1920
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Patti, Italy
Died: March 22, 1986
 25 
Roberto di Ridolfo
(Conspirator)
Roberto di Ridolfo
0
Birthdate: November 18, 1531
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: February 18, 1612
 26 
Marcia Mistress
(Mistress)
Marcia Mistress
1
Birthdate: May 5, 0167
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Anagni, Italy
 27 
Gaetano Bresci
(Anarchist)
Gaetano Bresci
3
Birthdate: November 10, 1869
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Coiano, Italy
Died: May 22, 1901
 28 
Salvatore Riina
(Italian Mobster and Chief of the Sicilian Mafia)
Salvatore Riina
8
Birthdate: November 16, 1930
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sicily, Italy
Died: November 17, 2017
 29 
Michele Greco
(Murderer)
Michele Greco
5
Birthdate: May 12, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ciaculli, Sicily, Italy
Died: February 13, 2008
 30 
Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli
(Murderer)
Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli
0
Birthdate: January 15, 1420
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: December 29, 1479
 31 
The Monster of Florence
(Serial killer)
The Monster of Florence
9
Birthplace: Italy
 32 
Tommy Gagliano
(Mobster)
Tommy Gagliano
2
Birthdate: May 29, 1883
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Corleone, Italy
Died: February 16, 1951
 33 
Vincenzo Peruggia
(Italian Museum Worker Best Known for Stealing the 'Mona Lisa' Painting on 21 August 1911)
Vincenzo Peruggia
5
Birthdate: October 8, 1881
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dumenza, Varese, Italy
Died: October 8, 1925

Known as the man who stole the Mona Lisa, La Giaconda was an amateur artist and a worker at the Louvre. Though he hid the painting in his apartment in Paris and then took it to Florence, he failed to sell it, and was eventually caught by the police after 2 years.

 34 
Jack Dragna
Jack Dragna
3
Birthdate: April 18, 1891
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Corleone
Died: February 23, 1956
 35 
Tommaso Buscetta
(Criminal)
Tommaso Buscetta
6
Birthdate: July 13, 1928
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Died: April 2, 2000
 36 
Domenico Cefalù
(Crime boss)
Domenico Cefalù
20
Birthdate: May 8, 1947
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
 37 
Bernardo Provenzano
(Mobster and chief of the Sicilian Mafia clan)
Bernardo Provenzano
6
Birthdate: January 31, 1933
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Corleone, Italy
Died: July 13, 2016
 38 
Giovanni Brusca
(Italian Mobster)
Giovanni Brusca
13
Birthdate: February 20, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: San Giuseppe Jato, Italy
 39 
Valerio Fioravanti
(Terrorist)
Valerio Fioravanti
1
Birthdate: March 28, 1958
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Rovereto, Italy
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 40 
Willie Moretti
Willie Moretti
4
Birthdate: February 24, 1894
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City
Died: October 4, 1951
 41 
Danilo Restivo
(Serial Killer)
Danilo Restivo
10
Birthdate: April 3, 1972
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Sicily, Italy
 42 
Maria Barbella
(Murderer)
Maria Barbella
4
Birthdate: October 24, 1868
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ferrandina, Italy
Died: 1902 AD
 43 
Adel Smith
(Translator known for his radical stances and often accused of fundamentalism.)
Adel Smith
2
Birthdate: March 9, 1960
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: August 22, 2014
 44 
Volker Eckert
(German Serial Killer)
Volker Eckert
11
Birthdate: July 1, 1959
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Plauen, Germany
Died: July 2, 2007

Volker Eckert was a German serial killer who murdered at least six women in Spain, France, and East Germany between 1974 and 2006. Although he confessed to only six murders, Eckert is believed to have murdered many other women in countries like the Czech Republic and Italy. He committed suicide on July 2, 2007, during his criminal proceedings.