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Joey Cusumano, a close associate of Tony Spilotro and survivor of a hit attempt, dies at age 90

Longtime Las Vegas mobster Joey Cusumano was close with Tony Spilotro and Oscar Goodman. Left to right: Oscar Goodman, Tony Spilotro, Chris Petti, Joey Cusumano, and Nick DePento. The Mob Museum Collection
October 22, 2026

Joseph “Joey” Cusumano, a close associate of Chicago Outfit enforcer Tony Spilotro who was convicted of labor racketeering and banned from entering Nevada’s casinos, has died in Las Vegas. He was 90. Cusumano battled a number of medical challenges for several years before his passing Tuesday afternoon. Although law enforcement saw Cusumano as a hardened mobster, his charm and generosity earned him many friends from all walks of life, including in Hollywood, where he served as a line producer for the Francis Ford Coppola movie The Cotton Club. Oscar Goodman, the defense attorney turned Las Vegas mayor who represented Cusumano, tells a story reflecting ...

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Leonardo “Leo the Lawyer” Rizzuto, the current boss of the Montreal Mafia, leaves court in 2008. Courtesy of Scott Burnstein

Embattled Montreal Mafia clings to underworld power amid setbacks

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The hippo Vanessa, a descendant of Escobar’s original four, is the mascot of the zoo at Hacienda Nápoles. While the hippos at the theme park are safe, the Colombian government has marked the pods living in the Magdalena River Basin for culling. CC BY-SA 4.0 / Alvaro Morales Ríos[

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‘Ketamine Queen’ Jazveen Sangha was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison following her conviction on charges related to ketamine trafficking. The ketamine that contributed to Matthew Perry’s death came from her. @jasveen_s / Instagram

‘Ketamine Queen’ conviction over Matthew Perry’s death highlights evolving drug trade

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Twenty years ago, a federal jury convicted “Mafia Cops” Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa on eight counts of murder and other racketeering-related charges. Three years later, they were sentenced to life in prison. ZUMA Press inc./Alamy Stock Photo / Alchetron

New York’s ‘Mafia Cops’ faked arrests, leaked information to aid Mob killings

In March 2005, two retired New York City detectives were arrested without much fanfare outside of Piero’s, a restaurant near the Las…

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Casino owner Benny Binion leaves federal court in Las Vegas in November 1952 after petitioning a judge not to extradite him to Texas to face tax evasion charges. A month later, he was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. Associated Press

Benny Binion’s colorful life story slated for television series

Years ago in Las Vegas, a friend of professional poker player Doyle Brunson relayed an alarming message: If Brunson didn’t…

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Virginia Hill testifies in New York City before the Senate’s Kefauver Committee in 1951. The Mob Museum Collection

Virginia Hill, reputed ‘Queen of the Mob,’ died in Austria 60 years ago

On March 24, 1966, Virginia Hill died far from the life that made her famous. Sixty years later, she has…

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Bookmaker Art Manteris spent four decades working in Las Vegas casinos, including the Mob-operated Stardust Resort and Casino.

New memoir ‘The Bookie’ highlights the mobsters and characters in Las Vegas sportsbooks 

Early in his career at Las Vegas casino sportsbooks, when mobsters were an intimidating presence around town, Art Manteris confronted…

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