Vintage view of Pittsburgh’s Strip District buildings and streets, historically known as mobster hideouts during Prohibition.

Mobster Hideouts You Can Still Visit in Pittsburgh’s Strip District

Neighborhoods & Communities, Events & Turning Points, People & Personalities

Pittsburgh’s vibrant Strip District is beloved for its eclectic markets, trendy eateries, and bustling streets. However, beneath its colorful surface lies a fascinating, shadowy past marked by bootlegging, organized crime, and legendary mobsters. This intriguing underworld history dates back to Prohibition (1920–1933), a time when the federal ban on alcohol inadvertently fostered a thriving black…

A moody, noir-style illustration depicting John Bazzano, Pittsburgh’s infamous Mafia don, standing in a dimly lit alley. He wears a fedora and long overcoat, with shadowy figures and 1930s-era cars in the background, evoking the dark underworld of organized crime during the Prohibition era.

John Bazzano: Pittsburgh’s Ruthless Mafia Don

Events & Turning Points, Neighborhoods & Communities, People & Personalities

In the annals of Pittsburgh’s dark and shadowy history, one name strikes a particularly ominous chord: John Bazzano. As the ruthless mafia don who ruled the Steel City’s underworld during the early 20th century, Bazzano orchestrated one of the bloodiest chapters of organized crime in Western Pennsylvania. His reign was defined by backroom deals, brutal…