Sunday, March 4, 2012

Top 5 Female Gangsters of all Times


Interesting write up concerning the top 5 female gangsters of all times! Check it out!
http://mafiatoday.com/mafia-families-gangs-gangsters/top-5-most-notorious-female-gangsters-of-all-time/

37 comments:

  1. I found it interesting that all the women are percieved to be dangerous but all excpt Rosetta Cutolo look like models or actresses. I think this also may have been a great decoy for them to continue getting away with criminal activities for long periods of time. Most crime taken place in these times were committed by men since a womans place was still believed to be in the home taken care of children.

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    1. I'd have to agree the most interesting takeaway from the article for me was the way most of these women looked. They didn't look like grizzly women who would commit these crimes, they look like beautiful women who could have easily made a living in modeling or pursuing an acting career. For them to be so high up on the criminal food chain is amazing, and yet they aren't as glamorized as the male figures. In many ways they are just as if not more interesting than a lot of these men. These women don't look like gangsters or con artists or criminals, which is what makes this so amazing in my personal opinion.

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  2. this is a fascinating store I never new there is girls that would participate in such a horrible acts of evil now you wish we hadn't sighted the 19th amendment just play but Ya I find the crazy that Rosetta Cutolo is not considered dangerous if she is on the top 5 she would be a dangerous persons I always though most girls go to jail for is like have drugs on them r theey kill there husband to get the insurance money r viz they walked in on there husband with some other girl. If girls a part of the criminal activities as men r this would is not as save as it us to be.

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  3. I had only heard of Griselda Blanco and she is one serious ummm...individual. I found this excerpt on her: Griselda Blanco (below) may favor an harmless middle-aged housewife. Don’t be fooled. This is the first woman in history to head a major Columbian drug network which grossed $8 million a month, she was nicknamed "The Godmother Of Cocaine."

    $8 Million a month?!

    Instead of Hollywood re-making classic movies in 3-D, why don't they get really creative and show the world what these tough women can do!

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    1. I have heard of Blanco also, infact I think I watched an episode on ID tv about her. It's amazing these women are so deadly and so high up. But more and more today we are seeing women committing outragous crimes. They have probably became so good at what they do for so long because they are women. Its a surprise. No one thinks about a woman being a Columbian gangster as Blanco was or being a leader of a powerful Italian Mafia as Rosetta Cutolo. Most people think these positions would be held by men. Ahh, the element of surprise!

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  4. I found this article to be very intriguing. It seems as though all the women involved would have been harmless. To read what they have done is very intense. I just thought many womens role in the act of mafia was decoy or just look pretty for the men. I never realized they actually got to play apart in such intense acts of violence. The way it seemed to be protrayed was women played the role of housewife or in the background but I think that was hollywoods way of "showing where the womans place was in those times." But, as you can see they can be just as violent as the rest and that should be shown to the world in my opinion.

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  5. I never knew that in the world of organized crime their where so many women involved. This article shows that the world of organized crime has not always been dominated by men as history has shown us. It also shows how dangerous women can be and ruthless as their men counter part. It also shows how also women have had some of the top position in the world of crime; however it also shows how history has overlooked them since they are women.

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  6. After reading the article, I decided to research Arlyne Brickman who wrote a book called "Mob Girl." She was the oldest of two daughters whose father was Irving Weiss. As a teenager she hung around seedy nightclubs of some small-time Italian mobsters, ran with them and then helped run drugs for them. It wasn't until the mob threatened to kill her daughter (who later began using drugs at the age of 21 and died of AIDS), did she turn informant. She reflects now that if there were anything she could change about her sordid life it would be to save her daughter, Leslie. She now resides in an undisclosed location in Florida.

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  7. See all over the world when a woman get's in to the Game we raise the bar. Go big are go home. Each one of them left their mark on the world Form the roaring 20's to the high tech of the world today. Now mind you I would never do such a thing, but if I did that is way to live!

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  8. The entire women were very beautiful, and liked models, except for Rosetta Cutolo. This makes me believe many beautiful women are more likely to get away with breaking the law for longer periods of time. However, this is just a personal opinion or thought about these women; and not based on fact. Arlyne Brickman looked like a normal woman, and just from a first impression look, I would have never guessed she worked as a loan shark. I would have thought she was a singer or actress. Stephanie St. Clair gave bribes to cops, and then exposed them for it. When I think of American gangsters, I always thought of men. This article helped me realize that women can be involved in the Mafia, and big drug situations along with men.

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  9. These were beautiful, sneaky, violent, and corrupt women. They manipulated authorities, and escaped arrest several times. Rosetta Cutolo evaded nine counts of murder? Could they not see there might be a pattern there. Griselda Blanco seems like she would turn your head, but would probably put a bullet in it in about the same amount of time. These women had the power, money, and guts to run major criminal organizations. They were pioneers in a violent and illegal frontier.

