Mystery man

Kim Smith

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1999 | 11:04 a.m.

PAHRUMP -- The people who live on Thousandaire Street and South Pahrump Valley Boulevard make it a point to introduce themselves when someone new moves in, which is often given how fast Pahrump is growing. They watch each other's homes when they go on vacation, and they wave whenever they spy each other working in their yards.

When the man moved into the single-wide mobile home at 5980 S. Pahrump Valley Blvd. in August, the people in the neighborhood did what they always did. They introduced themselves and over the next few months they learned a little bit about him, but not everything.

They learned his name was Anthony, that he was from New York. He told them he had an ex-wife and a Doberman in New York. He said he was working at Terrible's Casino as a dealer.

They also knew that Anthony kept to himself. He didn't have parties, he wasn't a pesky neighbor and his only visitor, up until recently, was a lady friend they heard was from New York.

Just a few weeks ago, they also learned his parents live in Florida. His parents pulled up in a car with Florida plates and have been visiting ever since.

What the folks on Thousandaire and South Pahrump did not know was that the man living in the single-wide mobile home with the blue shutters, the man who was slowly landscaping his barren yard, was wanted for murder -- and not just any murder, a mob murder.

The neighbors, who live in a mix of mobile homes and newer Spanish-style stucco, had no clue that New York City FBI agents were investigating Anthony Greco in connection with the October 1998 contract killing of reputed mob associate Joseph "Joey O" Masella.

In fact, they didn't even know Greco, 44, was arrested by Las Vegas FBI agents Thursday morning until a reporter informed them.

"It's kind of weird, but after living in Las Vegas ... I mean when you watch America's Most Wanted, where do they find everyone? They find them in Las Vegas," said the neighbor who requested anonymity. "I guess though that just because he was indicted doesn't mean he did it, but it gives you the chills anyway."

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, Greco conspired with one of the alleged heads of the Decavalante family, Vincent Palermo, to kill Masella, who was involved in the family's New York gambling operation.

Masella was found dying of multiple gunshot wounds Oct. 10, 1998, in the parking lot of a Brooklyn golf course, said New York FBI Special Agent Jim Margolin. He died four hours after he was found.

Greco is now in the Clark County Detention Center on a murder charge awaiting extradition.

An older woman on the porch of his home would not comment about Greco Monday morning.

However, a man at the home who identified himself as Greco's father said: "He's innocent. They've got the wrong person. He's never been arrested, and I don't know how they got his name."

Two other Greco neighbors, Gary Child and Kathleen Ebert, said they had been relieved when Greco set up the mobile home and moved in. They had heard rumors that a tavern was going to go up. Now, they are wondering just who their neighbor is.

Greco's co-workers at Terrible's Casino also have questions.

Carol and Brenda, who both declined to give their last names, said they met Greco in February, when he got a job dealing 21 and craps. He told them that he had recently sold his tow truck company in New York and decided to move out West.

"He said he dealt illegal games back East," Brenda said. "He knew the payouts and everything."

Although he seemed nice enough, Carol said she thought there was something odd about Greco.

"I couldn't figure out if he had so much money why he was working here," Carol said. "He was always talking about having money and wanting to buy one of the casinos here, the Stagestop. I wondered why he worked here for a pittance. We heard he said it was out of boredom."

Greco is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Roger Hunt today.