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The Most Disturbed Mobsters

There’s one thing about putting a gun to somebody’s head and killing them. There’s another thing entirely about using an ice pick, strangulation, and all these other methods. You’ve got to have a screw loose to do that.

You have to be under some kind of demonic control when you’re committing that kind of violence—no question in my mind. Even as a street guy back then, just the **thought** of it was horrible.

It’s sickening stuff. It gets me sick, and it should get everybody else sick.

 

Today, I’m going to tell you who I believe are the **most dangerous guys** in that life that I’m aware of. Some of them I knew personally; others were before my time, or I just didn’t cross paths with them.

They had reputations that I learned not just from the media, but from people who actually knew them, worked with them, and were around at that time. Notably, my father.

My father lived to be 103. He was around a lot of guys. He knew a lot of people. I had many conversations with him—he filled me in on a lot of things. So did other people. We’d sit in social clubs, and stories would come up about certain men.

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So I’m going to name **15**. I’m going with 15 because these are the ones that stand out most in my mind. There could be more, but these 15 are certainly on the list.

They’re not in any particular order. I’m just going to give you the list and talk briefly about each one. These are people you probably know of, at least by name.

All right, let’s go to number one.

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### 1. Anthony Senter – Gemini Twins Killer

**Anthony Senter**, allegedly involved in 10+ murders, was part of the **Gemini Twins**—him and Joey Testa—and he was in the **DeMeo crew**. We’ve talked about **Roy DeMeo** in the past.

Roy was a killer, no question about it. Dangerous to those who crossed him, though he wasn’t dangerous to me—I had no business with him. I knew Roy; as a matter of fact, he once did me a favor.

He ran a chop shop; they were stealing cars, chopping them, and selling them. One time, two of my Jaguars were stolen from outside my place in Queens. I called Roy. By that evening, both cars were back. His crew had stolen them—and he got them returned.

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I’ve said many times: **the mob did not make Roy DeMeo a killer**. He would have been a killer without the mob. The mob just made it easier—gave him more people to kill, maybe.

He was a serial killer, no doubt in my mind. And Anthony Senter was part of that under him. They had a very specific method of doing things—you know about the **Gemini method**. I’m not going into those gruesome details; you can look it up.

Senter was skilled at what he did. He was a dangerous guy.

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### 2. Joey Testa – The Other Gemini Twin

**Joey Testa** was the other half of the Gemini Twins. He and Senter were inseparable in life and in crime. Allegedly, he was involved in 11+ murders.

He was one of the two men who perfected the **Gemini method** with DeMeo. Again, I won’t go into the full details—it’s too gross and unnecessary here.

His calm and methodical style made him very deadly and effective. Some say he struck terror even in fellow mobsters. That’s not entirely accurate.

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Made guys didn’t generally fear them personally unless there was an **order from the top**. We weren’t scared of each other just to be scared. If someone moved without authorization, *they* would be in trouble.

In that life, the only person you truly feared was your **boss**. He had life and death over you. If you did something wrong, he could have you killed.

If you knew someone was going to kill you, you acted first. John Gotti and Paul Castellano—that’s an example. You’re capable too, so you don’t sit there paralyzed with fear. But yes, Testa was a dangerous guy to others.

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### 3. Tommy DeSimone – The “Goodfellas” Psycho

**Tommy DeSimone**—you saw him portrayed by Joe Pesci in *Goodfellas*. Allegedly 10+ murders, though some say his tally was much higher.

Joe Pesci did a brilliant job with that character. I did meet Tommy a few times. I didn’t know him well; he was with a different crew—Gambino side—but I crossed paths with him.

He was the inspiration for Pesci’s character. Dangerous, volatile, unpredictable.

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When law enforcement or informants throw numbers around—10 murders, 20, 50—don’t rely too heavily on the exact counts. They tend to exaggerate, embellish, or simply guess.

The bottom line is this: Tommy was a **dangerous guy**. Not someone to take lightly.

And what eventually happened to him? He disappeared. He was killed. That’s how that life often ends when you live the way he did.

