Joe Massino
Encyclopedia
Joseph Charles Massino also known as "Big Joey" or "The Ear". Massino was the boss of the Bonanno crime family
before he became a government witness in 2004. The media nicknamed him the "The Last Don" or "The Horatio Alger of the Mob". He was convicted in July 2004 of racketeering, seven murders, arson, extortion
, loansharking, illegal gambling, conspiracy
and money laundering
.
To avoid the death penalty Massino agreed to turn state's evidence
and testify against his former associates. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005. He was referred to as the "Last Don" by the media because at the time, he was the only official head of the Five Families
not in prison. His leadership had been recognized in 2000 at a meeting of the bosses of four of the five families.
business and served factory workers in Maspeth, Queens
and sold Christmas trees during the winter season. When his daughter Adelaide was born he had to take loans from relatives to pay for the hospital. In 1966 he bought his first home in Maspeth to be close to his parents. He was a close friend of Carmine Rastelli and Martin Rastelli, brothers of Phillip Rastelli who ran a depot for lunch wagon supplies.
Massino is the father of three daughters named Joanne, Adeline and Linda. He stands at 5'10" with brown hair and brown eyes and weighs 300 pounds. His grandchildren referred to him by the pet name Poppy. As he grew older he enjoyed entertaining house guests by bellyflopping and swimming with neighborhood children that he would invite over into his backyard pool. He was a one time neighbor of John Gotti
, Gene Gotti
, Peter Gotti
and Alphonse Indelicato.
Massino owned and operated the CasaBlanca Restaurant in Maspeth, Queens
, an Italian restaurant and catering firm, as well as Cafe Via Vento, also in Maspeth, and other New York and Florida properties. He once convened a meeting of four of the Five Families
at CasaBlanca, and he allegedly ran his operations from the restaurant, setting it as the family's main headquarters. At CasaBella, Massino personally made the pasta sauces and ravioli
and claimed that CasaBlanca had the best pizza
in the city.
Massino was a protege of Phillip Rastelli and his brothers in the 1960s. Massino's mob association began with him running a lunch wagon in Maspeth, New York, selling pastries and coffee to dock workers, while giving a kickback to Rastelli to insure he would have no competition. He would later become involved in truck hijacking
, with the assistance of his brother-in-law Salvatore Vitale
and carjacker Duane Leisenheimer, while fencing
the stolen goods and running numbers
using the lunch wagon as a front. In 1975 Massino participated in the murder of Vito Borelli, who he claimed was primarily executed by John Gotti
, at the behest of Paul Castellano
of the Gambino crime family
. The Borelli hit put Massino close to becoming a made man
in the Bonanno family.
In March 1975 Massino was arrested at the scene of the arrest of one of his hijackers, Raymond Wean
, and charged with conspiracy to receive stolen goods. Massino was scheduled to go on trial in 1977, but the charges were dropped after he successfully argued that he had not been properly mirandized
, disqualifying statements Massino gave to police from being used in trial.
On June 14, 1977, Massino was inducted into the Bonanno Family along with Anthony Spero
, Joseph Chilli Jr. and a group of other men in a ceremony conducted by Carmine Galante
, then acting boss of the Bonanno family. He was placed in Philip Giaccone
's crew. Massino nevertheless remained loyal to Rastelli, then vying to oust Galante despite his own imprisonment. Fearing Galante wanted him dead for insubordination, Massino delivered a request to the Commission on Rastelli's behalf to have Galante killed. The hit was approved and executed on July 12, 1979; Rastelli subsequently took full control of the family and rewarded Massino's loyalty by promoting him to caporegime
.
On June 1, 1976, close to Massino's social club and deli in Maspeth, the body of Joseph Pastore was found in a dumpster with two shots in the head. Pastore was a truck hijacker who had supplied Massino with stolen goods to fence. Massino and Richard Dormer (Pastore's half brother) were taken to the morgue to identify the body. Prior to the murder, Massino had his brother-in-law Salvatore Vitale
borrow $9,000 from Pastore on behalf of Massino.
and Philip "Phil Lucky" Giaccone were stocking up on automatic weapons. Their plan was to kill the Rastelli loyalists within the Bonanno family and take complete control. Massino turned to Colombo crime family
boss Carmine "Junior" Persico
and Gambino boss Paul Castellano
for advice; they told him to act immediately. Massino and fellow capo Dominic Napolitano went to the Commission
for approval to kill the three plotters. The Commission gave Massino their blessing and said they would accept Rastelli as the continuing Bonanno leader.
