Tommy Pitera

[Tocco686]

I just read the Butcher and was wondering if any NYC or Bonnano experts could help me with any info on Pitera. The book seems to focus more on the DEA agents than Pitera himself. Really can't find any info besides the basic stuff from the book reposted over and over. I'm interested in hearing about things that weren't in the book. I found a site called jailbird productions that's supposedly making a movie about him, but it seems old with no new information so I doubt that it will ever come out. Also does anyone know where his Just Us lounge was located. I'm sure it doesn't look the same anymore. In the book they say it was on Avenue S in Brooklyn. Thanks.

[AlexfromSouth]

123 ave S, Gravesend, Brooklyn. 'Just Us lounge'

[tmarotta]

Hi Tocco686 and welcome to the forum. There is limited information out there about Pitera other than the information from Carlo's book and transcripts from Pitera's trial. What I will say is that Carlo had a beef with Pitera so many of his claims such as asserting that Pitera had a really high feminine voice was/is not true. Phil Carlo claims that he hired Chuck Zito (Chuckie Pancamo from the show OZ) the ex-chapter president of the Hells Angels NYC to watch his back because of alleged threats from Pitera. My point is that aside from the information in that book that can be corroborated with police reports, informants, etc, Phil Carlo served up his normal shit buffet with false information and his own bullshit insight. I attached a copy of a letter Carlo wrote to Pitera.

[Attaboi 1]

Pretty cool letter, the only thing i ever had to really go on as far as pitera was carlo's book. He made pitera out to be one sick puppy. I guess they all are though

[tmarotta]

I agree Attaboi1 that Pitera clearly has/had some psychopathic tendencies. In fairness, to Phil Carlo, his book about Richard Ramirez was actually pretty good. The problem is that clearly Carlo did not have much experience researching organized crime which can be seen in his books about Kuklinski, Casso, and Pitera respectively. In all those books he more or less framed the subjects in the same light as he did Ramirez, in that all the subjects were products of their environment and they could have been normal under different circumstances. Carlo should have stuck to writing about serial killers in that there is not as much research required. Clearly he was out of his element when writing about organized crime. I wish had more sources of good information about Pitera but there seems to be little out there that is not already common knowledge.

[NYNighthawk]

I found several mistakes in Carlo's book on Casso and pointed it out to his editor/agent. Carlo emailed me back and was not a happy camper. Does anyone know how Pitera can still afford private counsel to file 2225 motions in federal court since he's been incacerated for over 25 years? Does he have contacts still on the outside?

[Fughedaboutit]

If you bank on anything Carlos has written, I got a bridge to sell you

[Teflon john]

I dont doubt that Pitera was a sick fuck that people feared but that was probably his downfall. When he killed that woman who he blamed for his girlfriends death he crossed the line from organized crime to serial killer. Fearing someone like Pitera would make someones decision to flip alot easier since they worried they might be on the endangered list next. Hard to respect Pitera after blaming someone else for his woman overdosing,thats like being mad at Budweiser for getting a DUI. I would like to know more about Tommy Karate and his life of crime but like Casso and the Iceman,they have already had there 15 minutes of fame. Carlo is a really good writer but he is mostly full of shit and doesnt worry about facts or the truth. Last time i heard anything about Pitera was when he was on an episode of Mobsters that used to come on the Bio channel,man i miss that show,they could have kept making them for a long time.

[Attaboi 1]

He really drilled him on having that high voice, kind of diminshed the fear effect in the book. Thats some petty shit to lie about, if it wasnt true. Still kind of funny though when i pictured it reading the book

[B.]

Someone bought me the Pitera book as a gift after it came out. Easily one of the worst mob books I've ever read, and I've read many of them. I remember people commenting on how often Carlo talked about Pitera's "high-pitched voice", but I wasn't prepared for how much it actually gets mentioned in the book.

Has it come out who sponsored Pitera and what year?

[Attaboi 1]

Wasnt bruno indelicato, the book said frank lino was his captain

[Attaboi 1]

Excuse me i meant wasnt it bruno

[B.]

He was originally an associate of Indelicato, I know, as he was one of the guys Lino brought back into the fold after the three captains hit, but I'm not so sure Pitera was made while Indelicato was still on the street. I assumed it was either Lino or Spero who sponsored him, but have no idea.

[B.]

Has it come out who sponsored Pitera and what year?

Pitera and Robert Lino Sr. were made together, both sponsored by Frank Lino. No date given, but a CI reported in about Lino Sr's induction circa late September / early October 1985 and that matches up pretty well. Ceremony took place in an apartment near J & S Cake in Maspeth. Massino, Spero and Lino present, doesn't mention anyone else.

Thanks, man. About what I assumed. Pitera is a strange one.

[joeycigars]

I found several mistakes in Carlo's book on Casso and pointed it out to his editor/agent. Carlo emailed me back and was not a happy camper. Does anyone know how Pitera can still afford private counsel to file 2225 motions in federal court since he's been incacerated for over 25 years? Does he have contacts still on the outside?

Thats a lot of motions the math is about every 4 -5 days he files a motion since he went away , Writs and motions aren't easy and I thought they changed the law a few years back to a few , I dont know how he would do this since there are only a few post conviction motions that would pertain to the situation