Mafia Cops | Murder For Hire | 2

Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. — It's a sweltering summer's day in 1986, outside the 19th Hole Bar in Brooklyn. Anthony Gaspipe Casso stands on the sidewalk in the shadow of the bar, deep in conversation with three associates from the Lucchese crime family. Short but powerfully built, 44-year-old Casso is a made man and one of the Lucchese's top enforcers. He and the other men have serious business to discuss. The boss of the family has been arrested by the police, and it looks like he might be going. away for a long time. But their conversation falls silent when the owner of a nearby Chinese restaurant rushes up. He's agitated and tells the mobsters that a few drunk guys have brought a Doberman into his place, and the dog is terrorizing his customers. The mobsters send one of their men from the bar to take care of it, and a few minutes later, he emerges from the restaurant with the two troublemakers and their dog. But the Doberman is still barking and snarling, jumping up at the Lucchese man. Casso recognizes the kid holding the leash. He's a tall, red-headed guy named Jimmy Heidel. He's worked for Casso before on a few jobs. So Casso turns to his associates. All right, excuse me, fellas. I gotta take care of this. Casso walks over. Hey, Jimmy, you spoiling people's lunches now? Heidel turns around, and Casso can tell from his swimming eyes that he's very drunk. I just wanted to eat lo mein gas, and they threw me out. That's not what the owner says. Now why don't you take your dog and go sober up someplace else? The dog jumps at Casso. And control your animal, Jimmy. You're getting people upset. It's not good for business. Well, I don't care about his business. And what about mine? I said hold that dog. We were just trying to eat. Get out of here, Jimmy. Hey, I'm just standing here, Cas. It's a free country. Casso studies Heidel, his expression unreadable, and the dog still barking between them. Then he turns around. And strides back toward the bar. By now, the commotion has drawn a small crowd outside the 19th hole. But they clear a path when they see Casso coming. Casso marches over to the bar and pulls out a semi-automatic pistol and silencer from underneath the counter. Then he heads back outside, screwing on the silencer as he goes. Without saying a word, he marches back toward Jimmy Heidel and his dog. Heidel's eyes flick to the gun. What, you gonna shoot me out here on the street? No, not you. Casso raises the gun, and too late, Heidel realizes it's not pointed at him. He tries to pull his dog back. Heidel stares in shock, the leash suddenly limp in his hand. You shot my dog. I told you to control it. You shot my dog? You're lucky it wasn't you. Now pick up your dog and get out of here. It's bleeding on my sidewalk. Anthony Casso goes back inside the bar as if nothing has happened. He puts the pistol away. And then pours himself a drink. No one asks him any questions. They know better. But as Casso sips his whiskey and soda, though, one of his men comes over to warn him that Jimmy Heidel isn't stable. He'll be out for revenge. Casso shrugs. He's not worried. Even threatening to come after a made man like him is a death sentence. Hey, what's up, guys? It's Hayley Bailey. Okay, I need to tell you about something. I just got YouTube previewed. It's got tons of awesome features like offline downloads, so I can download my favorite videos before I travel and watch them whenever I don't have Wi-Fi, because we all know airplane Wi-Fi is the worst. 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Through bribes and extortion, they had government inspectors and politicians in their pockets. And they even had allies in the very institutions that were supposed to stop them. Two of those insiders were New York Police Department detectives Stephen Caracapa and Louis Eppolito. Working through an intermediary named Burton Kaplan, they started a business called New York Police Department. They started out by selling confidential police intelligence to the mob. But when Kaplan needed to get rid of a troublesome business associate, Caracapa and Eppolito helped track him down and snatch him off the street. It wouldn't be the last time they'd help criminals make people disappear. And soon, it would be the turn of Anthony Gaspipe Casso to call on their unique services. This is Episode 2, Murder for Hire. It's September 1986. In Brooklyn, New York. The cold blast of an air conditioner hits Anthony Gaspipe Casso as he steps inside an ice cream parlor. He's on his way to