"Bugsy" Siegel, John LaRocca, "Lucky" Luciano, Gus Greenbaum and The Tito Boys. A True Crime Story

article extrapolated from several open sources such as en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Pittsburgh If this article offends anyone Please Refrain from Murdering Best of Pittsburgh reporters

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Pittsburgh was a hotbed of bootlegging and illicit alcohol consumption during Prohibition. Several factors fed into resistance to Prohibition, including a large immigrant population, anti-establishment animosity dating to the Whiskey Rebellion, fragmented local government, and pervasive corruption.

The Pittsburgh crime family controlled significant portions of the illegal alcohol trade.

During that time, Prohibition Administrator John Pennington and his federal agents engaged in 15,000 raids, arrested over 18,000 people and closed down over 3,000 distilleries, 16 regular breweries, and 400 'wildcat' breweries. Even the term "Speakeasy," meaning an illegal drinking establishment, is said to have been coined at the Blind Pig in nearby McKeesport, Pennsylvania. The last distillery in Pittsburgh, Joseph S. Finch's distillery, located at South Second and McKean streets, closed in the 1920s. In 2012, Wigle Whiskey opened, becoming the first since the closure of Finch's distillery.

Some of the top bootleggers in Pittsburgh during Prohibition included:

• John LaRocca

• Charles "Lucky" Luciano

• Meyer Lansky

• Joe Adonis

• Frank Costello

• Albert Anastasia

• Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel

• Abner "Longy" Zwillman

• Moe Dalitz

• Gus Greenbaum

These bootleggers were involved in a variety of illegal activities, including smuggling alcohol, running speakeasies, and even murder. They became wealthy and powerful figures in the Pittsburgh underworld.

Some of the most popular speakeasies in Pittsburgh during Prohibition included:

• The Green Mill

• The Bamboo Inn

• The Silk Club

• The Club Belvedere

• The Trocadero

• The Palm Court

• The Copa Cabana

• The Starlight Roof

• The Roof Garden

• The Belvedere

These speakeasies were known for their lavish interiors, live music, and dancing. They were popular spots for both the wealthy and the working class.

Prohibition had a significant impact on Pittsburgh. It led to an increase in crime and violence, as well as a decline in the city's economy. However, it also led to the rise of a new generation of entrepreneurs and gangsters. Prohibition is a fascinating period in Pittsburgh's history, and its legacy continues to be felt today.

The Pittsburgh crime family, also known as the LaRocca crime family, was the top Italian mafia family in Pittsburgh during Prohibition. The family was founded in the early 1900s by Stefano Monastero, who was succeeded by John Bazzano in 1925. Bazzano was succeeded by John LaRocca in 1933.

The Hill District was the center of the Pittsburgh crime family's bootlegging operations. The Hill District was a predominantly African American neighborhood, and the family was able to exploit the racial tensions of the time to gain control of the illegal alcohol trade.

The family's bootlegging operations were extensive. They smuggled alcohol from Canada and Mexico, and they also produced their own moonshine. They ran speakeasies throughout the city, and they also distributed alcohol to other bootleggers.

The family's bootlegging operations made them very wealthy. They used their wealth to buy political influence, and they also used it to invest in legitimate businesses.

The family's bootlegging operations came to an end with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.

However, the family continued to be involved in organized crime, and they remain a powerful force in Pittsburgh today.

Here are some of the most notable Hill District bosses during Prohibition:

• Stefano Monastero

• John Bazzano

• John LaRocca

• Joseph Mannarino

• Michael Genovese

These men were responsible for running the family's bootlegging operations, and they made a fortune from the illegal alcohol trade. They were also involved in other criminal activities, such as gambling, prostitution, and extortion.

The Hill District bosses were ruthless and violent men. They were not afraid to use violence to protect their interests, and they were responsible for the deaths of many people. They were also corrupt, and they used their power to enrich themselves and their associates.

The Hill District bosses were a major force in Pittsburgh during Prohibition. They controlled the illegal alcohol trade, and they were involved in other criminal activities. They were also corrupt, and they used their power to enrich themselves and their associates.

