Anthony Senter
Encyclopedia
Anthony Senter and Joseph Testa, better known the Gemini twins are two mobster
s in the Lucchese crime family
. Senter and Testa are former members of the DeMeo crew in the Gambino crime family
. In 1989, both Senter and Testa were found guilty of racketeering and 10 counts of murder
and both were sentenced to life in federal prison.
, New York to immigrants Michael Senter and wife from Rovereto
, Italy
. Senter's uncle, Gambino
and Colombo
associate, Robert Senter owned the Canarsie Recycling Company in Canarsie. As a young man Anthony worked at both his father's small debris removal business and his uncle's sanitation company. Robert Senter gained notoriety for the kidnapping and murder of Emanuel Gambino
, the nephew of Gambino crime family boss Carlo Gambino and nephew of Paul Castellano
.
On December 4, 1972, Robert Senter was arrested and confessed to the murder of Gambino. He also revealed the identities of Richard Chaisson and Warren Schurman who were his two accomplices. On June 1, 1973, Robert pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. After his release Robert was murdered by Colombo crime family associates from Brooklyn on orders from Colombo crime family capo John Matera. Anthony Senter married an Italian-American woman on July 24, 1977 at a catering hall in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The wedding was attended by many criminals including Gambino crime family
associate Roy DeMeo
.
. Testa was one of nine children born to a transport truck driver and a housewife. His brother Patrick Testa also became a mobster joining the DeMeo crew.
Testa was considered more dangerous by reputation than Senter among criminal associates. By 1970, Senter had already been convicted of auto theft three times by the age of 12. Testa and Senter were successful in having all of their cases dismissed because they were juveniles at the time. Testa and Senter became known as the Gemini twins because they were always together and the primary hangout of the DeMeo crew was the Gemini Lounge.
hired Senter and Testa to wax his Corvette and Porsche and steal cars for him. Rosenberg introduced his friends Senter and Testa to Roy DeMeo who asked them to join his crew. DeMeo, Rosenberg, Senter and Testa became the core of the DeMeo crew who became notorious for their ruthless violence. The crew was suspected to be involved in 75 to 200 murders throughout the mid 1970s and into the early 1980s, when the majority of the crew members still alive were brought to justice.
When Senter joined the DeMeo crew, he gained a reputation as a sadistic killer who enjoyed mutilating his victims. Senter also gained a reputation for providing the crew with significant revenue from auto theft. Senter and Testa were both full-blooded Italians and were eligible to be inducted
into the mafia.
Although, Senter was a large earner for the Gemini Lounge crew he was highly disliked by Albert DeMeo, the son of Roy DeMeo. Albert's personal judgment of Senter was that, "there was something slick and phony about him". He had a collapsed lung from a near fatal knife fight and chain smoked. He was always to be seen pressing his hand against his chest and complaining that he couldn't breathe.
was originally suspected by law enforcement officials of being the one who personally killed DeMeo. Gaggi was not charged with the crime.
According to Anthony Casso
, DeMeo was killed at Patrick Testa's Canarsie home by Joseph Testa and Senter following an agreement with Casso, who was given the contract by Gambino crime family Boss Paul Castellano
and Frank DeCicco
after they were unable to kill DeMeo in the fall of 1982. DeMeo was seated, about to receive coffee, when Testa and Senter opened fire. Anthony Gaggi was not present.
. According to former Lucchese acting boss Anthony Casso
, they were responsible for the murder on June 13, 1986 of Russian-American gangster Vladimir Reznikov. Reznikov had reportedly threatened the life and family of Marat Balagula
, a Ukrainian
immigrant who ruled the Russian Mafia
in Brighton Beach
. Balagula, who was then masterminding a multi-million dollar gasoline bootlegging operation, had been paying tribute to the Five Families
, who regarded him as their biggest moneymaker after drugs.
