"Gus" Farace

I had TV on in the background and an old movie starring Tony Danza came on.  It was called “Dead Or Alive: The race for Gus Farace.”  I had watched it many years ago, but it reminded me of the story.  

Constabile "Gus" Farace was a bad seed from an early age. Gus grew up in Tottenville, Staten Island, where his Mob connected father had a small store.  He was a large boy who loved to throw his weight around.  He joined a gang called the Bay Boys that used to brawl and destroy things in Tottenville.  Gus was pulled over by police in January 1977 and they found a pistol.  Not even a month later he was arrested for forgery.

Gus moved on to much worse crimes, and by December of 1979 he pleaded guilty to first degree manslaughter.  Gus, the stellar person that he was, kidnapped two boys from Greenwich Village because he claimed they propositioned him.  So Gus and his three friends beat one to death with driftwood and their hands.  The other was lucky because he was able to dive into the water near where they took them, and he escaped.  He later identified Gus in a lineup, and after the plea deal Gus was given 7 to 21 years.  

It was while locked up that he met and became friendly with long time Bonanno member Jerry Chili.  Jerry liked Gus and they stayed in contact when Gus was released in 1985.  Gus started dealing weed right away and soon moved into cocaine.  He partnered up with Greg Scarpa Jr. in 1988 in a drug business.

On the night of February 28, 1989, Gus did the unthinkable.  He murdered an undercover DEA Agent on Staten Island. The Agent, Everett Hatcher, was the first DEA Agent murdered in New York.  Hatcher had made some small buys from Gus and he had set up a deal with him that night. Gus directed him to a deserted section of Staten Island where he drove up next to him in a van and shot him through his open window as they spoke.  Gus shot him 3 times in the head and got away because Hatcher’s back up had lost him.  

Gus had broken a rule that had gone back to the time of Lucky Luciano by murdering a DEA Agent.  The heat was immediate and the Feds poured into New York.  They began to grab and roust mobsters all over New York. They let them know that they would not be able to breath until Gus was taken off the street.  The Mafia decided Gus had to go.  The Lucchese family had a member Johnny Petrucelli hiding Gus in an upstate cabin.  Petrucelli had met Gus in prison, where Gus saved his life. They soon gave Petrucelli the contract to murder Gus and they told him either kill him or yourself.  They told him to leave the body in the streets so the Feds would know he was dead.  Petrucelli never carried out the hit and a few months later he was shot to death.  

On November 17, 1989, just before midnight on a Brooklyn Street, Gus was gunned down by three men.  James Galione, Mario Gallo and Louis Tuzzio caught him in his car on a Brooklyn street and blasted away.  They also hit his friend, another associate, who lived.  They really did the State of New York a favor because Gus was just a bad seed.