- James DeSimone
James DeSimone (
Palermo, Sicily -May 1977Springfield, Missouri ) was anItalian-American Kansas City, Missouri gangster and drug trafficker. He is a relative ofRosario DeSimone ,Frank DeSimone ,Anthony DeSimone ,Thomas DeSimone ,Robert DeSimone ,Dolores DeSimone ,Joseph DeSimone andRalph DeSimone .Business Relationship with Antinori Family
On
October 23 ,1940 ,Ignacio Antinori was killed by a gunman armed with ashotgun as he drankcoffee during the early morning hours at the Palm Garden Inn inKansas City, Missouri . It is speculated that the patriarch was murdered over a bad shipment of heroin that had been sent fromTampa, Florida toChicago, Illinois . The suspected hitmen were James andNicola Impastato . Ignacio's two sons Paul and Joseph took over the reins of their father'sheroin trafficking operation and became business partners with James and his partner-in-crimeNicola Impastato , also fromKansas City, Missouri .Downfall and Incarceration
James's success in the
heroin drug trafficking enterprise was short lived. In 1942 fellow Kansas City made member of the family, became State's Evidence against his leaders. His testimony led to the indictment and conviction of Paul and Joseph Antinori, Charles Gerrigama, Nicholas Impastato, Louis and Pasquale Ventola, Charles Triabi, Samuel Pernice, and Fellipo Fernice.Crumbling of the Drug Ring
In the mid 1940's with the arrival of
Santo Trafficante as boss ofTampa, Florida the Kansas City-Tampa drug cartel crumbled. In May 1977, DeSimone died of natural causes in the Federal Medical Center for prisoners inSpringfield, Missouri .References
The KC/Tampa Drug Connection by Scott M. Dietche January 2000 AmericanMafia.com
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