Rosario DeSimone (; 11 December 1873 – 15 July 1946) was the head of an Italian crime family during the 1920s to 1940s that was the predecessor to the Los Angeles crime family of the

American Mafia The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group. The organization is often referred to by its membe ...

. Rosario was the father of the future California mob boss, Frank DeSimone. He is not to be confused with the Chicago Italian Timothy Rosario DeSimone.

Biography

DeSimone was born in Salaparuta, Sicily, Italy, on 11 December 1873. He initially settled in New Orleans before moving to Pueblo, Colorado. In Pueblo he was part of that city's Mafia organization, and was evidently well-respected. He became a close ally of

Vito Di Giorgio Vito Di Giorgio (; March 19, 1880 – May 13, 1922) was an Italian-born crime boss based in Los Angeles. Originally from Palermo, Sicily, Di Giorgio lived most of his life as a grocer in New Orleans, where he was also an active Black Hander. Wh ...

in Los Angeles. Upon Di Giorgio's death in Chicago in 1922, DeSimone took power. His empire spanned over

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...

. His rule in Los Angeles was brief, and he stepped down around 1925. He later became a legitimate businessman who settled in

Downey, California Downey is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program. It is also the home of ...

. DeSimone died of natural causes in 1946, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Family

DeSimone married twice and fathered several children. Frank DeSimone, his second son, became a

criminal attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jur ...

and later don of the crime family, reigning from 1956 to 1967.

References

*Gentile, Nick, with Felice Chilanti. ''Vita Di Capomafia''. Rome: Editori Riuniti, 1963. *Warner, Richard N. "The First Mafia Boss of Los Angeles? The Mystery of Vito Di Giorgio, 1880-1922." ''On The Spot Journal'' (Summer 2008), 46–54. *'' Los Angeles Times'' obituary for Rosario DeSimone, July 17, 1946 {{DEFAULTSORT:Desimone, Rosario 1873 births 1946 deaths People from the Province of Trapani Italian emigrants to the United States American gangsters of Sicilian descent American crime bosses History of Los Angeles Los Angeles crime family Gangsters from Los Angeles Prohibition-era gangsters People from Downey, California