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Authors: Philip Carlo

The Butcher

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The Butcher

Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath

Philip Carlo

This book is dedicated to ASAC Jim Hunt and the members of the Pitera task force out of Group 33 in the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York office—Ken Feldman, Tom Geisel, Bruce Travers, Mike Agrifolio, John McKenna, John Welch, Eric Stangeby, Rob Barber, Mike Grabowski, John Wilson, Tim McDonald, Dave Toracinta, and Violet Szelecky. Every day, these brave men and women put their lives on the line fighting the scourge that drugs are, warring with extremely wealthy, diabolical, highly motivated drug lords from all over the world.

“Right now, the federal government is fighting a war on drug abuse under a distinct handicap, for its efforts are those of a loosely confederated alliance facing a resourceful, elusive, worldwide enemy.”

—Richard Nixon, July 1973, upon creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration

“There's never been anyone like him. He was like a vampire. We believe he killed over sixty people. We followed him for three years. He always wore black. His face was very white. One night we saw him doing chins on a fire escape in a dark alley at four o'clock in the morning. It was an unsettling sight.”

—Agent David Toracinta

“If anyone deserved the death penalty, it was Tommy Pitera.”

—
Federal Prosecutor David Shapiro

“Greed was the engine that fueled his criminal enterprise.”

—Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Liang

“After what he did to Phyllis, I hated the fucker.”

—Frank Gangi

“When he talked, he sounded just like a girl.”

—
Lenny the pizza guy

“Three men could keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”

—Santo Trafficante, Tampa, Florida, Mafia boss

“Just say no.”

—Nancy Reagan

Contents

Part I
Seeds

1
Sanctuary

2
Dark Secrets

3
It's Good to Know Karate

4
The Making of a Dragon Slayer

5
The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

6
Cherry Blossoms and Samurai

7
The Bonannos

Part II
Killers Fear Him

8
The Green Hornet and the Bonannos

9
The Bonanno Vampire

10
The Perfect Storm

11
Armed, Dangerous, and Aggressive

12
Gravesend: The Cemetery

13
Buy and Bust

14
Pizza Two

15
Street Monkey

16
The Vampire of Avenue S

17
Surveillance

18
Phyllis

19
Three-Time Loser

20
Group 33

21
The Guvenaros

22
The Gravedigger

23
The Art of Walk-and-Talks

24
Happenstance

25
Party Girl

26
Speedballs

27
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

28
No Remorse, No Conscience, No Scruples

29
Fire-Breathing Dragon

30
The Loss of a Tentacle

31
The Body in the Alley

32
The Cleaner

33
“You're Not My Boss”

34
Dynamic Duo

35
Stick Shift

36
Willie Boy

37
The Garage

38
B & E

39
Rats

Part III
The Beat Goes On

40
The Cop Killer

41
Spider's Web

42
1–900-Fuck-Me

43
He's a Real Bad Dude

44
Day Trip

45
The Rock of Gibraltar

46
The Meatwagon

47
Lion's Share

48
DUI

49
Revelations

Part IV
Traumas and Trials

50
The William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge

51
Cheap Suitcases

52
The Execution of Tommy Karate Pitera

53
Tight-Lipped Pitera

54
The United States of America Versus Pitera

55
Yea or Nay

 

 

In respectful memory of the DEA agents brought down in the war on drugs:

 

 

Everett Hatcher

Frank Tummillo

Thomas Devine

Enrique Camarena

Charles A. Wood

Stafford Beckett

Joseph Floyd

James T. Williams

James E. Brown

James R. Kerrigan

Spencer Stafford

Anker M. Bangs

Wilson M. Shee

Mansel R. Burrell

Hector Jordan

Gene A. Clifton

Richard Heath Jr.

Emir Benitez

Gerald Sawyer

Leslie S. Grosso

Larry D. Wallace

Octavio Gonzalez

Thomas J. Devine

Marcellus Ward

William Ramos

Raymond J. Statsny

Terry W. McNett

George M. Montoya

Paul S. Seema

Contained in this book are particularly unsettling crime-scene photos of Tommy Karate Pitera's victims. We realize the photos are horrible and shocking, but we feel the hardcore reality of exactly what Pitera did, the Mafia culture that begot him, is important for the reader to see and know and experience. Exclusively, the DEA provided author Philip Carlo with these photographs; they have never been given to any journalist before.

Here, now, we enter the macabre, bloody netherworld of Tommy Karate Pitera.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
would not have been possible without the kind help and never-ending cooperation of ASAC Jim Hunt of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanks to his steel bear-trap memory and his willingness to sit down with me and my assistant, Kelsey Osgood, for endless hours, we were able to understand and portray this very complex, epic tale involving the war on drugs—the Bonanno crime family on one side, and the DEA on the other, mortal enemies both. I came to believe that Jim Hunt is a real live hero—a man like him is one in a million. The agents who work under Jim, out on the streets with Jim, like him and respect him and told me they'd rather have Jim Hunt watching their backs than anyone else.

