Frank Cullotta

Frank John Cullotta (December 14, 1938 – August 20, 2020) was an American mobster who was an associate of the Chicago Outfit through Tony Spilotro and a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang burglary ring in Las Vegas. After his arrest in 1982, he became a government witness and entered the witness protection program. Cullotta later became an author and a tour guide.

He died on August 20, 2020, from complications related to COVID-19.

Early years Cullotta was born on December 14, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, to Josephine Montedore and Joseph Raymond Cullotta. Cullotta's father was also a criminal, although not connected with the Chicago Outfit. with his group of experienced thieves, safecrackers, and killers. In Las Vegas, Cullotta was nicknamed "Frank Seville" because he drove a Cadillac Seville.

On October 10, 1979, on Tony Spilotro's orders, Cullotta killed his former friend and grand jury witness Sherwin "Jerry" Lisner in Las Vegas. Lisner was suspected of informing to a grand jury the details on a money exchange scam he was working on with Cullotta. When he became a federal witness, Cullotta admitted he had killed Lisner, on orders from Tony Spilotro. Due to this, in July 1982, Cullotta finalized an agreement with the prosecutors. At a trial in October 1983, Cullotta admitted that he was involved in over 300 crimes, including four murders, perjury, robberies and burglaries.

Cullotta was given immunity for his previously uncharged crimes, but was sentenced to 10 years in prison, reduced to eight years after an outburst from Cullotta. Cullotta inspired the character Frank Marino (played by Frank Vincent), served as a technical advisor for the film, and also played an onscreen role as a hitman.

Cullotta co-authored two books with Dennis N. Griffin, Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, Government Witness (also with Dennis Arnoldy, 2007), and The Rise and Fall of a "Casino" Mobster: The Tony Spilotro Story Through a Hitman's Eyes (2017), and was involved in the making of several documentaries. Cullotta worked as a tour guide and a speaker for The Mob Museum in Las Vegas.

In January 2020, Cullotta started a YouTube channel called "Coffee with Cullotta".

Death On August 20, 2020, Cullotta died at the age of 81 in a Las Vegas hospital from complications related to COVID-19 and other medical issues, amid its pandemic in Nevada.