B. wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 12:18 am
With Joe Marsala, he started as an associate of Vinny Asaro. Marsala ran a gas station and gave Asaro free gas but Marsala later decided to ask Asaro for payment. Asaro became unhinged and Marsala sought protection from Sal Vitale and Joe Massino, who was on the lam. Vitale carried a message from Massino to Asaro to lay off Marsala but Asaro flew into a rage because Vitale was still only an associate. Vitale went to Rastelli who sent him back to Asaro to tell him Vitale was authorized by Rastelli to carry the message. Marsala ended up being released to Massino as a result.
After having another look at the Massino transcripts, I'm pretty sure now that Marsala is the same guy Tommy Lee referred to as Cardboard Box. Him owing Massino $50,000 lines up with what Cicale said, and on tape Basciano and Massino discussed a guy called Cardboard bringing Massino's wife money (which also lines up with what Cicale said about Marsala):
BASCIANO: … Did you get the money by the way? I sent your wife money.
MASSINO: Yeah, I think she got da sixty.
BASCIANO: Plus another ten.
MASSINO: No.
BASCIANO: (UI)
MASSINO: She’s got sixty.
BASCIANO: No (UI)
MASSINO: As of Thursday.
BASCIANO: No, another ten…
MASSINO: It was in a bottle, bottle of champagne. Cardboard’s wife bought it.
BASCIANO: … I got I gave him the tickets and if he ask for tickets to the play and the basket –
MASSINO: But they put money in the wine.
BASCIANO: And then put ten. Yeah, right. Champagne. Now there’s ten…
They also discuss a rumour that Bruno Indelicato wanted to induct Marsala:
MASSINO: Just ask me there was rumours going around with Cardboard. He’s gonna get straightened out when Bruno comes home.
BASCIANO: C’mon, Bruno. Bruno (UI) I think Bruno is gonna get pinched.
MASSINO: Do I gotta tell you what I use? Do you hear what I just say? Do I gotta tell you what I fuckin’ hear?
BASCIANO: You’re too smart for that game, beau.
MASSINO: No, not really because if he sells Bruno a ticket, Bruno’s stupid enough to put him in. What do you think of that? You’re smart enough, not Bruno. Listen to me if you’re not here I’m not here there’s a good shot Cardboard goes in.
BASCIANO: I made a mistake with his – I made a mistake with his nephew so maybe alright. Made a mistake. His cousin Allie should’ve never straightened him out. As soon as (UI) I should have never straightened him out. Never. He comes with five thousand.
'You don't go crucifying people outside a church; not on Good Friday.'
chin_gigante wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:58 am
There's a Peter Cicale credited in the cast of Goodfellas playing Pete the Killer Abinanti. Might have been Cicale's uncle.
Yep, he is Dominick's uncle. Dom just talked about it at the start of his interview with OC Shortz (00:39) https://youtu.be/TZMB3OiuR4E
Thanks. Good timing on that.
'You don't go crucifying people outside a church; not on Good Friday.'
Really awesome thread, thanks Chin. Whenever a new thread of yours pops up breaking down trial or recorded convo transcripts, it's like Christmas day.
Chin if you would have gotten your hands on all of the Massino and Basciano trial transcripts and recorded convos 10 years ago, you could have probably written a better book on Basciano than the one that came out lol. It was sourced off of the same exact stuff.
Always knew Basciano had the reputation as being a money maker, but some of Cicale's figures shine more light on how much stuff Basciano had going on. The guy was into pretty much everything, blue and white collar both. I believe he also had a group of people in the Bronx running a stolen car operation and kicking up to him too. It's kind of crazy to see what type of money he was generating.
We know the timeline that Cicale was around Basciano - and Cicale mentioned Basciano's son as one of the workers in the operation, so he wasn't talking about way way back in the day - so it's also interesting to see that in the early 2000s there was still an active numbers operations that was large enough to employ a variety of people and generate a substantial amount of money. Had no idea that some of Basciano's brothers were invovled too...not saying they were associates or LCN guys...but had no idea Vinny had them employed and kicking up to him lol. I'm guessing that numbers operation catered to a 'diverse' clientel to say the least
PolackTony wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:29 pm
I’m interested in the Blimpie’s location too, lol. There’s hardly any of them left now.
The most in-depth information about Basciano's Blimpie franchise I could find was from Anthony DeStefano's book Vinny Gorgeous:
At the end of 1988 or early 1989, not long after state police interviewed him about the Colangelo case, Bascaino, released from his work-release program on the gun charge, went back home to his wife Angela, and their three sons in the Bronx - their youngest son, Michael, not yet born. Parole officials, state records show, were impressed with the 'excellent support base' Basciano had at home, meaning his wife and children. He also had two video rental outlets to which he returned for work, and he was preparing a Blimpie sandwich franchise store nearby as another venture in his business empire on East Tremont Avenue.
