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Joseph Adonis
Joseph Adonis was one of the most powerful figures in the golden years of the mafia in the United States. Joe Adonis came from humble beginnings. He was born in Italy, under the name Giuseppe Doto and immigrated to the United States with his family. It wasn't long before Joe turned to a life of crime. Through his life in Brooklyn, New York, he gained access into one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the nation. He gained his early influence and wealth from being involved in bootlegging in the 1920s prohibition era. Adonis was a very loyal, hardworking man with modest aspirations, which were all the makings of a successful criminal of the time. He quickly gained power in the mafia, gaining the trust of important mafia figures such as Luciano and Anastasia.
Adonis gained several important roles as time went on. He was responsible for keeping balance in the criminal underworld, being in charge of handling disputes among different criminal groups and issued contracts necessary for assassinations and murders. As the prohibition, bootlegging business began to dwindle, Adonis expanded his interests. He began work in New Jersey, in addition to Brooklyn, running profitable gambling operations and being the mastermind behind several jewelry heists. Adonis ran one of the most famous mob headquarters in New Jersey, having a firm hold on local law enforcement.
Adonis was a very successful criminal and did not share in the ill-timed deaths and life long prison sentences of many of his mafia comrades. This had a lot to do with his ability to remain free from the appeal of treacherous grabs for power and double-crossing that plagued many other mafia members. Adonis was also smart enough to gain entry to the political sphere. Joe's Italian Kitchen, a restaurant in downtown Brooklyn was owned by Joe and became a famous location for prominent political figures and head crime figures to dine and fraternize. It was through this establishment that he was able to gain political influence over William O'Dwyer, the DA and mayor of New York, which may have assisted in his mostly clean record. Adonis stayed powerful and out of the sights of the law until well into the 1950s. After taking a two year prison hit for violating gambling laws, Adonis was finally trapped by the law and forced to be deported in 1956. In exile, he lived a lavish lifestyle in Milan until his death in 1971.
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