Victor Amuso
Encyclopedia
Vittorio "Little Vic" Amuso (born 1934) is a New York mobster and, as of 2011, the reputed Boss
of the Lucchese crime family
. Amuso is currently serving life at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas
on murder
and racketeering charges.
mobster, Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo
, in Brooklyn, New York. In the early 1960s, the Gallo brothers claimed war against longtime Boss, Giuseppe "Joe" Profaci and the old Profaci faction of the family, because Profaci took huge parts of Gallo's profit. Amuso would allegedly kill several members of the Profaci faction, but sent to prison sometime in the early 1960s, along with Joey Gallo and a dozen others for extortion
charges.
After Joe Gallo's release from prison in early 1971, he continued his war aganist the family on June 28, 1971 boss Joseph Colombo
was shot. Months later on April 7, 1972 Joe Gallo was shot to death in Little Italy
Manhattan, New York, while he was celebrating his 43rd birthday. Many Colombo crime family
members, especially those from the old Gallo crew, defected to other crime families. Amuso went to the Lucchese crime family
sometime during that year, as an associate to soldier Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari
.
. On December 21, 1972, Amuso was arrested by police outside the "House on Morgan Avenue", a front for the "Bronx Connection" kickback scheme, selling prison paroles for as high as $20,000 to prison inmates. Presumably to meet with the building owner, Richard Curro, a city corrections officer and Lucchese family associate, who acted as liaison between inmates and the Luccheses, Amuso was in possession of a switchblade and a file folder of parole documents at the time of his arrest.
mobsters' arrest, he had been found with three pounds of heroin in his possession. Reportedly, the heroin operation was headed by Amuso, his cooperator Casso, and two other associates of the Lucchese crime family
. They were all sent to prison.
of the Gambino crime family
, Frank DeCicco
, was killed when a bomb placed under his car went off. The bomb had been planted by Herbert Pate, while Amuso, Casso, and Vic's brother Robert watched from a parked car. The target was allegedly Gambino Boss John Gotti
, who, with DeCicco, had organized the murder of former Boss Paul Castellano
earlier, without the permission of the Commission
. Reportedly, Amuso and Casso, along with Genovese crime family
Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante
, had planned Gotti's execution, but killed DeCicco by a mistake. Although Casso later testified that both he and Amuso had conspired with Gigante, this was never raised at the trial, because Casso was dropped from the Witness Protection Program many years later.
along with Lucchese Underboss Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro
and Consigliere Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari
, were indicted in the Mafia Commission Trial
along with the top major heads of the Five Families
. To replace him, Corallo put his protegé Anthony "Buddy" Luongo as acting boss sometime in early 1986, but toward December of that same year, Luongo disappeared. Rumor has it that Amuso, then Luongo's driver and bodyguard, killed him to gain the complete power of the Lucchese crime family
. Amuso's associate, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
was also reportedly involved in the Luongo incident. Amuso and Casso had long served Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari
as his proteges, as Furnari advised Corallo to make Amuso and Casso the new acting bosses of the family. To avoid any internal war of the family, Corallo made Amuso the new acting boss of the Lucchese crime family
in late 1986, and the new official boss after his conviction on January 13, 1987, where Corallo and others were sentenced to life imprisonment
.
After becoming Boss
of the Lucchese crime family
in 1987, Amuso made Casso his underboss. He soon started one of the bloodiest reigns in Mafia history. Amuso had a simple way of dealing with anyone who crossed him—kill them on the spot.
The bloodletting started with the so called "Windows Case" in 1986, when Amuso felt that his family wasn't getting enough profit from the operation, and demanded that Casso supervise Lucchese's share in the cartel. The Gambino
, Colombo
, Genovese
and Lucchese families had together created a cartel in 1978, which eventually controlled over $150 million in contracts from the New York City Housing Authority
(NYCHA). The cartel monopolized
the industry through Local 580, a Lucchese family-controlled local of the Iron Workers Union
. Through the union, the cartel could solicit bribes
, extort payoffs
and enforce its monopoly. The cartel worked their controlled industry by charging a tax of approximately $1.00 to $2.00 for almost every window replacement, public and private, sold in New York City
. The iron fists of Casso and captain Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo
raised Amuso's shares in the cartel.
