Luciano, Lucky (Charles Luciano), 1896-1962, American crime boss, b. near Palermo, Sicily, as Salvatore Luciana. His family emigrated in 1906, settling in New York City, where he almost immediately embarked on a life of crime. Jailed briefly (1916) for narcotics sales, he was soon associated with Meyer Lansky, "Bugsy" Siegel, and Frank Costello. In 1920 he entered the crime family of "Joe the Boss" Masseria and within five years was overseeing bootlegging, prostitution, and other illegal enterprises. A gang war with Salvatore Maranzano's crime family ended in 1931 when Luciano had both older gangsters murdered. Thereafter, he helped bring a corporate structure and approach to organized crime as a leader of the newly formed Syndicate. Luciano lived up to his nickname until 1935 when reformer Thomas E. Dewey targeted him. A year later he was convicted of prostitution charges and imprisoned, but he continued as a mob boss from his cell. During World War II he helped U.S. naval intelligence end waterfront sabotage in New York, and in 1946 his sentence was commuted. Deported to Italy, he maintained considerable control over American drug traffic until his death.

Game of chance played with cards having a grid of numbered squares corresponding to numbered balls drawn at random. When a number on the card is drawn, the players cover that number (should they have it); the game is won by covering a certain number of squares in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). Cards are purchased and proceeds are placed into a common “pot”; winning cards are awarded a portion of the pot. Wildly popular in the mid 20th century, bingo has in recent decades suffered a decline in America but has increased in popularity in other parts of the world. The earliest name for bingo—lotto—was recorded in Britain in 1776; the game is sometimes called keno in the U.S.

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orig. Salvatore Lucania later Charles Luciano

(born Nov. 11, 1896, Lercara Friddi, Sicily, Italy—died Jan. 26, 1962, Capodicino Airport, Naples) Italian-born U.S. gangster. He immigrated with his family to New York in 1906 and soon was involved in crime. In 1916 he conspired with Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, and other young gangsters, earning the nickname “Lucky” by evading arrest and winning at craps. He joined the crime gang of Joe Masseria in 1920 and was soon directing Masseria's bootlegging, narcotics, and prostitution rackets. In 1931 he had both Masseria and rival boss Salvatore Maranzano murdered; by 1934 he was “boss of all bosses” in a national crime syndicate. Jailed for extortion in 1936, he continued to direct criminal operations from his prison cell. In 1946 his sentence was commuted, and he was deported to Italy, where he directed drug traffic and the smuggling of aliens into the U.S.

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orig. Salvatore Lucania later Charles Luciano

(born Nov. 11, 1896, Lercara Friddi, Sicily, Italy—died Jan. 26, 1962, Capodicino Airport, Naples) Italian-born U.S. gangster. He immigrated with his family to New York in 1906 and soon was involved in crime. In 1916 he conspired with Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, and other young gangsters, earning the nickname “Lucky” by evading arrest and winning at craps. He joined the crime gang of Joe Masseria in 1920 and was soon directing Masseria's bootlegging, narcotics, and prostitution rackets. In 1931 he had both Masseria and rival boss Salvatore Maranzano murdered; by 1934 he was “boss of all bosses” in a national crime syndicate. Jailed for extortion in 1936, he continued to direct criminal operations from his prison cell. In 1946 his sentence was commuted, and he was deported to Italy, where he directed drug traffic and the smuggling of aliens into the U.S.

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