Peter Zuccaro testimony notes (Asaro trial)

[B.]

Like many mafia figures from the Ozone Park area, Zuccaro was a violent drug dealer and hijacker who gave little illusion of legitimacy. His testimony gives a good look into Ozone Park mafia activities and adds more info on familiar names.

--

On Record and Early Years

- Zuccaro became associated with Bonanno member Frank Bonomo in 1976 after Zuccaro got into a dispute with John Setaro and JoJo Corozzo of the Gambino family. Setaro used materials from an auto body shop owned by Zuccaro without paying, so Zuccaro beat Setaro up at Corozzo's club, then was confronted by both of them and other Corozzo associates at Zuccaro's place. Zuccaro beat Setaro up again and threatened JoJo Corozzo.

- Setaro and Corozzo were planning to do something "bad" to Zuccaro in retaliation, so Bonomo stepped in and put Zuccaro on record with him. Bonomo attended a sitdown with Tony Lee Guerrieri and was able to settle the issue and get Setaro to pay Zuccaro for what he had taken. Neither Setaro nor Corozzo were made members at the time which is why Guerrieri represented them.

- He says Bonomo was an acting captain in 1976 when Zuccaro was officially placed on record with the Bonanno family but doesn't specify who Bonomo was acting for. He also says Guerrieri was a captain in the Gambino family around this time, not sure how accurate that is.

- Tony Lee Guerrieri's nephew was racing his car and almost hit Zuccaro and his girlfriend who were pedestrians, so Zuccaro beat the nephew up. Tony Lee, Andy Ruggiano, and other close associates tried to lure Zuccaro into a limousine presumably to retaliate but Zuccaro pulled a gun and he and Tony Lee both punched each other. Frank Bonomo met with Guerrieri at a store he owned with Sal Reale, Louie "Gioli" (ph?), and Andy Ruggiano. Guerrieri claimed Zuccaro shouldn't have punched him given that Guerrieri was a made member while Zuccaro wasn't, but Bonomo insisted that Zuccaro didn't know Guerrieri was a member and therefore didn't know any better. Guerrieri accepted the excuse and the issue was resolved without further incident.

- Zuccaro says he never really kicked up money to Bonomo when he was under him. His main role was to serve as muscle and do various favors for Bonomo, including taking care of Bonomo's cars and apartment. In return, Bonomo settled any issues Zuccaro had and protected him.

- Settimo Favia was an associate of Bonomo who used a Sicilian phrase insinuating that Bonomo was not only being cuckolded by his wife but also content with being a cuckold. In late 1979, associate Frank Boccia shot Favia with a shotgun in front of Favia's home while Zuccaro drove the car.

- Zuccaro became involved in heroin dealing during the 1970s and this continued into the 1980s. He was involved with associate Salvatore Polisi and was also supplied by Frank Bonomo's son.

- Says he was close to Frank Burke and met Jimmy Burke in the 1970s, who he describes as a Lucchese associate with Vario. Says he only met Jimmy Burke five or six times. In the 1970s, Zuccaro's partner Tony Giordano was dating Jimmy's daughter Cathy Burke (future wife of Bruno Indelicato) and Lucchese associate Tommy Desimone saw them driving together so he pulled up alongside the car and shot it up. Desimone was apparently trying to protect his friend's daughter.

- Frank Burke and Zuccaro assaulted detectives who had tailed them, thinking they were a hit team trying to kill them. After their arrest, Burke and Zuccaro were beaten for days by the police. Zuccaro says this was in part because Frank Burke kept threatening them, telling the police his father would kill them.

Problems with Asaro

- Zuccaro recalled that Asaro was made in 1973 or 1974 (it was 1977). Zuccaro was at a bar called the Little Cricket and when Asaro came in that night people began telling Zuccaro that Asaro had just been made. Tony Mosciatello played a song, "Wiseguy in the Cricket." Not sure if he is saying Mosciatello performed it himself or what. Zuccaro says there were a bunch of men and women standing around celebrating that Asaro had been made, as the whole neighborhood knew.

