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| Louis Musto |
Louis Musto was a possible Member of the Gambino Family.
Born December 11, 1929 to Joseph Musto (Chauffeur; 26y) and Grace LaRocca (Seamstress; 25y).
All four grandparents were born in Italy. Mothers family partly from Ottaviano comune of Naples, Campania.
At the time of Louis's birth the family resided in Parsippany, NJ.
By 1934 the family resided at 27 Mill St. in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.
On November 22, 1934 father Joseph Musto was arrested for driving a car while intoxicated. He died in April the following year.
By 1950 Musto resided at 196 Mott St. in Manhattan.
By the early 1950s Musto was involved in a car theft operation on the Lower East Side. On November 4, 1952, an FBI CI advised that:
"[Vincent Potenza; Lucchese Soldier] and the following individuals have been engaged in stealing, disposing and preparing fictitious registrations and bills of sale for stolen Cadillacs: SALVATORE DI PIETRO, NYCPD B#253560; JOSEPH YACOVELLI, NYCPD B#2318; CARMINE DI BIASI, NYCPD_B#149289; ANTHONY MANGINE, NYCPD B#ST360, and LOUIS JOSEPH MUSTO NYCPD B#2T8833."
Di Pietro (1922-1973) was a Member of the Genovese Family. Yacovelli (1928-2006) would become Consigliere of the Colombo Family.
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| V. Potenza |
At 2:45 AM on August 22, 1955 cops arrived at New Follies Tavern on 232 W. 48th St. A patron pointed out Vincent Potenza as the man who struck him in a row over Potenza's wife. In the following melee Gambino Family Soldier John Mingoia was shot by police. The bullet went through his lung. Mingoia, Musto and Potenza were all arrested and later released on bail. First listed in serious condition, Mingoia later recovered.
On January 12, 1956 involved in the hijacking of a load of furs from Nathan Klemas Co. in Queens. The conspiracy started in late 1955 as reported by an FBI CI:
"[Informant] advised on December 10, 1955, revealed that he had visited the Rex Bar and Grill, Grand Street, Manhattan, where he was introduced to LOUIS GUIGA and another individual described as GUIGA's partner. During this meeting, LOUIS GUIGA discussed the possibility of "taking" a large load of [redacted] from a Queens, New York express company wich was known to pick up shipments of [redacted] from [redacted] on a regular basis. In discussing this matter, GUIGA indicated that he had two good "drops", one in Brooklyn, the other in Harlem, and that he had a buyer who would take such a load immediately."
Involved in the hijacking was Louis Musto, Joseph 'JoJo' Vitacco (1926-1980; a Colombo Member), James 'Jimmy Russo' Rocereto and Richard Langone. Also possibly involved was Gambino Member Louis 'Louie Juga' Guiga (1927-1980) and others. Rocereto, a professional boxer, was managed by Genovese Soldier Frankie Carbo. Richard Langone had been arrested a year earlier for hijacking a truck load of canned ham.
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| Langone and Rocereto |
Musto, Rocereto and Langone subsequently were arrested and indicted for theft from an interstate shipment. Vitacco avoided arrest as he could not be located.
An FBI report from 1956 summarized:
"It is to be noted that during the course of another investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1956, case captioned "NATHAN KLEMAS, with aliases, ET AL; THEFT FROM INTERSTATE SHIPMENT", information was developed which indicated that LOUIS GUIGA, who hangouts at the Rex Bar and Grill, Grand Street, New York City, was an associate or acquaintance of RICHARD MICHAEL LANGONE, JAMES JOSEPH ROCERETO, and LOUIS JOSEPH MUSTO, all subjects in described investigation."
By 1956 Musto was possibly a formally inducted member of the Gambino Family. One informant stated that Musto had been sponsored for membership by Aniello Dellacroce.
On the night of June 23, 1956 Musto, Potenza and Vitacco used a baseball bat to beat up an 18-year-old sailor outside a Brooklyn tavern. The sailor was on leave from the Key West Naval Base. The trio was released on a $5000 bail.
On July 28, 1956 the bodies of Rocereto and Langone were found inside a parked car outside 104 Forsyth St. They had been beaten to death, possibly with an axe. Parts of a rope were found. It soon emerged that Musto was missing and probably had met the same fate as Rocereto and Langone.
Musto was last seen alive on July 27, 1956. Police stated that Musto was in telephone contact with Joseph Vitacco that day.
Musto, Rocereto and Langone was supposed to attend trial on the hijacking charges on August 1. Musto was later convicted in absentia.
A friend of Musto, Abraham Telvi, was found shoot dead July 28, 1956 outside 282 Mulberry St. Telvi, Musto, Rocereto and Langone out at Lima's Lounge, at 60 Clinton St. But no connection was found between the Telvi murder and Musto's disappearance.
On October 15, 1959 added to the FBI's Most Wanted list. He replaced Carmello Cocchiaro, a future DeCavalcante Member, on the list.
In the following years sporadic reports emerged about Musto's fate.
FBI CI Gregory Scarpa, Sr. stated:
"On 7/5/62, informant advised that approximately 6 years ago, an individual by the name of LOUIS MUSTO was thrown into a furnace alive and completely burned. The informant stated that he was not aware of the reason for Musto's execution, but feels that it may have been due to MUSTO was sticking up crap games controlled by members of the organization."
An unknown FI CI stated:
"On January 21, 1963, NY T-6 advised that several years ago, RICHARD MICHAEL LANGONE, JAMES ROCERTIO and LOUIS MUSTO were murdered in the Ravenite Social Club, 247 Mulberry Street, New York, New York. [Informant] stated that [redacted]. [Informant] advised that these individuals were killed [redacted] [Informant] stated that these three persons were in the middle of a trial in which they were all defendants."
In 1964 an FBI informant claimed that Musto had been an initiated member of the Gambino Family:
"[Informant] advised on February 7, 1964, that several years ago, DELLACROCE sponsored LOUIS MUSTO and that MUSTO became a "button man" under DELLACROCE. Sometime after MUSTO became a "button man" MUSTO was found murdered in a field."
The informant was incorrect as to the recovery of Musto's body. It was never found.
Pop artist Andy Warhol used Musto's photo from the Most Wanted poster in his "Thirteen Most Wanted Men" at New York State Pavilion at New York World’s Fair in 1964. The artwork proved to be highly controversial.
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| Thirteen Most Wanted Men at New York State Pavilion. Musto's photo in the middle to the right. |
In 1967 Musto was listed by the FBI as a suspected Member of the Gambino Family with the status "missing".
On January 21, 1977 he was listed by the FBI as a deceased Member of the Lucchese Family. The reason for this assessment of Family affiliation is not given.
