How Do Mobsters Get Their Nicknames?

“What’s in a name?” asked William Shakespeare, going on to answer his own question in a way implying that names are arbitrary. No offense to Shakespeare, but the Mafia might disagree.
Just ask Charles (“Lucky”) Luciano, nicknamed for his skill at cards and at evading arrest. He also was lucky to survive being kidnapped, beaten, and stabbed with an ice pick. Or Giuseppe (“Joe the Boss”) Masseria, who got his nickname after he staged a takeover after the previous boss, Frankie Yale, was killed—reportedly by Alphonse (“Scarface”) Capone. Capone earned his nickname while working at a bar Yale owned. Capone made a comment about patron Frank Galluccio’s sister, and Galluccio responded by slicing Capone’s face with a razor or knife. Speaking of knives, Willie (“Two-Knife”) Altieri is pretty self-explanatory as a nickname for a top mob assassin. These amusing nicknames actually have a purpose. They can help criminals under surveillance stay unidentified by law enforcement and were especially useful in the era of wiretaps. The nicknames also serve as a barrier to the mobster’s real lives, since no one uses—often no one even knows—the men’s real, full names. Most mob nicknames are based on something: for example, appearance (Michael [“the Nose”] Mancuso), personality (Joseph [“Crazy Joe”] Gallo), experiences (Anthony [“Tony Ducks”] Corallo), hometown (Gerlando [“George from Canada”] Sciascia), or business dealings (Philip [“Chicken Man”] Testa). Nicknames aren’t always chosen by the person. For example, take Joseph (“Joe Bananas”) Bonanno (sorry, Joe; Bonanno hated this nickname), or the Italian mobster known as Cosce Affumate: “Smoked Thighs,” because of his hairy legs.
Sometimes reporters or cops give mobsters their nicknames: Anthony (“Big Tuna”) Accardo was named by reporters after being photographed with a large fish he had caught. No matter where they come from, these colorful names sure do spark the public’s imagination.