Gangland September 28th 2023

[Dr031718]

Turncoat Mafia Boss Joe Massino Checks Out For Good — Ten Years Later

Ex-Bonanno crime family chieftain Joseph Massino cashed in his chips two weeks ago, after enjoying his reward of freedom for the past ten years as the first full-fledged Mafia boss to become a federal witness and testify against his fellow Cosa Nostra members for his Uncle Sam. He was 80.

Massino, who received a "time served" sentence of ten and a half years in 2013 for eight mob murders from 1981 until 1999, was interred in St. John's Cemetery, the spacious mob Boot Hill in Middle Village where his pal John Gotti and other New York mob bosses, including Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese have been laid to rest, Gang Land has learned.

There was no wake, just a funeral mass for the burly turncoat Mafia boss. Massino lived in Ohio until recently when he returned to the New York City area where he was housed in a rehabilitation facility where he died two weeks ago after a short illness, according to law enforcement officials and other sources.

The death of the wily wiseguy was first noted in print last Friday in Newsday in a story by veteran newsman Anthony DeStefano.

DeStefano, the author of The Last Godfather, a 2005 book about Massino, wrote that the late Godfathers's daughter Joanne "confirmed" that her dad, who suffered from diabetes and obesity, had died on September 14. But she provided no other details about his life since he was released from prison, or his death, which the Long Island newspaper ran as its lead obituary on page 36.

Newsday's decision to bury DeStefano's story wasn't the only unusual and intriguing thing about the breaking news of Massino's demise.

DeStefano, like Gang Land, and the rest of the news business, was scooped by a recent arrival on the social media news front, Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino. The 61-year-old mobster gleefully reported last Wednesday on his podcast — yep, he's got one too — that he heard "some good news" a couple of days earlier, namely that Massino, a "fat lying rat," had died.

Merlino told his straight man, Little Snuff, a South Philly car salesman named Joe Perri Jr. that he is going to start a Rat of the Month segment on his gambling podcast, The Skinny, because he's "gonna be speaking up for the good guys" like himself who've been wrongly convicted over the years. (See below.)

Massino's secret efforts to become a cooperating witness began the same day in July 2004 that a jury pronounced him guilty of seven of the eight 1980s mob rubouts of which he was eventually convicted.

That didn't happen until the following year, several months after he famously twice tape-recorded his underboss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano while they were behind bars together in the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Massino's decision to break his vow of omerta rocked the underworld when it was made public in late January of 2005. That same day, Basciano was charged with the murder of low-level gangster Randolph (Randy) Pizzolo who had been killed just weeks earlier. The murder charges were based on tape recorded admissions that Vinny Gorgeous had made to Massino in the MDC on January 3 and January 7.

But Massino's main contribution to the feds may be simply that by deciding to flip and ally himself with Team America, he provided authorities a platform to showcase him as the first official New York mob boss to defect. His accomplishments as a government witness — at two trials — are uneven.

His testimony against a Genovese mobster in 2012 ended in an acquittal. A year earlier, his testimony and the jailhouse talks Massino taped with Basciano led to a guilty verdict and a life sentence. But by then, Vinny Gorgeous had already been convicted of murder and was serving a life without parole prison term.

Massino had obviously planned to flip long before he was convicted on July 30, 2004 of seven mob murders from 1981 to 1987. Minutes after he was found guilty, he reached out to the feds and stated he wanted to cooperate. But the feds rejected his offer, and pushed to try him for an eighth mob murder, one for which he faced the death penalty.

The feds did this even as they acted on info Massino had provided. In October of 2004, the FBI unearthed the remains of two Bonanno capos that Massino and others had whacked and buried in 1981. The only reason they dug up the site, sources have told Gang Land, was because Massino told them that the remains of three Gotti rubout victims, including his backyard neighbor John Favara, who was killed in 1980, were also buried there.

The feds had learned in 2002 from turncoat Bonanno underboss Salvatore Vitale about the mob graveyard but had opted against digging up the site until Massino told them that Favara was buried there. "All murder victims are important, but some are more important than others," one law enforcement official said at the time. "Favara was a totally innocent victim. He was not involved in organized crime. That's certainly a factor," he added.

Massino got the feds' attention in late November of 2004, though. He told them that Basciano, who had just been arrested and detained on racketeering charges, had proposed killing assistant U.S. attorney Greg Andres. But when Massino failed not one, but two FBI-administered lie detector tests about Basciano's alleged murder plot against Andres, the feds again rejected his overtures.

