Frank Locascio
Encyclopedia
Frank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio (born 1933) is a New York mobster who became the Consigliere
to the Gambino crime family
, under Boss John Gotti
. LoCascio is the father of Salvatore LoCascio
, a caporegime
(captain) in the Gambino family.
LoCascio was born to first generation immigrants from Baucina
, Sicily
. Becoming a made man
during the 1950s, LoCascio was a bookmaker
and loanshark for the Gambino family. Later on, he was promoted to caporegime of a crew in the Bronx, New York. After the assassination of boss Paul Castellano
, Gotti became the new Gambino boss and LoCascio joined his inner circle. When underboss Joseph Armone
went to prison, LoCascio became acting underboss
; When Gotti reshuffled his administration later on, promoting Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano
to Armone's position, LoCascio became acting consigliere. In 1992, Gotti, Locascio, Salvatore Gravano and Thomas Gambino
were all indicted on federal racketeering charges. At this time, Gravano decided to become a government witness and testified against his former associates. On June 23, 1992, both Gotti and LoCascio were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. When asked to comment at his sentencing, LoCasico made the following remarks:
Gambino captain Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo
later replaced LoCascio as consigliere. As of April 2010, LoCascio is imprisoned at the Federal Medical Center Devens in Massachusetts
. He has no projected release date.
In the film Witness to the Mob
, LoCascio is portrayed by actor/singer Frankie Valli
.
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
to 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...
, under Boss John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
. LoCascio is the father of Salvatore LoCascio
Salvatore LoCascio
Salvatore LoCascio is a reputed caporegime in the New York Gambino crime family.-Early life:LoCascio grew up in Eastchester, New York when his father, Frank LoCascio, Consigliere to John Gotti, was sentenced to life imprisonment for mafia crimes...
, a caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
(captain) in the Gambino family.
LoCascio was born to first generation immigrants from Baucina
Baucina
Baucina is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region of Sicily, located about 25 km southeast of Palermo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,003 and an area of 24.4 km²....
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Becoming a made man
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...
during the 1950s, LoCascio was a bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
and loanshark for the Gambino family. Later on, he was promoted to caporegime of a crew in the Bronx, New York. After the assassination of 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...
, Gotti became the new Gambino boss and LoCascio joined his inner circle. When underboss Joseph Armone
Joseph Armone
Joseph "Piney" Armone was a gangster in the Gambino crime family from 1986 to 1990.-Biography:Born on the Upper East Side, Manhattan, Armone earned his nickname "Piney" in the 1930s by extorting money from Christmas tree vendors. He was the younger brother of mobster Stephen Armone, a Gambino...
went to prison, LoCascio became acting underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
; When Gotti reshuffled his administration later on, promoting Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano
Sammy Gravano
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano is a former underboss of the Gambino crime family. He is known as the man who helped bring down John Gotti, the family's boss, by agreeing to become a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant and turn state's evidence.Originally a mobster for the Colombo crime...
to Armone's position, LoCascio became acting consigliere. In 1992, Gotti, Locascio, Salvatore Gravano and Thomas Gambino
Thomas Gambino
Thomas "Tommy" Gambino is a New York mobster and a longtime Caporegime of the Gambino crime family who successfully controlled lucrative trucking rackets in the New York City Garment District.-Early life:...
were all indicted on federal racketeering charges. At this time, Gravano decided to become a government witness and testified against his former associates. On June 23, 1992, both Gotti and LoCascio were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. When asked to comment at his sentencing, LoCasico made the following remarks:
"First, I would like to say emphatically that I am innocent,"
"I am guilty though. I am guilty of being a good friend of John Gotti. And if there were more men like John Gotti on this earth, we would have a better country.
Gambino captain Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo
Joseph Corozzo
Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo, Sr. , is a New York mobster who is the reputed Consigliere of the Gambino crime family.-Background:...
later replaced LoCascio as consigliere. As of April 2010, LoCascio is imprisoned at the Federal Medical Center Devens in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He has no projected release date.
Popular culture
In the 1996 television movie Gotti, LoCascio is portrayed by actor Raymond SerraIn the film Witness to the Mob
Witness to the Mob
Witness to the Mob is a made for TV film which premiered on May 10, 1998.-Plot:Film follows the rise of Sammy Gravano in ranks of NY Cosa Nostra, his turning to government witness in legal trials of John Gotti and his life in Witness protection program....
, LoCascio is portrayed by actor/singer Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
.
Further reading
- Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
- Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-016357-7
- Jacobs, James B., Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington. Busting the Mob: The United States Vs. Cosa Nostra. New York: NYU Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8147-4230-0
- Maas, Peter. Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. ISBN 0-06-093096-9
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8