Testimony of Dominick Cicale notes (2006 Basciano trial)

[antimafia]

^^^^
No mention in Ed Scarpo’s book.

From the end of ch. 7:

Massino shuttered family social clubs. He decentralized the structure of the family, turning crews into isolated cells. Information was no longer widely shared; it was parceled out on a need-to-know basis. Massino even stepped back from huge moneymaking schemes if they involved collaboration with another crime family. The Bonannos would go it alone, Massino told his men. He focused on the old standbys—loansharking and gambling—but also showed a more enterprising streak by starting up scams on Wall Street. On parole for two years, Massino also named Vitale his underboss; he could safely use his brother-in-law to run the family from afar. There was one significant meeting in November 1992, Selwyn Raab noted in Five Families. Massino met with all his capos in a hotel suite not far from JFK airport and told them about Vitale’s role as underboss so Massino could finish his parole without ending up back in prison. Massino outlawed use of his name as part of his reorganization strategy. Members of the family were told to point or tug on their ear when referring to Massino so as that no wiretap would be able to pin something to the boss. He even simplified the induction ceremony. He banned the use of all the usual accoutrements—no mass card, no gun or knife (in case the law raided an induction ceremony) and no more blood trickling out of a pricked finger. (Much later Massino sought to rechristen the crime family’s name from Bonanno to Massino, though this gambit was short-lived.) Massino banned the use of cell phones and encouraged the men to propose their sons for membership, thinking this might keep any potential turncoats from straying. He created a war chest in which every Bonanno capo and soldier tossed in $ 100 a month to help pay the lawyers’ expenses of members who were arrested.

[chin_gigante]

Bonus notes:

Testimony of Thomas Lee
United States v Vincent Basciano and Patrick DeFilippo
US District Court EDNY
2006

Background and neighbourhood connections

- Tommy Lee was born and grew up in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx
- Lee lived in Pelham Bay for about 34 years before moving to Pelham Manor
- Lee is Italian American and became aware of organised crime through social clubs in the neighbourhood
- Lee’s brother and their stepfather Phil DeSimone were involved in the numbers business for a long time
- Lee got arrested twice for getting into fights and was represented by Murray Richman
- The first case was dismissed, and he received a conditional discharge in the second case
- His stepfather and brother were ‘not really’ affiliated with any particular family
- Lee attended Lehman High School and graduated in the class of 1985
- Lee was in school with Debbie Kalb, Vincent Basciano’s future girlfriend
- Lee attended Fordham University, graduating in 1989, and then Seton Hall University of Law
- In the summer between his first and second year of law school, Lee worked as an intern at Murray Richman’s office
- Lee graduated from law school in 1992 and got his legal licence about a year later
- Lee always operated as a solo practitioner, though he often worked alongside Richman and Pat Stiso

Lee’s connection to Vinny Basciano

- Lee first met Vinny Basciano while interning for Murray Richman
- Lee was doing work for illegal lottery cases Richman was handling
- Lee knew of Basciano growing up and was aware of his reputation for ‘running with some tough guys’
- Lee was aware of Basciano’s nicknames Vinny Blimpie and Vinny Gorgeous
- A dispute over legal fees later arose between Basciano and Richman, so Pat Stiso began handling all criminal cases related to Basciano’s numbers operations
- Lee handled all of the casework for Stiso
- When Stiso went to prison in 1998, Lee began handling the numbers cases by himself

Lee’s knowledge of the numbers operation

Individuals go into a numbers store, numbers home and place a bet. It can either be on single action, which is betting on one number coming out. Two numbers, which is known as a bolita. Or three numbers which is a string. They place a bet on a triplicate form of paper. One of the papers is kept in the store. The other paper goes back to the office, and the person that placed the bet keeps the slip, one of the slips.