In 1994, it was discovered that pension dues were being paid into a Teamsters
pension account in Senter's name by a cousin of Senter, one Dominic Vulpis, who owned a garbage company. A court investigator determined that $30,000 of dues had been paid into the account over a six-year period all the while Senter was in prison on a life sentence. Union officials said Senter could have qualified for a pension of $1,400 a month if the payments by Canarsie Recycling had continued for another five years.
Senter will not collect the pension - the Teamsters disqualified Senter as a member and barred his pension. It is unclear if Senter's cousin, Dominic Vulpis, or the garbage company he owns received a refund of the fraudulent dues.
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
s in the Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
. Senter and Testa are former members of the DeMeo crew in the Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
. In 1989, both Senter and Testa were found guilty of racketeering and 10 counts 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...
and both were sentenced to life in federal prison.
Anthony Senter
Anthony Michael Senter was born in Canarsie, BrooklynCanarsie, Brooklyn
Canarsie is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, United States. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18....
, New York to immigrants Michael Senter and wife from Rovereto
Rovereto
Rovereto is a city and comune in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River.-History:Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier between the bishopric of Trento - an independent state until 1797 - and the republic of Venice, and later...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Senter's uncle, Gambino
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
and Colombo
Colombo crime family
The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
associate, Robert Senter owned the Canarsie Recycling Company in Canarsie. As a young man Anthony worked at both his father's small debris removal business and his uncle's sanitation company. Robert Senter gained notoriety for the kidnapping and murder of Emanuel Gambino
Emanuel Gambino
Emanuel 'Manny' Gambino was the nephew of infamous Mafia leader Carlo Gambino and an organized crime figure in New York. He was kidnapped from outside his home in Queens, New York, by a group of gangsters...
, the nephew of Gambino crime family boss Carlo Gambino and nephew of Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
.
On December 4, 1972, Robert Senter was arrested and confessed to the murder of Gambino. He also revealed the identities of Richard Chaisson and Warren Schurman who were his two accomplices. On June 1, 1973, Robert pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. After his release Robert was murdered by Colombo crime family associates from Brooklyn on orders from Colombo crime family capo John Matera. Anthony Senter married an Italian-American woman on July 24, 1977 at a catering hall in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The wedding was attended by many criminals including Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
associate Roy DeMeo
Roy DeMeo
Roy Albert DeMeo was a soldier in the Gambino crime family. He is infamous for heading the DeMeo crew, a gang suspected by the FBI of murdering at least 70 people between 1973 and 1983. The vast majority were disposed of so thoroughly that they were never found...
.
Joseph Testa
Joseph Carmine Testa was born 1955 in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Testa was one of nine children born to a transport truck driver and a housewife. His brother Patrick Testa also became a mobster joining the DeMeo crew.
Gemini twins
Growing up Anthony Senter became close friends with Joseph Testa. When Testa was fifteen, a thirteen year old neighbor was mugged by a knife wielding Puerto-Rican man from East New York. The assaulted victim complained to Testa, who gathered Senter among others, and led the group in a borrowed car spending the day searching for the assailant. In 1973, Testa was nearly killed in a bar fight with a Puerto-Rican opponent when the assailants knife punctured his lung. Senter hunted down the Puerto-Rican and nearly beat him to death with his fists.Testa was considered more dangerous by reputation than Senter among criminal associates. By 1970, Senter had already been convicted of auto theft three times by the age of 12. Testa and Senter were successful in having all of their cases dismissed because they were juveniles at the time. Testa and Senter became known as the Gemini twins because they were always together and the primary hangout of the DeMeo crew was the Gemini Lounge.
DeMeo crew
Chris RosenbergChris Rosenberg
Harvey "Chris" Rosenberg was a Jewish-American member of the DeMeo crew run by Gambino crime family soldier Roy DeMeo. The gang is suspected of between 75–200 murders in the mid 1970s to the early 1980s...
hired Senter and Testa to wax his Corvette and Porsche and steal cars for him. Rosenberg introduced his friends Senter and Testa to Roy DeMeo who asked them to join his crew. DeMeo, Rosenberg, Senter and Testa became the core of the DeMeo crew who became notorious for their ruthless violence. The crew was suspected to be involved in 75 to 200 murders throughout the mid 1970s and into the early 1980s, when the majority of the crew members still alive were brought to justice.
