Feds mull expense of executing Basciano

Brooklyn federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis has suggested that pursuing the death penalty against former Bonanno crime boss Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano could be prohibitively expensive, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. Basciano, 50, is already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Federal prosecutors are preparing for a racketeering murder case that could cost Basciano his life. But the cost to the taxpayer was on Garaufis' mind: "To date, Basciano's defense has required the expenditure of over $3 million of public funds for legal fees and ancillary expenses. The possibility of a death sentence ensures that these costs will grow substantially." Basciano is awaiting trial for the 2004 murder of mob associate Randolph Pizzolo.

A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino (Berkley True Crime)