Inside accounts and little known stories of criminal networks
in Florida's past
A vivid, wild
ride through a century of Mafia lore, this book tells stories of organized
crime rings that have settled in Florida and made the state their base of
operations for bootlegging, gambling, extortion, money laundering, and drug
running. Sunshine State Mafia divulges the hidden history of the mob
from the Keys to Pensacola and Jacksonville.
Featuring Al Capone and crime rings
in Miami and South Florida, the Trafficante family in Tampa, Harlan Blackburn
and his gambling empire in Orlando, and many more individuals both infamous and
little known, this book explains how and why mob bosses from northern states
came to Florida in the early 1900s?they saw the state as a respite from cold
weather and a good place to evade law enforcement. The cast of characters in
these stories includes cops, sheriffs, prosecutors, judges, and politicians who
took bribes or even conspired with criminals.
Doug
Kelly offers never-before-told information from newly released files,
interviews with retired police and FBI agents, and his own career as a security
consultant during the Cocaine Cowboys era. Kelly's line of work involved
brushes with criminal elements and notorious characters, which he recounts
here. He also defines roles within Mafia families, discusses how changes in policing
have impacted the patterns of criminal organizations, and talks about what distinguishes
the Mafia from other groups.
The first book to survey the origins and activities of the Mafia across
Florida, Sunshine State Mafia will surprise readers with its insights
into the influence of organized crime in the history of the state's small towns
and cities.
