Who's the Luchese Boss? Still Vic Amuso
GangLandNews reported that Vittorio "Vic" Amuso, whose reign atop one of New York's Five Crime Families was one of the Mafia's bloodiest and most violent, did not lose his crown in 1992, as originally reported.
He's been boss all along, even following his 1992 trial and conviction. (Amuso was called the "Deadly Don" by Assistant United States Attorney Charles Rose. Amuso faced 54 counts related to loan-sharking, extortion, racketeering and narcotics dealing -- plus nine murders.)
Age 79, he's serving life in prison at Cumberland FCI.
Amuso initially ran the Luchese crime family with (and was somewhat overshadowed by) former underboss Anthony (Gaspipe) Casso, who is serving life in prison following a failed bid to flip.
Both Amuso and Gaspipe fled when the indictment first came down. Casso was on the lam for two more years after Amuso was nabbed. The Luchese boss deemed Casso responsible for his arrest -- and had banished Casso from the crime family.
And he's still got the power today, Gangland News reported, noting: while "the feds can take a gangland chief out of circulation, they can't take his Mafia crown away from him."
This is despite news reports to the contrary, including Gangland News's own. "Amuso's reign has been continuous since he took over in 1986 after his predecessor, Antonio (Tony Ducks) Corallo, was convicted in the historic Commission case, sentenced to 100 years, and ceded his lofty post to Amuso."
Gangland had reported back in February, 2012 that longtime acting boss Steven (Stevie Wonder) Crea, 66, had been elevated to the top slot.
"Rumors of Little Vic's alleged demise as Luchese boss were greatly exaggerated."
Matthew Madonna, 78, who reportedly is Stevie Wonder's right-hand-man, had served as Amuso's "street boss."
Capeci noted that one of his sources had said "that when Amuso's wife Barbara died two years ago, it was "standing room only" at the one-day wake at the James Romanelli-Stephen Funeral Home on Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park on March 2, 2012. Mrs. Amuso, 69, was laid to rest the following day at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale."
Barbara Amuso, who supported of her husband at trial, died on February 29, 2012 — "six days after Gang Land's faux pas that her husband had stepped down."
"Amuso sent out word that he wanted everyone to show up, and the place was packed," said LEO#2. "The Lucheses showed up en masse," added LEO#3, who noted that a "sprinkling" of Gambinos from the Howard Beach, Queens area, where both Gotti and Amuso lived, also paid their respects.
He's been boss all along, even following his 1992 trial and conviction. (Amuso was called the "Deadly Don" by Assistant United States Attorney Charles Rose. Amuso faced 54 counts related to loan-sharking, extortion, racketeering and narcotics dealing -- plus nine murders.)
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| Vic Amuso remains official boss. |
Amuso initially ran the Luchese crime family with (and was somewhat overshadowed by) former underboss Anthony (Gaspipe) Casso, who is serving life in prison following a failed bid to flip.
Both Amuso and Gaspipe fled when the indictment first came down. Casso was on the lam for two more years after Amuso was nabbed. The Luchese boss deemed Casso responsible for his arrest -- and had banished Casso from the crime family.
This is despite news reports to the contrary, including Gangland News's own. "Amuso's reign has been continuous since he took over in 1986 after his predecessor, Antonio (Tony Ducks) Corallo, was convicted in the historic Commission case, sentenced to 100 years, and ceded his lofty post to Amuso."
Gangland had reported back in February, 2012 that longtime acting boss Steven (Stevie Wonder) Crea, 66, had been elevated to the top slot.
"Rumors of Little Vic's alleged demise as Luchese boss were greatly exaggerated."
Matthew Madonna, 78, who reportedly is Stevie Wonder's right-hand-man, had served as Amuso's "street boss."
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| FBI surveillance photo of Amuso, left, Casso. |
Capeci noted that one of his sources had said "that when Amuso's wife Barbara died two years ago, it was "standing room only" at the one-day wake at the James Romanelli-Stephen Funeral Home on Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park on March 2, 2012. Mrs. Amuso, 69, was laid to rest the following day at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale."
Barbara Amuso, who supported of her husband at trial, died on February 29, 2012 — "six days after Gang Land's faux pas that her husband had stepped down."
"Amuso sent out word that he wanted everyone to show up, and the place was packed," said LEO#2. "The Lucheses showed up en masse," added LEO#3, who noted that a "sprinkling" of Gambinos from the Howard Beach, Queens area, where both Gotti and Amuso lived, also paid their respects.