Salvador Charles Basso – aka Salvatore Basso, Salvadore Basso, Sal Basso, Sabby Basso, and Savvy Basso – was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to parents Michael and Angelina (nee’ DeCarlo) Basso, on September 9, 1915. He was raised and resided for most of his life around the City of Bridgeport and Stratford.
During the course of his lifetime and underworld career, Basso would become one of Connecticut’s top gamblers and join the ranks of the Genovese Crime Family as a soldier.
He listed many Connecticut home addresses over the years, including 310 Fairfield Avenue and 1804 Barnum Avenue in Bridgeport; 130 Milford Avenue, 170 Milford Avenue, and 1823 Stratford Avenue in Stratford; and 121 Cranbury Drive in Trumbull.
Basso married the former Julia K. Tarnawa. The young couple was soon blessed with two boys they named Richard and Mark, and a daughter they named Patricia. He was considered a devout family man and a very good father to his children. For many years, the Basso family lived at 130 Milford Avenue. It was an unpretentious 3-bedroom Cape Cod-styled home, set in a mid-block location.
He was most commonly referred to throughout his lifetime and within the criminal underworld by the nickname “Sabby.” Over the years, Sabby Basso would become one of the most important professional gamblers and hoodlums in Southwestern Connecticut.
Yet, by all accounts, Basso generally conducted himself as a gentleman. It was said he exhibited a quiet and reserved, dignified demeanor. And although considered a mafioso by those who investigated him through the years, Sabby had another side to him as well. By most accounts, he was also considered a very spiritual man. So, it seems that he was more than just a simple racketeer.
Mob Businessman
During his lifetime Basso also gained a reputation as an astute businessman. Over the years, he was active as both an investor and the owner-operator of several Connecticut bars and eateries. He also successfully dabbled in real estate, land development, and construction.
