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| Jan. 1972 |
1972 Suffolk County, Long Island PD mugshot of Future Colombo Captain Vincent 'Vinny Buffalo / Vinny Unions' Ricciardo (1945-2024) following an arrest for 1st degree robbery, 2nd degree robbery, grand larceny and possessing a dangerous weapon.
Born in Brooklyn to a father with roots in both Campania and Calabria (per Ancestry), twenty-six-year-old Ricciardo was picked up by 6th Precinct Detectives and charged with the armed holdup of two Farmingville, LI pharmacy employees.
Police report stated: "[Victims] were making a night deposit at Bankers Trust [and] were held up by two w. males, with stockings over head, both were armed with handguns. Stated 'Give me the bag + walk away'. Subs fled on foot behind store." $1,145 taken.
Within about a half hour of the incident, a member of the PD's Robbery Squad Unit received information indicating that Ricciardo and another man, Charles Hess (37y), were two of the participants and that both could be found at the latter's residence in Centereach.
Once taken into custody Hess, followed by Ricciardo, admitted their roles and named 'Chris' LNU, subsequently identified as Gerd Christensen (27y), as the third man. Report noted: "[Ricciardo] was advised of Hess' admission and at this time he stated, 'Chris and me had the guns and Charlie stayed in the car while me and Chris got the money off the guy at the deposit box'."
Police found Christensen at his residence and placed him under arrest as well. He then led Detectives to his car, where he had stashed the .32 revolver and automatic used in the crime.
In subsequent questioning the defendants confessed involvement in two more robberies and an attempted robbery, two of which Ricciardo participated in.
Ricciardo was convicted on a final charge of robbery and given an indefinite term, not to exceed four years, at Sing Sing Prison.
Served sentence from August 10, 1972 to August 1, 1974.
He was associated with the Colombo Family by the 1980s, and in 1992 survived an unsanctioned murder attempt that left another man dead.
By 2004 he was a Captain and is believed to have held the position until his death in August 2024.
Born in Brooklyn to a father with roots in both Campania and Calabria (per Ancestry), twenty-six-year-old Ricciardo was picked up by 6th Precinct Detectives and charged with the armed holdup of two Farmingville, LI pharmacy employees.
Police report stated: "[Victims] were making a night deposit at Bankers Trust [and] were held up by two w. males, with stockings over head, both were armed with handguns. Stated 'Give me the bag + walk away'. Subs fled on foot behind store." $1,145 taken.
Within about a half hour of the incident, a member of the PD's Robbery Squad Unit received information indicating that Ricciardo and another man, Charles Hess (37y), were two of the participants and that both could be found at the latter's residence in Centereach.
Once taken into custody Hess, followed by Ricciardo, admitted their roles and named 'Chris' LNU, subsequently identified as Gerd Christensen (27y), as the third man. Report noted: "[Ricciardo] was advised of Hess' admission and at this time he stated, 'Chris and me had the guns and Charlie stayed in the car while me and Chris got the money off the guy at the deposit box'."
Police found Christensen at his residence and placed him under arrest as well. He then led Detectives to his car, where he had stashed the .32 revolver and automatic used in the crime.
In subsequent questioning the defendants confessed involvement in two more robberies and an attempted robbery, two of which Ricciardo participated in.
Ricciardo was convicted on a final charge of robbery and given an indefinite term, not to exceed four years, at Sing Sing Prison.
Served sentence from August 10, 1972 to August 1, 1974.
He was associated with the Colombo Family by the 1980s, and in 1992 survived an unsanctioned murder attempt that left another man dead.
By 2004 he was a Captain and is believed to have held the position until his death in August 2024.
More Colombo Family posts can be found in the Index.
