Mafia hitman Dominic Taddeo escapes federal custody in Florida

A New York mobster that killed three people and attempted to kill two more escaped federal custody on March 28 in Florida after he was moved to a halfway house, according to the Bureau of Prisons. 

Domonic Taddeo, 64, is a hitman from a Rochester crime family. He had been placed at a medium-security prison in Coleman, Florida, and was moved to a halfway house in February. 

According to a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson, he had gone to a medical appointment on March 28 and never returned to the house. He was “placed on escape status,” he added. 

Taddeo was only a year away from his scheduled release. 

Taddeo, a contract killer, killed three men in the 1980s during a mob war. The victims were Nicholas Mastrodonato, Gerald Pelusio, and Dino Tortatice. In 1992, Taddeo pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to 54 years by U.S. District Judge Michael Telesca.

According to prison records, Taddeo had a clean disciplinary record in prison. 

Last year, Taddeo requested a compassionate release over fears that his health problems could put him at risk of serious complications if he ever was infected with Covid-19. However, a federal judge denied the request claiming that his health records did not show that he was particularly unhealthy.