Carmine Basco was born into a New Jersey Mafia family. His cousin, Frankie, had been in and out of prison a number of times, and worked nights in a wrecking yard in Newark. His uncles Antonio and Rocco were Mafiosos, and his aunt Rosella was a psychic who ran numbers. Carmine has mentioned that his parents stayed together only because of their kids.

In New Jersey, Carmine was the boyfriend and lover of Angelina Veneziano, daughter of his father's mobster rival, Angelo Veneziano. Angelina was a beautiful gum-chewing Jersey-accented bimbo who was a spoiled rich "Daddy's girl" whom Carmine had know since childhood. Angelo took over Mark Hogan's crime organization in Genoa City, in an effort to break up Angelina and Carmine, and distracted her by promising her the singing career she had always dreamed of.

Although Angelina couldn't even sing on key, Angelo influenced Devon Winters to reluctantly agree to help Angelina get into a singing competition. It wasn't long before Angelina became smitten with Kevin Fisher, who happened to be engaged to Chloe Mitchell. As Angelina rehearsed, all were amazed when her voice turned from bad to beautiful only when she was gazing lovingly at Kevin. As Kevin's wedding drew nearer, Angelina was seen by viewers making a phone call to Carmine, telling him that she needed his help.

While everyone was waiting at the church for the groom at the Christmas Eve wedding of Kevin and Chloe, Kevin and Angelina were being shot at in the parking garage as they were leaving Devon's studio. Angelina told Kevin that the shooter had been her ex-boyfriend, Carmine, that she was pregnant by Carmine, and that Carmine was insanely jealous of Kevin, whom he suspected was the real father. Angelina convinced Kevin that they had to stay away from the wedding or his family would be in danger from Carmine, and that calling the police or letting her father handle it was not an option. Kevin phoned Chloe and called off the wedding, telling her that he needed time to think, with veiled references to keeping her from getting hurt.

Finding out that Carmine was in jail in New Jersey, Angelina had asked her friend Vinnie help with her plot to get Kevin for herself. Angelina told Kevin that Vinnie was meeting with Carmine to convince him that there was nothing going on between her and Kevin so that they could return home. Angelina later admitted to Kevin that she had lied, she was not pregnant, that Vinnie, not Carmine, had shot at them, saying that she did it to give them time together so that Kevin would realize that he belonged with her. Angelo's man, Dino, tracked them down and pointed his gun at Kevin per instructions from Angelo to kill him. Angelina thought fast and begged Dino not to kill Kevin, telling him that they were going to get married. So Dino took them to a justice of the peace, and they were married. After threats by Angelo, Kevin became resigned to his fate, but began to see another side to Angelina that was sweet and endearing. Kevin let Angelina know that although he didn't reciprocate her feelings for him, he felt that everything would be okay between them, and he forgave her.

Angelina eventually realized how miserable Kevin was without Chloe and finally told Angelo the truth of how she had tricked Kevin into marrying her, and how he had gone along with it. They got an annulment, and Kevin and Chloe were married. Angelina finally realized the power she had over her daddy Angelo, kept him reigned in, and serenaded the wedding party with her newest single, "Good Goodbye," with lyrics written by her about her feelings for Kevin. Afterward Angelina announced that she was moving to Los Angeles to launch her singing career with Angelo as her manager. Everyone hugged Angelina, wished her well, and forgave her, including Chloe, who admitted there was a time when she would have done the same. Angelo and Angelina left Genoa City.

Days later, Carmine showed up at Gloworm looking for Angelina. But after Kevin's half sister, Eden, explained what had happened between Angelina and Kevin, Carmine stayed in Genoa City rather than follow Angelina to Los Angeles. After Chloe and Kevin returned from their honeymoon, Kevin convinced Carmine that his marriage to Angelina had not been his fault, and Carmine agreed to leave town. Carmine told Kevin that he and Angelina had been together since childhood because their fathers were in business together. But their fathers had a falling out, so they were forced to break up, and Angelina had blown him off. Afterward Chloe got in Carmine's face and made him so mad that he decided to stay just because Chloe wanted him gone.

