August Mob Calendar of Events
August is a month of significant births and brutal deaths in organised crime history. The birthday of Carlo Gambino, the killing of Dominick Napolitano for allowing Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the Bonannos, the murder of Willie Boy Johnson — every day of August has a story from the criminal underworld. Click any date below to read the full account.
Key dates this month: August 9 — Johnny Roselli found dead | August 17 — Dominick Napolitano killed | August 21 — Bugs Moran born | August 24 — Carlo Gambino born | August 29 — Willie Boy Johnson murdered
August Mob Calendar of Events
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August 24, 1902 was the birthday of Carlo Gambino — the Quiet Don who would become the most powerful Mafia boss in America. Born in Palermo and emigrating to New York as a young man, Gambino was the antithesis of flashy mob bosses like John Gotti. He operated in the shadows, accumulated enormous power and died quietly at home in 1976 — one of the very few bosses of his era to escape prison and assassination.
August 17, 1981 was the day Dominick Napolitano — Sonny Black — paid the ultimate price for allowing undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone to infiltrate the Bonanno family for six years. Napolitano had vouched for Pistone personally. When Pistone’s true identity was revealed, Napolitano knew his fate. He handed his jewellery to an associate before walking into the meeting where he was killed. His story was told in the film Donnie Brasco.
August 9, 1976 brought the gruesome discovery of Johnny Roselli’s body stuffed in an oil drum in Miami Bay. Roselli had been a key figure in the CIA-Mafia plots to assassinate Fidel Castro and had recently testified before the Church Committee. His murder silenced one of the few men who knew the full story of those extraordinary operations. It was never officially solved.
August 29, 1988 saw the killing of Willie Boy Johnson — a close associate of John Gotti who had secretly been an FBI informant for years. When his identity was revealed in 1986, Gotti initially spared him. Two years later the order finally came. Johnson was shot 17 times outside his Brooklyn home — a brutal end to a man who had tried to serve two masters.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Carlo Gambino born?
Carlo Gambino was born on August 24, 1902, in Palermo, Sicily. He became the most powerful Mafia boss in America, leading the Gambino crime family from 1957 until his death from a heart attack in 1976 — one of the few bosses of his era to die of natural causes.
When was Dominick Napolitano killed?
Dominick Napolitano was killed on August 17, 1981, in Brooklyn, as punishment for allowing undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone to infiltrate the Bonanno family for six years. Before entering the meeting where he was killed, Napolitano handed his watch and jewellery to an associate — he knew he wasn’t coming back.
When was Bugs Moran born?
Bugs Moran was born on August 21, 1893. He led Chicago’s North Side gang and was Al Capone’s primary rival during Prohibition. He was the intended target of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929 but survived, having arrived late. He died in prison in 1957.
When was Willie Boy Johnson killed?
Willie Boy Johnson was shot dead on August 29, 1988, outside his Brooklyn home. A close associate of John Gotti who had secretly been an FBI informant, he was shot 17 times after his cover was blown two years earlier.
When was Johnny Roselli killed?
Johnny Roselli’s body was found on August 9, 1976, stuffed in an oil drum in Miami Bay. He had been strangled. Roselli had recently testified before the Church Committee about CIA-Mafia plots to kill Fidel Castro. His murder was never officially solved.
Further Reading — Mob History
Want to go deeper into the stories behind these dates? These are the essential books on organised crime history.
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