- A numbers store was a location operated out of a front business, whereas a numbers hole was an outright numbers location with little to nothing to conceal the illegal activity
- Clerks call in the bets to the central office by telephone or by runners
- It was easier for law enforcement to bust numbers stores and holes than it was to bust the office
- When a clerk or a doorman got arrested at a store/ hole, the legal fees would be paid by Vinny Basciano and Anthony Donato
- ‘I believe Anthony and Vincent were partners.’
- Lee was aware that Basciano and Donato were childhood friends
- Lee knew Donato by the nickname ‘Little Anthony’
- Donato requested Lee call him ‘Ernie’ to avoid law enforcement scrutiny
- Some individuals Lee knew who worked for the numbers operation were Thomas Basciano, Anthony Colangelo, Joseph DiMarco, Alan Handler, Giuseppe Mondelli, John Salzano, and Larry Weinstein
- DiMarco and Colangelo were clerks, then runners, then worked for the office
- Mondelli was a clerk then a runner
- Salzano was a clerk who got put in the office to insulate him after he got pinched
- Handler and Weinstein worked for the office
- Lee knew Handler by the nickname ‘Sonny’ and Weinstein as ‘Larry the Jew’
- Another individual named ‘Rubistello’ was a runner
- Lee also represented Clarence Hopkins, Leroy Multrie, Michelle Rodriguez, and Maria Placido, all of whom were clerks
- ‘[Basciano] indicated that he didn’t go to any of the numbers stores, that he didn’t take any phone calls related to the numbers business, and that he put his brother Thomas Basciano and Anthony Donato in charge of the business to insulate him from criminal prosecution.’

Beginning to pass messages to MDC Brooklyn

- Lee was doing work for Vincent Gigante’s defence team when David Breitbart got him involved in the Joseph Massino case
- Lee started passing messages between Massino and Basciano in late 2003
- ‘He would say, “Tell my friend Vinny hello, I miss him.” Vinny would say, “Tell my man I miss him, I love him, I’ll do anything for him”, that kind of stuff. It was just general salutations initially.’
- The first message of substance Lee passed was from about Basciano assuming control of the family in 2004
- ‘Joseph Massino indicated to me in the Metropolitan Detention Centre Vinny should take the reins of the Bonanno crime family.’
- Basciano was excited to receive the message
- ‘He asked me to repeat several times the exact words that were used by Mr Massino.’
- Basciano sent word back through Lee that he loved Massino and wouldn’t let him down
- ‘Things aren’t going to skip a beat with me out here.’
- Lee recalls Basciano using the phrase ‘skip a beat’ regularly
- Basciano would call Lee to arrange meetings or show up at his house or office
- Lee and Basciano also met at the International House of Pancakes on Boston Post Road
- Lee was representing one of Basciano’s sons, and they met under the pretence of discussing the case
- Lee was told to page Basciano the code 37 (Lee’s age at the time) and a time to indicate when they should meet at IHOP
- Lee never used the code
- ‘He was very concerned that the messages were relayed accurately. He would ask me to repeat the messages several times.’
- Dominick Cicale often accompanied Basciano to meet with Lee
- Lee grew up with Cicale but they weren’t close
- ‘I wouldn’t say I had a bad or good relationship with him. His group of friends was a different neighbourhood than mine for the most part. We didn’t hang out.’
- However, when having illegal conversations, Lee and Basciano always talked alone
- While passing messages to Massino, Lee would send the defence team memos describing ulterior motives for the meetings (discussing forfeiture, appellate issues, etc)
- Lee was given a $2,500 retainer ($500 from Massino, $2,000 from Basciano) to be an investigative assistant on Massino’s case
- Lee was told that private investigator Vic Juliano, lawyer Gerard Marrone, and Joseph Cammarano’s sons were also passing messages for the family
- Basciano didn’t trust the messages coming through the Cammarano brothers
- ‘They were part of the – the father’s group and he felt that the loyalty to the father would be more strong than the loyalty to the family.’

