Mobsters who faked their own deaths?

[Villain]

The previous convo on Mike Corbitt got me thinking regarding the situation in which high level Chicago Outfit associate Hyman Larner tried to pull a trick like faking his own death.

You see, by the late 80s Larner was one old and very wealthy American mobster who lived in Panama and story goes he received word that the feds were after him. Larner allegedly had few local newspaper editors in his pocket and so in 1991 the Panamanian newspapers announced that Hyman Larner had suddenly died of natural causes.

The FBI could not believe the news and so they decided to send few of their men to investigate the matter. The agents looked all around Panama for any evidence regarding Larner’s death but they had no luck. They didn’t even found a grave with Larner’s name on it and so that was it. The agents returned home and obviously did not believe the story and so they left the case open.

And as expected, few years later or in 1995 rumours surfaced that Larner was very much alive and resided in the U.S. or to be specific, in Flathead County, Montana. In reality, Larner played it very smart because first he faked his demise by using corrupt Panamanian newspaper editors to publish his alleged death, and also he had suspicion that the U.S. government will send their agents to check out the news and so he decided to come back home quietly to his own country, where nobody will be looking for him. Later in 1997 the case against him was squashed by "unknown" influence and in 2002 Larner died for real, as a free man.

Where there any other examples of Mob members or associates who pulled or at least tried to do the same thing?

[richard_belding]

Joseph Scudiero, an alleged Bonnano mobster, was arrested in 2001 in connection with a 1971 bar murder in New York. The murder in question occurred at a bar called Club Z, at 400 West 14th Street. An argument ensued, and Scudiero shot and killed George Kelly, the son of a retired NY police officer. Scudiero reportedly stuffed the body, which was never recovered, into the trunk of a car.

Scudiero had a long rap sheet. After posting $100,000 bail in the murder case, he disappeared, apparently trying to fake his own death to throw off authorities. According to reports while he was out on bail, a white sedan pulled up to him on a Brooklyn street. Two men got out, flashed a badge, and threw him into the car. Days later the car turned up riddled with bullets. Scudiero’s blood and fingerprints were also found. The story at the time was that the cops had knocked him off for killing a police officer’s son, but even back then no one really believed that. The courts refused to declare him dead and return his bail money to his family.

In reality, he fled to Pennsylvania, where he lived under the name Joseph Monaco. After being on the run he was finally picked up in Florida where he told the arresting officers,“I`m glad you got me, because I didn`t want to have Joseph Monaco on my tombstone."

[Villain]

Joseph Scudiero, an alleged Bonnano mobster, was arrested in 2001 in connection with a 1971 bar murder in New York. The murder in question occurred at a bar called Club Z, at 400 West 14th Street. An argument ensued, and Scudiero shot and killed George Kelly, the son of a retired NY police officer. Scudiero reportedly stuffed the body, which was never recovered, into the trunk of a car.

Scudiero had a long rap sheet. After posting $100,000 bail in the murder case, he disappeared, apparently trying to fake his own death to throw off authorities. According to reports while he was out on bail, a white sedan pulled up to him on a Brooklyn street. Two men got out, flashed a badge, and threw him into the car. Days later the car turned up riddled with bullets. Scudiero’s blood and fingerprints were also found. The story at the time was that the cops had knocked him off for killing a police officer’s son, but even back then no one really believed that. The courts refused to declare him dead and return his bail money to his family.

In reality, he fled to Pennsylvania, where he lived under the name Joseph Monaco. After being on the run he was finally picked up in Florida where he told the arresting officers,“I`m glad you got me, because I didn`t want to have Joseph Monaco on my tombstone."

That's some helluva story and one nice example! Thanks bud.

I wonder how many guys, if any, got away with it....

[richard_belding]

Another example, Murder Inc gangster Jacob "Jack" Drucker. By mid-March 1940 most of the top guys in The Combination/Murder Inc had been picked up and when the death penalty had been thrown on the table, the informant floodgates opened. Drucker immediately went into hiding, leaving his wife and young daughter behind in Brooklyn. He hadn’t been seen in two years so he faked his own death, spreading rumours that he’d been knocked off by the same people he worked for.

Unlike the lucky Larner in your example, and more like Scudiero- Drucker was caught and sentenced for murder, although avoiding the chair. He died of a heart attack 18 years into his sentence.

[Villain]

Unlike the lucky Larner in your example,

Thanks again for the additional info on Drucker, since im first time hearing of him lol

Larner's "luck" can be explained with his long time government connections or should I say CIA contacts. He started working for them from the 1960s possibly until the mid 80s, and on top of that he also had close connections to the billion dollar Pritzker clan

[B.]

Great stories, Belding.

[HairyKnuckles]

Joe Scudiero was the brother of Sally Braws, a made Bonanno guy. He went on the lam and faked his own death when he got suspected of being a pedophile. Richard, have you heard this story?

[bert]

Joe Scudiero was the brother of Sally Braws, a made Bonanno guy. He went on the lam and faked his own death when he got suspected of being a pedophile. Richard, have you heard this story?

There was a Sal Scudiero who killed an informant who was ratting on him in 1974 and went on the run, is he the same one?

[richard_belding]

Joe Scudiero was the brother of Sally Braws, a made Bonanno guy. He went on the lam and faked his own death when he got suspected of being a pedophile. Richard, have you heard this story?

From what i gathered the molestation charges were brought up while he had already left Pennsylvania and was headed for Florida, seemingly on the run for a number of years at that point. The fact that the murder victim was the son of a cop, coupled with him leaving right before trial, points more to the murder and not the pedo situation for his reasons of fleeing.

Matthew Mari- lawyer for Carmine Persico in his later years- was the attorney for both Scudiero brothers, at one point.