Gus Greenbaum was a Jewish-American mobster who was involved in bootlegging, gambling, and other criminal activities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1896 in Lithuania and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 12 years old. He settled in Pittsburgh and became involved in the criminal underworld. But he wasn't just a Jewish gangster enmeshed with Italian crime syndicate. Like all mobsters it sort of worked like US government and the way it launders money through war stocks, Ukraine spending, Gus also had to clean his money and use his advantage to make money in private sector as well.

Gus Greenbaum owned a number of legitimate businesses in Pittsburgh, including:

• The Crawford Grill, a popular night club in the Hill District

• Greenlee Field, the home ballpark of the Pittsburgh Crawfords

• The Greenbaum Hotel, a luxury hotel in downtown Pittsburgh

• The Greenbaum Motor Company, an automobile dealership

• The Greenbaum Realty Company, a real estate company

• The Greenbaum Insurance Company, an insurance company
  

Greenbaum also invested in a number of other businesses, including casinos, nightclubs, and hotels. He was a successful businessman and he made a fortune from his legitimate businesses.

However, Greenbaum was also involved in organized crime. He was a member of the Pittsburgh crime family and he was involved in bootlegging, gambling, and other illegal activities. His involvement in organized crime eventually led to his downfall.

In 1958, Greenbaum was murdered in his home in Las Vegas. His murder remains unsolved, but it is believed that it was ordered by the Mafia.

Greenbaum was a close associate of the Pittsburgh crime family, led by John LaRocca. He was involved in the family's bootlegging operations, and he also ran his own gambling and prostitution businesses. Greenbaum was a ruthless and violent man, and he was not afraid to use his power to get what he wanted.

In the early 1930s, Greenbaum clashed with the Pittsburgh crime family over control of the illegal alcohol trade. The family wanted to keep Greenbaum out of the business, but he refused to back down. The conflict escalated, and Greenbaum was eventually forced to flee Pittsburgh.

Greenbaum moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he became involved in the development of the Flamingo Hotel. He was a major force in the early days of Las Vegas, and he helped to make the city a gambling and entertainment mecca.

Greenbaum's success in Las Vegas made him a target of the Mafia. In 1958, he was murdered in his home. His murder remains unsolved, but it is believed that it was ordered by the Mafia. Details of The Murder of Greenbaum and his wife, Very Gruesome After nightfall on December 2, 1958, Bess Greenbaum, wife of Las Vegas casino boss Gus Greenbaum, drove from their Phoenix house to take their housemaid, Pearl Ray, home after work, as usual. After dropping off Pearl, Bess headed back to the large residence at 1115 W. Monte Vista Road, across from the sprawling Encanto Park.

The roundtrip to Pearl’s place on 15th Avenue in Bess’s white 1957 Cadillac was only about four miles, perhaps 12 minutes of driving time.

Just who (one or more assailants) entered the Greenbaum home before Bess returned that night remains a mystery to this day. The viciousness of the beating and knifing deaths of Gus Greenbaum, 65, and Bess Greenbaum, 64, had the distinct appearance of a mob hit.

Pearl suffered from shock after discovering Bess’s body the next day. Following treatment in a hospital, she provided her story to reporters.

“Mrs. Greenbaum drove me home about 7:30 Tuesday evening,” Pearl said. “She always drove me home. They seemed just as happy as anything. Mr. Greenbaum said his back was bothering him some. It bothered him every once in a while.”

Pearl returned to work at the Greenbaums’ shortly before noon the next day, December 3, using her key to get in. While in the kitchen, she noticed that, oddly, some frozen food she removed the night before remained on the counter. “That’s when I opened the door of the den and saw [Bess] on the couch,” Pearl said. “And, God, I just ran out of there and went to a neighbor’s.”

