Masaru Takumi
Masaru Takumi (宅見 勝 Takumi Masaru; June 22, 1936 – August 28, 1997) was a powerful Japanese organized crime figure assassinated in 1997. Until his death, he was the second-in-command (wakagashira) and financial overseer of Japan's largest yakuza gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi. Known as "the man who never sleeps", he also headed his own sub-organization, the 1000-member Takumi-gumi.
Masaru Takumi | |
---|---|
宅見 勝 | |
Takumi featured on a nonfiction book after his death | |
Born | June 22, 1936 |
Died | August 28, 1997 61) Oriental Hotel, Kobe | (aged
Cause of death | Assassination |
Nationality | Japanese |
Known for | Organized crime figure |
Allegiance | Yamaguchi-gumi |
Death
He was considered a likely successor to the Yamaguchi-gumi's fifth godfather, Yoshinori Watanabe,[1] but in August 1997, Takumi was shot and killed in a coffee shop on the fourth floor of the Oriental Hotel in Kobe by members of a breakaway Yamaguchi affiliate, the Nakano-kai.[2] An innocent bystander was killed by a stray bullet in the attack, which led to the downfall of the Nakano-kai.
Last Job
His last position at the Yamaguchi-gumi was as wakagashira (the number-two), and after his death, the wakagashira post became vacant and had been vacant until 2005 when it was succeeded by Kiyoshi Takayama.[3] The Takumi-gumi's head position was succeeded by Tadashi Irie.[4]
Spouse
His mistress was the sister of Hideki Saijo ,[5][6] a Japanese singer and an actor most famous for singing the Japanese version of the Village People's hit song "Y.M.C.A.",[7] called "Young Man".
Preceded by (none) |
Kumicho of Takumi-gumi 1967-1997 |
Succeeded by Tadashi Irie |
References
- "Police wary as Yamaguchi-gumi prepares to fete sixth don" Archived 2010-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, August 19, 2005, The Japan Times
- "Tokyo police continue gang sweeps", September 18, 1997, The Japan Times
- "Into the Yamaguchi-gumi's 'total domination' of the underworld" Archived 2012-03-26 at the Wayback Machine, September 10, 2008, Monthly Central Journal, Central News Bank (in Japanese)
- "Osaka Police Nab Another Yakuza Boss as Crackdown Continues", December 1, 2010, The Wall Street Journal
- 森功『同和と銀行』(講談社、2009年)p.175
- 田中森一・夏原武『バブル』(宝島社、2007年)
- Pearlman, Jeff (June 2008). America's favorite ballpark sing-along is (gasp!) a disco anthem about gay sex. Spin. pp. 75–78. Retrieved 16 May 2010.