Sam Finazzo was described by police as a nattily dressed hoodlum who enjoyed wearing custom-made shirts, hand-tailored suits, alligator shoes, and expensive jewelry. He was also known to police and the FBI as a very influential and powerful member of the Detroit Partnership, involved in numerous rackets, including gambling, robbery, labor union racketeering, and even murder. Despite his staggering rap sheet listing over 50 arrests over the years, Finazzo spent almost no time in jail. Instead, he skirted the long arm of the law, managing both his illegal enterprises and numerous legitimate businesses, in relative freedom.
He became, as they say, a “force of nature.”