Carmine got a bartending job at Gloworm where he met and flirted with the "older" rich women of Genoa City, including Ashley Abbott, Diane Jenkins, Phyllis Newman, and Nikki Newman, hoping to become someone's "boy toy". He often did card tricks on the bar which usually failed.

Just before the annual Genoa City gala was to begin, Tucker McCall informed organizers Chloe and Abby Newman that the band had been grounded in Las Vegas by a windstorm. And as they anxiously waited for tables, chairs and decorations to arrive, Carmine, who was there as a bartender, was actually sabotaging the gala by delaying the truck as revenge against Chloe. Attendees began receiving text messages that the gala had been postponed. Abby was mortified over what it would do to her image.

After taking Chloe to the alley on the pretence that he had heard the truck, Carmine locked Chloe in the trunk of his car. While he went back inside for his forgotten cell phone, Abby let Chloe out. And while Chloe went to call the police, Abby took her place in the trunk. Abby began to tweet her "Naked Heiress" fans that she had been kidnapped and to call the police, hoping to take the spotlight off the failed gala. Carmine heard the news broadcast that he was suspected of kidnapping Abby. He stopped and let her out of the trunk, and offered to take her home. Abby flirted with Carmine and got him all flustered. Abby threw their cell phones away so they could not be tracked, and made him check into a motel under an assumed name. Carmine and Abby began calling each other names, each accusing the other of pulling a boneheaded move. Abby promised to go public in a day's time.

Under pressure from Abby's mother, Ashley, Victor relented and hired a helicopter and brought in the FBI to find Abby. After circumstances went from bad to worse with no cash and no change of clothes but the overalls Carmine had bought her, and Carmine making her feel guilty for scaring her mother, Abby called Ashley and admitted the hoax. But intrigued by Carmine, Abby decided not to tell him, and continued to stay at the motel with him. Ashley was furious, and spread the word among the Abbotts and Newmans. Abby and Carmine were both arrested when they arrived home, Abby for misuse of emergency services since she had gotten her fans to call 911, and Carmine for the attempted abduction of Chloe. Chloe, Kevin, Ashley and Victor were glad to hear that Abby had been arrested but refused to help her this time. Abby got Rafe to be her lawyer, but he declined to represent them both. Rafe, D.A. Michael and Ronan agreed that Abby would pay a $100,000 fine. But Carmine and his public defender got no deal. Only Kyle was there to pick up Abby when she was released, and he cheered her up by showing her the front page headline "Naked Heiress Kidnapping Hoax". Abby then hired Rafe Torres to represent Carmine, who was released on bail. Confronting Abby at the athletic club basketball court, Carmine accused her of being a cold bitch. Abby took Carmine into the bushes where she convinced him that she was certainly not cold. Abby then left town to live in New York City with her aunt Traci. Abby returned five months later hoping to take up where she left off with Carmine, but he told her that he had moved on.

After a fire destroyed Gloworm and left him jobless, Carmine began bartending at the Genoa City Athletic Club, and also at On the Boulevard.

Nikki and Victor Newman threw a cocktail party to celebrate their new home. Carmine arrived as the bartender, a gift from Victor's daughter Abby. Sharon Newman arrived uninvited to confess and apologize. They gave her such a hard time that she freaked out, and Victor yelled at her to leave. After she had left, Carmine made nasty comments about Sharon, her son Noah slugged him, and Nick and Victor ushered Carmine out.

