Gaetano "Tommy" Reina (27 September 1889-26 February 1930) was the boss of the Lucchese crime family, leading it from its foundation in the 1920s until his death in 1930; Joseph Pinzolo succeeded him after his murder.
Biography[]
Gaetano Reina was born in Corleone, Sicily on 27 September 1889, and his family settled in Italian Harlem, New York City in the United States during the early 1900s. Reina joined the Morello crime family, and he was a veteran captain under Giuseppe Morello. By 1920, Reina ruled over East Harlem and The Bronx as the first boss of the Lucchese crime family, and his family had a monopoly over ice distribution in The Bronx. During the late 1920s, Reina allied with Joe Masseria, and he allied with the Masseria faction during the Castellammarese War of 1929-1931. However, he switched to the side of Salvatore Maranzano during the war, and Masseria assigned Lucky Luciano with the task of arranging for Reina's murder. On 26 February 1930, as he left his mistress' apartment, Vito Genovese shot him in the head with a double-barreled shotgun, instantly killing him.