KANSAS CITY FAMILY
In the 1920s Paolo D'Giovanni founded the first La Cosa Nostra faction in Kansas City. A very small number of men with rackets in mainly extortion and bootlegging. Nicolo Gentile took over and ruled until 1932. John Lazia then became boss and ruled the city. He was backed by the state powerhouse in politics, Tom Pendergast and K.C.'s venal city manager, Henry F. McElroy. With the politian connections and having all the law enforcers paid off, Lazia and his man were always given nothing more than a slap on the wrist for crimes. On July 10,1934, Charles Carollo drove Lazia to his hotel room at 3am. When lazia waited for Carollo to open the door for him, he didn't see that Carollo had disappeared, two men ambushed Lazia with machinegun fire. Carollo basically continued what Lazia had been doing. When treasury agents were sent to investigate the goings on with Pendergast Carollo's men harrassed them constantly. It didn't seem to work, Carollo along with Pendergast were convicted of income tax evasion in 1939. Charles Binaggio then took over from 1939-1950. He kept the political connections constant and increased them somewhat. He was responsible for expanding the family's rackets. Gun down on April 6,1950. For three years Anthony Gizzo ruled sometimes referred to as the front man for Nicholas Civella. Civella was the most respected don in Kansas City history. So respected that he was almost made a member of the Commission. He was indicted on charges of casino skimming. He died in 1983. William Camissano reigned for the now very weak Kansas City family. Involved with minor loansharking, bookmaking and extortion. He was in the Black book, men who are banned from Nevada casinos. He died in January 1995.
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John Lazia |
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