The Story of Greg "The Grim Reaper" Scarpa

They called him “The Grim Reaper”, a ghoulish nickname even by mafia standards. Greg Scarpa was a stone cold killer for the Colombo Crime Family. He lived up to his nickname and then some. Greg Scarpa’s story is unlike that of any other mobster, however. Here is the story of Gregory Scarpa.

The Life He Wanted

Gregory Scarpa Sr. was born in 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up on the south side in Bensonhurst. His father Salvatore made his money hauling coal, which was a back breaking and miserable job. His daughter Linda Scarpa would later recall how young Greg disliked going into his father’s dirty and rugged work. He was far too ambitious to settle into such a fate. 

Instead of hauling coal with his dad, Greg had his eye on a different kind of lifestyle altogether. There were those older guys in the neighborhood that were always driving nice cars and wearing fancy clothes. They always seemed to have lots of money yet few of them even held actual jobs. They were living “the life” that Greg and his older brother Sal wanted. 

The Scarpa brothers become associates of the Profaci Crime Family, basically young head crackers and collectors. Greg in particular, had a nasty streak that frightened people. Scarpa proved his loyalty and capabilities over the next several years and it paid off. Greg fit the bill physically too, he was 6’ tall and a very muscular 200 lbs. He was also a fearless enforcer and a big earner.

In 1953, the mafia bosses decided to test Scapa to see if he was ready for the big time. They ordered Greg to kill a man and he coldly did it without hesitation. He would soon be officially made into the Profaci Family, which later became the Colombo Family. He became a protege of Carmine “The Snake” Persico who was a rising star in the family at the time. 

Persico’s reputation was known by all. This was the man, who along with “Crazy Joe” Gallo walked into the Park Sheraton barbershop and killed Albert Anastasia back in 1957. The police didn’t know who was responsible for the epic mob rubout but everyone in the Colombo Family did. Scarpa was inspired by his mentor’s ruthlessness, and aimed to create a legacy of his own. 

The Two Faces Of Greg Scarpa

The most ironic part of the entire Gregory Scarpa story is how he was able to lead double lives on multiple fronts. He did this for decades, both as a mobster and in his personal life. He had a wife who he had four children with. He also had his girlfriend of thirty years Linda Schiro who he had two children with. Scarpa was open with both families about his life of crime. 

The most surprising thing about Greg Scarpa in hindsight, was that he was a FBI informant for three decades. This all started back in 1962 when he agreed to do some undercover work to avoid an armed robbery conviction. It’s been said that Scarpa needed little persuasion to agree to cooperate. Early on, he appeared to be a great catch for the FBI.

In 1964, three civil rights workers disappeared in Mississippi and were presumed to be murdered. When the FBI found themselves unable to recover the bodies, they turned to their ruthless young mobster from New York to get answers. They figured Scarpa could use his own personal interrogation tactics, ones that they were forbidden from using.

Greg Scarpa was dispatched to Mississippi where he was given a gun and some cash. He then abducted a television salesman named Lawrence Byrd. Byrd was a Klansman and suspected of being involved in the killings. Scarpa beat and tortured Byrd for days trying to get the information out of him, but Byrd did not give anything. 

Finally, Scarpa threatened to castrate Byrd and he caved in. He gave Scarpa the location of the three bodies and the sad case was solved. Scarpa began to see himself as something of a double agent after this incident. He was proud of the work and sometimes talked about it in front of his family. He even went back to Mississippi for a second case a few years later. 

A Fatal Mistake

In the mid 1980s, Greg Scarpa was nearing 60 and fighting some health issues. The gangster was battling with a bleeding ulcer that required surgery. After the surgery, Scarpa was to receive donations from the hospital blood bank. Scarpa was not happy with the idea of taking the random blood into his body and developed a better plan. 

