I just thought this was a cool story
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- An undertaker aligned with the mob came up with a novel way to hide murder victims -- burying them in "double-decker" coffins underneath legitimate clients of his funeral parlor, according to a published report. A senior member of the DeCavalcante crime family, Carlo Corsentino of Elizabeth, who lived to be more than 100 years old, came up with the idea to dispose of those who didn't match his longevity. Testifying in a criminal trial in Manhattan, mob turncoat Anthony Rotondo told jurors the heavy weight of the coffins often surprised pall bearers. "The (crime) family would put the body of the murdered victim below the regular customer, thus disappearing forever," Rotondo explained to prosecutor Michael McGovern. "There would be six grown men carrying someone's 80-pound grandmother, and they looked like they were having a problem." The testimony came during the murder conspiracy trial of Girolamo "Jimmy" Palermo, a reputed acting boss of the DeCavalcante family, whose members claim to be the inspiration behind "The Sopranos" TV show. Rotondo, who has pleaded guilty to two gangland hits, said Corsentino and other old-time mobsters began using the coffins in the 1920s and '30s "when there were a lot of mob murders committed." |