Artuso was in his early days a heroin-dealer in the Bronx, New York, and was a recognized member of the Gambino crime family before he was sent to prison for five years in 1976 for drug trafficking. Upon his release in 1981, he and John Carneglia were approached by Frank DeCicco and Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano on behalf of John Gotti, who wanted to assassinate then family boss Paul Castellano.