In the shadowy world of New York's organized crime, the ambition for power often leads to a grim and final resolution. Such was the fate of Anthony 'Buddy' Luongo, a 47-year-old male, a formidable figure within the Lucchese crime family. His story is not one of a quiet passing but a stark reminder of the brutal code that governs the Mafia. In December of 1986, Luongo, a man on the cusp of ascending to the pinnacle of his illicit profession, vanished from the streets of Brooklyn, the borough
that would ultimately claim him.
At the time, the Lucchese family was in a state of flux. The long-reigning boss, Anthony 'Tony Ducks' Corallo, was incarcerated, his conviction in the landmark Mafia Commission Trial all but ensuring he would never again walk the streets as a free man. From behind bars, Corallo needed to name a successor, a man to steer the ship of his criminal enterprise. His choice, or at least the man he was strongly considering, was Anthony Luongo. Luongo was a respected and powerful captain, a protege of the underboss, Salvatore 'Tom Mix' Santoro. His elevation to the top spot seemed imminent, a move that would have solidified the power of the family's Bronx faction.
However, not everyone within the Lucchese family was pleased with this potential succession. A rival faction from Brooklyn, led by the ruthlessly ambitious duo of Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso and his close associate, Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso, had their own designs on the throne. They saw Luongo not as a leader to be followed, but as an obstacle to be removed. The stage was set for a deadly confrontation, a clash of ambition that would play out in the back alleys and hidden corners of Brooklyn.
On a cold day in December 1986, Anthony Luongo left his home, telling his wife he had a meeting in Brooklyn. It was the last time she would ever see him. Luongo was lured to a meeting with Amuso and Casso, a meeting from which he would never return. The details of his final moments are shrouded in the secrecy of the mob, but it is widely believed that he was shot and killed in a Brooklyn home. His body was never found, a common practice in mob hits to ensure that no evidence could ever be brought to a court of law.
In the aftermath of Luongo's disappearance, the power dynamics within the Lucchese family shifted dramatically. With their primary rival eliminated, Vic Amuso and Anthony Casso seized control, embarking on what would become one of the most violent and bloody reigns in the history of the American Mafia. While law enforcement officials were certain of Amuso and Casso's involvement in Luongo's murder, the lack of a body and the code of silence that protects the mob's inner workings meant that no formal charges were ever filed for his death. Anthony 'Buddy' Luongo's name was added to the long list of men who had lived and died by the sword of organized crime, his final chapter written in the blood-soaked streets of Brooklyn.
