Early Life
Born Giuseppe Maria Barbara (bar-BEAR-uh) in 1905 in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Barbara immigrated to the United States in 1921 at age 16. He was soon working as a hitman for the Buffalo crime family in their Northern Pennsylvania territory. During the 1930s, Barbara was arrested for several murders, including the 1933 murder of rival bootlegger Sam Wichner. Wichner had gone to Barbara's house for a business meeting, where Barbara allegedly strangled Wichner to death. However, as with the other murders, law enforcement never obtained enough evidence to prosecute Barbara. It is also speculated that in 1940 Barbara murdered Pittston, Pennsylvania mob boss John Sciandra in order to take over his criminal organization.
Barbara married Josephine Vivana on May 24, 1936 in Endicott, New York, and fathered three sons, Joseph Maria Jr., Peter, and Angelo; and a daughter, Angela S.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Barbara (mobster)
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