When you think about the mob’s wrath, you probably picture burley and cruel hitmen breaking legs or committing horrifyingly brutal murders. While murder is rightfully attributed to mob families, it’s not as common as it once was.

In the modern world, either the mob has become more efficient in their revenge methods, and many murders have gone undetected, or the rate of murderous activity has waned. It’s only every few years that we hear about any mob-related homicides, unlike the early twentieth century when mob hits were regular newspaper headlines. 

In 2019, Frank Cali, the reported head of the infamous Gambino crime family, was gunned down outside his home.  This made it more than 30 years since the last time a mob boss was hit. Back in the first half of the past century, major mob hits were a regular occurrence. While most mob tuffs were primarily roughing up their targets, some were planning family takeovers.

Most mobsters didn’t seek any damages through the help of lawyers; they preferred to get revenge. Let’s take a look at a few of the most infamous mob murders for more details. 

Angelo Bruno/Antonio Caponigro

Our first mob murder is a two-for-one. Antonio Caponigro paid a high price for his hit on mob boss Angelo Bruno. Known as the “Gentle Don,” Bruno was the head of the Philadelphia crime family and was uncomfortable with unnecessary violence. He once exiled one of his own hitmen for being too brutal during a hit. Bruno’s consigliere, Caponigro, was frustrated with the lack of dominance in the family and believed that the soft touch of Bruno cost the family opportunities and profits.

Caponigro ordered a hit on Angelo Bruno, who was shot in the back of the head with a shotgun while sitting in his car outside his home. The Commission had not authorized the hit and decided to show their disapproval of unapproved mob action by taking out Caponigro in a brutal fashion. He was shot outside of his home, and his body was found mutilated in the trunk.

Carmine Galante

Carmine Galante wasn’t a physically imposing man, standing only 5’5”, but all widely feared him for his brutality and psychotic behavior. When he ascended to the top of the Bonnano Family following the incarceration of the current boss, many in the organization were not pleased, including the Commission. 

His takeover of the family was not approved by the Commission, which is the mafia’s governing body. As a result, they were pressured by the heads of the Five Families to take Galante out. He was gunned down in July of 1979 while eating lunch at a public restaurant. 

Valentine’s Day Massacre

No mob hit list is complete without including the Valentine’s Day Massacre. Organized by Al Capone, who was trying to take control of the Chicago area mob scene, put a target on his top rival George “Bugs” Moran. Capone masterminded a plan to accost Bugs and his hitmen at their headquarters, disguised as the police. 

Capone’s men ordered the seven men to line up against the wall, feigning an arrest procedure, and then executed them all with machine guns. Bugs Moran escaped the assassination because he was five minutes late to the office that day. This massacre catapulted Capone to the top of the Mob watchlist, resulting in his eventual arrest for tax evasion.

In the days of extreme mob violence, political hits were something that happened all the time. Thankfully, mob violence doesn’t make the headlines as often in the modern world. 

NCS
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