Salvatore "Sal" Marcano (1912-1968) was the boss of the Marcano crime family of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1934 to 1968. Marcnao took over the city after killing his own father and wiping out the rival Carillo family, and he became a powerful southern Mafia boss. In 1968, he was killed by the African-American mobster Lincoln Clay, who destroyed his organization and took over the city for himself and his gang.
Biography[]
A law enforcement photo of Marcano
Sal Marcano was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States to a family of Italian descent, and he became the boss of the powerful Marcano crime family in 1934 after eliminating the powerful Carrillo family for their alleged role in the death of his father (it is said that Sal Marcano himself ordered his father's death). Sal's immediate family would become one of the most respected families in New Orleans, and his brother Lou Marcano was able to influence politics by befriending state senator Walter Jacobs, while his son Giorgi Marcano was involved with the Black Mob's operations. Marcano was feared by many, and he had control of most of the crime rackets in the city, while he forced the owners of the other rackets to pay tribute. In 1968, he killed the black mob's leader Sammy Robinson after Robinson became less productive with money, leading to black mob member Lincoln Clay embarking on a crusade to avenge Robinson.
Downfall[]
Marcano's death
Throughout 1968, Clay took down Marcano's rackets, made men, and family members, taking over the city block by block. Marcano lost millions of dollars and scores of men, and he decided to make a last stand at his incomplete casino alongside his son and the last hitmen that he could pay. Clay assaulted the casino, killing Giorgi, and he confronted Sal Marcano in his office. Sal resigned to his fate, and he had a drink with Clay, talking with him about how beautiful the city was, and about how he did not regret killing Robinson. Marcano also expressed the grief that he felt about his son's death, and how it was strange that he was drinking with his son's killer. Marcano then told Clay to kill him, and Clay stabbed him in the leg with a knife before throwing him and his office chair out of the window of the casino.