Newly filed court documents alleged Bonanno crime family captain Vincent Asaro was supposedly caught on jailhouse recordings threatening to kill a federal prosecutor according to a NY Post report.

The 82-year-old mobster is behind bars at the Manhattan Detention Complex for a 2012 arson case and was trying to get out on bail. Prosecutors submitted a letter detailing threats made by Asaro toward one of the three federal prosecutors working on his case and his cousin Gaspare Valenti in an effort to keep him behind bars. Asaro was put on trial 18 months ago for his role in the notorious Lufthansa Heist at JFK Airport but beat the rap.

“Vincent Asaro”

According to court papers, the alleged New York mafia capo told a fellow inmate he needed to take care of his b—h prosecutor saying “We need to do something about this b —h,” allegedly referring to Assistant US Attorney Nicole Argentieri. He went on to say “We need to handle this, And not f–k up like Vinny.” Prosecutors claim Asaro was referring to former Bonanno family boss Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano who was sent to prison for life and also allegedly unsuccessfully plotted to take out a prosecutor. The elder mafia captain was also supposedly overheard saying he would whack his rat cousin Valenti if he ever saw him again. Valenti turned rat and became one of the key witnesses against Asaro in the Lufthansa case before going into witness protection.

The feds claim in his arson case that Asaro ordered mob associates including the namesake grandson of John Gotti to torch a car of a motorist that had previously cut him off. The recent developments would seem to make the elder mobsters release unlikely although no official word or ruling has been made. It may not be as easy for the Cosa Nostra wiseguy to beat the rap this time around.

Vito Badamo an alleged member of the Bonanno crime family pleaded guilty to attempted enterprise corruption and will avoid trial.

The 54-year-old mobster was busted back in 2013 along with other members of his New York mafia crew on various charges including illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion, and drug trafficking. According to reports, Badamo is now facing up to seven years behind bars for his crimes. A previous case in 2016 against the Cosa Nostra crew which included Badamo, Anthony Santoro, Ernest Aiello, and Nicholas Santora ended in a mistrial.

“Vito Badamo”

Anthony “Skinny” Santoro also plead guilty to attempted enterprise corruption and he is now facing between four and eight years behind bars. According to the feds, aging Bonanno family captain Nicky Santora was in control of the mafia crew and their criminal operations. The 74-year-old Santora has been released from prison but is reportedly in poor health and currently hospitalized. He is awaiting trial after being charged with illegal gambling, loan sharking, corruption, and drug dealing.

Carmine Avellino an alleged captain in the Lucchese crime family was sentenced to a year of home confinement and five years of probation for an extortion scheme.

Prosecutors were recommending a sentence of up to two years behind bars but Judge Ann Donnelly noted Avellino’s age and health problems as reasons for her decision. The 72-year-old New York Mafia capo reportedly has progressing Parkinson’s disease and has suffered from heart attacks and a mini-stroke. Defense attorney Scott Leemon described his client’s medical situation as worsening and that prison was not the place to get the treatment he needed telling the judge “We don’t need this man dying in jail.”

“Carmine Avellino”

According to the feds, Avellino loaned a man $100,000 and the guy later defaulted on his payments. The Lucchese family capo dispatched his cousins Daniel Capra and Michael Capra to shake down the debtor and a friend who had tried to intervene. Daniel was captured on tape talking about the debtor with his brother telling him to “shake him up a little bit.” His brother called him back days later to let him know he had slapped the guy five times in an effort to make sure he paid back Avellino. Both Capra brothers were arrested in 2013 for the shakedown scheme with Avellino being arrested a year later.

Avellino pleaded guilty to conspiring to use extortionate means to collect credit in August of last year. Daniel Capra was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the extortion plot while his brother Michael avoided prison getting sentenced to five years probation. Prosecutors thought Avellino deserved a much harsher outcome calling him a high ranking member of organized crime who had previously served time behind bars for racketeering. Along with the year of house arrest and several years of probation, the Cosa Nostra mobster must also pay a $100,000 fine.

Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino the alleged boss of the Philadelphia mafia has been a mainstay on the feds radar since his release from prison back in 2011.

Merlino was busted along with over 40 other alleged mafia members and associates for being part of what the feds have labeled as the East Coast LCN Enterprise. Now it an odd twist of fate it’s Merlino who is apparently putting the pressure on the feds by holding firm on his refusal to agree to a plea deal in the case. Skinny Joey was facing multiple charges including racketeering conspiracy which could have landed him behind bars for an extended period of time. But the feds case began to fall apart after an alleged misconduct probe was launched looking into possible misdeed by three FBI agents in the case.

