Frank Masucci was the Masucci Crime Family's boss.
Background[]
Masucci became a "made man" after killing a 73-year-old bookie while dressed in a police officer uniform. He subsequently built his own criminal empire, which came to be infamously known as the Masucci Crime Family. He chose his brother-in-law, Harv Beigal, as his right-hand man. Beigal administered Masucci's various front business and racketeering activities, such as Mario Zalta's company, which smuggled untaxed cigarettes. When one of his sons died in a car accident involving a truck, Masucci had the truck driver murdered in retaliation, drowning him with his vehicle off of Atlantic Beach. At some point, Russell Mackey, president of the transportation union, came into conflict with Masucci, so the latter hired a hitman, Vincent Ruffo, through Beigal, to dispose of Mackey, who was presumably garroted, and his corpse was never found.
On L&O[]
Masucci decided to make businesses with Charles Halsey, a city councilman; William Jefferson, a prominent member of the New York City Police Department; and other officials with whom he set up a kickback scheme involving a company he used to launder money: Carnegie Collections. Later, Halsey's activities came under scrutiny, so Masucci decided to arrange his death before the councilman's indictment. Anthony Scalisi was hired by him, through Beigal, to kill Halsey while he was in his car and make it appear like a mugging gone wrong. Scalisi was able to critically injure Halsey, who later died while in the hospital, but he too became involved in the investigation, and Masucci decided to have him killed through another hitman, named Greco. (L&O: "Everybody's Favorite Bagman")
When a shopkeeper named Isaac Skolnick refused to sell Zalta's untaxed cigarettes, he was beaten to near-death by one of Frank's hired guns, Joseph Pilefsky, on behalf of Beigal. Eventually, Pilefsky was tried for the attempted murder and accepted a plea bargain in which he sold out his boss for a reduced penalty. Masucci, however, had planned in advance to make Pilefsky commit perjury in court so that his trial would be nullified. (L&O: "The Torrents of Greed (Part I)")
Investigation over a corruption affair involving Beigal brought to the latter's arrest, so he accepted to testify against Frank in exchange for a minor charge. Masucci, in turn, hired Vincent Ruffo to kill Harv before his testimony. Enraged, his sister Katherine arranged to have Frank killed in front of the La Stanza restaurant. (L&O: "The Torrents of Greed (Part II)")
Known Victims[]
- Unknown dates:
- Unnamed 73-year-old bookie (shot)
- Unnamed truck driver (drowned with his vehicle, presumably by his associates)
- Ten unnamed people (murdered either by Masucci or his associates)
- Russell Mackey (garroted by Ruffo on behalf of Masucci through Biegal)
- Unnamed victim (murdered by Scalisi on behalf of Masucci)
- 1990:
- Councilman Charles Halsey (critically injured by Scalisi on behalf of Masucci through Biegal; survived, but later died at the hospital)
- Anthony Scalisi (shot once in the back by Greco on behalf of Masucci through Biegal)
- Akbar (beaten to death by Pilefsky on behalf of Beigal)
- Isaac Skolnick (beaten by Pilefsky on behalf of Beigal; survived)
- 1991: Harv Beigal (murdered by Ruffo on behalf of Masucci)