He could have gone to to the FBI if he was a civilian, hewn to a mafia member he worked for. It's not a difficult concept to grasp.

. Absolutely. He was a good family man who unfortunately was involved in a tragic accident that was unavoidable. Sadly the kid was the son of a maniac

What would do you think the FBI done for him? Provide security or place him in the WPP and move him and his famiky into a new identity, at taxpayer expense, without ever testifying or providing the government with any kind of useful information, not likely. I think he should have sold the car asap,, borrowed money, moved out and pay back the loan after the house was sold. The NYPD issued him a Concealed Carry Permut and he bought a gun but apparently didn't have it when he was abducted.

Just because he worked at a place part owned by a wiseguy, does not mean he was a "connected" guy, not in the criminal sense.

. Exactly we agree

. I’m glad you brought this up. Knowing mobsters doesn’t mean you’re involved or that you are “fair game”. My grandfather knew it was friendly with many wise guy. However he was a legit ad they come and would always stress the importance of living a lawful and legit life and never getting involved in mob life. It doesn’t matter that Favara was friendly with the Zappi family. He was a legit family man who sadly was involved in an accident that occurs every day. Unfortunately for him Frank Gotti’s father was a nutjob

I never heard that Favara has a "nut job" father. As for how he handled the Gotti issue, he went to a mobster he knew, and did turned dome police and FBI help. plus got advice to get a gun and kill Gotti. He is sounding more and more like he was no legitimate person. By the way, is this topic going to go on forever? I don't get people who keep bumping a controversial topic up every time things calm down.

. I think you summed it up perfectly. Just because you may know a mob guy doesn’t mean you’re involved in that life or are “less innocent”. The task bad guys are the mob who brutally killed him

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/men-who-paralyzed-woman-in-botched-mob-hit-out-on-parole-1.793667

Not sure if someone posted this already, but Louise Russo was paralyzed in a sub shop in Toronto because she was standing in front of the target of a mob hit in broad daylight. That is outrageous.

. Thank You for posting this Mike. Outrageous and Sad indeed

Paralyzing an innocent woman...just another day at the office for a man of honor...

Absolutely Louie. It’s just the reality of that life. That’s why there are so many examples of it. I appreciate all those who have shared these tragic incidents and their thoughts about it!!!

The ‘ndrangheta has murdered children on many occasions, not just accidentally by stray bullets, but on purpose, just to get at their adult family members.

2 examples:

In 1975 in Cittanova, 12-year-old Domenico Facchineri and 9-year old Michele Facchineri were murdered by members of the Albanese-Raso ‘ndrangheta group, opposed to the Facchineri family.

In 1973 in Crotone, 10-year-old Salvatore Feudale was murdered together with his brother Domenico, as retaliation against their father, who had killed the son of the ‘ndrangheta boss Luigi Vrenna.

Some people may say that “these are only a few cases picked out”, but imo even 1 single child murder is a very big tragedy. There is no excuse for whoever kills a child, and in these cases they were even targeted with premeditation, they were not “collateral damage” hit by stray bullets (which still would be no excuse).

In my opinion, It’s also quite disgusting that Luigi Vrenna, who ordered this 10-year-old boy killed, was treated with respect even by the police lieutenant Tito Baldo Honorati, who arrested him…Some submissive people worship these “godfathers” no matter what they do, even when they kill children.

Absolutely Dwalin. Thank You for your post!!! Yes sadly kids/teens have certainly been victims of the mob and just “accidentally “

The ‘Ndrangheta is another organization, they are not part of it, but since you include them, lets add Columbian and mexican gangs., Arabic gangs. Bloods, Crips, and everyone else? Of course not. they don't belong.

I also would put Phyllis Burdi on the list. Just be safe she was a drug addict doesn’t mean she deserved to be murdered and dismembered like that. We know Tommy Pitera blamed him for his wife/girlfriend’s Celeste death but the truth of the matter is she is as responsible for her own actions. She chose to get involved with drugs and it eventually killed her

The topic title talks about "mob victims". The "mob" is a term that is a little vague, so I assumed all Italian organizations would qualify. Otherwise, it would have been specifically "Cosa Nostra victims". But we are getting too much into semantics here imo. Theoretically, one could also say "Russian mob", "Chinese mob" or whatever, it becomes confusing.

I agree, Tommy Pitera was a real psycho...More a serial killer than strictly a mobster imo, considering his other murders too.

I read somewhere the police approved a carry permit for him, (nearly impossible to get in NYC), so the gun was legal. Going to a wiseguy for help may have been out of fear and desperation rather than following some underworld code.

. Agreed. Just because he knew the Zappi family died that mean he is less innocent. No matter what crap the Gotti women spew he wasnt a heartless man who was connected. By most accounts he was a legit a great family family who sadly was involved in an unfortunate accident that was unavoidable

. Agreed. Some monsters enjoy killing more than others but still it shows how far they will go for money or vengeance

Also keep in mind that the Favara killing was 40 years ago. This was just before RICO began to be wielded as a weapon against gangsters. Law enforcement didn't quite have the upper hand yet. Any person in the NYC area (especially a wiseguy neighborhood) would have feared the mob no matter what the police said. Favara probably asked that guy for advice because he was scared. With good reason.

I get fed up with people like you trying to say that the only reason the mob got away with murder is because it was before RICO. There are plenty of new age unsolved mob murders, like Anthony Seccafico and Ralph Coppola to name a few.

RICO was enacted in 1970, it's first case was against the Hells Angels in California 1979 and the first LCN prosecution was in 1980 against Funzi Tieri. RICO had no impact on the Favara murder, that was a vendetta killing straight up.. Hell hath no wrath like a mother's vengeance, believe that fellas.

. Although you make some good points RICO was implemented in the 70’s. However you’re still correct back in 1980 law enforcement didn’t have the type of resources they eventually had some years later to really taken in the mob at that time. I’m sure Favara was scared specially after being assaulted after trying to apologize again

That goes to show how Fucked up law enforcement is. A civilian that they knew was killed bc of Gotti and they didn't give any pressure on getting informants to nail him. Instead they spent millions on putting him away but left the family without any closure. That poor family had to watch the guy win over and over again for crimes not even related to Favara. And they reward guys like Gravano a fresh start. They should've swooped up the Favara's and gave them a fresh start.

. That’s really on the FBI not the regular police department. I’ve been very open about how many(not all) in the FBI have done things incorrectly. For example a guy like Lin DeVecchio I feel just as bad as any mobster. They did pressure informants but it seems like it was a situation where the participants involved didn’t discuss it openly. From what we know Gotti, Angelo,Tony Roach, Redbird Gomes, and the Carneglia brothers were involved. We don’t know for sure if Willie Boy was but he was also an informant at the time so there was no way he would admit to killing an innocent civilian

The government couldn't afford to place everyone who was threatened by organised crime in the witness protection program. What should have happened was some detectives from the Organised Crime Bureau go down the Bergin and told Gotti that if anything happened to Favara, they were going to be so far up his asshole he wouldn't be able to fart in the 5 boros without them getting a whiff, all his rackets would come to a halt. Maybe then you could buy time for Favara to be able to safely move his family to a safe location.

My point was that back then the mob had not yet had it's power severely weakened. Even today most people in the NYC area would have be scared shitless to have a problem with a mob guy, back then, twice as much.

. Very True. Back in 1980 in that neighborhood would never be any to cross a mob guy. Even those who “supported” Gotti did it mostly out of fear after what happened to Favara