In the early years of the rat phenomenon, many of those who chose to work with the government were low-level associates with the occasional soldier. But as time went on the turncoats came from higher and higher ranks. By the mid-1990s, former bosses and underbosses were jumping ship. But when Ralph Natale turned, all bets were off. From then on the top guys in the family were as apt to turn and the mob would never be the same.

Gaspipe

Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso was the underboss of the Lucchese family. He led an ostentatious life, wearing top-dollar suits, living in a mansion in Brooklyn, and going out to the top restaurants in Manhattan. When the boss of the family, Vic Amuso, went to prison in 1991, Casso became the acting boss. But he was hiding out from charges against him. When the police found him hiding in a shower in a mob safe house, his reign was over. Casso decided to take the easy way out and become a cooperating witness. The feds had high hopes. Casso disappointed. He became unreliable as a witness and was kicked out of the Witness Protection Program.

Big Joe

In the late 1990s the Bonanno crime family, which just a decade before had been kicked out of the Commission and was facing extinction, was back as one of the top Mafia families in the country. A big part of that reason was the leadership of Joe Massino. Joe took over in 1993 and brought the family back to underworld prominence. Wary of electronic surveillance, Joe took trips overseas with his brother-in-law and underboss, Salvatore Vitale. But the feds caught up with Big Joe in January of 2003. When he came to trial the following year, there was a stable of rats ready to pounce on the big cheese, including his own brother-in-law. Massino saw the writing on the wall and helped the feds nab his successor, Vinny Gorgeous. Massino is serving life in prison, but his testimony and cooperation with authorities saved him from the death penalty.

Joseph Massino

The King of the Rats

James “Whitey” Bulger ran South Boston for the Winter Hill Gang. Rising through the ranks of the predominantly Irish mob group, Bulger became one of the most feared crime figures in Beantown. But every time the state police started to get close to capturing the gangster, he seemed to get wise to their operations. Whether it was a found bug or a snitch who disappeared, Bulger seemed one step ahead of the law. But things were coming to a head.

In 1995, a joint task force comprised of Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police Department, and the DEA closed ranks around Bulger's organization. They arrested the top leaders of the local mafia and the Winter Hill Gang, but Bulger was nowhere to be found. As it turned out, Bulger had been an informer for the FBI for over twenty years. In exchange for information he gave the FBI about the Mafia, they allowed him to continue running his criminal operations. In fact, Bulger developed such a close relationship with his field agent that he was tipped off about the impending DEA task force indictment.

Bulger fled on January 5, 1995, and disappeared with his longtime mistress. He met with his underlings a few times in Boston and Chicago. He lived for a while in Louisiana and Florida. He has also been seen in Ireland and England, and there was a false sighting of him in Italy, which made international news. As of January 2009, Bulger was still on the run. He is number two on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted, right behind Osama Bin Laden.