Black Gang Stole $2 Million From The Gambino Family — Roy DeMeo’s Crew Found Them In 48 Hours
The phone call came at 11:47 p.m. on August 8th, 1978, Tuesday night. A pay phone in Queens ringing the emergency number that connected directly to Roy Deio’s operation in Flatlands, Brooklyn. The voice on the line was panicked, terrified. Roy, we got a problem. The shipment from Miami, the cash, it’s gone.
They hit the truck on the BQE, took everything. $2 million, just gone. The caller was Danny Grillo, 31 years old, associate in Roy Deio’s crew, responsible for coordinating a cash transport from Miami to New York. The money, $2 million in small bills, roughly $9.4 4 million in $226 was proceeds from drug operations in Florida was being transported north to be laundered through various Gambino family businesses.
The shipment was supposed to be secret. Only a handful of people knew the route, the timing, the vehicle. But somehow someone knew, and that someone had just stolen $2 million from the Gambino family. Roy Deo, 37 years old at the time, captain in the Gambino family, operator of the most efficient killing crew in mafia history, listened to Dany’s panicked explanation, then said very calmly, “Who did it?” Black guys, four of them ambushed the truck at the Atlantic Avenue exit, had guns, professional. In and out in 3 minutes,
took the money, gone. Did they know what they were stealing? Did they know whose money it was? I don’t know. Maybe they just saw an opportunity. Maybe they Roy interrupted. Find out who they are. Find out where they are. You have 48 hours. Because if I have to explain to Paul Castellano that we lost $2 million and don’t know who took it, you and me both are dead.
So find them. fast. What the thieves didn’t know, what they couldn’t have known unless they understood how Roy Deo’s crew operated was that they hadn’t just stolen money. They’d signed their own death warrants. Because Roy Deo’s crew, known as the Gemini twins, though the crew had more than two members, were the most brutal and efficient killers in Gambino family history.
had killed over 200 people, had perfected a method of murder and body disposal so thorough that most victims were never found. And when someone stole from them, the response wasn’t negotiation, wasn’t police reports, wasn’t legal process. The response was systematic professional violence. This is the story of what happened when a black street gang stole $2 million from the Gambino family in August 1978.
The story of how Roy Deo’s crew using intelligence networks, street informants, and ruthless interrogation found the thieves in less than 48 hours. and the story of why. By August 11th, 1978, all four members of that gang were dead, their bodies dismembered and scattered across New York.
And the $2 million was recovered. Because when you steal from Roy Deio, you don’t get a second chance. You get the Gemini method. To understand what happened to the thieves, you need to understand who Roy Damio was and what his crew represented. In August 1978, Roy Albert Deio was born in 1940 in Brooklyn.
Joined the Gambino crime family in the 1960s. Started in lone sharking and stolen cars. by the mid 1970s had become a captain with his own crew and had developed a specialty that made him invaluable to the family, making problems and people disappear permanently. The Gemini method was named after the Gemini Lounge at 4,021 Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn, where Royy’s crew operated.
The method was a systematic approach to murder and body disposal. Step one, the kill. Victim is lured to the Gemini lounge or another controlled location. Is killed immediately upon arrival, usually with a gunshot to the head. No conversation, no negotiation, just immediate death. Step two, the drain.
Body is hung upside down in the bathroom. throat is cut. Blood drains into the bathtub and down the drain. This prevents blood from spilling during dismemberment. Step three, the dismemberment. Body is placed in the bathtub. Using knives, saws, and cleavers, the body is systematically cut into pieces. Head removed, arms removed at shoulders, legs removed at hips, torso cut into sections.
All pieces made small enough to fit in garbage bags. Step four, the packaging. Body parts are wrapped individually in plastic, then placed in multiple garbage bags. Each bag contains pieces from different victims to prevent identification if bags are found. Step five, the disposal. Bags are disposed of in various locations. commercial dumpsters throughout Brooklyn and Queens, thrown into Jamaica Bay and other waterways buried in construction sites, transported to landfills in New Jersey.
The method was horrifyingly efficient. Bodies disappeared so completely that most victims were listed as missing persons rather than murder victims. No body meant no murder charge. No murder charge meant Roy’s crew operated with near impunity. By August 1978, Royy’s crew, the Gemini twins. Though the nickname was misleading because the crew had 8 to 10 active members, had killed an estimated 75 plus people using this method.
The crew included core members Roy Deio, captain, leader, strategist. Anthony Center, the most brutal member, enjoyed the killing Joey Ta, Cent’s partner, equally ruthless Chris Rosenberg, Royy’s protege, Jewish kid who proved himself through violence. Henry Belli, reliable soldier, participated in dozens of killings.
