Houston Hearts: A History of Cardiovascular Surgery and Medicine and the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center at Houston Methodist Hospital by William L. Winters Jr. M.D. & Betsy Parish

Author:William L. Winters Jr. M.D. & Betsy Parish [Winters Jr. M.D., William L.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780978620011
Publisher: Elisha Freeman Publishing
Published: 2014-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

AT THE HEART OF THE MOB

In 1986, Fortune magazine listed the top 50 Mafia bosses in order of importance in the United States. Two named on that list, the Tampa boss, Santo Trafficante (No. 15) and the Chicago boss, Joseph Ferriola (No. 20) would share another commonality shortly thereafter. In the late 1980s, both reportedly were treated for heart disease “by the best in Houston.”1 A patient of Dr. Denton Cooley’s in 1987, Mr. Trafficante underwent triple-bypass surgery at the Texas Heart Institute but died in his sleep three hours later at the age of 72.2 A patient of Dr. DeBakey’s two years later, Mr. Ferriola became the first known member of organized crime to receive not just one heart transplant but two in as many weeks at The Methodist Hospital. Following the second unsuccessful heart transplant in March 1989, Mr. Ferriola died in the hospital at the age of 61.1

Although Tony “The Ant” Spilotro was not listed as one of the top 50 Mafia bosses by Fortune, he was the Las Vegas chieftain of the Chicago mob when he underwent coronary bypass surgery at The Methodist Hospital in 1985. Known to be one of the most colorful characters in the “Outfit,” he was the inspiration for Joe Pesci’s character, Nicky Santoro, in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 movie adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi’s book, Casino. Even though he survived the heart bypass operation, “The Ant” and his brother were both dead a year later after being brutally beaten and buried alive in an Indiana cornfield by mob members on June 23, 1986.3

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