By Mitchel Maddux
The New York Post
NEW YORK — Joseph Massino, the former Bonanno boss-turned-mob rat, gave his view yesterday at the death-penalty proceedings for former underling and convicted racketeer and murderer Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano.
In a secretly recorded talk played for jurors, Basciano griped about prison life: “Washing your clothes is a f--king trip.”
Massino responded with unabashed directness: “I can’t wear the briefs. I got four pairs of boxers.”
The boxers-or-briefs dilemma embarrassed President Bill Clinton in 1992 when the question arose during an MTV-hosted town hall. “Usually briefs,” was his answer.
The underwear reference was a light moment in an otherwise deadly serious day featuring testimony by Massino about several alleged Basciano murder plots.
Massino testified that Basciano had schemes to kill federal Mafia-fighting prosecutor Greg Andres and a woman he suspected of telling his wife about his longtime girlfriend.
Basciano’s attorneys countered that none of these plots was carried out.
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