Giosue Gallucci

Giosuè Gallucci
Giosuè Gallucci, the King of Little Italy
Born	(1864-12-10)December 10, 1864 Naples, Italy
Died	May 21, 1915(1915-05-21) (aged 50) New York City, United States
Cause of death	Gunshot wounds
Other names	Luccariello; King of Little Italy; The Major of Little Italy
Known for	Organized crime
Allegiance	Camorra in New York

Giosuè Gallucci (Italian pronunciation: [dʒozuˈɛ ɡɡalˈluttʃi]; December 10, 1864 – May 21, 1915), also known as Luccariello, was a crime boss of Italian Harlem in New York City affiliated with the Camorra. He dominated the area from 1910–1915 and was also known as the undisputed "King of Little Italy" and "The Mayor of Little Italy", partly due to his political connections. He held strict control over the policy game (numbers racket), employing Neapolitan and Sicilian street gangs as his enforcers.

Born in Naples, Italy, Gallucci became one of the most powerful Italians politically in the city. With his ability to mobilize the vote in Harlem and register immigrants, he delivered a significant number of ballots. He gained near immunity from law enforcement by allying with Tammany Hall, a Democratic political machine ruled that Manhattan and New York City politics virtually unopposed. Despite his power and political clout, Gallucci was subject of Black Hand extortion and his rule was challenged frequently. In 1915 he was killed by a rival gang. The fight over the lucrative numbers rackets left behind by Gallucci was known as the Mafia-Camorra War.

Giosuè Gallucci was born in Naples, Italy, on December 10, 1864 to Luca Gallucci and Antonia Cavallo. He was also known by his nickname Luccariello. On March 11, 1892, he arrived in New York City on the SS Werkendam from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. According to an Italian police report, he again left Italy on July 24, 1896. Rumour had it that Gallucci had killed a man just before coming to New York, but he publicly denied this.

In April 1898, he was arrested in New York in connection with the murder of Josephine Inselma, who was portrayed as Gallucci's lover by the police. The apprehension took place while he was operating a fruit wagon in the neighbourhood and he was described as "a young grocer and expressman, with a store at 172 Mott street". Gallucci said he had no reason to kill the woman and provided an alibi. The grand jury dismissed the charges. New York City Police Department detective Joe Petrosino, who was in charge of the investigation, urged his superiors to inquire for more information in Italy. The police prefect of Naples responded that Gallucci was "a dangerous criminal, belonging to the category of blackmailers" who had been placed under police surveillance and charged several times with theft, blackmail, and other crimes.