Ex-mob boss testifies in Basciano trial
Joseph Massino, the reputed former boss of a notorious New York organized crime family, is expected to testify for the government in a murder case against Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano. Credit: AP
Talk about an expensive bottle of Champagne!
Former Bonanno family boss Joe Massino, appearing for a second day in Brooklyn federal court Thursday as the highest ranking mob informant ever to testify, said that after he was jailed in 2003, defendant Vinny Basciano sent Massino's wife a bubbly bottle stuffed with cash to show his loyalty.
"They had a bottle of Dom Pérignon," Massino said, explaining a passage on a tape he secretly made of a jailhouse conversation with Basciano. "They put $50,000 in there."
Massino, 68, is testifying in the death penalty trial of Basciano, 50, who is charged with killing mob associate Randolph Pizzolo in 2004, and later plotting to kill a federal prosecutor and judge. Prosecutors Thursday played tapes Massino made while chatting with Basciano in a jail recreation cage in January 2005.
On the tapes, the wily former boss mixed personal talk about wife problems and internal strife in their crime family with doses of intimidation and flattery to try to cajole a careful Basciano -- who was serving as acting boss -- into confessing to the Pizzolo killing.
In his most explicit admissions, Basciano called Pizzolo a "dangerous kid" who "deserved it," and said at one point, "I ordered it." But in other passages, as Massino complained that the hit was unnecessary and had never been approved by him, Basciano appeared to backtrack -- blaming it on other members of the family's ruling panel.
Another subject: Basciano's insistence that captains strip for meetings so he could check for wires.
"They resent that," said Massino, wearing a wire himself, who added that he understood the need for it. "Do I go along with it? No. But do I understand it? A thousand percent."
'No one wants to pay more taxes than they need to' Nearly 20,000 Long Islanders work in town and city government. A Newsday investigation found a growing number of them are making more than $200,000 a year. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.
'No one wants to pay more taxes than they need to' Nearly 20,000 Long Islanders work in town and city government. A Newsday investigation found a growing number of them are making more than $200,000 a year. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.