“Joey Merlino”

This bizarre turn prompted prosecutors to offer some sweet plea deals agreeing to drop the main racketeering conspiracy charge allowing the defendants to plead guilty to only the lesser charges leading to drastically reduced sentences. Merlino was one of eight defendants who opted out of the original plea negotiations but according to sources everyone except Joey has now agreed to some kind of deal or are very close to an agreement. Joey seems to be the last man standing and at least seems content to roll the dice and take the feds on at trial. Merlino has always been proud to say that he has never taken a plea deal in his life and sources claim he is saying that he doesn’t plan to start taking them now.

It seems clear from the plea negotiations that neither the U.S. Attorney’s office or the FBI are too keen on taking any part of this case to trial. A large part of the case against Merlino revolves around wiretap evidence collected by a New York mafia turncoat named John Rubeo which has potentially been compromised by the internal misconduct probe. This has seemingly put Joey and attorney Ed Jacobs in a fairly strong negotiating position which could lead to them getting an offer they can’t refuse. But it wouldn’t exactly be a shock to anyone if Joey Merlino pushes this thing all the way to trial no matter what offer the feds make because there is never a dull moment when it comes to Joey.

It would certainly be a bitter pill for the feds to swallow if Merlino finds a way to walk away from this a free man considering all the effort put into getting him back behind bars. The feds have taken it on the chin in some recent Cosa Nostra cases but being beaten this time by Joseph Merlino would certainly rank among the more gut-wrenching.

Arrest warrants were executed by the FBI’s Organized Crime Task Force and the NYPD against almost two dozen suspected members and associates of the Lucchese crime family of the New York Mafia.

According to reports alleged Lucchese family leaders Matthew Madonna, Steven Crea Sr., and Joseph DiNapoli were among those charged. The alleged Cosa Nostra members were charged with various crimes including murder, drug-dealing, extortion and gambling in the massive 30-page racketeering indictment. According to some reports, Madonna is the acting street boss for the Lucchese family with Crea Sr. serving as the organized crime families underboss and DiNapoli as consigliere.

“Matthew Madonna”

The massive federal indictment showed a 17-year long pattern of crimes the NY mafia family was involved in that included extortion, money laundering, murder, trafficking in contraband cigarettes, and drug trafficking. It contained charges against multiple mobsters for the murder of a longtime mob hitman and attempted murders of three others which included a hit Crea ordered on a Bonanno family associate who disrespected him. Madonna and Crea along with Steven Crea Jr. were all charged as co-conspirators in the 2013 murder of mafia hitman Michael Meldish. Among others charged in the hit on Meldish were Joseph Datello, Paul Cassano, and Terrence Caldwell.

Steven Jr. was identified in the indictment as a Lucchese family captain along with three of his co-defendants. According to the indictment, Caldwell was identified as the shooter in a failed East Harlem hit on a Bonanno family member back in 2013. It also claims that Cassano and Vincent Bruno were sent to exact revenge for Crea against the Bonanno family associate that showed him disrespect although the job was never completed. It also claims that Crea gave his blessing last October to Datello to head out to New Hampshire and track down a suspected mafia snitch.

All but two of the reputed mobsters are facing life in prison if convicted and are reportedly scheduled to appear in Federal Court in White Plains at some point today. This seems to be a massive strike against the organized crime family from top to bottom.

The mafia bust that dismantled the hierarchy of the Lucchese crime family last week exposed some of the organization’s more profitable rackets.

According to a NY Post report, the New York mafia family allegedly turned an expansion of the taxpayer-backed Bronx-Lebanon Hospital into a real money maker. In its heyday, the mafia made untold millions from its control of the construction industry in New York but its grip over the lucrative industry has weakened tremendously in recent years. But according to the recently unsealed racketeering indictment alleged Lucchese family underboss Steven “Wonder Boy” Crea Sr. continued to generate cash from construction for Cosa Nostra. The indictment shows that Crea Sr. was charged with mail and wire fraud connected to a major New York City hospital although no further specifics were included.

These charges are allegedly linked to the building of the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital’s new nine-story outpatient center according to the Post report. Bronx-based Sparrow Construction was in charge of building the $42 million dollar annex at the hospital a company which Crea has long-standing ties too. He worked for the company before he was busted in 2000 on state racketeering charges and was reportedly a regular visitor at the companies offices while construction was taking place at the hospital. Construction of the new outpatient center began in 2009 and was slated to take 19 months but it wasn’t finished until 2014 and was plagued by cost overruns. Building expenses ballooned by approx $5 million dollars much of which is believed to have made its way into the hands of the Lucchese family.