Massino and Napolitano lured the three renegades to a sit-down regarding the future family leadership of the Bonanno family. When the three capos arrived with Frank Lino
, the assailants Sal Vitale, Vito Rizzuto
and Napolitano burst out of a closet holding shotguns and pistols. Trinchera, Giaccone and Indelicato tried to escape but were shot to death. Lino escaped unscathed by running out the door. Indelicato's son Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato was meant to be killed as well, but missed the meeting when the capos decided to take Frank Lino instead. Bruno fled New York, but when he re-surfaced, Massino and Napolitano turned to soldier Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero
and associate Donnie Brasco and gave them the 'contract
' so Brasco could become a made man in the Bonanno family.
. Vitale had been a loyal soldier as well as a participant in several killings, including the three capo slayings, while Brasco had only been known for a few years and hadn't taken part in any sanctioned mob hits. Although Brasco accepted the contract, he disappeared and the FBI soon revealed that "Donnie Brasco" was really Joseph Pistone, an undercover agent for the organized crime
division in the FBI. In the book Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business, Pistone wrote that years earlier, he had actually arrested Massino as part of a truck hijacking bust. However, when introduced to Massino as Donnie Brasco, Massino did not recognize him.
In August 1981, the Bonanno family blamed Napolitano for bringing an undercover agent into their midst, as well as almost making him a member. In order to send a message, Massino was ordered by Philip "Rusty" Rastelli
behind bars to kill Napolitano. Their former renegade Frank Lino
and Steven Cannone drove Napolitano to the house of Ronald Filocomo, a Bonanno family associate. Napolitano was greeted by captain Frank Coppa
. Knowing that he was finished, Napolitano simply asked the men to kill him quickly. The two hitmen threw Napolitano down the stairs and shot him to death in the basement. Whilst Napolitano's body was prepared for disposal, Lino went outside to a nearby van and told the occupants that Napolitano was dead. One of the men in the car was Massino.
, his neighbor in Howard Beach, Queens
. Massino owned a cut in the house of a high stakes dice game operated by Gotti on Mott Street in Manhattan
. Massino discovered a wire tap in his social club, J&S Cake Social Club in Maspeth, Queens. Massino handed over the wire to the FBI who came to pick it up. Although a friend of Gotti, Massino later became upset with Gotti's flamboyance and openness to media attention. He also later found out that Gotti was bad-mouthing him, calling him "a punk" and "a hungry whale swallowing anything he can get", and informants testified that he remarked, "John set this thing of ours back a hundred years."
, John Cersani, James Episcopia and Antonio Tomasulo
. At the time of the indictment, the government did not know that Napolitano had been murdered in August. On February 18, 1982, Anthony Mirra
was shot in the head by his nephew Joseph D'Amico
. D'Amico had been sent to kill him by Richard Cantarella
, who got the order from Albert Embarrato
after consultation with Massino.
Mirra had recently been released from prison, but had previously befriended Brasco and was responsible for initially bringing him into the family. Like Napolitano, Mirra died for bringing Brasco into the family. Soon after the Mirra murder, Massino went into hiding with Duane "Goldie" Leisenheimer. On March 5, 1982, Massino and other family members were charged with conspiracy to murder Indelicato, Giaccone and Trinchera. While in hiding, Massino was visited by many fellow mobsters, including Gotti. Massino received cash from his associates in New York City
.
On August 12, 1982, Napolitano's body was discovered with his hands cut off. This was supposedly to warn anyone else from letting an undercover agent shake hands with a made man. In 1984, Rastelli was released from prison and Massino ordered the murder of Bonanno soldier Cesare Bonventre
. Still a fugitive, Massino summoned Vitale, Louis Attanasio and James Tartaglione to his hideout. Despite the fact that Rastelli was the family head, Massino was considered by most mobsters to be the real power in the family.
Bonventre was called to a meeting with Rastelli in Queens
. He was picked up by Vitale and Attanasio and driven to a garage. Once inside, Attanasio then shot Bonventre twice in the head. After Bonventre staggered out of the car, Attanasio killed him with two more shots. The task of disposing of Bonventre's corpse was handed to Gabriel Infanti. Infanti promised Vitale that Bonventre's remains would disappear forever. However, after a tipoff, the remains were discovered on April 16, 1984, in a warehouse in Garfield, New Jersey
, stuffed into two 55-gallon glue drums. Bonventre was killed because he was considered to be a threat to the family.
and 13 other defendants. In October 1986, Massino was found guilty of violations of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
(one count), the Hobbs Act
(one count) and the Taft-Hartley Act
(nine counts). In January 1987, he was sentenced
to a ten-year prison term.
