King of the Godfathers

by Anthony Destefano

  Patrick Marshall (FBI agent): Was retired from the FBI and living on the West Coast.

  Adeline Massino (daughter): Continued to live in Howard Beach with her husband and two daughters. She took a job in the accounting field. In her spare time she busied herself with her children’s school, as well as their dance and sports activities.

  Joanne Massino (daughter): Like her sister Adeline, she continued to live in Howard Beach in a home near her mother. As a single divorced mother, she raised a daughter and son. A few days a week she worked at her children’s parochial school.

  Joseph Massino (former crime boss): After the former Attorney General John Ashcroft ruled that Massino was eligible for the death penalty, he moved in earnest to become a cooperating witness for the federal government. He finally signed a cooperation agreement in June 2005 and was placed in the federal witness security program. Massino was expected by many to be called as a witness in 2006 for the trial of his former confederate Vincent Basciano but has never made an appearance in the case. He is said by friends and associates to be exercising and trying to control his diabetes.

  Josephine Massino (wife): She continued to live in her Howard Beach home, which she bought with her husband many years earlier. Much of her time was spent in the company of her daughters and grandchildren. Josephine also had been dealing with the recuperation of her sister Anna from the effects of a stroke. Since her husband was convicted in July 2005, Josephine has not made any public statements about his case.

  Ruth Nordenbrook (prosecutor): She was retired from federal government service. Nordenbrook suffered the untimely death of her husband in November 2004 just prior to her retirement. She continued to live in New York, tending a Brooklyn Heights neighborhood rose garden and doing volunteer work.

  Joseph Pistone (FBI agent): After retiring from the FBI, he started a second career as an author. Pistone’s books included, as co-author, “Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia,” (1987) and, on his own, “The Way of the Wiseguy” (2004). He also co-authored a novel with Bill Bonanno, son of the late crime boss Joseph Bonanno, entitled “The Good Guys” (2005).

  Vito Rizzuto (Bonanno soldier in Canada): Referred by law enforcement officials as the “Godather of the Italian Mafia in Montreal,” he was indicted in January 2004 on racketeering charges, including the murder of the three captains in 1981. He was ordered extradicted by Canadian courts in 2006 but continued to fight that move with additional legal challenges. Trial was pending.

  Charles Rooney (FBI supervisor): Retired from the FBI in fall 2005 and began working as a consultant to the agency.

  Benjamin Ruggiero (soldier): Released from federal prison in April 1993 at the age of 79. He died of natural causes in 1995.

  Jeffrey Sallet (FBI agent): He moved to FBI headquarters in Washington where he took a job as a supervisory special agent in the organized crime section. He received an award from the Department of Justice, along with the others on the prosecution team, for his work on the Massino case. Sallet occasionally traveled to New York City to help in the prosecution of other Bonanno crime family members.

  James Tartaglione (Bonanno captain): Remained a cooperating witness for the federal government. He testified in the 2006 trial of Basciano and was awaiting sentencing for racketeering.

  Anthony Urso (Bonanno acting underboss): Pleaded guilty in 2005 to racketeering charges in federal court in Brooklyn. Was awaiting sentencing.

  Salvatore Vitale (former Bonanno underboss): Remained a cooperating witness for the federal government and testified in the March 2006 trial of Basciano. During his testimony, Vitale said that his sister Josephine wasn’t aware of the details of the crimes he and Joseph Massino carried out. Vitale said he never discussed “street” business with his sister or in her presence. He was awaiting sentencing.

  Notes

  1. “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” Details of the events surrounding Joseph Massino’s arrest on January 9, 2003, came from interviews of Massino’s wife and two daughters on May 23, 2004, for a story that ran in New York Newsday, as well as from interviews with FBI Special Agents Jeffrey Sallet and Kimberly McCaffrey and McCaffrey’s testimony during Massino’s trial in 2004. Information about Massino’s prior problems with law enforcement came from his 1982 and 1985 federal indictments and court records of those cases. Details of the news conference announcing Massino’s arrest were provided by newspaper articles and press releases from the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office.