meet up with Jimmy Heidel. But he has some time to kill first, so he's decided to stop for a frozen treat. Heidel seems to have smartened up his act since Casso shot his dog. Just like Casso thought, he hasn't dared mention the incident to him again. And now he's even come to Casso with a business proposal. Heidel says he's acquired a large quantity of stolen blank checks he'd like to sell. He wants to cut Casso into the deal in exchange for his help. Casso steps up to the ice cream counter. He gets two scoops of strawberry soft serve, and then he heads back to his car and drives off with the ice cream in one hand and the wheel in the other. The restaurant where the meeting is to take place is just a few minutes away, and he parks his sedan outside. But while Casso finishes his ice cream, he hears a car pull up slowly alongside him. The engine idles, and something about it feels off. Casso looks around. Casso looks up just in time to see a shotgun pointed at him through the window. He throws himself down as the gun goes off, and the window shatters, leaving the floor of his car covered in glass, as well as strawberry ice cream. Casso feels a sharp pain. He touches his hand to his neck, and it comes away covered in blood. He's been shot. Suppressing hard on the wound, he reaches over with his other hand to open the passenger door and then scrambles out onto the sidewalk. Using his car for cover, Casso crawls to the entrance of the restaurant. He pushes through the door and staggers to his feet. Shocked diners look up at him from the floor where they've taken cover. He ignores their stares and pulls a cloth off one of the tables, sending glasses and plates crashing to the ground. Casso presses the tablecloth to his neck to stop the bleeding. Then he hurries toward the back of the restaurant, lurching between tables. He barges through a door and down some steps to the basement kitchen. There, cooks stare in amazement as Casso stumbles past them. He makes straight for the walk-in freezer. He hauls open the heavy metal door and shuts himself inside. No one's going to get him there. Casso then slumps down against the wall, his breath fogging in front of him. His neck and shoulder throb and the tablecloth he took from upstairs has already soaked through. He's lost a lot of blood and the shock and cold are making him shiver uncontrollably. His teeth begin to chatter, so he clamps his jaw shut, trying to stay in control. He's survived worse than this. Yes. knows he'll live, but he's determined that the men who tried to kill him won't. It's only when he's sure that the coast is clear that Casso emerges from the freezer. The police eventually catch up to him at the hospital. They question him at his bedside after he's been stitched up, but Casso doesn't talk. He may be the victim of an attempted hit, but he's also a member of the mafia, and wise guys keep their mouths shut. He says he knows nothing about organized crime and claims he doesn't have a clue why anyone would want him dead. The police leave frustrated. Casso may not have offered the officers any help, but as soon as he's out of the hospital, he plans to do some digging of his own. And he doesn't have to do it alone. The arrest of the Lucchese boss back in the summer created vacancies higher up in the organization, and Casso was one of the beneficiaries. He was promoted to underboss, and now men who used to outrank him are taking his calls. So there are plenty of people on the streets who are eager to help someone like him get revenge. Informants soon come forward with a list of names, and one stands out. It shouldn't be a surprise to Casso that Jimmy Heidel was involved in the shooting. After all, he knew where Casso would be that day, and Casso did kill his dog. Still, Casso struggles to believe that Heidel would take a shot at him on his own. Mafia families have a way of doing things, and killing a made man without permission isn't one of them. It's a death sentence for the man who pulls the trigger. So Casso begins to think that if Heidel did do it, then someone else must be behind him. And in Casso's eyes, there's just one obvious set of suspects, the Lucchese family's arch-rivals, the Gambinos. The Gambinos' current boss killed his predecessor to get his job, so arranging a hit on Casso would hardly be beneath him. But still, it's not an accusation Casso can throw around without proof. The other mafia families won't stand for it, so he needs to be sure. It's at this point that one of Casso's associates, the businessman Burton Kaplan, makes a suggestion. He has