1998 in organized crime
Encyclopedia
See also:
1997 in organized crime
,
other events of 1998,
1999 in organized crime
and the
list of 'years in Organized Crime'
.
----
1997 in organized crime
1997 in organized crime
See also:1996 in organized crime,other events of 1997,1998 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Events:*January 7 – "Fat" Herbie Blitzstein was shot to death inside his Las Vegas townhouse....
,
other events of 1998,
1999 in organized crime
1999 in organized crime
See also:1998 in organized crime,other events of 1999,2000 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Events:*FBI surveillance captures footage of Las Vegas strip club owner Rick Rizzolo, in Chicago, discussing gambling and construction "interests" with Joseph "Joe the...
and the
list of 'years in Organized Crime'
Timeline of organized crime
This is a timeline of the history of organized crime.Note: Sources included are Carl Sifakis's The Mafia Encyclopedia, Herbert Asbury's The Gangs of New York and others. Online references also include Thomas P...
.
----
Events
- January 22 - Gambino crime familyGambino crime familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
acting boss John Gotti, Jr., and 22 other associates were indicted on federal racketeering charges. Gotti later pleaded guilty to racketeering and extortion, and was sentenced to six year and five months in prison. - March 19 - Philadelphia crime familyPhiladelphia crime familyThe Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family, Bruno crime family, Philadelphia Mafia, or Philly Mob, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most active American Mafia families outside of the Five Families of New York...
soldier Anthony Turra was shot to death outside his home on his way to federal court, where he faced charges including the attempted murder of underboss Joseph MerlinoJoseph MerlinoJoseph Salvatore "Skinny Joey" Merlino was the boss of the Philadelphia crime family from 1994 to 1999, despite Ralph Natale being officially the boss, and was said to have led it primarily in extortion, bookmaking, drug trafficking, and loan sharking.-Family mob ties:Joseph Salvatore Merlino a.k.a...
. - April 28 - Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime familyThe Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
acting boss Joseph DeFedeJoseph DeFedeJoseph "Little Joe" DeFede is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant.-Early years:...
and 11 others were indicted on federal extortion and racketeering charges involving the family’s joint control of the Garment District in Manhattan with the Gambino and Genovese families. Defede would plead guilty to the extortion charges in 1998. - May 24 - Sicilian drug kingpin Pasquale CuntreraCuntrera-Caruana Mafia familyThe Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan is part of the Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra and held a key position in the illicit drug trade and money laundering for Cosa Nostra in the 1980s and 1990s. The Italian press baptized the clan as 'The Rothschilds of the Mafia' or 'the bankers of Cosa Nostra'.Italian...
is arrested on Spain’s Costa del Sol, just five days after officials in Rome admitted that he had been released from prison on a technicality. Cuntrera would be brought back to Italy to serve a 21-year prison sentence. - June 2 - Joseph Russo, a former top leader of the New England Patriarca crime familyPatriarca crime familyThe Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
dies in a federal prison. Russo had been a power in the family after Raymond L.S. PatriarcaRaymond L.S. PatriarcaRaymond Loreda Salvatore Patriarca, Sr. was an Italian-American mobster from Providence, Rhode Island who became the longtime boss of the Patriarca crime family, whose control extended throughout New England for over three decades...
died.
Arts and literature
- American History XAmerican History XAmerican History X is a 1998 American drama film directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. It was distributed by New Line Cinema....
(film) - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsLock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag...
(film) - Out of SightOut of SightOut of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
(film)