Vincent (Lefty) Cassese: From Red Onion Gang to Bonanno Family Soldier

Vincent (Lefty) Cassese was a longtime veteran member and soldier in the old Bonanno Family, active in policy, bribery, and strong-arm. He started his criminal career as a member of Brooklyn's notorious "Red Onion Gang."

Vincent (Lefty) Cassese -- aka James Cassese and Frank Leone -- was born in 1910 and raised at 890 Flushing Ave., 229 Johnson St, and 921 Gold St. in the Fort Greene/Downtown Brooklyn sections of the borough. He later resided at 927 80th St.

Vincent (Lefty) Cassese

Cassese was identified as a longtime veteran member and soldier in the old Bonanno Family and was mostly active in the Fort Greene-Bedford Stuyvesant sections.

NYCPD # B-90347

His activities included policy, bribery, and strong-arm. He controlled the numbers racket for decades for the Family in that area and was a “controller” and ultimately partner in the “bank” for the operation.

His longtime criminal associates included the following:

Vincent (Jimmy Elmo) Amarante, Sr. -- A boyhood friend, lifelong partner, and suspected Bonanno member.

Vincent (Elmo) Amarante, Jr. -- Son of Jimmy Elmo and another young protege of Lefty. He was also later an inducted member.

Vincent Garofalo -- A soldier and the brother of Joe Bonanno’s famed underboss Frank Garofalo.

Louis (Louie HaHa) Attanasio -- A young protege of Cassese who grew up along Myrtle Avenue in the neighborhood and a future inducted member and capo.

Robert (Bobby HaHa) Attanasio -- Louie’s brother and associate. He was later an inducted member.

Joseph (Joe Adonis) Doto -- A legendary Luciano Capo and Brooklyn gambling kingpin. He was later deported back to Italy.

Anthony Vestuto, Vincent Giordano, and Charles De Pietro -- Important Bonanno numbers racketeers and suspected Bonanno members.

Salvatore Missena -- A boyhood friend and “Red Onion Gang” member.

Frank (The Snake) Serpe -- Boyhood friend, robbery partner, and twice-convicted killer.

Anthony Masone -- Boyhood friend, gunman, and “Red Onion Gang” member.

Cassese had a lengthy criminal record that included arrests for the following:

1931 -- armed robbery

1932 -- possession of a gun

1932 -- homicide

1933 -- burglary, grand larceny (served 1.3 to 2.6 years at Sing Sing)

1934 -- disorderly conduct (twice)

1937 -- policy, possessing policy slips (paid a fine)

1941 -- policy and conspiracy (fine)

1950 -- possession of policy slips

1951 -- held as a material witness

1951 -- contempt 1964 - policy

In 1931, he was among over a dozen arrested on multiple robbery and murder charges for being members of the “Red Onion Gang,” a notorious group alleged to be responsible for dozens of robberies and several homicides in Downtown Brooklyn.

They were believed to have pulled many kidnappings, shootings, and stick-ups of supermarkets, bars, clothing stores, and retail shops, terrorizing their neighborhood.

Among the more well-known “Red Onion Gang” members included Vincent Amarante, Anthony Masone, Philip Sottile, Andrew Perrone, John Crockett, Joseph Carmato, Angelo Appedisano, Saverio Serala, Carmine De Chiara, Salvatore Cerba, Michael Florio, Americo Matteo, Thomas Ciro, John Marchetti, Thomas Serpe, and Sam Sasparella.

In 1951, Cassese became the focus of a major investigation into police corruption and bribery that exposed an intricate network of mobsters, police, and higher-ups at the top levels in NYC to protect gambling operations throughout the city.

At the time, it was believed that Cassese was a minion of Joe Adonis. Public hearings were held, and it was front-page news for months. Cassese and Amarante figured prominently in testimony. Both were arrested in a raid at 110 Flushing Ave. The police seized gambling records, names, and amounts policemen on bribery lists were paid.

A lieutenant and four patrolmen were named as having been paid off by Cassese and his associates. Many more policemen were either fired or indicted on corruption charges.

In 1964, Cassese was one of six arrested for operating a $2,500,000 policy ring across the street from Pratt University in Fort Greene.

Charged as policy “bankers,” raiders crashed three apartments and found slips representing about 200,000 plays. The co-defendants in the case included Vestuto, Giordano, Onofrio Laudano, Freddy de Vuolo, and Henry Mass.

In 1967, Cassese and Garofalo were both shot while walking together on a Brooklyn street at the height of the Banana War. Cassese sustained a gunshot wound to the arm and was hospitalized but ultimately recovered.

Side Note: A little-known story that went around the neighborhood was that once, during the late 1960s, a black numbers player “hit” for a very large amount of money. Several days later, the player was subsequently found lying dead along Myrtle Avenue (the main drag), having been shot dead. I suspect Cassese and company saved a lot of money on that one.

Vincent (Lefty) Cassese was a well-known soldier and Family power very active in controlling the policy racket among the black population of Fort Greene and Bed-Sty for decades.As he became a young adult, he utilized Elmo Amarante and "Louie HaHa" as his key operatives. This was a huge numbers operation that incorporated many various black numbers runners and controllers.

It is believed that Cassese died by the late 1970s or early 1980s, although there is no official record of his death.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Vincent (Lefty) Cassese: From Red Onion Gang to Bonanno Family Soldier

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