On July 12, 1979, gunmen, one of whom was allegedly Anthony Indelicato, murdered Galante at Joe & Mary's Italian-American restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Joseph Massino began jockeying for power with Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, another Rastelli loyalist capo.

Both men were themselves threatened by another faction seeking to depose the absentee boss led by capos Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, Dominick "Big Trin" Trincera and Giaccone.

[3] The Commission initially tried to maintain neutrality, but in 1981, Massino got word from his informants that the three capos were stocking up on automatic weapons and planning to kill the Rastelli loyalists within the Bonanno family to take complete control.

On the pretext of working out a peace agreement, Massino had invited them to meet with him at the 20/20 Night Club in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

The ambush was set in the club store room, with Salvatore Vitale and three other gunmen wearing ski masks hiding in a closet.

When the capos arrived at the 20/20, Massino and Bonanno mobster Gerlando Sciascia and Frank Lino escorted them to the store room.

[13] On June 23, 2005, Massino, then a government witness to avoid the death penalty, pleaded guilty to several murders including those of Giaccone, Trinchera, and Indelicato.