Henry Hill, James Burke and the Ciaccio Extortion Case FBI Files

Description

The Ciaccio Extortion and Henry Hill’s Informant Legacy

Pre-October 1970:

• Gambling Debts Incurred: Gaspar Ciaccio and Dr. Felix LoCicero owe significant gambling debts to Casey “Cosmo” Rosado, a union boss and friend of James Burke.

October 8, 1970:

• Evening Travel to Tampa: Cosmo Rosado, James Burke, Henry Hill, and Louis Lopez fly from New York to Tampa, Florida, arriving around 9:45 p.m.

October 8, 1970 (Night):

• Accosting of Gaspar Ciaccio: Around 10:30 p.m., Luis Charbonier and Cosmo Rosado, accompanied by Burke, Hill, and Lopez, confront Gaspar Ciaccio at his lounge, the Temple Terrace Lounge.
• Forced Relocation to Char-Pal Lounge: Ciaccio initially refuses to go to Luis Charbonier’s lounge, the Char-Pal, but Burke nudges a gun against his ribs, forcing him to comply.
• Beating During Transport: Hill and Lopez sit on either side of Ciaccio in the back seat of the car en route to the Char-Pal Lounge and begin beating him. Lopez splits open Ciaccio’s forehead with a pistol. Hill and Lopez threaten to kill Ciaccio but state it’s not “worth-while” since they want their $8,000.
• Further Beating at Char-Pal Lounge: Ciaccio is placed in the stockroom of the Char-Pal Lounge and beaten more.
• Negotiation with Fano Ciaccio: Raul Charbonier calls Gaspar’s brother, Fano Ciaccio, informing him they have Gaspar and are “working him over,” demanding $8,000 from the “fellows from up North.” Fano goes to the Char-Pal Lounge to negotiate, explaining he doesn’t have the money. Rosado grants him a week to produce the $8,000.
• Gaspar Ciaccio Returned: Raul Charbonier brings Gaspar Ciaccio back to the Temple Terrace Lounge.
• Extortion of Dr. Felix LoCicero: After Ciaccio’s beating, Raul Charbonier calls Dr. Felix LoCicero, stating they had Gaspar and wanted to see LoCicero. Charbonier agrees to leave LoCicero alone if he promises to pay his balance in the morning. LoCicero agrees and pays Raul Charbonier $4,000 to cancel his gambling debt.

November 1970:

• Federal Indictment: The United States indicts James Burke, Henry Hill, Louis Lopez, Raul Charbonier, and Luis Charbonier on five counts: (1) making extortionate extensions of credit; (2) using extortionate means of collecting debts; (3) interstate travel in furtherance of extortion; (4) interstate travel for promotion of an illegal gambling enterprise; and (5) use of interstate telephone facilities in an unlawful gambling enterprise.

November 24, 1970:

• State Charges Filed: Six days after the federal indictment, Florida state officials charge the same defendants (Burke, Hill, Lopez, Raul Charbonier, Luis Charbonier) with kidnapping, extortion, and assault with intent to murder Gaspar Ciaccio.

Early March 1971:

• State Trial: The state case for kidnapping, extortion, and assault with intent to murder Gaspar Ciaccio is tried.
• State Acquittals: All defendants are acquitted of the state charges.

October 1972:

• Federal Trial: The federal case, which was delayed, proceeds to trial.
• Directed Verdict on Count V: The trial court directs a verdict of not guilty on Count V (use of interstate telephone facilities in an unlawful gambling enterprise) for Burke, Hill, and Lopez due to a lack of evidence of their phone calls.
• Federal Convictions: The jury finds Raul Charbonier and Luis Charbonier guilty on all five counts. James Burke, Henry Hill, and Louis Lopez are found guilty on Counts I through IV.
• Sentencing: Each convicted defendant is sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment.

Post-October 1972:

• Incarceration and Parole: Henry Hill serves 4 years at United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg and is paroled. James Burke serves 6 years and is also paroled.

1980:

• Henry Hill’s Arrest and Informant Status: Henry Hill is arrested on narcotics charges and subsequently becomes an FBI informant, ending his affiliation with the Lucchese Crime Family.
• Hill’s Testimony and Convictions: Hill testifies against former crime associates, leading to fifty convictions, including James Burke and Paul Vario.

