This was on the cover of today's Daily News. The article follows.



Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano, former Mafia king, looks amazingly good for spending life in Supermax prison

Vinny Basciano's hair looks good, he looks fit and tan

By John Marzulli / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Vinny’s still gorgeous.

Ex-Bonanno crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano spends 23 hours a day in an 80-square-foot cement cell in the country’s toughest clink, but the hard time hasn’t put a dent in his dimples.

And he wants the whole world to know he looks just mah-velous.

In a photo obtained by the Daily News, Basciano grins ear to ear and waves to the camera while sporting a trim figure in prison-issued sweatpants and a T-shirt at the Supermax federal prison in Colorado.

His skin has a healthy glow, and his graying hair is meticulously groomed — a fitting look for the former owner of the Bronx beauty parlor Hello Gorgeous.

Several law enforcement officials who viewed the photo marveled at how Basciano has held up so well in solitary confinement — where he’s allowed an hour each day to exercise in an outdoor cage.

But the photo didn’t surprise prison spokesman Douglas Cramer.

“The reality is, we don’t run a dungeon,” Cramer told The News.

The mob boss is serving two life sentences for killing an associate and a neighborhood junkie who threatened to kidnap his son. But he still gets time to work on his tan, Cramer said.

“If [inmates] want to sunbathe in the rec cage, they can do that,” the spokesman said. “They can do calisthenics and pushups.”

But how does the hair look so good?

“We have a contract with outside barbers, and we pay for a haircut once a month,” Cramer said.

Basciano, 51, has been making strides since he was dispatched to the prison seven months ago. The Supermax holds the nation’s worst federal inmates, including terrorists and prison murderers.

The mobster is locked up there because he once wrote from behind bars an alleged hit list containing the names of a federal judge, prosecutor and mob rats.

Late last year Basciano graduated from the prison’s notorious Cell Block H to general population for good behavior.

But the new digs aren’t much better. Basciano remains in his cell 23 hours a day, leaving only for an hour of recreation in which prisoners are separated from each other in cages.

Basciano does get basic cable TV in his cell, which includes several prison channels featuring educational and religious programming. He can also play video games on the TV, including Bingo, word search and crossword puzzles.

The crime boss better get used to the space.

Bascianio’s defense lawyer, Michael Bachman, informed his client that earlier this month the U.S. Court of Appeals had rejected his bid to overturn a murder conviction.

“He took it as well as could be expected,” Bachman said. “It’s very difficult being in \[Supermax\], but he has to hold out hope so we will continue to press his appeals.

But Basciano’s former defense lawyer Ephraim Savitt said he’s not surprised that Vinny is still Vinny.

“He’s in the company of the person he loves best,” Savitt observed. “I’ve never had a client that tough. He’s really amazing.”

jmarzulli@nydailynews.com

He could have been in movies. Like Sonny said - "wasted talent".

Thanks for sharing, he seems to be looking good.

Thank you pb, for this interesting article and picture. If ya gotta do the time might as well , get along with the circumstances ! What else can you do ! Bet he does have a game going !

hey ...vinny looks good .. I dunno if I was doing life I doubt I would have a smile like that.. tough guy

I was gonna say what the headline said

Basciano really reminds me of Gotti in a way. His image is of utmost importance to him and his pride won't allow him to be broken, even doing life in the worst prison in the country.

Stand up guy through and through, big loss for the Bonannos the feds took him off the streets.

read my quote below

I've always like that signature Dappah

ty

You don't get a tan like that with an 'hour exercise a day in an outdoor cage'. This guy is probably having hair gel and tanning cream smuggled in.

Like Ivy said, this guy's image means everything to him.

doubt he has much of anything smuggled in, you can barely even move your bowels at supermax without them knowing about it

If you say so Dapper, but how the hell does he manage to look so upbeat in the Supermax? The guy looks like he just went on vacation or something.

All things are possible, if it is done right !

Just Sayen !

Frosty

guy knows hes in the can for the rest of his life might as well make the best out of a bad situation and put a smile on for the family

Thanks Pizza Boy. Vinny went from general population, where he was treated like a king to 23 hour lock down, where he'll only come out for one whole hour. Either way I'm glad I'm not in there.

Yep, It's not like general pop where you might have a few bad guards.

great article. Thanks for the post PB

“The reality is, we don’t run a dungeon,”

well I wouldn't wanna see this guys idea of a dungeon..
23 hour lock down - 1 hr in the cage, they should give him a dog or summit to keep him company.. fill his time a little no?

Exactly right, Gemini. And lets not forget that Vinnie has only been there for a few months. We have no idea of knowing how he'll look after five or ten years.

Aren't Gravano and Casso housed at the same facility? If so, then we have the makings of a bonafide Mafia Row there at Florence! Pretty soon all three guys will be running the joint, shaking down other convicts, and enjoying succulent steaks and fine wine!

Nah, USP Florence is an Aryan yard. That and Gravano and Casso are snitches, though Casso not by much.

It's kind of depressing how he was sent to life for killing a guy who kidnapped and even tried to kill his son. But, rapists get out sooner. Please tell me Vinny did other bad stuff in the past that was just as bad and they got him for all of them. The FBI has been after the Italian mobsters for years. I agree he deserved to be punished, but not life in prison, maybe 10 years, but life is way too much. FBI stands for forever bothering the Italians, like what Armand Assante said in the film "Gotti." It's always going to be like that. Could be Vinny needs parole, but for anyone to be in good spirits in a Prison cell to me is a blessing, Makes this Italian count his blessings. Very saddening.

Yeah NJBoy I agree with you, it seems like if you are in the mafia then immediately the sentences are extreme. Obviously I agree they should be punished, but you have people who kill an innocent person or even a child and be out in 15 years. Like there are disgusting peodophiles who assault and murder a child and they have a shot at getting out sometimes, in my opinion guys like Vinny aren't even on that level.

True that !!

Pizza Boy makes a good point about will see in 5-10 yrs. what he looks like.That's how Gotti looked in the beginning too.See Vinny is at that age where different parts of your body start breaking down,and if you were on the outside you would be getting the procedures done by the best medical personal.So hopefully he stays somewhat heathy.I think Gotti's throat cancer started with a sore on his gum that was never treated right until it was too late.He really looked bad at the end.

Thanks, 22. That's the same analogy I'd make. Gotti was still movie star handsome at 52 years old when he went to Marion in 1992. And coincidentally, Vinny turned 52 this past November. Exact same age.

I hear you there Pizza Boy I did not realize that exact age thing,that is a coincedence.

To be fair, the FBI goes after all types of ethnic criminals, not just the Italians. And it's not accurate to say "forever bothering italians"; maybe "forever bothering italian criminals," but even that's a stretch. If Gotti and Basciano and Massino and Gravano, et.al, were all mailmen, truck drivers, and construction workers, I doubt they would have found themselves in federal custody!

Read my post a little slower. You misunderstood it. Not all cops make the right choices and make the wrong calls. They also lie on people's reports and what actually happens.

Most cops and politicians are more crooked than mobsters are.