Vincent J. Basciano, known by the moniker "Vinny Gorgeous", was the former boss of the Bonanno crime family. He is also on the New Jersey List of Excluded Persons (also on that list is former Philadelphia Cosa Nostra boss Nicky Scarfo and Pittston boss William D'Elia).
Basciano was acquitted in 1994 of supplying heroin to a smuggling ring that reaped $10 million a year from 1985 to 1991. He became Boss in 2003 and is rumoured to do family dirty work even though he was in a leadership position.
Arrest and Trial
On November 19, 2004 Basciano was arrested on charges of racketeering and illegal gambling with the help of former boss Joseph Massino, who recorded conversations in prison to get evidence against Basciano. Massino himself faced the possibility of a death sentence and decided to help prosecuters to save himself. Basciano was arraigned the same day of his arrest by United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom at the U. S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. The case was later assigned to United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.
A racketeering and murder trial for Basciano began on February 16, 2006 in Brooklyn Federal Court. During a discussion about a man he's charged with shooting in 1985, Basciano blurted out to reporters that the victim is a convicted child molester. A parade of Bonanno informants will be testifying in Basciano's trial, including former boss Joe Massino, who was like a father to Basciano and turncoat Dominick Cicale, who was like a son. After Basciano was arrested in 2004, he promoted Cicale to capo and put him on the crime family's ruling panel.
Later, Cicale was arrested and was charged with two murders - the 2001 shotgun killing of Frank Santoro in the Bronx, which he says he committed along with Basciano, and the 2004 rubout of Randolph Pizzolo, which Cicale says was on Basciano's orders. On March 31, 2008 the jury made their verdict, Vinny Gorgeous was sentenced for life in prison due to the murder of his rival Frank Santorno. Things could even get worse because Basciano can get the death penalty for the murder of Pizzolo.
Birth: November 14, 1959 - Brooklyn