While bartending at the athletic club bar, Carmine began flirting with Lauren Fenmore Baldwin who had been coming in alone a lot. He encouraged her to drink and talk about her problems with her troubled son Fen who had gotten in trouble with the law, and her husband Michael, who as D.A. had gotten Fen arrested. When Carmine noticed that Lauren had taken a room at the club, he came on to her, but she set him straight that she was married. Carmine followed her up to her room one night, and Lauren, who had actually been fantasizing about Carmine, ended up spending two nights with him. The second morning they were interrupted by Michael pounding on the door, but he failing to talk Lauren into forgiving him and returning home, he gave up and left. But Michael's brother, Kevin, tricked Lauren into going to the Baldwin apartment by telling her that he was afraid Michael was going to do something desperate. Michael waited with candles, explaining that he and Fen had reconciled, and that he had quit the D.A. job. Michael was able to coax Lauren back into his bed, but afterward they fought when Michael realized that things were not back to normal. Lauren left, and ended up back at the athletic club in bed with Carmine. The next time Lauren returned home, Michael attempted to get her to talk and suggested seeing a counselor. When Lauren refused, Michael left, telling her that he was not going to put up with it anymore and was drawing up a legal separation document. Lauren then told Carmine that she loved her husband and didn't want Carmine getting in the way; there would be no texting, and no more rendezvous. Carmine begged her for one last night together, and Lauren relented.

Michael and Lauren were enjoying a romantic evening until Michael hugged her, and she had a flashback to Carmine and flinched, causing Michael to leave. Michael went to On the Boulevard where Carmine was bartending, and Carmine proceeded to get Michael drunk while texting Lauren. Barry, the owner of the club, talked Michael, Billy, Adam, Mason, and Carmine into a poker game. Michael got more and more drunk, while Carmine taunted him about taking something else from him tonight if not money. Carmine left the game and went to Lauren's home. Lauren told Carmine to leave, that she had promised Fen she would save her marriage. Carmine walked out her door, narrowly missing Michael returning home.

Michael decided their reconciliation was not working and that he would move out. Lauren left for On the Boulevard, where she laughed, flirted and made plans to go somewhere tropical with Carmine, while Michael wept at their apartment. Paul caught Lauren and Carmine talking together in her apartment, and he begged her to tell Michael that she was having an affair with Carmine and to end it. Instead Lauren went to Lake Geneva with Carmine. When Michael overheard Carmine in the background of a phone call, and put together other clues, Michael finally became suspicious. Michael confronted Lauren who would not admit to having an affair, but said that no one would blame her if she did. Michael yelled at her and left.

Michael discovered the same Geneva Pines Inn matchbook at On the Boulevard that Lauren had, and called Carmine a son of a bitch. Michael confided in Phyllis, who told Michael to go home and fix things. Lauren finally admitted the affair with Carmine, called it a mistake, and said that she wished she could take it back. Michael said it could not be undone, and that she had broken his heart. Asked if Michael could forgive her, he said he did not know. Afterward Lauren told Carmine to stop calling and texting, that she never wanted to see him again. Michael overheard Lauren tell Carmine that there was no future for them, that she would always want Michael. After Lauren left, Michael went and attacked Carmine choking him until Kevin broke them apart. Michael went home to Lauren and told her that he was ready to try to forgive her. But when they kissed, Michael pictured Lauren kissing Carmine. In tears, Michael asked Lauren to just leave him alone, and moved out. When Carmine discovered that Michael had moved in to the athletic club, he went to Lauren, telling her that they could finally be together. Lauren again told Carmine that he was wrong, they were just a fling, and it was over. As Carmine left, viewers saw him looking at a photo on his cell phone of Lauren in bed, and realized that Carmine had become obsessed with her.

Carmine began befriending Fen who was having a tough time dealing with the part he played in his parent's breakup, and couldn't understand why he could not get Summer Newman to fall for him.