of the New Jersey
faction of the Lucchese crime family
, Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo
, about the profit Amuso received. When ordering Accetturo to raise the profit, Accetturo refused. Amuso then gave the order to "whack Jersey", meaning that the entire Jersey faction of the family should be eliminated. In the fall of 1988, the entire New Jersey crew was summoned to meet with Amuso in Brooklyn. Fearful of being massacred, everyone refused to go. Soon the entire New Jersey crew had gone into hiding, decimating the Lucchese interests in New Jersey. Amuso and Casso went on to eliminate anyone with even the merest suspicion that they might be defectors or if they were considered potential rivals. Over the next 12 months, most of the New Jersey crew members came back to the family. Amuso told the returned crew members that Accetturo was an outlaw and needed to be disposed off. Amuso also sent hitmen to Florida
, searching for Accetturo, however, what Amuso didn't realized was that Accetturo was jailed in New Jersey, for refusing to testify in front a state panel. Accetturo would later become an informant. Accetturo's former protégé and longtime rival, Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta
, who was also despised by Amuso, reputedly took over Lucchese's
Jersey Crew
, which is the nickname of their faction in Northern New Jersey
, toward his conviction in 1993, before Accetturo eventually agreed to become an informant.
went into hiding. Amuso named Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco
as acting boss. But the bloodshed of Vic Amuso and Tony Casso wasn't over yet, as Lucchese caporegime Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo
was charged with violations of the RICO
act in 1991.
Suspecting that Chiodo had turned informer, Amuso decided to have Chiodo killed. On May 8, 1991, three shooters shot Chiodo 12 times, but failed to kill him. A few weeks later, Amuso sent word to Chiodo's attorneys that his wife had been marked for death. This violated a longstanding Mafia rule that women are not to be harmed. Later, a hit team nearly killed Chiodo's sister.
The move backfired spectacularly, as Chiodo became a government informant and agreed to testify against several major heads of the Five Families
, including Amuso, that same year. Chiodo revealed details of the entire Windows Case operation, several murder
and conspiracy
charges, loansharking and extortion
, as well as money laundering
and drug trafficking operations around Queens
, Brooklyn
, Manhattan
and the Bronx.
Amuso issued several other orders that led many inside and outside the Lucchese family to conclude he was no longer acting rationally. He and Casso crafted a list of 49 people that they wanted dead—half of whom were Lucchese wiseguys. He also ordered D'Arco to bring in a bomb expert from the Philadelphia crime family
as part of a plan to blow up Gambino boss John Gotti
. Amuso then turned his wrath on D'Arco, whom he held responsible for the failed hit on Chiodo. According to D'Arco, he was at a meeting at a Manhattan hotel when he spotted a man carrying a gun under his shirt, then slip the gun out of his shirt when he went to the bathroom.
After the government apprehended Amuso in 1990 and Casso in 1993, Casso and D'Arco turned state's evidence. D'Arco's testimony (and that of many others) proved to be devastating to Amuso's case, as he was sentenced to life imprisonment
in 1992. His Underboss
Anthony Casso
was also sentenced to life imprisonment, after failing to uphold his end of the witness-deal he struck with the federal government. Amuso is currently serving his life sentence at a high security Federal penitentiary in Coleman, Florida
.
After the incarcerations of both Amuso and Casso, the US government learned that they each had, allegedly, ordered more than 10-12 slayings while they were fugitives and while on trial, using corrupt NYPD cops Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa
as their personal hit men.
, Amuso promoted his caporegime Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
, to acting boss, with the help of the Ruling Panel members, Steven "Wonderboy" Crea
, Anthony "Bowat" Baratta
, Salvatore "Sal" Avellino
and Consigliere
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
in 1991. It was around this time that Lastorino used the indictments of Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
to take advantage of the situation and gained much of the authority in the family when he aligned himself with Brooklyn faction leaders George "Georgie Neck" Zappola
, Frank "Bones" Papagni, Frank Gioia, Jr. and George Conte.
, as some mobsters thought, with Amuso out of the way, that they could take over. The rivals were the old Bronx faction of the family, and Amuso felt he had to prove that he was still in charge. On April 3, 1992, Aniello "Neil" Migliore
, one of the most powerful capos
of the family, was celebrating the birthday of a friend's granddaughter in a Westbury, New York
restaurant on Long Island
. During the party, a gunman in a passing car fired one or two shotgun blasts through the restaurant window, hitting Migliore in the head and chest. Despite his wounds, Migliore survived. The attempt on his life did not sway Migliore away from the crime family though, as he kept operating throughout the 1990s.
from the Bronx faction in 1992, he chose another Bronx faction-leader named Steven "Wonderboy" Crea
as the new and powerful Underboss
of the Lucchese crime family
to keep rivals from the Bronx in line. However, this decision almost triggered a new war within the crime family, as Crea, along with Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
decided to turn the family's power center away from Brooklyn, New York and back to the Bronx faction where it had been for decades. This, however, didn't please the imprisoned boss Vic Amuso and his supporters within the Brooklyn
faction. Crime family Consigliere
, Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
saw to organize the murder of Steven Crea
using capos
George Zappola
, Frank Papagni and Frank Gioia, Jr., and would further plan to use the death of acting boss Steve Crea to gain the control of the Lucchese crime family
. US law enforcement also recognized these members as the actual leaders of the family at the time, and even picked them up on wires and bugs saying they were going to kill Gambino crime family
boss John "Junior" Gotti, son of John Gotti
, and his rival Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo
to split up the Gambinos. This conspiracy
also included Genovese crime family
boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante
and on-the-lam leader, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
before he was apprehended. But due to massive indictments of the time, slashing all members of the three families involved in the conspiracy, the plot never succeeded, and Amuso kept running the family from prison as most of the conspirators themselves were sent to prison.