On April 18, 1987, Massino went on trial for truck hijacking and conspiracy to commit the triple murder. Raymond Wean and Joseph Pistone testified against Massino, who was acquitted of conspiracy to commit triple homicide, the conspiracies to murder Pistone and Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato
and the hijacking charges. During one of the courtroom breaks, Massino asked Pistone who was to play him in the Donnie Brasco movie, to which Pistone replied that they could not find anyone fat enough to play him.
kicked the family off the Mafia Commission
. Until Massino's capos turned state's evidence against him, no made member of the Bonannos had turned informant, which gave the family an advantage over the other four of the Five Families and helped them become, in the 1990s, the most powerful crime family on the streets in New York. Massino is credited with bringing the family back to power.
Massino ordered his men to touch their ears when referring to him and never say his name out loud due to FBI surveillance. Massino gained the nickname "The Ear" because of this. Massino took a great number of precautions in regards to security and the possibility of anything incriminating being picked up on a wiretap. He closed the long-standing social clubs of the Bonanno family and often conducted family meetings in foreign countries or remote locations within the United States.
The infiltration of Donnie Brasco became somewhat of a blessing in disguise for the Bonanno family. When the Mafia Commission Trial
indicted the New York crime families, the Bonnanos escaped conviction due to the fact that the family had been kicked out of the Mafia Commission
. By dodging this bullet, the Bonnanos kept its leadership intact and were able to consolidate its power once again. Pistone called Massino "the last of the old-time gangsters." Massino was later charged with ordering the murders of Napolitano and Mirra. Massino was scheduled to go on trial for the second time for a separate murder trial, which he was also expected to lose. If convicted, he faced the death penalty.
if found guilty of the murder of Gerlando Sciascia
in an upcoming trial, Massino made his first offer to cooperate with the government on July 30, 2004. In October 2004, the FBI began digging up bodies at an infamous mob graveyard in Queens known as "The Hole". They were looking for the bodies of the three capos killed in the Bonanno civil war in the 1970s. They also hoped to find the body of John Favara
, who accidentally killed Gotti's son, the body of Tommy DeSimone, murdered in 1979 for killing William Devino
and Ronald Jerothe
. The FBI said only that this operation was based on "credible information" from an informant.
On February 4, 2005, the FBI revealed that Massino was the source for the graveyard. Hoping to save his life and his assets, Massino had begun to cooperate sometime in late September 2004 by recording conversations with his acting boss, Vincent Basciano. Massino had been so angered at family namesake Joe Bonanno's tell-all book, A Man of Honor, with its numerous revelations of Mafia secrets, that he suggested renaming the family the "Massino" family. Bonanno members Sal Vitale, Frank Lino
, Frank Coppa
, Richard Cantarella
, Joseph D'Amico
and Duane Leisenheimer testified against Massino. On June 23, 2005, Massino was sentenced to life in prison. Massino suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.
In April 2011, Massino testified in Vincent Basciano
's trial, noting that he hoped, as a result of his cooperation, "One day maybe I'll see a little light at the end of the tunnel."
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno 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 ....
before he became a government witness in 2004. The media nicknamed him the "The Last Don" or "The Horatio Alger of the Mob". He was convicted in July 2004 of racketeering, seven murders, arson, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, loansharking, illegal gambling, conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
and money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
.
To avoid the death penalty Massino agreed to turn state's evidence
Turn state's evidence
To turn state's evidence is when an accused or convicted criminal testifies as a witness for the state against his associates or accomplices. Turning state's evidence is occasionally a result of a change of heart or feelings of guilt, but more often is done in response to a generous offer from the...
and testify against his former associates. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005. He was referred to as the "Last Don" by the media because at the time, he was the only official head of 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:...
not in prison. His leadership had been recognized in 2000 at a meeting of the bosses of four of the five families.
