Johnny Keys Simone, a 69-year-old man, was killed in New York City on September 17, 1980, fatally shot three times in the head. His name appears in federal court filings in a broader organized-crime prosecution that say a murder contract was put out for Simone after turmoil linked to the killing of Philadelphia boss Angelo Bruno. Prosecutors’ proffer in that case describes messages passed through underworld channels and says Simone contacted John Tronolone seeking help; the filing reports Tronolone told Simone everything was fine and urged him to travel to New York, where he was then killed.

Other published narratives offer a more detailed, lurid account: Simone allegedly was lured to a meeting, seized near Yardley, Pennsylvania, transported to Staten Island and executed, with later tellings naming Liborio Milito as the shooter and Sammy Gravano as an organizer acting on orders from Paul Castellano.