The End of the Mickey Mouse Mafia

In a moment of uncharacteristic humor, former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates once labeled the Southern California crime family the "Mickey Mouse Mafia." The significance of this statement is not lost on veteran mob watchers who need only recall the bumbling misadventures of this fragmented group to know that organized crime in the second largest city is strictly second rate. The history of the Mickey Mouse Mafia is interesting, if not farcical. Johnny Roselli was dispatched by the Capone mob to conquer Los Angeles for Chicago. Instead, 1930s Hollywood glamour and glitz nearly conquered Roselli, who married actress June Lang then produced and bankrolled a series of B-grade movies. Before he moved his office to the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas in the 1950s, Roselli contemplated quitting the rackets all together in order to satisfy his movie lust. It appeared that the "Land of the Mouse" had the impact of having organized crime figures put into practice the belief of "life imitating art". And the role played by Cohen was a prime example.

The first boss of the Los Angeles, California outfit of La Cosa Nostra was Joseph Ardizzone, who was in control until 1931. He was succeeded by Jack Dragna, who led the family to national prominence. Dragna got the family involved in the entertainment industry and, to this day, remains the only LA boss ever on the national commission. He died in 1956. His replacement, Frank DeSimone, was in power for eleven years, until 1967. DeSimone's nephew, Tommy, was the man who Joe Pesci portrayed in the movie GoodFellas. Nick Licata was the boss until 1974. Licata's underboss, Aladena Frattiano, is famous because he is the second man to break the mob vow of omerta. Jimmy the Weasel, as he is known, testified against mobsters in L.A., St. Louis, and Detroit. Licata's successor was Dominick Brooklier. He stabilized the family and ruled until his imprisonment in 1984. His successor was Peter Milano. Milano's brother, Carmen, was his underboss. It is not known if the Milano's are still in charge of the LA operations or if they have been succeeded. The L.A. family is one of the many LCN families in the U.S. that have lost most of their power in the last 10 to 15 years. The new info on the L.A. family is that Carmen and Peter Milano are back out of prison and have retained their power in L.A. In fact, they are attempting to move into Las Vegas. They are the main suspects in the murder of Herbie Blitzstein, a mob associate who was killed in Las Vegas. Today, although the influence of the La Cosa Nostra has declined greatly out West, the three California cities, and other major urban areas along the West Coast, are plagued by several other ethnic criminal groups that pose substantial threats to the safety of residents and the economic stabilty of the region.