Early years
Massino first met his future wife Josephine in 1956, and married her in 1960. He had a lunch wagonLunch Wagon
Lunch Wagon is a 1981 sex comedy starring Pamela Jean Bryant, Rosanne Katon, and Candy Moore. The film was directed by Ernest Pintoff and written by Marshall Harvey and Leon Phillips.-Synopsis:...
business and served factory workers in Maspeth, Queens
Maspeth, Queens
Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside and Sunnyside to the north, Long Island City to the northwest, Greenpoint to the west, East Williamsburg to the southwest, Fresh Pond and Ridgewood to the south, and...
and sold Christmas trees during the winter season. When his daughter Adelaide was born he had to take loans from relatives to pay for the hospital. In 1966 he bought his first home in Maspeth to be close to his parents. He was a close friend of Carmine Rastelli and Martin Rastelli, brothers of Phillip Rastelli who ran a depot for lunch wagon supplies.
Massino is the father of three daughters named Joanne, Adeline and Linda. He stands at 5'10" with brown hair and brown eyes and weighs 300 pounds. His grandchildren referred to him by the pet name Poppy. As he grew older he enjoyed entertaining house guests by bellyflopping and swimming with neighborhood children that he would invite over into his backyard pool. He was a one time neighbor of 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...
, Gene Gotti
Gene Gotti
Eugene Gotti is a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a major drug trafficker.-Background:Born to John and Fannie Gotti, Gene has four brothers: deceased Gambino boss John Gotti, Peter Gotti, capo Richard V. Gotti, and soldier Vincent Gotti...
, Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti, also known as "One Eyed Pete", "Petey Boy", "One Eye" , is a New York mobster who is the former boss of the Gambino crime family and the older brother of deceased Gambino boss John Gotti.-Background:...
and Alphonse Indelicato.
Massino owned and operated the CasaBlanca Restaurant in Maspeth, Queens
Maspeth, Queens
Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside and Sunnyside to the north, Long Island City to the northwest, Greenpoint to the west, East Williamsburg to the southwest, Fresh Pond and Ridgewood to the south, and...
, an Italian restaurant and catering firm, as well as Cafe Via Vento, also in Maspeth, and other New York and Florida properties. He once convened a meeting of four of 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:...
at CasaBlanca, and he allegedly ran his operations from the restaurant, setting it as the family's main headquarters. At CasaBella, Massino personally made the pasta sauces and ravioli
Ravioli
Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not...
and claimed that CasaBlanca had the best pizza
New York-style pizza
New York-style pizza originated in New York City in the early 1900s. It is known for its large, wide, thin and foldable shape. The traditional toppings were tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, with any additional toppings placed with the cheese. It is traditionally hand-tossed and light on sauce...
in the city.
Rise to power
Truck hijacking
Truck hijacking is the taking of a truck: normally for the consignment being carried, by force, or the threat of force to the driver....
, with the assistance of his brother-in-law Salvatore Vitale
Salvatore Vitale
Salvatore "Good Looking Sal" Vitale was a New York City caterer and former underboss of the Bonanno crime family of La Cosa Nostra before becoming a government informant.-Biography:...
and carjacker Duane Leisenheimer, while fencing
Fence (criminal)
A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may or may not be aware that the goods are stolen. As a verb, the word describes the...
the stolen goods and running numbers
Numbers game
Numbers game, also known as a numbers racket, policy racket or Italian lottery, is an illegal lottery played mostly in poor neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a bettor attempts to pick three digits to match those that will be randomly drawn the following day...
using the lunch wagon as a front. In 1975 Massino participated in the murder of Vito Borelli, who he claimed was primarily executed by 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...
, at the behest 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...
of 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...
. The Borelli hit put Massino close to 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...
in the Bonanno family.
In March 1975 Massino was arrested at the scene of the arrest of one of his hijackers, Raymond Wean
Raymond Wean
Raymond J. Wean a.k.a. "Big Ray" was a Bonanno crime family associate who worked under capo Joe Massino and Dominick Napolitano.-Biography:...
, and charged with conspiracy to receive stolen goods. Massino was scheduled to go on trial in 1977, but the charges were dropped after he successfully argued that he had not been properly mirandized
Miranda warning
The Miranda warning is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings. In Miranda v...
, disqualifying statements Massino gave to police from being used in trial.
On June 14, 1977, Massino was inducted into the Bonanno Family along with Anthony Spero
Anthony Spero
Anthony Spero was the consigliere and one time acting boss of the Bonanno crime family.-Biography:Spero was a large man with dark hair, a dark complexion and was good looking in a rough way" Philip Carlo wrote...
, Joseph Chilli Jr. and a group of other men in a ceremony conducted by Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante, also known as "Lilo" and "Cigar" was a mobster and acting boss of the Bonanno crime family...
