Carlos Marcello - Early Life

Early Life

Born as Calogero Minacori (or Minacore) to Sicilian parents in Tunis, Tunisia, Marcello was brought to the United States in 1911 and his family settled in a decaying plantation house near Metairie, Louisiana which was owned by Lewis Strong Clarke Sr.. His father is believed to have been a mafioso and Carlos himself learned the trade starting with petty crime in the French Quarter by regulating vice. With his father's network and support from the Clarke machine, he led a crew of armed robbers which made depredations on small towns surrounding New Orleans, especially on political enemies of certain politicians. Eventually, he was later imprisoned for masterminding this crew of teenage . At the time, local newspapers compared him to the character of Fagin from Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. This conviction was later overturned under suspicious circumstances. However, the following year he was convicted of assault and robbery and was sentenced to the Louisiana State Penitentiary for nine years. He was released after five years.

In 1938, Marcello was arrested and charged with the sale of more than 23 pounds of marijuana. Despite receiving another lengthy prison sentence and a $76,830 fine, Marcello served less than 10 months in prison. On his release from prison, the Long and Regular Democratic Organization political war had reached its crescendo with the election of the Maestri Mayoralty. As a means of securing the newly won political armistice, New Orleans vice underground was to be organized under the control of Marcello on the behalf of the old Clarke Machine and other families associated northern interests. In turn, Marcello to coordinate with Frank Costello, the leader of the Genovese crime family, in New York City who in turn answered to the Northern interests in New York City. At the time, Costello was involved in transporting illegal slot machines from New York to New Orleans. Marcello provided the muscle and arranged for the machines to be placed in local businesses.