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Description
Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria, an influential figure in the early days of the Italian-American Mafia in New York City, led what is now known as the Genovese crime family. His reign as a Mafia boss spanned from 1922 until his death in 1931. Masseria was a key player in the notorious Castellammarese War, a power struggle in 1930 for control over New York City’s criminal activities. This conflict culminated in his assassination on April 15, 1931, a plot devised by his own lieutenant, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, in collaboration with Salvatore Maranzano, leader of the rival faction.
In a covert arrangement with Salvatore Maranzano, Lucky Luciano plotted to eliminate his own boss, Joe Masseria. The agreement promised Luciano control over Masseria’s criminal enterprises and a position as Maranzano’s right-hand man. Joe Adonis, a member of Masseria’s group, was initially approached by Masseria to assassinate Luciano upon discovering the betrayal. Instead, Adonis tipped off Luciano about the impending danger.
On April 15, 1931, Luciano enticed Masseria to a Coney Island restaurant named Nuova Villa Tammaro for a fateful meeting. As they played cards, Luciano excused himself, reportedly for the bathroom, setting the stage for the attack. The hitmen involved were believed to be Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese, Joe Adonis, and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Ciro “The Artichoke King” Terranova was the getaway driver, but, overcome by nerves, he had to be replaced by Siegel.
Luciano was subsequently detained for questioning by the police, who initially suspected gangster John “Silk Stockings” Giustra as one of the gunmen, based on an informant’s report and a coat found at the crime scene linked to Giustra. However, after Giustra’s murder on July 9, 1931, the case against Luciano was dropped due to lack of evidence.
The circumstances surrounding Masseria’s death, as reported by The New York Times, remained largely unclear to the police. Masseria was allegedly playing cards with unidentified individuals when he was shot from behind, sustaining fatal wounds to his head, back, and chest. The autopsy indicated he hadn’t eaten before his death. Despite sightings of men fleeing the scene, no witnesses came forward, and the case remained unsolved due to a lack of concrete evidence and Luciano’s solid alibi.
Joe Masseria was laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.