Messages pertaining to Basciano’s leadership of the family

- Basciano asked Lee to pass a message to Massino that he had appointed Michael Mancuso as his number two and Anthony Rabito as his number three
- ‘[Massino] indicated that those wouldn’t have been his selections, but it was Vinny’s decision to make now or Mr Basciano’s decision to make now.’
- Basciano then told Lee to pass the message that the appointments were acting and subject to change
- ‘Mr Basciano indicated that he had made Dominick Cicale a captain in the Bonanno crime family and also discussion about a gentleman named Louie Electric who was made from soldier to acting captain.’
- Basciano wanted to shelve several members who were not contributing to the war chest
- ‘Mr Massino indicated Mr Basciano would be doing those guys a favour because they had so much problems with co-operators in the family, that people were looking to be shelved and looking to be knocked down because they didn’t want to deal with the implosion of the Bonanno crime family.’
- Basciano felt the Bonanno members in Florida were getting a ‘free pass’ and earning without kicking up
- Basciano wanted to place either Joseph or Gerard Chilli in charge of a crew in Florida to organise them and collect tribute
- ‘Mr Massino was not pleased with the idea. He indicated Chilli was a drunk and he feared his abuse of alcohol would affect his leadership abilities.’
- Basciano talked with Chilli, was aware of his drinking, and told him he could knock him down quickly if alcohol problems affected his leadership
- Massino got ‘numerous’ complaints from other incarcerated members that Basciano had a very heavy-handed leadership style
- These members were complaining about being forced to report to the Bronx
- ‘He told me to tell Vinny to slow down, take it easy.’
- Patrick DeFilippo and John Palazzolo were complaining to Massino that Basciano was taking guys from them
- Basciano responded that he took Palazzolo’s guys because they needed leadership
- Basciano replied that DeFilippo was lying
- ‘In fact, he had placed Michael Nose, who was a member of Mr DeFilippo’s crew, as his number two guy. So how could he argue that he was weakening his crew?’
- ‘The Lino kids or the Saunders kids’ complained about having to report to Basciano at odd hours of the evening in the Bronx to prove their loyalty
- At the captains’ meeting where he made everyone strip, Basciano told them he was placed in the acting boss position by Massino
- ‘The only way he was leaving was based on Massino’s command or in a body bag.’
- Basciano had a guy beaten up for not coming to a meeting

Messages pertaining to inductions

Mr Massino indicated to me that he was upset because people were being proposed for membership in the Bonanno crime family, also made members without the proper scrutiny, without the proper screening. […] I remember the name Ernie Aiello, a guy named Pipitone, a guy named Gambina, a guy named Sally the Ironworker. There was a guy named Butcher or the Baker, I forget what name he had, but those are the names I remember.

- Massino was concerned that Michael Virtuoso couldn’t control his wife and felt because of that he shouldn’t be a member
- Lee also remembered Randolph Pizzolo’s name in these discussions
- Massino was concerned about Pizzolo being an admitted drug user
- ‘I’m not sure whether [Pizzolo] had already been made and there was a dispute about it or whether he was being proposed. I wasn’t given all the details.’
- After hearing of Massino’s concerns, Basciano sent a message through Lee that he had ‘changed the rules’ and proposed guys would have to be sponsored by two members who knew them for at least seven years

Messages pertaining to problems with the Gambino family

- Basciano gave Lee a message that Joseph Corozzo was giving him a hard time and testing him over the rules about inducting members with drug convictions
- The Gambino family was sneaking in guys with drug convictions who had been out of prison for less than five years, and Basciano was going to ‘object to that’
- The Gambino family was also trying to sneak in new members on their dead lists
- ‘[Massino] found it humorous. He tried that trick all the time.’
- Someone from the Gambino family told Basciano there was an arrangement made that only the Gambino family could get involved in cement trucks in Staten Island
- Massino told Lee he made no such arrangement and Basciano could get involved in cement if he wanted
- Basciano decided if the Gambino family tampered with one of his cement trucks he’d vandalise five of theirs
- The Gambino family was also trying not to pay the Bonanno family their share of the extortion money from venders at the Feast of San Gennaro
- Perry Criscitelli had stepped down from his position on the board of the festival without getting permission from Basciano or Massino
- Basciano proposed the money from the festival be split three ways between himself, Massino, and Anthony Urso
- Massino was ‘annoyed Mr Basciano was deciding how the money would be split’ and told him no money needed to go to Urso
- ‘A 50/50 split between him and Mr Basciano was just fine.’

