Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano
A former underboss of the Gambino crime family, Gravano admitted to the murders of 19 people but chose to cooperate with prosecutors. Following his release from prison in 1994, he immediately entered WITSEC and relocated to Arizona
Marion Albert Pruett
A serial killer convicted of multiple murders, Pruett was placed in WITSEC in 1979 under the alias Charles “Sonny” Pearson after providing testimony about a federal prison slaying. He later went on a four-state crime spree, committing more murders—actions that caused significant controversy and led to congressional scrutiny
Joseph “Joe Bentley” Barboza (alias of Joseph Barboza)
A notorious hitman for the Patriarca family, Barboza testified against high-rank organized crime figures in the late 1960s and was relocated under the WITSEC program to Santa Rosa, California. Remarkably, he then murdered a local criminal named Clay Wilson following his relocation
Tommaso Buscetta
A Sicilian Mafia boss who turned informant in the mid-1980s, Buscetta’s cooperation played a key role in prosecuting major Mafia figures. He was placed in a U.S. witness-protection program where he spent the rest of his life under protection
Mario “Sonny” Riccobene
A Philadelphia mobster who became a federal witness and briefly entered WITSEC.
Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano A former underboss of the Gambino crime family, Gravano admitted to the murders of 19 people but chose to cooperate with prosecutors. Following his release from prison in 1994, he immediately entered WITSEC and relocated to Arizona
Marion Albert Pruett A serial killer convicted of multiple murders, Pruett was placed in WITSEC in 1979 under the alias Charles “Sonny” Pearson after providing testimony about a federal prison slaying. He later went on a four-state crime spree, committing more murders—actions that caused significant controversy and led to congressional scrutiny
Joseph “Joe Bentley” Barboza (alias of Joseph Barboza) A notorious hitman for the Patriarca family, Barboza testified against high-rank organized crime figures in the late 1960s and was relocated under the WITSEC program to Santa Rosa, California. Remarkably, he then murdered a local criminal named Clay Wilson following his relocation
Tommaso Buscetta A Sicilian Mafia boss who turned informant in the mid-1980s, Buscetta’s cooperation played a key role in prosecuting major Mafia figures. He was placed in a U.S. witness-protection program where he spent the rest of his life under protection
Mario “Sonny” Riccobene A Philadelphia mobster who became a federal witness and briefly entered WITSEC.