- In the late 1970s Zuccaro was partners in an autobody / chop shop with Bonanno associate Bobby Giallanzo, brother of Ronnie and nephew of Vincent Asaro, and Zuccaro and Giallanzo had attack dogs they kept on the premises. One of the dogs didn't recognize Zuccaro one time when he returned from a robbery wearing a hat and glasses so the dog mauled him. Zuccaro and Gambino associate Andrew Curro killed the dog allegedly in self-defense. That night, Vincent Asaro, Jimmy Burke, Tommy Desimone, Stacks Edwards, and Frank Burke showed up at Zuccaro's home and a screaming Asaro said he was going to have Zuccaro killed for shooting the dog. Asaro was irrational and wouldn't listen to Zuccaro's explanation.

- Asaro was upset because the shop was co-owned by his nephew and Asaro felt the dog belonged to him, though Zuccaro says they owned the dogs 50/50. This culminated in a sitdown between Frank Bonomo, Asaro's captain Joe Massino, Vinny Asaro, and Zuccaro. Asaro told Massino, "I'm your brother," during the meeting in an effort to get him on his side but Massino ruled in Zuccaro's favor. Asaro wanted approval to commit an act of violence against Zuccaro for killing the dog but it was denied.

- In 1981, while still a Bonanno associate, Zuccaro was called to the Bergin club by John Gotti and Angelo Ruggiero. Gotti was very angry and accused Zuccaro of being a heroin addict. Zuccaro showed Gotti his arms and attempted to convince him otherwise, but Gotti remained angry. Zuccaro learned that Vincent Asaro had told Gotti the heroin rumors about Zuccaro. After this, Zuccaro met with his superior Frank Bonomo who told him he shouldn't have gone to the Bergin club as Gotti didn't have the authority to call him there. He said Gotti was supposed to have contacted Zuccaro through him (Bonomo) and Bonomo subsequently held a meeting with John Gotti to discuss the issue. Following the meeting, Bonomo told Zuccaro to have nothing to do with Gotti or Asaro.

- After Zuccaro transferred to the Gambinos in the 1990s, Vinny Asaro ran a restaurant next to an auto business that frequently washed cars, making the sidewalk near the restaurant "soaked" with water. Asaro's shoes would get wet when he went to his restaurant and he became angry with a kid named Dean who washed the cars. The kid went to Zuccaro for help, who reached out to Charles Carneglia and he resolved the issue with Asaro. In return for the favor, Carneglia asked Zuccaro to intimidate an extortion victim for him in an unrelated matter.

- Zuccaro did prison time with Lenny DiMaria, who told him about problems between Vincent Asaro and Ronnie Trucchio. When a Gambino proposed member list including Trucchio was given to Asaro, he knocked Trucchio down and prevented him from being made at the time. It sounds like this may have delayed Trucchio's induction but we know Trucchio was eventually made. It's not clear what Asaro's reason was for knocking Trucchio down or when this was.

Involvement with the Gambinos

- Sometime in the late 1970s, while still a Bonanno associate, Zuccaro was told by John Gotti to beat up Carmine Agnello for abusing his then-girlfriend, Gotti's daughter Victoria. Zuccaro, the Carneglia brothers, Andrew Curro, and "Skinny Sammy" TNU participated in beating and shooting Agnello. All of the men except for Zuccaro were Gambino associates. Following this, Zuccaro went to prison for an armored truck heist and began receiving threatening messages in prison from Agnello, so upon Zuccaro's release the first thing he did is retrieve two guns he had stored at his mother's house and visited Agnello to make sure they weren't going to have problems.

- Zuccaro was sentenced to prison in 1981 for an armored truck heist and wouldn't be released until 1988. In the mid-1980s when John Gotti was on trial, Zuccaro was asked to testify for the defense that he had never kicked up any earnings from his armored car heist to Gotti. Zuccaro agreed and testified for the defense. After this, while in the MCC, Zuccaro was called to the game room where he met with Joe Massino and Angelo Ruggiero. Massino informed Zuccaro he was being released to the Gambino family and would be on record with John Carneglia. Zuccaro was unhappy about this, as he liked his position with the Bonanno family and felt he had a stronger chance of being straightened out with them given he had already committed a murder for the Bonannos.

- While in the MCC in the mid-late 1980s, Zuccaro says Gotti, Massino, Ruggiero, Phil Rastelli, and all of the bosses (presumably from the Commission case) were there.

