Sam Giancana
| Sam Giancana | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Salvatore Giangana June 15, 1908 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 1975 (aged 67) Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Multiple gunshot wounds |
| Resting place | Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Gangster, Crime boss |
| Known for | Boss of the Chicago Outfit and Mafia |
| Spouse(s) | Angelina DeTolve (1933–1954, her death) |
| Children | 3 daughters |
Salvatore "Mooney Sam" Giancana (born Salvatore Giangana; June 15, 1908 – June 19, 1975), better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian American mobster, notable for being boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957–1966. Among his other nicknames were, "Momo", "Sam the Cigar," and "Sammy."
Giancana was born Salvatore Giangana, in The Patch on Chicago's West Side, to Italian Sicilian immigrants from Partanna, in the province of Trapani. His father, Antonino (later simplified to Antonio) Giangana, owned a pushcart and later briefly owned an Italian ice shop, which was later firebombed by gangland rivals of his son.
Sam Giancana joined the 42 Gang, a juvenile street crew answering to political boss Joseph Esposito. Giancana soon developed a reputation for being an excellent getaway driver, a high earner, and a vicious killer. After Esposito's murder, in which Giancana was allegedly involved, the 42 Gang was transformed into a de facto extension of the Chicago Outfit. The Outfit was initially wary of the 42ers, thinking they were too wild. However, Giancana's leadership qualities, the fact that he was an excellent "wheel man" with a get-away car, and his knack for making money on the street gained him the notice of Cosa Nostra higher-ups like Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti, Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, and Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo. In the late 1930s, Giancana became the first 42er to join the Outfit. From the early 1940s through the 1950s, he controlled most of the illegal gambling, illegal liquor distribution, and numerous other political rackets in Louisiana through long time friend, H.A. (Hol) Killian of Rodessa, LA. Killian controlled the mass majority of the liquor license issuance to those who sought one through his connections with long time business associate, Carlos Marcello from New Orleans. The trio's combined political influence reached all the way to the Governors Mansion and to the White House. Killian was such close friends with Giancana, that the latter considered Killian's three sons (David, Mike, and Ned) as his own.
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