November Mob Calendar of Events
November is one of the most historically significant months in organised crime history. The Apalachin Meeting that exposed the Mafia to the world, the murder of Dean O’Banion that started the Chicago gang war, the birth of Lucky Luciano, and the assassination of President Kennedy — every day of November has a story from the criminal underworld. Click any date below to read the full account.
Key dates this month: November 6 — Arnold Rothstein dies | November 10 — Dean O’Banion murdered | November 14 — Apalachin Meeting | November 22 — JFK assassinated | November 24 — Lucky Luciano born
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November in Mob History — Key Events
November 10, 1924 — the murder of Dean O’Banion in his Chicago flower shop — lit the fuse for the most violent period in American gangland history. O’Banion had been Al Capone’s primary North Side rival. His murder by Frankie Yale and two companions, using the now-famous handshake trap, triggered a war that would eventually culminate in the St Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929.
November 14, 1957 produced one of the most embarrassing and consequential moments in American Mafia history — the Apalachin Meeting. Over 100 mob bosses gathered at an upstate New York estate and were discovered by state police. Dozens fled through the woods in their suits. The disaster forced J. Edgar Hoover — who had long denied the Mafia’s existence — to finally acknowledge organised crime as a national threat and launch the Top Hoodlum Program.
November 24, 1897 was the birthday of Lucky Luciano — the architect of the modern American Mafia. Born in Sicily, raised in Manhattan, Luciano organised the murder of both Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano in 1931 to establish himself as the undisputed power in New York organised crime, then built the Commission to prevent any single person from ever holding that much power again.
November 22, 1963 — the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — remains one of the most debated events in the history of organised crime. The mob’s alleged connections to the assassination, through figures like Sam Giancana and Carlos Marcello, have never been definitively established but have generated decades of investigation and controversy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Apalachin Meeting?
The Apalachin Meeting on November 14, 1957, was a summit of over 100 senior American Mafia figures at an estate in upstate New York. When state police raided it, dozens of mob bosses fled into the woods. The disaster proved a national criminal organisation existed and forced the FBI to finally take organised crime seriously.
When was Lucky Luciano born?
Lucky Luciano was born on November 24, 1897, in Lercara Friddi, Sicily. He became the founder of the modern American Mafia, establishing the Commission in 1931. He died of a heart attack at Naples airport on January 26, 1962.
When was Dean O’Banion killed?
Dean O’Banion was shot dead on November 10, 1924, in his Chicago flower shop. Three gunmen including Frankie Yale used a handshake trap to hold him in place while shooting him six times. His murder ignited the Chicago gang war that led to the St Valentine’s Day Massacre.
When was Arnold Rothstein killed?
Arnold Rothstein was shot on November 4, 1928, at the Park Central Hotel in Manhattan and died two days later on November 6. The original mob financier and mentor to a generation of New York gangsters, his murder was never officially solved.
When was Vito Genovese born?
Vito Genovese was born on November 21, 1897, in Risigliano, near Naples. He became boss of the Genovese crime family — the most powerful of the Five Families — and died in prison in 1969 serving a 15-year sentence for drug trafficking.
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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