Gangland October 26th 2023

[Dr031718]

Grim Reaper Calls Goodfellas Wiseguy Vinny Asaro; He was 88

Bonanno wiseguy Vincent Asaro was just as shocked as prosecutors and the entire legal community when a jury acquitted him in 2015 of murder and taking part in the storied $6 million Lufthansa Airlines robbery that was immortalized in Goodfellas.

And while he soon got himself jammed up on other charges, Asaro had a few good years to brag about his amazing win until he died last week at the age of 88.

Asaro was a grumpy sour-faced curmudgeon during his month-long trial in 2015 as his cousin fingered him in the daring, pre-dawn 1978 heist. He had already spent 22 months behind bars and testimony by other witnesses, including two non-criminals, seemed to back up the feds' case. But he was transformed into a smiling, quick witted funnyman once the jury declared him not guilty after just two days of deliberations.

"Free," Asaro exclaimed with his arms outstretched like a triumphant Rocky Balboa as he left the courthouse with his lawyers. As reporters peppered him with questions as they walked away from the courthouse, he chortled that he was going to "play some paddleball" and "have a good meal" with his family. It would consist, he cracked, of "anything but a bologna sandwich."

When then-Daily News reporter John Marzulli asked him whether he knew that the Mets were in the World Series, Asaro cracked, "I was locked up but I wasn't dead," bringing huge grins to everyone who heard it, including Marzulli, Asaro and attorneys Elizabeth Macedonio and Diane Ferrone as seen in this New York Times picture by Robert Stolarik.

"John Gotti didn't get this much attention," the overjoyed mobster stated, referring to the Dapper Don's stunning acquittal in the same courthouse 28 years earlier.

No members of the six-man six-woman panel spoke to the opposing lawyers, or news reporters after the verdict. So how they absolved Asaro of the robbery and the 1969 murder of informer Paul Katz and 12 other racketeering acts as well as the two extortion counts having nothing to do with the robbery or murder in about 11 hours of talks remains a mystery to this day.

By comparison, it took the jury 11 days to acquit Gotti of all charges in 1987, and in that case one member of the jury had been paid $60,000 to try and sway the panel to acquit the Dapper Don, and he had argued for an acquittal from the outset of deliberations.

But Asaro's freedom was short-lived. Eighteen months after beating the rap on what seemed like a sure thing, he was arrested in March, 2017 and jailed on arson charges for recruiting a group of young wannabes, including Gotti's namesake grandson to torch the car of a motorist who had cut Asaro off in 2012, two years before the gangster was charged in the Lufthansa Airlines heist.

Brooklyn Federal Judge Allyne Ross gave Asaro eight years for the burn job, more than twice as much time as the high end of the prison term called for in his plea agreement. Ross, who had presided over his 2015 trial, and seen and heard the mountain of evidence against him, heeded a government request for an above guidelines term. Even so, Asaro fared much better than the feds wanted. They asked Ross to hit him with 15 years.

"In addition to the charged arson," they wrote, Asaro teamed up with James (Jimmy the Gent) Burke to murder Katz and steal more that $6 million in the Lufthansa heist. FBI tape recordings showed Asaro bragging about his mob expertise. In one tape, he was caught telling his cousin Gaspare (Gary) Valenti, they wrote, that he committed every crime he could as a mobster, including "stealing and murder," which he described as "cracking an egg."

On August 21, 2012, Asaro boasted: "I'm a fucking friend 37 fucking years, a wiseguy. And another 50 years before that. (Many other) cocksuckers never did shit what I done in my life."

In another taped talk, Asaro "explained himself even more clearly, while comparing himself" to a Bonanno mobster who "never did a fucking piece of work in his entire life," they wrote.

He "never fucking did nothing," Asaro complained. "Never stole, never fucking had to steal. My whole life I had to steal, I had to do everything. He never cracked an egg in his fucking life. He never did nothing illegitimate in his fucking life. Never."

Asaro ended up serving only three years for the arson. Ross granted him a compassionate release in 2020 after he suffered a stroke while he was behind bars. She permitted Asaro to live with his daughter Noreen, with whom he was living when he died last week.

None of the jurors who acquitted Asaro have ever discussed their deliberations, publicly. But an alternate juror who claimed to have spoken to some jurors after the verdict told the Staten Island Advance that the jury didn't put much faith in the testimony by Valenti or the FBI agents who took the stand for the government.

"He was pretty much a total liar," the alternate told reporter John Annese in a story the paper ran two days after the verdict, on November 13, 2015. "(Valenti) was meant to lie, he grew up that way," the alternate told Annese.

