THE BLACK HAND FORUM

by **Dapper_Don** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:30 am

newera_212 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:25 am It was Cantarella who said he knew of Basciano as "Vinny Pills" in one of his testimonies. Cantarella also testified that they were leery of him and tried to make themselves unavailable when he was scheduled to come around the restaurant. Which is kind of messed up when you think about it. He had his own motives for doing so, sure, but Basciano went out of his way to earn big and make sure Massino was taken care of, and went out of his way to pay respect to Massino and support his restaurant. It seems flat out that Massino just didn't like the guy.

I want to know more about the bookie that Basciano (and Anthony Donato) came up under. Tony Cole (I think Colandra was his last name)? Early on we heard that Basciano was brought around by Trinchera, but it seems like this Tony Cole really put Basciano onto a lot of game and made him a player. A Yonkers based guy who had a crazy numbers and sports operation that stretched all across the entire city, and he ran some video stores - another business that Basciano himself got into at one point...after him and Donato allegedly killed Tony Cole.

Anyone know about this Tony Cole guy? Was he made? Bonnanos or another family? From the outside looking in, it seems like Basciano just clipped him one day and took over all of his rackets - that had to have been OK'ed by somebody

Another interesting thing about Basciano that's overlooked is how young he was. The guy had a house in Scarsdale with a full family to support by the time he was 30. Maybe it was normal 30 or 40 years ago for a guy like that to be doing it so big at such a young age - but he seemed super young to be as successful as he was.

I wonder what would have happened to him if he had gravitated to another one of the Bronx based crews and ended up with a different family. Massino really took the wind out of his sails.

Yep it all sound familiar thanks

by **newera_212** » Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:25 am

It was Cantarella who said he knew of Basciano as "Vinny Pills" in one of his testimonies. Cantarella also testified that they were leery of him and tried to make themselves unavailable when he was scheduled to come around the restaurant. Which is kind of messed up when you think about it. He had his own motives for doing so, sure, but Basciano went out of his way to earn big and make sure Massino was taken care of, and went out of his way to pay respect to Massino and support his restaurant. It seems flat out that Massino just didn't like the guy.

I want to know more about the bookie that Basciano (and Anthony Donato) came up under. Tony Cole (I think Colandra was his last name)? Early on we heard that Basciano was brought around by Trinchera, but it seems like this Tony Cole really put Basciano onto a lot of game and made him a player. A Yonkers based guy who had a crazy numbers and sports operation that stretched all across the entire city, and he ran some video stores - another business that Basciano himself got into at one point...after him and Donato allegedly killed Tony Cole.

Anyone know about this Tony Cole guy? Was he made? Bonnanos or another family? From the outside looking in, it seems like Basciano just clipped him one day and took over all of his rackets - that had to have been OK'ed by somebody

Another interesting thing about Basciano that's overlooked is how young he was. The guy had a house in Scarsdale with a full family to support by the time he was 30. Maybe it was normal 30 or 40 years ago for a guy like that to be doing it so big at such a young age - but he seemed super young to be as successful as he was.

I wonder what would have happened to him if he had gravitated to another one of the Bronx based crews and ended up with a different family. Massino really took the wind out of his sails.

by **Dapper_Don** » Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:56 am

Mason_dixon wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:50 pm From someone who read the Vinny gorgeous book I must say it was really lacking....read the whole book but you don't really get a feel for who Vinny actually was. Does he actually still hair plugs? I heard someone call him Vinny pills a amaybe they were referring to the ecstacy rolls he couldn't sell or that one pill from the 80s whose name is escaping me but I did get the vibe he was a go.getter And someone who did not value life if you were not his blood. But he did some loyal.

I felt the opposite. The book def showed his ambitious ways from his many rackets to his desire to rise in the leadership ranks of the life. Vinny pills was a name Vitale/maybe also Massino referred to him when he was an up and comer.

by **Mason_dixon** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:31 pm

Event* appologize.

by **Mason_dixon** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:30 pm

Pretty big career booster right there he sure did luck out on Lawyers. Winning that case must of been a huge even in his life.

by **Browniety86** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:59 pm

Who was indicted with Vinny in the "Blue Thunder" heroin case? Any other major Cosa Nostra players?

by **Mason_dixon** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:50 pm

From someone who read the Vinny gorgeous book I must say it was really lacking....read the whole book but you don't really get a feel for who Vinny actually was. Does he actually still hair plugs? I heard someone call him Vinny pills a amaybe they were referring to the ecstacy rolls he couldn't sell or that one pill from the 80s whose name is escaping me but I did get the vibe he was a go.getter And someone who did not value life if you were not his blood. But he did some loyal.

by **newera_212** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:06 am

Dapper_Don wrote: ↑Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:51 pm Would be great if Massino or Vitale resurfaced with a book,podcast or anything. I wonder if Massino is back in Howard Beach...

looks like the Massino's are still around at least Josephine... check out property tranfer records here https://www.realtyhop.com/property-reco ... %20Massino

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.

Worth nothing that ...well, I'm like 99% sure... the last property on that list, the Caldwell Avenue home in Maspeth, is actually Joe Massino's childhood home. The family moved there from an apartment above a store front on Grand Avenue when he was a kid. It's crazy that they've been able to hold on to that little property for generations. Good for them. Maybe like 2 years after he flipped and the dust was starting to settle a little, a local Queens paper did an article about Massino and listed all of the addresses (in Queens) that he was tied to. I remember that Caldwell Ave address as being his childhood home.

To the question above about Vinny being recognized as Official Boss if he remained on the street somehow after Massino flipped... I think the answer is yes, absolutely.

by **Browniety86** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:04 am

If Vinny would have somehow managed to stay on the street after Massino flips (which is impossible I know), but for the sake of argument, would he have been recognized and made official boss?

by B. » Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:13 pm

Basciano did appoint Mancuso and Rabito to run the family without Massino's approval when he (Basciano) went to prison. Massino took issue with it and recorded himself discussing it with Basciano. Massino said he approved of Mancuso but felt Rabito wasn't suited for a top leadership position. Others named by Massino as preferred candidates for acting admin / ruling panel positions were Jerry Asaro and Joe Cammarano Jr.

Massino was sending messages to the street for a while through soldier Dino Cammarano, as he frequently visited his father Joe Sr. who was incarcerated with Massino. Massino put an end to this arrangement though as Dino Cammarano was doing a poor job of carrying the right messages. He seems to have had a high opinion of Joe Jr. but not Dino.

by **Shellackhead** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:46 pm

Wonder how he feels about that, did his family get harassed after Massino went into witsec?

by **Dave65827** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:27 pm

mlm0047 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 08, 2021 5:55 pm Did massino’s family not enter witsec with him? Any additional info on this out there?

I read in the book sixth family that a lot of his family disowned him and did not enter witsec

by **gaspipe** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:12 pm

mlm0047 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 08, 2021 5:55 pm Did massino’s family not enter witsec with him? Any additional info on this out there?

His wife still lives in the area.

by **Philly d** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:02 pm

anyway to hear the actual tapes?

by **mlm0047** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 5:55 pm

Did massino’s family not enter witsec with him? Any additional info on this out there?

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