As a protg of Furnari, he was also involved in gambling and drug dealing. "[26], For example, in the infamous "whack Jersey order", Amuso and Casso ordered Al D'Arco and the Vario Crew to murder the Lucchese family's entire Jersey Crew, after caporegime Anthony Accetturo refused a direct order to increase the family's share of their profits. In his early days he had acted as bodyguard and chauffeur to Carmine Tramunti, a.k.a. Testa then jumped into a car driven by Anthony Senter and left Brighton Beach. DArcos testimony at numerous trials was the final nail in many mob coffins. [50], The paperwork included monthly tabulations of how much money Casso and Amuso had received from each of their criminal operations. [32] Doctors credited Chiodo's obesity with saving his life, as none of the slugs penetrated a vital organ or artery. [34], Following the unsuccessful assassination attempt, Casso delivered a blunt threat through Chiodo's lawyer that, if Chiodo testified, his wife would be murdered. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ira Harkavy ruled recently that the statute of limitations had passed on Casso Jr.'s allegations that Kaplan had fraudulently obtained ownership of the home from Anthony Casso Sr. in 1985 as part of a money-laundering scheme. Casso reluctantly accepted. While he provided them with information in court the following year, Casso only ratted out Eppolito and Caracappa whose status as police officers werent covered by the Mafias code of silence. In early April, Amuso convened another meeting, this one at the Le Parc Lounge on Rockaway Parkway, in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Casso Jr. said his late mother, Lillian Casso, who bought the house for $60,000 in 1960, was forced by her criminal husband to sign it over to Kaplan in 1985 for a purported $450,000 as part of a scam. I never loved any woman but Lillian. But Casso Jr. balked and attempted to speak privately with Kaplan, who is in the witness protection program. He was first spotted by Gambino associate Nino Gaggi who tempted him into the family through loanshark projects. Prior to his marriage to Lillian, Casso had a serious relationship with fellow South Brooklyn native Rosemarie Billotti, whose parents hoped he would marry. He never returned home. During his tender years, he earned himself living by shooting predatory hawks. Corrupt Judge uses Mob Money to pay for Daughter's (NY Supreme Court Mafia Underboss Arrested Exiting Shower. Anthony Casso kicked out of Witness Protection - Gangland Wire It seems that the only people the Government awards freedom to are the ones who give prejudiced testimony to win convictions. Casso remained Amuso's aide. ", Read more about this topic: Anthony Casso, No wealth can buy the requisite leisure, freedom, and independence which are the capital in this profession. The bulk of the products were made-up in Chinatown, so there was a constant movement back and forth between the garment district located mainly between 34th and 39th Streets and the makers located south of Canal Street, three miles down the island. Michael Pappadio had for many years been an inducted member of Cosa Nostra, getting his stripe, or admission into Cosa Nostra, sometime between 1974 and 1977. It was against all my beliefs and upbringing. Terms of Service, 2023Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org [citation needed]. Casso has given New York Times bestselling author Philip Carlo the most intimate, personal look into the world of La Cosa Nostra ever seen. After this murder, he was officially regarded as one of the leading members of the Lucchese family. The former mafia leader turned government informant admitted to personally having a hand in the killing of thirty-six people. In 1972, she married Michael who legally adopted the children in 1974. For the next 30 years, Casso was a free gangster. [13] However, Casso declined, suggesting that Amuso be promoted instead. But Kaplan refused unless she paid him $125,000 up front, Casso Jr. said. Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso - The Worst Life : r/Mafia - Reddit Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is currently serving thirteen consecutive life sentences plus 455 years at a federal prison in Colorado. [13], In December 1985, Casso was approached by caporegime Frank DeCicco regarding a planned coup in the Gambino crime family. His wife passed away in February 2005. In a 2006 letter to The Post, he railed against the feds, griping that he wanted to be a witness in the mob cops trial. In one such example, he along with two associates, and legitimate garment operators, incorporated a firm called Fashion Page. Front view of Anthony Gaspipe Casso's house. Street tax from Balagula's organization was not only strategically shared, but also became the Five Families' biggest moneymaker after drug trafficking. Later that night, D'Arco and his family entered WITSEC. Gotti and DeCicco were looking for support among the other Four Families affected by the Mafia Commission Trial. In the end, Michael Pappadio died not so much because he underestimated the evil of Amuso and Casso, rather he overestimated his ability to swim with the fish, even though they were piranhas. When he clocked 16, he abandoned school and went ahead to join his father in working as a longshoreman. As FBI Agents listened in, they recognized Casso's voice. Age . Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. He was a domineering personality, whose word was never questioned. In 1962, Lucheses daughter, Frances, married Thomas, the eldest son of Carlo Gambino, the powerful mob boss, and this union cemented close relationships between the two families, including their interests in the garment district. Anthony Casso was a member of the Lucchese crime family.