After Michael had a heart to heart talk with his best friend Phyllis, he agreed to return to Lauren and give it a 30-day trial. Knowing they were back together again, Carmine then sent Lauren a bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries as a reminder of their time together in Lake Geneva. Lauren returned them to him in person, and again told him it was over. When Michael got home, Lauren told him what had happened, and they agreed to be honest with each other. Meanwhile, Carmine was listening to his "new best friend" Fen wonder why his parents were so far apart, and spilled the truth, saying that Lauren just needed to come back to him instead. Unfortunately, viewers never got to see his reaction to the news.

A day or so later, Fen caught Carmine kissing Lauren, as Lauren tried to push him away. Fen pulled him off, and Lauren told Carmine to get out. Fen asked Lauren if they were having an affair, and she replied no, not anymore. But when Michael got home, Fen told him what he had seen, and Lauren explained to Michael that Carmine had just showed up and kissed her. Fen attacked Lauren for disrespecting his father by screwing around with some bartender, and wondered how Michael could even look at her since. Michael said he defended Lauren because she was his wife, he loved her, and that she deserved a chance to make things right. Fen asked, "Why bother?" and left. Fen went to Carmine and accused him of getting off by messing with people's families. Fen told him he saw through his friendship, in that he just wanted to get close to his mother. Fen left Carmine, saying he felt betrayed by everyone. Michael later accused Carmine of following them, and warned him to stay away from his wife and son, saying there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect his family.

Michael and Lauren decided to follow their therapist's advice and go on a first date at On the Boulevard. Lauren was shocked when Carmine sent over a bottle of champagne, thinking Michael had made sure that Carmine was not working. Dumping out the champagne, Michael explained that rather than get violent with Carmine, he had decided to convince him that they were happy together despite his presence.

Carmine spotted a girl at the club named Marti who looked a lot like Lauren. He slept with her and kept calling her Lauren, which creeped her out, and she left. Viewers then saw that Carmine had recorded his lovemaking with Lauren by hidden camera, as he watched it on his laptop.

Fen showed up at the bar and asked Carmine if he could hook him up with some drugs. Carmine asked why Fen would come to him, and said he thought Fen was too smart to do drugs. Fen got mad and left, but Carmine later found Fen unconscious in the alley, and accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital. Carmine called Michael and Lauren, who kicked him out of the room on arrival. The doctor told them that Fen had ingested a powerful methamphetamine which had caused cardiovascular collapse. When Fen woke up, he told them Carmine was responsible. Michael went ballistic and pressured Paul to arrest Carmine. Michael was at the police station when Carmine was brought in for questioning. Carmine taunted Michael, and Paul had to hold Michael back from attacking Carmine. But Carmine's lawyer, Leslie Michaelson, got him off, explaining what really had happened, and pointed out that if Carmine wanted to hurt Fen he never would have called 911. Carmine smugly walked out, and went to Crimson Lights where he sat drooling over his laptop, watching the video of him and Lauren making love. He later installed it under the bar at On the Boulevard so he could watch it as he worked.

Carmine then sent the video to the GCBuzz website, and forwarded the link to Fen's phone. Fen was repulsed and showed it to Michael and Lauren. Michael threatened Buzz of GC Buzz, who replied, "Bring it on, dude." Afterward, Carmine taunted Michael, saying, "Seen any good videos lately?" But Kevin found out about it, and managed to hack into the site and take it down. Michael caught Carmine in the alley and held gun on him. Carmine just taunted him with, "You're not man enough, just like you weren't to satisfy your wife." Michael was about to shoot when Lauren interrupted, which Carmen interpreted as caring for himself to have saved his life. But Lauren set him straight, that she was only saving Michael from doing time for killing him. So Carmine called 9-1-1, and Paul had to arrest Michael for aggravated assault. Afterward, Billy fired Carmine for being a troublemaker.

