Tommy Builds an Empire

When Maranzano gained a victory in the in the bloody gang wars he made his appointments for the leadership of various Families. Tom Gagliano, became the leader for the remains of the Reina group and was quick to form an alliance with the Luciano faction. Each Family was to have an underboss to oversee day by day operations, Gagliano chose Tommy Lucchese. From the early 1930's to the early 1950's Lucchese worked side by side with Gagliano. Lucchese found a high level of revenue for his Family through the control of the numbers racket. Pennies at a time placed as bets on the choosing the correct number added up to provide a massive profit for the Gagliano group. Lucchese has learned from the business actions of "Dutch Schultz" that the profits from a large-scale application of the number's policy could add up to millions a year. With Schultz out of the way and with the support of the Commission the Gagliano Family was pulling in on an average of $ 30,000,000 a year. The rise in profits and increase in tribute to the Commission also assured Lucchese's rise in the underworld.

With the death of Tom Gagliano in the early 1950's, Tommy Lucchese rose to the level of boss for the Family. His outstanding leadership and ability to raise cash made it possible for him to reach a level on the Commission to equal Frank Costello. The real power, however, was created through Lucchese's decisions to effectively invest the money in enterprises that would more than pay back the original investment. Realizing that politicians were always on the look out for funding to amass for their political campaigns, Lucchese saw such campaign contributions as an investment in the future. His influence on local, state, and national politicos could be utilized to protect Family interests. He also saw the importance of investing in areas of legitimate business where money could be "cleaned" and connections for more investments could be made. At the same time, Lucchese never forgot his roots in the world of organized crime and the use of intimidation, violence, or any other means to reach his goals would be called upon when needed.

Lucchese showed a smart business sense early in his career. In 1922, he had set up a window-cleaning business with some built-in incentives. Shopkeepers who didn't sign on to have their windows cleaned had them broken by brick-tossing toughs. Five years later, he started a dried-fruit importing firm that fronted for a bootleg alcohol plant. About the same time, he moved in on the Garment District using his brick-tossing goons as labor muscle. Eventually, he went into partnership with Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, the top Jewish gangster of this period, and effectively "sewed" up the Garment Industry in New York. "Lepke" was a good man to have around when the times and situation called for someone who willing to utilize threats and violence to reach objectives. The combination of these two differing personalities formed a complete person with dual faces one business-like and willing to make the deal needed to benefit the Family, the other face cold and filled with a snarl that would create an atmosphere of cold fear in relation to differences in points of view.

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