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### 4. Joseph “The Animal” Barboza

**Joseph “Joe the Animal” Barboza**, allegedly 20+ murders. I didn’t know him personally, but I heard about him—from my father and others.

He was an enforcer for the **Patriarca family** in New England. He earned his nickname through sheer savagery. He built the reputation of one of Boston’s most feared killers.

His intimidation tactics extended beyond killing. He terrorized anyone who crossed him.

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In 1976, after turning government witness, he was gunned down in San Francisco in a mob hit.

He was a guy you had reason to fear. No question about it.

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### 5. Sammy “The Bull” Gravano – 19 Murders

**Sammy Gravano** admitted to involvement in **19 murders**. That doesn’t mean he personally pulled the trigger in all 19. Sammy himself has clarified that.

He participated in some way—planning, supervising, being present. He rose to **underboss of the Gambino family**, under John Gotti.

People say he “proved himself in blood” and that’s why he became underboss. I don’t agree with that.

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Gotti didn’t promote him *because* of the 19 murders. He promoted him because he felt Sammy was the right person for that position at that time.

His mix of intelligence and willingness to use violence made him valuable. You know the story with Sammy; if you follow me, you probably follow him as well.

Today, Sammy is a friend of mine. I like Sammy. I like his family. I’m not here to judge him or throw extra weight on his shoulders. He’s spoken about what he did, and I believe he’s sorry and has tried to turn his life around.

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He’s on this list because if I didn’t include him, everybody would say, “Michael, how could you leave out Sammy? He admitted to 19 murders!”

So he’s here for that reason. Was he capable? He’ll tell you himself that he was. Yes—he was capable, no question.

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### 6. Frank Abbandando – “The Dasher” of Murder, Inc.

**Frank Abbandando**, known as “The Dasher,” allegedly 50+ murders, maybe 60+. He was one of **Murder, Inc.’s** most feared killers.

He earned his nickname for the speed and efficiency of his murders. Murder, Inc. was a **contract killing arm** for the syndicate—especially for Lucky Luciano and others.

They handled hits all over the country, not just in New York.

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People say they committed between **400 and 1,000** killings. The exact number will never be known, but it was high.

Abbandando was one of the top executioners. He was convicted and executed in the **electric chair** in 1942. That ended his career.

When **Abe “Kid Twist” Reles** turned informant for prosecutor **Thomas Dewey**, he implicated Abbandando and many others. That brought Murder, Inc. crashing down.

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### 7. Abe “Kid Twist” Reles – Hitman Turned Witness

**Abe “Kid Twist” Reles** is credited with 11+ murders directly, but he tied himself to as many as **85–100** in his own testimony.

He was a Murder, Inc. hitman who specialized in **strangulation** and **ice‑pick killings**—very bad stuff.

He confessed to numerous murders and implicated dozens of others. He was a key government witness, helping bring down Murder, Inc. by detailing 85+ mob killings.

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In 1941, he “fell” from a hotel window while under police guard. Did he fall? Did someone help him fall?

Most of us believe the mob somehow got to him—either directly or through corrupt cops. I don’t believe he simply fell out of a window “by accident.”

He was the man who really busted open Murder, Inc., and Dewey used him to do it.

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### 8. Harry “Happy” Maione – Another Murder, Inc. Killer

**Harry “Happy” Maione**, allegedly 20+ murders. Another Murder, Inc. guy.

He was known for his brutality and loyalty to the syndicate. He participated in numerous contract hits across New York.

He favored gruesome methods—often stabbing or beating victims before finishing them off.

Like many of his peers, he was convicted and executed in the **electric chair** in 1942.

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Brutal stuff. Murder, Inc. was a very bad organization—industrialized killing.

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### 9. Harry “Pittsburgh Phil” Strauss – 100+ Murders

**Harry “Pittsburgh Phil” Strauss**, reputedly 100+ murders, was Murder, Inc.’s most prolific executioner.

He was deadly with anything: ice picks, guns, strangulation, even fire.

