Michele Miranda
Italian-American mobster (1896–1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michele "Big Mike" Miranda (July 26, 1896 – July 16, 1973) was an Italian-American mobster who became a longtime member and later the consigliere of the Genovese crime family.[1][2]
Michele Miranda | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1896 |
| Died | July 16, 1973 (aged 76) Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
| Other names | Big Mike |
| Occupation | Gangster |
| Known for | Genovese crime family consigliere; attendee at the Apalachin meeting |
Early life
Criminal career
Miranda became involved in crime as a teenager and was arrested in 1915 for petty theft and assault.[5] During Prohibition, he was associated with Gaetano Lucchese and had ties to the Reina crime family.[3]
After the Castellammarese War, Miranda aligned closely with Vito Genovese and became a made member of the Luciano/Genovese organization.[2] In the 1940s and 1950s, he was described in organized-crime reference works as a senior figure involved in gambling, loansharking, and labor racketeering, and he rose into the top ranks of the Genovese family.[1][2]
Consigliere and Apalachin
After Genovese consolidated power in 1957, Miranda served as the Genovese family consigliere, alongside underboss Gerardo Catena.[1][2]
On November 14, 1957, Miranda was among the mob leaders detained by law enforcement at the Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York.[1][3]
Genovese imprisoned; later arrests
After Genovese was imprisoned on narcotics charges in 1959, Miranda was identified in reference works as part of a ruling panel that helped oversee the Genovese family's day-to-day operations.[1][2]
In 1965, Miranda was arrested in Queens in what press accounts described as a “Little Apalachin” raid targeting alleged Mafia figures for parole-related violations and associations.[4]