‘Goodfellas’ mobster Vincent Asaro dead at 88
According to the Daily News, reputed mob boss and Bonanno crime family member Vincent Asaro has died.
Asaro died last week at the age of 88, his criminal defense attorney Liz Macedonio confirmed on Sunday.
“He was a larger than life client who lived life to the fullest,” she said. “He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.”
The $6 million robbery took 64 minutes and was one of the longest in US history. The stolen cash and jewelry were never found.
In 2015, the Five Families capo was tried for his role in the massive robbery and other crimes, but he was acquitted of the most serious charges, including murder and racketeering.
He pleaded guilty in 2017 to ordering an associate to set fire to the car of a man who cut him off in Queens. He was accused of threatening to kill a federal prosecutor during his trial, according to The News at the time.
In 2019, Asaro suffered a stroke in federal prison, rendering him unable to speak in full sentences, feed himself, or use the restroom independently.
A Brooklyn judge released him from prison in 2020, despite the COVID epidemic and the mobster’s rapidly deteriorating health.
Judge Allyne Ross ruled that given the Brooklyn native’s health, he would not “put the public in a significantly increased risk of danger.”
Asaro’s lengthy criminal record dates back to 1957, when he was charged with rape, bank robbery, kidnapping, and assault. The charges were dropped in many of the cases.
