The Listing Says This Marrero Home "Carries a Story All Its Own." It Does Not Begin to Cover It.

The listing for 800 Barataria Boulevard in Marrero, Louisiana describes a four-bedroom home with original wood floors, abundant natural light, and architectural details that "reflect the residence's rich history." It notes that the home "carries a story all its own." This is accurate. The story involves Carlos Marcello — the Godfather of the New Orleans Mafia, one of the most powerful organized crime figures in American history — who lived at this address and is confirmed there in the 1950 federal census.

The Story the Listing Is Referring To

Carlos Marcello — born Calogero Minacore in Tunisia in 1910, immigrated to Louisiana in 1911 — rose through New Orleans' criminal underworld to become the undisputed boss of the New Orleans crime family by the late 1940s, a position he would hold for decades. He controlled Louisiana's illegal gambling network, partnered with Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello, received cuts from Las Vegas casino skimming operations, and openly bought Louisiana governors. When he appeared before the U.S. Senate's Kefauver Committee on organized crime in 1951, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment 152 times. The Committee named him "one of the worst criminals in the country." When Robert F. Kennedy, serving as chief counsel to the McClellan Committee, questioned him in 1959 — with Senator John F. Kennedy present — Marcello invoked the Fifth nearly 70 more times and became, by his own account, an avowed enemy of the Kennedy family. He was later implicated, though never charged, in theories surrounding the JFK assassination. He died in 1993 after years of declining health. The house at 800 Barataria was his family home.

The House Itself

Beyond its provenance, 800 Barataria is a substantial property: 4,139 square feet across two floors, four bedrooms, three full baths and a half bath, original wood flooring, a sunroom, a formal dining room, a den, a wraparound porch, and a greenhouse on the oversized 0.4-acre lot. A new roof was installed within the last year. The listing describes the architectural details and classic finishes as reflecting the home's "rich history, with much of its original character still beautifully intact." It is listed at $499,900. The listing does not mention Marcello by name. The listing does describe the home as "a truly distinctive home offering space, character, and location." On that point, there is no argument.

The Internet Has Thoughts

Naturally, this listing caught the attention of Reddit's r/zillowgonewild community. See what people are saying about it here.

A four-bedroom Marrero home with original wood floors, a greenhouse, and a very particular history. View the full listing here.