Vincent Artuso

Vincent Artuso (born 1944) also known as "Little Vinny" is a former drug-dealer and recognized as a Caporegime of the Gambino crime family, who, according to Jerry Capeci, is one of the four designated shooters in the murders of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti in 1985.

Early days as made man

Artuso was in his early days a heroin-dealer in the Bronx, New York, as he was a recognized member of the Gambino crime family before he was sent to prison for five years in 1976 for drug trafficking. Upon his releasment in 1981, he and John Carneglia were approached by Frankie DeCicco and Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano on behalf of John Gotti, who looked to assassinate Paul Castellano, the current Boss of the Gambino crime family.

Killing Castellano

According to Jerry Capeci, on December 16, 1985, Frank DeCicco summoned a meeting with Castellano and Bilotti in front of the Sparks Steak House on East 46th Street. Artuso, one of reportedly ten men, was one of four backup shooters to ambush both Castellano and Bilotti as they drove to the front of the restaurant. Artuso and soldier John Carneglia approached Castellano with guns drawn as he opened the front passenger door of the black Lincoln that had parked in front of Sparks at about 5:25 p.m. But only Carneglia fired any bullets into the mob boss, felling him instantly with shots to his head and upper body. According to Gravano’s account at Gotti’s 1992 trial, Artuso’s gun jammed, but for years, Gambino mobsters whispered that Artuso, in the words of one source, "wasn’t up to the job and froze." Whatever the scenario, “Vinny was embarrassed about it,” the source added.

Prison & Caporegime

Artuso received two years in 1993 for violation of his parole, and was released first in December, 1995, when he was sent down to Florida to join the crew of Anthony "Fat Andy" Ruggiano. But Artuso didn't joined that crew, he started his own, as he soon relocated to Palm Beach, Florida where he now heads his own crew based in the Sunshine State, on behalf of the Gambino crime family. Never being prosecuted for the murders of Castellano and Bilotti, Vincent Artuso, at age 63, is still a reputed Caporegime of the Gambino family, with loansharking, racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling and drug trafficking as his illegal activities.

External links

*http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/gotti/house_12.html