Corky Vastola – The DeCavalcante Family’s Music Mogul

Corky Vastola was a big earner for the DeCavalcante Crime Family who infiltrated the recording industry garnering himself a few songwriting credits along the way. But he also became a target of Gambino Family boss John Gotti after a false rumor started circulating among the five New York Mafia Families.

Gaetano (Corky) Vastola - aka "Sonny," "Gene Vastola" and "The Big Galoot" - was born in 1928 in Brooklyn. He resided there until his late 30s, then relocated to 50 Mountainside Drive in the exclusive Colts Neck section of NJ.

His uncle was Dominick (Swats Mulligan) Ciaffone, a Genovese Family soldier.

FBI # 4586221, LEIU # 3390

An imposingly large figure said to be a “tough guy” and good with his hands, Vastola started out as a close associate of the Colombo family operating around the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. He later became affiliated with the Simone DeCavalcante Family based in Jersey.

Gaetano (Corky) Vastola

Vastola had a long police record including grand larceny, felony assault, forgery, conspiracy, burglary, and extortion (three times), and more.

His first arrest is believed to be in 1946 for a NYC burglary. He was sentenced to probation as a youthful offender.

In 1960, he was indicted for counterfeiting music records of popular performers such as Sinatra, Dean Martin, and others. He was convicted of trademark offenses but again served no jail time (he received a one-year suspended sentence.) Authorities said the counterfeit ring generated $500,000 in profits.

In 1965, he was charged with burglary and grand larceny.

In a high-profile case in 1969, he was charged with his brother-in-law, Daniel Annunziata (a Family soldier,) and Sam De Cavalcante in the shakedown extortion of dice game operators in Pennsylvania. They were convicted but won their appeal.

With so many arrests and convictions but never serving jail time, many mobsters from different Families started talking under their breath, wondering if Vastola wasn’t a “stool pigeon.” It was never proven that he was an informant.

As the years passed, he became a "made" soldier with the DeCavalcante crew. Considered a very big earner and moneymaker, he garnered a lot of jealousy in the underworld.

Again in 1968 or 1969, he was indicted with an underling and union official of a carpet layers union local, Jesse Smith in a $500,000 extortion of a textile mill corporation from down south looking to do business in the NY region.

In the next five years or so, Vastola was repeatedly indicted for extortion-type activity (being convicted only once and believed sentenced to a 2.5-year term.)

Over the years, he infiltrated the record industry and was believed to hold a hidden interest in Roulette Records, a major industry recording company. He was also thought to have interests in other record firms as well.

The Talent Agent

He listed his occupation as a “talent agent” for Mecca Records. Vastola is actually listed as a songwriter on many famous records of such 1950s and 60s music groups as The Valentines, The Cleftones, and The Wrens. He also promoted singers such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to name but a few.

And he was a close personal friend of several top entertainers including Sammy Davis, Jr.

By the early 1980s, Corky was reputed to have been bumped up to a “captain” position in the family, operating crew members in both the New York and New Jersey areas.

Vastola was associated with many of the metropolitan area’s top mafiosi over the years including DeCavalcante, Riggi, Vincent Rotondo, Joseph Giacobbe, Dominick Scialo, Frank Cocchiaro, Carmine Lombardozzi, Frank Tieri, Sonny Franzese, Louie Talese and Rudolph Farone.

A Multi-Faceted RICO Case

In 1986, he ran into his toughest case yet, a multi-count, multi-faceted RICO indictment charging extortion, racketeering conspiracy, fraudulent bankruptcies, distributing heroin and cocaine, and assault. He was tried and convicted, and this time around he got 20 years!

After losing several appeals, he began serving his federal sentence. He served a long prison term, putting to sleep the notion that he had ever been a “rat”!

After being paroled, he settled back into his multi-million dollar Colts Neck estate, and as of this writing is still believed to be alive today. He is 91 years old!

Corky Vastola

Postscript: While serving time with John Gotti, both housed at the MCC in Manhattan, Gotti passed out word that he thought Vastola was a rat. He wasn't, but Gotti was said to dislike him and was maybe even jealous of him.

He encouraged NJ Boss John Riggi to kill Vastola. Bowing to Gotti’s influence, Riggi Family members plotted Corky’s death. All plotters were arrested and taken off the streets before the hit could be carried out.

Corky Vastola – The DeCavalcante Family’s Music Mogul

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Corky Vastola – The DeCavalcante Family’s Music Mogul

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You May Also Enjoy

Jesse Smith – “The Mob’s Jesse James?”

Nicholas (Nicky Dell) Delmore – An Early DeCavalcante Family Boss

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