The Blimpie operation was little more than another food joint in an ethnic Italian and Hispanic neighbourhood. Basciano worked behind the counter himself, slicing the provolone and salami and serving customers. The neighbourhood liked that kind of service from an owner, and Basciano's chattiness endeared him to customers. When business was slow in the sandwich store, he could always go next door to the video store.
Unable to compete against bigger video chain stores, Basciano began transitioning his businesses soon after he left state custody. Records show that in November 1991 he incorporated Tremont Nail & Tanning Salon, Inc, which he ultimately named Hello Gorgeous, on East Tremont. With both Vinny and Angela on the premises, Hello Gorgeous did well for a while. Nicknames don't always stick, and his businesses sometimes provided him with new ones. Vinny from the Bronx had become 'Vinny Blimpie', and now the salon inspired his latest moniker, the one that stuck: 'Vinny Gorgeous.'
I also checked my notes on Cicale's ancestry. His connection to the Rongas comes from his paternal grandmother. As far as I've been able to figure out, her parents were from Sant'Antimo in Naples.
Thanks, man. Probably was the Blimpie that used to be on Tremont and Dill in the Neck (today a Subway franchise).
Sant’Antimo in the past was in the same province as Nola, but they were in different districts. It’s a common enough surname that I wouldn’t suspect that Cicale’s ancestors were likely to have had any direct relation to Gaetano Ronga.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
PolackTony wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 11:33 am
Sant’Antimo in the past was in the same province as Nola, but they were in different districts. It’s a common enough surname that I wouldn’t suspect that Cicale’s ancestors were likely to have had any direct relation to Gaetano Ronga.
Cheers for clearing that up. Thought it would've been somewhat unlikely anyway
'You don't go crucifying people outside a church; not on Good Friday.'
A correction of the story about Vinny TV/ Anthony TV calling Cicale a rat around 2000:
- Both Vinny TV and Anthony TV are used in Cicale's testimony in reference to that story, so I got confused with Badalamenti
- In Cicale's latest YouTube video he talked about the incident and described Anthony TV as a Lucchese captain
'You don't go crucifying people outside a church; not on Good Friday.'
B. wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 3:24 pm
You can gauge a man's portfolio by the number of nicknames he has. Vinny Blimpie, Vinny Gorgeous, Vinny Pills. Vinny Acting Boss.
Basciano is one of the more entertaining guys.
I thought it was interesting that Cicale said Basciano hated the Vinny Gorgeous name. And very few ppl called him that to his face, but if they did, Basciano would politely say “just call me Vinny B”
B. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:45 pm
Since Rudy Pipolo of the Gambinos was in the Bronx I'm curious if Cicale's cousins were related to him.
I looked into this a little bit. Cicale's aunt (his father's sister) married a Louis Pipolo. I can't find 100% confirmation, but he may be Rudy Pipolo's brother. Pipolo had 11 siblings and his brother Louis was born in the early 1940s, which puts him around the same age as Cicale's aunt. Could be the same guy.
'You don't go crucifying people outside a church; not on Good Friday.'
chin_gigante wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 4:06 am
- Basciano stated that he thought DeFilippo and John Spirito could beat the case by pinning it on Giovanni and Pietro Ligammari
There was two gentlemen who were – I think the father was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family, him and his son, the Ligammaris. They had hung themselves shortly after George Sciascia was killed. […] They could use the excuse that the Ligammaris feared for their life because it might have looked like they killed George Sciascia.
If the Ligammaris were murdered instead, was it because the father, Giovanni, was involved in the Three Captains murder, the Pizza Connection case, or both? Who was cleaning house? Was there a scorched-earth strategy?
I also get the feeling the Bonannos had a plan in which they would blame, for Sciascia’s murder, some people Sciascia knew well, such as John Chiazzese and Giovanni Ligammari. Sciascia was also close to Bonanno soldier Giuseppe Arcuri of the Bronx — is it through Arcuri that his nephew Domenico Jr. in Quebec first got to know Peter Ligammari?
I’ve wondered why Lamothe and Humphreys didn’t elaborate more in their book as to why Sciascia was having such a difficult time in New York the last few years of his life. I suspect Sciascia knew he was being set up to get hit. When his body was found, the police found on his person a business card for the Montreal jewellery store where hitman Gaetano Amodeo’s wife “worked” — at least on paper. Born in Porto Empedocle, Amodeo was also suspected of being the capomafia in Cattolica Eraclea. I’ve often speculated as to why Sciascia wanted to get a hold of Amodeo.
thekiduknow wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 7:09 pm
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.
Yeah I was hoping Vinny told him that to break balls and we would of heard a funny story about the ceremony
