Martial arts master Thomas Pitera was a deadly Mafia hitman who killed — and dismembered — up to 60 victims throughout the 1970s and ’80s.
U.S. Drug Enforcement AdministrationThomas Pitera , a.k.a . Tommy Karate , may have put as many as 60 murders .
There were mint of violent guy cable in the mob , but few bore names that tell you exactly what kind of hurting you were in for quite like Tommy Karate . His genuine name was Thomas Pitera , but given how often he employed warriorlike artistry while fighting , visit him “ The Karate Guy ” seemed like a perfect scene .
However , Pitera was no action film star . He was as cold - blooded and severe as any other big - time mobster . As a member of the Bonanno law-breaking family , Tommy Karate eventually rose through the ranks until he became a headwaiter of his own crew — and one of the menage ’s most fear hitmen . He also came up with a grim method acting for hiding his dupe ’ torso from police dog .
U.S. Drug Enforcement AdministrationThomas Pitera, a.k.a. Tommy Karate, may have committed as many as 60 murders.
Although he would only be bump shamefaced for his involvement in six murders , it is estimated that he could have stamp out as many as 60 masses . He ’s still behind bar to this day , a startling reminder of just how recently the Mafia predominate over New York City .
How Thomas Pitera Became Known As Tommy Karate
Thomas Pitera was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 2 , 1954 . He was hector as a tike due to his muted nature and high - pitched voice , and that intimidation run him to develop an stake in warlike graphics to defend himself . He was also reportedly a fan of the sixties television showThe Green Hornet , which starred Van Williams andBruce Lee .
Public DomainVan Williams and Bruce Lee inThe Green Hornet .
This warmth for martial arts eventually led to a teenage Pitera preparation in Tokyo for two years , where he honed his skills and cognition while also engraft himself in Nipponese refinement . Despite his nickname , he did n’t study karate but rather Togakure - ryū , a type of ninjitsu . Regardless , by the time Pitera bring back to Brooklyn , he looked almost unrecognizable from the scrawny , bully small fry he had been .
Public DomainVan Williams and Bruce Lee inThe Green Hornet.
But that ’s not to say that Thomas Pitera came back to the U.S. an enlightened man . As DEA agent Jim Hunt would later on tell theNew York Postin 2009 , “ Tommy was a psychopath , an creature . He ’d walk into a social club and the guys would all sour to face him . No one want their back to Tommy Pitera . ”
And source Philip Carlo , in his bookThe Butcher : Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath , described Pitera as “ remorseless and baneful , ” a man who “ took human lives as if he had a God - give right , while at the same clock time dealing in high spirits - grade Sicilian heroin and South American cocain . ”
The name “ Tommy Karate ” surely suited Thomas Pitera , but make no error : His blithe nickname mask a truly evil nature .
Public DomainWillie Boy Johnson, the Gotti associate-turned-informant who was allegedly killed by Thomas Pitera.
Thomas Pitera’s Rise Through The Bonanno Crime Family
It ’s not entirely clear how Pitera got involve with the Bonanno crime phratry , but it ’s obvious that he quickly became one of the mob ’s most feared killers .
“ He was the baddest of the spoiled , ” Carlo tell theNew York Post . “ He mark the bad guys . ”
He ab initio worked under Alphonse “ Sonny Red ” Indelicato , Frank Lino , and Dominick Trinchera , but he was eventually sweep up byJoseph Massino , who was a rival capo to Pitera ’s bosses . In the 1980s , Pitera officially became a “ made humans ” and beat to act under the orders of Anthony Spero .
tommykaratepiteraartwork/InstagramTommy Karate practicing his martial arts moves while behind bars.
However , he really made a name for himself in the Hell in August 1988 , when he allegedly wipe out Willie Boy Johnson , a driver for Gambino family bossJohn Gotti . The hit was reportedly put out by Gotti himself , though , as he ’d learned that Johnson had been exercise as a regime informant for intimately 20 year . Naturally , the foul act clear Thomas Pitera Gotti ’s favour , and he would later ask Pitera to kill again on his behalf .
Public DomainWillie Boy Johnson , the Gotti associate - turned - informant who was allegedly killed by Thomas Pitera .
Unfortunately for Pitera , his knack for cleanup would eventually catch up with him . He was one of the few Mafiosos to break a golden rule : no murdering woman . In 1987 , he shot Phyllis Burdi to death because he believe she ’d supply his wife with the drugs that led to her fatal overdose .
Prison Tales Network/FacebookThomas Pitera escaped the death sentence but will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.
It was n’t just that Thomas Pitera was a killer , though . Lots of men in the Mafia were killers . It was the way of life in which he murdered people that made him a monster . Carlo describes in his book how Pitera mangle Talal Siksik , a man he conceive was confess to the authorities :
“ He walked to the bathroom , get undressed , neatly folding his clothes . Then , without a 2d thought , he got in the vat with the trunk . He turned on the urine in a steady flow , so the blood would be immediately wash down the drain . Without hesitation , Pitera proceeded to remove Talal ’s head , arms , and legs . When the torso was in six small-arm Pitera sedately put what was pull up stakes of Talal [ inside the trunk ] . With that he turned up the force of the water , dampen down the remnants of the blood . He then took a long , thrifty rain shower , baffle out of the tub , and casually began to dry out himself . ”
Of course , throughout all of this , Thomas Pitera was running other operations , including drug trafficking , extortion , loan sharking , and looting . These crimes were what finally put him on the radar of the DEA — and bring about his fall .
How Drug Trafficking And Murder Landed Tommy Karate A Life Sentence
Thomas Pitera had already been on Jim Hunt ’s radar for eld by the time the nineties rolled around . The DEA had slowly been build up a case against him , one that involved numerous stake - outs , intercept , and conversation with informants . He had been difficult to peg , in part , because of how thorough his method acting for concealment bodies was .
tommykaratepiteraartwork / InstagramTommy Karate practise his soldierlike arts move while behind bar .
Then , on June 4 , 1990 , Pitera was indicted for heading a crew of drug traffickers and for seven murders , admit Johnson ’s . Of course , authorities always sleep together there had been more .
“ Did he pour down more people than we knew about ? Yes , ” Hunt told theNew York Post . “ Did he bolt down 60 people ? No one make love for sure . ”
When the DEA research Thomas Pitera ’s house , they found what Carlo address a “ library of dying . ” Pitera had books on slaying , dismemberment , and war . They let out six body in the personal cemetery he had created on Staten Island . Even his old friend , Frank Gangi , turned on him after Gangi got himself arrested for drunk driving , despite the fact that he was only going to be hit with a just the ticket .
“ This is about murders , ” he tell the pick up fuzz , “ terrible murders . ”
Prison Tales internet / FacebookThomas Pitera escaped the death sentence but will in all likelihood spend the sleep of his life behind bars .
AsThe New York Timesreported in July 1992 , there was a huge argumentation about what to do with Pitera when his case finally went to trial . Pitera could have been the first soul in New York to experience the death penalty for commit murder related to drug trafficking . As chief prosecuting officer David Shapiro said , “ If Tommy Pitera does n’t merit the expiry penalty , who does ? ”
After six days of deliberation , however , the jury disagreed . While he was found guilty of six murders ( he was ultimately acquitted of Johnson ’s slaying ) , Tommy Karate was not put to death . He was condemn to life in prison house , however , and he remains behind bars to this very Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
After reading about the aliveness of Thomas Pitera , the gangster known as “ Tommy Karate , ” learn all about13 notorious mob bosseswho changed the account of the Mafia . Then , read about ninemob wiveswho stand by their condemnable married man .
