Gaetano Vastola (gangster)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gaetano "Corky" Vastola was an underboss[1] for the DeCavalcante crime family in New Jersey. [2],[3].

In his early years, Vastola was a concert promoter for singers Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, and a golf partner with actor/singer Sammy Davis Jr.. A part owner of Roulette Records, Vastola was the listed songwriter on several doo-wop hits from the 1950's and 1960's, including The Valentines song "Lily Maebelle", The Cleftones song "You Baby You", and The Wrens song "Hey Girl."

In 1988, Vastola was convicted of extortion and racketeering conspiracies but was freed pending an appeal. In late 1990, he lost the appeal and went back to prison. In May 1998, Vastola was released from prison.

[edit] In Popular Culture

Vastola is believed to be the model for the "Hesh Rabkin" character in the TV series The Sopranos, played by actor Jerry Adler. [4]

[edit] External links

• Dieland: The New Jersey Family (Bosses)The Newark Faction
• Vastola exclusion order
• This Week in Gangland: Respect - Real or Imagined by Jerry Capeci