{"product_id":"1955-mobster-gangster-anthony-carfano-little-augie-pisano-original-press-photo","title":"1955 Mobster Gangster Anthony Carfano \"Little Augie Pisano\" Original Press Photo","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003eAnthony “Little Augie Pisano” Carfano was a powerful New York mobster whose career stretched from the Prohibition era into the Mafia power struggles of the 1950s. He began working for Brooklyn crime boss Frankie Yale and, following Yale’s 1928 murder, rose to become a caporegime under Joe Masseria. Carfano later became closely associated with Lucky Luciano and Frank Costello in what eventually became the Genovese crime family.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003eIn the late 1930s, Costello and Joe Adonis sent Carfano to South Florida to expand the organization’s interests. Operating from Miami, he developed a lucrative gambling empire while maintaining interests in legitimate hotels and spas. He worked within a Florida underworld that included Meyer Lansky and the Trafficante organization, and by the late 1950s Carfano’s gambling operations were reportedly worth millions. He also attended the famous 1946 Havana Conference, which brought together leading figures in American organized crime.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003eCarfano remained fiercely loyal to Frank Costello during Vito Genovese’s campaign to seize control of the family. After Costello survived a 1957 assassination attempt and surrendered leadership to Genovese, Carfano reportedly refused to fully accept the new boss’s authority. His continued allegiance to Costello, combined with his powerful Florida gambling interests and reported ambitions involving Cuba, placed him in an increasingly dangerous position.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\"\u003eOn September 25, 1959, Carfano dined at Marino’s restaurant in New York before leaving with Janice Drake, a former Miss New Jersey. Less than an hour later, both were discovered shot to death inside Carfano’s Cadillac near LaGuardia Airport. One longstanding account holds that Genovese ordered Carfano killed because of his loyalty to Costello and defiance of the new leadership. Other theories have connected the murder to Carfano’s gambling interests in Florida and Cuba. His assassination marked the violent end of a mob career that had connected the eras of Frankie Yale, Joe Masseria, Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky and Vito Genovese.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eOffered is an original United Press International News phot that measures 8” x 10” in size of Carfano.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eOriginal stamping on the back of the photo and dated in pencil 2-16-55.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eThis was a restrike printed in the late 50s – early 60s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eOf note, Carfano arrived for arraignment (went to jail) after being indicted for stealing from a Union Welfare fund that went well into the millions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Albersheim's","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49329511694491,"sku":"14657","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/2573\/3275\/files\/AnthonyCarfanoWP.jpg?v=1787187714","url":"https:\/\/www.albersheims.com\/products\/1955-mobster-gangster-anthony-carfano-little-augie-pisano-original-press-photo","provider":"Albersheim's","version":"1.0","type":"link"}