Frank Scarabino
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Frank "Franky the Beast" Scarabino (b. 1956) is a New York City mobster and former "soldier" in the North Jersey based DeCavalcante crime family, before becoming a government informant.
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[edit] Background
Since the late 1970s, US law enforcement listed Scarabino as an associate of the crime family based in the Northern New Jersey area, and linked him with reputed 'made men' Anthony "Marshmallow" Mannarino and Anthony "Tony" Capo sometime in the mid 1980s, as well as recognizing him as a member of the DeCavalcante crime family, under reputed captains Philip Abramo and Anthony Rotondo. [1]
[edit] Murdering Fred Weiss
According to US law enforcement, in August, 1989, Scarabino was involved in a conspiracy along with soldiers Anthony Capo, James "Jimmy" Gallo, Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, captain Philip Abramo and even Stefano "Steve the Truck Driver" Vitabile, the reputed family Consigliere, which involved murdering Fred Weiss, a private sanitation magnate considered for becoming an informant. The hit was requested by reputed Gambino crime family Boss John Gotti of New York, and Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi, Boss of the DeCavalcante family, accepted his request, and contracted Scarabino, Capo, Gallo and Palermo for the task. Scarabino, still only a family associate, reportedly agreed and on September 11, 1989, Scarabino and others shot and killed Weiss in front of his Staten Island home, however, it is Palermo, Capo and Gallo who are mostly credited for Weiss's murder. [2] [3] [4]
[edit] Criminal Activities
During the 1990s, Scarabino was inducted into the DeCavalcante crime family under reputed captains Anthony Rotondo of Elizabeth, New Jersey and Philip Abramo of the New York faction. At the time, Scarabino's criminal activities include labor and construction racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and murder. Scarabino allegedly conspired to murder Daniel Annunziatta and former Acting boss and captain, Gaetano "Corky" Vastola, in the early 1990s on the orders of John D'Amato, who had been recruited by John Gotti into take over the DeCavalcante crime family after the imprisonment of Riggi in 1990. According to law enforcement, Scarabino also helped organize the murder of former family Underboss, Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso in 1991, in aid of the racketeering operations that Philip Abramo took over in New York. It was around this time that Scarabino bought a house in Staten Island, New York. [5] [6]
[edit] Indictment & Witness Protection
However, on October 19, 2000, over 50 members of the DeCavalcante crime family were indicted for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Scarabino was charged with extortion, loansharking, illegal gambling, conspiracy to commit bookmaking and loansharking activities. He was also charged with the murder of Fred Weiss, as well as conspiracy to the attempted murders of Daniel Annunziatta, Gaetano "Corky" Vastola and Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso. At this time, Scarabino learned that then-current acting boss Vincent Palermo had sanctioned his murder, along with Stefano Vitabile, Anthony Rotondo and Frank Polizzi, however, with Palermo, Rotondo and fellow soldier Anthony Capo all turning state's evidence, Scarabino and the other family members were basically broken down by US authorities, as Scarabino chose to join them as an informant and testify against his former associates of the DeCavalcante family. [7]
As of 2008, Frank Scarabino is presumably participating in the Witness Protection Program.
