The death penalty trial of convicted mob boss Vincent Basciano, aka Vinnie Gorgeous, who was already serving a life sentence, resulted in no death. But it did result in a steady paycheck for Basciano's court-appointed lawyers, and the flushing of millions of taxpayer dollars down the can. Which is exactly what Judge Nicholas Garaufis warned prosecutors before the trial started. Now Times columnist Jim Dwyer does some back-of-the-envelope calculations and guesstimates that the whole trial cost "more than $10 million in public money." Hey, that's show biz! Think those bologna sandwiches don't pay for themselves? more ›

Former Bonanno family crime boss Vinny Gorgeous AKA Vincent Basciano has been convicted or murder twice and is currently serving a life sentence, but at least he won't die by lethal injection: a jury sentenced him today to another life sentence. The Post reports that Seconds before the jury gave him a reprieve from lethal injection, he turned to his family, smiled broadly and winked once." more ›

After being found guilty of murder for the second time earlier this month, Vincent Basciano a.k.a. Vinny Gorgeous is now in the midst of the "death penalty" phase of the trial, with prosecutors arguing that Basciano's "rage and desire to be a hoodlum" earn him the fate of being the first inmate to be put to death in New York state since 1954, the Times reports. A jury found that Basciano had killed Randolph Pizzolo as a "hit" to preserve the integrity of the infamous Bonanno crime syndicate. more ›

Bologna-hating mob boss "Vinny Gorgeous" AKA Vincent Basciano was convicted of ordering the murder of Randolph Pizzolo, a "renegade" mobster who was gunned down in Greenpoint in 2004. Basciano is already serving a life sentence for the murder, but prosecutors successfully convinced the jury that the Bonanno family crime boss was "deadly serious about rooting out" opposition to his rule, and that killing Pizzolo "would be a statement to everybody that Vinny Basciano don't play around," the Post reports. He didn't play around fashion-wise, either. more ›

Vinnie Goregous just isn't adjusting well to this whole "on trial for murder and racketeering" thing. First, he needed to borrow a dress shirt from the judge. Now, Vincent Basciano is unhappy with the cuisine on offer from the US Marshal, whose selection is limited to one slice of bologna on bread. Where's the beef? Fuggedaboutit! more ›

It might cost you $50,000 for messing around with a mobster's wife, but think of all that peace of mind you get as a result: a cuckolded mobster testified yesterday in the trial of former Bonanno crime-family boss Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano, and related the sordid tale of his own wife's affair, and the unusual tax brought against him. "They wanted to take [the restaurant owner] to the basement of the restaurant and kill him...Instead of him getting killed, he'd have to pay a tax. It was basically a penalty," said Salvatore Volpe. more ›

Joseph Massino, the former Bonnano crime family head currently serving a life sentence, has been testifying against fellow Bonnano crime associate Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano and we're learning all sorts of things. Terms like "Clip. Boob. Strip. Brokester. Chase." How Massino's wife received $50,000 in a Dom Perignon bottle from Basciano after Massino was arrested. And that he had $7 million in cash and hundreds of gold bars in his Howard Beach home. more ›

Jury duty is a double-edged sword for most: the pleasure of participating in one of the core tenets of democracy is mixed with the reality of a tedious, long process with little pay. People literally have mental breakdowns over it! So many wear inappropriate t-shirts, or touch themselves, to escape it. And then other people try to get out of it by trashing the NYPD and minorities in the most offensive way possible. Hey, it's not like it could possibly blow up in your face, right? more ›

Former Bonanno crime-family boss Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano really appreciated it when Judge Nicholas Garaufis lent the well-groomed mobster some dress clothes for trial; he also really appreciated it when Garaufis advised against giving him the death penalty for a 2008 murder conviction. He appreciated it so much, he started writing tons of letters to the Judge. And now, the Judge has demanded he stop writing him. It's like a friendlier version of Cape Fear! more ›

A federal judge has suggested to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that a mobster not face the death penalty because it's, well, pricey. Judge Nicholas Garaufis noted how Bonnano crime family figure Vincent Basciano (aka Vinny Gorgeous) had already cost taxpayers $3 million for various fees, "The possibility of a death sentence ensures that these costs will grow substantially." more ›