Christian CipolliniUpdated: Oct 13, 2022
1931 The Year of the New American Underworld
By Christian Cipollini
A short lived, yet bloody war (dubbed the Castellammarese War) between two rival Mafia
bosses in New York from 1930-1931 culminated in the eventual overthrow of both men by
younger and more progressive underlings in direct opposition of what they viewed as ‘old
school’ mafia mentality.
“Don Vincenzo, tell your compare Maranzano that we have killed Masseria - not to serve
him, but for our own personal reasons. Tell him that if he should touch even the hair of
even a personal enemy of ours, we will wage war to the end.” - Lucky Luciano’s message
for Maranzano via liaison Vincenzo Troia, as recounted by Nicola Gentile.
At approximately 3:30 pm on April 15, 1931, Joe the Boss felt the piercing trauma of multiple
calibre slugs entering his large frame from an unknown number of shooters. Twenty plus
rounds were wildly fired about the establishment; five hit the mark, penetrating the head,
shoulders and back. Masseria clutched the tablecloth as his bloody, bullet-battered body fell
lifeless to the floor. The killers swiftly exited to awaiting getaway cars. Police arrived on scene,
collected a couple weapons, two sawn off shotguns among them, and articles of clothing
believed to have belonged to the assassins. Newspaper reporters, armed with cameras, soon
descended upon the gory scene inside the eatery – one of whom cleverly placed an Ace of
Spades card in the dead man’s hand before snapping a photo. The death of Masseria instantly
made Salvatore Maranzano the undisputed (or so he thought) king.
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