Albert Anastasia
Umberto "Albert" Anastasia (/ˌænəˈsteɪʒə/, Italian: [umˈbɛrto anastaˈziːa]; né Anastasio [anaˈstaːzjo]; September 26, 1902 – October 25, 1957) was an Italian-American mobster, hitman and crime boss. One of the founders of the modern American Mafia, and a co-founder and later boss of the Murder, Inc. organization, he eventually rose to the position of boss in what became the modern Gambino crime family. He also controlled New York City's waterfront for most of his criminal career, mainly through the dockworker unions. Anastasia was murdered on October 25, 1957, on the orders of Vito Genovese and Carlo Gambino; Gambino subsequently became boss of the family.
Albert Anastasia | |
|---|---|
Anastasia's 1936 mugshot | |
| Born | Umberto Anastasio September 26, 1902 |
| Died | October 25, 1957 (aged 55) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Resting place | Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Other names | The One-Man Army Mad Hatter Lord High Executioner Don Umberto |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Crime boss |
| Predecessor | Vincent Mangano |
| Successor | Carlo Gambino |
| Spouse |
Elsa Bargnesi (m. 1937) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Anthony Anastasio (brother) Anthony Scotto (nephew-in-law) |
| Allegiance | Anastasia crime family Murder, Inc. |
| Conviction(s) | Murder (1921) Illegal possession of a firearm (1923) Tax evasion (1955) |
| Criminal charge | Murder (1928, later dropped) |
| Penalty | Death penalty (1921, but released in 1922 during retrial) 2 years' imprisonment (1923) 1 year imprisonment (1955) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | U.S. |
| Service/ | U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1944 |
Anastasia was one of the most ruthless and feared organized crime figures in American history; his reputation earned him the nicknames The Earthquake, The One-Man Army, Mad Hatter and Lord High Executioner.