Jack Dragna
| Jack Dragna | |
|---|---|
L.A.P.D. mugshot of Jack Dragna.
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| Born |
Ignazio Dragna April 18, 1891 Corleone, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | February 23, 1956 (aged 64) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Other names | Charles Dragna, Antonio Rizzotto |
| Known for | Mob activity |
| Spouse(s) | Francesca Dragna |
| Children | Frank Dragna, Anna Dragna |
| Parent(s) | Francesco Dragna (father) Anna Dragna (mother) |
| Relatives |
Tom Dragna (brother) Josephine Dragna (sister) Louis Tom Dragna (nephew) Stephen G. Niotta (son in law) |
Jack Ignatius Dragna (April 18, 1891 – February 23, 1956) was an American Mafia member and Black Hander who was active in both Italy and the United States in the 20th century. He was active in bootlegging in California during the Prohibition Era in the United States. In 1931, he succeeded Joseph Ardizzone as the boss of the Los Angeles crime family after Ardizzone's mysterious disappearance and death in 1931. Both James Ragen and Earl Warren dubbed Dragna the "Capone of Los Angeles". Dragna remained the boss of the Los Angeles crime family from 1931 until his death in 1956.
Dragna was born Ignazio Dragna to Francesco Paolo Dragna and Anna Dragna in Corleone, Sicily, on April 18, 1891. On November 18, 1898, Dragna came to America on the S.S. Alsatia with his mother, older sister Giuseppa, and older brother Gaetano. They stayed in Brooklyn with Antonio Rizzotto's family, also from Corleone. It is unknown when Dragna's father arrived in the United States. Dragna stayed in New York for ten years before returning to Sicily. As a young man, he joined the Italian Army and later the Sicilian Mafia.
In 1914, Dragna returned to America. He appears to have had a relationship with Gaetano Reina, who eventually would lead his own crime family in Manhattan and the Bronx. That same year, Dragna was a suspect in the murder of Jewish poultry dealer Barnet Baff. After the killing, Dragna fled to California and assumed the name Charles Dragna. Dragna was extradited to New York, but never went on trial. In 1915, Dragna was arrested for Black Hand extortion of a Long Beach man and served three years in prison. At the time of his extortion arrest, Dragna was using the alias Ignazio Rizzoto.
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