It was his nick name. He had a tattoo that read Pinto 1949. Real name Carmine DiBiase, he was a Colombo associate and feared hitman for the family. Alphonse Sonny Red Indelicato took the rap for the murder of Mikey Evans that he took part in with DiBiase in 1956. DiBiase also killed Joey Gallo bodyguard Ali Waffa in 1963. The shooters in the Gallo shooting were Phil Gambino, Carmine DiBiase, Joseph Visconi all associates of the Colombo crime family, along with an unidentified associate from the Patriarca family that was in New York City visiting relatives, and was at the hangout at the time Joseph Luparelli a Colombo associate came running in to inform them that Gallo was at Umbertos. He went on the run late 1973. Many people and sources close to Colombo family say he was killed on the run since the family felt he was too much of a drunk and act first kind of guy. Hope that helps dsd.
Luparelli actually went on the run soon after the Gallo shooting, in April 72. They were at the hideaway apartment in Nyack N.Y. just after the shooting when Luparelli became sick. Suspecting that he was poisoned, he took off and went to Kennedy airport, where he caught a flight to Los Angeles. There, he turned himself in to the FBI. I have a NY Times article from 1977 that references the 'Luparelli Tapes', and quotes him at that time. If the article is accurate then he was alive and well around the time of the interview.