Again, there’s one thing about shooting somebody quickly. It’s another thing about using ice picks, strangling, torturing—there’s something seriously wrong inside when you can repeatedly do that.

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You’ve got to be under some kind of dark influence to operate that way.

He epitomized the syndicate’s **industrialized approach** to killing, treating murder as routine business.

He was convicted and executed in 1941. Strauss remains one of the most prolific hitmen in American mob history.

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### 10. Louis “Lepke” Buchalter – Boss of Murder, Inc.

**Louis “Lepke” Buchalter**, 80+ murders linked to him. Technically, he was a **boss**, not just a hitman.

He oversaw Murder, Inc. and ordered dozens of killings. His role in creating a **professional killing squad** makes him unique in mob history.

Luciano wanted to **control** violence—ironically—by centralizing contract killings. With Meyer Lansky and Lepke, they built Murder, Inc. to enforce syndicate discipline nationwide.

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They sent killers all over the country. Jews and Italians made up most of the group, but there were others as well.

Lepke’s organization turned murder‑for‑hire into a nationwide business.

He was the **only major mob boss** executed in the electric chair, put to death in 1944.

He wasn’t a made man—he was Jewish. You can’t be made unless your father is Italian. But he was effectively the **boss of Murder, Inc.**, close to Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, and Anastasia.

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### 11. Roy DeMeo – Serial Killer in a Suit

**Roy DeMeo**, of the Gambino family, allegedly responsible—through his crew—for anywhere from 70 to 200 murders.

He led one of the most feared killing squads of the modern era. I knew all about it during my time.

His crew perfected **dismemberment** as a disposal method. Many victims vanished without a trace.

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DeMeo himself was murdered in 1983. His body was found in the trunk of his car.

It was done on orders from his own family. He had become too wild, too unpredictable.

In that life, if you’re a **loose cannon**, you don’t last. When people say, “What do we need this guy for?”—you’re done. Discipline is everything.

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### 12. Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski

**Richard Kuklinski**, “The Iceman,” was convicted of five murders; he claimed over a hundred.

Did he work with Roy DeMeo and others as much as he claimed? I don’t know. I didn’t hear about him back then the way later stories portrayed it.

He worked with mob families in New York and New Jersey. His thing was experimenting with **cyanide** and **freezing bodies** to obscure time of death.

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Again, this is sickening stuff. It should make you sick.

Some of his claims remain disputed, but his image as a remorseless contract killer has made him a dark legend.

Dark in any context, not just the mob. The methods alone say enough.

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### 13. Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso

Before I get into **Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso**, let me say this: he did **not** invent the gas‑tax scam. He claimed he did—not true.

He had a couple of Jewish guys under him in that scheme. He didn’t run it. He wasn’t in the day‑to‑day at our level. We ran that operation for a long time on a much larger scale.

Casso was a **Lucchese underboss** and one of the most sadistic Mafia figures in U.S. history.

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He admitted to at least 36 murders and ordered many more.

He infamously put NYPD detectives on his payroll—the so‑called **mob cops**—using them to track and sometimes execute targets. All of that is true.

He was captured in 1993 and became a government witness. But he was deemed too violent and manipulative.

They **threw him out** of the witness program and tossed his testimony. They said he was still committing crimes and lying.

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There have been rumors that Sammy Gravano’s situation somehow influenced that decision. I don’t know if that’s true. I didn’t speak to Sammy about it.

All I know is Casso became an informant, then got kicked out of the program and spent the rest of his life behind bars.

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### 14. Charles Carneglia – Acid and Gotti’s Enforcer

**Charles Carneglia**, a Gambino guy I knew—allegedly 20+ murders, suspected up to 60.

He was closely tied to John Gotti, serving as an enforcer. He was feared for allegedly disposing of bodies in **acid**.

Again, very gruesome stuff.

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He was said to be a personal hitman for the Gotti faction, carrying out high‑profile killings with cold precision.

He was convicted in 2009. Carneglia remains one of the deadliest confirmed killers in the modern Gambino family history.