When Senter joined the DeMeo crew, he gained a reputation as a sadistic killer who enjoyed mutilating his victims. Senter also gained a reputation for providing the crew with significant revenue from auto theft. Senter and Testa were both full-blooded Italians and were eligible to be inducted
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
into the mafia.
Although, Senter was a large earner for the Gemini Lounge crew he was highly disliked by Albert DeMeo, the son of Roy DeMeo. Albert's personal judgment of Senter was that, "there was something slick and phony about him". He had a collapsed lung from a near fatal knife fight and chain smoked. He was always to be seen pressing his hand against his chest and complaining that he couldn't breathe.
Murder of DeMeo
On January 10, 1983, Roy DeMeo went to crew member Patrick Testa's bodyshop for a meeting with his men. A few days later, on January 18, he was found murdered in his abandoned car's trunk. He had been shot multiple times in the head and had a bullet wound in his hand, assumed by law enforcement as being from throwing his hand up to his face in a self-defense reflex when the shots were fired at him. Anthony GaggiAnthony Gaggi
Anthony "Antonino" "Nino" Frank Gaggi was a captain in the New York Gambino crime family who supervised the infamous DeMeo crew, headed by Roy DeMeo. It is estimated that the DeMeo crew murdered between 75 and 200 people....
was originally suspected by law enforcement officials of being the one who personally killed DeMeo. Gaggi was not charged with the crime.
According to Anthony Casso
Anthony Casso
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is a former New York City mobster who served as underboss and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family until he was arrested in 1993, becoming a cooperating witness for the Federal Government...
, DeMeo was killed at Patrick Testa's Canarsie home by Joseph Testa and Senter following an agreement with Casso, who was given the contract by Gambino crime family Boss Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
and Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
after they were unable to kill DeMeo in the fall of 1982. DeMeo was seated, about to receive coffee, when Testa and Senter opened fire. Anthony Gaggi was not present.
Move to the Lucchese family
After the murder of Roy DeMeo, Senter and Testa drifted into the Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
. According to former Lucchese acting boss Anthony Casso
Anthony Casso
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is a former New York City mobster who served as underboss and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family until he was arrested in 1993, becoming a cooperating witness for the Federal Government...
, they were responsible for the murder on June 13, 1986 of Russian-American gangster Vladimir Reznikov. Reznikov had reportedly threatened the life and family of Marat Balagula
Marat Balagula
Marat Balagula is a Russian - Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, former mob boss, and associate of the Lucchese crime family. He has often been referred to as "the Russian Tony Soprano."-Early life:...
, a Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
immigrant who ruled the Russian Mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
in Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
. Balagula, who was then masterminding a multi-million dollar gasoline bootlegging operation, had been paying tribute to the Five Families
Five Families
The Five Families are the five original Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in America since 1931. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Italian Mafia in the United States.-History:...
, who regarded him as their biggest moneymaker after drugs.
Arrest and aftermath
On September 14, 1989, Senter and Testa were both sentenced to life imprisonment. As of June 12, 2011, Senter continues to serve his sentence at the United States Penitentiary (USP), Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Testa is currently serving the sentence at Federal Correctional Complex, Butner for crimes that include multiple murders.In 1994, it was discovered that pension dues were being paid into a Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
pension account in Senter's name by a cousin of Senter, one Dominic Vulpis, who owned a garbage company. A court investigator determined that $30,000 of dues had been paid into the account over a six-year period all the while Senter was in prison on a life sentence. Union officials said Senter could have qualified for a pension of $1,400 a month if the payments by Canarsie Recycling had continued for another five years.
Senter will not collect the pension - the Teamsters disqualified Senter as a member and barred his pension. It is unclear if Senter's cousin, Dominic Vulpis, or the garbage company he owns received a refund of the fraudulent dues.