Louis Eppolito, one of the infamous “Mafia Cops” who killed for the mob while working as a New York police detective, died in prison on November 3, 2019. He was 71 years old. His cause of death has not been disclosed, but he had reportedly been struggling with multiple health issues
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A Double Life of Crime and Corruption
Eppolito was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1948, into a family with ties to the Gambino crime family. His father, uncle, and cousin were all members of the mob, and his uncle and cousin were later murdered by their own associates
Eppolito joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 1969, lying about his relatives in organized crime. He rose to the rank of detective in 1977, and worked in various units, including the Organized Crime Homicide Unit. He gained a reputation as a tough and charismatic cop, who also had a flair for acting. He appeared in several movies, including the 1990 classic Goodfellas, as Fat Andy
However, behind the scenes, Eppolito was leading a double life. He was secretly working for the Lucchese crime family, along with his partner, Stephen Caracappa. They were paid a monthly salary by the mob, in exchange for providing confidential police information, such as the names and locations of informants and witnesses. They also carried out at least eight contract killings for the mob, using their badges and guns to lure and execute their victims
A Fall from Grace and a Life Sentence
Eppolito and Caracappa’s crimes went undetected for years, until one of their former bosses in the Lucchese family, Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso, became an informant and confessed to the FBI in 1994. Casso revealed the names and deeds of the two rogue cops, who had earned the nickname “the Mafia Cops”
However, it took another decade for the authorities to gather enough evidence to arrest and indict Eppolito and Caracappa. In the meantime, they had both retired from the NYPD and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where they hoped to pursue careers in Hollywood. They were finally arrested in 2005, and charged with racketeering, murder, kidnapping, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, money laundering, and narcotics dealing
In 2006, they were convicted on all counts, and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. They maintained their innocence throughout the trial and the appeals, claiming that they were framed by Casso and other mobsters. They also complained that they were discriminated against because of their Italian heritage
Their convictions were briefly overturned in 2006, due to a technicality, but they were reinstated in 2008 by a federal appeals court. In 2009, they were also ordered to pay $9.9 million in restitution to the families of their victims
A Death in Custody and a Legacy of Infamy
Eppolito was incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson, a high-security federal prison in Arizona. He died in federal custody at a Tucson hospital, on November 3, 2019. His wife confirmed his death, saying that he died “with dignity and caring people around him”. His daughter wrote on Facebook that he died “as a fighter” and that she would “miss him and love him forever”
His partner, Caracappa, died from cancer in 2017, at the age of 75. He was also in federal custody, at the Federal Medical Center, Butner, in North Carolina
Eppolito and Caracappa are widely regarded as two of the most corrupt and notorious cops in American history. Their story has been the subject of several books, documentaries, and movies, including the 2016 film The Trust, starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood
Their case also exposed the extent of the infiltration and influence of the mafia in the NYPD, and raised questions about the ethics and oversight of the police force. Their legacy is one of betrayal, violence, and disgrace, that tarnished the reputation of the NYPD and the law enforcement community.
