On a cold December day in 1992, the life of 35-year-old Patrick 'Patty' Testa came to a violent end. The male mobster was in the garage of his Brooklyn used car lot on December 2nd when a gunman approached and fired multiple shots into his head and back, killing him instantly. This brutal execution marked the final chapter in a life deeply enmeshed in the world of organized crime.
Patrick Testa's journey into the criminal underworld began in the early 1970s when he and his brother,
Joseph 'Joey' Testa, became associated with the notorious DeMeo crew of the Gambino crime family. Known for his skills with cars, Patty Testa was initially involved in a massive stolen car operation. Despite being implicated in various criminal activities, including federal racketeering and transporting stolen vehicles, he managed to avoid lengthy prison sentences early in his career. After a prison term in the mid-1980s, he switched allegiances and joined the Lucchese crime family, serving as a courier for imprisoned boss Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso.
The investigation into Testa's murder pointed towards an internal mob hit, though the exact motive and perpetrators remain officially unresolved. Authorities floated several theories regarding who was behind the killing. One prominent theory suggested the hit was ordered by Lucchese underboss Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso, who may have questioned Testa's loyalty. This theory posits that Frank 'Big Frank' Lastorino, a high-ranking member of the Lucchese family, carried out the murder on Casso's orders. Another possibility explored by investigators was that the Gambino family had ordered the hit in retaliation for a car bombing that had killed one of their own, Frank DeCicco. There was also a suggestion that Casso orchestrated the murder to deliberately sow discord between the Lucchese and Gambino families.
Despite the various theories and suspicions, no one has ever been convicted for the murder of Patrick Testa. Frank Lastorino was considered a prime suspect in the case, but he was never found guilty of the crime. The killing remains a stark example of the violent internal power struggles that defined New York's organized crime landscape during that era. Patrick Testa's death was a grim conclusion to a life lived in the dangerous and treacherous world of the Mafia.
