John Lazia

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John Lazia (1896-July 10, 1934) was an American organized crime figure in Kansas City, Missouri during Prohibition.

Born to an Italian laborer in Kansas City's Little Italy, Lazia became a successful night club owner and dog track operator as he before gaining control over racketeering and other criminal activity in the city's northside during the 1920s. Developing political connections with Kansas City's "Pendergast Machine" thoughout the decade, Lazia was eventually appointed head of the northside's Democratic Club in 1928. After failing to file a $82,000 federal tax return, Lazia was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to one year imprisonment the following year. However, thanks in part to the influence of ward boss Tom Pendergast, Lazia was released from custody.

During the early 1930s, he would be linked to several gangland slayings including the Kansas City Massacre as well as a failed attempt on his life when, in August 1933, he and his associate Charles Gargotta were involved in the Armour Boulevard gunfight.

He continued resisting attempts by outside organized crime figures from moving in on Kansas City and, shortly after filing an appeal regarding his 1929 tax evasion case, the 37 year old mobster was gunned down by two unidentified gunmen armed with a submachine gun and a sawed off shotgun on July 10, 1934.

He is portayed by Harris Yulin in the 1975 television movie The Kansas City Massacre and by Joe DiGirolamo in the 1996 film Kansas City.