It turns out that the man who helped find the bodies of the civil rights workers had his own set of beliefs when it came to race. He didn’t want any of the blood donated to come from black people, fearing that it may be infected with the HIV virus. Instead, he decided to have several of his crew members donate the blood instead. 

One of the guys who donated blood was an underling named Paul Mele, a tough guy and bodybuilder underling. What Scarpa didn’t know was that Mele was using steroids. He also used dirty needles and had attained HIV. Greg Scarpa had gambled on his crew being a safer bet and he lost this time. 

It turned out the hospital never screened the donated blood before putting it into Scapa. During this time, getting HIV was a guaranteed death sentence. There were no cures and very little in the way of effective treatment. Scarpa and Mele would later die from complications related to AIDS. He would go on to sue and win a settlement against the hospital for negligence. 

Despite being resigned to his fate of impending death, Scarpa did not let it get in the way of his ambitions within the mafia. He became even more murderous than ever. And soon, there would be reason to unleash on his enemies. A war was on the horizon and Greg “The Grim Reaper” Scarpa was ready to take center stage.

Battle For Supremacy

Colombo boss Carmine Persico was in prison after having been convicted with the other bosses in the Commission Case. There was no chance Persico was ever going to get out of prison. This reality did nothing to deter him from wanting to be family boss, so he named “Little Vic” Orena as acting boss in 1988. This choice would lead to an all out civil war.

Orena quickly got accustomed to the position and resented any idea that he was some kind of placeholder. He was a well connected capo from Brooklyn who was a close ally to Gambino boss John Gotti. Orena made a very bold move and requested to the commission that he be made the official boss. Fearing a war, the commission did not back Orena’s power play.

Despite the setback, Orena did not give up on his quest. He felt Persico was holding the family back by trying to call the shots from prison. Carmine at the time was also planning on doing a made for television biography, something Orena and others opposed for obvious reasons. When word got to Persico about Orena’s intentions, he exploded in anger and vowed swift revenge. 

The rank and file of the family were forced to take sides in the conflict. Scarpa had done business with both men. Just a few years earlier in 1989, Scarpa killed Thomas Ocera on the request of Orena. But Scarpa’s loyalty lied with Persico, as did family Consigliere Carmine Sessa. Even faced with having to go to war with the Grim Reaper, Orena did not cave in.

The Orena faction had some heavy hitters as well. He had his brothers Mickey and Willy Boy who were armed and ready for war. Wild Bill Cutolo and his crew were also on Team Orena. After some harsh words and threats, the violence would begin on June 21, 1991. That day, Orena noticed two men staking out his house, it was two Persico hitmen. The war was on.

Colombo Family War III

Orena decided he was going to strike first, he sent his men out nightly to hunt the Persico faction. On November 18th, they ambushed Greg Scarpa right outside of his home, nearly killing his daughter and infant grandson in the process. They all escaped unhurt but Scarpa, who was struggling with AIDS snapped. He vowed that he was going to kill everyone on the Orena side.

Persico loyalist Hank Smurra was killed on November 24th. The timing led most to believe Hank had switched sides and paid for it. On December 2nd, Scarpa and crew killed Tommy Scars Amato and Orena loyalist Joey Tolino. He’s suspected of killing Sam Nastasi three days later. Then Scarpa killed Orena loyalist Vinny Fusaro on December 7th, as he hung Christmas lights outside his home.

The next day, December 8th, there was a shootout in a Bay Ridge bagel shop where an innocent teenage boy was killed. This caused an uproar, which tapered the violence for a few weeks. Greg Scarpa at this point was blood thirsty for more. He knew with his disease, he had limited time and he wanted to kill as many enemies as possible during that window. 

January 7, 1992, Scarpa and his crew were out hunting the Orena faction in South Brooklyn and on this night they would score big. After staking out a local bar, they saw Orena capo Nick “Black” Grancio and followed him, with Scarpa riding shotgun. When Grancio got to an intersection, they pulled up next to him.  

