This is part two of a Button Guys exclusive on various members and associates of the American underworld who migrated down to the State of Florida as visitors and vacationers and later became part-time or full-time residents of the Sunshine State. Most brought their underworld rackets and mob expertise along with them.
Note: For additional stories about the mob in South Florida, please see Mafia Moon Over Miami: Part 1, Mafia Moon Over Miami: Part 3, and Mafia Moon Over Miami: Part 4 (all part of this series). In addition, throughout the Button Guys website, you can find more detailed biographies about many of the mobsters listed below.
By 1969, local police forces in both Dade and Broward Counties became increasing nervous as they started noticing a heavier influx of racketeers into the area than normal. After surveilling and tracking their moments, both local Sheriffs Departments soon requested an increase in monies and resources to better combat this growing problem.
As Sheriff Purdy observed, “As long as these people are breathing our air they are a threat to the public and a threat to our area.” Purdy said. His fellow local law enforcement partner Sheriff McMillan said, “Any place these men go, they leave their mark. We will be trying to keep an eye on their movements as far as our manpower permits and as we feel that we have additional intelligence information indicating the areas of their activity.”
They also took note of longtime Tampa-St. Petersburg crime boss Santo Trafficante Jr., having become a permanent resident of Miami. Whereas years earlier he had mostly confined his activities to the northern part of the state, only occasionally visiting the Miami area. They watched as he bought a private home in Dade County, and was now conducting his mob affairs and had made his headquarters in the Miami area.
They announced the formation of a new ‘Organized Crime Control Bureau’ to help combat the mob and try to stem the tide of this pervasive underworld infiltration into local rackets and the area’s legitimate businesses. One additional member of the Sheriff’s Intelligence Unit said, “Anywhere they are there’s trouble, and we don’t need anymore trouble.”
