Albert Anastasia (1902–1957) was one of the most influential and feared figures in American organized crime during the mid-twentieth century. Born Umberto Anastasio in Calabria, Italy, he immigrated to the United States as a teenager and rose through the ranks of the Mafia during Prohibition. He eventually became the boss of the crime family that would later be known as the Gambino family. Law enforcement officials and crime commissions frequently associated him with the feared enforcement network known as “Murder, Inc.,” making him one of the most notorious underworld figures of his era.

Anastasia maintained a strong connection to Fort Lee, New Jersey, where he lived in a lavish Spanish-style estate on Bluff Road overlooking the Hudson River. During the 1940s and 1950s, Fort Lee became a favored residential enclave for a number of organized crime figures. Its proximity to Manhattan allowed mob leaders to conduct business in New York while enjoying the privacy, spacious homes, and suburban atmosphere of Bergen County. As a result, Fort Lee developed a reputation as one of several North Jersey communities where prominent underworld figures established residences.

Newspaper accounts from the period frequently identified Anastasia as a Fort Lee resident. His home became a symbol of both his wealth and influence, drawing attention from reporters, law enforcement officials, and curious members of the public. The estate was known for its commanding location and elaborate furnishings, reflecting the prosperity that accompanied his rise within organized crime.

Anastasia's career came to a dramatic end on October 25, 1957, when he was assassinated while sitting in a barber's chair at New York's Park Sheraton Hotel. The killing remains one of the most famous unsolved murders in Mafia history and marked a major shift in the balance of power within organized crime. In the weeks following his death, public fascination was so great that crowds reportedly overwhelmed an auction of furnishings from his former Fort Lee residence.

Today, Albert Anastasia is remembered as one of the most powerful Mafia leaders of the twentieth century. His years in Fort Lee highlight the borough's little-known role in the history of organized crime, when several prominent mob figures chose the community as a suburban refuge while remaining closely connected to the criminal networks centered in nearby New York City.

The Record (Hackensack, New Jersey), November 21, 1951. Article discussing Albert Anastasia's residence at 75 Bluff Road in Fort Lee and his response to reports that he had been ordered to leave New York-area organized crime circles.

The Buffalo News, November 23, 1957. Report on the auction of furnishings from Anastasia's Fort Lee estate following his death, describing the large public turnout and the contents of the home.

The Springfield Sunday Republican, April 22, 1951. Coverage of testimony before the Kefauver Committee that discussed Anastasia's alleged role in organized crime and his prominence within the national underworld.

Nigel Nicolson, "I Used to Play with Tony Soprano," The Sunday Telegraph, October 28, 2001. Recollection of growing up in Fort Lee during a period when several organized crime figures, including Albert Anastasia, maintained homes in the community.