Messages pertaining to money

- Massino and Basciano went back and forth on a gambling spot in New Jersey that was soon to open
- Basciano proposed a three-way split between Massino, Basciano, and the vender of the gambling machines
- Massino was irritated again by Basciano deciding how money should be split but just told him it was fine
- Various people owed Massino loan sharking money and he wanted it back
- ‘Cardboard Box’ [Joe Marsala?] owed $50,000 and Peter Calabrese owed $200,000
- Joseph Cammarano [no mention of Jr or Sr] also owed money
- Cardboard Box made a full repayment and Calabrese was given a payment schedule
- Massino was frustrated that he was the boss and couldn’t get his own people to pay him back when he wanted
- Massino had given Patty DeFilippo some of his sports betting customers in return for $500 a week
- ‘He indicated that Patty DeFilippo must be the most unlucky gambler in the world because it’s been two years and he hasn’t received his $500 a week payment.’
- Basciano was ‘happy’ to collect the money from DeFilippo, but Massino told him to leave it alone

Messages pertaining to Patty DeFilippo

- Massino told Lee that Basciano and DeFilippo didn’t get along
- Around the time that DeFilippo was complaining about his crew being weakened, Basciano sent a message to Massino that he (DeFilippo) had to be a rat
- Massino sent word back that he wanted facts, not opinions
- Massino told Basciano to be careful because DeFilippo didn’t like him
- Basciano responded that he could handle DeFilippo
- Basciano told Lee (not as a message) that DeFilippo would have to go through St Raymond’s Cemetery if he ever got out of prison and wanted to go back to the Bronx
- Lee only clocked on to the fact that Basciano wanted to kill DeFilippo after the comment about the cemetery

Messages to Cicale after Basciano’s arrest

- After Basciano’s arrest, Lee passed messages between him and Dominick Cicale
- On the day of Basciano’s arrest, Cicale told Lee to let Basciano know that ‘he understood everything he told him and that he would take care of everything’
- Lee provided Cicale a copy of the indictment
- Around Christmas, Basciano told Cicale to make sure he got presents and money for Angela Basciano and Debbie Kalb
- Cicale was also to get about $7,000 from Sylvester Zottola
- Cicale was told that Basciano Jr should bring gambling money to his mother
- When Cicale was having problems with Mancuso, Basciano told him ‘that he shouldn’t back down to anyone’
- Cicale didn’t tell Lee any specifics but got across that he was having a hard time with Mancuso
- ‘There was some dispute’ about whether DeCicco was an official captain or an acting captain
- Cicale told Lee there was a rumour on the street that Basciano Jr was made
- ‘I recall [Basciano] just shrugging his shoulders and throwing his hands up like, as though what do you want from me.’
- Lee passed a message from Basciano that Cicale and Mancuso should learn to get along

Miscellaneous

- Basciano, Lee, and David Breitbart had a conversation in Breitbart’s office about a recording made by James Tartaglione
- Basciano remembered the conversation with Tartaglione ‘vividly’
- Basciano was upset at himself for having a ‘big mouth’ on the recording but was glad he didn’t say anything that hurt anybody else
- Lee represented Frank Santoro as well as his father
- Santoro had a reputation for being a junkie involved in stick-ups, burglaries, and break-ins
- Lee was childhood friends with George Coumoutsos and knew his brother James for many years
- Coumoutsos lived in the top floor of one of Basciano’s buildings on Pennyfield Avenue
- Basciano wanted Coumoutsos to be a witness for him in the Santoro murder
- Lee was unsure how Coumoutsos could be helpful if the left the scene before the murder took place
- ‘He indicated he knows what he saw, maybe he saw some guy by the corner, something like that.’
- Lee knew Dominick ‘Donnie Boy’ Martino from the neighbourhood and represented him in a drug case
- Martino was ‘a good friend’ of Lee’s father
- Lee also represented Joseph ‘Joe Monk’ Filippone
- Lee met with Michael Larecio to discuss the 1985 attempted murder of David Nunez
- Nunez reached out to someone in Larecio’s family to saw law enforcement had contacted him regarding his shooting
- In 1985, someone in Larecio’s family paid Nunez not to cooperate with the authorities
- Sylvester Zottola knew Nunez’s father-in-law and set up a meeting between Nunez and the defence team

