| |
| Thomas DeVito | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Aliases | "Tommy Two-Guns" |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | May 24, 1940 Brooklyn, New York City |
| Died | January 14, 1991 Queens, New York |
| Affiliation | Lucchese crime family |
| Title(s) | Associate |
Thomas "Tommy Two-Guns" DeVito was an American mobster who was an associate in the Lucchese crime family who was best known for the murder of William DeVino, a Gambino soldier, or perhaps, his own in 1979.
Biography[]
Tommy DeVito is shot in the back of the head.
Tommy DeVito was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a pure Sicilian family. DeVito grew up in the same neigborhood as future ally Henry Hill, and they both became mob associates by the time they were fifteen. DeVito started working for Lucchese Capo Paul Cicero, and was involved in smuggling cigarettes alongside Hill and Jimmy Conway, who was 27 years old at the time.
In 1967, DeVito gained status in the family after helping with the Air France Robbery, alongside Hill, Robert MacMahon, and Conway. He was also known to have become a troublemaker, smashing a wine glass on fellow associate Sonny Bunz's head because he reminded DeVito that he needed to pay his tab at The Bamboo Lounge. This led to Cicero stepping in, becoming business partners with Bunz, so any complaints about DeVito would go to Cicero, but he would pay him every week. When he could not cash a bill from the bank or purchase a case of booze, DeVito and Hill were sent to burn the racket down, since it was not making any money.
DeVito also hooked Hill with his future wife, Karen Hill, as he needed someone to go with him on a double-date. DeVito's girlfriend did not feel comfortable with an Italian alone, so she brought Karen with her, so Henry had a perfect opportunity to invest in a love life. The two were married after a while, and DeVito was present there, with a different girlfriend.
He got into trouble one night when he shot a worker at Robert's Lounge, Spider Gianco, in the foot, since he irritated him. The next time he went to the bar, he shot Gianco dead five times in the chest, and had to bury the body himself, since Conway did not want him killing senselessly. He got into trouble again when he went to The Suite Lounge, where he beat up Gambino Soldier Billy Batts because he insulted him about being a shoeshine boy when he was younger. Batts was later stabbed to death by DeVito in the trunk of his car in Upstate New York, while Conway shot him five times with a pistol. Batts' body was buried there, but six months later, they had to re-bury the body because condominiums were being constructed there.
DeVito's final major act was the Lufthansa Robbery, where he was a member of Conway's crew, including his friend Parnell Edwards, partner-in-crime Frankie Carbone, Hill, Conway, Jewish businessman Morrie Kessler, airport manager Robert MacMahon, enforcer Joe Buddha, and Johnny Roastbeef. They stole over $5,000,000 from the airport without firing a shot, and DeVito recieved a large profit.
He did not get to enjoy his money for long, however, since the Gambino Crew found the body and demanded payback from the Lucchese Family. Cicero reluctantly sent his hitman and brother Tuddy Cicero to kill DeVito at a bar, where he was supposed to be initiated into the family as a Soldato. As he entered the bar, he noticed it was closed and nobody was there, and he was shot in the head by Tuddy, and then by Thomas Agro, a long-time soldato in the family. Batts' Gambino boss John Gotti was brought into the room to view the body, and was satisfied.
DeVito was purposely shot in the head so that he could not have an open-casket funeral. He was buried in Lindenwood.