friends in the NYPD who could look into the case on Casso's behalf. The two cops have helped Kaplan out in the past, and he knows they can be trusted. But Casso doesn't like the idea of relying on cops. Even if they are corrupt, they're still the enemy. But Casso also knows that as long as whoever backed Heidel's play is out there, he's in danger. So reluctantly, he tells Burton Kaplan to get in touch with his friends on the force. And a few days later, Kaplan comes in. He comes to see him at a bar in Brooklyn. He's carrying a manila folder and grinning from ear to ear. But Casso frowns. What are you so happy about? Kaplan slaps the folder down in front of Casso. Oh, you're going to want to take a look at this gas pipe. Yeah, courtesy of New York's finest. Casso picks up the folder and opens it. It's full of crime scene photos and police paperwork relating to Casso's shooting. There's the license plate of a car he was shot from, as well as a list of suspects. Kaplan leans close. What'd I tell you? I knew they could help out. These sets of prints there that they found, you see? Casso glances over the page. Jimmy Heidel. Yep, and Nicky Guido. And Bob Barrett. You know, I got Jimmy a job once. A nice cushy deal through one of the unions. I guess he really loved that dog. Casso looks up at Kaplan. What do I owe your friends for this? Kaplan just waves him off, though. Someone was looking to hurt you, and they won't take any money under those circumstances. This is just to show you the kind of thing they're capable of. Well, isn't that nice of them? He closes the file. Casso has never known a cop to do something for nothing, and he's sure there'll be a price to pay at some point. Pass along my thanks. Sure thing. It's like I said, they're the real deal. Anthony Casso leaves the bar, finally knowing exactly who tried to kill him. But even though he now has the names of his assailants, that doesn't mean they'll be easy to find. He soon discovers that Jimmy Heidel and his accomplices have all gone into hiding. So Casso sends his soldiers out looking for them. But despite an intensive search, weeks pass without any sign of the three men. So once again, he turns to Burton Kaplan's friends in the NYPD. Perhaps they can succeed where his men couldn't. Kaplan, of course, assures him that they'll be able to help. For the low price of $35,000, they'll find and kidnap Jimmy Heidel. Casso agrees to the terms, but emphasizes that Heidel must be delivered to him alive. He wants a chance to interrogate him. Casso still thinks someone else was behind the attack, and he has to know who it was. But despite Kaplan's confidence in his friends, more weeks pass, and even with the cops on the case, there's still no sign of Jimmy Heidel. Casso grows impatient with the lack of progress. But just when he's beginning to think that these two cops of Kaplan's aren't as impressive as he thought, he gets a beep on his pager. It's from Kaplan. He says his friends have finally picked up Heidel, and Casso is thrilled. He tells Kaplan to have Heidel delivered to the parking lot of a Toys R Us in Brooklyn, and Casso will take it from there. By the time Casso and his driver get to the agreed location, it's dark and the toy store is closed. Casso's car is the only one in the lot. A few minutes pass, and then a few more. Finally, Casso sees Burt Kaplan's sedan turn into the lot. He tells Casso that the others are on their way, but Casso paces the lot impatiently. He won't be satisfied until he gets his hands on Heidel. Eventually, the lights of a third car turn into the lot. It parks a short distance away, and Kaplan goes over while Casso stays back. The less contact he has with these people, the better. They're still cops, after all. A few moments later, Kaplan comes over and hands Casso a set of car keys. He nods back at the third car across the lot, and he says, and says the cops have left Heidel in the trunk. They've cuffed him, bound his feet with duct tape, and stuffed his mouth with a handkerchief. Still, despite all their precautions, they had to knock him out because he was making such a racket, yelling and banging his feet against the inside of the trunk. So now he's got a bump on his head, but other than that, as promised, Heidel is unharmed. Casso takes the keys and wanders over to the car. As he's walking, he spots another vehicle by the entrance to the parking lot. Standing by its hood are two men, who are looking in Casso's direction. One is tall and heavy-set, with gold chains that glint in the darkness. The other man is skinny, with sunken