Awhile back Chiara touched on Bruno Facciolo's story, also known as Uncle Bruno to Carla Facciolo of Mob Wives. Now I'll touch on his brother Louis Facciolo who is Carla Facciolo's father. Information is scarce on Louis Facciolo. Unlike his brother, Louis was not 'in' the mob. However, Mr. Facciolo was a known associate. By all accounts he had a tight relationship with his brother Bruno a hit man and chef. Louis Facciolo also seemed to be a devoted & generous friend. Would you believe his generosity to a trusted friend would lead to his getting caught up in a major undercover sting operation? I would after starting this blog.
Mr. Facciolo had a close friend Salvatore "Sonny" Visconti. Sonny was allegedly a hijacker. What he hijacked I don't know. Actually I do know I just don't care to go into it. Both friends had lost their beloved brothers. Louis' brother Bruno Facciolo was murdered. In 1990 he was found dead in his trunk with a canary stuffed in his mouth. To read the full story of Bruno Facciolo's death just <==== just click his name. Sonny's brother Alfred Visconti was shot & killed in 1991. Louis knowing his friend was short on cash, stepped in & paid for Alfred's funeral. Now I don't know what dirt Mr. Facciolo did or didn't do. What I do know is that was a stand up guy move. How many of us would pay for a friend's brother's funeral around $10,000? I'll write it here and now. My father died and his was cremated. So, I know I wouldn't do it.
It appears that Louis Facciolo's kindness & huge favor was forgotten. The FBI was conducting a sting operation to catch stolen goods traffickers. Alledgely Salvatore Visconti was a canary for some time unbeknownst to Louis. Once Salvatore became sick, he agreed to be a witness. Salvatore would use Facciolo's trust to enable him to introduce an undercover agent to the Carnarsie Crew.
The set up began when Sonny started thanking Louis excessively for stepping in and paying for Alfred's funeral. Sonny claimed to be on better financial footing. He wanted to pay his friend back. Louis told him that he didn't have to. However, Sonny insisted by giving Louis $500 and several VCRs. Not long after the first repayment Sonny would introduce Steve the fence, who was actually an undercover agent to Louis. The agent made good for well over a year before the bees came to his honey. Louis Facciolo was his in to the Gambino family. The dominos fell and a reported 50+ soldiers and associates were taken down.
There are many sites stating that Louis Facciolo died in 1990. I believe they are confusing his reported death with that of his brother's Bruno Facciolo who was murdered in 1990. We know Louis was alive in 1991 when he paid for Alfred's funeral. We also know he got unwittingly caught up in sting around 1992-1994. Carla Facciolo has mentioned that her father did time in the joint when she was in her 20s in the 90s. We have search public records and have yet to come up with a death certificate for Mr. Facciolo. Louis Facciolo is very much alive. We hope he is happy, healthy and loving his grandchildren.
At the end of the day, I may not care for the lifestyle. However, I get the duality of some of these men. I get that many of us see just criminals. Their families see loving and caring men who kept roofs over their heads and furs on their backs.
9 comments:
Mob Mistress I loved this blog and I am so glad you were the one to tackle it. I know it would have sounded very different had I written it, but you chose a softer, human angle that I really appreciated. If I recall correctly, the undercover operation took a few years and the arrests were made in 1997, I believe. So, Louis probably went to prison then and may have dropped his association with the mob after he came out.
Of course, Carla will never tell us anything!
I live in both worlds. What Louis did was a very NOBLE and endearing. But when you get involved with snakes sometimes you get bit, even if your trying to set it free.
Do I love my family unconditionally, YES!!! Do I approve of some of thier choices, NO!!! But I can't be held accountable for thier actions either. When thier on the street with the crazies I don't have them over for sunday dinner. But when thier incarcerated, I take care of them. Disfunctional? Maybe, but I know a different side of them.
Back in the day it was different, and what happened on the street stayed there. Crooks had a street code of ethics and nobility that seems to be gone.
OK, I hear ya, Now that I reread it I agree noble, ethical, endearing are better for describing little old ladies in church.
But there was a code and accountability. And they weren’t killing neighbors in their sleep for crack money.
Example: Mike is arrested for stabbing a man selling tools and is locked up for 5 years.
That's what is reported and that’s what the public knows to be true.
But what the public doesn’t know is this...Mike WAS stealing tools BUT they were being sold out of Henry's trunk. Henry got the tools off of the loading dock at Sears from his cousin. A fight broke out over price, there was a scuffle between 3 or 4 guys and one was stabbed. Mike was the first arrested , kept his mouth shut, and served 5 years in State Prison. One year later it’s determined Mike didn’t stab him but served 5 years anyway. This was 1984. Mike was my Uncle.
The Punks running the streets today do transactions like this in broad daylight, in crowed shopping centers, and start shooting with total dis regauard for the innocents trying to buy groceries.
That’s why I say I live in both worlds. But I am 110% against all, the children and families of these people don’t have a choice in many situations. When I was old enough I did walk away.
Interesting....I would take the side of Louis and say he was back stabbed?
I looked on the SSN death index and there have been no Louis F's die except maybe a great grandfather, born in 1895. The SSN death index is interesting, you can search it by last name only- I don't think the man's dead. to seach free go to rootsweb.com, and go to SSN death index. I don't have it in front of me, but yesteday when I checked, only the brother was on there.
Hey Love!
I have searched. (winks) I've found several death certificates for Louis Facciolo and variations of the name. However, not the Louis Facciolo we believe is Carla's father.
Jeanette!
I understand the point of you view you come from. However, I have a nephew doing decade plus stint. I love him with all my heart. I know him as a nephew. However, I am aware there is another side to him. He is in prison for a similiar incident. However, it's his responsibility for putting himself in that situation and running in the circles that he did. At the end of the day, he may be serving time for something he did not do. He is serving time for all the things he did do. I love him. But he gets no sympathy or empathy from me.
Oh Absolutely Mistress. We don’t turn a blinds eye to his crimes, not at all. Since he was a teenage he’s been in more than out of prison. And when he’s locked up, we know he’s safe, fed, and warm but more important he is not any danger to others. He is institutionalized because there is no such thing as rehabilitation in our prison system. He is now 53, serving 8-13, and HIV positive. When he went back this time he did something so stupid that it’s our belief he just want to go home. And for him prison is home. I don’t condone it and my relationship with him is separate from my immediate family.
I personally knew Louie, he used to have me come by the pool hall and have long talks.
I am confused, I thought Karen believed Carla owed Karen because Carla's uncle was not killed by her father Sammy the Bull as personal favor to Carla's father? That is what I thought Karen said to Carla in one of the reunions and Carla of course did not comment. Carla would just say do not bring my family into this. Which one was the Uncle that was not killed? Is Carla's father in the Mafia, or not. Carla was explaining to Drita that her sweet sixteen was so elaborate, sounded just like any of these woman's sweet sixteens of fathers that were connected. Plus Rene has said many times that Carla grew up in the same life style Rene did, so is Carla father part of the Mafia, or was?
Carla's uncle Bruno was killed by the mob and his body was found in a trunk with a canary in his mouth. I believe this link http://www.fivefamiliesnyc.com/2012/01/karen-gravano-v-carla-facciolo-real.html will answer your questions but it was Carla's father who Sammy helped by smoothing things over because he was next on the hit list. Cara's father was not in the mob, but an associate of the mob. Being an associate and working for the mob got Louie some prison time. He may as well have been in the mob, he suffered the same risks.
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