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  10. behind every great man there is a great one, well I guess not in this case were the main role is a woman.I never realized that there were when in the Mafia that had such a high the position.vote for the top five number five Mdm. Queen she turned in crooked cops so that's not the worst thing I would ever thought to make it on the top five. But I'm pretty sure she did more than that to earn her place.I am surprise that how good some of these women look.but as Crystal stated before "beautiful women are more likely to get away with breaking the law or a longer period of time".but women do think things out a lot more than their male counterparts, and you know that's true if you ever been in a argument with one. In the believe that have helped them of the trouble a lot more and it doesn't hurt to have a pretty face.

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  11. I find this article extremely cool and interesting! "American Gangsters" actually happens to be one of my all time favorite movies. It's crazy that beautiful women like these could actually run super powerful operations such as these and especially at these times where men seem to hold most power. This blog reminds me of a woman who goes by the name of Billie Freschette in the movie named "Public Enemies" which was a 1930's mob story, well anyways she was a broke beautiful woman who gets noticed by her famous Mobster boyfriend John Dillinger and happens to play a powerful part in his mob story. Great similarities!

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  12. This article is perfect for women's history month! It's good to know that women have been able to reach the pinnacle of achievement across the board. Although I do agree with many of the previous commenters that the majority of these ladies are beautiful or elegant, i do not find it surprising that a beautiful woman could get away with murder or be a crime boss. Although women aren't generally stereotyped as violently natured, i tend to think that violence is something you learn along the way. That is to say, i don't think we are premeditated to me more or less violent because of our sex. If a woman grew up in a violent environment and was encouraged to engage and excel in violent activities, there's no reason why that woman couldn't be hardened killer. Pair that with a woman's knack for duping and manipulating men and you have a pretty good chance at being a successful criminal. I would be interested to know more about these ladies histories and how they came to being involved not only in criminal activity, but organized crime to the extent that they became heads of their own armies.

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  13. I find this article extremely interesting. When I hear the word gangster, I think of men. I have heard of women gangster but to actually read what these women have done, astonishes me. The way most of these women look, is a great way of hiding the fact that they are gangsters. I would never think someone as beautiful as these women would be a person to kill others. It amazes me of the tactics these women had and their reasonings of their killings. The women with the drug cartel from Mexico to the US has a lot of power because the cartel has been a major issue for many years. Being able to have that much power as a women blows me away.

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  14. its no surprise to me that these women had power .its funny how we men think women are weak but they make better gangsters then men sometimes .the women in this blog were beautiful but deadly like a black widow spider.

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  15. 4. As we can see from this article gangsters and mobster are not just men but also women who in my opinion might be able to get away with much more than the usual male mobster. At least in the era that these women where in. I say this because women were seen as delicate individuals that could not possibly do any harm to anyone. It was not possible for women to be so high ranked in the mob because she was a woman or at least that is what the officials and public thought. These women proved everyone wrong. They showed that not only can they do the same thing as men but can get away with it.

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  16. I found this to be a interesting article. in class we have talked about the role women have played in gangs but I didnt really know who or what some of the major roles women have played. Enedina Arellano Felix i would of never thought she was behind the Tijuana cartel drug trafficking, or Stephanie St. Clair would have "Bumpy Johnson" as her protege. These women played big roles and just by looking at them we would have no idea.

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  17. It wasn’t really shocking for me to find out that the women in this article are beautiful, petite, and well put together. I think that’s what gives them their edge. Like it or not, we live in a judgmental world and at first site these women wouldn’t be suspected of any foul play. Another thing that sticks out to me is that obviously women tend to get a more lenient sentence. For example, Rosetta Cutolo got out of NINE murder charges! This article goes to show that it is easier for women to stay under the radar. Again, Cutolo was on the run and supposedly blew up a police station while she was at it. For some people this is shocking, but to me, it just romanticizes the scandalous nature all women come equipped with!!

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  18. This article is interesting because it isn’t something that we usually see, female gangsters. Stephanie St. Clair I think is especially intriguing because it says that she was the one that gave success to the Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson the character from American Gangster. Females make good gangsters because no one expects a woman to be the one responsible for heinous crimes, like murder. I feel that women usually get off easier when they commit crimes because of their nature and when it comes to that I don’t feel that justice is always done.

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  19. This article was interesting to read because you don’t usually see or hear about any female gangsters. These women were wealthy and privileged people. To me, This could make is easier for them to get away with things and conceal that they are involved with different gangs. These woman are just as dangerous, ruthless, and deadly as many of the men that are in the same gangs as them. Them being so beautiful is something else that they could use to their advantage when it comes to getting away with the violent things that are being done.

