Born Alfonso Polizzi in Siculiana, Sicily, Italy, on March 15, 1900, to Raimondo and Giovannina (née Indelicato) Polizzi, he emigrated to the United States in 1909. He had three brothers: Joseph (b. 1893?-d. 1965), Jasper (b. 1895?-d. 1957), and James (b. 1910?-d. 1979). He had two sisters, Carmela (or Carmelina; b.1892?-d. 1963) and Catherine (b. 1920-d. ?). He had an adopted brother, Charles "Chuck" Polizzi, also known as Albert Polizzi and born Leo Berkowitz. He became a naturalized citizen on June 8, 1928.
Involved in bootlegging during Prohibition, Polizzi allegedy became "boss" of the Cleveland mafia. He served two years in prison for seling illegal liquor. Upon his release in 1945, he moved to Coral Gables, Florida. Having built a fortune of $300,000 to $500,000 ($4.3 to $7.2 million in 2018 dollars) he partnered with Forrest Thompson to form Thompson-Polizzi Construction. The firm built extensively in and around Coral Gables, and more than 50 public schools in the Miami area. With Arthur McBride, he co-founded H.&I. Holdings, a real estate development company. Polizzi was also involved in Arizona real estate, investing heavily in the real estate developer Tucson Motels.
In testimony before the nited States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce on February 19, 1951, Polizzi admitted to bootlegging during Prohibition and to having had a substantial ownership interest in Buckeye Catering, which at one time controlled 25 percent of the illegal slot machine business in northeast Ohio. He said he have left organized crime in 1938.
Alfred Polizzi married Philomena Valentino. The couple had three children: sons Raymond (b. 1932) and Nicholas (b. 1935), and daughter Joanne.
Polizzi died on May 26, 1975, in Denver, Colorado, while attending his granddaughter's college graduation. His funeral was held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Coral Gables.
Involved in bootlegging during Prohibition, Polizzi allegedy became "boss" of the Cleveland mafia. He served two years in prison for seling illegal liquor. Upon his release in 1945, he moved to Coral Gables, Florida. Having built a fortune of $300,000 to $500,000 ($4.3 to $7.2 million in 2018 dollars) he partnered with Forrest Thompson to form Thompson-Polizzi Construction. The firm built extensively in and around Coral Gables, and more than 50 public schools in the Miami area. With Arthur McBride, he co-founded H.&I. Holdings, a real estate development company. Polizzi was also involved in Arizona real estate, investing heavily in the real estate developer Tucson Motels.
In testimony before the nited States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce on February 19, 1951, Polizzi admitted to bootlegging during Prohibition and to having had a substantial ownership interest in Buckeye Catering, which at one time controlled 25 percent of the illegal slot machine business in northeast Ohio. He said he have left organized crime in 1938.
Alfred Polizzi married Philomena Valentino. The couple had three children: sons Raymond (b. 1932) and Nicholas (b. 1935), and daughter Joanne.
Polizzi died on May 26, 1975, in Denver, Colorado, while attending his granddaughter's college graduation. His funeral was held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Coral Gables.
Born Alfonso Polizzi in Siculiana, Sicily, Italy, on March 15, 1900, to Raimondo and Giovannina (née Indelicato) Polizzi, he emigrated to the United States in 1909. He had three brothers: Joseph (b. 1893?-d. 1965), Jasper (b. 1895?-d. 1957), and James (b. 1910?-d. 1979). He had two sisters, Carmela (or Carmelina; b.1892?-d. 1963) and Catherine (b. 1920-d. ?). He had an adopted brother, Charles "Chuck" Polizzi, also known as Albert Polizzi and born Leo Berkowitz. He became a naturalized citizen on June 8, 1928.
Involved in bootlegging during Prohibition, Polizzi allegedy became "boss" of the Cleveland mafia. He served two years in prison for seling illegal liquor. Upon his release in 1945, he moved to Coral Gables, Florida. Having built a fortune of $300,000 to $500,000 ($4.3 to $7.2 million in 2018 dollars) he partnered with Forrest Thompson to form Thompson-Polizzi Construction. The firm built extensively in and around Coral Gables, and more than 50 public schools in the Miami area. With Arthur McBride, he co-founded H.&I. Holdings, a real estate development company. Polizzi was also involved in Arizona real estate, investing heavily in the real estate developer Tucson Motels.
In testimony before the nited States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce on February 19, 1951, Polizzi admitted to bootlegging during Prohibition and to having had a substantial ownership interest in Buckeye Catering, which at one time controlled 25 percent of the illegal slot machine business in northeast Ohio. He said he have left organized crime in 1938.
Alfred Polizzi married Philomena Valentino. The couple had three children: sons Raymond (b. 1932) and Nicholas (b. 1935), and daughter Joanne.
Polizzi died on May 26, 1975, in Denver, Colorado, while attending his granddaughter's college graduation. His funeral was held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Coral Gables.
Involved in bootlegging during Prohibition, Polizzi allegedy became "boss" of the Cleveland mafia. He served two years in prison for seling illegal liquor. Upon his release in 1945, he moved to Coral Gables, Florida. Having built a fortune of $300,000 to $500,000 ($4.3 to $7.2 million in 2018 dollars) he partnered with Forrest Thompson to form Thompson-Polizzi Construction. The firm built extensively in and around Coral Gables, and more than 50 public schools in the Miami area. With Arthur McBride, he co-founded H.&I. Holdings, a real estate development company. Polizzi was also involved in Arizona real estate, investing heavily in the real estate developer Tucson Motels.
In testimony before the nited States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce on February 19, 1951, Polizzi admitted to bootlegging during Prohibition and to having had a substantial ownership interest in Buckeye Catering, which at one time controlled 25 percent of the illegal slot machine business in northeast Ohio. He said he have left organized crime in 1938.
Alfred Polizzi married Philomena Valentino. The couple had three children: sons Raymond (b. 1932) and Nicholas (b. 1935), and daughter Joanne.
Polizzi died on May 26, 1975, in Denver, Colorado, while attending his granddaughter's college graduation. His funeral was held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Coral Gables.
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