Downtown Mob History Walking Tour

A major part of Buffalo’s criminal history will be revealed on this tour! Throughout much of the twentieth century, the Mafia played in important role in the Queen City, and Stefano Magaddino not only controlled mob activities in Western New York for 52 years, but was also a national crime figure.  No part of Western New York was untouched by his criminal organization. 

Join us on this walking tour of downtown Buffalo to learn about the impact the mob had on Buffalo, from daily life to major government building projects. Among the stories uncovered on this tour are the Buffalo Zoo warehouse, the Barrel Murder of 1903, and the hit at Caruso’s Restaurant. Walking among some of the downtown locations that mob members would have been familiar with as they plotted their next moves, you will understand the power the local mob once wielded.

This tour meets at Spot Coffee at 227 Delaware Avenue, at the corner of Chippewa Street. Metered street parking downtown is free on weekends on Delaware Avenue and other nearby streets, or private parking lots are available & the closest is on Delaware Avenue, next to Spot Coffee. The nearest MetroRail station, Fountain Plaza, is three blocks away. 

Tour Procedures & Policies: 

• Reservations are required for all tours, including for Explorer Pass members. Walk-ups without reservations cannot be accommodated. Tours are generally limited to a maximum of 15 people per group. 
  • Reservations close two hours before the tour’s scheduled start time (for example, reservations close at 8am for a 10am tour). 
  • To redeem an orange Explore Buffalo walking tour pass, please email [email protected] at least 24 hours in advance to reserve your tour. 
  • The Explore Buffalo docent for your tour will have a list of tour reservations for their tour; you do not need to print or bring any tour confirmation. 
• Accessibility: Please contact us at [email protected] or (716) 245-3032 if you plan to attend this tour and will require accommodations or if you have questions about accessibility. 
• See our FAQs page for our refund policy and answers to other questions.
• By confirming your reservation for any Explore Buffalo tour, you acknowledge and accept Explore Buffalo’s tour policies.