Rosario Maceo
| Rose Maceo | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Rosario Maceo June 8, 1887 Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | March 29, 1954 (aged 66) Galveston, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart disease |
| Resting place | Galveston, Texas, U.S. 29°16′52″N 94°49′33″W / 29.28111°N 94.82583°W |
| Other names | "Iron Glove" |
| Citizenship | US |
| Occupation | Club manager, bootlegger |
| Years active | 1920? - 1952 |
| Known for | Establishing Galveston as a gaming and entertainment center |
| Predecessor | Ollie Quinn |
| Successor | Victor J. Fertitta and Anthony Fertitta |
| Partner(s) | Sam Maceo |
Rosario Maceo (Sr.), also known as Papa Rose or Rose Maceo, was a Sicilian immigrant and organized crime boss in Galveston, Texas in the United States. Because of his efforts and those of his brother Sam, Galveston Island became a nationally known resort town during the early and mid 20th century, during a period known as Galveston's Wide-Open Era. They owned various restaurant and casino venues including the now-vanished Hollywood Dinner Club and the Balinese Room. He became an Al Capone-like figure in the city. Sometimes known as the "Iron Glove," Maceo was the enforcer and head of operations for the business empire he and his brother formed.
Rosario Maceo was born in Palermo, Sicily at the end of the 19th century. The Maceo family immigrated to Louisiana in the United States in 1901. He trained as a barber and later moved to Galveston in 1910, shortly before World War I, to start a business eventually with his brother Sam. Rose's command of English was never great and he was reportedly illiterate.
As Prohibition took hold, the Maceo brothers began to give gifts of wine (low-quality to be sure) that they were able to smuggle to their customers. As their customers became more interested in the liquor they gradually became more serious bootleggers. Rose Maceo had part of his business on Murdoch's Pier, a hangout for Ollie Quinn, leader of the Beach Gang which was one of two main gangs on the island. Rose built a relationship with Quinn and the Maceo brothers gradually allied themselves with the Beach Gang. They opened a "cold drink place," (i.e. speakeasy) and invested in the gang's gambling operations. Eventually the Beach Gang leader Ollie Quinn and the Maceos opened the Hollywood Dinner Club, the Gulf Coast's most elegant night club at the time. Rose's ability to intimidate made him an enforcer in the organization early on. Fortuitous arrests of the leaders of the gangs allowed the Maceo brothers to gain control of the island's underworld.
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