By Marla Eggar

The first time I heard of Joseph Charles Massino I couldn’t help but to like him. However, in time, that changed! He came from good stock, provided for his family and was a devoted husband and father. In his youth, Massino was considered a renegade yet a good athlete. At the age of 16, Massino dropped out of high school. While his distaste for traditional education was apparent, Massino’s ambition was also abundantly clear. It was because of his ambition and work ethic that he met Carmine Rastelli, younger brother of Phillip Rastelli, a Capo in the Bonanno crime family. Phillip took a liking to Massino and he became his protégé.

Massino flourished under his apprenticeship to Phillip and soon became known as a “proven earner”. In time, Massino expanded his criminal activities beyond loan sharking and numbers and took up truck hijacking where he crossed paths with future Gambino boss John Gotti (who according to Massino, later took part in the Borelli murder.) A hit ordered by Paul Castellano for remarks made about his appearance. Nevertheless, Massino secured his own future on June 14, 1977 when he was inducted into the Bonanno crime family after a decade of service.