Annese, who now works for the Daily News, wrote that the alternate stated that the testimony of the FBI agents who detailed scores of photos they had taken of Asaro with his cousin Gary and other Bonanno mobsters was a turnoff for the jurors because the agents "didn't see him do anything bad."

Jurors are permitted to ignore the entire testimony of witnesses they believe have lied about critical issues so those are valid reasons to acquit Asaro of the murder and the Lufthansa robbery. But what Gang Land would like to find out from that alternate, or one of the 12 jurors, is how they found Asaro not guilty of the extortion of $75,000 from Bonanno associate Robert (Bam) Cotrone between March 1, 2013 and June 30, of 2013.

Cotrone was conducting a lucrative loansharking business out of an auto body shop he ran in Ozone Park, and jurors heard three tape recorded talks in which Asaro detailed his efforts to collect the loan, including one pretty explicit talk in which he was heard encouraging Bonanno soldier John (Bazoo) Ragano to "stab him" or "give him a fucking beating" to get the cash from Cotrone.

On March 8, 2013, Asaro was heard telling Valenti that he held Cotrone responsible for a $75,000 loan that he had given to a car wash worker who was "with" the Gambino crime family and had "gone bad," and that he intended to get the money from Cotrone.

In the third and last talk played for the jury, on June 11, 2013, Asaro is heard telling Valenti that he had finally gotten the money from Cotrone and had shared it with three other Bonannos, and that he, Asaro, "got fourteen thousand" of the loot but "blew it, gambling."

In addition to his daughter Noreen, Asaro is survived by his son Jerome, a Bonanno wiseguy who was convicted of digging up the remains of Paul Katz and reburying them on orders from his dad, and of the extortion of Cotrone, and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and several siblings.

A One-Punch Assault Case Gets A Trio Of Federal Prosecutors

The Brooklyn U.S Attorney's office just added a third prosecutor to the extortion case in which Genovese wiseguy Anthony (Rom) Romanello is charged with a one punch knockdown assault of prominent Manhattan restaurateur Bruno Selimaj in order to collect $86,000 in gambling debts that his relatives owed a Queens bookmaker, Gang Land has learned.

The recent addition is assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Schuman who has been a federal prosecutor for about seven years, with most of that experience logged working for the Department of Justice in Washington. Schuman, like her co-prosecutors Dana Rehnquist and Irisa Chen, earned her law degree at a top flight school. Schuman at Harvard; Rehnquist at Stanford; Chen at Columbia.

Schuman, who's had 14 trials, all in D.C., has the most trial experience. Rehnquist, an AUSA for three years, has four trials, while Chen has had two trials in the 18 months she's been a federal prosecutor.

Romanello's lawyer, their main opponent at the trial that is scheduled to begin next month, Gerald McMahon, is a Fordham Law grad who's been practicing law more than twice as long as his three adversaries combined. He estimated that he's had about 50 trials going back to his days in 1979 as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan.

The usually feisty McMahon declined yesterday to expand on what he said two weeks ago about the case against his 85-year-old client. As Gang Land reported on October 12, McMahon stated that it "is the most frivolous case" he's "seen in 45 years of practicing law," and that it will be the government's third unsuccessful "attempt to get Anthony Romanello."

"Right now," the lawyer said, "I'm going through 179,900 tape recordings that they've turned over to the defense, even though they're probably planning to play only handful of them at trial."

The tape recordings involve codefendant Luan (Lou) Bexheti, the Queens bookmaker who was owed the $86,000 that is the focus of the extortion charge against Romanello and accused Genovese soldier Joseph Celso. The tapes stem from a three year investigation by the Queens District Attorney's office into the bookmaking operation that Bexheti worked for.

Prosecutors Rehnquist and Chen have stated in court filings that they plan to use tape-recordings involving Bexheti to prove that Romanello and Celso were part of the same "illegal sports gambling scheme" as Bexheti and that the duo was often used to collect gambling debts because of their feared reputation as "wiseguys."

According to Queens prosecutors, Bexheti was part of an internet-based ring headed by Michael Regan, of Oceanside that operated out of a nondescript office on 30th Avenue in Astoria. Like most illegal gambling operations these days, it was linked to an offshore wire room in Costa Rica and took bets through a website as well as an 800 number.

Originally indicted on state racketeering charges with a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison in 2019, Regan, 65, copped a sweet plea deal in 2020 to attempted enterprise corruption and agreed to forfeit $250,000 in return for a conditional discharge of the case.