, then acting boss of the Bonanno family. He was placed in Philip Giaccone
Philip Giaccone
Phillip Giaccone also known as "Philly Lucky" and "The Priest" was a Bonanno crime family member.-The three capos murder:...
's crew. Massino nevertheless remained loyal to Rastelli, then vying to oust Galante despite his own imprisonment. Fearing Galante wanted him dead for insubordination, Massino delivered a request to the Commission on Rastelli's behalf to have Galante killed. The hit was approved and executed on July 12, 1979; Rastelli subsequently took full control of the family and rewarded Massino's loyalty by promoting him to 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...
.
On June 1, 1976, close to Massino's social club and deli in Maspeth, the body of Joseph Pastore was found in a dumpster with two shots in the head. Pastore was a truck hijacker who had supplied Massino with stolen goods to fence. Massino and Richard Dormer (Pastore's half brother) were taken to the morgue to identify the body. Prior to the murder, Massino had his brother-in-law Salvatore Vitale
Salvatore Vitale
Salvatore "Good Looking Sal" Vitale was a New York City caterer and former underboss of the Bonanno crime family of La Cosa Nostra before becoming a government informant.-Biography:...
borrow $9,000 from Pastore on behalf of Massino.
The three capos murder
In 1981, Massino got word from his informants that Bonanno capos Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, Dominick "Big Trin" TrinceraDominick Trinchera
Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera was a Bonanno crime family capo who was murdered with Alphonse Indelicato and Phillip Giaccone for planning the overthrow of aspiring Bonanno boss Phillip Rastelli.-Biography:Born in Rockland, New York, Trinchera was the son of an immigrant from Rome, Italy and an...
and Philip "Phil Lucky" Giaccone were stocking up on automatic weapons. Their plan was to kill the Rastelli loyalists within the Bonanno family and take complete control. Massino turned to Colombo crime family
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 ....
boss Carmine "Junior" Persico
Carmine Persico
Carmine John Persico, Jr. also known as "Junior", "The Snake" and "Immortal", has been the de-facto boss of the Colombo crime family since the early 1970s. Persico has overseen gang wars, murders, and major rackets, most of the time from prison. He has been serving life imprisonment without...
and Gambino 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...
for advice; they told him to act immediately. Massino and fellow capo Dominic Napolitano went to the Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
for approval to kill the three plotters. The Commission gave Massino their blessing and said they would accept Rastelli as the continuing Bonanno leader.
Massino and Napolitano lured the three renegades to a sit-down regarding the future family leadership of the Bonanno family. When the three capos arrived with Frank Lino
Frank Lino
Frank "Curly" Lino is a Sicilian-American caporegime in the Bonanno crime family who later became an informant.-Biography:...
, the assailants Sal Vitale, Vito Rizzuto
Vito Rizzuto
Vito Rizzuto , known as Montreal's Teflon Don, was alleged to be the leading Mafia boss of the Sicilian Mafia in Canada and heads the Rizzuto crime family.-Family:...
and Napolitano burst out of a closet holding shotguns and pistols. Trinchera, Giaccone and Indelicato tried to escape but were shot to death. Lino escaped unscathed by running out the door. Indelicato's son Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato was meant to be killed as well, but missed the meeting when the capos decided to take Frank Lino instead. Bruno fled New York, but when he re-surfaced, Massino and Napolitano turned to soldier Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero
Benjamin Ruggiero
Benjamin Ruggiero, also known as "Lefty," "Lefty Guns," "Lefty Two Guns" , was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family. He is well known for his friendship and mentorship of FBI undercover agent Joseph "Donnie Brasco" Pistone. Ruggiero was an old school Cosa Nostra mobster who knew how Mafia...
and associate Donnie Brasco and gave them the 'contract
Contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
' so Brasco could become a made man in the Bonanno family.
Operation Donnie Brasco
Massino later came into conflict with Napolitano over Napolitano's proposal to admit mobster Donnie Brasco to the family before Massino's loyal associate Salvatore VitaleSalvatore Vitale
Salvatore "Good Looking Sal" Vitale was a New York City caterer and former underboss of the Bonanno crime family of La Cosa Nostra before becoming a government informant.-Biography:...
