15 Facts About Joe Masseria

Joe Masseria was boss of what is called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York City Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to 1931.

Giuseppe Masseria was born on January 17,1886, in Menfi, Province of Agrigento, Sicily, in a family of tailors.

Joe Masseria then became part of the Morello crime family based in Harlem and parts of Little Italy in southern Manhattan.

Joe Masseria was a contemporary of other captains of that mafia family such as Gaetano Reina.

In 1909, Joe Masseria was convicted of burglary and received a suspended sentence.

On May 23,1913, Joe Masseria was sentenced to four to six years in prison for third-degree burglary.

In 1920, Joe Masseria had recruited Lucky Luciano as one of his gunmen.

Joe Masseria got away, but the gunmen had shot four men and two women; Joe Masseria tossed his pistol away and was arrested while fleeing the scene.

Joe Masseria ducked into a store at 82 2nd Avenue with the gunmen in pursuit.

Joe Masseria survived the incident and was found by police in his upstairs bedroom shell-shocked.

Joe Masseria was sitting on his bed dazed, with two bullet holes through his straw hat, which he was still wearing.

Joe Masseria claimed Schiro had committed a transgression and demanded Schiro pay him $10,000 and step down as leader of his mafia crime family.

Reputedly Joe Masseria was "seated at a table playing cards with two or three unknown men" when he was fired upon from behind.

Joe Masseria died from gunshot wounds to his head, back, and chest.

Joe Masseria is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.