Posted By: pizzaboy
Pic of Basciano in Prison - 02/29/12 04:08 PM
This was on the cover of today's Daily News. The article follows.
Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano, former Mafia king, looks amazingly good for spending life in Supermax prison
Vinny Basciano's hair looks good, he looks fit and tan
By John Marzulli / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Vinny’s still gorgeous.
Ex-Bonanno crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano spends 23 hours a day in an 80-square-foot cement cell in the country’s toughest clink, but the hard time hasn’t put a dent in his dimples.
And he wants the whole world to know he looks just mah-velous.
In a photo obtained by the Daily News, Basciano grins ear to ear and waves to the camera while sporting a trim figure in prison-issued sweatpants and a T-shirt at the Supermax federal prison in Colorado.
His skin has a healthy glow, and his graying hair is meticulously groomed — a fitting look for the former owner of the Bronx beauty parlor Hello Gorgeous.
Several law enforcement officials who viewed the photo marveled at how Basciano has held up so well in solitary confinement — where he’s allowed an hour each day to exercise in an outdoor cage.
But the photo didn’t surprise prison spokesman Douglas Cramer.
“The reality is, we don’t run a dungeon,” Cramer told The News.
The mob boss is serving two life sentences for killing an associate and a neighborhood junkie who threatened to kidnap his son. But he still gets time to work on his tan, Cramer said.
“If [inmates] want to sunbathe in the rec cage, they can do that,” the spokesman said. “They can do calisthenics and pushups.”
But how does the hair look so good?
“We have a contract with outside barbers, and we pay for a haircut once a month,” Cramer said.
Basciano, 51, has been making strides since he was dispatched to the prison seven months ago. The Supermax holds the nation’s worst federal inmates, including terrorists and prison murderers.
The mobster is locked up there because he once wrote from behind bars an alleged hit list containing the names of a federal judge, prosecutor and mob rats.
Late last year Basciano graduated from the prison’s notorious Cell Block H to general population for good behavior.
But the new digs aren’t much better. Basciano remains in his cell 23 hours a day, leaving only for an hour of recreation in which prisoners are separated from each other in cages.
Basciano does get basic cable TV in his cell, which includes several prison channels featuring educational and religious programming. He can also play video games on the TV, including Bingo, word search and crossword puzzles.
The crime boss better get used to the space.
Bascianio’s defense lawyer, Michael Bachman, informed his client that earlier this month the U.S. Court of Appeals had rejected his bid to overturn a murder conviction.
“He took it as well as could be expected,” Bachman said. “It’s very difficult being in \[Supermax\], but he has to hold out hope so we will continue to press his appeals.
But Basciano’s former defense lawyer Ephraim Savitt said he’s not surprised that Vinny is still Vinny.
“He’s in the company of the person he loves best,” Savitt observed. “I’ve never had a client that tough. He’s really amazing.”
jmarzulli@nydailynews.com
Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano, former Mafia king, looks amazingly good for spending life in Supermax prison
Vinny Basciano's hair looks good, he looks fit and tan
By John Marzulli / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Vinny’s still gorgeous.
Ex-Bonanno crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano spends 23 hours a day in an 80-square-foot cement cell in the country’s toughest clink, but the hard time hasn’t put a dent in his dimples.
And he wants the whole world to know he looks just mah-velous.
In a photo obtained by the Daily News, Basciano grins ear to ear and waves to the camera while sporting a trim figure in prison-issued sweatpants and a T-shirt at the Supermax federal prison in Colorado.
His skin has a healthy glow, and his graying hair is meticulously groomed — a fitting look for the former owner of the Bronx beauty parlor Hello Gorgeous.
Several law enforcement officials who viewed the photo marveled at how Basciano has held up so well in solitary confinement — where he’s allowed an hour each day to exercise in an outdoor cage.
But the photo didn’t surprise prison spokesman Douglas Cramer.
“The reality is, we don’t run a dungeon,” Cramer told The News.
The mob boss is serving two life sentences for killing an associate and a neighborhood junkie who threatened to kidnap his son. But he still gets time to work on his tan, Cramer said.
“If [inmates] want to sunbathe in the rec cage, they can do that,” the spokesman said. “They can do calisthenics and pushups.”
But how does the hair look so good?
“We have a contract with outside barbers, and we pay for a haircut once a month,” Cramer said.
Basciano, 51, has been making strides since he was dispatched to the prison seven months ago. The Supermax holds the nation’s worst federal inmates, including terrorists and prison murderers.
The mobster is locked up there because he once wrote from behind bars an alleged hit list containing the names of a federal judge, prosecutor and mob rats.
Late last year Basciano graduated from the prison’s notorious Cell Block H to general population for good behavior.
But the new digs aren’t much better. Basciano remains in his cell 23 hours a day, leaving only for an hour of recreation in which prisoners are separated from each other in cages.
Basciano does get basic cable TV in his cell, which includes several prison channels featuring educational and religious programming. He can also play video games on the TV, including Bingo, word search and crossword puzzles.
The crime boss better get used to the space.
Bascianio’s defense lawyer, Michael Bachman, informed his client that earlier this month the U.S. Court of Appeals had rejected his bid to overturn a murder conviction.
“He took it as well as could be expected,” Bachman said. “It’s very difficult being in \[Supermax\], but he has to hold out hope so we will continue to press his appeals.
But Basciano’s former defense lawyer Ephraim Savitt said he’s not surprised that Vinny is still Vinny.
“He’s in the company of the person he loves best,” Savitt observed. “I’ve never had a client that tough. He’s really amazing.”
jmarzulli@nydailynews.com
!
All things are possible, if it is done right !