New York Mob Hit Man Escapes Federal Custody, Officials Say

“It’s the dumbest thing he could have done: He was already out of prison,” Mr. Capeci said, referencing Mr. Taddeo living at the halfway house. “Either there’s something wrong upstairs, or something bad happened to him.” Escape from a halfway house can result in substantial additional prison time or fines.

Court documents show that Mr. Taddeo was projected to be released from prison next February. His last attempt to leave was of a much more legal nature: In late 2020, Mr. Taddeo had applied for compassionate release, because of concerns about contracting Covid.

That request, however, was denied by a federal judge, Frank P. Geraci Jr., who outlined, in his decision, the runaway hit man’s past crimes, noting convictions for assault, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and, befitting his illegal profession, “possession of machine guns.”

Mr. Taddeo, federal officials say, began his criminal career in mid-70s, at the age of 16. But it was his activities in the 1980s on behalf of the mafia in Rochester, N.Y., that brought Mr. Taddeo true infamy, including the murders of three men — Nicholas Mastrodonato, Gerald Pelusio, and Dino Tortatice — in 1982 and 1983.

It was not until 1992 that he admitted to those crimes, according to The Buffalo News, which said all three victims were “reputedly insurgent mob members.” Intriguingly, Mr. Taddeo also confessed to the attempted murder of a Rochester mob leader, Thomas Marotta, trying and failing to kill him twice — yes, twice — by shooting him. Those murders and attempts resulted in racketeering convictions, and a lengthy prison sentence.