Fen and Raven left Crimson Lights to get high, leaving Fen's cell phone behind. Then Lauren received a text from Fen asking her for help at a remote cabin. But when she arrived, she found only Carmine. Carmine got Lauren to agree to stay an hour, if he would drop the charges. But when Lauren resisted Carmine's advances and tried to leave, he took away her purse and locked the door. Carmine got rough with Lauren and tied her to a chair, so Lauren tried playing along that she really cared about him. Lauren tried to seduce him, claiming to have only returned to Michael for her son's sake. Lauren persuaded Carmine to let her loose, and stabbed him in the arm with a fork. Meanwhile at the GCPD, Kevin tracked Lauren's phone to the landfill. Fen turned up, explaining that he had lost his phone, so everyone realized that Carmine had used it to lure Lauren, but they were unable to track it because Fen had disabled the GPS. Kevin figured out that they were probably at the same remote cabin where Angelina had taken him. Kevin caused a distraction which allowed Michael to escape. Michael broke in the door of the cabin, finding Lauren gagged and tied to the bed with Carmine ready to rape her. Michael slugged Carmine who ran into wall and hit his head, knocking him out. Paul kicked in the door to find that Carmine had escaped while Michael was untying Lauren.

Lauren was upset to receive flowers from Carmine, and Michael was livid. Viewers saw a heavily-bearded Carmine holed up in a motel room obsessively watching the sex video. After Lauren received a phone call from Carmine, the police tracked it to the motel, but found "You can't erase me" scrawled on the wall and a video on a laptop of Carmine saying, "Nice try, counselor." Back in Paul's office, Michael threatened to kill Carmine, and Paul had to handcuff him to a chair to stop him from leaving.

Michael and Lauren went home and found their apartment filled with gas fumes. While Lauren opened windows, Michael shut off the stove, but he was knocked out by Carmine. Carmine grabbed Lauren, telling her that they were going to die together. Although the FBI claimed their investigation of Carmine's laptop proved that he was in Chicago, Kevin did more digging and found that Carmine had used an ATM in Genoa City. Paul arrived at the Baldwin's to find Lauren holding a gun on Carmine, and Michael begging her not to shoot. Carmine was taken into custody, and put back in jail. Carmine was charged with stalking, kidnapping, attempted rape, breaking and entering, and two counts of attempted murder. But he escaped custody during transport to the courthouse jail pending trial. While Michael and Lauren were being put under 24-hour police surveillance, Carmine was plotting to get to Lauren during her presentation as business woman of the year.

Fen got out of rehab on a pass to see his mother accept the award at the ceremony which was held at the athletic club. Carmine skulked around the sidelines, dressed as a cop. Gloria was the M.C. and announced a video of the highlights of Lauren's career, but the one of Lauren and Carmine in bed played instead. Fen ran out humiliated, and began kicking trash cans around in the back alley. Carmine went out to the alley and texted Lauren that he had Fen, so she snuck away to the alley. Carmine called Michael next, but Michael heard Carmine say, "No. Don't", then heard a gunshot. Michael found a distraught Lauren standing over Carmine's dead body, and a gun on ground. Michael asked Lauren if she did it. She responded that she wished that she had. Fen was arrested accepted a plea bargain.

While investigating the Basco murder to help Fen, Michael discovered that the crime scene photo had disappeared, body cremated, and the medical examiner had been on loan then went to work undercover for the FBI, so he called Ronan for help. Michael put it all together, and managed to track down Carmine in a dingy room in a nearby town. Carmine admitted that all the charges against him had been dropped to turn state's evidence to put a guy named Richard Womack away, and that the FBI had rescued him after Fen had shot him. With the threat of telling Womack who had testified against him, Michael coerced Carmine to make a video of Carmine holding that day's paper, admitting that he was still alive. Because Womack was due to be released on a technicality, Carmine said he was going on the run. Michael played the video for the judge, Christine dropped the murder charge, and Fen was released. Once Womack was released from prison, the Baldwins were confident they would never hear from Carmine again or Womack would have him killed, even after Womack himself was later killed. Refusing to be forgotten, Lauren received a postcard from Carmine, addressed from Puerto Rico.