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A mob hitman who killed three people in the 1980s has escaped from federal custody in Florida. Dominic Taddeo, 64, was scheduled to be released next year and was recently transferred to a halfway house.
According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Taddeo went to an approved medical appointment on March 28 but never returned.
Taddeo was sentenced to 54 years behind bars in 1992 after pleading guilty to RICO crimes, including the murder of three men. Taddeo killed Nicholas Mastrodonato, Gerald Pelusio, and Dino Tortatice in 1982 and 1983. He also tried to assassinate two others, including two failed attempts to knock off mob captain Thomas Marotta.
He was previously charged with federal firearms charges in 1987 but disappeared after posting bail. He used over two dozen aliases and managed to evade capture for two years. He was finally busted after an informant tipped off authorities that he was going to meet his brother in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 2020, Taddeo requested a compassionate release because of the coronavirus pandemic. His petition was denied.
"Taddeo's prior convictions are for crimes including assault, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and, most notably, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) conspiracy arising from his employment and association with Rochester's La Cosa Nostra organized crime family," U.S. District Judge Frank Geraci Jr. wrote.