Alleged Longest Serving Mob Boss In History, 'Black Jack' Tocco, Dies

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Reputed Detroit mob boss Giacomo "Jack" Tocco, 87, also nicknamed "Black Jack," died Monday, July 14, 2014, according to funeral notices.

Scott Burnstein, a national expert on the Detroit mob scene, said Tocco's death signals the end of an era — some would say a Golden Age — in the Detroit Mafia. Burnstein is the author of "Motor City Mafia: A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit."

"Things will never be the same," Burnstein said, adding the local families involved will convene in the next few days to choose a new boss, but "the recruiting pool is drying up."

In 1998, Tocco was convicted for mob-related crimes and served 11 months in prison.

Other than that, he largely stayed behind the scenes after he took over the reigns, unofficially, 41 years ago, Burnstein said. Tocco did a lot of community work, he added.

He is survived by his wife Toni; children, Vito (Kim), Dr. Angelo (Cheryl), Dr. Rosalie (Dr. Brian) Bradley, Jack (Teresa), Nino (Michele), Vinnie (Conrad) Klooster, Toni (Ralph) Dallier and the late Maria (Jon) Miller. Proud papa of 17 and 2 great grandchildren.

"Jack Tocco was one of the final links to that Golden Era of the 60s, 70s, end of the 80s, he's one of the last old-school godfathers ... No American mafia don had served as long as he did," Burnstein said.

"He was also a man who also didn't fit the prototype of mob bosses, he was more ... He was very happy being in the shadows, pulling strings behind the scenes, it wasn't something he wanted to leverage ... he didn't want the rest of Detroit knowing he was this mob boss."

Visitation is at the Sterling Heights chapel of Bagnasco & Calcaterra Funeral Home 13650 E. Fifteen Mile Road 2-9 p.m. Thursday. A 10 a.m. funeral will be held Friday at St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic Church 1401 Whittier Road, Grosse Pointe Park.