- John Carneglia went to prison shortly after Zuccaro's release and he began associating with Charles Carneglia. Zuccaro was in the marijuana business with the Carneglias and some people in Texas. After a major load was intercepted by LE, Charles Carneglia did not believe the story and felt they were being ripped off. Zuccaro visited an associate in Texas who gave him newspaper articles confirming the bust but when he returned to NYC Charles Carneglia continued to insist the partners had cheated them.

- Zuccaro, Charles Carneglia, Richie Gotti, and Kevin McMahon visited John Carneglia at an Indiana prison, where Zuccaro used a fake ID given he was still on parole. Anthony Bruno Indelicato was also in this prison and Zuccaro pretended he was visiting Indelicato in order to meet with Carneglia. John Carneglia looked at the news articles about the bust and said he would forget the whole issue if Zuccaro gave him $30,000, which Zuccaro refused to do as the $200,000 they lost came from previous marijuana profits the three men made together and Zuccaro didn't feel personally responsible.

- As a result of his dispute with John Carneglia over the $30,000 following the marijuana bust, Zuccaro was re-assigned to Iggy Alogna. This occurred around 1991 and Zuccaro remained with Agnello until his cooperation. Zuccaro had known Alogna most of his life and the two remained on good terms until Zuccaro flipped. Zuccaro did end up paying $18,000 toward the $30,000 Carneglia wanted; the money was obtained when Zuccaro robbed a coke dealer.

- When Zuccaro robbed a mob-connected cocaine dealer (not sure if it's the same one mentioned above), he tried to return some of the stolen money back to the dealer through Iggy Alogna, but Alogna kept the money and never returned it to the dealer.

- In the early 1990s Zuccaro described himself as a "functioning drug addict" as he had become addicted to heroin. He also carried two guns with him virtually everywhere he went. He doesn't say anything about it, but carrying two guns at once seems to have been a thing in this crowd, as Tommy Desimone was known for carrying two guns and Charles Carneglia carried two guns in tribute to Desimone. Zuccaro mentions carrying two guns around more than once in his testimony

- Zuccaro's heroin addiction developed after his girlfriend ran him over with a car and broke his leg. He was put on prescription medication and eventually moved to street heroin for three years before going clean.

- His main business for the decade leading up to his final arrest and cooperation was a large-scale marijuana grow operation that used warehouse and factory spaces in Brooklyn, including one that later had a school built directly across from it. Zuccaro also bought a 100+ acre property in upstate NY that he ended up using to grow more pot. His operation is said to have made $4000 per day.

- In the early 2000s, Zuccaro was approached by captain Tommy Cacciopoli and soldier Jackie Cavallo who told him they were going to propose him for membership. They were also going to propose JJ Gurino, a close friend of Zuccaro who was the brother of Anthony Gurino and a cousin of Caesar. He says Anthony Gurino was not associated with the mafia while Caesar was a Gambino associate. Zuccaro turned down the membership offer as he was burned out and okay with being an associate represented by members like Cacciopoli and Cavallo. He doesn't say if JJ Gurino was made but Gurino was murdered in 2003 in a dispute unrelated to the mafia.

- Zuccaro was recruited by Vinnie Gotti to burn a car used in the attempted 2003 murder of Angelo Mugnolo of Sapienza's Deli, who Gotti believed was having an affair with his wife.

- When Zuccaro was in jail in 2005, he learned from John Burke and Tony Green Urso that Charles Carneglia was spreading rumors that Zuccaro was a rat. He claims Carneglia had previously done this to others, including Kevin McMahon, and that Carneglia's motivation in this case was from the old $30,000 Zuccaro never completely paid. Zuccaro attempted to clear his name but nobody would help him and it's this accusation that ultimately led to his cooperation.

Misc. Murders

- Associate Frank Boccia was killed in 1988 for assaulting his mother-in-law, the wife of Fat Andy Ruggiano. Boccia's wife's brother Albert had introduced her to crack cocaine creating serious problems in the marriage, leading to Boccia getting into the altercation with her mother. Boccia's brother-in-law Anthony Ruggiano allegedly drove Boccia to be murdered and Zuccaro says Dominick Pizzonia, Andy Ruggiano, and Tony Lee Guerrieri killed Boccia.

