Capo dei capi: Difference between revisions

The title was applied by mobsters to [[Giuseppe Morello]] around 1900, according to [[Nick Gentile]].<ref name=critchley46>Critchley, ''The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931'', p.46</ref> Bosses [[Joe Masseria]] (1928–1931) and [[Salvatore Maranzano]] (1931) used the title as part of their efforts to centralize control of the Mafia under themselves. When Maranzano won the [[Castellammarese War]], he set himself up as ''Bossboss of all bosses'', created the [[Five Families]] and ordered every Mafia family to pay him tribute. This provoked a rebellious reaction which led to him being murdered in September 1931, on the orders of [[Lucky Luciano]].<ref name="Dec. 7, 1998">"Lucky Luciano: Criminal Mastermind," ''Time'', [http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989779,00.html Dec"Lucky Luciano: Criminal Mastermind"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. December 7, 1998].</ref> Although there would have been few objections had Luciano declared himself ''Capocapo di tutti i capi'', he abolished the title, believing the position created trouble between the families and made himself a target for another ambitious challenger.<ref name=capital>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ivN7BAAAQBAJ&q=lucky+luciano+church+prison+the+Victoria%2C+the+ship+of+Ferdinand+Magella&pg=PA51|title=Capital of the World: A Portrait of New York City in the Roaring Twenties|author=David Wallace|year=2012|isbn=9780762768196}}</ref> Instead, Luciano established [[The Commission (mafiaAmerican Mafia)|the Commission]] to lead the Mafia, with a goal of quietly maintaining his own power over all the families, while preventing future [[gang]] wars; the bosses approved the idea of the Commission.<ref name="Capeci guide">[[Jerry Capeci|Capeci, Jerry]]. ''The complete idiot's guide to the Mafia'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=GhfExAeLSBAC&pg=PA43&dq=mafia+the+commission&hl=en&ei=BSSWTbuuNMzdgQfjxNTXCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFoQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=commission&f=false "The Mafia's Commission" (pp. 31–46)]</ref> The Commission would consist of a "[[board of directors]]" to oversee all Mafia activities in the United States and serve to mediate conflicts between families.<ref name="Capeci guide"/><ref name=origins>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/20/nyregion/the-commission-s-origins.html|title=The Commission's Origins|date=1986|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=22 February 2017}}</ref>

With the rise of [[Carlo Gambino]], the [[Gambino crime family]] became the most powerful crime family and he was given the title from 1962–1976, as were his successors [[Paul Castellano]] (1976–1985), and [[John Gotti]] (1985–1992).<ref name=raab201>[[Selwyn Raab|Raab]], ''Five Families'', p. 201.</ref> With the fall of Gotti, Genovese Boss [[Vincent Gigante]] held the title from 1992–1997.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raab|first=Selwyn|title=With Gotti Away, the Genoveses Succeed the Leaderless Gambinos|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/03/nyregion/with-gotti-away-the-genoveses-succeed-the-leaderless-gambinos.html?scp=6&sq=Carmine%20Persico&st=cse|date= September 3, 1995|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 29, 2013}}</ref> The term has since fallen out of use. Bonanno family boss [[Joseph Massino]] was recognized by four of the five families as chairman of the Commission from 2000 to 2004;<ref name="time magazine">Corliss, Richard. & Crittle, Simon (March 29, 2004). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20050803075523/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993685,00.html "The Last Don"]",. ''[[Time Magazine]]'', March 29, 2004. AccessedRetrieved June 21, 2008.</ref> during this time he was the only full-fledged boss in New York not in prison.

In [[Italy]], a fictional six-part television miniseries called ''[[Il Capo dei Capi]]'' relates the story of Salvatore Riina.<ref name=nyt181107>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/technology/18iht-mafia19.1.8374072.html "A Mafia saga keeps Italians tuned in"],. ''The New York Times,''. November 18, 2007.</ref>

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100717123839/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1683530,00.html "The Boss of All Bosses"],. ''Time''. Magazine2010.