'Vinny Gorgeous' gets second life sentence

A Brooklyn federal judge Wednesday hit a top Bonanno crime family mobster with his second life sentence for his role in a gangland murder, saying that La Cosa Nostra was a "bleak, pathetic and ignorant life" far removed from its glorified movie image.

Judge Nicholas Garaufis said that Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano of the Bronx was an intelligent man who could have lead a productive life but instead turned to violence and greed. A life in prison, Garaufis said, was society's assurance that Basciano would never harm another person.

Basciano was convicted in May of orchestrating the November 2004 murder of mob associate Randolph Pizzolo. But the jury spared him the death penalty, finding that the government's witnesses, including former mob boss Joseph Massino, were responsible for other murders and had avoided capital punishment. The jury also found that other mobsters involved in Pizzolo's death hadn't faced the death penalty.

Known for his good looks, Basciano rose to power over a 20-year period in the Bonanno crime family. He started out as a driver for the late Dominick Trinchera and rose to street boss in 2004. He was arrested in late 2004, just before Pizzolo was killed.

Basciano, 51, is currently serving a life sentence for an earlier federal racketeering murder conviction. Garaufis took into account letters from Basciano's former wife, Angela, and two of his five sons who were concerned about how difficult it would be to visit him if he is sent to the federal "Super Max" prison in Florence, Colo. Garaufis hoped officials would take the family concerns into account when assigning Basciano to a prison.

Given the opportunity to speak, Basciano didn't address the Pizzolo murder but instead complained about the way strict solitary confinement measures had hamstrung his defense. He also accused the government of withholding evidence, something prosecutors have denied.

Basciano is expected to appeal his latest conviction and sentence. He complained Wednesday to Garaufis that he had no money to hire a lawyer.