Meet the Mafia’s Most Prolific Killers, Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso, Tommy Karate” Pitera, and Roy DeMeo
Meet the Mafia’s most Prolific Killers, Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso, Tommy Karate” Pitera, and Roy DeMeo.
Anthony Salvatore “Gaspipe” Casso was both a hands-on murderer and a Mafia leader who ordered others killed. As underboss of the Lucchese family, he used murder to retaliate against enemies, eliminate suspected informants, and enforce his authority.
He admitted involvement in 36 murders, but that does not mean he personally killed all 36 victims. His March 1994 guilty plea covered 70 crimes; during that plea, he specifically admitted conspiring to murder 15 people.
Some of his most significant murder cases show how he operated: Jimmy Hydell — revenge for an assassination attempt, 1986
After surviving a shooting in September 1986, Casso hunted the men he believed responsible. Corrupt NYPD detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa helped abduct Gambino associate Jimmy Hydell and deliver him alive to Casso.
Casso later told 60 Minutes that he personally killed Hydell after questioning him. Hydell’s body was never recovered. This was a case in which police authority helped deliver a victim directly into a mobster’s hands.
Nicholas Guido — an innocent man killed by mistake, 1986 Casso also sought a gangster named Nicholas Guido whom he suspected of participating in the attempt on his life. Instead, his gunman killed an innocent telephone installer with the same name on Christmas Day 1986.
The victim was outside his mother’s Brooklyn home. He had no involvement in the attack on Casso. His killing is an especially clear example of how Casso’s retaliation reached people entirely outside organized crime.
John “Otto” Heidel — confidential police information used to identify an informant, 1987.
Casso asked his intermediary, Burton Kaplan, to have the corrupt detectives determine whether Heidel was cooperating with authorities. After receiving confirmation, Casso had Heidel killed in October 1987. The detectives subsequently supplied recordings taken from Heidel’s apartment.
Anthony DiLapi — pursued across the country, 1990 DiLapi, a Lucchese member, left New York after failing to attend a meeting demanded by Casso. Casso suspected him of cooperating with the government.
Caracappa obtained his California address through law-enforcement channels. After an initial attempt failed, another address was obtained.
DiLapi was murdered in the garage of his Hollywood apartment building in February 1990. Bruno Facciola — suspicion could become a death sentence, 1990.
Facciola was a Lucchese captain. Information relayed by Eppolito led Casso to believe Facciola was cooperating with authorities. Casso had him killed in August 1990. The important distinction is that Casso’s belief that someone was an informant did not itself establish that the suspicion was true.
Edward “Eddie” Lino — a murder contracted to the Mafia Cops, 1990 Casso believed Gambino captain Eddie Lino had helped arrange the attempt on his life. Through Kaplan, he offered the detectives $65,000 to kill Lino.
They carried out the murder in November 1990 and ultimately received $70,000.
Thomas “Tommy Karate” Pitera was convicted of six murders in 1992, all connected to his narcotics operation. The jury declined to impose the death penalty, and he received life imprisonment. He did not publicly confess to 60 murders.
That frequently repeated figure is a suspected total attributed to investigators—not an admission or a court-proven count. He later challenged three of his murder convictions and sought DNA testing.
The accurate wording is: “Pitera was convicted of six murders and suspected of involvement in many more, with some estimates reaching 60.”
Roy DeMeo was never convicted of murder—his murder-conviction count was zero.
He was murdered in January 1983, before the major prosecution of his crew. Surviving crew members were later convicted. DeMeo and his crew are commonly suspected of involvement in approximately 75–200 murders. That range refers to the whole crew, not a proven number personally committed by DeMeo. His individual total has never been reliably established.
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