June 18, 1936

Charles “Lucky” Luciano, who had been arrested in Hot Springs (Garland County), was sentenced to thirty to fifty years at the maximum security Dannemora Prison in New York. It was the longest sentence ever handed down in New York for compulsory prostitution. He served his time quietly, determined to be a model prisoner. During World War II, he allegedly helped the government by forging ties and collecting intelligence in Sicily prior to the Allied invasion of Italy. He also claimed that he helped prevent maritime sabotage by the enemy in the United States through his connections on the waterfront. In 1946, his sentence was commuted, and Luciano was deported to Italy, where he lived the rest of his days.