Here’s an interesting little twist for you….

Which mobsters actually passed away while free --- not in prison --- but who still served many years behind bars before being released as broken old men, just waiting their turn to die.

I’ll go first…

John “Sonny” Franzese
Christopher “Ticker” Furnari

Los Angeles member Michael Rizzitello served around 24 years combined in California State Prison as well as about 3 years in either Terminal Island or Lompoc and probably also some time in New York/New Jersey

He was serving a 33 year sentence on his last bid (1990 attempted murder conviction) but managed to get released on a medical discharge and died free in Palm Springs

Thats good info, JP.

I believe Matty the Horse Ianniello died a free man. But he still served decades in prison before being released for the last time.

The funny thing is, up until Matty was already in his late fifties, early sixties, to my memory I don't think he'd ever served more than a single day in jail. But over the course of the next several decades, the Feds made sure to break his lucky streak.

Jerry Angiulo b.1919 was arrested in 1987 and parole in 2007 for die in 2009.

Yep. Jerry Angiulo definitely fits into this category. He served 2 decades in stir, comes home as an old man and dies less than 2 years later.

The Gemini Twins served 35 years and I believe were released. But these were stone cold killers, I'd still say that after being convicted for 11 kills, they're still winners in a sense. But still, 35 years is 35 years.

Well, I don't that the Gemini twins fit this bill because both are still alive to my knowledge, but I agree that 35 years behind bars to the equivalent of your lifetime.....three and a half decades!

Just think about that. And the only reason why they're still around is because they both got nailed when they were still very young men. What a waste, all around.

The notorious Sicilian-born Gambino brothers, John, Joe and Rosario. They served a lot of time, but were eventually released from custody....only to face U.S. deportation proceedings.

Philip Rastelli

Yep. Rastelli was in and out of the joint his whole life. He did not enjoy his years as boss.

To an old-school boss like him, simply having the power is good enough for guys like Rusty.

Yes, its hard for many regular folks to understand. But thats how many of these guys were...and are. Its all about the perceived "status" ---- regardless of the "reality" of their situation and how dire it may be.

@NYMafia and Liggio.

It's crazy he was the Boss of the Bonanno's for nearly 20 years....

None of the other bosses respected him...

1974-1991 right?

He was mostly in prison all his years as boss; but we have to give him credit.

He was able to out-smart; Galante; the 3 capo's and other things that was going on in the family.

He had alot of captain's during his reign killed.

Rusty definitely wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. That for sure. But I will say one thing for him. He was a tough motherfucker! Especially when he was a younger man. Guys on the street can talk they way they want, but nobody can take that away from him.

And the guys back in the day who knew him....I mean really knew him, all know it.

@NYMafia

Was Rastelli a captain during Joe Bonanno's reign or after it?

I know he was a captain during the 1960's; but was it while Joe Bonanno was boss or after he fled to Arizona (Which also took place during the 1960's)?

Rusty originally came out of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg section of North Brooklyn. For many years he was actually a soldier --- albeit a very powerful one ---- who many people mistook for a captain, because he was so active and such a force.

I believe he was elevated to a capo status by the early 1960s, but with the turmoil and shifting alliances that took place a few years later with the advent of the Banana War, he saw his stock rise and fall several times.

By the late 1960s he had become extremely powerful and was considered a hierarchy member of the Bonanno administration.

By the very early 1970s, he had arguably become "the" power in the family, but over the course of the coming decades, his power and abilities were continually eroded by the fact of his constant jailing.

@NYMafia.

Thanks for the information.

Out of all the 1970's/1980's bosses...

Seem's like Rusty dealt with the most internal family turmoil then any of his contemporaries.

Castellano; Corallo; Gigante and Persico didn't have to deal with that....



Also it's been said; Galante and Rastelli had been friends since the 1940's... Most people forget that.

Yes, I have to agree with your assessment of NYC's underworld landscape during that era.

The Colombos did have a lot of internal turmoil during the early 1970s, (think Joe Colombo's assassination attempt in 1971, Joey Gallo's subsequent "payback" assassination the following year, in 1972, and the general housecleaning the Colombos did by killing Gallo Gang members during that same era.)

