Frank LoCascio
Frank LoCascio | |
|---|---|
Life imprisonment without parole (1992) |
Frank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio (September 24, 1932 – October 1, 2021) was an American mobster who rose to become consigliere of the Gambino crime family under the administration of John Gotti.
Biography
LoCascio was born to Italian immigrants from Baucina, Sicily.
Becoming a
1992 conviction
On December 11, 1990, LoCascio was arrested alongside Gotti and Gravano and indicted for racketeering. At the time of his arrest, LoCascio was still publicly identified as the Gambino family's underboss.[1]
At this time, Gravano decided to become a government witness and testified against his former associates. On April 2, 1992, LoCascio was convicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges, as was Gotti.[2] On June 23, 1992, both Gotti and LoCascio were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[3] When asked to comment at his sentencing, LoCascio made the following remarks:
- "First, I would like to say emphatically that I am innocent... I am guilty though. I am guilty of being a good friend of John Gotti. And if there were more men like John Gotti on this earth, we would have a better country."[3]
Gambino captain Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo later replaced LoCascio as consigliere.
In Underboss, the tell-all tome by Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, describes an incident in which LoCascio, in jail with Gotti and Gravano in 1991, gave him a stolen orange before offering one to Gotti. Gotti became furious and loudly belittled LoCascio in front of other inmates. Later, Gravano said, a humiliated LoCascio tearfully vowed to murder Gotti, stating, "The minute I get out, I'm killing this [expletive]." Gravano claims he and LoCascio then made a pact to kill Gotti at a victory party, assuming they were somehow acquitted: "Frankie said, 'Sammy, two things. I'll bring him to the party myself, and I got to be the shooter.'"
According to law enforcement sources and court papers, an infuriated Gotti, who was serving a life sentence in Marion, Illinois, reached out to the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang to kill LoCascio. Sources said they believe that two members of the white supremacist group were used in 1994 by one of Gotti's associates in a murder-for-hire contract. At some point, federal prison officials in Marion allegedly caught Gotti complaining about the LoCascio passage on video cameras, a source said. Without identifying Gotti, prison officials said in court papers "a possible 'contract' has been put on LoCascio's life by his former Mafia associates."[4]
Death
LoCascio tested positive for
In the 1996 television movie Gotti, LoCascio is portrayed by actor Raymond Serra.
In the 1998 two-part television movie Witness to the Mob, LoCascio is portrayed by actor/singer Frankie Valli.
Further reading
- Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
- Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-016357-7
- Jacobs, James B., Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington. Busting the Mob: The United States Vs. Cosa Nostra. New York: NYU Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8147-4230-0
- ISBN 0-06-093096-9
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
References
- ^ Raab, Selwyn (1990-12-12). "Gotti and 3 Top Aides Arrested On Federal Racketeering Charges". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (April 3, 1992). "Gotti Guilty of Murder and Racketeering". New York Times. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ^ a b Lubasch, Arnold H (June 24, 1992). "Gotti Sentenced to Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole". New York Times. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ^ Capeci, Jerry (1998-09-09). "Gotti Under Fire Feds Say He Wanted Pal Slain In Prison". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ^ Inmate Death at FMC Devens Federal Bureau of Prisons (October 5, 2021)
- ^ Former Gambino underboss Frank LoCascio dead in prison at 89 New York Daily News (October 6, 2021)
