I guess a better question would be how didn't he earn. I think drugs were his number 1 (I forget who, but some Bonanno rat said he always knew Basciano as "Vinny Pills", not Vinny Gorgeous). He was big into dope when dope was big, then big into pot and ecstacy too. He also allegedly ran numbers in Morris Park/East Tremont, video poker, and gambling. and with gambling you can only assume he had money on the street too.

I remember reading something where Vitale said him and Massino didn't care for Basciano - thought he made money too fast and too flashy - and even would avoid him when he came down to CasaBlanca on sundays for dinner. Which makes me Massino purposely let him "play boss" so he could set him up. But that's just me.