CONTROVERSIA Help us
Portrait of Anthony Casso

Photo: FBI - New Jersey · Public domain

Born in United States · Nationality American — Lucchese crime family / murders / police corruption / racketeering / cooperation with authorities

Anthony Casso

Organised crime and cartels

Documented profile covering 12 controversies, including “1994–1998: Cooperation agreement terminated following offences in custody and prosecution dissatisfaction” and “1998: Total sentence of 455 years without benefit of cooperation”.

Are you concerned? Right of reply

Profile No. 1866 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Anthony Casso

Photo: FBI - New Jersey · Public domain
12Documented controversies
5Sources
1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 12 documented stages

1994–1998: Cooperation agreement terminated following offences in custody and prosecution dissatisfaction

Conviction
01

1994–1998

1994–1998: Cooperation agreement terminated following offences in custody and prosecution dissatisfaction

Conviction

Casso signed an agreement requiring full cooperation, truthfulness, no further offences and testimony. The government later refused to seek a sentence reduction, citing, among other matters, crimes committed in custody and dissatisfaction with his reliability.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York via JustiaUnited States v. Casso, 9 F. Supp. 2d 199Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

02

1998

1998: Total sentence of 455 years without benefit of cooperation

Conviction

After being denied the expected benefit of his cooperation, Casso received a cumulative sentence of several centuries, effectively amounting to life imprisonment.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York via JustiaUnited States v. Casso, 9 F. Supp. 2d 199Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

03

1993–1 March 1994

1993–1994: Arrested, then pleads guilty to 70 federal offences

Conviction

Following his arrest, Casso pleaded guilty to 70 federal offences covering racketeering, murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracies and extortion.

Legal status — source text
guilty_to_RICO_murder_attempted_murder_murder_conspiracy_extortion_and_other_counts
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York via JustiaUnited States v. Casso, 9 F. Supp. 2d 199Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

04

1986–1993

1986–1993: Corruption of NYPD detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa

Conviction

Casso used two NYPD detectives as clandestine sources of police information and as enforcers, through intermediary Burton Kaplan.

Legal status — source text
Casso_not_defendant_in_that_trial_but_role_supported_by_verdict_and_testimony
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New YorkFormer NYPD Detectives Charged in Mafia MurdersOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit via FindLawUnited States v. Caracappa, 614 F.3d 30Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

05

1990–1992

1990–1992: Attempts to have Sammy Gravano murdered by two corrupt detectives

Formally charged

Casso asked the officers to locate and kill Sammy Gravano, whom he linked to the group that had tried to assassinate him. The contract was never carried out.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New YorkFormer NYPD Detectives Charged in Mafia MurdersOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

06

années 1980–1990

1980s–1990s: Violent leadership of Lucchese crime family as consigliere, then underboss

Conviction

Casso held some of the highest positions in the Lucchese crime family and directed or participated in a broad range of racketeering, extortion and violent activities.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York via JustiaUnited States v. Casso, 9 F. Supp. 2d 199Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

07

années 1980–1990

1980s–1990s: Admits conspiring to murder fifteen people in guilty plea

Conviction

In his 1994 guilty plea, Casso admitted conspiring with Lucchese members and associates to kill fifteen people.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York via JustiaUnited States v. Casso, 9 F. Supp. 2d 199Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

08

6 November 1990

1990: $75,000 contract to murder Gambino capo Edward Lino

Conviction

Casso hired the corrupt detectives to murder Edward Lino, who was suspected of links to the group that had attempted to kill Casso. Lino was stopped while driving and then shot dead.

Legal status — source text
murder_racketeering_finding_against_cops; Casso_order_documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New YorkFormer NYPD Detectives Convicted of Racketeering and MurdersOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit via FindLawUnited States v. Caracappa, 614 F.3d 30Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

09

1990

1990: Wrong Nicholas Guido murdered following mistaken police identification

Conviction

While searching for a man involved in an attempt on Casso's life, the corrupt officers supplied an incorrect address belonging to an innocent namesake, who was subsequently killed.

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit via FindLawUnited States v. Caracappa, 614 F.3d 30Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

10

1990

1990: Orders Bruno Facciolo's murder after potential disclosure of police corruption

Conviction

After Facciolo indicated that he intended to reveal the existence of the corrupt police officers, the information reached Casso, who ordered his murder.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court E.D.N.Y. via JustiaFacciolo v. City of New YorkCourt decisionVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit via FindLawUnited States v. Caracappa, 614 F.3d 30Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

11

1987

1987: Bypass Gang information leak leads to John Heidel's murder and attempted murder of Dominic Costa

Conviction

The corrupt detectives disclosed to Casso the identities of individuals suspected of cooperating with authorities in the Bypass Gang investigation; Heidel was killed and Costa seriously injured.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New YorkFormer NYPD Detectives Convicted of Racketeering and MurdersOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit via FindLawUnited States v. Caracappa, 614 F.3d 30Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

12

années 1980

1987–1988: James Hydell abducted and handed over to Casso before torture and murder

Conviction

In the 'Mafia Cops' case, Hydell was abducted by the detectives and delivered to Casso, who suspected him of involvement in an attempt on his life; Hydell was subsequently killed.

Legal status — source text
racketeering_murder_related_finding_against_cops; Casso_role_documented

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New YorkFormer NYPD Detectives Charged in Mafia MurdersOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit via FindLawUnited States v. Caracappa, 614 F.3d 30Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (1)
  1. Sammy Gravano1 documented reference

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.

Support the archive

Controversia checks and updates its profiles independently. Support is optional and has no effect on the content of profiles.

Donate

Update request

Anthony Casso

Say which controversy is concerned and, if possible, give a source. Between 10 and 2,500 characters.

0 / 2500

To prevent abuse, the approximate location of your connection is recorded with your request.

iPhone and iPad

Install Controversia

  1. Tap Share
  2. then Add to Home Screen

Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.