eyes. Casso glances at Kaplan, who is just behind him and asks who they are. Kaplan jokes that they're his police escort. Casso doesn't laugh. He tells Kaplan and his two friends to get out of here. He's got work to do. The other men know when they're not welcome, so they get in their cars and drive away, leaving Casso alone with Jimmy Heidel. Casso pops the trunk, and Heidel is curled up inside, not moving, his face bloody and swollen. Anthony Casso smiles. Whether Heidel talks or not, Casso is going to enjoy this. One company changed the artificial sweetener industry forever by deleting four words from a tagline. Sales skyrocketed, rivals sued, and a multi-billion dollar war was on. Hey there, I'm David Brown, the host of the podcast. Business Wars. Every season, we bring you the true stories behind the companies that shape our world. Their rivalries, their reinventions, and their spectacular rises and falls. In our new season, we're diving into the bitter battle to own sweetness. When scientists discovered that chemicals could deliver the taste of sugar with none of its calories, Sweet and Low, Equal, and Splenda fought for space on tabletops, in diet sodas, and on grocery store shelves across America. But as health scares hit and regulators came knocking, competition between the top three artificial sweeteners turned ugly. Make sure to follow Business Wars wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Business Wars early and ad-free right now. What if AI could recreate the voice of somebody you loved who died? What if it destroyed your reputation with words you never said? And what if you fell in love with something that was never human? I'm Mark Finnell, and in my brand new Audible original podcast, I'm traveling the globe to investigate the very personal ways AI is already changing our relationships, our memories, and our sense of what is real. Unreal. Listen now on Audible. After Burt Kaplan and the cops leave the Toys R Us parking lot, Anthony Casso drives Jimmy Heidel to the house of another associate who lives nearby. Casso shows up unannounced and says he needs to borrow the basement for a few days. The owner quickly decides it's a good time to take his family out of town for the weekend. And with the family gone, Casso takes Heidel out of the car and drags him down to the basement. The young man has been beaten badly by the police. He's only semi-conscious as Casso straps him to a chair. Casso unwraps the duct tape around Heidel's head and takes out the handkerchief that was stuffed in his mouth. He does want him to talk, after all. But Casso tortures Heidel all night. And by the next morning, the young man has confessed that he shot Casso and claims that the hit was ordered by senior members of the Gambino family. But it's not enough just for Casso to hear it. He wants other mobsters to know that he's found the man who tried to kill him, that he's smart enough and dangerous enough to track down his would-be assassins. Then no one will ever mess with him again. So he invites senior members of members of both the Lucchese and Gambian Bino families to the basement to hear Heidel's confession. Only once that's done does Casso prepare to kill him. He's just about to pull the trigger when Heidel asks Casso to do him one favor. He asks Casso to dump his body in the street so he's found and his mother can collect the insurance money. Casso solemnly promises he will and then shoots Heidel 15 times. But Casso doesn't keep his word. He tosses Heidel's body into a nearby waterway where it will never be found. Jimmy Heidel's family won't see a cent of the insurance money. But now that Heidel has been dealt with, Casso can turn his attention to the accomplices. During his interrogation, Heidel confirmed the information Casso got from the police. He was working with Nikki Guido and Bobby Baring, but Guido and Baring haven't been seen for weeks. But eventually, one of Casso's lookouts spots a red sports car outside Guido's house. He gives the license plate to his boss and Casso then asks Kaplan to get his cop friends to run a check on the plate. If the car belongs to Nikki Guido, then they can follow it. Selling information from the criminal record database is a way many police officers make a quick buck. It's one of the most common forms of corruption in the department. But in theory, this information is tightly controlled. Detectives are supposed to get approval from their superiors to look up a name and logs are reviewed regularly. But Detective Stephen Caracappa is in the major case squad. As a highly regarded