Freddy Denome. Another regular participant associated members Danny Gillow coordinator logistics Dominic Reguchi driver lookout others who rotated in and out. The crew’s reputation within the Gambino family was legendary. When someone needed to be killed, especially someone who needed to disappear completely, Royy’s crew got the call. They were professional.
efficient, thorough, and absolutely merciless. This was the crew that the four thieves had unknowingly declared war on by stealing the $2 million shipment. The heist itself was professionally executed. Here’s what happened. 10:30 p.m. August 8th, 1978. A panel truck carrying $2 million in cash was traveling north on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, BQE.
The truck was driven by Danny Grill with one associate as passenger. The truck was unmarked, looked like a standard commercial vehicle. The money was in duffel bags in the back, hidden under automotive parts. 10:47 p.m. The truck exited the BQE at Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. This was part of the planned route, take back streets to avoid tolls and surveillance on bridges.
10:52 p.m. As the truck slowed for a red light at Atlantic and Franklin, a black Chevy Impala pulled alongside. Four black men exited quickly. All wore masks. all had weapons. The leader, later identified as Marcus Big Mark Williams, 28 years old, approached the driver’s window with a45 pistol, said, “Get out now.
Don’t make this complicated.” Danny and his associate complied, were pushed to the ground, held at gunpoint. Two other men, later identified as Terrence T-Bone Jackson and Dwayne Drain Washington, entered the truck, found the duffel bags, confirmed there was money, began loading bags into the Impala. The fourth man, later identified as Kevin K.
Rock Morris, stood watch, monitored for police or witnesses. 10:55 p.m. The robbery was complete. All four men got in the Impala, drove away, disappeared into Brooklyn’s side streets. The entire operation lasted 3 minutes, professional, clean. No witnesses except Dany and his associate, who were lying face down on Atlantic Avenue.
Dany immediately called Roy Deio, delivered the bad news. knew that the next 48 hours would determine whether he lived or died. The four men who stole the $2 million were members of a Brooklyn street gang called the Franklin Avenue crew, not affiliated with major organized crime families. Just a local gang that ran drug operations, robberies, and other street crimes in the Bedford Stacent and Crown Heights areas.
Marcus Big Mark Williams, 28, leader, had been in the street life since his teens, had done time for armed robbery, was intelligent and strategic, planned the heist. Terrence T-Bone Jackson, 26, enforcer, violent, multiple assault arrests, loyal to Marcus, would do anything for money. Dwayne D. Train Washington, 24. Driver and logistics.
Good with cars. Could steal vehicles, change plates, create escape routes. Kevin Krock Morris, 23, youngest member, eager to prove himself, willing to take risks. The critical question, did they know whose money they were stealing? According to later FBI investigations and witness testimony, the answer is complicated.
What they knew, the Franklin Avenue crew had gotten a tip from someone that a truck would be carrying large amounts of cash on August 8th. The tip included the route, the approximate time, and the fact that the truck would be lightly protected, only two men. What they didn’t know whose money it was. The tipster, never identified with certainty, but probably someone with knowledge of Dany<unk>y’s operation who wanted to cause problems, had given them the logistics, but not the context.
They knew there was money, knew the root, knew it was drug money, but didn’t know it belonged to the Gambino family. Didn’t know it was Roy Deo’s shipment. Marcus later told Associates before his death, “We thought it was just some drug dealers moving cash. We thought we could hit it and disappear.
We didn’t know it was mob money. If we’d known, we never would have touched it. But ignorance isn’t protection. The Franklin Avenue crew had stolen from Roy Deio, and Roy was going to get his money back, and everyone involved was going to die. Within an hour of the robbery, Roy Deo had mobilized his entire crew and activated the Gambino family’s intelligence network throughout Brooklyn.
The mission, find the thieves, fast. Royy’s approach was systematic. Phase 1, information gathering, hours 1 to 6. Roy called an emergency meeting at the Gemini Lounge. Everyone in the crew was summoned. Danny Gillow was interrogated about every detail. What did the thieves look like? What did they say? What car were they driving? Any identifying characteristics? Danny provided descriptions.
Four black males, 20s to 30s, black Chevy Impala, late 1970s. Model professional operation coordinated leader spoke with Brooklyn accent. One of them had a distinctive scar on his left hand. Roy also questioned Dany about who knew about the shipment, who knew the route, who knew the timing, who knew what the truck was carrying.