, Amuso promoted his loyal friend and Brooklyn
capo
Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone
to the position of Consigliere
, replacing Frank Lastorino
. Amuso also kept Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
as the crime family's Acting Boss
. DeFede oversaw important crime family operations such as those in the Garment District
, which brought in between $40,000 to $60,000 a month. Amuso also kept Stephen "Wonderboy" Crea
of the Bronx, New York as the Underboss
, overseeing the construction and union racketeering operations that made the crime family between $300,000 and $500,000 a month. Daidone was put in control of the crews and street soldiers that took care of all the debt collection and muscle work, basically the collection of gambling
and loansharking debts, the extortion
operations and allegedly murder for hire. After Daidone was promoted to the number three spot, Long Island
caporegime Joseph "Joe C." Caridi
stepped up to run Daidone's former crew.
's Garment District
from 1992 to 1997. The prosecution reported that since the mid-1980s the Lucchese crime family
had been grossing between $40,000 and $60,000 per month from the Garment District rackets they controlled. In December 1998, DeFede pleaded guilty to the charges and received five years in prison. Angry at his guilty plea, Amuso became uncertain of DeFede's loyalty to the crime family and in the future Amuso would regard DeFede as a traitor and thief.
as the new acting boss of the Lucchese crime family
. Crea, a loyal Amuso Underboss
began sending a larger amount of the crime family's profits to the imprisoned boss, which convinced Amuso that DeFede had been skimming profits from the crime family the whole time he was acting boss, so Amuso decided to put out a contract on DeFede's life in late 1999. On September 6, 2000, Crea and seven other Lucchese members were arrested and jailed on extortion
charges. Crea was eventually convicted in 2001 and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Steven Crea was released from prison in 2006.
, Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone
was promoted to acting boss and began to run the day-to-day operations of the crime family. Daidone, at the time, one of the strongest and most dangerous crime family members, would continue to oversee the contract ordered by Amuso on imprisoned former acting boss Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
. DeFede did not know that Amuso had placed a contract on his life, but during DeFede's imprisonment he was demoted from capo to soldier and this alerted him to the possibility that he had fallen out of favor with boss Vic Amuso and could be in serious trouble. Upon DeFede's release from prison on February 5, 2002 it was reported that the former Amuso ally immediately turned to the government for help and became an informant. Federal witnesses Joe DeFede and Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco
gave the US government information regarding Lucchese controlled racketeering operations based around New York City
, which helped the federal government continue their decimation of the old Amuso-faction.
Both D'Arco and DeFede also provided information about rackets such as gambling
, loansharking, extortion
and even information about some old murders, which led to the indictments of Mafia cops, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa
. Eppolito and Caracappa were allegedly working for and taking large bribes from former Lucchese underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
since the 1980s. The two highly decorated police N.Y.P.D. officers were apparently used by Casso and the Lucchese crime family to gain valuable information about ongoing police investigations and cases concerning New York Mafia member. The two bad cops were also used to lure rivals and possible government informants to their deaths, and in some cases they apparently executed the victims themselves. Daidone received a life sentence in 2003 on racketeering and murder
charges, while more than a dozen other prominent Lucchese crime family
members were sent to prison during that same year on various charges.
, Matthew "Matt" Madonna
and Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli
were handpicked by Amuso to lead the crime family. These senior capos were chosen as street bosses to work in tandem. Instead of placing one particular member in the official Underboss
position Amuso divided the power between 3 influential capos. Migliore, a former Corallo loyalist and Amuso rival, is now said to be one of the most powerful mobsters in the Lucchese crime family
.
In 2006, former acting boss Stephen "Wonderboy" Crea
was released from prison, and the Ruling Panel/Committee continued to run day-to-day activities of the crime family. In late 2009, ruling panel members Matthew Madonna and Joseph DiNapoli were indicted on labor racketeering, illegal gambling and extortion charges.
on murder
and racketeering charges. He is still the reputed official Boss of the Lucchese crime family
. Even though Vic Amuso has allegedly kept control of the Lucchese crime family
for more than 20 years, Mafia
expert Jerry Capeci
describes his succession as Boss as one of the biggest mistakes in the crime family's history.
External links
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
of 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...
. Amuso is currently serving life at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
on 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 racketeering charges.
