Tommy Gagliano

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Tommy Gagliano

Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano (? - 1951/1953) was the head of the Lucchese crime family between 1931 and 1953.

Gagliano remains a shadowy figure in the history of Cosa Nostra, with few details having surfaced about his early life before his arrival in New York from Sicily by 1928.

The murders of Tom Reina and Joseph Masseria during the Castellammarese War of 1930-31, and the creation of the Commission under the guidance of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, saw the promotion of the "two Tommys", Tommy Gagliano and Tommy Lucchese to the top of the Lucchese family. Reina had been briefly replaced by Joseph Pinzolo, a man roundly hated by those under and around him, including Gagliano and Lucchese - following Pinzolo's murder, Gagliano was confirmed as leader by Masseria, by Castellammarese War 'victor' Salvatore Maranzano following Masseria's demise at the hands of Luciano's men, and for a third time upon the creation of the Commission. Lucchese was confirmed as Gagliano's second-in-command.

Gagliano steered the Lucchese family through a period when tensions between the Five Families constantly ran high. With Luciano sent back to Italy by the US government, Vincent Mangano, Joe Bonanno, Stefano Magaddino and Joe Profaci had taken control of the Commission. Gagliano had to be very careful in the face of this alliance, and was keen to keep a low profile while furthering the business interests of his section of Cosa Nostra, in industries such as gasoline rationing, meat and black market sugar. Indeed, in keeping with his previous hidden history, very little is known about Gagliano between 1932 and his death in the early 1950s, when the ever-loyal Tommy Lucchese took over as head of the family.

As with many 'facts' regarding the mob, the date of Gagliano's death is disputed, with some sources suggesting he passed away, from natural causes, on 16 February 1951, though the date is usually stated as two years later.