  2. Amici The story of the development of the Mafia in New York is found in several books, notably Luciano: The Man Who Modernized American Mafia by Tony Sciacca, Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese, The Valachi Papers by Peter Maas, The Five Families by Selwyn Rabb, The Crime Confederation by Ralph Salerno, The Mob: 200 Years of Organized Crime in New York by Virgil Peterson, and American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power by Thomas Repetto.

  3. The Toughest Kid on the Block The background on the families of Joseph and Josephine Massino was derived from the May 23, 2004, interview with Josephine and from confidential sources. Details about Joseph Bonanno’s development as a major Mafia boss are contained in his autobiography Man of Honor, cowritten with Sergio Lalli. Bonanno’s son, Salvatore, also known as “Bill,” gave his own perspective of his father’s life in Bound by Honor: A Mafioso’s Life. The kidnapping of Joseph Bonanno was described in his autobiography and in contemporary news accounts.

  4. Maspeth Joe Salvatore Bonanno’s meeting with Philip Rastelli and others the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated is described in Bound by Honor. Rastelli’s life as a career criminal is contained in the 1970 Report of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Crime, Its Causes and Effect on Society and in various newspaper articles. The Bonanno crime family wars was detailed in the New York Times. Duane Leisenheimer testified about his friendship and work with Joseph Massino during Massino’s 2004 trial. Salvatore Vitale also testified at Massino’s trial about his background in crime. Similar information about Vitale is contained in reports of his interviews with the FBI. Background on the federal investigation of the garment industry is contained in a series written by me for Womens Wear Daily in 1977. Joseph Bonanno’s travels to Sicily were detailed in his autobiography.

  5. A Piece of Work The murders of Vito Borelli and Joseph Pastore were described by Vitale in his interviews with the FBI and in documents filed in the case U.S. v. Joseph Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY). Pastore’s murder is also discussed in U.S. v. Joseph Massino, SS81-cr-803 (SDNY).

  6. “I Don’t Do Nothing” Testimony about the Hemingway truck hijacking is found in U.S. v. Joseph Massino, and Ray Wean, 75-cr-471 (EDNY). Massino’s testimony is also contained in the court file. Former FBI agent Patrick Colgan was interviewed about the Hemingway case.

  7. Power Play The description of the scene outside Casa Bella Restaurant is contained in Donnie Brasco: My Life Undercover in the Mafia by Joseph Pistone and Richard Woodley. The Pistone-Woodley book is also the primary source for information about Pistone’s infiltration of the Bonanno crime family. Details of Pistone’s undercover work is also contained in the trial record of U.S. v Napolitano et.al., 81-cr-803 (SDNY). Carmine Galante’s rise to power in the 1970s was described in a 1977 article in the New York Times. Galante’s assassination was described in various newspaper accounts. The Pistone-Woodley account also describes the effects of the Galante murder within the Bonanno crime family.

  8. The Three Captains The Pistone-Woodley book describes the way Benjamin Ruggiero and Dominick Napolitano came to know and trust “Donnie Brasco.” The plotting within the Bonanno crime family that led to the deaths of the three captains is described in a variety of sources. The Pistone-Woodley book gives some background on those murders but most of the details are derived from the trial record in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY) and the testimony of Frank Lino and Salvatore Vitale. FBI agent Vincent Savadel testified in U.S. v. Napolitano. FBI agent Charles Rooney was interviewed by me on a number of occasions. Donna Trinche
ra testified about the last time she saw her husband in the trial of U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY).

  9. The Inside Man The aftermath of the murder of the three captains is detailed in the Pistone-Woodley book and in Pistone’s testimony in the trial of U.S. v Napolitano. Former FBI agent Patrick Colgan was interviewed a number of times by me.