The list was small. Only five to six people within Royy’s organization knew details. This suggested either an informant within the organization, a lucky guess by the thieves, someone with access to the information had leaked it. Roy assigned two crew members to investigate internal leaks. Assign the rest to find the thieves.
Phase two, street intelligence. hours 6 to 24. Roy activated informants throughout Brooklyn. The Gambino family had an extensive network. Street dealers who owed money or favors. Cops on the payroll who could access police reports. Legitimate business owners who heard street gossip. Other criminals who wanted to stay in the family’s good graces. The message went out.
Four black guys robbed a Gambino truck. We need names, addresses, everything. There’s a reward for information. There’s consequences for not helping. Within 12 hours, information started coming in. A car matching the Impala’s description was seen in Bedford Stson Street. Dealers reported the Franklin Avenue crew had been planning something big.
An informant provided names. Marcus Williams, Terrence Jackson, others. Roy now knew who had stolen the money. Next step, find them. By the morning of August 9th, approximately 12 hours after the robbery, Royy’s crew had located Kevin K. Rock Morris. He was at his apartment in Crown Heights, alone. Probably thought he was safe.
At 6:30 a.m., four members of Royy’s crew, Anthony Center, Joey Ta, Chris Rosenberg, and Henry Burelli, forced their way into Kevin’s apartment, grabbed him before he could react, dragged him out to a waiting car, drove him to the Gemini lounge. Kevin was taken to the bathroom, the same bathroom where dozens of bodies had been dismembered, was tied to a chair, was shown the tools, knives, saws, cleavers, was told what would happen if he didn’t cooperate.
The interrogation conducted by Roy himself was straightforward. Roy, you stole my money. You and three other guys, Marcus Williams, Terrence Jackson, Dwayne Washington. Where are they? Kevin, terrified, crying. I don’t know. We split up after the job. I haven’t seen them since. Roy, where’s the money? Kevin. Marcus has it.
He was holding it until we could figure out how to launder it. Roy, did you know whose money you were stealing? Kevin? No. We thought it was just drug dealers. We didn’t know it was yours. We didn’t know. Roy, doesn’t matter. You stole it. Now you’re going to help me get it back. Call Marcus. Tell him to meet you. You set him up. I might let you live.
Kevin, desperate to survive, agreed. Called Marcus from the Gemini Lounge under Royy’s supervision. Told Marcus he needed to meet. Urgent. Had concerns about the police. Wanted to discuss next steps. Marcus agreed to meet at 200 p.m. at a diner in Bedford’s Dyent. After the call, Roy looked at Kevin, said, “You did good, but you still stole my money.
” Then Roy nodded to Anthony Center. Center shot Kevin in the head. Kevin died instantly. His body was processed using the Gemini method. Within 2 hours, Kevin Morris had ceased to exist. His body parts were in garbage bags destined for various disposal locations. At 200 p.m. on August 9th, Marcus Williams arrived at the agreed diner. Was expecting to meet Kevin.
Instead, found Chris Rosenberg and Joey Tesa waiting. Marcus recognized immediately something was wrong, turned to leave. But the exit was blocked by Anthony Center and Henry Blli. Both had guns. Both were smiling. Chris Rosenberg spoke. Marcus, sit down. Roy wants to talk to you. Marcus, realizing he was trapped, sat down.
Knew his life was in danger. Knew the only chance of survival was cooperation. Chris continued, “You stole money from us. $2 million. Roy wants it back. And he wants to know who tipped you off about the shipment.” Marcus tried to negotiate. Look, we didn’t know it was your money. We thought, doesn’t matter what you thought. You stole it.
Where is it? At my apartment. In duffel bags. All of it. We haven’t spent any. Who told you about the shipment? Marcus hesitated. knew that giving up the source might be his only bargaining chip, but also knew these guys would kill him regardless. A guy named Paulie works at a garage in Queens, said he overheard some guys talking about moving cash, gave us the route and time.
The information was valuable. Paulie was probably someone on the periphery of Dany<unk>y’s operation, had overheard details and sold them to Marcus for a cut. Chris nodded. Good. Now, we’re going to your apartment. You’re going to give us the money. Then, we’re going to have a conversation about what happens next. Marcus understood what happens next meant his death, but had no choice.
was escorted out of the diner at gunpoint, driven to his apartment in Bedford’s Styent, gave Royy’s crew access to the $2 million, which was exactly where Marcus said it was in duffel bags in his bedroom closet. Chris Rosenberg called Roy from Marcus’s apartment. We got the money, all of it.