detective, few would think to question him anyway. But conveniently, Caracappa also acts as his unit's coordinator. He liaises between detectives and their sergeants and signs off on reports on behalf of his boss. That means Caracappa is in a position to approve his own requests and ensure any suspicious activity on the system never gets flagged. So Anthony Casso's latest request is an easy assignment for Caracappa. And shortly before dawn on November 11th, 1980, Caracappa is in a position to approve his own requests and ensure any suspicious activity on the system never gets flagged. He heads to NYPD headquarters. He grabs a coffee and strolls into the major case squad room. It's not yet 6 a.m. and Caracappa is the only one there. Most of the guys in his unit don't get in until after 10. He sets his coffee down and logs into the squad's computer terminal. The NYPD criminal history computer consists of a small black and white screen with a keyboard attached. The machine is state-of-the-art. It allows Caracappa to see if someone has ever been arrested, along with all their known addresses. To search the system, Caracappa must identify himself by his name and tax number. This security measure means that all searches in the database can be traced back to a specific cop. Next, he needs to enter the case number associated with his inquiry. Caracappa is here to run a search on Nicky Guido, but he isn't part of the team looking into Casso's attempted murder, and he doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks. So first, Caracappa enters the number for a case he is working on, and starts by running a few names connected to it. Only then does he look up Nicky Guido, using the same case number. That way, if someone ever audits the logs, they'll just assume Guido is connected to Caracappa's case and think nothing more of it. And just as the first of his fellow officers trickle into the squad room, Caracappa finishes his task and logs out of the system. Then, with the information from Caracappa in hand, Burt Kaplan soon comes back to Casso and says they have what he's looking for, but it's going to cost him. The price is $4,000. Casso is incensed. He gave the cops an extra $5,000 for the good job they did with Jimmy Heidel, but now they're demanding almost as much for a license plate check. Casso thinks they're getting greedy, so he decides to find Nicky Guido on his own. Casso wonders if perhaps Guido has some other property where he's hiding away. He talks to a contact at the local gas company and asks him to search their files. The man soon comes back with a street address in Brooklyn, Casso immediately sends some of his men to check the house, and they report seeing a guy who seems to fit Guido's description, tall, dark-haired, and Italian-American. They've also seen a red car on the street, just like the one seen outside Guido's other address. So Casso is sure he's found his man. One of his deputies urges caution, though, telling Casso that they need more intelligence to be sure they've got the right guy. But Casso is too impatient. He orders his men to take Guido out and to do it when he'll be least expecting it. And so, a few weeks later, on Christmas Day, 1986, three of Casso's men pull over outside the house in Brooklyn and wait. Inside, Tony Guido is finishing up Christmas dinner with his family. Around the table are his siblings and their adult kids. His nephew, 26-year-old Nicky, is sitting next to him. Nicky has been talking Tony's ear off about the new car he just got. And the conversation continues as the family starts to clear their plates, and Nicky gets up from the table. Hey, want to check out the car now, Uncle Tony? Tony loves cars almost as much as Nicky, but Tony's just eaten. He doesn't want anything more than to put his feet up on the couch and watch TV. Oh, Nicky, tomorrow maybe. It's raining. Come on, I'm parked right across the street. Tony can see how much it means to Nicky, and he figures a couple of minutes can't hurt, even if it is raining. All right, all right, let me get my boots on. Nicky grins and grabs his jacket from the back of the chair and calls into the kitchen. Hey, Ma! I'm going to show Uncle Tony! Uncle Tony, the new ride! I'll help clean up in a bit! Nicky fishes his car keys out of his pocket while Tony pulls on his boots. Then they both head out onto the stoop. It's getting dark, and the sidewalk is slick with icy rain. Everyone else on the block is still inside, enjoying Christmas Day with their families. And Tony is tempted to turn back, too. But Nicky is already