Bess’s lifeless body lay face down on a divan. She was fully dressed, shoes and all, her wrists bound behind her by a necktie (at first thought to have been one of Gus’s ties, but police considered it a cheap one with the label removed and not likely to Greenbaum’s tastes). A severe blow from a blunt object – police surmised a heavy decorative glass bottle found beside Bess’s head – fractured her skull. Pillows were on the sides of her head, perhaps to stifle her cries. A wound from her neck bled onto a section of a newspaper, a towel and pillow carefully placed under her by the killer to keep blood from dipping onto the carpet. The attacker used a razor-sharp nine-inch butcher knife, from a matched set in a drawer in the Greenbaum’s kitchen, to slit her throat, probably after hitting her on the head. The knife sat inside a cellophane bag over her feet. The killer employed the bag as a glove to avoid leaving fingerprints on the knife.

Pearl did not know what had happened to Gus the night before. When police arrived December 3, inside the bedroom 50 feet from Bess, they found his body laying across the couple’s twin beds, pushed together. The television, Greenbaum’s heating pad and a table lamp were on. As with Bess, two pillows lay on either side of his head as if to muffle his screams.

Two hard blows to the rear of his skull each produced fractures. Someone slashed his throat with the same knife used on Bess, nearly decapitating him. He was dressed in beige silk pajamas. Police later found out that $2,000 in cash was missing, as was a three-carat diamond ring, valued at $3,000, removed from Gus’s hand. His pricey wristwatch remained on a nightstand. Bess’s purse contained $110 in cash. Furs and other jewelry valued at about $5,700 were not taken.

Photos of Bess Greenbaum’s bound body were widely publicized in newspapers. The New York Daily News ran it on its front page on December 4.

Speculation by police about the motive for the slayings immediately centered on Mob vengeance. Investigators found no evidence of forced entry. Cigarette ashes and footprints by the garage led police to believe that two men lay in wait for Bess to leave with Pearl. The two women may have left the side door unlocked. The killers then entered without breaking in and murdered Gus. When Bess quickly returned, they hit her over the head, bound her hands, then perhaps when she came to, slashed her throat to eliminate her as a witness.

A few days later, Phoenix Police Captain Orme Morehead announced that officers had recovered some fingerprints from the crime scene. “We are checking them out. We don’t have any other leads. We have much talking and much footwork to do.” In May 1959, Morehead returned to Phoenix from a trip to confer with police in Las Vegas, but said that there were “no likely suspects.”

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Ben Goffstein, Greenbaum’s partner at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, offered a $10,000 reward for any tip leading to an arrest and conviction. There were no takers.

Phoenix Police suspected Milner Jarvis, a 60-year-old man seen in Las Vegas two weeks before the murders, several years after his release on parole from the Nevada State Prison. In 1948, a judge had sentenced Jarvis to 1 to 14 years for stealing $45,000 of Greenbaum’s money from a strong box while a clerk at the Flamingo Hotel. Greenbaum himself swore out the complaint alleging that Jarvis and a second man (also later sent to state prison) took the cash. But there was no evidence to pin the murders on Jarvis or the other thief.

In Nevada, state authorities expressed doubt that organized crime was behind the Greenbaum slayings. On December 19, William Deutsch, a member of the state Tax Commission regulating Nevada casinos, remarked that he had “received indication” linking the killings to gambling business matters. But Robbins Cahill, chairman of the Gaming Control Board, Nevada’s investigative arm for gaming licenses, replied that “the crime doesn’t look like a syndicate job.”

“It was too messy,” Cahill said. “It was more like a crime of passion. The killer didn’t even use his own weapon – he used a butcher knife from the Greenbaum kitchen.”

Cahill persuaded Deutsch that Nevada’s gaming agency did not include experts in homicides and that any involvement by the state would only frustrate the investigation by Phoenix Police.

Greenbaum's life and career were a microcosm of the history of organized crime in the United States. He was a ruthless and violent man who made a fortune from illegal activities. He was also a victim of the violence that he helped to create.

