Samuel Corsaro
Encyclopedia
Samuel "Little Sammy" Corsaro (1943 - July 5, 2002) was a mobster who belonged to the New Jersey
faction of the Gambino crime family
. His nickname "Little Sammy" came from his height of 5'5".
, Corsaro later moved to Clifton, New Jersey
. As a youth, he became involved in petty crime. In 1974, during a liquor store robbery in Morris County, New Jersey
, Corsaro shot and killed a store clerk. Corsaro was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
In prison, Corsaro organized a program to teach inmates the upholstery
and interior design
trade in preparation for their release. Using Corsaro's program as proof of his rehabilitation
, Corsaro's lawyers petitioned the New Jersey governor for a pardon
. In 1983, New Jersey Governor Tom Kean pardoned Corsaro for the 1969 murder. After nine years in prison, Corsaro was released.
, or full member, of the Gambino family under boss John Gotti
. A 1988 report by the New Jersey State Commission investigating organized crime
listed Corsaro as being active in loansharking, gambling operations, and drug sales in Essex
and Passaic
counties in New Jersey. By now, Corsaro was the second ranked member of the New Jersey Gambino faction, just below mobster Robert Bisaccia.
office of the Attorney General
, which was the base for the Northern New Jersey Organized Crime Task Force. Other charges included hijacking a truck containing $750,000 worth of cigarettes, conspiring to take over a Bloomfield, New Jersey
waste-container concern, and making illegal payoffs in connection with the waste-container business.
In a long and tumultuous trial, there were frequent court outbursts, three defendants required hospitalization at some point, and a juror's car was shot up. In March 1993, Corsaro was convicted of the major racketeering charges. He was later sentenced to 26 years in prison. Corsaro appealed the verdict
and in 1999 prosecutors offered him a plea bargain
that reduced his sentence down to 8 to 16 years.
In 2000, Corsaro was released on parole
. On July 5, 2002 Samuel Corsaro died of a heart attack in Clifton at age 59.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
faction of the Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
. His nickname "Little Sammy" came from his height of 5'5".
Murder rap
Born in Nutley, New JerseyNutley, New Jersey
2010 Census Data:*TOTAL: 28,370 or 100%*White: 23,405 *African American: 628 *Asian: 2,824 *American Indian and Alaska Native: 36 *Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 4...
, Corsaro later moved to Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
. As a youth, he became involved in petty crime. In 1974, during a liquor store robbery in Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, Corsaro shot and killed a store clerk. Corsaro was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
In prison, Corsaro organized a program to teach inmates the upholstery
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
and interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
trade in preparation for their release. Using Corsaro's program as proof of his rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
, Corsaro's lawyers petitioned the New Jersey governor for a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
. In 1983, New Jersey Governor Tom Kean pardoned Corsaro for the 1969 murder. After nine years in prison, Corsaro was released.
Back on the streets
After his release, Corsaro soon returned to criminal activity. He became an associate and then a made manMade man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
, or full member, of the Gambino family under boss John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
. A 1988 report by the New Jersey State Commission investigating organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
listed Corsaro as being active in loansharking, gambling operations, and drug sales in Essex
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
and Passaic
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
counties in New Jersey. By now, Corsaro was the second ranked member of the New Jersey Gambino faction, just below mobster Robert Bisaccia.
Prison again
On April 21, 1989, Corsaro and other New Jersey mobsters were indicted on conspiracy and racketeering charges. The most serious charge was planning to burglarize and burn down the Fairfield, New JerseyFairfield, New Jersey
Fairfield is a township in far northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 7,466. Fairfield is the least densely populated town in Essex County....
office of the Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, which was the base for the Northern New Jersey Organized Crime Task Force. Other charges included hijacking a truck containing $750,000 worth of cigarettes, conspiring to take over a Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
waste-container concern, and making illegal payoffs in connection with the waste-container business.
In a long and tumultuous trial, there were frequent court outbursts, three defendants required hospitalization at some point, and a juror's car was shot up. In March 1993, Corsaro was convicted of the major racketeering charges. He was later sentenced to 26 years in prison. Corsaro appealed the verdict
Verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. The term, from the Latin veredictum, literally means "to say the truth" and is derived from Middle English verdit, from Anglo-Norman: a compound of ver and dit In law, a verdict...
and in 1999 prosecutors offered him a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
that reduced his sentence down to 8 to 16 years.
In 2000, Corsaro was released on parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
. On July 5, 2002 Samuel Corsaro died of a heart attack in Clifton at age 59.