1990s:

• Henry Hill Removed from Witness Protection Program: Hill is removed from the Witness Protection Program due to drug activity.

1992:

• FBI Memo on Henry Hill: A one-page FBI memo is generated concerning Henry Hill wearing a wire as part of an investigation into an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting Hill.

Cast of Characters

• Henry Hill Jr. (1943 – 2012): An associate of the Lucchese Crime Family (1955-1980) and the central figure in the Gaspar Ciaccio extortion. He traveled from New York to Tampa to collect debts. Later became an FBI informant in 1980 after a narcotics arrest, leading to 50 convictions, including James Burke and Paul Vario. Portrayed by Ray Liotta in “Goodfellas.” He was later removed from the Witness Protection Program due to drug activity.
• James Burke (1931 – 1996): Also known as “Jimmy the Gent.” A “known strongarm extortionist” linked to 50 murders. He organized the 1978 Lufthansa heist. He traveled to Tampa with Hill to collect debts and was a principal in the Ciaccio extortion. Portrayed as “Jimmy Conway” by Robert DeNiro in “Goodfellas.” He was convicted in the federal Ciaccio extortion case.
• Gaspar Ciaccio: The victim of the extortion, indebted to Casey “Cosmo” Rosado. He owned the Temple Terrace Lounge in Tampa, Florida, and was subjected to beatings and threats by Hill, Burke, Lopez, and the Charboniers.
• Casey “Cosmo” Rosado: A union boss and friend of James Burke, to whom Gaspar Ciaccio and Dr. Felix LoCicero owed gambling debts. He traveled from New York to Tampa to collect these debts and was involved in the Ciaccio extortion.
• Louis Lopez: Accompanied Burke, Hill, and Rosado to Tampa and participated in the beating of Gaspar Ciaccio, splitting open his forehead with a pistol. He was convicted in the federal Ciaccio extortion case.
• Raul Charbonier: Involved in the Ciaccio extortion in Tampa. He called Fano Ciaccio to negotiate the debt and later returned Gaspar to his lounge. He also contacted Dr. Felix LoCicero to extort money from him. He was convicted in the federal Ciaccio extortion case.
• Luis Charbonier: Involved in the initial confrontation and abduction of Gaspar Ciaccio at the Temple Terrace Lounge. He was convicted in the federal Ciaccio extortion case.
• Dr. Felix LoCicero: Another individual who owed gambling debts to Casey “Cosmo” Rosado. He paid $4,000 to Raul Charbonier to cancel his debt after Gaspar Ciaccio’s beating.
• Fano Ciaccio: Gaspar Ciaccio’s brother, who was contacted by Raul Charbonier during Gaspar’s abduction to negotiate the $8,000 debt. He went to the Char-Pal Lounge but stated he didn’t have the money.
• Paul Vario: A “caporegime” (captain) in the Lucchese Crime Family, who was a former crime associate of Henry Hill. Hill’s testimony led to his conviction. Portrayed as “Paul Cicero” by Paul Sorvino in “Goodfellas.”

Henry Hill, James Burke and the Ciaccio Extortion Case FBI Files

647 pages of FBI Files covering Henry Hill, who was portrayed by Ray Liotta in the Martin Scorsese directed 1990 film “Goodfellas,” James Burke, who was the model for the fictional character Jimmy Conway, played by Robert DeNiro in the film “Goodfellas,” and their connection to the Gaspar Ciaccio extortion case.

Henry Hill Jr. (1943 – 2012) was an associate of the Lucchese Crime Family, based in New York City. He was active with the Family from 1955 to 1980. His affiliation with the Family ended, when in 1980 he was arrested on narcotics charges and subsequently became an FBI informant. Hill testified in court against many of his former crime associates, resulting in fifty convictions, including those of James Burke and Lucchese caporegime Paul Vario, who was portrayed as Paul Cicero by Paul Sorvino in the film “Goodfellas. “ Hill was placed in the Witness Protection Program but was removed in the 1990’s due to drug activity.