Scarpa leaned out the window and pointed his gun at Grancio and before shooting him yelled out “This one’s from Carmine”. He then shot him several times and even got out of the car to put a few more bullets in him from close range. He then left and sent a page out to his crew members that read “666”. This killing was the one that earned him the Grim Reaper nickname.

The cost of the war had a crippling effect on the Colombo Family and their position as a viable mafia family. A dozen people were killed, 80 members and associates were sent to prison. The family hierarchy would continue to be controlled by Persico, but by this point the ranks had been gutted. Because of the war, they were temporarily kicked off the commission.  

Interview With The Hitman

In November 1992, Scarpa sat down for an interview with Harold Dow on an episode of CBS’s “Street Stories”. This was a move that was very much out of character for a mobster, but especially for the most accomplished hitman in the game. This episode aired on November 12, 1992, right in the middle of the third Colombo Family War.

Dow began talking about Scarpa, referring to him as the man “who escalated the Colombo family war.” They played an old surveillance tape of Scarpa looking very intimidating while standing in front of his bar, the Wimpy Boys Social Club. Scarpa was certainly aware of the surveillance and actually approaches and locks eyes with the camera. But that was in the mid 1980s.

The once fierce looking Scarpa was now physically and mentally a mere shell of himself by the time of the interview. His body was suffering the effects of full blown AIDS and he was expected to die at any time. He had won his case against the hospital. He and his family were given a $300,000 settlement from the hospital that gave him the HIV infested blood. 

The illness didn’t stop him from his criminal activities, in fact it inspired him to settle scores. He said with a gleam in his eye during the interview that there was “nothing he would ever hide from, or back up from.” While his eyes portrayed confidence and bravado, his face was sunken in and he looked very bad compared to the menacing 200lb Grim Reaper of the past.

A “high ranking” Colombo informer was also interviewed in the piece. His identity and voice were both concealed. He said that Scarpa may have been using AIDS as a license to kill. When Harold Dow asked the informer if he still feared Scarpa, his response was “until he’s in the ground, and maybe afterwards too.”

Shortly after the interview, Scarpa was indicted on racketeering and murder charges. Because of his physical condition, he was allowed to stay at home while on house arrest. At this point, he looked like a very sick old man. But things would not stay quiet for long in the Scarpa household.

A Heavy Price To Pay

Along with the grief Scarpa’s victim’s families felt, Scarpa’s own family may have paid the heaviest price of all. Greg Sr. was very open about his criminal ventures in front of his wife and kids. He once shot a man in front of the mother of his children. He was married to Connie who he had four kids with and he had another girlfriend Linda Schiro who he had two kids with. 

Gregory Scarpa Jr. was a chip off the old block, and he followed right in his father’s footsteps. Scarpa Jr. was convicted of racketeering in the 1990s and still sits in prison. His sentence was later reduced by ten years. It’s safe to say he won’t be returning to the mafia because like his father, he was exposed as an informant. 

Scarpa had another son Joey with Linda Schiro. They also had a daughter, little Linda Schiro. Joey predictably  got into a life of crime and became a young drug dealer. He had absolute clout in the neighborhood because his father was the Grim Reaper. Linda later recalled a loving father who had a good side, something Scarpa rarely showed in his business life. 

A month after the CBS interview, Scarpa would be in yet another shootout. On December 29th, his son Joey and a friend came back to the home and told him that a rival drug dealer had pulled a gun on Joey. Scarpa, ignoring his monitoring device, drove with the two youngsters over to the drug dealer’s house where the bullets started flying. 

Scarpa would be shot in the eye during the exchange. His son escaped unharmed but the friend was killed. This was the end of Scarpa’s days as a free man. In 1993, he was convicted of multiple murders. He died in a prison hospital on June 4, 1994 of AIDS related complications. His status as an FBI informer was not revealed until after his death. 

