John “Sonny” Franzese, the aging Colombo crime family power, was caught on a wiretap in his later years complaining to an associate about how drastically the rules of mob murder had changed. He admitted to killing far more people than the four, five, six, or ten that investigators typically attributed to him, but insisted that the modern era no longer allowed for simply leaving a body on the street. Franzese advised that it was better to spend an hour and a half getting rid of a corpse than to risk discovery. His suggested method involved dismembering the body in a kiddie pool, drying the severed parts in a microwave, and then feeding them through a commercial-grade garbage disposal.
The practicality of his advice was questionable, given the size of a standard microwave, but the sentiment reflected a growing paranoia about forensic detection. In Boston, Patriarca family captain Angelo “Sonny” Mercurio was recorded discussing his own tactical philosophy with underboss Gennaro “Jerry” Angiulo, specifically regarding the murder of mob boss Angelo Bruno. Mercurio emphasized the importance of eliminating a target’s close associates first, arguing that everyone has a friend who might seek revenge. He warned that even the most hated man in the world has someone who likes him, and that person is the one who will “sneak you” when you least expect it.
Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, the former underboss of the Gambino family who admitted to involvement in 19 murders, offered a more clinical perspective during a series of interviews. He stated that he preferred quick, efficient hits, ideally a sudden blow to the head that killed instantly without mess or suffering. He described this as the most humane method, avoiding the gore he associated with more sadistic killers. Gravano explicitly distanced himself from the practice of dismembering bodies, attributing that work to the crew of Roy DeMeo.
He recounted an incident where a man was killed in a crowded Manhattan location during the day, making it impossible to remove the body normally. The Gambino family had no choice but to call in DeMeo’s crew, who arrived with small saws, cut the body into pieces, packed the parts into small boxes, and simply walked out with them. He acknowledged that even for hardened criminals, such work was disturbing and left a lasting impression, noting that not everyone in the mob was a serial killer. Gravano explained that the men who carried out the hit refused to touch the body and delegated the cleanup to DeMeo’s crew, a task they wanted no part of.
Colombo soldier Dominic “Little Dom” Cato gave a chilling account of a double murder to Gambino associate Joseph “Joe Dogs” Iannuzzi. After killing a Lucchese mobster, Cato forced the victim’s associate, Johnny, to dig the grave. After throwing the body in, Cato feigned regret over forgetting to remove the victim’s watch, ring, and money, prompting Johnny to jump into the hole to retrieve them. Cato then shot Johnny as well, before covering the grave with lime, dirt, and grass seed.
Modern technology has forced a new level of caution. In a recording from July 6, 2017, New Jersey-based Philadelphia crime family soldier Joseph “Joey Electric” Servidio was captured planning a hit on an associate who had been openly disparaging him. He described how he and an associate, Carl, had purchased two burner phones exclusively for the plot, left their personal phones at home, abandoned their E-ZPass transponders, and paid for everything in cash to avoid detection. In a separate recording from December 2016, Servidio was heard trying to purchase a revolver, believing the weapon type was better for countering forensic evidence.
He stated he did not want any cases to come out and preferred a weapon that could be used and then thrown away, as revolvers do not eject shell casings like semi-automatic pistols. After Colombo mobster Joseph “Joe Campy” Campanella became a government witness, he explained the family’s standard procedure for dressing for a hit. When he was shot at by Vincent “Chicky” DeMartino in 2001, he noted that the shooter wore two sets of clothing and wrapped the gun in a towel to minimize gunpowder residue on his hands and clothes. Campanella detailed the post-hit protocol to his FBI handlers: the vehicle used in the attack would be met by two other cars.
The shooter would strip off the extra clothing and dump it along with the gun in one vehicle, while he escaped in the other. The driver of the original car was left on his own, and all participants would go their separate ways to avoid any connection to the crime.