I wish to also express my heartfelt gratitude to Kelsey Osgood for her quick wit, sharp intelligence, her ready willingness to do whatever she was asked. Without Kelsey, this book would not have been possible. I also wish to thank Matt Bialer at Sanford Greenburger for his enthusiasm and encouragement, dedication and loyalty. Matt comes from the old school of literary agents—he truly cares for his clients, their work, and artistic sensibilities. My thanks to Matt Harper at HarperCollins for his constant good cheer and excellent editorial input. Many thanks also to my family, my parents, Dante and Nina Carlo, for understanding why I missed so many family functions. Also many thanks to my Los Angeles agent, Jerry Kalajian, for always being there,
for promptly returning phone calls, and for his guidance, experience, and friendship. My heartfelt gratitude to my wife, Laura Carlo, for her help and support, input and understanding, for her sitting down with me and line reading, out loud, this whole book. Also, my heartfelt thanks to Mike Kostrewa, for always being there, day and night. I would be remiss if I didn't thank the kind people at the Savoy Hotel, where much of this book was written: Carlos Mendes, Fernao Carvalho, Sergio Coniglio. Also, many thanks to Raf Pasquet and the wonderful, amazingly hospitable Boucher brothers, Michael and Perry. I would also like to thank the mean streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where I received most of my education, where I learned about the culture of La Cosa Nostra—its walk and talk, mind-set, bloody rhyme and rhythm.

THE GOOD GUYS

Agent Jim Hunt Pitera investigation case agent

Agent Tommy Geisel Jim Hunt's partner

Joe Hunt Jim's grandfather

James Hunt Sr. Jim's father, DEA agent

Bruce Travers Group 33 agent

Mike Agrifolio Group 33 agent

John Welch Group 33 agent

Dave Toracinta Group 33 agent

Jack Macready DEA ASAC

Ken Feldman Group 33 supervisor

Jon Wilson Group 33 agent

Eric Stangeby Group 33 agent

Violet Szeleczky Group 33 agent

Billy Fredricks ATF agent

William Tomasulo NYPD detective

George Terra NYPD detective

Matt O'Brian NYPD detective

Timmy MacDonald DEA agent

John McKenna DEA agent

Sergeant Martin Head of Canadian Mounties in Montreal

Sergeant MacDonald Head of Canadian Mounties in Toronto

David Shapiro Federal prosecutor

Fred Sandler Hunt's first DEA supervisor

Elisa Liang Federal prosecutor

Andrew Maloney U.S. attorney

Reena Raggi Judge

Mark Cohen Federal prosecutor

THE BAD GUYS

Tommy Pitera Bonanno family capo

Frank Gangi Pitera associate

Billy Bright Pitera associate, Gangi's partner in drug dealing

Shlomo Mendelsohn Israeli drug dealer, Pitera associate

Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato Bonanno family capo

Joseph Bonanno Former head of the Bonanno family

Anthony Spero Bonanno family underboss

Alphonse “Sonny Red” Indelicato Bonanno family capo, father of Bruno

John Gotti Gambino boss

Eddie Lino Gambino war captain

Frank Lino Bonanno capo, Pitera boss, Eddie's cousin

Angelo Favara Pitera associate

Judy Haimowitz Pitera associate

Arthur “Bopp” Guvenaro Gangi and Bright's drug-dealing associate

Louie “Bopp” Guvenaro Arthur's brother

Emmanuel Adamita Sicilian drug dealer

Talal Siksik Israeli drug dealer, Pitera associate

Moussa Aliyan Israeli drug dealer, Pitera associate

Joe “Dish” Senatore DEA informant

Richie David Pitera associate

Joey “Pizza” Tekulve Pitera associate

Vincent “Kojak” Giattino Pitera associate

Manny Maya Pitera associate

Frank Rubino Eddie Lino business associate

Lloyd Modell, aka Lorenzo Modica Pitera associate

Frank Martini Pitera associate

Carlos Acosta Colombian drug dealer

Fernando Aguilera Colombian drug dealer

Paul Castellano Former head of the Gambino family

Joe Butch Corrao Gambino underboss

Ross Gangi Genovese captain, Frank Gangi's cousin

Richard Leone Pitera associate

Solomon Stern Richard Leone associate

Hector Estrada Queens-based drug dealer

Vincenzo Lore Gambino and Bonanno associate, drug dealer, fugitive

Yves LeSalle, aka Gilles Canadian drug dealer, fugitive

John Gotti Jr. Son of John Gotti

Greg Reiter Gotti Jr. associate

Michael Harrigan Former Gotti Jr. associate

Mark Reiter Greg Reiter's father

Thomas Carbone Pitera associate

Michael Cassesse Pitera associate

Andrew Miciotta Pitera associate

Barbara Lambrose Tommy Pitera's girlfriend

Wilfred “Willie Johnson Boy Government informer

OTHERS

Phyllis Burdi Frank Gangi's girlfriend

Carol Boguski Tommy Pitera's wife

Celeste LiPari Tommy Pitera's common-law wife

Sophia Gangi Frank Gangi's wife

Patty Girl Scifo Pitera associate

Marek Kucharsky Polish boxer

Andy Jakakis Friend of Frank Gangi's

Joey Balzano Good looking drug user

Renee Lombardozzi Joey Balzano's girlfriend

Vinnie DeMarco DEA informer

Maria Polkowski DEA informer

Matthew Mari Criminal defense attorney

David Ruhnke Criminal defense attorney

Cheryl Mackell Criminal defense attorney

BOOK: The Butcher
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ads

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