The Dark History of Organized Crime after World War II

In 1946, it seemed as if the American authorities were allowing organized crime to take a short breather. They released one of the most famous figures of the mafia, the infamous Lucky Luciano, from prison and pushed him to Europe. This step was the last great gift that the US military secret service made this criminal master mind. Luciano, thewas already known in the years before the war for its influence on international drug trafficking, the newly gained freedom immediately used to reopen its criminal business and expand it internationally.

Luciano’s release – a complex game of secrets and promises

A year before his deportation, Luciano’s lawyers had tried to obtain his release. They referred to the services Luciano had rendered for the US Navy during the war and his alleged support of the war effort. Although the Navy’s secret service officers remained very secretive during the negotiations, a naval officer named Commander gaveaffenting confidential letters in Luciano’s favor, which ultimately led to his release. The then Governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey, who had convicted Luciano ten years earlier, finally declared that his long prison sentence could be converted into a deportation. The reason for this was that Luciano allegedly information about possible enemydelivered attacks that had supported the war.

Luciano’s return to Italy and the new beginning in the drug business

Within a short time after his deportation to southern Europe, the US government duly exempted numerous other mafiosi, more than a hundred in total. With the support of old friends and former New York followers, Luciano in Italy began building an international drug network. The drug ring that Luciano launched after World War II quickly became athe most important in the history of drug trafficking. For more than a decade, he transported morphine from the Middle East to Europe, transformed it into heroin and exported the quantities to the United States – without major arrests or seizures. The US sales network in the US made a significant contribution to increasing the number of drug addicts: fromEstimated 20,000 at the end of the war over 60,000 in 1952 to around 150,000 in the 1960s.

Heroin Production: of laboratories in Sicily and Marseille

After getting the heroin trade back on track, Luciano faced the challenge of securing reliable supplies. Initially, he used legally produced heroin from the well-known Italian company Schiaparelli. However, after investigations by the FBI, which revealed that at least 700 kilos of heroin had been delivered to Luciano over four years, Italy intensified itsdrug laws. However, Luciano had already set up his own secret laboratories in Sicily and Marseille at this time and was no longer dependent on the production of Schiaparelli. His preferred commodity was now morphine. Through his contacts, Luciano established a long-term business relationship with Sami El Khury, a Lebanese trader who soon became the largestmorphine exporter in the Middle East.

Smuggling: Hidden Routes and International Networks

El Khury, who was protected thanks to bribes and his high social status in Beirut, organized the import of raw opium from Anatolia to Lebanon, the preparation for morphine and finally export to Sicily and Marseille. From there, the morphine in the ports was loaded in international waters on fishing and cargo ships, which were in the coastal villagesset off along the rugged European coast. In the secret laboratories in Palermo, which were reminiscent of candy factories, the morphine was converted into heroin. The factory, which opened in 1949, was in a rented building from Luciano’s relatives and was run by Don Calogero. Until its closure in 1954, the laboratory worked without incident. theHowever, media discovery led to immediate closure, with staff disappearing abroad.

From production to smuggling: Europe as a hub

In the early 1950s, when Marseille upgraded with better chemists and political support, Luciano stopped in-house production and shifted to smuggling. The finished heroin was transported through Europe in complex networks, using links to mafia clans and Corsican traders. The drug material was transferred to theUS, usually hidden in fruit, vegetables or sweets – a strategy to avoid confiscations. From Europe, heroin was then smuggled to North America in various ways, be it via Canada, Cuba or directly to New York.

Luciano’s organizational talent and the influence of his allies

Although Luciano’s influence and organizational talent was undisputed, he owed much of his success to his clever allies. After his deportation in 1946, he transferred the management of his financial empire to his long-time partner Meyer Lansky. Lansky played a central role in the organization of heroin trade, monitored smuggling operations, negotiated withCorsican manufacturers and took care of the payment processing and concealment of the profits. His control over the Caribbean, especially Cuba, and his relationship with the Trafficante family were crucial, as many deliveries found their intermediate stations there.

Cuba: The Gate to International Drug Smuggle

The Caribbean was an extremely lucrative space for the American gangsters. Most governments before the revolution were kind to them, as the illegal business was an important source of income for them. Already in the 1930s, Meyer Lansky discovered the Caribbean for organized crime and invested in illegal gambling companies there. When he in theMoved to Miami Beach in the early 1940s, he controlled numerous casinos and hotels. He later moved to Havana, which was considered a “safe haven” for crime. There he owned most of the casinos, and his henchmen, the Trafficante family, steered the local business.

Luciano’s visit to Cuba and setting the course for international drug trafficking

His stay in Cuba in 1947 marked the beginning of a profound connection between the organized crime of the USA and the Caribbean. Luciano met with leading mafia figures, pushing through the region on smuggling routes and invested large sums of bribes with government officials. The goal was Cuba to a central hub for the internationalto make drug smuggling. A US drug authority report indicated that Luciano had already secured the support of high-ranking Cuban officials and that the island should become the main hub for heroin imports from Europe.

The end in Cuba and the expansion in the USA

Under pressure from the USA, Luciano finally had to leave the country. But his plans were already in the process of: He had agreed with the American mafia bosses to continue to control the heroin deliveries from Europe and to smuggle them to the USA. The Caribbean remained a lucrative location. The governments in the region, especially in Cuba, had the illegal businessalready tolerated before, because they brought urgently needed capital. In the 1930s, Lansky had already opened up the region for organized crime and operated casinos and illegal betting there.

Meyer’s influence and shift of power to Cuba

Meyer Lansky, the close confidante Lucianos, was instrumental in managing the business. He moved to Havana in the early 1940s where he headed casinos and was instrumental in declaring Miami a “free city” – a region where organized crime could operate undisturbed. During World War II, Lansky owned aCasinos at Hotel Nacional and controlled the local horse racetrack. The responsibility for the daily business was with local mafiosi like Santo Trafficante Senior, who was very familiar with the shops in Florida and Havana.

Santo Trafficante Junior: The key man in Havana and beyond

The son of the famous Mafiosi took control of his father’s business in the 1950s and became one of the most important figures in Havana’s drug and gambling landscape. He officially headed the well-known Sans Souci Casino, but in reality he was far more: He controlled large parts of tourism, organized the import and export of heroin and was crampedconnected to the dictator Fulgencio Batista. His role was crucial for smuggling European heroin deliveries to America, where the mafia continued business.

The merging of crime networks and politics

Luciano’s criminal organizations were firmly anchored in international networks after the war. With the support of allies such as Lansky, Trafficante and the Corsican manufacturers, a complex system was created from Europe, the Caribbean and the USA, which dominated the global drug trafficking. Cuba played a central role as a hub, with the political situationand corruption provided a stable basis. History shows how deeply the connection was between organized criminals, political power structures and international smuggling networks – a dark era in which crime, politics and business were inextricably linked.