The Disgraceful Legacy of "Fat" and "Skinny": NYPD Detectives Turned Mafia Hitmen

Lou Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were highly decorated NYPD detectives who for years, hid a dark secret. Their involvement in several high-profile mafia murders would eventually come to light

Depiction of Lou Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa

In January 1993, after nearly three years on the run, Lucchese crime family underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso was located and arrested at a home in Budd Lake, New Jersey. The wily mobster had gone on the run to escape numerous racketeering indictments.

While languishing in the Brooklyn federal courthouse, Casso made a decision that would not have seemed possible to those who knew him: He had decided to cooperate.

This was a shocking turn of events. Casso hated rats - he killed rats - and yet, he had come to the realization that this was the only thing that could prevent him from spending the rest of his days in federal prison.