Title supplied by cataloger. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Tony Brancato moved to Los Angeles and became involved in the organized crime scene, including illegal gambling, narcotics, and bootlegging. He was a suspect in many mob murders, including that of New York mobster Bugsy Siegel, and in a botched attempt to kill Mickey Cohen. Anthony Trombino, also from Kansas City, became Brancato's partner in crime and they became known as "the two Tonys." After robbing the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, the men became wanted by the mob and the FBI. Jimmy "the weasel" Fratianno set up a meeting with the two to discuss a bank robbery. On August 6, 1951, Brancato and Trombino were found shot to death in the front seat of a car on Ogden Drive near Hollywood Boulevard. Though many mobsters were arrested, phony alibis allowed all of them to escape punishment. Over 25 years later, after entering the federal Witness Protection Program, Fratianno confessed to murdering the pair. Toe tags on Tony Brancato's left foot, labeled #26 (left) and Anthony Trombino's right foot, labeled #27. The bodies are on tables in front of a tiled wall. The word "homicide" is written at the top of each tag. Also written on each tag is "1648 No. Ogden Dr.," the address where the two were found shot to death. The rest of the bodies are covered with white sheets. Photograph dated August 7, 1951.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Brancato, Tony--Death and burial Trombino, Anthony--Death and burial Dead persons--California--Los Angeles Morgues--California--Los Angeles Murder--California--Los Angeles Murder victims--California--Los Angeles Crime--California--Los Angeles Criminals--California--Los Angeles Organized crime--United States Postmortem photographs Los Angeles Evening Herald Express photographs Herald-Examiner Collection photographs
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