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A beloved New England mobster is dead.
Gaetano Milano, described by some crime family analysts as a ‘soldier’ with the Patriarca crime family, has died at age 74. The amily itself ran operations in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Milano began as a Connecticut-based Colombo mob associate, before linking up with the Patriarcas via the New Haven, CT-based William Grasso. He would also gain notoriety in the Springfield, Massachusetts area.
While working with Grasso, Milano apparently represented Patriarca ‘interests’ from New Haven, CT up thru Springfield, MA, the latter locale where he liaised with the Genovese-affiliated crew in Western MA.
At some point in his illustrious career, Milano would come to realize he was being targeted for elimination by Grasso. As such, he joined a plot to instead assassinate Grasso, becoming a prominent part of the team that murdered him in June of 1989. Grasso's killing triggered a series of events that would cripple the mob in New Haven
Milano was initially sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for his participation in this murder, but was released in 2013.
He would go on to find religion and renounce the Mafia.
Milano's obituary describes him also as an an art therapist, "a career that brought him great fulfillment and purpose. His work was far more than a profession; it was a calling. Through art, empathy, and genuine compassion, Gaetano helped countless individuals heal and rediscover hope. He held deep affection for his colleagues and was grateful for every patient he had the privilege to help."
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
