Albert Anastasia
A ruthless and feared mobster who helped systematize organized crime in America as a founder of the deadly enforcement arm Murder, Inc.
1902–1957 (age 55)·Italian-American mob boss·Birthday: September 26·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Albert Anastasia embodied the brutal ascent of the American Mafia in the mid-20th century. Immigrating from Italy as a teenager, he quickly graduated from Brooklyn street thug to a premier enforcer, earning the nickname 'The Mad Hatter' for his ferocity and volatility. His most significant and sinister contribution was as a co-founder and overseer of Murder, Incorporated, a Brooklyn-based syndicate that acted as a contract killing service for the national crime commission. This innovation professionalized violence, distancing bosses from direct culpability. After the elimination of his mentor, Anastasia muscled his way to the top of what would become the Gambino crime family, controlling the lucrative New York waterfront through corrupt unions. His reign, marked by paranoia and sheer terror, ended not in a courtroom but in a barber's chair at the Park Sheraton Hotel, gunned down in a hit that solidified a new power structure within the mob.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Albert was born in 1902, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1902
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1902Born
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Started school
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Became a teenager
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could drive
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could vote
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Turned 21
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1932Turned 30
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 40
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 50
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Died at 55
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Key Achievements
- Was a founding member and leading figure in Murder, Inc., which carried out hundreds of contract killings for the national crime syndicate.
- Rose to become the boss of the powerful Anastasia crime family, which later evolved into the Gambino family.
- Exerted massive control over the New York harbor and its unions, creating a stranglehold on waterfront commerce.
- His violent takeover and subsequent murder were pivotal events in the history of American organized crime, known as the 'Cosa Nostra.'
Did You Know?
He was a stowaway on a ship from Italy to the United States, entering the country illegally.
Anastasia avoided conviction for a 1920s murder by successfully pleading temporary insanity, a rare defense at the time.
His brother, "Tough Tony" Anastasio, was a powerful labor union official who controlled the Brooklyn docks.
The famous barber chair in which he was murdered is reportedly now owned by a private collector of mob memorabilia.
“You talk too much, and you say too little.”