- Gambino associate Greg Reiter was killed in 1989 because he had been pressuring an associate named Mike Harrigan who owed him $60,000 and Harrigan went to Tommy Karate Pitera, who called Reiter to resolve the issue. Reiter told Pitera, "You're a prankster, not a gangster." As a result, Reiter was killed by Pitera. Zuccaro was close to Greg Reiter and began "clocking" Harrigan after the murder in order to kill him, but somebody else killed Harrigan first.

- Mitchell Manfredi was a drug dealer who also used drugs and had become uncontrollable. Manfredi was killed near Zuccaro's house by friends of Zuccaro and he helped them dispose of the body. Manfredi's body was left in a car "down the hole" and set on fire. "The Hole" was a neighborhood on the Brooklyn/Queens border where members/associates of the Bonanno and Gambino family lived. The three captains and other mafia murder victims were buried in "the Hole", which drew its name from essentially being a large sinkhole twelve feet below sea level. Zuccaro said it was as if a meteor had hit and left a crater there.

- A guy named Johnny Gebert had been causing problems for the Gambino Ozone Park crew, including shooting at Ronnie Trucchio, so John Alite asked Zuccaro to kill Gebert. Gebert went to prison, but when he was released Alite again brought up the Gebert contract and told Zuccaro to wait for Alite to begin serving his upcoming prison sentence so that Alite wouldn't be a suspect in the murder. In 1996 Gebert was shot outside of a bar, ran inside and hid under a pool table where he was finished off by the shooter.

[Bklyn21]

Like many mafia figures from the Ozone Park area, Zuccaro was a violent drug dealer and hijacker who gave little illusion of legitimacy. His testimony gives a good look into Ozone Park mafia activities and adds more info on familiar names.

--

On Record and Early Years

- Zuccaro became associated with Bonanno member Frank Bonomo in 1976 after Zuccaro got into a dispute with John Setaro and JoJo Corozzo of the Gambino family. Setaro used materials from an auto body shop owned by Zuccaro without paying, so Zuccaro beat Setaro up at Corozzo's club, then was confronted by both of them and other Corozzo associates at Zuccaro's place. Zuccaro beat Setaro up again and threatened JoJo Corozzo.

- Setaro and Corozzo were planning to do something "bad" to Zuccaro in retaliation, so Bonomo stepped in and put Zuccaro on record with him. Bonomo attended a sitdown with Tony Lee Guerrieri and was able to settle the issue and get Setaro to pay Zuccaro for what he had taken. Neither Setaro nor Corozzo were made members at the time which is why Guerrieri represented them.

- He says Bonomo was an acting captain in 1976 when Zuccaro was officially placed on record with the Bonanno family but doesn't specify who Bonomo was acting for. He also says Guerrieri was a captain in the Gambino family around this time, not sure how accurate that is.

- Tony Lee Guerrieri's nephew was racing his car and almost hit Zuccaro and his girlfriend who were pedestrians, so Zuccaro beat the nephew up. Tony Lee, Andy Ruggiano, and other close associates tried to lure Zuccaro into a limousine presumably to retaliate but Zuccaro pulled a gun and he and Tony Lee both punched each other. Frank Bonomo met with Guerrieri at a store he owned with Sal Reale, Louie "Gioli" (ph?), and Andy Ruggiano. Guerrieri claimed Zuccaro shouldn't have punched him given that Guerrieri was a made member while Zuccaro wasn't, but Bonomo insisted that Zuccaro didn't know Guerrieri was a member and therefore didn't know any better. Guerrieri accepted the excuse and the issue was resolved without further incident.

- Zuccaro says he never really kicked up money to Bonomo when he was under him. His main role was to serve as muscle and do various favors for Bonomo, including taking care of Bonomo's cars and apartment. In return, Bonomo settled any issues Zuccaro had and protected him.

- Settimo Favia was an associate of Bonomo who used a Sicilian phrase insinuating that Bonomo was not only being cuckolded by his wife but also content with being a cuckold. In late 1979, associate Frank Boccia shot Favia with a shotgun in front of Favia's home while Zuccaro drove the car.

- Zuccaro became involved in heroin dealing during the 1970s and this continued into the 1980s. He was involved with associate Salvatore Polisi and was also supplied by Frank Bonomo's son.

- Says he was close to Frank Burke and met Jimmy Burke in the 1970s, who he describes as a Lucchese associate with Vario. Says he only met Jimmy Burke five or six times. In the 1970s, Zuccaro's partner Tony Giordano was dating Jimmy's daughter Cathy Burke (future wife of Bruno Indelicato) and Lucchese associate Tommy Desimone saw them driving together so he pulled up alongside the car and shot it up. Desimone was apparently trying to protect his friend's daughter.