But after Massino reported that Vinny Gorgeous had told him on December 3 that he had ordered the killing of Pizzolo, who had been found shot to death two days earlier, and that he had again proposed killing Andres, the feds agreed to wire Massino up. Without making any promises to the mob boss, they directed him to question Basciano about both topics.

Basciano readily admitted his role in Pizzolo's murder. But try as Massino might, he couldn't get him to admit plotting to kill Andres, the lead prosecutor in Massino's 2004 trial.

"Remember?" Massino said on January 3, reminding Basciano of a talk they had in a holding pen on November 23. "We spoke in the bullpen, and you want to take the prosecutor out. What are we going to gain by it? What are you gonna gain if we take the prosecutor out?"

"Nothing," said Basciano, before adding, "Forget about it."

A few minutes later — the conversation lasted three hours — Massino brought up the subject of the "prosecutor" again, and asked: "What are we going to gain?"

Basciano replied, five separate times: "Forget about it," adding: "Let's not even discuss it again."

Four days later, when Massino again brought up killing Andres, Vinny Gorgeous stated, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Bo," according to a transcript obtained by Gang Land.

During Massino's sentencing, Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis lauded the mob boss's decision to cooperate and testify for the government, but carefully hedged his praise, noting that Massino had given authorities "critical information" only about "a possible murder plot against a federal prosecutor."

"I never believed that death threat story," a longtime ex-federal mob buster told Gang Land back then. "He knew he needed something special to get a deal and that's what he came up with, a murder plot against a prosecutor."

Massino's lawyer, Edward McDonald, insisted that Massino's account about the plot to kill Andres was true. The best evidence of that, he said, came "from the mouth of Vinny Basciano," in January of 2005.

"I listened to the tapes," said McDonald. "So did the prosecutors. They were not eager to give him a deal. They wanted to prosecute him for murder, and seek the death penalty. They were skeptical. They reviewed the tapes. The tapes confirmed to their satisfaction that what Joe said about Basciano was true. If you look at the transcripts, and listen to the tapes, it's clear that Basciano had asked Joe for permission to kill Andres."

On his key point, however, there is an official difference of opinion, by an unbiased pundit.

In 2005, in an opinion he wrote after he read the transcripts and listened to the tapes, Garaufis ruled that the conversations were inconclusive about whether Vinny Gorgeous had previously voiced a "desire to harm the prosecutor." The tapes, Garaufis wrote, "do not reveal whether it was Basciano who harbored that desire, whether it was discussed seriously or in jest, whether Basciano agreed to go along with the plan, or disavowed it from the beginning."

In addition to his daughter Joanne, Massino is survived by his wife Josephine, a daughter Adeline, and four grandchildren.

Skinny Joey Is Not A Fan Of Judge Richard Sullivan, Or Gang Land

What a difference five years makes. The last time Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino was in Manhattan Federal Court, a vocal supporter called the judge a "rat bastard." But other than delivering a mildly sarcastic "Thanks for the fair trial," crack about his mistrial, the Philadelphia Mafia boss accepted his two year bid for illegal gambling without complaint — and with a smile.

On his podcast last week, Merlino called Judge Richard Sullivan a "motherfucker" who screwed him when he went to trial on racketeering charges in 2018. Merlino opted to roll the dice at trial, rather than take a sweet plea deal like those that prosecutors offered his 45 co-defendants after they learned that the FBI was investigating the "conduct" of three New York agents in the five year long undercover operation.

Jurors had a tough time with the case: They split evenly on the racketeering charge against Merlino, but hung 10-2 for conviction that he was part of an $11.3 million health care scam. They also voted 9-3 for his conviction on illegal gambling.

Skinny Joey still whined like a crybaby that he got a raw deal. He said the panel would have acquitted him of all charges if the judge had let his lawyers play FBI tapes that would have exonerated him during the trial.

The "only reason" he pleaded guilty to gambling rather than face retrial, Merlino said, was because the judge "hated" him and "fucked" him in his first trial by blocking him from playing those tape recordings.

"He wouldn't let one tape in to defend me," Merlino complained. "I'll go to trial right now, next week" and "I'll represent myself" and "I'll get acquitted in ten minutes if my tapes can come in," Merlino railed. Instead, "I pled guilty to making a bet," Skinny Joey complained. "I got two years for making a fucking football bet."

After Little Snuff, Joe Perri Jr., noted, "Now that's legal everywhere," Merlino stated: "The whole world bets. The fucking judge probably bets. I hope he got buried this week, the motherfucker."