  10. Up on the Roof Testimony of Pistone in U.S. v. Napolitano. Salvatore Vitale interview with FBI. Testimony of former FBI agent Doug Fencl in U.S. v Napolitano and U.S. v. Massino (2004).

  11. Do It to Me One More Time My interviews of former FBI agent Patrick Marshall. Trial record in United States v Napolitano. Testimony of Lino in U.S. v Massino (2004).

  12. The Gathering Storm The genesis of the Pizza Connection investigation was described to me by Rooney. Vitale’s comments about Massino’s strange trips were made during interviews with the FBI. Additional information in the chapter was provided by Patrick Colgan, by trial records of U.S. v. Napolitano and U.S. v. Massino (1981), and by contemporary news accounts of the trials.

  13. Murder on the Lam Massino’s time on the lam was described by Duane Leisenheimer and Salvatore Vitale in their testimony in U.S. v. Massino (2003). The Charles Rooney interview provided details about the Pizza Connection investigation and indictments. Vitale was interviewed by the FBI about the Bonventre murder and he also testified about the events, as did James Tartaglione in U.S. v. Massino (2004).

  14. Return Attorney Jon Pollak described his blindfolded trip to see a fugitive Massino in an interview with me. Details of Massino’s arraignment came from the transcript in U.S. v. Massino (1981).

  15. Horatio Alger of the Mafia Patrick Marshall described the service of the wiretap notification in an interview with me. Anthony Salerno’s and Salvatore Avellino’s comments on surveillance tapes are contained in transcripts from the Commission Trial of 1986. Details of the trial of Philip Rastelli, Joseph Massino, and others in the moving industry case were taken from contemporary news accounts in the New York Times and in reported court decisions. Attorney Bruce Cutler provided me with details about Massino’s 1987 trial with Vitale. Other information about that case is contained in the trial record of U.S. v Massino SSS81-cr-803 (SDNY) and in accounts published in the New York Times.

  16. By the Numbers Charles Rooney provided details of his conversation with Louis Freeh, as well as his theory of the Sciasica murder, to me in an interview. FBI agents Jeffrey Sallet and Kimberly McCaffrey, as well as supervisory agent Jack Stubing, were interviewed by me. Former prosecutor James Walden is the source of information about the Baldassare Amato and Anthony Spero cases. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Nordenbrook was interviewed by me. Details about the Barry Weinberg connection are contained in the testimony of McCaffrey in the trial of U.S. v. Massino (2004). Frank Coppa testified about his cooperation in the 2004 Massino trial.

  17. Ghosts Details of Massino’s arraignment are contained in an audio taped record made by the Brooklyn federal court.

  18. All in the Family Josephine Massino and her two daughters, Joanne and Adeline, gave an interview to me on May 23, 2004. Additional information about them was provided by confidential sources. Information about Vitale’s decision to become a cooperating witness is contained in the 2004 Massino trial record, in Vitale’s interviews with the FBI, and in accounts published in Newsday. Tartaglione’s decision to cooperate was something he discussed in his trial testimony. Nordenbrook also provided details about Tartaglione. Information about Tartaglione’s taping is contained in the Massino trial record and government documents.

  19. “Let’s Bring In the Jury” Details of the various Bonanno-related indictments are found in news releases distributed by the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office and in court documents. The jury selection process in Massino’s 2004 trial was observed by me and was the subject of some press accounts. The legal wrangling over pretrial motions in the Massino case are detailed in court filings and motions papers.

  20. “They Didn’t Die of Old Age” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  21. “They Thought They Might Get Killed” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  22. “I Didn’t Want to Do No More Time” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  23. “This Is for Life” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  24. “He Is a Rat” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  25. “I Had Killed for Him” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  26. “Not One We Won” Trial transcript filed in U.S. v. Massino, 02-cr-0307 (EDNY), author’s notes.