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  20. when you think of gangs you see a male figure covered in tattoos. Last thing i would think of is of a well put together woman with some class to be considered a gangster. We have not really discussed a womans role in gangs so it shocked me that some of these woman had played major major roles to their activities. Its funny how my friends and I always joke around how woman get out of trouble with the law because of their good looks. Crystal stated "beautiful women are more likely to get away with breaking the law or a longer period of time." So that kinda makes me laugh but at the same time it shows you that you could never underestimate a woman.

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  21. The topic of Female Gangsters is interesting and shatters the stereotype type. Except for the crimes they committed, Stephanie St. Clair and Arlyne Brickman sound like ladies. From what I read, they avoided violence and fought or turned over corrupt and violent men. I guess you could say they are the better half of the gangster world. The other three, however were as cruel and vicious as any gangster. Enedina Felix from the Tijuana Cartel is a scary woman. Rosetta Cutolo proves that the violent female gangster is not a new phenomenon. Griselda Blanco proves that drug dealing is an equal opportunity employer. Because of the profit margin, I believe we will see more of this in the future. Social disorganization also doesn’t help.

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  22. This just goes to show you to never judge a book by its cover! It's not a very big surprise to know that most of these women got away with the things that did and for the amount of time. Mainly because women think things out and make sure to have a plan before acting. I’ve always said women are very conniving and Griselda Blanco demonstrates this perfectly. Not only does she go after people in the business she takes it as far as killing people over personal problems outside the business. Also, Stephanie St. Clair and Arlyne Brickman show us that women are very quick to turn and expose you for who you really are to get the upper hand. Women are very good at keeping secrets which in turn explains why these women were so good at getting away with criminal acts. Never underestimate a woman; we are strong in our own way.

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  24. I had only heard of BLANCO "THE GODMOTHER"(From cocaine cowboys). It really surprised me how SMART AND SLICK this female is, if you look at her pictures never would you think so has over 200 killings under her belt. I believe that your background has ALOT to do. Blanco was beat every time her mother would get drunk, until she turned 17, she got up and left after a night of her mom drinking and hitting her. Blanco became a prostitue in Colombia til her early 20s. Later she became known as the "black widow" (for killing all her lovers) </3.
    She would pay her way out of everything. Rivi (her hitman) is sitting on death row while is is living her life to the max somewhere, maybe Colombia or how knows where, she might be having a few drinks with EL CHAPO! Those two are LEGENDS!

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  25. I had heard of Arylne Brickman and Rosetta Cutolo before but the rest were new to me. I know Arylne Brickman eventually turned states evidence after she was raped by a mobster and came to the realization that the mob life was not as “glamorous” as she thought it was. As for Rosetta Cutolo all I remember about her was that she was the sister of the head of the Italian mafia. This article proves that not only men are gangsters; women have the potential to become gangsters and lead big organizations. I am sure most of these women went under the radar of many top officials trying to bring down these gangster organizations because most people wouldn’t consider women to be in the positions that these women were. This article indicates that these women were just as violent as their male counterparts which to me is incredibly shocking yet very interesting.

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  26. These women must have done some awful deeds or were very devious to be in the top five. Blanco and Cutolo seem very ruthless, and willing to do anything to stay on top or survive. Three of five of these women are top dog in criminal organizations, which is very interesting. St. Clair nickname “Queenie” seems very fitting for a woman gangster from the 20s. I think it’s interesting that she would expose crooked cops, which helps society. I think this article shows women are just as evil as men. In other words, criminals are not always men and the most ruthless are not always men.

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  27. Americans perceived the crimes of these women during the 1920-1930’s much differently than Americans do today. During that particular timeframe, Americans were outraged by these woman and their crimes. Exploring Criminal Justice mentions that female prisoners threatened the social order by sinning. The female’s role was at home, in order for her to take care of the family. If a deviant female deserted this role, the female threatened the family structure. Exploring Criminal Justice further explains that it was assumed by a women’s nature, that they were more pure and virtuous than men were. Females were thought of as innocent, sweet, and vulnerable. When a wife or mother sinned, they were judged more harshly than men and given a greater social stigma as being labeled wild beasts for their wrongdoings. In contrast, Americans today realize that the role of women has changed and do not assume the pure nature of women any longer. Many individuals stereotype women as vengeful, wrathful, and manipulative. Additionally, incarceration rates for women have increased, so it should not be as surprising as it once was for females to be sentenced to prison or to engage in these types of deviant or criminal behaviors. When people’s perceptions change towards criminal acts or criminals, laws and society changes as well, as it has since that time.