In a court filing in which he sought, unsuccessfully, to convince Brooklyn Federal Judge Eric Komitee to dismiss the case, McMahon cited a series of facts that gibe with his stated contention from day one – and his likely trial strategy – that his client's one punch knockdown of Selimaj had nothing to do with extortion, but stemmed from a verbal argument between friends of 30 years.

"This was a personal dispute," McMahon stated in May of last year when Romanello was indicted. "The guy got punched in the face," he said, "because he hurled a derogatory insult at my client. He challenged his manhood and (Romanello) apparently responded the way any man would, allegedly."

In his filing with Komitee, the lawyer described Bexheti, who pleaded guilty to extortion and awaits sentencing, is a "pivotal figure" in the case because he was "the connection" between Regan, the "bookmaker who was owed money" and Romanello and the alleged assault victim in the case, Selimaj.

McMahon, who represented Regan in the Queens case, wrote that Bexheti, in interviews with the government, had stated that he met Regan in acting school and the two men "became very good friends." Regan eventually "got Bexhiti involved as a runner" in his bookmaking business, McMahon stated, and "told him not to threaten gamblers who owed money" to him.

Bexheti has also told the feds, McMahon wrote, that "Regan arranged a 'sit down' at Selimaj's restaurant" on the evening in May of 2017 when Romanello punched the restaurateur. But the assault was a surprise to him. "Bexheti thought," McMahon wrote, "that Romanello was doing Regan a favor by coming to the sit down to show his face and ask that the gambling debt be paid."

In the same filing, the lawyer wrote that Bexheti, Regan and Romanello had dinner with Selimaj "at Club A (Steakhouse) one evening before the sit down" during which they "discussed the gambling debt" calmly with no fisticuffs or "threats being made to Selimaj."

McMahon and Romanello will be in court to meet the new prosecution team for the first time tomorrow for a so-called Curcio hearing. Rom will have to agree that if he is convicted, he will not argue that it had anything to do with McMahon's prior representation of Regan.

'Stick To Your Acting Job,' Mob Boss Vic Amuso Told Burt Young

Burt Young, the burly professional boxer turned actor who died at 83 early this month, was so fond of wiseguys that he asked to become one. The wiseguys liked him too, but advised him to stick to his day job.

Several encounters between mobsters and the actor who memorably portrayed Sylvester Stallone's luckless pal Paulie in Rocky were detailed by former Luchese acting boss Alfonso (Little Al) D'Arco after he became a cooperating witness for the feds.

Young often played handball with the Luchese family's official boss, Vittorio (Vic) Amuso in Howard Beach. Young, D'Arco told the FBI, "was so starstruck by his mobster pals that he asked Vic Amuso if he could become a made member" of the crime family. "Stick to your acting job," Amuso wisely told Young.

Amuso, his underboss Anthony (Gaspipe) Casso, and a bunch of other Luchese mobsters had known Young for years and not only liked him but trusted him because he treated them like friends and "enjoyed" hanging around with them, D'Arco said.

On several occasions, Young made it his business to visit La Donna Rosa, the Little Italy restaurant D'Arco opened in 1988 across the street from Lieutenant Giuseppe Petrosino Park as a favor to Amuso.

Young, who grew up in Corona Queens, presented D'Arco with a signed poster from Rocky — the film that made him famous. Little Al promised to display the poster, and did so proudly, until he flipped three years later. He later recalled the actor's nice gesture that Tom Robbins and yours truly noted in Mob Boss, our 2013 book about Little Al.

D'Arco, an Army veteran, certainly liked Young, an ex-Marine, a lot more than Robert De Niro, who stopped in to dine and signed a poster of Raging Bull, the 1980 movie he played the role of former middleweight champ Jake Lamotta.

De Niro lingered over his meals, Little Al recalled. "He was studying us, how we talked and moved, trying to model himself after us," he said. "I didn't care for it."

Little Al did not implicate Young in any criminal activity, but he described the accomplished actor as a "frustrated wiseguy" who often hung around with Luchese family mobsters as well as former Colombo family acting boss Vincent Aloi.

D'Arco told FBI agents William Confrey and Vincent Presutti that in 1990, a year before Little Al became the first acting Mafia boss to join Team America, the family's prior acting boss, Louis (Louie Bagels) Daidone, and a gaggle of other Luchese wiseguys enjoyed a holiday outing on what D'Arco stated was "Young's yacht."

Amuso, now 88 and serving a life sentence for murder, and Casso would surely have been there if they hadn't been tipped off in May of 1990 that they were about to be arrested on racketeering charges in the so-called Windows case and gone on the lam.

