Ciro Terranova

Ciro Terranova, known as the 'King of Artichokes,' was a prominent figure in the American Mafia during the 1930s. A member of the Morello crime family, he orchestrated a violent control over the artichoke trade between California and New York, employing intimidation tactics and violence against rivals and farmers alike. His reign over the lucrative market was challenged by the intervention of New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who famously banned artichokes in a bold move to dismantle the Mafia's grip on the industry, ultimately leading to the decline of Terranova's empire.