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Reportedly, Gus Greenbaum's grandson lives in Castle Bethel Park / South Park area ( Greenbaum's grandson is described as short, bald and fat) He relocated to South Hills Pgh area (relocated under a Federal Witness Protection.) Greenbaum's grandson is described as extremely intelligent, law-abiding, polite and calm.

He is basically the opposite of his notorious criminal grandfather and must not have inherited any of that criminal DNA

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Bootlegging in the Hill District was a major source of income for the Pittsburgh crime family. The Hill District was a predominantly African American neighborhood, and the family was able to exploit the racial tensions of the time to gain control of the illegal alcohol trade.

The family's bootlegging operations were extensive. They smuggled alcohol from Canada and Mexico, and they also produced their own moonshine. They ran speakeasies throughout the city, and they also distributed alcohol to other bootleggers.

The family's bootlegging operations made them very wealthy. They used their wealth to buy political influence, and they also used it to invest in legitimate businesses.

The family's bootlegging operations came to an end with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. However, the family continued to be involved in organized crime, and they remain a powerful force in Pittsburgh today.

The Hill District was a dangerous place during Prohibition. The family's bootlegging operations led to violence and crime, and the neighborhood was plagued by gang warfare. The family's control of the illegal alcohol trade also led to corruption, as they used their power to extort money from businesses and individuals.

The Hill District's bootlegging operations had a lasting impact on the neighborhood. The violence and crime that characterized the period left a legacy of distrust and fear that continues to this day. The family's corruption also had a negative impact on the neighborhood, as it prevented legitimate businesses from investing and growing.

The Hill District's bootlegging operations were a dark chapter in the neighborhood's history. However, the neighborhood has since rebounded, and it is now a vibrant and diverse community.

Who were the Tito Boys? The Tito Boys were a group of Italian-American brothers who were involved in bootlegging in Pittsburgh during Prohibition. The brothers were Joe, Tony, Ralph, Robert, and Frank Tito. They were born to Italian immigrants Raphael and Rosa Tito between 1890 and 1905. By the early 1920s, they had become involved in organized crime and were close with Gus Greenlee, one of Pittsburgh's most notorious racketeers.

The Tito Boys were known for their ruthlessness and violence. They were not afraid to use violence to protect their interests, and they were responsible for the deaths of many people. They were also corrupt, and they used their power to enrich themselves and their associates.

The Tito Boys were a major force in Pittsburgh during Prohibition. They controlled the illegal alcohol trade, and they were involved in other criminal activities, such as gambling, prostitution, and extortion. They were also close allies of Gus Greenlee, who owned the Pittsburgh Crawfords, a Negro League baseball team.

The Tito Boys' bootlegging operations were extensive. They smuggled alcohol from Canada and Mexico, and they also produced their own moonshine. They ran speakeasies throughout the city, and they also distributed alcohol to other bootleggers.

The Tito Boys' bootlegging operations made them very wealthy. They used their wealth to buy political influence, and they also used it to invest in legitimate businesses.

The Tito Boys' bootlegging operations came to an end with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. However, the Tito Boys continued to be involved in organized crime

Here are some of the most notable bootlegging activities of the Tito Boys:

• In 1923, the Tito Boys were arrested for smuggling alcohol from Canada. They were released on bail, but they were later convicted and sentenced to prison.

• In 1925, the Tito Boys were involved in a shootout with rival bootleggers. One of the Tito Boys was killed, and several others were injured.

• In 1927, the Tito Boys were arrested for tax evasion. They were convicted and sentenced to prison.

• In 1933, the Tito Boys were involved in a fire that destroyed a large part of their bootlegging operation. The fire was never officially investigated, but it is believed that it was started by rival bootleggers.

Latrobe Brewing Company: Money laundering, Rolling Rock beer and rackets

In 1932, the year Greenlee Field opened, the Titos bought the Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s Latrobe assets, which included the company that had been doing business as the Latrobe Brewing Company (during Prohibition, the Latrobe Beverage Company). It was conceived as a money-laundering operation that became more successful than any of the family could have imagined, says Rona Peckich, one of Joe Tito’s great-great-niece. Frank Tito managed the company’s first Pittsburgh beer distributorship located in a brick building behind Joe’s Fifth Avenue home. That’s where, in 1935, the family began selling its Rolling Rock beer.