What do you want us to do with Marcus? Royy’s response. Bring him to the lounge and find the other two, T-Bone and D train. We’re not done until everyone involved is handled. Marcus was brought to the Gemini lounge. Was interrogated about Terrence T-Bone Jackson and Dwayne Drain, Washington. Provided addresses, hangout locations, everything.
Marcus was then killed, shot in the head. body processed using the Gemini method. Within hours, Marcus Williams had been dismembered and disposed of. Royy’s crew now had two targets left, T-Bone and Drain. T-Bone’s capture, August 10th, 3:00 a.m. Terrence Jackson was found at his girlfriend’s apartment in Brooklyn. Royy’s crew, Center, Ta, Rosenberg, Belli, kicked in the door at 3:00 a.m.
, grabbed T-Bone before he could reach for the gun under his mattress, dragged him out. Girlfriend was threatened into silence. T-Bone was brought to the Gemini lounge, was told the situation. Kevin’s dead. Marcus is dead. You’re going to be dead. But first, you’re going to tell us everything about how this job went down.
T-Bone, knowing he was going to die regardless, cooperated fully. Confirmed Marcus’ story about Paulie being the source. Confirmed the money had been recovered. Confirmed Drain was the last member still alive. After the interrogation, T-Bone was killed. Body processed. Disposed of. Drain’s capture. August 10th, 11 p.m. Dwayne Drain.
Washington was the last target was harder to find because he’d gone into hiding after hearing rumors that something had happened to Marcus and T-Bone. But Royy’s Street Network was extensive. Informants reported Deed Train was hiding at a cousin’s house in Far Rockaway, Queens. At 11 p.m.
on August 10th, approximately 48 hours after the initial robbery, Royy’s crew found Drain, broke into the house, grabbed him. His cousin was beaten unconscious, but left alive, wasn’t involved in the robbery, wasn’t worth killing. Drain was brought to the Gemini lounge, was interrogated briefly, had nothing new to add. Marcus and T-Bone had already provided all relevant information.
Drain was killed, body processed, disposed of. By midnight on August 10th, 1978, exactly 48 hours and 13 minutes after the initial robbery, all four members of the Franklin Avenue crew, who’d stolen $2 million from the Gambino family, were dead. Their bodies were scattered across Brooklyn and Queens in dozens of garbage bags.
Most would never be found. Those that were found would be unidentifiable. The fifth and final target was Paulie, the source who’ tipped off the Franklin Avenue crew about the cash shipment. Based on Marcus’ information, Roy identified Paulie as Paul Rossini, 34 years old, who worked at an auto repair garage in Queens.
Paulie had connections to Danny Gillow’s operation. They used the garage for storing stolen cars. Paulie had overheard details about the cash shipment. Had sold that information to Marcus for $10,000. Paulie didn’t know that selling the information would lead to the Franklin Avenue cruise annihilation. Didn’t know Roy Deio would track down everyone involved.
On August 12th, 1978, Paulie was lured to a meeting with Danny Gillow. Was told there was a business opportunity. Arrived at the agreed location, a warehouse in Brooklyn. Roy was waiting. The conversation was brief. Roy, you told Marcus Williams about my shipment. You gave him the route, the timing, everything. Paulie panicking.
Roy, I didn’t know it was your money. I just You took money to give out information about my operations. That’s a death sentence. Paulie, please. I can make it right. I can. Roy shot Paulie in the head. body was processed, disposed of. By mid August 1978, everyone involved in the robbery or the information leak was dead.
Five people total. All processed using the Gemini method, all disposed of so thoroughly that most were never found. The systematic elimination of the Franklin Avenue crew sent a message throughout Brooklyn’s criminal underworld. Message one, don’t steal from the Gambinos. The robbery had failed catastrophically. Not only was the money recovered, but everyone involved was killed.
The riskreward calculation was clear. Stealing from the mob wasn’t worth it. Message two, Roy Deo will find you. The speed of the response, 48 hours from robbery to the death of all four thieves, demonstrated Royy’s efficiency. There was no escape, no hiding. Royy’s intelligence network was too extensive. His crew was too capable.
If you crossed him, you would be found and killed. Message three. The Gemini method works. The bodies disappeared so completely that law enforcement couldn’t build murder cases. The Franklin Avenue crew was listed as missing persons. Investigations went nowhere because there was no physical evidence of murder. The message resonated.
