Alema Leota
Encyclopedia
Alema Leota was an alleged Hawaii
an organized crime
boss during the 1960s and 1970s, who led an unsuccessful nonpartisan
campaign for the Governor of Hawaii
during the 1978 election. He was defeated by former Governor George Ariyoshi
during the general election.
, to Samoa
n immigrant parents, Aivao and Matala Leota. His parents were among the first Samoan immigrants to settle in Hawaii in 1919 after their coversion to Mormonism
. He attended Kahuku High School
, but ultimately graduated from 'Iolani School.
Leota was drafted into the United States military during the final draft conducted after the end of World War II
. He served for three years in the 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
, and completed over 40 parachute
missions.
He first made headlines in Hawaii in 1952 when Leota and his brother, Reid Leota, were arrested in Honolulu on charges of murdering a man at a pool hall on Smith Street. Leota was later convicted on a lesser charge of assault
while his brother was convicted of murder
.
Alema Leota was repeatedly fingered by both federal and state authorities of allegedly being head of Hawaii's organized crime during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Often called The Boss, he was rumored to have been one of the most feared yet respected men of his time.
as a nonpartisan
candidate for Governor of Hawaii in 1978. He received only 277 votes during the statewide primary election
, but this was enough to put his name onto the gubernatorial general election
ballots. He campaigned on a platform of change in state government
. However, Leota was still badly defeated by incumbent
Governor George Ariyoshi
during the 1978 general election. It was widely speculated that his rumored criminal involvement may have lost him the election.
Leota denied all charges that he was tied to organized crime during his campaign. He said that organized crime could not exist without the cooperation of the government and called charges that he was involved in the Hawaiian underworld, "a crock."
Even after losing the election, Leota held a feared but respected persona in the public eye.
of the Leota clan
. Approximately 700 members of the Leota family, from as far away as New Zealand
and the United Kingdom
, attended the reunion.
Alema Leota died at the age of 80 in Everett, Washington
, on May 11, 2008. He died of complications of injuries sustained in a car accident
which took place on December 25, 2007. He was survived by his companion, Ann Lyons; his son, Frank Minami; one granddaughter and two great-granddaughters, and a great many loving nieces and nephews.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
boss during the 1960s and 1970s, who led an unsuccessful nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
campaign for the Governor of Hawaii
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
during the 1978 election. He was defeated by former Governor George Ariyoshi
George Ariyoshi
George Ryoichi Ariyoshi , served as the third Governor of Hawaii from 1974 to 1986. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He assumed the governorship when John A. Burns was declared incapacitated. When he was elected, Ariyoshi became the first American of Asian descent to be elected governor of...
during the general election.
Biography
Leota was born and raised in La'i.e., Hawaii, on the island of OahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, to Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n immigrant parents, Aivao and Matala Leota. His parents were among the first Samoan immigrants to settle in Hawaii in 1919 after their coversion to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
. He attended Kahuku High School
Kahuku High School
Kahuku High & Intermediate School, located in Kahuku CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu, serves approximately 1,850 students in grades seven through twelve and is part of the Windward District on the island of Oahu. It is a part of the Hawaii Department of Education...
, but ultimately graduated from 'Iolani School.
Leota was drafted into the United States military during the final draft conducted after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served for three years in the 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and completed over 40 parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
missions.
He first made headlines in Hawaii in 1952 when Leota and his brother, Reid Leota, were arrested in Honolulu on charges of murdering a man at a pool hall on Smith Street. Leota was later convicted on a lesser charge of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
while his brother was convicted of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.
Alema Leota was repeatedly fingered by both federal and state authorities of allegedly being head of Hawaii's organized crime during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Often called The Boss, he was rumored to have been one of the most feared yet respected men of his time.
1978 campaign for Governor of Hawaii
Alema Leota mounted an unsuccessful campaignPolitical campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
as a nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
candidate for Governor of Hawaii in 1978. He received only 277 votes during the statewide primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, but this was enough to put his name onto the gubernatorial general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
ballots. He campaigned on a platform of change in state government
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
. However, Leota was still badly defeated by incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Governor George Ariyoshi
George Ariyoshi
George Ryoichi Ariyoshi , served as the third Governor of Hawaii from 1974 to 1986. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He assumed the governorship when John A. Burns was declared incapacitated. When he was elected, Ariyoshi became the first American of Asian descent to be elected governor of...
during the 1978 general election. It was widely speculated that his rumored criminal involvement may have lost him the election.
Leota denied all charges that he was tied to organized crime during his campaign. He said that organized crime could not exist without the cooperation of the government and called charges that he was involved in the Hawaiian underworld, "a crock."
Even after losing the election, Leota held a feared but respected persona in the public eye.
Later years
Alema Leota last made the news in 2004 when he helped bring together a reunion of the Leota family. He was the last surviving child of his parents, Aivao and Matala Leota, and was therefore known as the family patriarchPatriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of the Leota clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
. Approximately 700 members of the Leota family, from as far away as New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, attended the reunion.
Alema Leota died at the age of 80 in Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, on May 11, 2008. He died of complications of injuries sustained in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
which took place on December 25, 2007. He was survived by his companion, Ann Lyons; his son, Frank Minami; one granddaughter and two great-granddaughters, and a great many loving nieces and nephews.