. Vitale had been a loyal soldier as well as a participant in several killings, including the three capo slayings, while Brasco had only been known for a few years and hadn't taken part in any sanctioned mob hits. Although Brasco accepted the contract, he disappeared and the FBI soon revealed that "Donnie Brasco" was really Joseph Pistone, an undercover agent for the organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
division in the FBI. In the book Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business, Pistone wrote that years earlier, he had actually arrested Massino as part of a truck hijacking bust. However, when introduced to Massino as Donnie Brasco, Massino did not recognize him.
In August 1981, the Bonanno family blamed Napolitano for bringing an undercover agent into their midst, as well as almost making him a member. In order to send a message, Massino was ordered by Philip "Rusty" Rastelli
Philip Rastelli
Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli was a New York mobster and former boss of the Bonanno crime family.-Biography:...
behind bars to kill Napolitano. Their former renegade Frank Lino
Frank Lino
Frank "Curly" Lino is a Sicilian-American caporegime in the Bonanno crime family who later became an informant.-Biography:...
and Steven Cannone drove Napolitano to the house of Ronald Filocomo, a Bonanno family associate. Napolitano was greeted by captain Frank Coppa
Frank Coppa
Frank Coppa Sr. is a Sicilian-American gangster in the Bonanno crime family who was a close friend of Joseph Massino and Frank Lino.-Further reading:...
. Knowing that he was finished, Napolitano simply asked the men to kill him quickly. The two hitmen threw Napolitano down the stairs and shot him to death in the basement. Whilst Napolitano's body was prepared for disposal, Lino went outside to a nearby van and told the occupants that Napolitano was dead. One of the men in the car was Massino.
John Gotti
By now Massino was a close friend of Gambino crime family capo and eventual boss, John GottiJohn 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...
, his neighbor in Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach is a suburban neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway and South Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, the east by 102nd-104th streets, and the west by 78th...
. Massino owned a cut in the house of a high stakes dice game operated by Gotti on Mott Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Massino discovered a wire tap in his social club, J&S Cake Social Club in Maspeth, Queens. Massino handed over the wire to the FBI who came to pick it up. Although a friend of Gotti, Massino later became upset with Gotti's flamboyance and openness to media attention. He also later found out that Gotti was bad-mouthing him, calling him "a punk" and "a hungry whale swallowing anything he can get", and informants testified that he remarked, "John set this thing of ours back a hundred years."
Mirra and Bonventre murders
On November 23, 1981, six men were indicted on racketeering charges. They were Napolitano, Benjamin Ruggiero, Nicholas SantoraNicholas Santora
Nicholas Angelo "Nicky Mouth" Santora is the reputed underboss of the Bonanno crime family.-Biography:Nicholas Santora was born on June 21, 1942, and became known in his teens as a tough mobster from New York City...
, John Cersani, James Episcopia and Antonio Tomasulo
Antonio Tomasulo
Antonio Tomasulo, also known as "Bootsie" , was an Italian-American mobster who served in the New York Bonanno crime family running a highly lucrative illegal slot machine gambling operation.-Biography:...
. At the time of the indictment, the government did not know that Napolitano had been murdered in August. On February 18, 1982, Anthony Mirra
Anthony Mirra
Anthony "Tony" Mirra was an Italian-American mobster and soldier for the Bonanno crime family...
was shot in the head by his nephew Joseph D'Amico
Joseph D'Amico
Joseph D'Amico , also known as "Joey Moak" was a made man in the Bonanno crime family who later turned informant...
. D'Amico had been sent to kill him by Richard Cantarella
Richard Cantarella
Richard Cantarella , was an New York mobster who became a caporegime for the Bonanno crime family and later a government witness.-Biography:...
, who got the order from Albert Embarrato
Albert Embarrato
Alfred "Al Walker" Embarrato a.k.a. "Alfred Scalisi" a.k.a." Aldo Elvorado" was a New York mobster who became a caporegime of the Bonanno crime family and a powerful labor figure at a New York newspaper.-Newspaperman:Born on the Lower East Side, Manhattan to first generation immigrants Salvatore...
after consultation with Massino.
Mirra had recently been released from prison, but had previously befriended Brasco and was responsible for initially bringing him into the family. Like Napolitano, Mirra died for bringing Brasco into the family. Soon after the Mirra murder, Massino went into hiding with Duane "Goldie" Leisenheimer. On March 5, 1982, Massino and other family members were charged with conspiracy to murder Indelicato, Giaccone and Trinchera. While in hiding, Massino was visited by many fellow mobsters, including Gotti. Massino received cash from his associates in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
On August 12, 1982, Napolitano's body was discovered with his hands cut off. This was supposedly to warn anyone else from letting an undercover agent shake hands with a made man. In 1984, Rastelli was released from prison and Massino ordered the murder of Bonanno soldier Cesare Bonventre
Cesare Bonventre
Cesare "The Tall Guy" Bonventre was a Sicilian mobster and caporegime for the New York Bonanno crime family.-Early life:...
