Frank Piccolo stood at 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg) with black hair, brown eyes, and a husky build.
Newton was trying to disengage himself from a financial investment in a Las Vegas, Nevada tabloid newspaper, but was being threatened by his partners in the venture.
When the Las Vegas Police Department was unable to stop the threats, Newton turned to his friend Guido Penosi for help.
[3] On June 12, 1981, Piccolo and Penosi were indicted in Connecticut on charges of conspiring to extort money and "valuable rights" from Newton and Falana.
Not wanting to risk lucrative construction rackets the Gambinos shared with the Genovese family, Castellano ordered Piccolo's murder.