Gang Land is pleased to note that Skinny Joey feels the same way about yours truly as he does about Judge Sullivan, now a distinguished member of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, even though Merlino had to go back ten years to find a reason to single out "that other motherfucker from Gang Land, Capeci."

The Philadelphia mob boss, who's been living in Boca Raton for more than a decade — except for the two year bid he did for illegal gambling — spent a lot of time railing on and on about his gripe with us. It stems from two column items we wrote about a confrontation that Merlino had, or didn't have, with turncoat gangster Chris Paciello, at a Miami Heat-NY Nets game in 2012.

In our first account, we wrote, based on info from a very reliable source who was at the game, as well as a lawyer for Paciello, that after a stare-down by the duo who were sitting court-side, he walked over to Merlino and said, "I'm a rat, and I'm here, at the same game as you. And if you got anything to say, I'll crack you in the fucking head and knock your teeth out."

Here's a brief excerpt of an extensive quote from Skinny Joey that appears in a follow-up we wrote a month later, after he called, and blew his stack. "He never got out of his seat," he said. "He never came up to me, he was scared to death. He never even looked my way. It never happened. Whoever told you that story is a lying motherfucker. Trying to make these fucking rats look like tough guys. If that was me, I wouldn't be allowed in the place. The cocksucker didn't look at me. He never got out of his chair. It's a joke."

Merlino revisited the issue, and made essentially the same claim on his podcast last week, calling our original account, "a whole made up story."

Gang Land wasn't at the game, but stands by our original report, which was confirmed this week by our original source on the Miami Heat Game Stare-down of 2012, who also related an It's A Small World story about Skinny Joey and Boca Raton. Boca just happens to be the My Blue Heaven area that quite a few former cooperating witnesses from New York have gravitated to, just like the relocated mob snitch played by Steve Martin did in the 1990 movie, My Blue Heaven.

Merlino and a few friends were at the bar at Kapow, a Boca Raton eatery in June at the same time as several ex-New York cooperators, who like Skinny Joey, have been accused of murder and other mayhem over the years. Nothing happened, except for a few stares back and forth by members of both groups "who decided to look the other way" rather than start any trouble that could be fodder for Gang Land, or worse, a reason for the owners to call the cops.

Wiseguy Cites Yom Kippur, The Jewish Holy Day Of Atonement, As He Faces The Music For His Crimes

At his sentencing on Monday for taking part in the 20-year-long shakedown of a construction workers union, Colombo soldier Michael Uvino stated he was mindful that he was facing the music for his crimes on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy day of atonement. He said he wished to atone for his crimes and apologize for his conduct in the extortion scheme in 2020 and 2021.

Uvino, 58, had his work cut out for him. He was tape-recorded stating that violence is a tool that "sometimes you have to use," and he had threatened the union's president. Detained for two years as a dangerous ex-con, he faced a guidelines sentence of up to 46 months in his plea deal. The feds thought more atoning was called for and had asked for a prison term of 51 months.

In preparation, Brooklyn Federal Judge Hector Gonzalez said he read reams of paperwork about the Colombo crime family case. He had also reviewed Uvino's 2008 conviction for racketeering and assault and his sentencing when he told Judge Jack Weinstein that he'd been "humbled" by his conviction, apologized for his crime, and promised to "not disappoint" the judge and resume his criminal ways when he did his time for his crime.

As it turned out, according to a filing by prosecutor Andrew Reich, Weinstein didn't believe Uvino. He gave the mobster 10 years — three and a half years more than the high end of his guidelines, noting that Uvino had "swor(n) to be a member of the Mafia for his lifetime." Weinstein said at the time that he was "convinced" Uvino would resume his career "work(ing) for this gang" when he got out of prison.

Uvino proved Weinstein to be right, Reich wrote. He noted that in 2019, after Uvino had completed three years of supervised release for that conviction, he joined in the extortion plot with Colombo capo Vincent (Vinny Unions) Ricciardo. Uvino again deserved an above guidelines sentence, of 51 months, Reich wrote.

Judge Gonzalez cited Uvino's prior history, and his broken promise to Judge Weinstein. He then asked the wiseguy to convince him that he really intended to mend his ways this time. Uvino responded that he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison "on an installment plan," and planned to move out of New York. He mentioned Arizona and Florida as places he was considering to start a new life.

Uvino didn't get the below guidelines sentence of 29 months that his lawyer Jeremy Iandolo sought, but all things considered, the longtime mobster didn't do that badly.

Gonzalez sentenced him to 41 months behind bars, plus three years of post-prison supervised release. He also ordered him to forfeit $66,000, and made Uvino liable, along with half a dozen other wiseguys and associates, for $280,890 in restitution to the president of Local 621 of the United Construction Trades & Industrial Employees Union.

