Anthony Senter is a former Brooklyn mob hitman who worked in Roy DeMeo’s Gambino-affiliated crew during the 1970s and early 1980s, was convicted in 1989 of taking part in at least 11 murders, and was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years. He was paroled on June 21, 2024, at age 70, after serving roughly 35 years in federal custody.1CosaNostraNews. Former Gemini Twin Joseph Testa RIP2New York Post. Second Gambino Gemini Twin Hitman Paroled From Life Sentence
Who He Was in the DeMeo Crew
Senter grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn, the son of Italian immigrants whose surname had been anglicized from “Sente.” Curtis Sliwa, who grew up in the same neighborhood and played stickball with him, later described him as volatile: “He could be having a conversation with you, and then all of a sudden one little thing would set him off.”3New York Post. Gambino Mob Hitman Anthony Senter Paroled, Set for 2024 Release
Senter became an associate of Roy DeMeo, a Gambino made man who ran a crew out of the Gemini Lounge at 4021 Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn. Senter and his close friend Joseph Testa spent so much time at the bar that they became known as “the Gemini Twins.”3New York Post. Gambino Mob Hitman Anthony Senter Paroled, Set for 2024 Release1CosaNostraNews. Former Gemini Twin Joseph Testa RIP4The Mob Museum. Roy DeMeo, No. 3 on List of Top 5 Most Notorious Mob Hitmen
The Murders and the Gemini Method
Law enforcement estimated the DeMeo crew committed as many as 200 murders for the Gambino family during the 1970s and early 1980s, alongside a large international car theft ring, loansharking, drug trafficking, and extortion. Trial evidence established that Senter had personally dismembered a victim’s body into nine pieces for disposal.4The Mob Museum. Roy DeMeo, No. 3 on List of Top 5 Most Notorious Mob Hitmen
Authors Gene Mustain and Jerry Capeci, in Murder Machine, called the crew’s killing routine “the Gemini method.” Victims were lured to an apartment above the Gemini Lounge that crew members called “Horror Hotel.” A victim would be shot in the head with a suppressed firearm and then stabbed in the heart to stop blood from circulating. The body was drained in a bathtub, moved onto a swimming pool liner spread across the living room floor, and dismembered. The remains went into plastic bags and cardboard boxes and were taken to the Fountain Avenue dump in Brooklyn.4The Mob Museum. Roy DeMeo, No. 3 on List of Top 5 Most Notorious Mob Hitmen Former associate Dominick Montiglio, who cooperated with prosecutors, later testified in detail about the procedure, including how a towel was wrapped around the victim’s head before the stabbing to contain blood.2New York Post. Second Gambino Gemini Twin Hitman Paroled From Life Sentence
DeMeo himself was killed on January 10, 1983, on the orders of Gambino boss Paul Castellano, who reportedly feared he might cooperate. His body was found in the trunk of a car at a Brooklyn boat club with seven gunshot wounds to the head.4The Mob Museum. Roy DeMeo, No. 3 on List of Top 5 Most Notorious Mob Hitmen
The 1989 Conviction and Life Sentence
In 1989, seven members of the DeMeo crew were convicted of racketeering in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Senter and Testa were among five defendants found guilty of participating in at least 11 murders. U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Broderick sentenced both to life in prison plus 20 years.2New York Post. Second Gambino Gemini Twin Hitman Paroled From Life Sentence
The original prosecution had been led by then-U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani.5vLex. United States v. Castellano At sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Mack Jr. called the crew “the most violent crew ever prosecuted in federal court” and said they had “engaged in wholesale murder.”4The Mob Museum. Roy DeMeo, No. 3 on List of Top 5 Most Notorious Mob Hitmen
How He Got Parole After 35 Years
Senter’s life sentence did not mean he was ineligible for parole. The murders he was convicted of occurred before 1987, when federal sentencing guidelines changed to eliminate parole for new federal offenses. Because his crimes predated that change, parole remained available to him.2New York Post. Second Gambino Gemini Twin Hitman Paroled From Life Sentence
In late 2023, the U.S. Parole Commission granted him release. A Department of Justice spokeswoman said the Commission had determined that Senter “substantially observed the rules of the institution” and that his release “would not jeopardize the public welfare.”3New York Post. Gambino Mob Hitman Anthony Senter Paroled, Set for 2024 Release By early 2024 he was living in a New York City halfway house, and he was formally released on June 21, 2024.1CosaNostraNews. Former Gemini Twin Joseph Testa RIP
Reaction to His Release
Denise Hofaker, a cousin of murder victim Jerome Hofaker, called the decision “horrible” and “not right,” saying Senter’s life sentence was supposed to mean life, not 35 years. Giuliani said he was “astonished” by the parole and that Senter “should die in jail,” calling him “a stone-cold killer who liked to kill.”3New York Post. Gambino Mob Hitman Anthony Senter Paroled, Set for 2024 Release
What Happened to Joseph Testa
Testa, the other Gemini Twin, was paroled slightly earlier than Senter, on April 30, 2024, and retired to Nevada. He died on January 26, 2026, at age 71, of cancer, after years of medical problems. Before his release he had been held at Terminal Island, a federal prison in Los Angeles.1CosaNostraNews. Former Gemini Twin Joseph Testa RIP6CrimeReads. Hit Man Mafia Joey Testa Death