Christy Tick, 90, Beats the System, Departs Prison
Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari, Sr. walked out of prison last month without a peep.
He'd been serving a 100-year stretch he'd been sentenced to back in 1986 as a defendant in the storied Commission Case.
The legendary Luchese consiglieri was responsible for bringing two of the most violent mobsters in New York into the family, Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, who assumed control after those convicted in the Commission Case were sent away for a century, Christy Tick among them.
He's 90 and has been filing motions and appeals. According to one of the more recent documents we could find, Furnari had alleged that the "Parole Commission had based its denial of parole on an improper calculation of his offense severity rating and has failed to consider mitigating factors in his favor."
He'd been serving a 100-year stretch he'd been sentenced to back in 1986 as a defendant in the storied Commission Case.
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| Christy Tick |
He's 90 and has been filing motions and appeals. According to one of the more recent documents we could find, Furnari had alleged that the "Parole Commission had based its denial of parole on an improper calculation of his offense severity rating and has failed to consider mitigating factors in his favor."
Strange, we thought the sentence was 100 years without parole.... Who'd begrudge a 90-year-old who has served decades a little fresh air? Not us...
Check for yourself: Inmate Locator:
CHRISTOPHER FURNARI
Register Number: 19815-054
Age: 90
Race: White
Sex: Male
Released On: 09/19/2014
It's been an ongoing argument that Furnari was unfairly put in the Commission Case; that he wasn't on the Commission and had no connection to the Galante hit. The inclusion of the Carmine Galante murder was essential to making the Commission Case meet the RICO statutes (though some probably considered it a public service). And there's nothing like a Mafia murder to entice jurors to perk up and pay attention.
Furnari was a powerful player whose profile surpassed the Luchese family. His social club, the 19th Hole, was pretty much the New York Mafia's base in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Members of all the New York families were known to have met there to socialize, wheel and deal, and whatever.
Furnari liked what he saw in a couple of young thugs back in the 1960s. (It probably wasn't his greatest call, to be honest.) Amuso and Gaspipe showed Furnari that they were good earners more than willing to crack heads when needed. So Christy Tick brought them into his crew.
When the Five Families opened the books in the early 1970s, Furnari immediately put up both Amuso and Casso for family membership.
The two together formed the core of the "Bypass Gang," an immensely profitable and successful burglary ring that stole many millions of dollars in cash, jewelry and other valuables during the 1970s and 1980s.
It all came down in September 1986, meaning the superb leadership of legendary founder Thomas "Tommy Three-Fingers Brown" Lucchese's successor, Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo, as well as his administration: Furnari as consiglieri and underboss Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro. By the fall of 1986, when the Luchese defendants were pretty certain the verdict would not go their way, Furnari persuaded Corallo that Amuso and Casso were fit to take control of the family.
Check for yourself: Inmate Locator:
CHRISTOPHER FURNARI
Register Number: 19815-054
Age: 90
Race: White
Sex: Male
Released On: 09/19/2014
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| Furnari's famous deadly proteges, Amuso and Casso. |
Furnari liked what he saw in a couple of young thugs back in the 1960s. (It probably wasn't his greatest call, to be honest.) Amuso and Gaspipe showed Furnari that they were good earners more than willing to crack heads when needed. So Christy Tick brought them into his crew.
When the Five Families opened the books in the early 1970s, Furnari immediately put up both Amuso and Casso for family membership.
The two together formed the core of the "Bypass Gang," an immensely profitable and successful burglary ring that stole many millions of dollars in cash, jewelry and other valuables during the 1970s and 1980s.
It all came down in September 1986, meaning the superb leadership of legendary founder Thomas "Tommy Three-Fingers Brown" Lucchese's successor, Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo, as well as his administration: Furnari as consiglieri and underboss Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro. By the fall of 1986, when the Luchese defendants were pretty certain the verdict would not go their way, Furnari persuaded Corallo that Amuso and Casso were fit to take control of the family.
On November 19, 1986, Furnari was among the eight high-level mobsters convicted and sentenced to 100 years in prison.