Mob Boss Lucky Luciano Used his Connections to Help America
Italian-American mobster and crime boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano was the father of organized crime. One of his territories was the shipping docks in New York City. During World War II, Naval intelligence believed the Nazis had info about Atlantic Ocean ship movements and recruited Luciano, as well as mob boss Meyer Lansky, to enlist informants from the docks. The pair delivered in a big way. Thousands of informants participated in what became known as “Operation Underworld.” Luciano also helped the Office of Strategic Services by tracking Nazi troops in Italy using his connections in Sicily. The Sicilian mafia helped Patton invade the country by eliminating snipers in his path.