Mafia youngster was killed over shoddy renovation job, witness testifies

A young mobster’s death in 2004 was the result of a botched renovation job on a Bronx waterfront mansion belonging to Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano, former head of the Bonanno organized crime family, a witness testified yesterday. Basciano has been on trial for the murder of Randolph Pizzolo, among other crimes, for the past few weeks. Yesterday’s testimony was given by government witness Dominick Cicale, who said Pizzolo had been overseeing the excavation of the Schurz Avenue site where Basciano’s mansion was located but forgot to hook up the French drains in the foundation and ruined the white bricks, according to the Daily News. “That’s it! This kid’s going!” Basciano apparently told Cicale in a fit after the job. Cicale testified that he was later ordered by Basciano to put together the team that shot Pizzolo in Brooklyn. By the time Pizzolo had been offed, Basciano had already been arrested and succeeded as boss by Michael Mancuso. But Cicale sent him a coded message to let him know the job was done. “[Mancuso] had me take care of the footings and foundations,” it read. [NYDN]

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