- Frank Burke and Zuccaro assaulted detectives who had tailed them, thinking they were a hit team trying to kill them. After their arrest, Burke and Zuccaro were beaten for days by the police. Zuccaro says this was in part because Frank Burke kept threatening them, telling the police his father would kill them.

Problems with Asaro

- Zuccaro recalled that Asaro was made in 1973 or 1974 (it was 1977). Zuccaro was at a bar called the Little Cricket and when Asaro came in that night people began telling Zuccaro that Asaro had just been made. Tony Mosciatello played a song, "Wiseguy in the Cricket." Not sure if he is saying Mosciatello performed it himself or what. Zuccaro says there were a bunch of men and women standing around celebrating that Asaro had been made, as the whole neighborhood knew.

- In the late 1970s Zuccaro was partners in an autobody / chop shop with Bonanno associate Bobby Giallanzo, brother of Ronnie and nephew of Vincent Asaro, and Zuccaro and Giallanzo had attack dogs they kept on the premises. One of the dogs didn't recognize Zuccaro one time when he returned from a robbery wearing a hat and glasses so the dog mauled him. Zuccaro and Gambino associate Andrew Curro killed the dog allegedly in self-defense. That night, Vincent Asaro, Jimmy Burke, Tommy Desimone, Stacks Edwards, and Frank Burke showed up at Zuccaro's home and a screaming Asaro said he was going to have Zuccaro killed for shooting the dog. Asaro was irrational and wouldn't listen to Zuccaro's explanation.

- Asaro was upset because the shop was co-owned by his nephew and Asaro felt the dog belonged to him, though Zuccaro says they owned the dogs 50/50. This culminated in a sitdown between Frank Bonomo, Asaro's captain Joe Massino, Vinny Asaro, and Zuccaro. Asaro told Massino, "I'm your brother," during the meeting in an effort to get him on his side but Massino ruled in Zuccaro's favor. Asaro wanted approval to commit an act of violence against Zuccaro for killing the dog but it was denied.

- In 1981, while still a Bonanno associate, Zuccaro was called to the Bergin club by John Gotti and Angelo Ruggiero. Gotti was very angry and accused Zuccaro of being a heroin addict. Zuccaro showed Gotti his arms and attempted to convince him otherwise, but Gotti remained angry. Zuccaro learned that Vincent Asaro had told Gotti the heroin rumors about Zuccaro. After this, Zuccaro met with his superior Frank Bonomo who told him he shouldn't have gone to the Bergin club as Gotti didn't have the authority to call him there. He said Gotti was supposed to have contacted Zuccaro through him (Bonomo) and Bonomo subsequently held a meeting with John Gotti to discuss the issue. Following the meeting, Bonomo told Zuccaro to have nothing to do with Gotti or Asaro.

- After Zuccaro transferred to the Gambinos in the 1990s, Vinny Asaro ran a restaurant next to an auto business that frequently washed cars, making the sidewalk near the restaurant "soaked" with water. Asaro's shoes would get wet when he went to his restaurant and he became angry with a kid named Dean who washed the cars. The kid went to Zuccaro for help, who reached out to Charles Carneglia and he resolved the issue with Asaro. In return for the favor, Carneglia asked Zuccaro to intimidate an extortion victim for him in an unrelated matter.

- Zuccaro did prison time with Lenny DiMaria, who told him about problems between Vincent Asaro and Ronnie Trucchio. When a Gambino proposed member list including Trucchio was given to Asaro, he knocked Trucchio down and prevented him from being made at the time. It sounds like this may have delayed Trucchio's induction but we know Trucchio was eventually made. It's not clear what Asaro's reason was for knocking Trucchio down or when this was.

Involvement with the Gambinos

- Sometime in the late 1970s, while still a Bonanno associate, Zuccaro was told by John Gotti to beat up Carmine Agnello for abusing his then-girlfriend, Gotti's daughter Victoria. Zuccaro, the Carneglia brothers, Andrew Curro, and "Skinny Sammy" TNU participated in beating and shooting Agnello. All of the men except for Zuccaro were Gambino associates. Following this, Zuccaro went to prison for an armored truck heist and began receiving threatening messages in prison from Agnello, so upon Zuccaro's release the first thing he did is retrieve two guns he had stored at his mother's house and visited Agnello to make sure they weren't going to have problems.