. Still a fugitive, Massino summoned Vitale, Louis Attanasio and James Tartaglione to his hideout. Despite the fact that Rastelli was the family head, Massino was considered by most mobsters to be the real power in the family.
Bonventre was called to a meeting with Rastelli in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. He was picked up by Vitale and Attanasio and driven to a garage. Once inside, Attanasio then shot Bonventre twice in the head. After Bonventre staggered out of the car, Attanasio killed him with two more shots. The task of disposing of Bonventre's corpse was handed to Gabriel Infanti. Infanti promised Vitale that Bonventre's remains would disappear forever. However, after a tipoff, the remains were discovered on April 16, 1984, in a warehouse in Garfield, New Jersey
Garfield, New Jersey
Garfield is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,487.When the area that is now Garfield was first developed in 1873, it was known as East Passaic. In 1881, the community's name was changed to Garfield in honor of...
, stuffed into two 55-gallon glue drums. Bonventre was killed because he was considered to be a threat to the family.
1987 trials
Massino soon decided to turn himself over to police custody to face charges. In 1985, Massino was indicted for labor racketeering along with Rastelli, Carmine Rastelli, Nicholas MarangelloNicholas Marangello
Nicholas Marangello , also known as "Nicky Glasses", "Nicky Cigars", "Nicky the Butler" and "Little Nicky", was the underboss of the Bonanno crime family under Phillip Rastelli, the father-in-law of Robert Perrino and grandfather of Nicola Langora.-Biography:Marangello was born on the Lower East...
and 13 other defendants. In October 1986, Massino was found guilty of violations of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...
(one count), the Hobbs Act
Hobbs Act
The Hobbs Act, named after Congressman Sam Hobbs and codified at , is a U.S. federal law that prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce. Section 1951 also proscribes conspiracy to commit robbery or extortion without reference to the conspiracy...
(one count) and the Taft-Hartley Act
Taft-Hartley Act
The Labor–Management Relations Act is a United States federal law that monitors the activities and power of labor unions. The act, still effective, was sponsored by Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. and became law by overriding U.S. President Harry S...
(nine counts). In January 1987, he was sentenced
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
to a ten-year prison term.
On April 18, 1987, Massino went on trial for truck hijacking and conspiracy to commit the triple murder. Raymond Wean and Joseph Pistone testified against Massino, who was acquitted of conspiracy to commit triple homicide, the conspiracies to murder Pistone and Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato
Anthony Indelicato
Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato , also known as "Bruno", "Whack-Whack" and "Anthony Indelligado" is a capo with the Bonanno crime family in New York City,-Biography:...
and the hijacking charges. During one of the courtroom breaks, Massino asked Pistone who was to play him in the Donnie Brasco movie, to which Pistone replied that they could not find anyone fat enough to play him.
The family regroups
The Bonanno family had fallen into disfavor after the Donnie Brasco operation and the Five FamiliesFive 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:...
kicked the family off the Mafia Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
. Until Massino's capos turned state's evidence against him, no made member of the Bonannos had turned informant, which gave the family an advantage over the other four of the Five Families and helped them become, in the 1990s, the most powerful crime family on the streets in New York. Massino is credited with bringing the family back to power.
Massino ordered his men to touch their ears when referring to him and never say his name out loud due to FBI surveillance. Massino gained the nickname "The Ear" because of this. Massino took a great number of precautions in regards to security and the possibility of anything incriminating being picked up on a wiretap. He closed the long-standing social clubs of the Bonanno family and often conducted family meetings in foreign countries or remote locations within the United States.
The infiltration of Donnie Brasco became somewhat of a blessing in disguise for the Bonanno family. When the Mafia Commission Trial
Mafia Commission Trial
The Mafia Commission Trial was a criminal trial in New York City, USA. Using evidence obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, eleven organized crime figures, including the heads of New York's so-called "Five Families," were indicted by United States Attorney Rudolph Giuliani under the...
indicted the New York crime families, the Bonnanos escaped conviction due to the fact that the family had been kicked out of the Mafia Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
. By dodging this bullet, the Bonnanos kept its leadership intact and were able to consolidate its power once again. Pistone called Massino "the last of the old-time gangsters." Massino was later charged with ordering the murders of Napolitano and Mirra. Massino was scheduled to go on trial for the second time for a separate murder trial, which he was also expected to lose. If convicted, he faced the death penalty.
