Investigators from the FBI and NYPD showed up at the home of former Lucchese crime family mobster James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke with trowels , pickax, and excavation equipment. Sources confirm that they are searching the backyard, basement, and driveway for a body from a tip they received as part of an ongoing organized crime investigation. A law enforcement source said the search was connected to a old case that could be dating back at least three decades. The former Lucchese family mobster was made famous by the 1990 hit movie “Goodfellas” where Robert De Niro played a character named Jimmy Conway which was clearly based on Jimmy Burke. He was the reputed mastermind behind the 1978 Lufthansa robbery of $5 million dollar in cash and $1 million dollar in jewels. But law enforcement sources confirmed that the current dig is not tied to the Lufthansa case.
(Jimmy Burke)
Only a small amount of $20,000 was ever recovered from the Lufthansa heist and many of the crew members who helped in the plot were believed to be killed by Burke after its completion. Even though they this dig is not specifically tied to the case sources confirm the Feds wouldn’t mind coming across the missing cash and jewels or other evidence associated with it. Some believed they may have been looking for the remains of Burke former friend Tommy DeSimone who was murdered back in 1979 as retaliation for him killing Gambino crime family mobster William “Billy Bats” Devino in 1970. Devino was a made man in the Gambino family and was beat to death by Burke and DeSimone after a drunken confrontation. But investigators have noted that they are not looking for DeSimone’s remains at the location.
The house they are conducting the dig at is owned Burke’s daughters , Robin and Catherine. His daughter Catherine is currently married to Bonanno crime family captain Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato a convicted hit man. As of now law enforcement has not indicated exactly who or what they are in search of but members of the team could be seen on location sifting through dirt , scooping it from one box to another as they went through it. In the backyard a grave sized hole was visible and marked with orange flags before being covered by a blue tent. A large blue tent was eventually also put up along the driveway of the home along with a tarp that extended all way to the curb. We will update this ongoing operation as more information becomes available about who or what they are searching for and if anything is recovered from the scene.
(Feds on scene at Burke home dig location)
UPDATE:
Feds believe that human remains have been found at the location and a source said the search has been productive. A forensic Anthropologist will now be called in to determine of the remains are indeed human and if they can be linked to anyone. Sources close to the investigation believe the remains may be of a victim killed more then 30 years ago that involved both the Lucchese and Bonanno crime families but no name has yet been released or anything confirmed by law enforcement.
