The most famous assassins who worked for the mafia (10 photos)

This post will introduce you to the most famous assassins in the world, who were closely associated with mafia circles and carried out various assignments on their orders. Some of these people managed to achieve considerable heights in the criminal world and still live, while others faced a much sadder end.

Abe Reles, nicknamed Baby Twist, was one of New York's most notorious hitmen and a member of the notorious Murder, Inc. organization. He often killed his victims with an ice ax. He could kill a person for nothing, for example, once a parking attendant picked up his car late, for which Abe killed him. Everyone was afraid of him, including influential mafiosi. Abe had many criminal records, was in prison several times, but never received a really long sentence. On November 12, 1941, he was found dead on the street near the hotel in whose room he lived.

Salvatore Gravano, nicknamed Sammy the Bull, is a very famous person in the US criminal world. He started stealing from childhood, although he grew up in a fairly decent family. In the 60s, Gravano became involved with the mafia. Initially he dealt with small matters, after which they began to trust him with something more serious. The rapid growth of his “career” made Sammy an assistant to the boss of one of the families. In 1990 he was arrested, but actively participated in the investigation and was sentenced to 5 years. Gravo was involved in at least 19 murders. Some of the murders he committed are described in his book. Several times he tried to engage in legal business, however, his criminal past took over. Currently serving time for trafficking in ecstasy. Organized the largest dealer network in Arizona.

Sam DeStefano, nicknamed Crazy, embarked on a criminal path in the late 20s of the last century. He spent many years in prison. He was involved in lending and dealt very harshly with his debtors. He tortured his victims for a long time, as a result of which they died in agony. He could kill a person even after he was late in paying interest once, so that his other clients would understand that it was not worth joking with Sam. In 1973 he was killed by his own student.

Frank Abbandando, nicknamed Dasher, is involved in 30 murders. He dealt with his victims in cold blood using improvised means. In the 30s, he was a member of one of the most influential gangs, and was also a member of the Murder Inc. organization. In May 1940 he was arrested and sentenced to death. In '42, Abbandando was put in the electric chair.

Harry Strauss, nicknamed Pittsburgh Phil, is considered one of the most brutal members of Murder, Inc. During his “career” he killed 30 people, this is only what we were able to prove. It is believed that the number of his victims could exceed a hundred. He carried a suitcase with him that contained an ice axe, a rope and a sawn-off shotgun. He was arrested 18 times, but the arrest in 1940 was his last. Harry tried to make himself look insane, but he was sentenced to the electric chair. The sentence was carried out on June 12, 1941.

Thomas Pitera, nicknamed Tommy Karate, was a hitman for the Bonanno family in the 80s. He was excellent at martial arts and had sadistic tendencies. According to investigators, during his “career” he killed about 60 people. He dismembered the victims' bodies and buried them in plastic bags. In 1990, he was charged only with involvement in several murders and drug trafficking. This was enough for Tommy to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Joseph “The Animal” Barbosa, before embarking on a criminal path, managed to get an education as a chef and try himself, and quite successfully, as a boxer. In the early 50s he went to prison, and after his release he worked for the Patriarca crime family. In the 60s he became one of the most famous killers and achieved influence in criminal circles. Completed at least 26 orders. In 1966 he was arrested and began to cooperate with the investigation. In 1975 he received early release, and the following year he was shot dead.

Roy DeMeo worked for the Gambino crime family. Over 10 years, his team achieved 70 kills. The gang hid the bodies of the victims very well, many of them were never found. In 1982, the FBI began investigating a series of murders, and the following year DeMeo was found dead in the trunk of a car.

Giovanni Brusca, nicknamed the Pig. A hereditary mafioso who became one of the leaders of the Italian mafia. Before that, he carried out various assignments, including murders. According to Giovani himself, he killed more than 100 people. He was arrested in 1996, but began to actively cooperate with the investigation. Thanks to his information, many prominent mafiosi were arrested. He is still serving his sentence, but has the right to a week-long “vacation” every 54 days.

Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski worked with many Italian-American families. Claimed to have killed over 100 people. He committed his first murder at the age of 13. In the 50s he became a professional killer, honing his skills on the homeless. In 1986 he received several life sentences. Died in prison in 2006.