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Patrick 'Patty' Testa (March 11, 1957 – December 2, 1992) was a member of a Gambino crime family crew headed by the notorious Roy DeMeo who mainly conducted deals pertaining to auto theft. Patrick's brother, Joseph Testa, was a core member of the crew as well. After DeMeo's murder in 1983, he went on to be inducted into the Lucchese Family and was murdered on the orders of his superiors in 1992.

[edit] Career

Patrick Testa became affiliated with Roy DeMeo in the early 1970s and was involved primarily in the stolen car business. Despite the DeMeo Crew's estimated body count of between 75 and 200 murder victims, no evidence points to his involvement with any of the murders. In the early 1980s Patrick was indicted by the FBI on charges of transporting stolen vehicles across state lines. He pleaded guilty and, after writing a letter to his sentencing judge requesting leniency due to his young age and the importance of maintaining his legit automobile businesses, was given a sentence of one year in jail.

In 1984 Paul Castellano, as well as 23 others affiliated with the activities of the DeMeo Crew, were indicted on Federal racketeering charges. Patrick, who was among those indicted, entered a guilty plea prior to trial in 1985. He was released from Federal Prison in 1987 and began working for the Lucchese Family. Serving in a crew headed by Frank Lastorino, Patrick was close with many members of the crime family's hierarchy and often ferried messages between them while they were fugitives eluding Federal authorities.

After his brother Joseph was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1989 after a trial resulting from the 1984 DeMeo Crew indictment, Patrick continued serving in the Lucchese crime family and was used as a messenger by imprisoned Lucchese boss Victor Amuso.

[edit] Murder

On December 2, 1992, Patrick Testa was in the garage of a used car lot he owned in Brooklyn when an unidentified gunman approached him from behind and fired into his head and back multiple times, killing him. It is accepted by authorities that Testa was murdered by the Gambino Crime Family in retaliation for the car bombing of Frank DeCicco. It was a blow that was felt because of the fact Testa acted as a go between for imprisoned boss Vic Amuso[1]

[edit] Sources

• Murder Machine by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci, 1993, ISBN 0-451-40387-8.
• Lucchese Emissary Becomes Mob-War Casualty. (December 3, 1992). The New York Times.