His son Joey would be killed on March 20, 1995. Joey no longer had the protection of his infamous father and thus his days were numbered. He was not the first member of the family to be murdered. Greg’s older brother Sal Scarpa was murdered on January 14, 1987 in what looked to be a botched robbery attempt.

The Daughter Who Saw It All

Linda Scarpa realized very young that her father was not like typical fathers. There’s no doubt that she was a daddy’s girl from her earliest days. She was treated like a princess and felt like her father was truly invincible. She would have a childhood that very few would understand. Eventually, she would come to understand why they called her dad “The Grim Reaper”. 

The first time her father’s lifestyle affected her personal life was an incident where she got caught smoking pot. Her father blamed the young male friend that she was with for giving her the drugs. Scarpa then hunted the kid down and put a vicious beating on him. The friend was barely recognizable and Linda was horrified. She never did any drugs again after the incident. 

She knew her father was a gangster but one incident when she was a teenager showed her how dangerous he really was. The driver of a car service who took the Scarpa kids to school attemted to rape her. After she told her father, the guy was soon tracked down and killed. Scarpa told his young daughter that she would never have to worry about the man again. 

During the 3rd Colombo Family War, Linda almost got caught in the crossfire when Orena gunmen ambushed her father in the car in front of her. Her infant child was in the car with her during the frightening incident. Somehow everyone survived the incident but Greg was absolutely enraged and spent the rest of his free life hunting the Orena faction nightly. 

She was home the night Greg got his eye shot out and her brother Joey’s friend got killed. After that, her dad was locked up and would die from AIDS related complications a year and a half later. Just a year after that her younger brother Joey was shot to death. Joey had been dealing drugs and living the street life for a while, but when Greg died all his protection was gone. 

The reason that the Scarpa story can be told so clearly is because Linda has spoken publicly many times. She went on The Joy Behar Show on HLN, I Married A Mobster, True Crime Daily and a documentary about her father. Her mother Linda was also on I Married A Mobster, mother and daughter both had an episode. Both were very open and honest about the man they loved. 

While she unapologetically reflects on the love she has for her father, she makes no false claims or excuses for what he was. The pain of the losses can be seen in her eyes as she tells her family’s story. She has received lots of criticism for being a mafia princess, but if anyone can understand what the mafia does to a family, it’s Linda Scarpa and she wants to speak out about it. 

The Agent Who Supported Scarpa

FBI Agent Lindley DeVecchio was charged with, but not convicted of murder. He was suspected of various violations as Scarpa’s FBI handler. Right before Greg Scarpa Jr. was to be indicted, he conveniently disappeared. Like agent John Connely in Boston with Whitey Bulger, Lin is acused of feeding Scarpa information about enemies in the mafia. 

DeVecchio says he may have toed the line in legality but in the end was just doing his job. That’s an eyebrow raising assessment when considering that Scarpa was by far the worst killer in the mafia. Some of DeVecchio’s fellow FBI agents openly accused him of giving Scarfo the addresses of mobsters that Greg Scarpa was trying to kill. 

He’s accused of giving Scarpa information that led to the murder of Mary Bari in 1984. Bari was a girlfriend of Allie Boy Persico and the word was DeVecchio told Scarpa that she was an informant. Bari was lured to Scarpa’s Wimpy Boys Social Club under the pretense of a job offer. Once there, she was shot to death and her body was wrapped up and dumped in the street. 

Another killing Scarpa committed with his possible help was that of Joseph DeDomenico aka “Joe Brewster” in 1987. Joe was a friend who often visited Scarfo’s house and knew his family. Scarfo’s son Greg Jr. participated in this as well as the Bari murder with his father. Linda Scarpa later suspected her father may have killed his friend, whose crime was wanting to quit the life.

Another charge DeVecchio beat was in the murder of Joey Scarpa’s friend Patrick Porco in 1990. Word was sent that Porco may make a deal to save his skin. This was a particularly heinous killing by Scarpa because he forced his son to be involved in the murder of his friend, something that mentally scarred his son.