Disappearance

Right after Maranzano was dispatched, Sam Pollaccia suddenly disappeared. In Pollaccia’s absence, Charlie Luciano became recognized leader of the former Masseria organization and de facto boss of bosses of the American Mafia.

Gentile

In recent years, the old legend of Luciano’s 1931 purge against numerous old-time Mafia bosses (“Mustache Petes”) across the United States has been widely disputed. Little evidence for that tale exists in obituaries and crime reports. The deaths of just a few known Mafiosi were reported as Luciano took control. The only bosses believed to have been killed in the period were Maranzano and Pittsburgh’s Giuseppe Siragusa. However, it now seems that Pollaccia should be added to the list.

Pollaccia’s disappearance was a puzzle for law enforcement and a tragic mystery for his wife and five children. However, longtime Mafioso Nick Gentile knew what happened to the former underworld big shot. In the manuscript of his Italian-language autobiography, Vita di Capomafia, Gentile indicated that Luciano underboss Vito Genovese took Pollaccia on a one-way ride to his death in Chicago.

Ricca

The two men stopped off in Pittsburgh to meet with local boss John Bazzano. During the visit, Genovese reportedly confided in Bazzano that Pollaccia would soon be killed and disposed of with the help of Chicago’s Paul “the Waiter” Ricca. Bazzano subsequently relayed that information to his close friend Gentile.15

Three quarters of a century have passed since Pollaccia disappeared. Yet only now have we attained a perspective that allows us to see more than the characters long illuminated by history’s spotlight and to study the man who was always there in the shadows.

Unlike the Capones and the Lucianos of American organized crime, Saverio Pollaccia did not leave behind an extensive arrest record, a pile of banner headlines or a collection of news photos. He appears never to have been brought to trial for a serious offense. He was only barely noticed by the press. Only hints and brief mentions indicate how important a role he played in the formative years of the national crime syndicate.