Buddy Luongo was tapped as the new acting boss by Anthony Corallo; Luongo's short tenure was cut short by Gas Pipe Casso; and Little Vic. Why didn't Corallo retaliate by ordering Casso; and Little Vic's murder? He was already headed to prison for life; so I'm sure that didn't have an affect.

If Corallo did order Casso's, and Vic's murder; Who do you think would have carried it out without a second thought? and who would have been the second choice to take the mantle of Boss?

Michael Salerno, murdered Bronx based capo, is my complete and utter shot in the dark as boss in your hypothetical scenario.

As for the men to kill Amuso and Casso, George Zappola and Ray Argentina are killers who could gain, and betray, their trust.

Just don't leave Anthony Baratta in charge of putting together a kill team, like what happened in the Kubecka/Barstow hit.

I always wanted more details about why Baratta and Al D'Arco hated each other. I love reading sordid details about internecine squabbles, and that family had plenty.

All the research I have done points to Ducks either ordering or okaying the hit on buddy. The generic view that buddy was tapped by Ducks to be boss seems to be false. Casso and Amuso were tapped. In fact Casso seems to have been tapped ahead of Amuso by most accounts. Who knows anyway but I believe that account. Also I think ducks had enough sway to get Amuso and Casso hit at the time buddy was hit. Further pointing toward ducks being cool with the buddy hit

And it makes rats like Tommy Ricciardi and Anthony Accetturo look better if they push the theory that Anthony Luongo was tapped to be boss first. Because that means Amuso and Casso infiltrated the boss position. And they were trying to take what wasn't theirs from the Jersey faction of the family. And it makes their (Jersey faction) position in the family look more untenable, and their decision to be rats more understandable.

Amuso and Casso may have been maniacs but a lot of the shit that's said about them seems a bit overblown, like D'Arco's account of the ambush at The Kimberly Hotel, and Casso crying to D'Arco and telling him he loves him when he was giving him the acting boss position, and Casso saying he wanted to kill a list of family members because they were "creeps", and Amuso not being able to look D'Arco in the eyes.

The reason for that is probably because D'Arco disgusted him.

D'Arco lays a lot of shit at the feet of other people, but he undeniably used the acting boss gig as an excuse to swindle money from the Family coffers. And he raised an unreliable junkie as a son, and brought him into the family fold.

Other people have said that D'Arco was a bully in prison and picked on weaker guys or guys that were lower on the totem pole than he was.

Agreed Moe. Loads of stuff out there for both narratives though. Also heard that Tom mix tapped buddy and every other admin tapped Casso/Amuso. Then they made mix set up his respected protege to be hit as is the mob way. At tom mix meeting Amuso popped buddy in the back of the head.

And heard the same about D’Arco in jail. Apparently him being a bully in jail made him fall out with some other Lucchese guy who his son clipped years later in Florida I think. D’Arco soUnded like a punk with small man syndrome. Then flipped when it became hot. Worst rat is leonetti though. As good as his book was I found him so unlike able and full of self serving shite.

Yeah. Anthony Di Lapi. That was Machiavellian shit from D'Arco, extra sleaze points for involving his son in the hit. I don't think Joseph was cut out for the life. He put how many bullets in Peter Chiodo and couldn't finish him?

Ducks was close with christy tick. Tick was close to amuso and casso. Thats really how and why it happened.
Its no bs that ricciardi and tumac thought luongo would be boss. He had power and was from the bronx. A lot of guys thought it would be loungo. Thats why casso killed so many guys. He knew many guys were loyal to the bronx and luongo. He needed to keep sending messages.

I think it was left to Casso and Amuso to decide between themselves, and Casso chose to be Consigliere and let Vic be the boss. Then, if I'm not mistaken, Casso would become Underboss and Frank Lastorino briefly became Consigliere.

I think it was Casso's position if he wanted it, but for whatever reason he didn't.

Goes to show it's just a title. He still had all the power that came with being a boss.

@streetbossliborio; I'v heard that account too; that Tom Mix wanted Buddy as Boss; because he knew Casso; and Vic were trigger happy maniacs. I also believe that Casso was first choice to replace Corallo; instead of Buddy. Casso however; declined as we know. Casso and Vic both had Furnari in their corner too.

Corallo should have had someone else besides Amuso/Casso to replace him. I believe that Corallo wasn't really in-touch with the family on the streets once his trial and courtroom appearances started happening. I believe he was manipulated in some sense...

Did Corallo actually have a lot of respect for Amuso/Casso or were they pretty much the only choices to succeed him?

Aniello Migliore was a good choice, but he didn't want a admin spot and I also hear that Micheal Salerno was well respected.

Even though it's hearsay from people who weren't directly involved in that family, here is Vincent Cafaro's account of what happened:

"I also know Vic Amuso, who succeeded Buddy Luongo (Anthony Luongo) as boss of the Lucchese family. I remember discussing Luongo and Amuso with "Ralph the General" (Ralph Tutino), a Lucohese associate who was recently convicted in New York on federal drug charges. In December 1986, Ralph told me "Buddy's missing - he had an appointment in Brooklyn with Little Vic (meaning Amuso) and he never came back." A few days later, Ralph told me that Eddie Coco, "Mac" (Mariano Macaluso), and Vic Amuso were now running things for the Lucchese family. Luongo was never heard from again. Sammy Santora later told me that Luongo bad been murdered and that he believed that "the guy from Brooklyn" was responsible. I know "the guy from Brooklyn" to be "Little Vic" (Victor Amuso), the then consigliere of the Lucchese family. Amuso's mentor was "Christy Tick", who was and still is in prison, who backed Amuso in his bid for power. Eddie Coco is the power behind Amuso. Even though Amuso is boss, he takes counsel from Eddie Coco."

