Jerry Capeci is regarded as an expert on the mob. His website, Gang Land News, is a subscription-based website. This article was republished with permission.
By Jerry Capeci
Gang Land News
Lester Zullo was a key player in an almost comical Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight event when he ran with a violent Luchese family crew back in 1992. But nine years later, he had two serious problems: a federal indictment, and throat cancer. So he agreed to flip. He got a new identity in the Witness Protection Program, and quietly helped send a bunch of Luchese mobsters to prison for murder and racketeering.
The government never called him, but Zullo was all set to testify against NYPD rogue detectives, Louis Eppolitto and Steve Caracappa, the so-called Mafia Cops who carried out hits and fingered targets for Luchese underboss Anthony (Gaspipe) Casso.
But that was a long time ago. These days, mobster Joseph (Joey Flowers) Tangorra, and all the other wiseguys and mob associates who Zullo helped send to prison, have been released. And Zullo, 67, who was disabled when he joined Team America, is forgotten history, like water under the bridge, as far as the feds are concerned. His wife, also 67, is also disabled and suffers her own medical ailments. Their government funding — about $3100 a month — was cut off in June of 2014.
The move came after Zullo was assured — year after year — that wouldn’t happen, the ex-gangster told Gang Land. The couple have little to fall back on: Their savings from a malpractice award Zullo got for faulty laryngeal surgery to remove his voice box is almost gone.
Their disability and social security payments barely cover their rent. Their monthly rent where they’ve lived for 17 years is currently $1421. Their combined monthly income from disability and social security is $1740.
“In less than a few months,” Zullo rasped, speaking with the aid of a mechanical voice box, “we’ll be living in a car.”
Easy Decision
It wasn’t a difficult decision for Zullo to decide to cooperate. He and six others, including then-capo Tangorra, then-acting underboss Eugene (Boobsie) Castelle, and soldiers John (Big John) Castellucci and Scott Gervasi were hit with racketeering charges in December of 2000. At the time, Zullo had already been diagnosed with cancer and was suffering serious after-effects from having his voice box removed.
The feds were also looking to put him away as a shooter in the fouled-up hit he and Tangorra had attempted. Zullo, aiming at their target from the top step of a Brooklyn apartment building, mistakenly hit Tangorra in the back when Joey Flowers suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. In hindsight, it’s obvious they were both at fault, but Zullo took the weight, likely because it was the wounded Tangorra who shot and maimed their victim. Within days of his arrest, according to court records, Zullo, who was indicted as “Lester Ellis,” a name he often used, pleaded guilty. He was released on bail, secured by an annuity he got for his malpractice award.
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