New York mafia boss John Gotti was responsible for the death of mobster Tommy DeSimone and had a hand in the infamous Lufthansa heist according to a new mafia book. The new book The Lufthansa Heist: Behind the Six-Million-Dollar Cash Haul That Shook the World
Hill claims to have gotten information about the murder from Gotti confidant Sal Polisi which he met while inside the witness protection program. Hill also goes into detail about Gotti’s role in the 1978 robbery of the Lufthansa terminal at JFK airport orchestrated by mobster Jimmy “The Gent” Burke which netted the mobsters over $5 million dollars. It was all set up by the Lucchese crime family underlings of then Lucchese underboss Paul “Paulie” Vario although the airport was shared territory among the New York mafia families.
The Lufthansa Heist claims Gotti met with both Burke and Hill at a restaurant in Queens and discussed the robbery beforehand which Gotti agreeing to provide assistance. According to Hill it was agreed that Gotti would supply a warehouse where the crew could transfer the loot from the getaway van to a switch car to help evade cops. Gotti would then handle the destruction of the getaway van at a mob controlled salvage yard after the heist was completed. For his cooperation and help in the scheme Gotti is supposed to have received a $200,000 cut of the loot.
The associating with the Gotti and the Gambino crime family would eventually lead to the death of DeSimone according to Hill. Tommy has carried out the unsanctioned murders of Gambino mobsters William “Billy Batts” Devino and Ronald “Foxy” Jerothe which for years infuriated the Gambino’s. In the movie Goodfellas Billy Batts is showed getting killed by Burke and DeSimone over an insult which wasn’t how it really happened. He was killed according to the book because Burke and DeSimoe has taken over his loansharking business while he was in prison and wanted to keep it.
“Tommy DeSimone“
When Gotti heard that DeSimone was about to become a made man in the Lucchese family he demanded a sit down with Vario. The report in the book claims Gotti meet with Vario in which the following conversation took place:
“This f- -kin’ DeSimone whacked two of my top earners, and I let it go for a long time,” Gotti told his fellow capo. “Now he wants to be made, and I’m not gonna sit quietly. I mean, that’s as bad as putting a cactus up my a–. Understan’ what I’m sayin’, Paulie?”
“John, what do you suppose I should do?” Vario asked.
“Paulie, all I want is what’s fair,” Gotti said. “I wanna whack the bastard, and I want you to give me the green light.”
Vario figured it would have been only a matter of time before the wild card DeSimone would get pinched for the robbery didn’t fight the Gotti request to have Tommy killed. But the book also reveals another reason why Paulie went along with the request. While Hill was in prison years before DeSimone had supposedly tried to assault Henry’s wife which at the time infuriated Paulie because he was at the time having an affair with Hill’s wife Karen. Burke who Gotti knew also had a part in the unauthorized hit on his fellow mobster was also targeted by Gotti but because he was such a big earner for Vario’s crew he remained protected and Gotti was not allowed to kill him. Tommy would be killed on the night he was expecting to become a made man in the New York mob. Vario’s son drove him from Queens to the basement of Don Vito’s restaurant in the Bronx where several men awaited on being Gotti.
“Welcome, Tommy. Congratulations!” Gotti said. “Pull a chair up to the table and sit comfortably. This is not an ordinary day in your life, I want you to know.”
Tommy sat down and with in second was shot by Gotti with a silencer equipped .38 special according to the report. The remains of DeSimone were never found. The book claims to be filled with much more information which tells a different story then has been considered the course of these events to date. A copy of the new book which is set to be released on Aug 1st can be purchased for a great price on Here.
