35 of the Most Famous Mobsters in US History

To assemble a list of the most famous mobsters in U.S. history, 24/7 Tempo consulted various sources such as the Crime Museum, the Mob Museum, Crime Library, American Mafia History, the website for the FBI. We created our list based on the power and influence a given gangster wielded and the historical and cultural impact the criminal had on American society.

As the nation industrialized and city populations swelled, tensions developed among various immigrant groups who battled for turf in their adopted country. Each wave of hyphenated Americans was preyed upon by gangs within their group who were ostensibly formed to protect the new Americans – Irish, Italian, Chinese, Albanian, Greek, and Hispanic. Organized crime also stalked African Americans.

With few good job opportunities available to new arrivals, poverty and violence were conjoined in mid-19th century American cities. Gangs took over criminal activities such as prostitution, gambling, narcotics, car theft, bootlegging, racketeering, and extortion. There were few organized city police forces strong enough to control the mayhem; many police officers were bought off by the money generated by crime. 

In the course of their expanding influence, some of these gangsters developed a mystique, such as Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, John Gotti, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, and Al Capone. Hollywood took notice and mobster films became one of the most successful and enduring of all movie genres.

Gang influence tends to recede as each ethnic group becomes part of mainstream America. Even so, organized crime still remains a threat to U.S. society. According to the FBI, there are 33,000 violent gangs operating in the U.S. today. (Click here for the most notorious cases in FBI’s history.)

Here are the most famous mobsters in US history.