Life in solitary in the federal Supermax prison in Colorado doesn’t sound too bad for ex-New York City Bonanno family crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano, says the New York Daily News. The newspaper published a photo in which Basciano, 51, grins ear to ear and waves to the camera while sporting a trim figure in prison-issued sweatpants and a T-shirt. His skin has a healthy glow, and his graying hair is meticulously groomed.
The photo didn't surprise prison spokesman Douglas Cramer, who said, “The reality is, we don't run a dungeon.” The mob boss is serving two life sentences for killing an associate and a neighborhood junkie who threatened to kidnap his son. He gets time to work on his tan. “If [inmates] want to sunbathe in the rec cage, they can do that,” Cramer said. “They can do calisthenics and pushups.” How does the hair look so good? “We have a contract with outside barbers, and we pay for a haircut once a month,” he said. Basciano gets basic cable TV in his 23-hour-a-day cell, which includes prison channels with educational and religious programming. He can play video games on the TV, including Bingo, word search and crossword puzzles.