After August 1978, robberies of Gambino family operations decreased significantly in Brooklyn. Street criminals understood the consequences. NYPD investigated the disappearance of the Franklin Avenue crew members. All four were reported missing by family members between August 9th and August 11th. All four were last seen in Brooklyn.
All four vanished without trace. Detectives suspected foul play, interviewed associates, interviewed family members, got no cooperation. Street Code of Silence held. Detectives also suspected Roy Deo’s crew was involved, but had no evidence, no bodies, no witnesses who would testify, no physical evidence, just four missing person’s cases that would remain unsolved.
The FBI, which was separately investigating Roy for various crimes, noted the disappearances, added them to the growing list of suspected Gemini Method victims, but couldn’t prove anything. The cases remained open, but inactive. Justice from law enforcement’s perspective was never served. But justice from the Gambino family’s perspective had been served perfectly.
The money was recovered, the thieves were dead, and no one was prosecuted. The August 1978 robbery and its aftermath was just one example of how Roy Deio’s crew operated. Between 1973 and 1983, the crew killed an estimated 75 to 200 people using variations of the Gemini method. The method’s efficiency came from several factors.
Factor one, location control. Victims were killed in controlled locations. Gemini Lounge, Royy’s house, warehouses. No public shootings, no witnesses. Factor two, immediate death. Victims were killed immediately upon arrival. No lengthy confrontations. No chances for escape or resistance. Factor three, complete disposal.
Bodies were dismembered so thoroughly that identification was nearly impossible. Pieces were scattered across multiple locations, making recovery unlikely. Factor four, crew discipline. The crew members were professionals, followed procedures, didn’t talk, didn’t leave evidence. Factor five, organizational support.
The Gambino family protected Royy’s crew, provided resources, provided legal support when needed, provided cover. The method worked for a decade, but eventually the volume of murders and the level of law enforcement attention became too great. Roy himself would be killed in January 1983 by his own crew on orders from Gambino boss Paul Castellano who’ decided Roy had become too dangerous to protect.
The crew members who survived Royy’s death faced various fates. Anthony Center and Joey Ta both convicted of multiple murders serving life sentences. Henry Belli became government witness entered witness protection. Chris Rosenberg killed in 1979 before Royy’s death. The Gemini Lounge was eventually closed.
The building still stands but is now a different business. Nothing marks the location where one of the most brutal killing operations in American organized crime history was based. The Franklin Avenue crew robbery became legendary within the Gambino family as an example of Roy Deo’s efficiency. The 48 hour standard, the time it took from robbery to complete elimination of all perpetrators became a benchmark.
Other crews tried to emulate Roy’s methods, but none were as efficient, as thorough, as brutal. The robbery also reinforced Royy’s value to the family. He’d recovered $2 million, had eliminated the thieves, had sent a message, had done it all within 48 hours with no arrests and no complications. That value was why Royce survived as long as he did despite attracting massive law enforcement attention.
He was too useful, too capable, too effective at solving problems. But eventually, even Royy’s usefulness couldn’t outweigh the danger he represented. And in January 1983, Roy learned what the Franklin Avenue crew had learned in August 1978. In the mafia, nobody’s too valuable to kill.
A black street gang stole $2 million from the Gambino family on August 8th, 1978. They thought they were robbing drug dealers. They thought they could disappear into Brooklyn’s neighborhoods. They thought wrong. Within 12 hours, Roy Deio’s crew had identified them. Marcus Williams, Terrence Jackson, Dwayne Washington, Kevin Morris.
Within 24 hours, the money was recovered. Within 48 hours, all four thieves were dead. Their bodies were dismembered in the bathroom of the Gemini lounge. Their remains were scattered across Brooklyn and Queens in garbage bags. Most were never found. The fifth target, Paulie, the informant who’ provided the intelligence, was killed days later.
Same method, same thoroughess, same result, complete disappearance. Roy Deo’s crew, the Gemini twins, had demonstrated why they were the most feared killers in Gambino family history. Had shown what happened when you stole from the mob. Had established a 48-hour standard that other crews couldn’t match. The Franklin Avenue crews fate became a cautionary tale.
Was told to younger criminals as a lesson. Don’t steal from the mob. Don’t think you can hide. Don’t think you’ll survive. Because if Roy Deio comes looking for you, you have maybe two days left to live. And those two days will end with you in pieces in garbage bags scattered across the city.
One robbery, $2 million recovered. Five people dead. 48 hours from theft to complete elimination. That was the Gemini method. That was Roy Deio’s crew. That was why for a decade they were the most effective and brutal killers in organized crime until Roy himself became a victim of the same system he’d served so efficiently.