Best of Pittsburgh social media queen Serena Cribari Fuentes is related to the Mannarino family but vehemently states all of the criminal DNA is through marriage...sure Serena keep telling yourself that.

Guess we all have corrupt roots. All roads lead to Rome right? Mannarino family involved in Pittsburgh crime. The Mannarino family was a powerful Italian-American crime family that operated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from the early 1900s to the 1980s. The family was involved in a variety of criminal activities, including bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and extortion.

The Mannarino family was founded by Stefano Mannarino, who immigrated to Pittsburgh from Italy in the late 1800s. Mannarino was a successful businessman who owned a number of legitimate businesses, including a grocery store and a coal mine. However, Mannarino was also involved in organized crime, and he quickly became one of the most powerful figures in Pittsburgh's underworld.

Mannarino's son, Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino, took over the family business after his father's death in the early 1930s. Kelly Mannarino was a ruthless and violent man who was not afraid to use his power to get what he wanted. He was also a shrewd businessman who was able to expand the family's criminal empire.

The Mannarino family's criminal activities reached their peak in the 1940s and 1950s. The family controlled the illegal gambling and prostitution rackets in Pittsburgh, and they also had a hand in the city's labor unions. The family was also involved in bootlegging during Prohibition, and they made a fortune from the illegal alcohol trade.

The Mannarino family's power began to decline in the 1960s. The family was hit by a series of law enforcement crackdowns, and several of its members were convicted of criminal offenses. The family's criminal empire also began to crumble as younger members of the family were unwilling to follow in their elders' footsteps.

The Mannarino family's criminal activities came to an end in the 1980s. The family's last major leader, Sam Mannarino, was forced to retire after he was convicted of racketeering and extortion. The family's criminal empire was dismantled, and its members were either imprisoned or forced to go into hiding.

The Mannarino family's legacy continues to haunt Pittsburgh today. The family's criminal activities left a trail of violence and corruption that has had a lasting impact on the city. The family's name is still synonymous with organized crime in Pittsburgh, and its members are still feared and respected by those who know them.

In Conclusion (SUMMARY) John LaRocca, Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, Stefano Monastero, and Gus Greenbaum all operated bootlegging and gambling in Pittsburgh during Prohibition.

John LaRocca was the boss of the Pittsburgh crime family, and he was a major player in the illegal alcohol trade. He smuggled alcohol from Canada and Mexico, and he also produced his own moonshine. He ran speakeasies throughout the city, and he also distributed alcohol to other bootleggers.

Charles "Lucky" Luciano was the boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City, and he was one of the most powerful mobsters in America. He was involved in a variety of illegal activities, including bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution. He also had a hand in the development of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bugsy Siegel was a lieutenant in Luciano's crime family, and he was known for his ruthlessness and violence. He was involved in a number of high-profile murders, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. He also played a key role in the development of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stefano Monastero was the founder of the Pittsburgh crime family, and he was involved in bootlegging and gambling from the early days of Prohibition. He was succeeded by John Bazzano in 1925.

Gus Greenbaum was a Jewish-American mobster who was involved in bootlegging, gambling, and other criminal activities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1896 in Lithuania and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 12 years old. He settled in Pittsburgh and became involved in the criminal underworld.

Greenbaum was a close associate of the Pittsburgh crime family, led by John LaRocca. He was involved in the family's bootlegging operations, and he also ran his own gambling and prostitution businesses. Greenbaum was a ruthless and violent man, and he was not afraid to use his power to get what he wanted.

All of these men were involved in the illegal alcohol trade in Pittsburgh, and they made a fortune from it. They were also involved in other criminal activities, such as gambling, prostitution, and extortion. They were ruthless and violent men, and they were not afraid to use their power to get what they wanted.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. any similarities to persons living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.