Editor's Note: If you didn't tune in to Deadline NYC on WBAI radio this past Monday, you missed Mike Campi and Dan Dorsky, the mob-busting authors of War Against The Mafia tell Tom Robbins how they teamed up with turncoat gangster Cookie D'Urso to bring down Chin Gigante, Barney Bellomo and a gaggle of other Genovese gangsters, and a whole lot more about their new book, War Against The Mafia.

[Dr031718]

Joe Massino

[Dapper_Don]

Thanks for asking

[Ivan]

I checked and that new book does not, in fact, have "the last" anywhere in its title or subtitle. Color me impressed!

[AntComello]

Jerry beefing with Merlino now lol I believe Merlinos account of what happened at the heat game. I know Paciello was a tough guy and all but I don’t see him walking up to Joey and threatening him like that knowing Joey is a killer and has killers around him.

[Tonyd621]

"Told his straight man" lol idk if he messed up what he said or he is implying something else...

[NorthBuffalo]

I think Joey has a bunch of suckers and sycophants around him these days according to a lot of accounts. I don't get his endgame here - getting on youtube - he's got people openly calling him a pussy and crybaby now. What is he going to have his 'killers' moderate the comments section or start threatening Capeci?

Capeci has covered the mob for decades - in the good old days, he would never openly antagonize a boss likely because he would have been concerned for his safety and ability to have sources and future covering the mob - I see his doing so towards Merlino as a sign that Merlino is more of a TV mob boss, less so in real life.

[Cheech]

I think Joey has a bunch of suckers and sycophants around him these days according to a lot of accounts. I don't get his endgame here - getting on youtube - he's got people openly calling him a pussy and crybaby now. What is he going to have his 'killers' moderate the comments section or start threatening Capeci?

Capeci has covered the mob for decades - in the good old days, he would never openly antagonize a boss likely because he would have been concerned for his safety and ability to have sources and future covering the mob - I see his doing so towards Merlino as a sign that Merlino is more of a TV mob boss, less so in real life.

what accounts?
I highly doubt he reads the comments or cares.
its over. been over.

[Stroccos]

I think Joey has a bunch of suckers and sycophants around him these days according to a lot of accounts. I don't get his endgame here - getting on youtube - he's got people openly calling him a pussy and crybaby now. What is he going to have his 'killers' moderate the comments section or start threatening Capeci?

Capeci has covered the mob for decades - in the good old days, he would never openly antagonize a boss likely because he would have been concerned for his safety and ability to have sources and future covering the mob - I see his doing so towards Merlino as a sign that Merlino is more of a TV mob boss, less so in real life.

what accounts?
I highly doubt he reads the comments or cares.
its over. been over.

Hopefully merlino is taking someone for a ride like he did with the restaurant guy. Fleece them for what ever money he can

[DonPeppino386]

Thanks for posting.

[Cheech]

I think Joey has a bunch of suckers and sycophants around him these days according to a lot of accounts. I don't get his endgame here - getting on youtube - he's got people openly calling him a pussy and crybaby now. What is he going to have his 'killers' moderate the comments section or start threatening Capeci?

Capeci has covered the mob for decades - in the good old days, he would never openly antagonize a boss likely because he would have been concerned for his safety and ability to have sources and future covering the mob - I see his doing so towards Merlino as a sign that Merlino is more of a TV mob boss, less so in real life.

what accounts?
I highly doubt he reads the comments or cares.
its over. been over.

Hopefully merlino is taking someone for a ride like he did with the restaurant guy. Fleece them for what ever money he can

i believe that to be the angle.

[Uforeality]

This podcast is going to be a disaster for Merlino. Beefing with reporters and badmouthing informants. He's the boss of the Philadelphia Crime Family and the Feds and Local authorities all know this. He'll get more attention for sure. Its just going to come in the form of an indictment.

[Blunts]

Thanks for posting. I can't see how this ends well for Merlino. If he has any involvement at all then any publicity is bad. It makes no sense and I doubt he is going to get massive numbers to really earn on that platform. Just seems like an unnecessary lightening rod.

[Pmac2]

I believe he doesn't give a fuck about being a lightning rod. The guys been like this forever and just found a new way to earn a quick buck. In 3 6 months he'll be on to the next money grab. End of the day he has the final say in Philly but probably is ok with letting the family run itself

[Pmac2]

Was Joey on the street when that guy recorded his induction? Did he ok the guy is what I wonder