Mob FilesPublic-domain archive of American organized crime

Vincent Basciano

The Second Circuit refers to his January 2004 assumption of the role of acting boss of the Bonanno family; a 2006 U.S. Attorney's release says he "assumed control" after Anthony Urso.

Aliases
Vinny Georgeous
Family
Bonanno family (Second Circuit, 2010)
Role
Acting boss from January 2004 (Second Circuit, 2010)
Source
United States v. Basciano, 599 F.3d 184 (2d Cir. 2010)
Rights
This person may be living. The page is limited to what court records and Justice Department releases state, and gives no personal details beyond them.

On the record

  • 14 August 2003 — In re Basciano, 542 F.3d 950 (2008): he "was originally indicted on August 14, 2003 for various racketeering-related offenses." Court opinion.
  • 27 June 2005 — The E.D.N.Y. release announces a superseding indictment adding "a conspiracy to murder rival Bonanno family captain Patrick DeFilippo, and solicitation of the murder of a federal law enforcement official" to the charges against "Bonanno family acting boss Vincent Basciano," whom it calls "a captain who rose to the position of acting boss while Massino was in jail." The release says the charges are allegations. DOJ release.
  • 12 July 2006 — The E.D.N.Y. release names "Vincent 'Vinny Georgeous' Basciano, who assumed control thereafter," following Urso, as convicted. DOJ release.
  • 2006 and 2007 — United States v. Basciano, 763 F. Supp. 2d 303: "In Basciano I, Basciano was twice tried and convicted by jury." The second jury found him guilty of substantive racketeering with predicate acts including "solicitation to murder Salvatore Vitale and Dominick Martino, and conspiring to murder and murdering of Frank Santoro." Court opinion.
  • 31 March 2008 — In re Basciano, 542 F.3d 950: "On March 31, 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment." The district court's 2011 opinion says judgment was entered on April 7, 2008. Court opinions.
  • 6 August 2008 — The E.D.N.Y. release on four guilty pleas says the November 30, 2004 murder of Randolph Pizzolo "was ordered by" the family's acting boss "and Vincent Basciano," and that the 2001 Santoro murder "was ordered by Basciano, then a Bonanno soldier." DOJ release, stating the government's account.
  • 10 October 2008 — United States v. Massino, 546 F.3d 123: a superseding indictment of January 11, 2006 charged DeFilippo and Basciano with eleven counts "stemming from their involvement with the Bonanno Crime Family." Charge, as the court summarized it.
  • 23 March 2010 — United States v. Basciano, 599 F.3d 184, at 203: "Basciano's January 2004 assumption of the role of acting boss." The court ordered one count of the pending indictment dismissed on double-jeopardy grounds. Court opinion.
  • 12 January 2011 — United States v. Basciano, 763 F. Supp. 2d 303: "Basciano is charged with numerous criminal acts arising from his actions as the 'acting boss' of the Bonanno organized crime family," including the murder of Randolph Pizzolo in aid of racketeering; the government sought the death penalty. The court refused to suppress Massino's recordings of January 2005. Charge and court ruling.
  • 16 May 2011 — Docket of United States v. Basciano, No. 1:05-cr-00060: "Jury renders a guilty verdict on all three counts." Court docket.
  • 1 June 2011 — The same docket: "JURY RENDERS A SENTENCE OF LIFEIMPRISONMENT WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RELEASE" (as entered). Sentencing was held on July 20, 2011, and judgment imposed life imprisonment on Count Two, consecutive to his undischarged life term. Court docket.
  • 22 April 2016 — The same docket records the Second Circuit's mandate: "It is Ordered that the Judgment entered on July 21, 2011, is AFFIRMED." Court docket.

“Vinny Georgeous” is the release’s spelling.

The role line is the Second Circuit’s. The 2011 district court opinion describes the “acting boss” title as part of the charge, and the U.S. Attorney’s releases use it in announcing charges; both are given in the events as what they are. The court records list his convictions in two cases, No. 03-CR-929 and No. 05-CR-060, and his life sentences in both. The handwritten list of names found in 2006 is described on the 2011 opinion’s page, with the government’s position and his. The releases print his date of birth, which is left out here.