[chin_gigante]

You're the man chin.

Will you eventually post in fbi room?

There you go:

viewtopic.php?p=254462#p254462

[chin_gigante]

Great work as always Chin.

I haven't read Cicale's book, but does he talk about Basciano bringing back the gun/knife, and the way I read it finger pricking at ceremonies? Even if it was for a brief time that's very interesting and I don't think I've seen that covered before.

Another thing about that I thought was particularly interesting was that Basciano told him to say 'yes' when asked if he knew why he was there. It's a throwaway line in the testimony and they don't revisit it or delve deeper so it's hard to tell if Cicale misspoke, but I can't think of any other inductee who was specifically told to say yes to knowing why they were there.

[chin_gigante]

It's also interesting to look at the huge disparity between Lee's testimony and Cicale's regarding how exactly Basciano got the message to take the reins of the family, and I think it points to the extent of the miscommunication that was going on.

- Cicale testified he was with Basciano in January or February 2004 when he got a page from Vic Juliano giving him the okay from Massino to take the reins of the family
- In their recorded conversations from January 2005, Basciano told Massino he got a page from Juliano giving him the okay to take the reins and that Juliano told him Massino appointed him as acting boss and the commission approved it
- Massino told Basciano he never said that and there was no commission to approve him
- Lee testified he sent a message to Massino from Basciano about taking the reins and Basciano was very adamant about hearing Massino's exact words

It does seem there was some duplication in messages between what was coming in from Vic Juliano and then Tommy Lee. For instance, Massino testified that Juliano brought him a message that Joseph Chilli wanted to straighten out ten guys in Florida, and Lee testified he passed a message about one of the Chilli brothers organising the existing Bonanno members in Florida. Massino described Juliano as a boob both on tape with Basciano and on the stand, and said he disregarded Juliano's message about Chilli because he knew it couldn't be true. Sending duplicate messages was also a practice used to check their validity, especially on important matters. For instance, when Cicale passed word about how he had problems with Mancuso, he testified that he sent the message through Lee and through Vincent Basciano Jr. During their recorded conversation, Massino and Basciano talked extensively about how Massino was getting incorrect messages (because Juliano was a 'boob', Tommy Lee was afraid to talk in the room, and Dino Cammarano couldn't get messages right). They then talked about passing a message twice (once through Vincent Basciano Jr, once through Joe Cammarano) about what was going on in the street and about putting Jerry Asaro on a panel to make sure it came through right.

Massino also testified that Tommy Lee started passing illegal messages after Juliano was no longer able to do so. If we're looking to consolidate these stories, the most likely scenario to me is the following:
- Basciano instructs Vic Juliano to ask Massino for his okay to take the reins of the family
- Juliano either misunderstands or fails to pass the message accurately and pages Basciano the code for the okay (and later discussing it with him in person)
- Massino it seems actually wasn't asked or didn't understand what Juliano was asking him and later finds out in prison that Basciano made himself the acting boss
- Juliano stops being used as a messenger for illegal conversations
- Basciano sends another message through Tommy Lee (his first message of substance) either making sure or clarifying some things
- Massino decides to leave Basciano in position
- Basciano makes Michael Mancuso acting underboss, Anthony Rabito acting consigliere, and bumps Nicholas Santora from an acting captain to an official captain
- Basciano sends Massino word after the fact through Tommy Lee
- Massino wouldn't have made those choices but doesn't undo them
- Basciano later asks permission to make Cicale a captain
- Lee delivers the message correctly and Massino approves
- Basciano tells Cicale that Massino promoted him to official captain

[Cheech]

You're the man chin.