Enforcer for Gallo
He later became an enforcer for Profaci crime familyColombo 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 ....
mobster, Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo
Joe Gallo
Joseph Gallo , also known as "Crazy Joey" and "Joe the Blond", was a celebrated New York City gangster for the Profaci crime family, later known as the Colombo crime family...
, in Brooklyn, New York. In the early 1960s, the Gallo brothers claimed war against longtime Boss, Giuseppe "Joe" Profaci and the old Profaci faction of the family, because Profaci took huge parts of Gallo's profit. Amuso would allegedly kill several members of the Profaci faction, but sent to prison sometime in the early 1960s, along with Joey Gallo and a dozen others for 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...
charges.
After Joe Gallo's release from prison in early 1971, he continued his war aganist the family on June 28, 1971 boss Joseph Colombo
Joseph Colombo
Joseph "Joe" Colombo, Sr. was the boss of the Colombo crime family, one of the "Five Families" of the Cosa Nostra in New York.-Background:...
was shot. Months later on April 7, 1972 Joe Gallo was shot to death in Little Italy
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...
Manhattan, New York, while he was celebrating his 43rd birthday. Many 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 ....
members, especially those from the old Gallo crew, defected to other crime families. Amuso went to 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...
sometime during that year, as an associate to soldier Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari
Christopher Furnari
Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari, Sr. is a Lucchese crime family mobster serving life in prison. During the 1980s, Furnari served as the family consigliere until his 1986 racketeering conviction.-Early years:...
.
Associate
Amuso became of one of Furnari's top proteges along with Anthony "Gaspipe" CassoAnthony 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...
. On December 21, 1972, Amuso was arrested by police outside the "House on Morgan Avenue", a front for the "Bronx Connection" kickback scheme, selling prison paroles for as high as $20,000 to prison inmates. Presumably to meet with the building owner, Richard Curro, a city corrections officer and Lucchese family associate, who acted as liaison between inmates and the Luccheses, Amuso was in possession of a switchblade and a file folder of parole documents at the time of his arrest.
Made man to prison
In 1977, Amuso became a made man in the Lucchese family. On May 30, 1977 Amuso was arrested with Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, for their involvement in a drug trafficking ring smuggling heroin from Bangkok, Thailand. At the time of the BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
mobsters' arrest, he had been found with three pounds of heroin in his possession. Reportedly, the heroin operation was headed by Amuso, his cooperator Casso, and two other associates of 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...
. They were all sent to prison.
Murder of Frank DeCicco
On April 13, 1986, the UnderbossUnderboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
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...
, 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...
, was killed when a bomb placed under his car went off. The bomb had been planted by Herbert Pate, while Amuso, Casso, and Vic's brother Robert watched from a parked car. The target was allegedly Gambino 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...
, who, with DeCicco, had organized the murder of former 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...
earlier, without the permission of 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...
. Reportedly, Amuso and Casso, along with Genovese crime family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese 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 Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
, had planned Gotti's execution, but killed DeCicco by a mistake. Although Casso later testified that both he and Amuso had conspired with Gigante, this was never raised at the trial, because Casso was dropped from the Witness Protection Program many years later.
Murder of Anthony Luongo
On February 15, 1985, Anthony "Tony Ducks" CoralloAnthony Corallo
Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo was a New York City mobster and boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Early life:...
along with Lucchese Underboss Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro
Salvatore Santoro
Salvatore T. "Tom Mix" Santoro, Sr. served as Underboss in the Lucchese crime family during the 1980s before being convicted in the Mafia Commission Trial and sentenced to 100 years in federal prison.-Early life:...
and Consigliere Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari
Christopher Furnari
Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari, Sr. is a Lucchese crime family mobster serving life in prison. During the 1980s, Furnari served as the family consigliere until his 1986 racketeering conviction.-Early years:...
, were indicted in 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...
along with the top major heads 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:...
. To replace him, Corallo put his protegé Anthony "Buddy" Luongo as acting boss sometime in early 1986, but toward December of that same year, Luongo disappeared. Rumor has it that Amuso, then Luongo's driver and bodyguard, killed him to gain the complete power of 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...
. Amuso's associate, Anthony "Gaspipe" 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...
was also reportedly involved in the Luongo incident. Amuso and Casso had long served Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari
Christopher Furnari
Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari, Sr. is a Lucchese crime family mobster serving life in prison. During the 1980s, Furnari served as the family consigliere until his 1986 racketeering conviction.-Early years:...
as his proteges, as Furnari advised Corallo to make Amuso and Casso the new acting bosses of the family. To avoid any internal war of the family, Corallo made Amuso the new acting boss of 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...
in late 1986, and the new official boss after his conviction on January 13, 1987, where Corallo and others were sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
.
