Other than Al Capone, were there any major mafia leaders from the prohibition era who were born in the United States?
“Early American?” Dude.
As opposed to late American-born mafiosi. By the forties and fifties a new generation of mafiosi had come to power and plenty of these guys were born in the United States. Dude.
Depends what you mean by “leaders.” Dutch Schultz (b. New York, 1902; d. 1935) could certainly have been considered one during Prohibition. Benny Siegel (b. Brooklyn, 1906; d. 1947) was highly influential then, but not yet at boss level.
Tony “Big Tuna” Accardo was a home grown Chicago boss.
Neither of them were Mafia, though. They were both Jewish gangsters.
“Early American” is a term used to describe Colonial and Revolutionary America. People born in the late 1800s and later would not be considered Early American.
Dude. The OP is not describing them as “Early American”-born mafiosi–heck, just seeing the fact that it looks completely weird to quote it like that should tell you that that wasn’t the intent.
The OP is talking about Early “American-born” mafiosi.
Exactly. If I had meant the gangsters who ran the illegal snuff and musket rackets in colonial Philadelphia I’d have titled this thread Early-American mafiosi. I suppose I could have titled it “American-born mafiosi who were early” but then people might have thought I meant gangsters whose watches ran fast.
Anthony “Tony Bender” Strollo should qualify. He was born in 1899 and served under both Masseria and Maranzano prior to the formation of the “Five Families.”
Well, shit. That’s the last time I take a lowercase m seriously.