Informant
Disillusioned by the turning of so many made men, and concerned over a possible death penaltyCapital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
if found guilty of the murder of Gerlando Sciascia
Gerlando Sciascia
Gerlando Sciascia , also known as "George from Canada", was a New York mobster and a caporegime for the Bonanno crime family, also the Sixth family's Rep for New York, who was a major narcotics trafficker in Canada.-Background:...
in an upcoming trial, Massino made his first offer to cooperate with the government on July 30, 2004. In October 2004, the FBI began digging up bodies at an infamous mob graveyard in Queens known as "The Hole". They were looking for the bodies of the three capos killed in the Bonanno civil war in the 1970s. They also hoped to find the body of John Favara
John Favara
John Favara was the backyard neighbor of Gambino crime family godfather John Gotti, in Howard Beach, New York....
, who accidentally killed Gotti's son, the body of Tommy DeSimone, murdered in 1979 for killing William Devino
William Devino
William "Billy Batts" Devino was a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a longtime friend of John Gotti in the 1960s...
and Ronald Jerothe
Ronald Jerothe
Ronald Jerothe also known as "Foxy" was an American mobster and member of the Bergin Crew, who operated out of John Gotti's club, the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, in Ozone Park, Queens...
. The FBI said only that this operation was based on "credible information" from an informant.
On February 4, 2005, the FBI revealed that Massino was the source for the graveyard. Hoping to save his life and his assets, Massino had begun to cooperate sometime in late September 2004 by recording conversations with his acting boss, Vincent Basciano. Massino had been so angered at family namesake Joe Bonanno's tell-all book, A Man of Honor, with its numerous revelations of Mafia secrets, that he suggested renaming the family the "Massino" family. Bonanno members Sal Vitale, Frank Lino
Frank Lino
Frank "Curly" Lino is a Sicilian-American caporegime in the Bonanno crime family who later became an informant.-Biography:...
, Frank Coppa
Frank Coppa
Frank Coppa Sr. is a Sicilian-American gangster in the Bonanno crime family who was a close friend of Joseph Massino and Frank Lino.-Further reading:...
, Richard Cantarella
Richard Cantarella
Richard Cantarella , was an New York mobster who became a caporegime for the Bonanno crime family and later a government witness.-Biography:...
, Joseph D'Amico
Joseph D'Amico
Joseph D'Amico , also known as "Joey Moak" was a made man in the Bonanno crime family who later turned informant...
and Duane Leisenheimer testified against Massino. On June 23, 2005, Massino was sentenced to life in prison. Massino suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.
In April 2011, Massino testified in Vincent Basciano
Vincent Basciano
Vincent J. Basciano is an American mobster who rose to become acting boss of the Bonanno crime family after the arrest of Joseph Massino. He is nicknamed "Vinny Gorgeous", due to owning a Bronx beauty salon called "Hello Gorgeous," and for his fastidious grooming, hairstyle and looks...
's trial, noting that he hoped, as a result of his cooperation, "One day maybe I'll see a little light at the end of the tunnel."
Further reading
- Crittle, Simon, The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino Berkley (March 7, 2006) ISBN 0425209393
- DeStefano, Anthony. King of the Godfathers: Joseph Massino and the Fall of the Bonanno Crime Family. New York: Pinnacle Books, 2006. ISBN 0-7860-1893-3
- Pistone, Joseph D.; & Woodley, Richard (1999) Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the MafiaDonnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the MafiaDonnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia is a non-fiction crime book written by Joseph D. Pistone. It is the true story of FBI agent Joseph Pistone going undercover and infiltrating the Mafia...
, Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-66637-4. - Pistone, Joseph D.; & Brandt, Charles (2007). Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business, Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-2707-8.
- Raab, Selwyn, Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires Thomas Dunne books, 2006. ISBN 0-312-36181-5
External links
- Reputed Crime Boss Goes On Trial in New York, May 9, 2004, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
- An Archetypal Mob Trial: It's Just Like in the Movies, New York Times, May 23, 2004
- New York's 'Last Don' Convicted, CBSNews.com, July 30, 2004
- Skeletal Remains Are Believed to Be Those of Mob Captains, New York Times, October 13, 2004