The Cartel Windows case
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
of 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...
in 1987, Amuso made Casso his underboss. He soon started one of the bloodiest reigns in Mafia history. Amuso had a simple way of dealing with anyone who crossed him—kill them on the spot.
The bloodletting started with the so called "Windows Case" in 1986, when Amuso felt that his family wasn't getting enough profit from the operation, and demanded that Casso supervise Lucchese's share in the cartel. The 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...
, 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 ....
, Genovese
Genovese crime family
The Genovese 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 Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
and Lucchese families had together created a cartel in 1978, which eventually controlled over $150 million in contracts from the New York City Housing Authority
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
(NYCHA). The cartel monopolized
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
the industry through Local 580, a Lucchese family-controlled local of the Iron Workers Union
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers is a union in the United States and Canada, which represents primarily construction workers, as well as shipbuilding and metal fabrication employees.-Origins:...
. Through the union, the cartel could solicit bribes
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
, extort payoffs
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...
and enforce its monopoly. The cartel worked their controlled industry by charging a tax of approximately $1.00 to $2.00 for almost every window replacement, public and private, sold 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...
. The iron fists of Casso and captain Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo
Peter Chiodo
Peter "Big Pete" Chiodo was a capo in the Lucchese crime family who later became a government witness. He is the nephew of Lucchese mobster Frank Signorino.-Background:...
raised Amuso's shares in the cartel.
Dispute with Accetturo
Toward the late 1980s, Amuso and Casso began arguing with the CaporegimeCaporegime
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...
of the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
faction of 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...
, Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo
Anthony Accetturo
Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo is a former caporegime and leader of the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family The Jersey Crew.-Biography:...
, about the profit Amuso received. When ordering Accetturo to raise the profit, Accetturo refused. Amuso then gave the order to "whack Jersey", meaning that the entire Jersey faction of the family should be eliminated. In the fall of 1988, the entire New Jersey crew was summoned to meet with Amuso in Brooklyn. Fearful of being massacred, everyone refused to go. Soon the entire New Jersey crew had gone into hiding, decimating the Lucchese interests in New Jersey. Amuso and Casso went on to eliminate anyone with even the merest suspicion that they might be defectors or if they were considered potential rivals. Over the next 12 months, most of the New Jersey crew members came back to the family. Amuso told the returned crew members that Accetturo was an outlaw and needed to be disposed off. Amuso also sent hitmen to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, searching for Accetturo, however, what Amuso didn't realized was that Accetturo was jailed in New Jersey, for refusing to testify in front a state panel. Accetturo would later become an informant. Accetturo's former protégé and longtime rival, Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta
Michael Taccetta
Michael Salvatore Taccetta , also known as "Mad Dog", is a high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, who wound up controlling the entire New Jersey faction of the family in the 1980s...
, who was also despised by Amuso, reputedly took over Lucchese's
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...
Jersey Crew
The Jersey Crew
The Jersey Crew is a powerful faction of the Lucchese crime family, that operates and controls illegal activities like drug trafficking, labor racketeering, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, money laundering, and murder, in the Northern New Jersey area....
, which is the nickname of their faction in Northern New Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
, toward his conviction in 1993, before Accetturo eventually agreed to become an informant.
Fugitives and convictions
In early 1991, Amuso and Casso were indicted as part of a racketeering investigation. Acting on prior knowledge, Amuso and his UnderbossUnderboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
went into hiding. Amuso named Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco
Alphonse D'Arco
Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco , also known as "The Professor", is a New York mobster who became the acting boss of Lucchese crime family. He was the first boss, acting or otherwise, of a New York crime family to become a government witness....
as acting boss. But the bloodshed of Vic Amuso and Tony Casso wasn't over yet, as Lucchese caporegime Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo
Peter Chiodo
Peter "Big Pete" Chiodo was a capo in the Lucchese crime family who later became a government witness. He is the nephew of Lucchese mobster Frank Signorino.-Background:...
was charged with violations of the RICO
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...
act in 1991.
Suspecting that Chiodo had turned informer, Amuso decided to have Chiodo killed. On May 8, 1991, three shooters shot Chiodo 12 times, but failed to kill him. A few weeks later, Amuso sent word to Chiodo's attorneys that his wife had been marked for death. This violated a longstanding Mafia rule that women are not to be harmed. Later, a hit team nearly killed Chiodo's sister.
The move backfired spectacularly, as Chiodo became a government informant and agreed to testify against several major heads 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:...
, including Amuso, that same year. Chiodo revealed details of the entire Windows Case operation, several 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 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...
charges, loansharking and 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...
, as well as 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...
and drug trafficking operations around 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....
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, 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...
and the Bronx.
