Anthony M. DeStefano
Anthony “Tony” DeStefano is a staff reporter covering New York City legal affairs and criminal justice for Newsday newspaper. He was part of a team of New York Newsday reporters who won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for spot news while covering the crash of a subway train at Union Square. Prior to joining Newsday, DeStefano was a staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and Fairchild News Service.
DeStefano has covered a wide range of legal related subjects, specializing in organized crime, terrorism, white collar crime and immigration. He has appeared on the Biography Channel as an expert on organized crime. He covered the trials of subway gunman Bernhard Goetz, Mob bosses John Gotti and Joseph Massino, as well as the arrest and conviction of Bernard Madoff in history’s largest Ponzi scheme. In addition, he spent years researching and writing about human smuggling. Since late 2008, DeStefano has been covering the Madoff scandal and its ramifications.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ithaca College (Ithaca, N.Y.), a Master of Arts from Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) and a Juris Doctor from New York Law School (New York, N.Y.) He is an attorney and member of the New York State Bar.
DeStefano's latest book is “Gangland New York: The Places and Faces of Mob History (Lyons Press, 2015). He is also author of “Vinny Gorgeous: The Ugly Rise and Fall of A New York Mobster,” (Lyons Press, 2013), “The Last Godfather: Joseph Massino And The Fall of The Bonanno Crime Family,” (Citadel Press, 2006), “King of The Godfathers,” (Citadel Press, 2008) and “The War On Human Trafficking: U.S. Policy Assessed (Rutgers University Press, 2008). His book “Mob Killer” (Pinnacle True Crime) was published in June 2011.
He also wrote “Gloria Estefan: The Pop Superstar From Tragedy to Triumph,” (Dutton, 1997), “Latino Folk Medicine: Healing Herbal Remedies From Ancient Traditions,” (Ballantine, 2001). DeStefano’s books on organized crime were featured on the Biography Channel programs about Joseph Massino and Mafia killer Thomas Pitera. He also was a participant and speaker in an April 2011 conference at Principia College on human trafficking.