    Women have always been rewarded for maintaining a feminine appearance. Some of the early incarcerated women were prostitutes. Exploring Criminal Justice reveals studies which confirm that females are treated more leniently than males and that those females who conform to middle-class expectations of traditional female roles receive more lenient treatment by the police. Additionally, females are also treated with greater compassion by police than males. Further, females are less likely to be arrested than males. Police officers are typically more suspicious of males than females, so perhaps these women felt as if they could get away with these crimes more easily than males.

    I agree with Alejandro--violence is learned. Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory could be applied to these female gangsters. Each of these women learned criminal behavior in a social environment in an association with intimate others through interaction and communication. From those interactions and communications these women acquired the techniques of committing crimes, they learned the attitudes, drives, motives, and rationalizations needed to do so. The earlier, the more intensely, and the longer, these women were exposed to attitudes about criminality negatively, the more likely it is that they were influenced toward committing crimes.

    These women’s affairs were immoral, shameful, and disgraceful. I am astonished and dismayed that Rosetta Cutolo was acquitted on nine different occasions for murder. However, it was commendable that Ms. Arlyne Brickman had the moral strength to testify against several top figures in the mob and ultimately helped place them in jail.

    I truly agree that some of these women look like sweethearts, but you cannot judge a book by its cover. Just because someone is pretty does not mean they are honest. I do not put it past any human being whether they are female or male, to engage in crimes. Everyone is capable of crime, including females. This article shows that you cannot underestimate women and their ability to commit crimes. Finally, while perceptions have changed, criminal acts linger.

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  28. Female gangsters...not something we hear about every day. We have all heard about the male gangsters of the era but I, personally, have never heard of any of these women. It is really not all that surprising to me because, while men are the breadwinners, many societies are, and were, matriarchal societies. Women are also typically more quiet concerning their crimes so it is not surprising that they are able to run quietly in the background "crunching" the numbers for their benefit. Good business sense and the ability to keep quiet, not to mention the power of seduction when needed, all equate to a good mob boss!

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  29. I feel that women are more dangerous than their male counterparts when it comes to manipulation and sabotage. The sweet smile and alluring presence of a female, was often viewed as the softer, more delicate side of humanity. This frail demeanor also lets them, until recently; operate under the radar of being a suspect. Most people look at women as in a caregiver role, these women couldn’t be farther removed. The only care they give is for them. The power and glamor the Hollywood spin has put on these hard hearted criminals diminishes the cold calculating intellect it takes to be a gang leader. That is why “Jack” is still the "Ripper" and Jane has escaped public notice for so long.

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  30. Women as Gangsters....very smart! Who suspects a woman to be violent? Women have that sort of surprise attack ability to catch people off guard. Get men into a room, act like a prostitute, and when the man is all undressed thinking hes going to to "get some" BAM!! The women surprises him, robs him, and leaves him with nothing. VERY SMART! What is the man to do? Report it? WHAT!! Report thank he was going to commit a crime and hook up with a prostitute? Or even worse, tell his wife? Admit to his wife that he was going to cheat on her? I am sure these women carefully picked their targets. Pretty amazing honestly that there are not more women gangsters talked about as being some of the best. To be honest I really only know of Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde until I read this article.

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  31. It’s cool to know that there were female gangsters during the era of these women. These women weren’t like the female gangsters we have today. Besides Rosetta Cutolo, these women looked liked they could have been models. No one probably suspected these women were gangsters. To me these women were bold and brave to do the things they did especially “Queenie”. This article shows you that women can do anything a man does and they probably won’t be suspected of doing it. The fact that these women are the top five let’s you know that you did not want to mess with them.

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  32. I agree with Brenton, it is cool to know that there were/are female gangsters during this era. You only hear about the famous men gangsters who are involved in the different areas of criminal activity that these women were part of. I had already known of Arlyne Brickman because she was the inspiration for a female gangster in the show The Sopranos. I also already knew about Enedina Felix because she was also the inspiration for the leader of the cartels in the show Breakout Kings. What I like about female gangsters is that they are more cunning and more ruthless then there male counterparts.

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  33. It is real interesting that these women were successful at their time because back in the 1920's and 1930's woman really did not have any say. It was mostly a man dominated society and woman were usually just the ones who stay at home moms. If you think about it, it is pretty smart on their part because who would think of a woman controlling the drug trade or being part of the mafia. The top notorious woman gangster on here is Griselda Blanco. I did a paper over her and in my mind she is the top woman gangster, with some of the things she has done and for how long she did it for was pretty impressive. One thing these woman have in common is that in the end some of them ratted on other gangsters and proving that they have a weakness.

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  34. I think women as a whole have conquered and mastered a level of manipulation that the male gender has yet to even sense. There is a certain sense of tranquility and insane amount of calculation that goes into the work a woman put sin as far as killing of dealing in the black market. Women are harder to catch doing their crimes then men because they rarely go out and talk about it. One could argue that men mostly do it for the power, whereas women do it to get a point across

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