On April 26, 1979, 62-year-old Anthony Russo was found shot three times in the head in a lavish room at the Harbor Island Health Spa in Long Branch, New Jersey. Russo, described as a reputed Genovese family figure, was on an Easter furlough from prison at the time; he had been serving a sentence for refusing to testify before the State Commission of Investigation. His body was discovered lying face up on his bed, surrounded by stuffed pussycats.

Federal investigators identified three suspects: Thomas Pee Wee DePhillips, a Genovese capo; Anthony DeVingo, a soldier and enforcer; and Joseph Joe Z Zarro, an alleged associate. The murder weapon was never recovered, and no charges were filed because authorities lacked sufficient evidence. The FBI reportedly suspected DeVingo but could not build a prosecutable case. One theory is that the killing was ordered by Genovese associates in retaliation for Russo’s reputed big mouth; Russo was also the subject of a grand jury probe when he was killed.

Did anyone have contact with Russo at the Harbor Island Health Spa that week or remember seeing him on April 26, 1979?