Tommy Lucchese

Lore & Background

Lucchese emigrated to the United States in early 1911, settling in Manhattan's East Harlem. After an industrial accident in 1915 amputated his right thumb and forefinger, he became involved with the 107th Street gang, which operated under the protection of boss Gaetano Reina. By the early 1920s, Lucchese had allied with Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano and became a top member of Reina's crime family. His first arrest was in 1915 for burglary, and his only conviction was for auto theft in 1923, resulting in a sentence of 13 months. He was arrested six times total, with the last in 1935, but never served a lengthy sentence.

During the Castellammarese War in 1931, Lucchese alerted Luciano that Salvatore Maranzano planned to kill him. Lucchese identified Maranzano to hitmen posing as IRS agents, leading to Maranzano's murder. After the war, Luciano created The Commission, and Tommy Gagliano became boss of the Reina family, with Lucchese as his underboss. Lucchese served as the family's public face for two decades, forming alliances with Louis Buchalter and controlling union locals in the garment industry, as well as engaging in knockdown loans, drug trafficking, and fixing boxing matches.

In 1951, Gagliano died of natural causes, and Lucchese succeeded him as boss. The family was renamed the Lucchese crime family. Lucchese appointed Stefano LaSalle as underboss and Vincenzo Rao as consigliere. He formed an alliance with Vito Genovese and Carlo Gambino to gain control of the Commission. Lucchese maintained close relationships with New York City politicians, including Mayors William O'Dwyer and Vincent Impellitteri.

Reader's Guide

Tommy Lucchese's significance lies in his long tenure as a Mafia boss and his role in shaping the modern structure of organized crime in New York City. As underboss to Tommy Gagliano for two decades, he was the public face of the family, managing illegal operations in the garment industry, unions, and boxing. His alliance with Lucky Luciano during the Castellammarese War helped establish the Commission, which replaced the old boss-of-bosses system with a council of five families. As boss from 1951 to 1967, Lucchese led one of the Five Families, forming alliances that influenced Commission power dynamics. His political connections allowed him to become a naturalized citizen and obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct, reflecting the Mafia's infiltration of legitimate institutions. Lucchese's legacy includes the renaming of the Gagliano family after him and his family's continued prominence in organized crime. His daughter's marriage to Tommy Gambino, son of Carlo Gambino, cemented a bond between two major crime families.

Did You Know?

• Lucchese's nickname 'Three Finger Brown' came from a police officer comparing his deformed hand to that of baseball pitcher Mordecai 'Three Finger' Brown; Lucchese always disliked the alias.
• He was arrested only six times in his criminal career, with his first arrest in 1915 and his last in 1935, and never served a lengthy prison sentence.
• Lucchese's daughter Frances married Tommy Gambino, son of Gambino crime family boss Carlo Gambino, forming a strong bond between the two families.
• He attended the mob's Havana Conference in Cuba in 1946, representing himself as a high-ranking member of his family.