If you’ve been tracking the tangled web surrounding journalist Danny Casolaro, you already knew how deep the rabbit hole goes. But if you think Danny’s suspicious death was of a one-off tragedy… think again.

Enter Paul Morcasa- a name not as well-known, but just as important. His brutal death in 1982 paints a chilling pattern. It reveals a trail of bodies tied to government-backed criminal networks. These are covered by a cloak of national security and whispered into silence.

One key figure connects it all- Michael Riconoscuito, or as I like to call him, “Greasy Al.”

Michael Riconoscuito: In an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries”

Who Was Paul Morasca?

So, who was Paul Morasco? He was a computer whiz. He was also an alleged money handler. He was rumored to have ties to the Gambino crime family and the Cabazon Indian Reservation’s weapons and drug problems.

All of which ran parallel to CIA-backed black operations in the 1980s.

On January 13th, 1982, Morasco was found hog tied with wire. He was dead in a San Francisco apartment. His body showed signs of Yakuza style slow strangulation.

His alleged killer left no fingerprints, no sign of a struggle. Brutal, clean, professional.

Guess who discovered the body? Michael Riconoscuito.

Riconoscuito when he was arrested on drug charges.

The ” Greasy Al” Factor:

Riconoscito didn’t call the police. Instead, he drove 500 miles to the Cabazon Indian Reservation to speak with their tribal administration. Weird move, right?

He later told investigators that Morasco had been holding access codes to offshore accounts. These accounts were linked to covert CIA arms deals. They were also tied to drug money laundering. It was the info that gets people killed. Days later, Mary Quick, a woman entrusted with codes, was found dead too.

Two bodies in one week.

And that’s not all: Riconoscuito eventually blamed Phillip Arthur Thompson, a supposed CIA-affiliated hitman. But several insiders suspected Riconoscuito himself have done it.

Some even believe the Cabazon murders were early examples of what Danny Casolaro would later dub… The Octopus.

Danny Casolaro, AKA The Golden Boy.

How Danny ties into the Death of Paul Morasca.

Fast skip nearly a decade. Danny Casolaro, an investigative journalist, starts exposing layers of what he termed “The Octopus.” It is a global network of intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and government contractors. It also includes dirty operations like the INSLAW/Promis scandal.

One of his primary sources? Michael Riconoscuito.

Riconoscuito fed Danny information implicating the Department of Justice in software theft, narcotics trafficking, and foreign assassinations.

He gave Danny a $4 million photocopy of a BCCI check meant for Contra funding. And just days after turning in a sworn affidavit that exposed some of these secrets?

Greasy Al was arrested.

Greasy Al. I mean, Michael.

Echoes of Morasca in Danny’s Death:

In August 1991, Danny Casolaro was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His wrists were slashed multiple times. Official verdict? Suicide.

But it doesn’t add up.

• Danny feared blood and had no history of suicidal tendencies
• His notes were missing, along with his briefcase.
• A “meeting with Peter Videnieks” (arranged by Joseph Cuellar) was scheduled just two days later.
• Cuellar, who had ties to psychological warfare and intelligence operations, was allegedly seen in Danny’s hometown before the murder.

Sound familiar?

Much like Paul Morasca, Danny knew too much. And Riconoscuito? He’s in the center again- the informant and potential double agent.

Pattern of Elimination:

Here’s the dark truth: every time someone came too close, they were killed. This happened when they tried to expose the full truth about The Octopus. Here’s the dark reality. Anyone who dared to reveal the complete truth about The Octopus faced death. Morasca. Mary Quick. Danny.

Even others like Tony Casolaro (Danny’s brother), believed the official story didn’t hold water.

This isn’t a coincidence. This is a strategy.

A slow kill. A controlled narrative. A message to others watching.

So What’s The Takeaway?

We’ve been fed lies and silence, but we’re not buying it.

The murder of Paul Morasca was the trial run. A rehearsal for the techniques used against Danny Casolaro- luring, silencing, and covering tracks with cold efficiency.

From the use of wire to razors, from missing notes to staged suicides, the message is loud and clear:

If you get to close to the truth, they’ll make sure you never tell it.

Still with me?

If you’re reading this, you’re a part of the resistance to willful ignorance. This story is about more than just Danny or Paul. It’s about accountability. It’s about corruption and pulling back the veil of power.

We don’t stop. Not until the whole truth is out there.