The San Francisco crime family was a Mafia

Mafia

The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...

 crime syndicate

Organized crime

Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...

 in San Francisco. The syndicate was organized in the early 1930s by Francesco "Frank" Lanza. The San Francisco family was a very small organization with 20-25 made members.

Francesco Lanza

Francesco "Frank" Lanza became the first crime boss after a gang war that ended in 1932. Lanza guided the crime family during the prohibition era. He was the co-owner of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California

Fisherman's Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California. It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street...

 and a bootlegger

Rum-running

Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...

, pimp

Pimp

A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...

, loan shark

Loan shark

A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....

 and drug dealer. After Lanza's death on July 14, 1937, he was succeeded by Anthony Lima.

Lima and Abati

Anthony Lima took over the crime family. Lima and his underboss, Michael Abati, planned the murder of Chicago gangster, Nick DeJohn. Both were arrested for the murder. Eventually charges were dismissed. Lima lost power after he was convicted on April 27, 1953 of grand theft. Michael Abati stepped into the role in 1953. Abati replaced Lima as boss. His underboss James "Jimmy the Hat" Lanza was one of many Mafia leaders spotted by the police at the 1957 Apalachin Meeting

Apalachin Meeting

The Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held on November 14, 1957, at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. The meeting was attended by roughly 100 Mafiosi from the United States, Canada, and Italy...

. In 1961, Abati was deported to Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 for being involved in criminal activity.

James "Jimmy the Hat" Lanza boss 1961-2006

Francesco Lanza's son, James Lanza, became the syndicate's new head. Lanza held the position from 1961 to 2006 during which he extended the family's connection through other syndicates. LIFE Magazine published his picture and listed him as the crime boss of San Francisco in the late 1960s. Lanza had a close friendship with the San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto. Lanza also made solid ties with other LCN bosses that included Joseph Civello

Joseph Civello

Joseph Francis Civello was a retailer of imported food and liquor in Dallas, Texas, and, more notably, leader of the Dallas crime family from 1956 until his death in 1970.-Early life:...

 of Dallas and Joseph Cerrito of San Jose. His long time underboss, Gaspare "Bill" Sciortino was the cousin to the underboss of the Los Angeles crime family

Los Angeles crime family

The Los Angeles crime family is an Italian American criminal organization based in Los Angeles, as part of the American Mafia . Since its inception in the early 1900s, it has spread throughout Southern California. Like most Mafia families in the United States, the L.A. family gained power...

 Samuel Sciortino. In his book, Aledena "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno

Jimmy Fratianno

Aladena "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno was a Cleveland, Ohio, mobster and later acting head of the Los Angeles crime family before becoming a government witness...

 said he reported to Lanza in 1973 when he moved to the Bay Area after his release from prison. A few years later, he ended his friendship with Fratianno. Lanza complained about him being in San Francisco. In 1977, when Fratianno heard he had a hit on him, one of the charges was that he was bringing too much attention to the existence of the San Francisco crime family. Lanza was believed to have given permission for the murder of former New England crime family associate, turned government witness Joseph Barboza in 1976. Lanza died of natural causes on February 14, 2006.

Bosses

• Francesco Lanza (1932–1937)
• Tony Lima (1937–1953)
• Michael Abati (1953–1961)
• James Lanza (1961–2006)

Current status

In February 2006, long time family Boss Joseph "Jimmy" Lanza died. Now, the Lanza Family is most likely extinct.

See also

• Organized crime in California
  Organized crime in California
  Organized crime in California involves the criminal activities of organized crime groups, gangs, criminal extremists, and terrorists in California.-Gangs:...
  
  
• Mafia
  Mafia
  The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...