| |
| Aldo Trapani | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Aliases | Kid, Don Trapani, Friend, Boss, The Player |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | March 12, 1924 Little Italy, New York City |
| Died | January 1, 1959 Havana, Cuba |
| Affiliation |  Corleone Trapani
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| Title(s) | Capo di tutti capi Don Underboss Consigliere Caporegime Soldier Associate Enforcer Outsider Gang Member |
Aldo Trapani was an Italian-American New York City mobster who was a renowned mob boss. Trapani was originally the Underboss of the Corleone crime family, but rose to become a Don of the Trapani crime family. Trapani was killed in 1959 by a Cuban sniper while fleeing Havana during the Cuban Revolution as rebels overran the city.
Biography
Early Life and Enforcer
Aldo Trapani
Aldo Trapani was born and raised in the Italian-American neighborhood of Little Italy of New York, son of Corleone Soldato Johnny Trapani and Serafina Trapani. He witnessed the death of his father in 1936 at the hands of the Barzini crime family, and in his youth, became hardened and joined the Bowery Gang, a group of mischievous teens who robbed banks and beat up other gangs for a living. They treated him poorly, so in 1945, Serafina begged Don Vito Corleone to save Aldo and make him serve in the Corleone family. He sent Luca Brasi, who killed the gang members and took Aldo in as an outsider.
Aldo Trapani's first mission was to train under Luca Brasi. His first attack on a business was the Cuneo crime family racket Primola, taking it over for himself. He forced Cuneo associate Bobby Cappalinni to give his cut to the Corleone crime family, before taking over some more businesses with the aid of some of Luca Brasi's regime men. On August 24, he took over Emilio's Butcher Shop from Barzini after the shopkeeper Emilio Brunetti gave his kickbacks to the Tattaglia crime family, not the Corleones. Trapani later met Marty Malone and Paulie Gatto, two men under mob Capo Peter Clemenza, and they participated in the beating of Socs Kevin Moonan and Jerry Wagner as a favor to Amerigo Bonasera, whose daughter they abused. Aldo became close to Brasi, and was devastated when he was murdered in the Luna Bar, Trapani shooting his assassin Adriano Maserati.
After this incident, he conquered several Tattaglia businesses in Little Italy, including the Natividad Farmers Market and DeMantagna's, which were a grocery market and a barbershop, respectively. It was at DeMantagna's where he intended to tell Malone of Brasi's death, but on December 18, Don Vito Corleone was shot five times outside of the barbershop, and both Malone and Dino DeMantagna were critically wounded as well. Trapani drove Corleone's ambulance to the Little Italy Hosptial, killing a Tattaglia capo along the way. Trapani also shot Giuseppe Partinico, another Tattaglia capo. It was during this moment that he met his future girlfriend Frances Malone, Marty Malone's sister, who he rescued by shooting "Camel Hair" Partinico.
After Don Corleone's shooting, Trapani served under Sonny Corleone, who was the de facto boss of the family. He rescued consigliere Tom Hagen from his kidnapping alongside Peter Clemenza and Rocco Lampone, and killed Hagen's kidnappers Mikey Saleri and Donnie Marinelli, weakening the Tattaglia family by a long shot. For these deeds, he was made a non-official enforcer. He later murdered capo Tony Bianchi, and guarded Vito Corleone in the hospital from Tattaglia assassins sent by Virgil Sollozzo.
Trapani became a powerful member of the Mafia, and murdered several of the Corleone family's rivals, including Stracci soldier Plinio Ottaviano, capo Leon Grossi, and Cuneo capo Michael Costa. He would soon? take part in the Bombing of Sollozzo's Warehouse, and was promoted to associate, which meant that he would be working for Capo Peter Clemenza now.
Associate
Death of Bruno Tattaglia.
As an associate, Trapani's laundered moey would go more to him, rather than tribute to Don Corleone. Trapani worked in the assassination of Virgil Sollozzo as a getaway driver for Michael Corleone after hiding a gun for Corleone to use and shoot Sollozzo with.
After this, Tom Hagen called him and they met at Corcoran's Perch, where a ceremony was held to initiate Trapani into the Mafia. Marty Malone was a non-Italian, so he was forced to wait outside. Trapani celebrated with Sonny Corleone, Vito Corleone, and the other made men of the family.