crossing the road, and his new red Nissan Maxima is parked half a block up the street. Tony hurries down the steps after him. By the time he reaches the car, Nicky is already in the driver's seat. He reaches over and opens the passenger door for Tony. Tony rubs his wet hands on his pants. I'm getting rain on your seats. That's okay, I don't mind. Check this out. Nicky turns the ignition, and the dashboard lights up in a futuristic green. Ooh, doesn't she purr? Yeah, pretty cool, like we're in a jet plane or something. And look, it's got a fully digital instrument cluster. Even the fuel gauge is digital. Yeah, Nicky, sure is nice. Tony glances out the window. Oh. A cap and dark jacket walks by. The man turns and stares right at them. Tony doesn't recognize him and wonders what he's doing out alone on a rainy, cold Christmas day. But Nicky is still focused on the car. Man, it's like something from the future. Look at this. Tony looks back at the dashboard, and as he does, the man in the cap turns back, steps in front of the car, and pulls something from his coat pocket. Suddenly, Nicky grabs Tony and pushes him down. Uncle Tony, get down! That shot swings. Tony doesn't get up. He pulls up, and as he pulls up, he finds himself in the back of the car. There's a screech of tires as a car pulls up beside them, and then accelerates quickly away. Tony feels Nicky's hand go limp on his back. Nicky! Nicky! Tony sits up. He peers out through the shattered windshield. The man in the cap is nowhere to be seen. What was that? You okay, Nicky? Nicky is slumped forward in the driver's seat, his jacket stained with blood. Nicky, can you hear me? Nicky doesn't respond. Tony Guido checks Nicky's pulse, but it's clear he's dead. And if it weren't for Nicky holding him down, Tony would be dead too. His legs trembling, Tony runs back through the rain to the house to call for help. And while the Guidos wait for the police to arrive, Tony sits on the stoop in shock. He can't understand why anyone would want to hurt Nicky. It was just a kid who liked cars. There must have been some mistake. Nicky! You stepped out for your morning jog. Except it's not your usual morning jog. You started listening to an epic sci-fi book on Audible. Thirty chapters later, you've accidentally run a half marathon. You lost track of how far you've run, somewhere just past the city limits. You can't stop. You have to find out what happens next. Then it's over. The universe seems bigger. You feel different. You feel like you have no idea where you are. Audible, stories that speak to you. Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. His coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good. You'll give love a second chance. When the cops arrive at Nicky Guido's home in Brooklyn, they interview his shocked family and neighbors. No one has any idea why Nicky Guido would be a target for the mob. He was a quiet, well-liked young man who already had a steady job and no links to organized crime. But the next day, the detective in charge of the case gets a call from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. The DA has been investigating the attempted murder of the Lucchese family's underboss, Anthony Gaspipe Casso. And Nicky Guido is one of the suspects. So this was probably a revenge hit. But from everything the detective has learned so far, Nicky Guido doesn't sound like a mobster. And he soon realizes that there are two Nicky Guidos in Brooklyn. One is an innocent young man who worked for a telephone company. And the other is a petty criminal with a string of convictions to his name. It's clearly a case of mistaken identity. So the detective goes looking for this second. Nicky Guido. His life is in danger. But when he visits the address on file, he only finds Guido's mother. The detective tells her what he knows and advises her that Guido should turn himself in for police protection. But when the real Nicky Guido hears from his mother that the cops are after him as well as the mob, he doesn't hand himself in. Instead, he flees New York and goes into hiding in Tampa, Florida. And with Jimmy Heidel already dead, that leaves just one of Anthony Casso's would-be assassins still in New York. Bob Baring is hiding out on Long Island. And when he sees the news about Nicky Guido's killing on television, he has no way of knowing that Casso got the wrong guy. As far as Baring is concerned, his friend is dead and he knows that Casso is just waiting for his chance to kill him too. Baring lives in a permanent state of fear and starts carrying his gun