John "Poppa John" Priziola Detroit Mafia Boss

John "Poppa John" Priziola was a lynchpin Mafioso in the annals of Detroit, Michigan crime. He was notorious as a receiver of narcotics for a heroin smuggling syndicate that thrived in the mid twentieth century. His crimes and illicit activities were a focus of the McClellan U.S. Senate Crime Committee. The congressional body held numerous hearings about La Cosa Nostra operations in the late 1950s. As manager of the Bilvin Distributing Company, Priziola and his jukebox distributorships were Mafia controlled. The Bilvin firm included Teamsters member and lawyer William Buffalino as a partner. These companies became a central focus of the Senate Rackets Committee deliberations.