Question: What was Bugsy Siegel’s real first name?
Answer: Bugsy is slang for “crazy,” which was how colleagues often described Siegel. Siegel himself hated the name.
Question: What was Lucky Luciano’s original first name?
Answer: Luciano earned his nickname for surviving a “one-way ride,” in which he was beaten, stabbed repeatedly with an ice pick, and had his throat slit from ear to ear.
Question: Who was known as the “Mob’s accountant”?
Answer: He allegedly said that the mob was “bigger than U.S. Steel.”
Question: Taoka Kazuo’s byname was Kuma, which is Japanese for what?
Answer: The Japanese crime boss headed the giant organization known as the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Question: Who was known as “the Robin Hood of the Cookson Hills”?
Answer: He earned the name because he destroyed mortgage papers during bank robberies.
Question: Who was born Lester Gillis?
Answer: He was known for his youthful appearance and short stature.
Question: What was John Gotti’s nickname?
Answer: Criminal charges against Gotti never stuck—until he was sentenced to life in prison in 1992.
Question: What was Al Capone’s nickname?
Answer: Capone earned the name after his cheek was slashed during a fight.