Rosario Bufalino
1903 to Feb. 25, 1994.
"Russell"
Bufalino rose to the leadership of a Scranton, Pennsylvania, based Mafia Family. The Family territory included northeastern Pennsylvania and much of western New York State.
Bufalino became acting boss for the Scranton Family around 1956, when boss Joe Barbara began having serious heart problems. Bufalino was likely calling the shots for the organization when the nation's Mafiosi met at Barbara's Apalachin, NY, estate in 1957.
Barbara's death in June 1959 left Bufalino in command. The new chief began to separate the Scranton organization from the Genovese Crime Family of New York, which had dominated it since the 1930s. Bufalino's group moved into Buffalo, NY, territory and on into Canada.
By the 1970s, Bufalino was regarded as one of the more influential crime bosses. He is widely believed to have had a part in the disappearance and murder of former Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa.
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