Amuso issued several other orders that led many inside and outside the Lucchese family to conclude he was no longer acting rationally. He and Casso crafted a list of 49 people that they wanted dead—half of whom were Lucchese wiseguys. He also ordered D'Arco to bring in a bomb expert from the Philadelphia crime family
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family, Bruno crime family, Philadelphia Mafia, or Philly Mob, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most active American Mafia families outside of the Five Families of New York...
as part of a plan to blow up Gambino 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...
. Amuso then turned his wrath on D'Arco, whom he held responsible for the failed hit on Chiodo. According to D'Arco, he was at a meeting at a Manhattan hotel when he spotted a man carrying a gun under his shirt, then slip the gun out of his shirt when he went to the bathroom.
After the government apprehended Amuso in 1990 and Casso in 1993, Casso and D'Arco turned state's evidence. D'Arco's testimony (and that of many others) proved to be devastating to Amuso's case, as he was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
in 1992. His 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...
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...
was also sentenced to life imprisonment, after failing to uphold his end of the witness-deal he struck with the federal government. Amuso is currently serving his life sentence at a high security Federal penitentiary in Coleman, Florida
Coleman, Florida
Coleman is a city in Sumter County, Florida, United States. The population was 647 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 679.-Geography:Coleman is located at ....
.
After the incarcerations of both Amuso and Casso, the US government learned that they each had, allegedly, ordered more than 10-12 slayings while they were fugitives and while on trial, using corrupt NYPD cops Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa
Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa
Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa are two former New York Police Department police detectives who worked on behalf of the New York Mafia while they committed various illegal activities...
as their personal hit men.
New Lucchese Acting boss
After Amuso's indictment in 1991 with the testimony provided by former acting boss Alphonse "Little Al" D'ArcoAlphonse D'Arco
Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco , also known as "The Professor", is a New York mobster who became the acting boss of Lucchese crime family. He was the first boss, acting or otherwise, of a New York crime family to become a government witness....
, Amuso promoted his caporegime Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
Joseph DeFede
Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant.-Early years:...
, to acting boss, with the help of the Ruling Panel members, Steven "Wonderboy" Crea
Steven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
, Anthony "Bowat" Baratta
Anthony Baratta
Anthony "Bowat" Baratta is a New York City mobster and former capo in the Lucchese crime family.-Capo of the "Harlem Crew":In 1978, Baratta became a made man in the Lucchese crime family operating under the family's Bronx faction...
, Salvatore "Sal" Avellino
Salvatore Avellino
Salvatore "Sal" Avellino is a mobster and caporegime in the Lucchese crime family who was involved in labor racketering in the garbage and waste management industry in Long Island, New York...
and Consigliere
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...
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
Frank Lastorino
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino is a New York City mobster and former Consigliere of the Lucchese crime family.-Lucchese hitman:Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Lastorino soon joined the Lucchese crime family under Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling operations...
in 1991. It was around this time that Lastorino used the indictments of Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" 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...
to take advantage of the situation and gained much of the authority in the family when he aligned himself with Brooklyn faction leaders George "Georgie Neck" Zappola
George Zappola
George "Georgie Neck" Zappola is a New York mobster and caporegime with the Lucchese crime family who became infamous for smuggling a sperm sample out of prison to impregnate his girlfriend.-Biography:Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City...
, Frank "Bones" Papagni, Frank Gioia, Jr. and George Conte.
Fearing rivalry from Bronx
In early 1992, Amuso feared that rivalry was being developed in 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...
, as some mobsters thought, with Amuso out of the way, that they could take over. The rivals were the old Bronx faction of the family, and Amuso felt he had to prove that he was still in charge. On April 3, 1992, Aniello "Neil" Migliore
Aniello Migliore
Aniello "Neil" Migliore is a New York City mobster, and acting leader of the Lucchese crime family. Migliore was a close associate of family bosses Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese and Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo.-Early years:...
, one of the most powerful capos
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...
of the family, was celebrating the birthday of a friend's granddaughter in a Westbury, New York
Westbury, New York
Westbury incorporated in 1932 as a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead....
restaurant on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. During the party, a gunman in a passing car fired one or two shotgun blasts through the restaurant window, hitting Migliore in the head and chest. Despite his wounds, Migliore survived. The attempt on his life did not sway Migliore away from the crime family though, as he kept operating throughout the 1990s.
Bronx & Brooklyn rivalry
As Amuso allegedly attempted to kill Aniello "Neil" MiglioreAniello Migliore
Aniello "Neil" Migliore is a New York City mobster, and acting leader of the Lucchese crime family. Migliore was a close associate of family bosses Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese and Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo.-Early years:...
from the Bronx faction in 1992, he chose another Bronx faction-leader named Steven "Wonderboy" Crea
Steven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
as the new and powerful 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...
of 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...
to keep rivals from the Bronx in line. However, this decision almost triggered a new war within the crime family, as Crea, along with Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
Joseph DeFede
Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant.-Early years:...
decided to turn the family's power center away from Brooklyn, New York and back to the Bronx faction where it had been for decades. This, however, didn't please the imprisoned boss Vic Amuso and his supporters within the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
faction. Crime family Consigliere
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...
, Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
Frank Lastorino
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino is a New York City mobster and former Consigliere of the Lucchese crime family.-Lucchese hitman:Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Lastorino soon joined the Lucchese crime family under Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling operations...
saw to organize the murder of Steven Crea
Steven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
using capos
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...
George Zappola
George Zappola
George "Georgie Neck" Zappola is a New York mobster and caporegime with the Lucchese crime family who became infamous for smuggling a sperm sample out of prison to impregnate his girlfriend.-Biography:Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City...
, Frank Papagni and Frank Gioia, Jr., and would further plan to use the death of acting boss Steve Crea to gain the control of 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...
. US law enforcement also recognized these members as the actual leaders of the family at the time, and even picked them up on wires and bugs saying they were going to kill 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...
boss John "Junior" Gotti, son 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...
, and his rival Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo
Nicholas Corozzo
Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo is a New York mobster who is the reputed acting boss of the Gambino crime family.-Biography:...
to split up the Gambinos. This 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...
also included Genovese crime family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese 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 Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
and on-the-lam leader, Anthony "Gaspipe" 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...
before he was apprehended. But due to massive indictments of the time, slashing all members of the three families involved in the conspiracy, the plot never succeeded, and Amuso kept running the family from prison as most of the conspirators themselves were sent to prison.
Restructure of the family
During the mid 1990s, the majority of the Brooklyn faction-leaders, many of whom were known Amuso's rivals, were sent to prison on various charges. To keep some sense of stability within 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...
, Amuso promoted his loyal friend and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
capo
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...
Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone
Louis Daidone
Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone is a New York mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Sidewalk soldier:...
to the position of Consigliere
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...
, replacing Frank Lastorino
Frank Lastorino
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino is a New York City mobster and former Consigliere of the Lucchese crime family.-Lucchese hitman:Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Lastorino soon joined the Lucchese crime family under Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling operations...
. Amuso also kept Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
Joseph DeFede
Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant.-Early years:...
as the crime family's Acting Boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
. DeFede oversaw important crime family operations such as those in the Garment District
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
, which brought in between $40,000 to $60,000 a month. Amuso also kept Stephen "Wonderboy" Crea
Steven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
of the Bronx, New York as the 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...
, overseeing the construction and union racketeering operations that made the crime family between $300,000 and $500,000 a month. Daidone was put in control of the crews and street soldiers that took care of all the debt collection and muscle work, basically the collection of gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and loansharking debts, the 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...
operations and allegedly murder for hire. After Daidone was promoted to the number three spot, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
caporegime Joseph "Joe C." Caridi
Joseph Caridi
Joseph "Joe C." Caridi a New York mobster and current Consigliere of the Lucchese crime family.-Lucchese family:In the mid 1980s, Caridi was reportedly inducted into the Lucchese crime family, then under the leadership of boss Victor Amuso...
stepped up to run Daidone's former crew.
Joe DeFede's imprisonment
On April 28, 1998, DeFede was indicted on nine counts of racketeering stemming from his supervision of the crime family rackets in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Garment District
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
from 1992 to 1997. The prosecution reported that since the mid-1980s 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...
had been grossing between $40,000 and $60,000 per month from the Garment District rackets they controlled. In December 1998, DeFede pleaded guilty to the charges and received five years in prison. Angry at his guilty plea, Amuso became uncertain of DeFede's loyalty to the crime family and in the future Amuso would regard DeFede as a traitor and thief.
Wonderboy's enormous profit
After the imprisonment of Joe DeFede in 1998, Amuso handpicked Bronx faction leader, Steven "Wonderboy" CreaSteven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
as the new acting boss of 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...
. Crea, a loyal Amuso 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...
began sending a larger amount of the crime family's profits to the imprisoned boss, which convinced Amuso that DeFede had been skimming profits from the crime family the whole time he was acting boss, so Amuso decided to put out a contract on DeFede's life in late 1999. On September 6, 2000, Crea and seven other Lucchese members were arrested and jailed on 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...
charges. Crea was eventually convicted in 2001 and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Steven Crea was released from prison in 2006.
Daidone, DeFede and D'Arco
Following the imprisonment of Crea in 2001, influential ConsigliereConsigliere
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...
, Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone
Louis Daidone
Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone is a New York mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Sidewalk soldier:...
was promoted to acting boss and began to run the day-to-day operations of the crime family. Daidone, at the time, one of the strongest and most dangerous crime family members, would continue to oversee the contract ordered by Amuso on imprisoned former acting boss Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede
Joseph DeFede
Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant.-Early years:...