everywhere, even to bed. Eventually, Baring will do anything to get away from Casso, even if that means going to prison. So on January 3rd, 1987, he turns himself in to the police. Hoping for a deal, Baring admits to the attempted assassination, as well as his involvement in several other unsolved murder cases. It's an unusual confession, and he may be going to prison, but at least he'll be safe from Anthony Casso. So while Baring eludes him, Casso at least tells himself the two of the three men who shot him are dead. But then the media picks up the story that the mafia killed the wrong man. And when Casso gets to know the truth, he's not alone. He's not alone. He's not alone. Casso learns that the Nicky Guido he had shot wasn't his intended target. He's furious. The entire situation makes him look like a fool, and that's bad for business. Casso demands an explanation from his men, who swear they had no idea they'd shot the wrong guy. But Casso doesn't believe them. Since the attempt on his life, he's become deeply paranoid. He begins to think that his soldiers deliberately killed the wrong man as a way to set up Casso. So he orders a hit on one of the men responsible. On September 3rd, 1987, Casso is shot. Casso is shot. Casso is shot. Casso 1987, this Lucchese soldier is walking down a busy street in Brooklyn with a friend when someone comes up behind them and shoots them both in the head. Casso is satisfied. He's shown once again that he's not a man anyone should cross. But then he gets a call from Burton Kaplan. Kaplan is upset. The friend who was shot alongside the Lucchese soldier was Frank Santora Jr. He's the cousin of one of Kaplan's corrupt cops and a vital go-between. Kaplan doesn't even know how to get in touch with the police officers without him. Casso tells Kaplan that he should have told him. If he'd known who Santora was, of course he wouldn't have killed him. But Kaplan had good reason to keep Santora's identity a secret. He's always feared that if Casso discovers his source, he might decide to cut out the middleman. But now his problem is even worse. Without his contact with the police, he's useless to Casso, and he knows that Casso won't hesitate to get rid of him if he thinks he's a loose thread. But a week after Frank Santora Jr.'s funeral, a woman stops by Burton Kaplan's clothing store in Brooklyn. She introduces herself as Santora's widow and says that there's someone who wants to talk to them. A few days later, Kaplan goes to Santora's house. Waiting for him in the dining room is Louis Eppolito. Ah, look who it is. Mr. Eppolito. Please call me Lou. Instead of a handshake, Eppolito grips Kaplan's shoulders and kisses Kaplan's cheeks mob style. Kaplan, returns the greeting. Well, it's good to see you again, despite the sad circumstances, of course. Yeah. Take a seat. Kaplan and Eppolito sit down. Eppolito clasps his hands. It was a real tragedy what happened to Frank. And my condolences to your family once again. Thank you. But I don't see why it should affect the work we've been doing. Kaplan smiles. Well, I'd hoped you'd say that. My partner is working on a special task force now. It's all very hush-hush, working with the FBI. He's got even more access than before. We can get your friends anything they want. Intelligence on ongoing investigations, wiretaps, planned arrests, informants, the whole shebang. But, of course, it would have to be worth our while. Well, of course. But how much are we talking? We were thinking of a retainer situation, you know, like a rolling contract. Let's say four points a month. Four thousand dollars is a small price to pay for almost unlimited access to NYPD files. Kaplan doesn't want Eppolito to know that. I don't know, Lou. I'd have to ask Casso. What we're offering is unique. He won't be able to get this anywhere else. Kaplan hesitates a moment longer before offering Lou his hand. Oh, I know. And I'll be sure to tell him that. After meeting with Louis Eppolito, Burton Kaplan immediately calls Anthony Casso. Casso is happy to pay the retainer, but he demands that Eppolito and his partner work exclusively for him. Having such access is a competitive advantage. And he doesn't want Eppolito selling the information to anyone else. Eppolito agrees to the terms, but then tells Kaplan he wants to meet with Casso directly. Kaplan is furious and frightened. If Eppolito builds a separate connection with Casso, Kaplan will be expendable. So he refuses to set up the meeting, and he and Eppolito have a blazing argument. It's Eppolito's partner, Stephen Caracapa, who saves the