Paul Vario

Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 - May 3, 1988) was a Caporegime for the Lucchese Crime Family, which is the fourth most powerful Cosa Nostra family of New York City. He was famous for being performed by Paul Sorvino in the 1990 movie called Goodfellas as Paul Cicero.

Biography

Paul Vario was born July 9, 1914 in New York City. He was the most powerful Caporegime for the Lucchese Crime Family. He never failed to leave a big impression on then boss Anthony Corallo. While not held in as high of a regard by then underboss Salvatore Santoro and the time’s consigliere named Johnny Dio, they still viewed him as untouchable. Paul Vario was a staggering 6’9 and very muscular. He also had a bad temper. He was also highly competent. He was good at finding covert FBI listening devices in his businesses and would destroy them every time he found one. He wouldn’t even use phones. Instead, he would just write notes or use hand or head gestures while talking business. His crew was known as the Vario crew, which was the biggest crew of the Lucchese crime family. Famous members of the Vario crew included his younger brother named Tuddy Vario, Frank Manzo, Angelo Sepe, Paolo LiCastri, Martin Krugman, Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeSimone, Theresa Ferrara, Parnell Edwards, Robert McMahon, and Joe Manri. On December 11, 1978, he planned the Lufthansa heist in which all of his crew members except for Henry Hill, Tuddy Vario, Frank Manzo, and some other soldiers and associates robbed $5 million from the JFK Airport. He was arrested in 1980 for it and died in prison in Fort Worth, Texas on May 3, 1988.