- Zuccaro was sentenced to prison in 1981 for an armored truck heist and wouldn't be released until 1988. In the mid-1980s when John Gotti was on trial, Zuccaro was asked to testify for the defense that he had never kicked up any earnings from his armored car heist to Gotti. Zuccaro agreed and testified for the defense. After this, while in the MCC, Zuccaro was called to the game room where he met with Joe Massino and Angelo Ruggiero. Massino informed Zuccaro he was being released to the Gambino family and would be on record with John Carneglia. Zuccaro was unhappy about this, as he liked his position with the Bonanno family and felt he had a stronger chance of being straightened out with them given he had already committed a murder for the Bonannos.

- While in the MCC in the mid-late 1980s, Zuccaro says Gotti, Massino, Ruggiero, Phil Rastelli, and all of the bosses (presumably from the Commission case) were there.

- John Carneglia went to prison shortly after Zuccaro's release and he began associating with Charles Carneglia. Zuccaro was in the marijuana business with the Carneglias and some people in Texas. After a major load was intercepted by LE, Charles Carneglia did not believe the story and felt they were being ripped off. Zuccaro visited an associate in Texas who gave him newspaper articles confirming the bust but when he returned to NYC Charles Carneglia continued to insist the partners had cheated them.

- Zuccaro, Charles Carneglia, Richie Gotti, and Kevin McMahon visited John Carneglia at an Indiana prison, where Zuccaro used a fake ID given he was still on parole. Anthony Bruno Indelicato was also in this prison and Zuccaro pretended he was visiting Indelicato in order to meet with Carneglia. John Carneglia looked at the news articles about the bust and said he would forget the whole issue if Zuccaro gave him $30,000, which Zuccaro refused to do as the $200,000 they lost came from previous marijuana profits the three men made together and Zuccaro didn't feel personally responsible.

- As a result of his dispute with John Carneglia over the $30,000 following the marijuana bust, Zuccaro was re-assigned to Iggy Alogna. This occurred around 1991 and Zuccaro remained with Agnello until his cooperation. Zuccaro had known Alogna most of his life and the two remained on good terms until Zuccaro flipped. Zuccaro did end up paying $18,000 toward the $30,000 Carneglia wanted; the money was obtained when Zuccaro robbed a coke dealer.

- When Zuccaro robbed a mob-connected cocaine dealer (not sure if it's the same one mentioned above), he tried to return some of the stolen money back to the dealer through Iggy Alogna, but Alogna kept the money and never returned it to the dealer.

- In the early 1990s Zuccaro described himself as a "functioning drug addict" as he had become addicted to heroin. He also carried two guns with him virtually everywhere he went. He doesn't say anything about it, but carrying two guns at once seems to have been a thing in this crowd, as Tommy Desimone was known for carrying two guns and Charles Carneglia carried two guns in tribute to Desimone. Zuccaro mentions carrying two guns around more than once in his testimony

- Zuccaro's heroin addiction developed after his girlfriend ran him over with a car and broke his leg. He was put on prescription medication and eventually moved to street heroin for three years before going clean.

- His main business for the decade leading up to his final arrest and cooperation was a large-scale marijuana grow operation that used warehouse and factory spaces in Brooklyn, including one that later had a school built directly across from it. Zuccaro also bought a 100+ acre property in upstate NY that he ended up using to grow more pot. His operation is said to have made $4000 per day.

- In the early 2000s, Zuccaro was approached by captain Tommy Cacciopoli and soldier Jackie Cavallo who told him they were going to propose him for membership. They were also going to propose JJ Gurino, a close friend of Zuccaro who was the brother of Anthony Gurino and a cousin of Caesar. He says Anthony Gurino was not associated with the mafia while Caesar was a Gambino associate. Zuccaro turned down the membership offer as he was burned out and okay with being an associate represented by members like Cacciopoli and Cavallo. He doesn't say if JJ Gurino was made but Gurino was murdered in 2003 in a dispute unrelated to the mafia.

