[citation needed] Broncato was briefly considered by police a suspect in a few Hollywood gangland slayings, including that of New York and Los Angeles mobster Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen gunman Hooky Rothman.

On May 28, 1951, the "Two Tonys", as they were called, robbed the sports betting operation at the syndicate-controlled Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, escaping with $3,500 in cash.

Having identified the duo as the Flamingo Hotel Casino Las Vegas race and sportsbook armed robbers, the mob was soon looking for Brancato and Trombino.

L.A. mob boss Jack Dragna had ordered their deaths, and he personally gave Jimmy Fratianno the assigned duty of setting up the mob-sanctioned hit.

In desperate need of cash for their various legal bills, the Two Tonys made their personal situation worse by cheating gambler Sam Lazes out of $3,000, after posing as collectors for a local syndicate bookmaker.

[citation needed] On August 6, 1951, Brancato and Trombino were shot to death at about 7:30 p.m., while sitting in the front seat of their Oldsmobile on Ogden Street, near Hollywood Boulevard.