But they stabilized themselves after that, for awhile anyway. Unfortunately, for some time to come, on and off, the Bonanno crew saw a lot of blood and turmoil.

Lilo came home, and his ruled the Bonanno's with an iron-fist, until he didn't anymore....They killed him, and that was that.

The Colombos had their problems while Carmine was away. But once he came home by early 1979, they stabilized themselves all over again....until they didn't. Lol

Over the years both Brooklyn-based borgatas saw a lot of blood and destabilization....

The Brooklyn crews were always wild men. lol

@NYMafia

Rusty should have stepped down...

I also {IMO} don't think he trusted Massino as much as people say...

Stefano Cannone was Rusty's eyes and ears even when Rastelli was in jail.

I have to add Pete Casella to this list. He conspired with Frank Narducci to have Phil Testa murdered.

Pete Casella did 17-20 years in prison on drug charges and came back into the family (Philly)....

He did alot of time.... had his boss (Testa) murdered...

and was fortunate to survive the wrath of the commission.

He died a free man.

Right @NYMafia?

The Mafia needs a system where an imprisoned, respected boss can step down and still be looked after, and respected. But once imprisoned for life, or essentially a life sentence, it should be mandatory to step down. Imagine the problems they could have avoided.

I agree. I think Rastelli stepping down would have probably been much better for the Bonanno Family in general.

But you know how it is, Zavattoni. Very few of these guys are willing to relinquish the power and money that goes with that title.

In fact, of all the Family bosses over the last half century that come to mind, the Lucchese Family boss Anthony “Tony Ducks” Corallo is one of the few I can think of who actually did so….for the betterment (or as it turned out, the unwitting detriment) of their borgata.

The problem with this theory is twofold. Besides the overwhelming majority of bosses themselves not wanting to step down from power, for the power itself (hence, why the rule was never established by the bosses in the first place,) most members of Cosa Nostra are greedy and money hungry. So even if a boss stepped down voluntarily with the promise of being looked after financially by the borgata, nine times out of ten, the next guy in power would soon stop the flow of money that had been promised....and as the new boss, that's his prerogative.

Within most borgatas its been a vicious cycle of greed and bullshit since the beginning of time.

And that is why, within the few Families that conducted themselves a bit differently through the years, there was generally peace, harmony and tranquility among the membership. It has to start from the hierarchy --- the boss --- on down. Good examples of this was the Pittsburgh Family under John LaRocca, and the Lucchese Family, under both Tommy Gagliano and his successor, Tommy Lucchese.

...As an old Sicilian proverb teaches us, "The fish always stinks from the head down."

Yes, thats correct, Zavattoni.

Pete Casella was a well-respected soldier of the old Angelo Bruno Family, who specialized in the smuggling and interstate distribution of heroin brought into this country from Europe. He was a key member of a major international narcotics ring coordinated in several U.S. cities by top members of several U.S. Mafia Families, in conjunction with their brethren across in the ocean, both Italian and Corsican drug racketeers.

They later all got nailed and Casella served a very lengthy prison term. Upon release, he was given even greater respect throughout Cosa Nostra for having kept his mouth closed and done his time.

But he was broke, and a little bitter too. And felt that he should have be given more power and money because of his previous loyalty (an old, well worn tale by many a mafiosi.)

So he conspired against the hierarchy, and, as you already mentioned, was extremely lucky to have been spared the fate of Tony Caponigro and Al Salerno. He was banished from Cosa Nostra, but was allowed to keep his skin.

Good example.

Casella served a lot of time in the can, and I'm sure, died broke or close to it....in exile.

I think another top guy who "technically" died while free from jail, but had served many decades in prison over the course of his lifetime, was the infamous Lucchese Family capo and rapacious heroin trafficker, Joseph "Joe Beck" DiPalermo.

@NYMafia.

Who was the captain that saved Casella?

Great thread.

I can't that I'm familiar with who stepped in to save Casella. If I am, its not coming to mind at the moment.

Thank you.