Hiroshi Yamamoto
Kazuo Taoka was the third boss of the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi, who made the family into by far the biggest yakuza family in Japan. When he died of natural causes in 1981, then "wakagashira" (underboss) Kenichi Yamamoto was in prison and the other top lieutenants decided to wait for his release. However, in early 1982, Yamamoto suddenly died of liver failure. After his death, the top lieutenants could not immediately elect a boss, and they temporarily chose Hiroshi Yamamoto as acting boss and Masahisa Takenaka as wakagashira.