In addition to Daidone, 77, who would be convicted of murder in 2004 and is currently serving a life sentence, Young also hosted mobsters Frank (Big Frank) Lastorino, Anthony (Bowat) Baratta, Dominick Truscello, and Salvatore and Carmine Avellino, on a holiday outing on the water, the agents wrote.

At the time, Young lived in Port Washington, a hamlet on the north shore of Nassau County on Long Island Sound.

Turns out, it really was a "yacht," and there was plenty of room for Young, his wiseguy guests, as well as the captain of the yacht and his wife, according to a 2017 interview that Young had with Elon Green of The Rumpus.

He actually lived "on the boat" for "about a year and a half," he told Green. "It's a sixty-three-foot yacht, you know? It was always a beautiful boat, built for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor." The boat had five bedrooms, Young said. "It wasn't like a big boat, like today's modern boats," said Young. "It was a beautiful boat. I used to take my friends, we'd go around Manhattan. It was so great."

It would be interesting to know if Amuso ever gave any serious thought to Young's request to become a made man. It might have made for some lucrative paydays for the crime boss. Young had a long and successful career, with roles in more than 150 movies and television shows.

Among them was a memorable role in a 2001 episode of The Sopranos where he played a wiseguy. As a favor to Tony Soprano, Young, as Bobby (Terminator) Baccialieri, an aging hitman with lung cancer, came out of retirement and coughs and smokes his way through the murder of a young rebel who had wronged Uncle Junior before crashing and killing himself as he escapes.

Young died on October 8 in Los Angeles, according to his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser. He is also survived by a grandchild, and a brother Robert, according to the Associated Press.

[AntComello]

Thanks for posting

[Blunts]

Thanks for posting.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks for the post

[Antiliar]

It's noteworthy that Asaro said he was made a "friend" 37 years before 2012, which works out to 1975.

[furiofromnaples]

Anyway Burt Young real name was Gerald Tommaso DeLouise.

[Blunts]

It's noteworthy that Asaro said he was made a "friend" 37 years before 2012, which works out to 1975.

He then said for 50 years before that meaning a part of the life I guess but that would make him 87 in 2012 by his math. But I'm sure he keeps a good record of how many years he has been made. It's a rank within a rank essentially and a point to brag about.

There must be some sort of personal connection for the guy who got one punched and the FBI for them to have such a hard on for this case. The guy is 85 so what is the end goal here considering the amount of time and resources spent on this. There is simply nothing better these agents could be doing?

[newera_212]

It's noteworthy that Asaro said he was made a "friend" 37 years before 2012, which works out to 1975.

Good catch. Also him saying "and 50 years before that" which I assumed was a reference to his family's linage in the Bonnanos?

[johnny_scootch]

Among them was a memorable role in a 2001 episode of The Sopranos where he played a wiseguy. As a favor to Tony Soprano, Young, as Bobby (Terminator) Baccialieri, an aging hitman with lung cancer, came out of retirement and coughs and smokes his way through the murder of a young rebel who had wronged Uncle Junior before crashing and killing himself as he escapes.

Tony put the hit out on Sally Mustang because he put Vito’s brother in a coma not because he wronged Uncle Junior, a great episode.

[Antiliar]

It's noteworthy that Asaro said he was made a "friend" 37 years before 2012, which works out to 1975.

Good catch. Also him saying "and 50 years before that" which I assumed was a reference to his family's linage in the Bonnanos?

His family's lineage might go back 150 years. I'm not sure what the 50 years refers to, which would be 1925. Joe Bonanno came to America in 1924, so maybe that's what he had in mind.

[TommyNoto]

Rom case must of cost taxpayers multiple millions . The lawyer is on point, govt malpractice use of tax payer funds. Seems NY LE has lost its ability to break up Westside business dealings and are trying to financially break captains like Rom or Balsamo gambling pinch.

I prefer NJ hands off approach on BS cases but its likely allowed the WS NJ crew to build up as I can’t remember a bust post legal gambling/ weed, maybe 10 years now, their gambling packages must be huge

[OcSleeper]

Any ideas who may have replace Federici/Romanello as the Queen's captain? Who is even in the crew aside from Joseph Celso?

[Tonyd621]

Is there 3 prosecutors on Romanellos case? Am I reading that, right?

[HairyKnuckles]

Thanks for posting.

Another Bonanno member who may be dead is Anthony Urso. I can not confirm since I have no obituary. But has anybody heard or read about this?

[Little_Al1991]

I always get a kick out of reading that story about Burt’s request to Vic
Thanks for posting