- Zuccaro was recruited by Vinnie Gotti to burn a car used in the attempted 2003 murder of Angelo Mugnolo of Sapienza's Deli, who Gotti believed was having an affair with his wife.

- When Zuccaro was in jail in 2005, he learned from John Burke and Tony Green Urso that Charles Carneglia was spreading rumors that Zuccaro was a rat. He claims Carneglia had previously done this to others, including Kevin McMahon, and that Carneglia's motivation in this case was from the old $30,000 Zuccaro never completely paid. Zuccaro attempted to clear his name but nobody would help him and it's this accusation that ultimately led to his cooperation.

Misc. Murders

- Associate Frank Boccia was killed in 1988 for assaulting his mother-in-law, the wife of Fat Andy Ruggiano. Boccia's wife's brother Albert had introduced her to crack cocaine creating serious problems in the marriage, leading to Boccia getting into the altercation with her mother. Boccia's brother-in-law Anthony Ruggiano allegedly drove Boccia to be murdered and Zuccaro says Dominick Pizzonia, Andy Ruggiano, and Tony Lee Guerrieri killed Boccia.

- Gambino associate Greg Reiter was killed in 1989 because he had been pressuring an associate named Mike Harrigan who owed him $60,000 and Harrigan went to Tommy Karate Pitera, who called Reiter to resolve the issue. Reiter told Pitera, "You're a prankster, not a gangster." As a result, Reiter was killed by Pitera. Zuccaro was close to Greg Reiter and began "clocking" Harrigan after the murder in order to kill him, but somebody else killed Harrigan first.

- Mitchell Manfredi was a drug dealer who also used drugs and had become uncontrollable. Manfredi was killed near Zuccaro's house by friends of Zuccaro and he helped them dispose of the body. Manfredi's body was left in a car "down the hole" and set on fire. "The Hole" was a neighborhood on the Brooklyn/Queens border where members/associates of the Bonanno and Gambino family lived. The three captains and other mafia murder victims were buried in "the Hole", which drew its name from essentially being a large sinkhole twelve feet below sea level. Zuccaro said it was as if a meteor had hit and left a crater there.

- A guy named Johnny Gebert had been causing problems for the Gambino Ozone Park crew, including shooting at Ronnie Trucchio, so John Alite asked Zuccaro to kill Gebert. Gebert went to prison, but when he was released Alite again brought up the Gebert contract and told Zuccaro to wait for Alite to begin serving his upcoming prison sentence so that Alite wouldn't be a suspect in the murder. In 1996 Gebert was shot outside of a bar, ran inside and hid under a pool table where he was finished off by the shooter.

Great post and info B. , These petty beefs and sitdiwns lmfaooooooo The dog mauled him and he had to have a sit down ?! My shoes got wet from your carwash ! Smh ! Gebert ran into Frankie and Johnny's bar on Jamaica Ave in Woodhaven owned and operated by Johnny Bandanna Brancaccio and His brothers who were under Ronnie one Arm and hid under the pool table . I'm surprised John Brancaccio wasn't made already , He got 15 years in Al Trucchio indictment . John had a big following and was the leader in Woodhaven and a big time drug dealer , Gambling , Loansharking , Card games , Robberies and everything else under the Sun for the Gambinos

[Bklyn21]

His name never comes up , Johnny Bandanna Brancaccio . He controlled most goings on in Woodhaven and had all the bars in that neighborhood and on Jamaica Ave. All paying protection , Running drugs , Gambling etc etc . Before he took over that neighborhood or was given the neighborhood he was a big time drug dealer at the "Dome" in Forest Pk. Woodhaven Queens throughout the 1980s

[Griz23]

Thank you for posting B. It seems like everyone has a story to tell about Asaro.

[Pogo The Clown]

Reiter told Pitera, "You're a prankster, not a gangster." As a result, Reiter was killed by Pitera.

Ha. That is classic.


Pogo

[maatsetungi]

When Zuccaro was in jail in 2005, he learned from John Burke and Tony Green Urso that Charles Carneglia was spreading rumors that Zuccaro was a rat. He claims Carneglia had previously done this to others, including Kevin McMahon, and that Carneglia's motivation in this case was from the old $30,000 Zuccaro never completely paid. Zuccaro attempted to clear his name but nobody would help him and it's this accusation that ultimately led to his cooperation.

If this is true I cant imagine the stupidity of these people who started to spread rumors if they really were juts rumors.

