Primo Cassarino
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Primo Cassarino (b. 1956) is a New York mobster who became an enforcer for Gambino crime family, tried to extort money from actor Steven Seagal.
Born in 1956, Cassarino became a made man, or full member, in the Gambino family. After a short while, Cassarino was in captain Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone's leading "bagman" and extortionist on the Staten Island, New York waterfront. Ciccone once sent Cassarino and a family associate to attack an uncooperative union official at his Staten Island home. The two thugs waited outside the official's home and beat him while he was walking down his driveway. However, Cassarino and the other mobster men soon learned that they had attacked the union official's neighbor by mistake. The message however still was passed.
In 2002, Cassarino, Gambino boss Peter Gotti, Ciccone, and Richard V. Gotti were convicted of labor racketeering, extortion, and extorting Seagal. [1]. Cassarino received an 11-year prison sentence. Shortly after being sentenced rumors spread of Cassarino co-operating with the government. According to an article by Jerry Capeci on 10/6/2005, Primo Cassarino was set to testify against two corrupt union officials and another mobster Lawrence Ricci, a Genovese Crime Family capo who's body was found in the trunk of a car parked at a diner in Union, New Jersey on November 30th, 2005. At the trial Cassarino testified to never meeting any of the three men, and admitted crimes he had already been convicted of..To get a shorter prison sentence. Jerry Capeci however also wrote a article stating Cassarino was to testify against two Staten Island buisnessmen, which never happened, proving that rumor false.
Primo Cassarino is also cousins with recently indicted family soldier Mario Cassarino, who was recently indicted with the Ruling Panel of the Gambino Crime Family.
[edit] External links
- This Week in Gang Land: Primo Talks His Way Into Prison by Jerry Capeci
- This week in GangLand: Primo Primed For Singing Debut by Jerry Capeci