James Burke (1931 – 1996), also known as “Jimmy the Gent,” has been credited with organizing the 1978 Lufthansa heist, which was the largest cash robbery in American history at the time. An FBI memo describes Burke as a “known strongarm extortionist who has traveled from New York to Florida in the past for extortionate purposes and is well acquainted with hijacking activities at JFK Airport, Queens, N.Y.”  Burke has been linked to 50 murders.

The first page in this document collection is a one-page 1992 FBI memo concerning Henry Hill wearing a wire as part of an investigation into an alleged murder for hire plot in which Hill was to be killed.

The rest of the material dates from 1970 and 1971 and covers the investigation, arrests and trials related to the Gaspar Ciaccio extortion criminal case.

In the movie “Goodfellas,” Ray Liotta playing Henry Hill is seen threatening to throw Gaspar Ciaccio into a lion’s cage at a Tampa zoo if Ciaccio did not come up the money to pay his delinquent gambling debts. In reality no lion was involved.

Hill and Burke in 1970 traveled to Tampa, Florida to help collect gambling debts owed to Burke’s friend, union boss Casey “Cosmo” Rosado, by Ciaccio and Dr. Felix LoCicero. Cosmo Rosado, James Burke, Henry Hill and Louis Lopez flew from New York to Tampa the night of October 8 arriving about 9:45 p.m.

Around 10:30 that night, Luis Charbonier and Rosado, accompanied by the others from New York, accosted Ciaccio in his own lounge, the Temple Terrace Lounge. Ciaccio was told to accompany the men to Charbonier’s lounge, the Char-Pal. When Ciaccio refused, Burke nudged a gun against his ribs. Ciaccio went along, surrounded by his five abductors. Hill and Lopez, sitting on either side of Ciaccio in the back seat of the car on the way to the other lounge, began beating him. Lopez split open Ciaccio’s forehead with a pistol. Hill and Lopez stated that they would kill Ciaccio, but that it would not be worth-while since they wanted their $8,000. At the Char-Pal Ciaccio was placed in the stockroom and beaten some more.

Raul Charbonier called Gaspar’s brother, Fano Ciaccio, at the Temple Terrace Lounge. Raul explained to Fano that they had his brother, and they were ‘working him over.’  Raul said, ‘These fellows are from up North and they want their $8,000.’ Fano went to the Char-Pal Lounge to negotiate with Charbonier. After Fano explained he did not have the $8,000, Rosado told him that he could have a week to produce it. Subsequently, Raul Charbonier brought Gaspar back to the Temple Terrace Lounge.

After Gaspar Ciaccio’s beating, Charbonier called LoCicero. Charbonier informed LoCicero that they had Gaspar and they wanted to come over to see LoCicero. Charbonier agreed that, if LoCicero would promise to pay his balance in the morning, he would keep away from him. LoCicero agreed. He paid Raul Charbonier $4,000 to cancel his gambling debt.

In November 1970, the United States indicted James Burke, Henry Hill, Louis Lopez, Raul Charbonier and Luis Charbonier on five counts. The charges consisted of (1) making extortionate extensions of credit; (2) using extortionate means of collecting debts; (3) interstate travel in furtherance of extortion; (4) interstate travel for promotion of an illegal gambling enterprise; and (5) use of interstate telephone facilities in an unlawful gambling enterprise.

On November 24, 1970, six days after the federal indictment was returned, Florida state officials charged these defendants with kidnapping, extortion and assault with intent to murder Gaspar Ciaccio. The state case was tried in early March 1971. All defendants were acquitted.

The federal case was delayed until October 1972. The trial court directed a verdict of not guilty on Count V as to Burke, Hill and Lopez, because no evidence of phone calls by them existed. The jury found the Charboniers guilty on all counts and Burke, Hill and Lopez guilty on Counts I through IV. The court sentenced each defendant to ten years’ imprisonment.

Hill was paroled after serving 4 years at United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Burke 6 years.

Some documents in the collection make various mentions of individuals in the Tampa criminal underworld and their activities.

In addition to the material above this collection contains the text of the findings of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit of the Defendant’s appeal. The document contains information surrounding the events leading to the charges and trials.