Organized Crime in Duluth
Based in St. Paul, their operations extended north to Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota, known for its scenic beauty along the North Shore of Lake Superior, seems an unlikely setting for the operations of organized crime. While the city never developed its own mafia hierarchy, Duluth was not immune to the influence of organized criminal networks—especially during Prohibition and into the mid-20th century.
The 1920s ushered in Prohibition, creating fertile ground for bootlegging and illicit liquor operations throughout the Midwest. Duluth’s strategic location on Lake Superior and its proximity to Canada made it an attractive point for smuggling alcohol across the border. At the heart of Minnesota’s organized crime scene was the St. Paul Crime Family, founded by Gaspere Abate. Under Abate’s leadership, and later Flavio Rizzi and Gregory Esposito, this syndicate controlled bootlegging, gambling, and racketeering throughout the region. Though based in St. Paul, their operations extended north to Duluth, leveraging its shipping routes for liquor smuggling.
One of the most notorious names in Minnesota crime during this era was Leon Gleckman, known as the “Al Capone of St. Paul.” Gleckman ran one of the most sophisticated bootlegging empires in the Midwest, and while his headquarters remained in St. Paul, his influence reached Duluth. The city became a satellite for distribution, and its speakeasies and underground bars flourished under this network.
Adding to the lore of organized crime in northern Minnesota are the persistent rumors that Al Capone himself used hideouts along the North Shore near Lutsen and Silver Bay. Though never definitively proven, local stories suggest that Capone and his men used remote cabins and lodges as safe havens during times of police crackdowns in Chicago. While these accounts remain speculative, they underscore how deeply the mythology of the Mafia penetrated Minnesota’s cultural memory.
As Prohibition ended in 1933, the profitability of bootlegging vanished, and Duluth saw a decline in traditional Mafia activity. Organized crime figures shifted their focus to gambling and other rackets, but Duluth never became a central hub for these enterprises. By the latter half of the 20th century, organized crime—mob bosses, protection rackets, and family-controlled territories—had largely disappeared from the city.
However, Duluth was not free of criminal networks. In more recent decades, the city has faced infiltration by Chicago-based gangs such as the Gangster Disciples and Vice Lords, who introduced cocaine and crack into the region. Additionally, Mexican cartels have used Duluth as part of their distribution routes for methamphetamine and heroin, exploiting its location as a transit point.
Duluth never produced a homegrown Mafia boss or operated under the rigid structure of La Cosa Nostra. Instead, its role in organized crime was that of an outpost—first for the bootleggers of St. Paul during Prohibition and later for national and international drug traffickers. Today, Duluth’s criminal underworld looks very different from the days of Leon Gleckman.