Anthony Carfano
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Anthony Carfano (c. 1898-September 25, 1959) aka "Little Augie Pisano" was a New York gangster who became a caporegime, or group leader, in the Luciano crime family under mob bosses Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Frank Costello.
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[edit] Early life
A longtime friend of Costello and mobster Joe Adonis, Carfano began his career as a gunman for mob boss Joe Masseria in the Frankie Yale crew during the Prohibition era. After Yale's murder in 1928, his criminal interests were divided among his top three lieutenants: Adonis, Vince Mangano, and Carfano. Carfano took control of Yale's bootlegging and illegal gambling operations in Brooklyn. Following the bloody Castellammarese War between Italian-American gangs in New York, Carfano became a lieutenant to Adonis and Costello. After Charles "Lucky" Luciano's imprisonment in 1936, Carfano remained a caporegime within the Luciano crime family under acting boss Vito Genovese. When Genovese fled to Italy in 1937 to avoid a murder trial Carfano became a top leader within the new Costello regime as underboss Frank Costello assumed leadership of the Luciano crime family.
[edit] From the Bronx to Miami
In the late 1930s, Costello and Adonis sent Carfano to South Florida to expand family operations there. Based in Miami, Carfano successfully organized illegal gambling operations and legitimate businesses such as spas and hotels, including Miami's Wofford Hotel.
At this time, mob associate and Florida gambling operator Meyer Lansky persuaded the [[Mafia Commission}} that both Miami and Miami Beach should be considered "open cities", places in which any crime family could set up operation. Despite Carfano's objections, Costello persuaded him to cooperate with Lansky. By the late 1950s, Carfano had carved out a multi-million dollar gambling empire in South Florida. Florida crime boss Santo Trafficante, Sr. who was based in Tampa controlled the majority of the state, but was closely aligned with the New York bosses and his Southern counterparts in New Orleans, Louisiana.
[edit] Final days
Following the failed attempt on his life in May of 1957, the intelligent and patient Costello laid low and re-grouped, conferring with his associates and supporters, while rival, Vito Genovese continued to solicit support for his takeover of the Luciano crime family. Over the prior decade Genovese had garnered much support from the "blue collar faction" of the crime family, the soldiers who carried out the street level crimes and had felt neglected under Costello's rule, while higher level crime family members within the "white collar faction" led by Costello carried out and oversaw the operations such as union and labor racketeering, stock scams and political corruption. Immediately after his assassination attempt on Costello failed, Genovese issued an order for all crime family caporegimes to rally behind him in a show of support for his takeover of the crime family.
Carfano immediately flew to New York to confer with Costello; he was the only family member to support Costello. Costello ally Willie Moretti had been murdered in 1951; Adonis had been deported in 1956; John De Noia and Rocco Pelligrino were retiring. In retaliation for supporting Costello, Genovese ordered his right-hand-man and crime family caporegime Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo to murder Carfano.
On the night of September 25, 1959 (although other sources incorrectly claim September 29), Stollo invited Carfano to dinner at Marino's restaurant and Carfano accepted. Earlier that night Carfano relaxed at the famous Copacabana nightclub and later that evening left to meet with Strollo. At Marino's, Carfano ran into mutual friends among which was Janice Drake, a former Miss New Jersey and wife of comedian Alan Drake. Janice Hansen-Drake had been previously called in as a witness to discuss her involvement regarding the gangland slayings of a Manhattan garment district gangster named Nathan Nelson and, a short while later, Albert Anastasia. Arriving at Marino's, Carfano joined Drake who was with close friend Shirley Segal, a former top model and her then husband Al Segal and Vincent Mauro. Carfano [little Augie]had offered to drive Janice home to her apartment in Rego Park, Queens where her son Michael, 13, was in bed sleeping. The following is speculation. In the middle of the meal, Carfano received what appeared to be an urgent phone call. After hanging up, Carfano told the men that he and Drake had to leave; he had been called away on urgent business. Carfano and Drake left Marino's and drove away in his Cadillac.
Police later theorized that this phone call was from Costello warning his friend Carfano about the hit. When Carfano and Drake left the restaurant, they were heading to La Guardia Airport to grab a flight to Miami. However, according to this theory, Strollo had anticipated such a move and had hidden gunmen in the back seat of the Cadillac. Once on the road, the gunmen forced Carfano to drive to a quiet location near the airport. At 10:30 that evening, 45 minutes after Carfano and Drake left Marino's, their bodies were found in Carfano's car near La Guardia Airport in the borough of Queens. Both had been shot in the back of the head.
While the facts of gunman hiding in the back of the Cadillac and Carfano and Janice Drake being shot in the back of the head are accurate the flight to Miami is highly unlikely. Janice Drake was expected home. Her husband comedian Allan Drake was appearing out of town with Tony Martin. Her son was at home alone asleep and she was a devoted mother who would never have just taken off in the middle of the night abandoning her child and a Welsh terrier named Gussie presented to her by Sherman Billingsly [Stork Club]. (The dog's name derived from "Uncle Gus," as Carfano was known to the family.) In all likelihood she was at the wrong place at the wrong time and these executioners could not make the choice to let her live.
[edit] Alternative theory on Carfano's murder
Another theory regarding Carfano's death lies with his vast gambling empire in South Florida and a belief he was making moves to investment in Cuban casinos at the time of his death. With the emergence of Genovese as the new leader of the Luciano crime family in late 1957, former boss Luciano lost a great deal of underworld influence in New York and America. No longer in control of his crime family, longtime Luciano ally and supporter Meyer Lansky who had vast gambling interests across America, along with casino interests in Las Vegas and Cuba was in need of a new sponsor and ally within the former Luciano family. Luciano and Costello had given Lansky underworld protection for decades. Now Lansky sought an alliance with new boss Genovese]].
Underworld rumor has it that after Costello was deposed as boss of the Luciano crime family in late 1957, Carfano took it upon himself to show much disregard and even contempt for the new leadership. He apparently spent most of his time overseeing his criminal and legitimate interests South Florida and traveled to New York only when necessary, and by 1959 had begun making plans to expand his gambling operations into Cuba. The theory goes that Carfano, who was not a Genovese supporter began to encroach on the Havana casino operations of Meyer Lansky and the new Genovese crime family.
With Carfano's prior, blatant disrespect for his new boss Genovese and now his encroachment onto Genovese and Lansky territory without permission sealed Carfano's fate. This, along with the added bonus that Lansky would take over all the Carfano gambling interests in Florida where Lansky was also based gave the two New York Mob bosses all the excuse they needed to have Carfano hit that fateful September night. The fact that Lansky's criminal association with Genovese strengthened after his takeover of the Luciano crime family and that Lansky did in fact take over Carfano's Southern Florida gambling interests after his death is more than likely the catalyst for this theory surrounding Carfano's murder and Lansky's involvement.
[edit] In popular culture
The character's name, "Augie Pisano" is derived from Anthony Carfano, which is used for real-life Nick Civella's brother-in-law "Carl DeLuna" in Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino, played by Vinnie Vella.
[edit] Further reading
- Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
- Fisher, David. Joey the Hit Man: The Autobiography of a Mafia Killer. New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-393-2
[edit] References
- Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30653-2
- Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
- Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Crime. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2001. ISBN 0-8160-4040-0
