Feds Go to Bat to Whack Massino's Life Sentence
“As the first official boss of the American Mafia to testify publicly, Massino’s cooperation was an important milestone in the decades-long effort by the Department of Justice to dismantle and uproot La Cosa Nostra,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Taryn Merkl stated in papers filed Monday in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Massino, 70, sought a cooperation deal from the government immediately after he was convicted in 2004 of racketeering and eight gangland rubouts.
Prosecutors were skeptical at first, but Massino won them over when he claimed to have knowledge of a plot by his successor, Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano, to whack mob-busting Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Andres. He testified in two mob trials and provided assistance that led to dozens of convictions.
Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis has scheduled the resentencing for June 20. Massino has served more than 10 years in prison since his last arrest.
Turning state's evidence
In hopes of saving his life, Massino decided to break his blood oath and turn informer. Massino subsequently claimed he decided to turn informer due to the prospect of his wife and mother having to forfeit their houses to the government.
Here is what the Feds, ostensibly, extracted from Massino. I must ask them - was it worth it? Was he really that useful?
- At his advice, that October the FBI revisited the Queens mob graveyard where Alphonse Indelicato's body was found, and unearthed the bodies of Trinchera and Giaccone as well
- Massino agreed to wear a wire when meeting acting boss Vinny "Gorgeous" Basciano in jail. While Massino was unable to extract an unambiguous confession regarding Andres [a prosecutor Massino claimed Vinny Gorgeous wanted slain; with this one, Joe was able to dramatically get the Feds' attention, even though it was highly likely bullshit]. Massino did however record Basciano freely admit to ordering the murder of associate Randolph Pizzolo
- Massino was conspicuously absent from the prosecution witnesses at the 2006 racketeering trial of Basciano, the prosecution deciding he was not yet needed
- He was also expected to testify against Vito Rizzuto regarding his role in the three capos' murder, but the Montreal boss accepted a plea bargain in May 2007.
- Massino finally made his debut as a witness at Basciano's trial for the murder of Randolph Pizzolo in April 2011; Massino testified both during the trial itself and, after Basciano was convicted, on behalf of the prosecution's unsuccessful attempt to impose the death penalty.
- Massino testified again in the 2012 extortion trial of Genovese capo Anthony Romanello, primarily to provide background as an expert on the American Mafia.