On a late summer afternoon in Brooklyn, what began as a simple walk down the street ended in a hail of gunfire that left two men dead. The life of 50-year-old Frank Santora was cut short on Thursday, September 3, 1987, in what police immediately recognized as a gangland-style execution. Walking alongside him was 30-year-old Carmine Varriale, who was also killed in the attack.
While initial speculation suggested Varriale was the intended target and Santora was merely an unfortunate bystander, the complexities of their underworld connections painted a much more intricate and bloody picture.
The investigation into the double homicide would unravel a web of Mafia intrigue, implicating high-ranking members of organized crime. Frank Santora himself was no stranger to the criminal underworld, with alleged ties to either the Colombo or Bonanno crime families and a criminal record dating back to 1955. He had previously served a prison sentence for transporting stolen securities. The motive for his murder remained a subject of debate among investigators; one theory proposed that Carmine Varriale had been seeking revenge for the murder of his brother, Pasquale Varriale, earlier that same year, a murder in which some believed Santora himself was involved.
Years after the brazen afternoon shooting, the wheels of justice began to turn, leading to significant arrests and convictions. The driver of the getaway car, Michael Cilone, turned informant and implicated Frank Smith in the shooting. Further investigation and testimony from other mob figures would later reveal a murder plot ordered by Vincent 'Vinny Gorgeous' Basciano, a prominent figure in the Bonanno crime family. It was revealed that Basciano had ordered the hit on Santoro because he believed Santoro was planning to kidnap one of his sons.
The case eventually led to the prosecution of several members of the Bonanno family. In August 2008, Anthony 'Bruno' Indelicato and Anthony 'Little Anthony' Donato pleaded guilty to their involvement in the murder of Frank Santora. They had acted as drivers for the shooters, who included Basciano himself. Indelicato was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the killing. Another key player, Dominick Cicale, a Bonanno family member who had participated in the murder, later became a government witness. His testimony was crucial in securing a conviction against Basciano for the murder of Santora. Basciano was found guilty and faced a life sentence. The cooperation of informants like Cicale proved instrumental in dismantling a significant portion of the Bonanno crime family's leadership and bringing a measure of closure to a case that had remained a stark example of mob violence on the streets of Brooklyn.
