Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Trafficante Family is the original team of buccaneers in Tampa
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With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl for the first time, the
spotlight is shining once again on that West Florida city. For the
community, the Super Bowl appearance means millions in revenue from T-shirt
sales, party supplies and increased restaurant sales.
For the underworld, the Bucs� accomplishment means lots of illegal
gambling. Associated and independent bookies alike will be taking a lot of
action on the Super Bowl and that means money for what remains of the
Trafficante family. You can be sure that somewhere, the Trafficantes,
Santos junior and senior, are smiling with all of the action their family
bookmakers must be taking these days.
Times have certainly changed in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area from when
Santos Senior took control of the Florida mob from Ignacio Antinori in
1940. Trafficante was tough enough to go toe-to-toe with Meyer Lansky over
the control of the lucrative South Florida gambling joints and smart enough
to know when to back off and play ball with Lansky and the Syndicate.
Along with Lansky, Trafficante built up the Cuban gaming empire which
collapsed when communists took control of the island in the late 50s.
Santos Sr. died in 1954 and when Castro took control of Havana, he threw
Santos Trafficante Jr. on the island to oversee the gambling operations --
in jail and then threw him out of the country.
The Trafficante family has had a rough run over the years, especially under
the reign of Santos Jr. More than any other Mafioso, except, perhaps Sam
Giancana, Santos Trafficante Jr. has been linked with government intrigue
on the highest levels.
His first run-in with the federal government was when he was recruited to
help the CIA assassinate Fidel Castro.
Under federal immunity, Trafficante testified in 1975 before Congress that
he brought other mobsters into the plot out of patriotic duty.
More likely, Trafficante probably used the CIA as a bank. He was given
large sums of money to supply insurgents in Cuba and to buy influence with
people who could get close to the Cuban leader. According to statements by
Chicago mobster Johnny Roselli, who helped Trafficante with the plots, the
money never left Florida.
The fact that Junior managed to walk out of a Havana prison with all of his
money leads many to suspect that Trafficante was a double agent who tipped
Fidel to the plots against him. He may have played a large role in the
failure of the Bay of Pigs fiasco, although it is more likely Santos was
playing both ends against the middle.
Knowing all about the invasion, Trafficante had an associate standing by in
the Bahamas with a suitcase filled with gold which was to be used to buy
favor with whomever took control after Castro was ousted.
When the invasion collapsed, Trafficante and Lansky moved their Caribbean
operations to Nassau.
Trafficante�s name also comes up fairly often in conspiracy theories
surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, although no
credible evidence exists to link the Mafia with Kennedy�s murder.
Like his father, Santos Jr. managed to die peacefully.
The Tampa mob is in a condition similar to many outside New York City. Old
age, stronger methods of combating organized crime and an influx of street
gang-linked criminals have reduced the influence of a once-proud family.
One thing is certain, the Bucs� appearance in the Super Bowl will put a
great deal of cash into Tampa�s underworld economy. Regardless who wins
next Sunday, the Tampa mob should be well juiced for months to come.
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