Soldier
Aldo Trapani was made as a soldier under Pete Clemenza's crew. He took over Little Italy from the Tattaglias in 1950, and bombed the Tattaglia Compound later that year, taking over Brooklyn as well. He made many more conquests across New York City and New Jersey, alongside his crew of mobsters. But later in that year, Tattaglia underboss Bruno Tattaglia kidnapped Frankie Malone, his girlfriend, and murdered her, so Trapani killed Piero Abruzzi, a Tattaglia capo, and burnt Bruno Tattaglia to death at Abruzzi's funeral.
Following this incident, he took part in the Third Cuneo War, a Corleone offensive against the Cuneos in return for an attack on the Corleone Compound in Little Italy. In return, Santino Corleone was gunned down by the Five Families and Trapani murdered his assassins and Liam Broderick, the tollbooth attendant, who sold him out and Giovanni Bacci, the Tattaglia underboss, who ordered his death. Soon, when Michael Corleone returned from Sicily, he sent Tom Hagen to inform Trapani that he was going to be made a capo.
Capo
Michael Corleone and a now-retired Vito Corleone met Aldo Trapani back at the compound, informing him that they agreed to make him Michael's right arm as his Caporegime, alongside Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. Corleone murdered Malone in 1953 following his betrayal of the Corleone family for the FBI and the Cuneo crime family, and also shot and killed George Jovino and Salvatore Tessio for their Barzini loyalties in 1954. As a Corleone hitman, he was assigned with the murders of various public officials for money for Sergeant Joe Chris Ferriera, including Ronaldo Manning, Tyrone Bloom, Scaleri brothers and Patrick O'Donnell. He later killed Ferriera after Ferriera tried to? murder him to? cover up being a corrupt cop.? He murdered Moe Greene,? who was a threat? to the Corleone family operations in? Las Vegas, at Orchid, Inc. in? July.
His last actions as caporegime were to murder Emilio Barzini, Philip Tattaglia, Carmine Cuneo, and Victor Stracci. After killing? all? three dons, he? shot Barzini several times at? the Foley Square Courthouse in revenge for his father's death, and afterwards,? he was promoted to Underboss by? Michael Corleone.
Underboss
Trapani's made men and associates.
In later August 1955, after having killed the heads of the Five Families, he waged war on the other families to get control of all of New York City, a process that would take him until 1956. He bombed the Cuneo Compound, Stracci Compound, and Barzini Compound, eliminating the rival families forever. He finished off the last of the made men, killing Salvatore Stracci, Johnny Tattaglia, Emilio Barzini, Jr., Domenico Mazza, Marco Cuneo, Luciano Fabbri, and? everyone else that? posed a threat to the Corleones. By early 1956, he had control of every racket, front, warehouse, hub, and compound, as well as killed every enemy made man and robbed every city bank, totaling 14. He was made Don of New York by Michael Corleone, who finalized the move to Nevada, leaving Aldo Trapani in charge of all of the Corleone family's East Coast interests.
Don of New York and Death
Aldo Trapani in 1958.
Aldo Trapani became the head of the Corleone family interests in New York City and the rest of the East Coast, ruling the city with all of his might. He had a large business empire, with Dominic as underboss and Tom Hagen as lawyer and consigliere. His capos' crews roamed the city and his enforcers put down all other criminal gangs and families. By 1958 he had operations in Miami and Cuba, owning casinos and hotels there.
As Michael Corleone's right-hand man, he attended a meeting with the other dons of the East Coast in Havana on New Years' Eve 1958, where Jewish kingpin Hyman Roth prepared to discuss the passing of his hotels off to other crime lords once he retired or died. Trapani and Dominic represented the Trapani crime family, while Michael Corleone and Fredo Corleone were present on behalf of the Corleone crime family. Many other families such as the Almeida crime family, Mangano crime family, and Granados crime family attended. He attended the New Years' party downstairs, until it was crashed when President Fulgencio Batista resigned from office as Cuban rebels invaded the city, and Trapani and the Corleones fought their way through the streets to the airport. Trapani used a wire cutter to open the gates to the airport, but he was blinded by a spotlight from the air control tower and a Cuban sniper shot him in the neck, killing him instantly. His underboss Dominic Corleone succeeded him.