July Mob Calendar of Events
July is a month of landmark moments in organised crime history. The birth of Meyer Lansky, the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, the assassination of anti-Mafia judge Paolo Borsellino — every day of July has a story from the criminal underworld. Click any date below to read the full account.
Key dates this month: July 1 — Frankie Yale murdered | July 4 — Meyer Lansky born | July 13 — Tommy Lucchese dies | July 19 — Paolo Borsellino assassinated | July 30 — Jimmy Hoffa disappears
No Entry
No Entry
July in Mob History — Key Events
July 4, 1902 — Independence Day — was the birthday of Meyer Lansky, the financial genius of the American Mafia. Born in Russia and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Lansky would go on to oversee the mob’s casino operations in Cuba and Las Vegas, accumulating a fortune estimated at over $300 million. He was one of the most powerful figures in organised crime history — and one of the very few who died of old age.
July 1, 1928 brought the death of Frankie Yale — Al Capone’s former mentor and the man Capone had sent to carry out the murder of Dean O’Banion in 1924. Yale was shot dead in his own car in Brooklyn, killed on Capone’s orders after accusations that he had been hijacking Capone’s bootleg liquor shipments. It was a brutal demonstration of how quickly loyalties could turn in the mob world.
July 19, 1992 delivered one of the most devastating blows ever struck against organised crime enforcement. Judge Paolo Borsellino — who had worked alongside Giovanni Falcone to build the cases that brought down the Sicilian Mafia’s leadership — was killed by a car bomb outside his mother’s apartment in Palermo. The explosion killed him and five bodyguards. Coming just two months after Falcone’s murder, the killing shocked the world.
July 30, 1975 is one of the most famous dates in American organised crime history — the day Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. The Teamsters union boss was last seen in a Michigan restaurant car park where he had arranged to meet mob figures. His body has never been found. His fate remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of American crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Jimmy Hoffa disappear?
Jimmy Hoffa disappeared on July 30, 1975, from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Michigan. He was never seen again. His body has never been found and his murder was never officially solved, though organised crime involvement is universally accepted.
When was Meyer Lansky born?
Meyer Lansky was born on July 4, 1902, in Grodno, then part of the Russian Empire. He emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up to become the financial genius of the American Mafia, overseeing casino operations in Cuba and Las Vegas.
When was Paolo Borsellino killed?
Paolo Borsellino was assassinated on July 19, 1992, in Palermo, Sicily. A car bomb exploded outside his mother’s apartment building, killing Borsellino and five police escorts. The attack was ordered by Sicilian Mafia boss Totò Riina, two months after the murder of Judge Giovanni Falcone.
When did Frankie Yale die?
Frankie Yale was shot dead on July 1, 1928, in Brooklyn. He was killed on Al Capone’s orders after being accused of hijacking Capone’s bootleg liquor shipments. Yale had been Capone’s mentor and carried out several murders on his behalf.
When did Tommy Lucchese die?
Tommy Lucchese — boss of the Lucchese crime family — died on July 13, 1967, from a brain tumour aged 67. Unlike many mob bosses of his era, he died of natural causes, having run his family for over two decades with discipline and relative anonymity.
Further Reading — Mob History
Want to go deeper into the stories behind these dates? These are the essential books on organised crime history.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.