. DeFede did not know that Amuso had placed a contract on his life, but during DeFede's imprisonment he was demoted from capo to soldier and this alerted him to the possibility that he had fallen out of favor with boss Vic Amuso and could be in serious trouble. Upon DeFede's release from prison on February 5, 2002 it was reported that the former Amuso ally immediately turned to the government for help and became an informant. Federal witnesses Joe DeFede and Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco
Alphonse D'Arco
Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco , also known as "The Professor", is a New York mobster who became the acting boss of Lucchese crime family. He was the first boss, acting or otherwise, of a New York crime family to become a government witness....
gave the US government information regarding Lucchese controlled racketeering operations based around 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...
, which helped the federal government continue their decimation of the old Amuso-faction.
Both D'Arco and DeFede also provided information about rackets such as gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, loansharking, 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...
and even information about some old murders, which led to the indictments of Mafia cops, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa
Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa
Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa are two former New York Police Department police detectives who worked on behalf of the New York Mafia while they committed various illegal activities...
. Eppolito and Caracappa were allegedly working for and taking large bribes from former Lucchese underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" 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...
since the 1980s. The two highly decorated police N.Y.P.D. officers were apparently used by Casso and the Lucchese crime family to gain valuable information about ongoing police investigations and cases concerning New York Mafia member. The two bad cops were also used to lure rivals and possible government informants to their deaths, and in some cases they apparently executed the victims themselves. Daidone received a life sentence in 2003 on racketeering and 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...
charges, while more than a dozen other prominent 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...
members were sent to prison during that same year on various charges.
The Committee/Ruling Panel
After the conviction and imprisonment of acting boss Louie Diadone in 2003, imprisoned boss Vic Amuso instituted a new Ruling Panel/Committee of influential capos to oversee and run the crime family's day-to-day activities. Prominent and senior Lucchese capos Aniello "Neil" MiglioreAniello Migliore
Aniello "Neil" Migliore is a New York City mobster, and acting leader of the Lucchese crime family. Migliore was a close associate of family bosses Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese and Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo.-Early years:...
, Matthew "Matt" Madonna
Matthew Madonna
Matthew Madonna is a caporegime with the Lucchese crime family who was heavily involved in narcotics trafficking and bribery of government officials.-Narcotics trafficking:...
and Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli
Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli , is a high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, holding the rank of caporegime or captain, in the family's Ruling Committee/Panel, controlling the day-to-day operations since 2003, along with Aniello "Neil" Migliore and Matthew Madonna...
were handpicked by Amuso to lead the crime family. These senior capos were chosen as street bosses to work in tandem. Instead of placing one particular member in the official 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...
position Amuso divided the power between 3 influential capos. Migliore, a former Corallo loyalist and Amuso rival, is now said to be one of the most powerful mobsters 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...
.
In 2006, former acting boss Stephen "Wonderboy" Crea
Steven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
was released from prison, and the Ruling Panel/Committee continued to run day-to-day activities of the crime family. In late 2009, ruling panel members Matthew Madonna and Joseph DiNapoli were indicted on labor racketeering, illegal gambling and extortion charges.
Current Lucchese Boss
As of 2011, Amuso, 76 is serving his life sentence at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
on 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 racketeering charges. He is still the reputed official Boss of 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...
. Even though Vic Amuso has allegedly kept control of 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...
for more than 20 years, Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
expert Jerry Capeci
Jerry Capeci
Gerald "Jerry" Capeci is an American journalist and author who specializes in coverage of the Five Mafia crime families of New York City. Capeci has been described by news organizations, such as CNN and BBC, as an expert on the American Mafia.-Gang Land:Capeci writes a column called Gang Land...
describes his succession as Boss as one of the biggest mistakes in the crime family's history.
Sources
- Codella, Michael and Bennett, Bruce. Alphaville: 1988, Crime, Punishment, and the Battle for New York City's Lower East Side. St. Martin's Press, 2010. ISBN 0312592485
- 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: Harper Torch, 1994. ISBN 0061091847
- Raab, Selwyn. The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-36181-5
- Devito, Carlo. Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4848-7
- Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
- Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30653-2
- United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi : Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1988. http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC19099088&id=DQeMhDjHx58C&q=Victor+Vic+Amuso&dq=Victor+Vic+Amuso&pgis=1
External links
- La Cosa Nostra – State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation 1989 Report The Lucchese/Corallo/Amuso Family
- Slate: Dispatches From a Mob Trial Anatomy of a Mafia mole by Dan Ackman
- Time Magazine: Blood in the Streets: Subculture of Violence
- La Cosa Nostra: Victor Amuso (La Cosa Nostra Database)