Will you eventually post in fbi room?

There you go:

viewtopic.php?p=254462#p254462

Appreciate you

[thekiduknow]

Great work as always Chin.

I haven't read Cicale's book, but does he talk about Basciano bringing back the gun/knife, and the way I read it finger pricking at ceremonies? Even if it was for a brief time that's very interesting and I don't think I've seen that covered before.

Another thing about that I thought was particularly interesting was that Basciano told him to say 'yes' when asked if he knew why he was there. It's a throwaway line in the testimony and they don't revisit it or delve deeper so it's hard to tell if Cicale misspoke, but I can't think of any other inductee who was specifically told to say yes to knowing why they were there.

That stood out to me as well, all the examples we have they’re told to say “No”, and they often treat it as a joke because of course they know but it’s supposed to be “secret”. Seems like if Cicale was correct and didn’t misspeak, that Basciano would tell him to say “No”, as he wanted to bring the ceremony back to the inductions.

[Uforeality]

What stood out to me was how Massino was seemingly indifferent to some of the moves Basciano made. You would have expected Basciano to send word up to make some of the bigger decisions.

[CornerBoy]

was this Thomas Lee Asian?

[CornerBoy]

^^^^
No mention in Ed Scarpo’s book.

From the end of ch. 7:

Massino shuttered family social clubs. He decentralized the structure of the family, turning crews into isolated cells. Information was no longer widely shared; it was parceled out on a need-to-know basis. Massino even stepped back from huge moneymaking schemes if they involved collaboration with another crime family. The Bonannos would go it alone, Massino told his men. He focused on the old standbys—loansharking and gambling—but also showed a more enterprising streak by starting up scams on Wall Street. On parole for two years, Massino also named Vitale his underboss; he could safely use his brother-in-law to run the family from afar. There was one significant meeting in November 1992, Selwyn Raab noted in Five Families. Massino met with all his capos in a hotel suite not far from JFK airport and told them about Vitale’s role as underboss so Massino could finish his parole without ending up back in prison. Massino outlawed use of his name as part of his reorganization strategy. Members of the family were told to point or tug on their ear when referring to Massino so as that no wiretap would be able to pin something to the boss. He even simplified the induction ceremony. He banned the use of all the usual accoutrements—no mass card, no gun or knife (in case the law raided an induction ceremony) and no more blood trickling out of a pricked finger. (Much later Massino sought to rechristen the crime family’s name from Bonanno to Massino, though this gambit was short-lived.) Massino banned the use of cell phones and encouraged the men to propose their sons for membership, thinking this might keep any potential turncoats from straying. He created a war chest in which every Bonanno capo and soldier tossed in $ 100 a month to help pay the lawyers’ expenses of members who were arrested.

what book is this?

[chin_gigante]

was this Thomas Lee Asian?

He testified he was Italian American

[chin_gigante]

There's a Peter Cicale credited in the cast of Goodfellas playing Pete the Killer Abinanti. Might have been Cicale's uncle.

[Pmac2]

The lawer Lee must have been a real moron. Throw your life away over sending messages. I would have told them no. What did Vinny gorgeous have on him to get him to do it in the first place. Was his only crime passing the messages or he get caught for $$$

[Antiliar]

was this Thomas Lee Asian?

He testified he was Italian American

Wonder if there's a document giving his Italian family's name. Maybe Leo or DeLeo would be my first guess.

[chin_gigante]

was this Thomas Lee Asian?

He testified he was Italian American

Wonder if there's a document giving his Italian family's name. Maybe Leo or DeLeo would be my first guess.

Certainly possible. I had a look at Cicale's ancestry and found his paternal grandmother was from Naples and her maiden name was Ronga. I don't know how common a surname that is but I know Frank Nitti's father-in-law was a Ronga. Wasn't able to make a connection to the Cicale family Rongas though