[Extortion]

Zuccaro seemed like a real tough guy

[CabriniGreen]

Zuccaro seemed like a real tough guy

Yeah, until they hung the rat label on him, he seemed standup. A fellow grower, lol. How petty can these guys be? Like, you are in the drug business, losses happen. What if it was a loss on a sportsbook and he had to pay out? If he didn't layoff enough, what's the difference?

[newera_212]

seems like it was all good until the Bergin crew came into his life. i wonder how many other people could say those same words lol.

[B.]

When Massino released Zuccaro to the Bergin crew in jail, Zuccaro asked him the reason but didn't get an answer. He had just testified for Gotti's defense and had grown up around the Bergin crew so he knew that crowd well but he doesn't say (or doesn't know) what led to the release.

[Orcus]

Reading through Zuccaro's testimony as well as Sal Vitale's, it depicts Asaro as a real hothead. You'd assume a temper like his would eventually get him in trouble one way or another.

[richard_belding]

- When Zuccaro was in jail in 2005, he learned from John Burke and Tony Green Urso that Charles Carneglia was spreading rumors that Zuccaro was a rat. He claims Carneglia had previously done this to others, including Kevin McMahon, and that Carneglia's motivation in this case was from the old $30,000 Zuccaro never completely paid. Zuccaro attempted to clear his name but nobody would help him and it's this accusation that ultimately led to his cooperation.

Just to add to Zuccaro's happening's with the Gambino's during this time frame was info pertaining to the Gus Boulis murder in Florida. The Feds first learned of Big Tony Moscatiello's involvement in 2005, when Zuccaro told authorities that Moscatiello had offered him $100,000 to kill Boulis. Zuccaro turned down the offer, but the hit was carried out by another New Yorker, John Gurino, who as mentioned was killed two years later. Gurino's closeness to the Gotti's was displayed at Gotti Sr's final trial, when he was one of 7 demonstrators arrested for the mini-riot outside the courthouse. Gurino first came into the Gotti orbit when he went on trial for murder in 1984 and his then unknown defense lawyer Bruce Cutler earned him an acquittal, and a spot in Gotti Sr's defense lineup.

[B.]

- When Zuccaro was in jail in 2005, he learned from John Burke and Tony Green Urso that Charles Carneglia was spreading rumors that Zuccaro was a rat. He claims Carneglia had previously done this to others, including Kevin McMahon, and that Carneglia's motivation in this case was from the old $30,000 Zuccaro never completely paid. Zuccaro attempted to clear his name but nobody would help him and it's this accusation that ultimately led to his cooperation.

Just to add to Zuccaro's happening's with the Gambino's during this time frame was info pertaining to the Gus Boulis murder in Florida. The Feds first learned of Big Tony Moscatiello's involvement in 2005, when Zuccaro told authorities that Moscatiello had offered him $100,000 to kill Boulis. Zuccaro turned down the offer, but the hit was carried out by another New Yorker, John Gurino, who as mentioned was killed two years later. Gurino's closeness to the Gotti's was displayed at Gotti Sr's final trial, when he was one of 7 demonstrators arrested for the mini-riot outside the courthouse. Gurino first came into the Gotti orbit when he went on trial for murder in 1984 and his then unknown defense lawyer Bruce Cutler earned him an acquittal, and a spot in Gotti Sr's defense lineup.

Great information, Mr. Belding. I would be interested in seeing Zuccaro's testimony in the Gambino trial, as this one was obviously tailored around Asaro and the Bonannos.

I had never heard of John "JJ" Gurino before Zuccaro mentioned him as a proposed member. I know nothing about the Gurinos except a couple of them have been members of the modern Gambino and they go way back with the Bergin crew. The name came up frequently in the Asaro trial, including a wake for a Rose Gurino which was attended by mafia members.

Even in Ozone Park, where it seems every mafia figure was a violent career criminal, the Bergin crew had a reputation for treachery according to witnesses like Zuccaro and Valenti.

[Super]

Intresting character earner and big balls if he had a good rabbi maybe a different story bit about him in crazy sals book.

[Uncle Pete]

Gurino was killed in Boca Raton in the early 2000’s. He was shaking down a small pizzeria/deli owner and abusing and threatening the owner. The owner pulled out and shot him to death right in his own restaurant.