Records

itemUnited States v. Basciano, 763 F. Supp. 2d 303 (E.D.N.Y. 2011)Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis rules on Vincent Basciano's pretrial motions in the capital case over the killing of Randolph Pizzolo. The opinion quotes the court's earlier finding that "Joseph Massino, the then-head of the Bonanno crime family, agreed to become a government informant and taped conversations in prison that he had with Basciano."itemIn re Basciano, 542 F.3d 950 (2d Cir. 2008)The Second Circuit denies Vincent Basciano's petition to have Judge Garaufis recused from his capital case. Its background states that Basciano was indicted on August 14, 2003, was found guilty after trials in 2006 and 2007, and "On March 31, 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment."itemUnited States v. Basciano, No. 1:05-cr-00060 (E.D.N.Y.), docket entries for the 2011 trialMinute entries for Vincent Basciano's 2011 capital trial. Joseph Massino was called as a witness on five days in April 2011, and on May 16, 2011 the "Jury renders a guilty verdict on all three counts."itemUnited States v. Basciano, No. 1:05-cr-00060 (E.D.N.Y.), docket entries for the penalty verdict, judgment and mandateOn June 1, 2011 the penalty-phase jury in Vincent Basciano's capital case returned "A SENTENCE OF LIFEIMPRISONMENT WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RELEASE" (as the docket runs the words together). Judgment followed in July 2011; the Second Circuit's mandate of April 22, 2016 affirms it.itemUnited States v. Massino, No. 1:03-cr-00929 (E.D.N.Y.), judgment as to Joseph Massino (July 7, 2005)Docket of the second Bonanno racketeering case before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. The judgment ordered on July 7, 2005 imposes life imprisonment on Joseph Massino in his first case and a consecutive life term on "Count Nine (9) of the superseding indictment CR 03-929 (S-3)."itemU.S. Attorney, E.D.N.Y.: release on the superseding indictment of Vincent Basciano (June 27, 2005)The U.S. Attorney announces new charges against "Bonanno family acting boss Vincent Basciano," including a conspiracy to murder a Bonanno captain and the solicitation of the murder of a federal prosecutor. The release calls Joseph Massino "the incarcerated official boss of the Bonanno family."itemU.S. Attorney, E.D.N.Y.: release on the indictment of Nicholas Santora, Anthony Rabito and 17 others (February 6, 2007)The U.S. Attorney announces a superseding indictment of nineteen Bonanno members and associates, including "Bonanno family acting underboss Nicholas Santora and Bonanno family acting consigliere Anthony Rabito." Both men had been defendants in the 1982 Brasco trial.itemU.S. Attorney, E.D.N.Y.: release on four Bonanno guilty pleas, among them Anthony Indelicato's (August 6, 2008)Four Bonanno members plead guilty before Judge Garaufis. The release says Anthony Indelicato, "also known as 'Bruno,'" and another man "admitted to their involvement in the 2001 murder of Frank Santoro," which it says Vincent Basciano ordered.itemUnited States v. Basciano, 599 F.3d 184 (2d Cir. 2010)Second Circuit opinion of March 23, 2010 on Vincent Basciano's double-jeopardy challenge to successive Bonanno family prosecutions. It calls Joseph Massino "the then-incarcerated official boss" and refers to Basciano's January 2004 assumption of the role of acting boss.itemUnited States v. Massino, 546 F.3d 123 (2d Cir. 2008)Second Circuit opinion of October 10, 2008 on the appeal of Bonanno defendant Patrick DeFilippo, filed under the Massino caption. It is not a ruling on Joseph Massino's own conviction.itemU.S. Attorney, E.D.N.Y.: release on Bonanno family convictions (July 12, 2006)Release on the convictions of Bonanno family soldiers, in which U.S. Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf said more than seventy Bonanno members and associates had been prosecuted, among them "Bonanno family boss Joseph Massino" and the men who led the family after him.itemU.S. Attorney, E.D.N.Y.: release on a Bonanno family indictment (October 7, 2009)Release on a 33-count Bonanno family indictment, stating that since March 2002 four Bonanno bosses or acting bosses had been convicted. The new charges are allegations.