Phyllis Burdi was a young New York woman murdered in September 1987 by associates of the Bonanno crime family. The Phyllis Burdi murder was ordered by Thomas “Tommy Karate” Pitera, a Bonanno soldier and hitman who blamed her for the fatal overdose of his wife, Celeste Pitera, and it was carried out with the help of Bonanno associate Vincent “Kojak” Giattino.1U.S. Supreme Court. Giattino v. United States, Appendix to Petition for Certiorari
Who Phyllis Burdi Was and Why She Was Killed
Burdi was described in press accounts as a “Cindy Crawford look-alike” who used hard drugs. She was present on the night Celeste Pitera overdosed and died. Her husband, Tommy Pitera, held Burdi responsible, and that blame became the motive for her killing.2New York Post. The Butcher
Pitera was no ordinary mobster to cross. He operated out of Gravesend, Brooklyn, running a cocaine, heroin, and marijuana trafficking operation dating back to at least 1986, and officials later alleged he was personally responsible for as many as 30 murders.3UPI. DEA Arrests 25 on Drug, Murder Charges Including Tommy Karate
How the Murder Was Carried Out
The killing took place in September 1987. According to author Philip Carlo, Pitera shot Burdi while she slept and then dismembered her body.2New York Post. The Butcher A federal appeals court later described the murder as having been committed in a “horrific manner” with a gun fitted with a silencer.1U.S. Supreme Court. Giattino v. United States, Appendix to Petition for Certiorari
Court records from Giattino’s federal case confirm that he participated in the killing at Pitera’s direction, and prosecutors cited his role in the murder as evidence that he was acting to maintain or increase his standing in Pitera’s crew.4Law Resource. United States v. Giattino, 104 F.3d 354
How Her Remains Were Found
Investigators recovered Burdi’s torso after an unindicted co-conspirator revealed its location. Her head and hands had been removed, apparently to prevent identification.5Tampa Bay Times. Mob Murder Suspect Arrested in Florida
Pitera’s crew was known to bury dismembered victims at the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge, a bird sanctuary on Staten Island where investigators eventually recovered seven bodies.2New York Post. The Butcher U.S. Attorney Andrew Maloney said the site had been used as a burial ground for about three years, with remains packed into suitcases and plastic bags.6UPI. A Drug and Murder Ring Linked to the Bonanno Whether Burdi’s remains were among those recovered at the sanctuary is not established in the public record. When agents arrested Pitera in 1990, they found books on dismemberment and saws at his home.3UPI. DEA Arrests 25 on Drug, Murder Charges Including Tommy Karate
Who Was Held Responsible
The Phyllis Burdi killing became one of the murder charges in the sweeping federal racketeering case that dismantled Pitera’s operation. Pitera was arrested on June 4, 1990, in a Drug Enforcement Administration sweep that brought in about 25 people.3UPI. DEA Arrests 25 on Drug, Murder Charges Including Tommy Karate After a seven-week trial in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, a jury convicted him on November 6, 1992, of racketeering, running a continuing criminal enterprise, murder in furtherance of that enterprise, and various narcotics and firearms offenses. He was convicted of six murders.7GovInfo. United States v. Pitera, Second Circuit Opinion The jury declined to impose the death penalty, and Pitera was sentenced to life in prison without parole, along with additional terms running consecutively and a $250,000 fine.8New York Times. Jurors Reject Death Penalty for Mobster
Giattino became a fugitive after the 1990 roundup and was placed on the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 most wanted list. He was captured in Pompano Beach, Florida, in August 1991 after a profile aired on America’s Most Wanted.5Tampa Bay Times. Mob Murder Suspect Arrested in Florida On November 5, 1992, a jury convicted him on eight counts, including the RICO murder of Burdi and use of a firearm with a silencer. On February 26, 1993, Judge Reena Raggi sentenced him to five concurrent life terms, two concurrent ten-year terms, and a consecutive thirty-year term for the silencer offense, along with a $200,000 fine. At sentencing, Judge Raggi noted that the Burdi murder and one other “were committed in horrific manners.”1U.S. Supreme Court. Giattino v. United States, Appendix to Petition for Certiorari
Later Attempts to Overturn the Convictions
Both men have tried, without success, to challenge their convictions from prison. In 2009, Pitera moved under the Innocence Protection Act for DNA testing of six items, including a ski mask, firearms, and a suitcase. The district court denied the motion, and the Second Circuit affirmed that denial in April 2012, finding that the testing would not raise a reasonable probability that he did not commit the offenses.7GovInfo. United States v. Pitera, Second Circuit Opinion
Giattino has filed three unsuccessful motions for compassionate release, in 2020, 2022, and late 2022. In the third, he submitted a declaration from Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano that he argued mitigated his culpability in the Burdi killing. The district court said it did “not find the additional information regarding Giattino’s murder convictions compelling,” and on October 25, 2024, the Second Circuit affirmed. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his petition for certiorari on April 21, 2025.1U.S. Supreme Court. Giattino v. United States, Appendix to Petition for Certiorari9U.S. Supreme Court. Giattino v. United States, Docket No. 24-6803 Both men remain in federal prison serving life sentences.