Image
Pennsylvania mobster Russell Alfred Bufalino, December 06, 1968.
Credit: (©CORBIS/Bettmann) Donated by Corbis-Bettmann
From 1958 into the 1980s, Russell Bufalino (1903-1994) led the organized crime syndicate that controlled the Pittston garment industry. Born in Sicily, Bufalino extended the Northeastern Pennsylvania mobs interests from coal mining and trucking union locals into gambling, loansharking, and labor racketeering. Managing legitimate investments in real estate and various businesses Bufalino kept a low profile until 1978 when he was convicted and sentenced to 4 years in prison for extortion. Later, he received a 10-year sentence for ordering the murder of a government informer.