Friends in low places

The real power of the US docklands was in the hands of a few shady characters

Meyer lansky 4 July 1902 – 15 January 1983 Mob associate

A lifelong partner of Luciano and highly regarded mob associate, Lansky was a Jewish mobster who would later become a financier for the Five Families — their ‘accountant’, if you like. He helped to convince Luciano to lend his underworld contacts to the navy’s counterespionage efforts.

albert anastasia 26 September 1902 – 26 September 1957 Gambino

‘Mad Hatter’ Anastasia was a feared mob hit man with a hairtrigger temper who would later become boss of the Gambino crime family. He controlled the Brooklyn waterfront and later sought to claim responsibility for the sabotage of USS Lafayette, although it is very unlikely that he was the culprit.

charles luciano 24 November 1897 – 26 January 1962 Genovese

‘Lucky’ Luciano is probably one of the most influential mob bosses in history, responsible for reorganising Italianamerican Mafia into what we recognise today. He pulled strings from inside a prison cell to allow the US Navy to stay one step ahead of Nazi saboteurs and spies.

Joseph lanza 1904 – 11 October 1968 Genovese

‘Socks’ Lanza controlled

Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan and was heavily involved in labour unions, which put him in direct contact with workers in and around New York City’s docklands. He helped leverage Luciano’s criminal network to assist US Navy intelligence.