- Samuel Corsaro
Samuel "Little Sammy" Corsaro (
1943 -July 5 ,2002 ) was a mobster who belonged to theNew Jersey faction of theGambino crime family . His nickname "Little Sammy" came from his height of 5'5".Murder rap
Born in
Nutley, New Jersey , Corsaro later moved toClifton, New Jersey . As a youth, he became involved in petty crime. In 1969, during a liquor store robbery, Corsaro shot and killed a store clerk. Corsaro was caught and sent to prison. In prison Corsaro organized a program to teach inmates the upholstery and interior design trade in preparation for their release. Using Corsaro's prison work program as proof of his rehabilitation, Corsaro's lawyers petitioned the New Jersey governor for a pardon. In 1983, New Jersey GovernorTom Kean pardoned Corsaro for the 1969 murder.Back on the streets
Despite spending 14 years in prison, Corsaro soon returned to criminal activity. He became an associate and then a
made man , or full member, of the Gambino family under bossJohn Gotti . A 1988 report by the New Jersey State Commission investigatingorganized crime listed Corsaro as being active inloansharking , gambling operations, and drug sales in Essex and Passaic counties. By now, Corsaro was the second ranked member of the New Jersey Gambino faction, just belowRobert Bisaccia .Prison again
In 1988, Corsaro and other New Jersey mobsters were indicted on conspiracy and
racketeering charges, including an unsuccessful plot to firebomb the offices of the state's Organized Crime Task Force. In a long and tumultuous trial, there were frequent court outbursts, three defendants required hospitalization at some point, and a juror's car was shot up. In 1993, Corsaro was convicted and sentenced to 26 years in prison. Corsaro appealed the verdict and in 1999 prosecutors gave him a plea deal that reduced his sentence down to 8 to 16 years.In 2000, Corsaro was released on parole. Corsaro close friend, mobster Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri had reportedly become acting
Underboss of the family, giving Corsaro an opportunity to advance. Unfortunately for Corsaro, his health intervened.On July 5, 2002 Samuel Corsaro died of a heart attack in Clifton at age 59.
External links
* [http://www.americanmafia.com/Mob_Hits/2002_04_update.html A Look At Mob Hits, Misses, Disappearances, and Deaths In America]
* [http://gangstersinc.tripod.com/Corsaro.html Gangters Incorporated: Samuel Corsaro] by David Amoruso
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3DC1630F93BA35754C0A9649C8B63 New York Times: Former Gotti Crime Associate Dies]
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