What was Lucky Luciano's actual role in the development of Cosa Nostra?

Mafia historians Angelo Santino, Richard Warner, Eric Stonefelt, and Chicago Tony examine some of the myths and realities of Salvatore "Charlie Lucky" Luciano as he relates to the early New York mafia, specifically with regard to the formation of the Commission in 1931 and surrounding events. To understand the role Luciano played in Cosa Nostra, we discuss the organization he joined and its function as a shadow government that long predated Luciano himself. This discussion touches on many topics not directly related to Luciano but these tangents help form a broader understanding of what the mafia was and is. This debut episode is the beginning of what will be an ongoing effort to connect Cosa Nostra's finer details with its bigger picture using a high level of research-based knowledge. Related Links Richard Warner's critique of the Last Testament of Lucky Luciano in Informer Journal: http://informer-journal.blogspot.com/... Angelo Santino and Richard Warner's groundbreaking Informer article on early New York mafia history: http://informer-journal.blogspot.com/... Eric Stonefelt's long-form articles on Cosa Nostra: mafia.substack.com The Black Hand Forum: http://theblackhand.club/forum/