Phillip Rastelli

Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli (1918 - June 24, 1991) was a mobster in the New York City Mafia.

Related Topics:
1918 - June 24 - 1991 - Mobster - New York City - Mafia

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Rastelli lived in Brooklyn and was involved in loansharking and drug trafficking. In 1962, his first wife, Connie, was shot to death after she threatened to inform on her husband's criminal activities unless he paid her off as part of a divorce settlement. The authorities believe Phillip Rastelli either committed this crime or ordered it, but there was never enough evidence to charge him.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn - Loansharking - Drug trafficking - 1962

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He took over the Bonnano Family in 1971 but was convicted of extortion four-years later. Carmine Galante effectively took over the Family following his release from prison but Rastelli remained the official boss. However, following Galante's murder in 1979, Rastelli was once again the undisputed boss, controlling things from behind bars through the use of acting bosses. There was a dispute within the Bonnano Family about whether Rastelli should be the boss which led to a Mafia war. This resulted in the murders of several people including Sonny Red Indelicato, who was one of those who opposed Rastelli becoming the new boss. This power struggle and its bloody results were witnessed by FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone who was then working undercover under the guise of Donnie Brasco.

Related Topics:
Bonnano Family - 1971 - Carmine Galante - Murder - 1979 - Sonny Red Indelicato - FBI - Joseph D. Pistone - Donnie Brasco

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Rastelli ordered his men not to get involved in the drugs trade, but many disobeyed, which was only natural as the Bonnano LCN family is the LCN family in the US which has a branch which deal exclusively in drugs.

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In the Mafia Commission Trial of 1986/87, Rastelli received a 12 year sentence in addition to the sentence he was currently serving. He died of natural causes behind bars in 1991, aged 73.

Related Topics:
Mafia Commission Trial - 1986 - 87 - 1991

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