deal. He arrives at Kaplan's house with a plate of homemade cookies and an apology for Eppolito's behavior. Kaplan quickly comes to like Caracapa. He's smart and discreet, just like Kaplan. And soon he's meeting almost exclusively with him instead of Eppolito. And for the next two years, a steady stream of confidential police intelligence flows through Kaplan to Anthony Casso. But the one thing Caracapa and Eppolito cannot tell Casso is where the real Nicky Guido has gone. It's only at the beginning of 1989 that he resurfaces in New York, where he's caught by the police in a cocaine bust. Guido is charged in connection with that crime. But while he's awaiting trial, he's convicted for the attempted murder of Anthony Casso. He's sentenced to up to seven years in prison, and it's a frustrating outcome for Casso. He doesn't want Guido behind bars. He wants him dead. And so far, despite all his efforts, he's only managed to take out one of his three assailants. The Gambino captains who ordered the hit are still out there as well. And by 1990, he's had a contract out on Eddie Lino, a senior Gambino man for over two years, but no one has been able to pin him down. So Casso asks Burton Kaplan if his cops would be willing to take care of it. Until now, Eppolito and Caracapa have kept their hands relatively clean. They picked up Israel Greenwald and Jimmy Heidel, but they left the wet work to someone else. Now, though, Casso is offering them $75,000 to take out Eddie Lino themselves. It's a small fortune compared to their police salary. So Eppolito and Caracapa agree to the deal. But it's the fall of 1990 before they track their man down. On the evening of November 6th, they spot Eddie Lino leaving a Gambino social club in southern Brooklyn. They tail his gleaming black Mercedes-Benz along a service road just off the Belt Parkway. And when they reach a quiet stretch, Caracapa puts a flashing red police light on the dashboard, and Eppolito accelerates. Lino pulls over to the side of the road. Caracapa holds up his detective badge, and Lino rolls down his window. He asks what he can do for the officers. From the driver's seat, Eppolito asks if his name is Frankie. Lino shakes his head with a rueful smile. That's his cousin. His name is Eddie. Caracapa glances at Eppolito. This is their guy. So out of Lino's side, Caracapa readies his gun while Eppolito calls over and asks Lino what he's got on the passenger seat. Lino can't help glancing over to look himself, and as he turns, Caracapa raises his gun and fires three shots. There's a splatter of blood, and Lino slumps to the side. His car is still in drive, though, and it starts to drift across the street. Thinking Lino may still be alive, Caracapa quickly reloads before running after Lino's car. Keeping pace with the vehicle, Caracapa fires another six rounds through the window to make sure Lino's dead. Then he gets back in his car, and Eppolito races away. Within moments, they're on the Belt Parkway, just another anonymous car among thousands of others. And as they drive east, they quietly congratulate themselves on a job well done. They feel no remorse about killing Eddie Lino. He was a heroin dealer, and a murderous thug, so as far as they're concerned, the world is better off without him. And now, thanks to Anthony Casso, their wallets are as well. American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to HistoryIsHuman.com. That's HistoryIsHuman.com. If you'd like to learn more about the Mafia cops, we recommend the books The Brotherhoods by Guy Lawson and William Oldman and Mob Cops by Greg B. Smith. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details, and while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham, for Airship. This episode is written and researched by Lauren Sudworth, Senior Producer Andy Beckerman, Managing Producer Emily Burke, Fact Checking by Alyssa Jung Perry, Audio Editing by Mohamed Shamsi, Original Music by Thrum, Sound Design by Gabriel Gould, Executive Producer for Airship is William Simpson, Executive Producer for Audible is Jenny Lauer-Beckman, Head of Creative Development at Audible, Kate Navin, Head of Audible Originals, North America, Marshall Louis, Chief Content Officer, Rachel Chiazza. Copyright 2026 by Audible Originals, LLC. Sound Recording Copyright 2026 by Audible Originals, LLC. I'm Mark Fennell, and in my brand new Audible Original Podcast, I'm travelling the globe to investigate the very personal ways AI is already changing our relationships, our memories, and our sense of what is real. Unreal. Listen now on Audible.