I don’t like talking about people I knew personally, but I can say this: he was a **brutal guy**.

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### 15. Albert Anastasia – “Lord High Executioner”

Last but not least, **Albert Anastasia**, 100+ murders attributed to him.

Part of Murder, Inc., and later its leader, he was known as the **“Lord High Executioner”** and **“The Mad Hatter.”**

He personally killed or ordered dozens of hits; some say well over 100. He was feared even within the mob.

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Anastasia was infamous for sudden, ruthless violence. One of the most terrifying figures in Mafia history.

In 1957, he was assassinated in a Manhattan barbershop while getting a shave—one of the most dramatic mob hits ever.

You’ve seen the photos—him lying on the barbershop floor. One of the alleged shooters was someone I knew very well. They came in, opened fire, and that was that.

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### What About Greg Scarpa?

People always ask, “Michael, what about **Greg Scarpa**?”

Greg was known as a pretty bad guy—no question. He was in my crew, in my family. I knew Greg very well.

He was no stranger to violence. I’m not going to speculate on how many murders he committed. We didn’t sit around counting bodies.

But he was **very capable** and a cold man. Not someone you wanted to be around casually.

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Now, I’ve named the most **notable** guys that stand out to me. Were there others? Absolutely.

But not many rose to the level of brutality or notoriety of the men I’ve just talked about. If they did, I either didn’t know them or didn’t hear about them.

You can go back 100 years—Al Capone, Masseria—how many did they kill or order? We’ll never know exact numbers.

You asked for this list, and I’ve delivered it.

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### Conclusion: Murder Is Murder According to Scripture

Let me be very clear: I’m **not** trying to justify mob killings. Not mine, not anybody else’s.

I’m not justifying any of these men, especially the ones who were so brutal and demonic in their methods.

Like I’ve said, there’s one thing about shooting someone and leaving the scene. It’s another thing to **brutally stab**, **strangle**, or dissolve someone in acid. That is a different level of darkness.

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The FBI claims my father killed 30–40 people. I don’t know if that’s true. He never sat down and gave me a list.

Once, he said to me, “You know, I killed a lot of guys.” That’s as far as he went. He also told me, “If you and I ever did something, especially a murder, and two seconds later you asked me about it, I’d say, ‘What are you talking about?’ There’s never a reason to talk about it again.” That’s how he lived.

Now, for those of us who are Christians: **murder is murder**. There is nothing in Scripture that justifies murder.

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The only “ordered killing” we see that people might reference is when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac—and even then, God stopped it. It was a test.

Moses killed someone and was punished; he wasn’t justified.

One of the Ten Commandments says: **Thou shalt not kill.** There’s no footnote that says, “except in war” or “except in self‑defense.”

Ultimately, God will judge us by our hearts and whether we sought forgiveness.

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I’m not defending mob killings by saying “we only killed our own.” Murder is murder.

I do want to ask you something, though: Why are people so **fascinated** with murder?

When a soldier comes back from war, do you ask him, “How many people did you kill?” We call it war, duty, defense—but in God’s eyes, taking a life remains a serious matter.

Me personally, I believe there can be **justifiable killing**—self‑defense, war, protection of others. That’s my view, and God will judge my heart on that.

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There is a lot of **random violence** going on today—senseless killings that make no sense at all. It’s horrible.

That’s the bottom line.

I hope you found this informative, not glorifying. Reflect on it. Comment and let me know how you feel—it’s an important conversation.

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How do I always leave you? Same way—never going to change.

Be **safe**. Every single day we’re hearing about somebody getting killed. Be aware of your surroundings.

Be **healthy**. I preach it all the time.

And yes—**God bless** each and every one of you, your families, your communities, and God bless this country and our world.

I’ll see you next time.

And before I go—**Franzese Wine**. I now have a wine branded in my name, from some of the world’s oldest vineyards. Alcoholic and non‑alcoholic varieties, terrific taste.

Go to *franzesewine.com* before we sell out—it’s moving fast. An offer you can’t refuse, with a taste you’re going to love.