That's from an affidavit at the end of the "25 Years After Valachi" hearings. I don't know about Amuso ever being consigliere, but it's still interesting. Especially the Eddie Coco angle.

The common denomonator is still the same, Amuso was backd by Christy “ Tick”. Tick was close to Ducks. No other reason for brooklyn to take the top spot.

in the fish cafaro thing if buddys the acting boss amuso would be coming to the bronx. not the other way around. ducks was on long island, tic in bk, tom mix in bronx. i read ducks had a falling out with mix. the family suspected mix was making a powerplay so they killed buddy. amuso was buddys driver in the 70tys also.

casso was only a soldier in april 1986 when angelo ruggiero and his friends tried to sneak kill him.

neil migliore was amuso first consig till he was indicted in the concrete club 2 trial where he was sentenced to 100 yrs but it was appealed and he plead out to 10 that trial was in 87 or 88

What was Ruggiero thinking? Was it a rogue move or is there more to it? Regardless if Casso was a soldier, he was a made guy. You can't just go around killing other made guys, let alone from another family. Were there other Gambino guys involved? After all it was Casso who finally put things together to take out Demeo. I guess that's what you get for being close to Gotti. What gets me about that crew's way of doing things is that they were under Neil's wing. He must have been a shitty mentor.

Ruggiero was all balls and no brains. Quack Quack was apparently a capo for the Gotti crew during this time and Gotti was in jail, so Quack Quack was running things on the street with Sammy. JCrusher told me last year in a different thread:

Yes zvattoni and I think pmac added to the rest of the story. I think this narrative seems to be more accurate. As if ducks would be effectively overpowered by Casso Amuso and tick - would never happen. Ducks goes back to the heyday with lucky Lucchese etc - no one saying anything against him.

Mix was on the outs with him and buddy was his guy - buddy had to go.

Fish’s account is interesting though and seems like the story that an element of the family got behind.

I agree with your assessment that no-one is going to cross Ducks. He was boss for over a decade; but I'v read on this thread before that while Ducks was on trial; He was sort-of manipulated and not too in-touch with the streets. He kind of reigned in a bit I should say. I don't know any reason why Vic and Gas where even considered to be boss material to him.

Why was Tom Mix on bad terms with Ducks? Someone in this thread mentioned a power-play. How could he make a power-play when it was certain that he's going to prison for life.

I think cassO and Amuso were untested in leadership positions before they got the big bump. All that was known was that they were capable and top earners. I remember reading cassos book about how all the families approached him and he took the pick of them all (how true that is I’m not sure but I’m sure there was an element of truth there). To summarise nobody knew how useless they would be. The whack jersey order is just laughable what idiots.

Not sure why they fell out but I think buddy would of been his guy on the street regardless of the 100 years.

Really these guys should’ve all spent a fortune on trying to escape when they all got the bails. They knew they were screwed why not drop a few mill on some big escape. I digress anyway

On the 3rd paragraph “these guys” is referring to ducks mix castrllano etc commission case

tony ducks tic and santoro even had bail after they were convicted to the sometime in 1987 to after a court heard some appeal. buddy was hit with ducks ok. i read somewhere amuso had some bail bonds scheme in the bronx in early 70tys thats when he was buddy driver so it makes sense hed kill him cause they were close.

but wasnt it vic brother bobby the shooter

it might have came up in burt kaplans testimony where you can find it. he talked alot about casso rise to power after almost getting killed

Heard it was vic himself on this hit but I might be wrong. I reckon if avellino didn’t f*ck things up with the jag recordings him and his brother could’ve gone for top spot with ducks backing. Ducks should’ve retired ages before. Not clever like the Genoveses. Those guys all retire/semi retire if they get the chance whilst at the top like Jerry, Lombardo, liborio etc. Whereas ducks was still active as ever it seems.

Those jag recordings are brilliant what I’ve heard from them.

Ducks ordered the hit on Buddy because Buddy, after his promotion to acting boss, tried to isolate Ducks from the family. Buddy was a fool who couldnt wait for his promotion to official boss so tried to sideline Ducks who was locked up at the time. What an ungrateful asshole who earned himself a bullet in the head for his foolishness.

Ducks was a good mob boss but he made the mistake of promoting two assholes in a row (Buddy and Amuso).

In one of the books, I think Casso's, he claims Bobby Amuso was involved, not sure if he was the shooter. You know who is a real enigma, that Herbert Pate, the guy who used the bomb on Frank DeCicco. There is hardly any info on him. I did a Google investigation on him, and he caught a case in the late 70's for failing to report income.he had his name legally changed to Pate long before the bombing.

herbert pate is interesting. ive read he was lent from the genovese family to the luchese to do the bomb. he has to be releated to colombo capo and allie boys best friend john pate who eventually flipped in 1994ish then played crazy went into the wpp and got busted scammimg people down in florida a few years back. both pates where from bk/staten island and into lcn shit also about the same age.