  27. Endgame Two confidential sources provided me with information about Joseph Massino’s monumental decision to become a cooperating witness. Details of his cooperation are contained in court records filed in U.S. v. Basciano (EDNY) and court proceedings the day Massino pled guilty to the murder of Gerlando Sciascia on June 23, 2005.

  Bibliography

  Books

  Alexander, Shana. The Pizza Connection: Lawyers, Money, Drugs, Mafia. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988.

  Blum, Howard. Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.

  Bonanno, Bill. Bound by Honor: A Mafioso’s Story. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999.

  Bonanno, Joseph, and Sergio Lalli. A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983.

  Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia (2nd ed.) New York: Penguin, 2004.

  Giovina, Andrea, and Gary Brozek. Divorced from the Mob: My Journey from Organized Crime to Independent Woman. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004.

  Jackson, Kenneth T. The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995.

  Jacobs, James B., Christopher Panarella, and Jay Worthington. Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra. New York: New York University Press, 1994.

  Lewis, Norman. The Honored Society: A Searching Look at the Mafia. New York: Putnam, 1964.

  Longrigg, Claire. No Questions Asked: The Secret Life of Women in the Mob. New York: Hyperion, 2004.

  Maas, Peter. The Valachi Papers. New York: Putnam, 1968.

  —————. Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano’s Story of Life in the Mafia. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.

  O’Brien, Joseph F., and Andris Kurins. Boss of Bosses: The Fall of the Godfather: The FBI and Paul Castellano. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

  Peterson, Virgil. The Mob: 200 Years of Organized Crime in New York. Ottawa, IL: Green Hill, 1983.

  Pistone, Joseph D. The Way of the Wise Guy. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2004.

  —————, and Richard Woodley. Donnie Brasco: My Life Undercover in the Mafia. New York: New American Library, 1987.

  Rabb, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: Thomas Dunne, 2005.

  Repetto, Thomas. American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power. New York: Henry Holt, 2004.

  Saggio, Frankie, and Fred Rosen. Born to the Mob. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2004.

  Salerno, Ralph, and John S. Tompkins. The Crime Confederation. Garden City, NY.: Doubleday, 1969.

  Sciacca, Tony. Luciano: The Man Who Modernized the American Mafia. New York: Pinnacle, 1975.

  Servadio, Gaia. Mafioso: A History of the Mafia from Its Origins to the Present. New York: Dell, 1976.

  Talese, Gay. Honor Thy Father. New York: Dell, 1981.

  Teresa, Vincent, with Thomas C. Renner. Vinnie Teresa’s Mafia: A First Person Account of Life as a Hunted Informer. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975.

  Volkman, Ernest. Gangbusters: The Destruction of America’s Last Great Mafia Dynasty. Winchester, MA: Faber and Faber, 1998.

  Volz, Joseph, and Peter J. Bridge, eds. The Mafia Talks. Gre
enwich, CT: Fawcett, 1969.

  Court Documents and Cases

  People of the State of New York v. Philip Rastelli, 37 N.Y. 2d, 240 (1975).

  U.S. v. Patrick DeFilippo, 03-cr-929, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Ronald Filocomo, 02-cr-0307, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Gennaro Langella and Carmine Persico, 804 F.2d 889 (1986).

  U.S. v. Dominic Mariani, 851 F.2d 595 (1988).

  U.S. v. Joseph Massino, 02-cr-0307, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Joseph Massino, SS81-cr-803, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Joseph Massino and Salvatore Vitale, SSS81-cr-803, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Joseph Massino and Ray Wean, 75-cr-471, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Philip Rastelli, et.al., 85-cr-354, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Philip Rastelli, et.al., 551 F.2d (1977).

  U.S. v. Philip Rastelli, et.al., 870 F.2d 822 (1989).

  U.S. v. Benjamin Ruggiero, et.al., 81-cr-803, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

  U.S. v. Anthony Salerno, et.al., 85-cr-139, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.