There have also been reports of an ongoing probe that is focused on hospital executives that may have also benefited from the scheme although no executives were named in the recent indictment. The alleged scheme purportedly used falsified invoices and change orders which were never questioned according to Post sources. Crea has long been linked to mafia controlled construction rackets and according to the feds took over as the head of the “Lucchese Construction Group” in the late 1990s while serving as the families underboss. The group included multiple family captains and brokered both mob tax and bribery payments from contractors including settling disputes over who would dominate certain construction projects and sites. The feds claim the group controlled over $40 million in construction contracts during its existence.

According to the feds, Crea had also formed an alliance with members of the Gambino crime family in 1999 to extort local officials of the New York City’s carpenters, laborers and bricklayers unions. Then in September of 2000 Crea along with the rest of the Lucchese Construction Groups run came to an end and they were indicted in New York on state enterprise corruption, labor racketeering, extortion, and bid-rigging charges. Crea would agree to a fairly sweet plea deal which sent him to prison for only 34 months for the state charges along with pleading guilty to similar federal charges which allowed him to serve both sentences concurrently. He was released from prison in 2006 and returned to the fold as a high-ranking member of the organized crime family.

Reputed Philadelphia mafia boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino continues to get his ducks in a row in preparation for his upcoming battle with the feds.

Merlino was hit with multiple charges including racketeering conspiracy after he was busted along with several other alleged mobsters and associates the feds claimed were part of an East Coast LCN Enterprise. According to a recent report, Skinny Joey has hired noted mafia lawyer John Meringolo to represent him in the upcoming racketeering trial. Meringolo has previously represented New York Mafia members including former boss John “Junior” Gotti and acting capo Greg DePalma. They 55-year-old Merlino has said all along he planned to take on the feds to trial after passing up a reportedly sweet plea deal which would have put him behind bars for less than two years.

“Joey Merlino”

Merlino and his new high-powered attorney seem to be betting on the possibility that an internal probe into potential misdeeds by two FBI agents and supervising agent in the case have compromised the majority of the evidence against him. Prosecutors warned that these agents may have had inappropriate interactions and mishandled evidence collected John Rubio a cooperating witness. Rubio went to work for Merlino after getting permission from his former boss Genovese captain Pasquale “Patsy” Parrello and during that time collected most of the evidence against him according to court documents. The defense may also be betting that the government doesn’t want to expose to many dirty details of what may have happened with this evidence and the mishandling of their informant.

Merlino could have pleaded guilty to lesser crimes like illegal sports betting and health care fraud had he taken the plea offer but according to sources, he is worried about the potential ramifications had he done so. Even though it would have ensured a reduced sentence Joey was worried that the feds could haven then recharged him in both New Jersey and Flordia where they claim some of the illegal sports betting took place according to a source in the NY Post report. This could prove to be a very interesting trial depending on how much of the evidence against Merlino makes its way to the courtroom. The feds also noted that during the investigation Merlino was allegedly working in earnest to rebuild the Philly mafia family although no other Philly mobsters were charged in the case. Joey Merlino could face up to 20 years behind bars if he is found guilty.

John “Sonny” Franzese the infamous underboss of the Colombo crime family is scheduled to be released from prison on June 25th.

The 100-year-old mobster is currently being held at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts and is the nation’s oldest federal prisoner. When the high-ranking New York mafia leader went on trial back in 2010 and was sentenced to eight years behind bars for shaking down strip clubs and a pizzeria many doubted he would make it out considering his advanced age and multiple health problems. But the oldest Mafiosi to ever be locked up keeps finding a way to beat the odds. Franzese had petitioned the court a year ago for a compassionate release due to his failing health but was granted no such mercy due to his extensive criminal record.

“John Franzese”

According to reports, the aging mobster is now confined to a wheelchair along with being both deaf and blind. Although it was his own son and namesake John Franzese, Jr. who testified against him back in 2010 convincing jurors that Sonny was not the ailing man he seemed to be. In one of his criminal trials, evidence suggested that Franzese may have whacked as many as 50 people during his storied career in Cosa Nostra. The FBI captured him on a secret recording once discussing with mafia underlings the chopping up of a body in a backyard kiddie pool and then drying out the pieces using his microwave.

It seems that his advanced age and declining health may have finally caught up to the elder mobster and it seems unlikely that he can maintain a role in the Colombo family upon his release. But Sonny has proven experts wrong on many fronts over the years that it is impossible to completely rule out the chance he could remain somewhat of an advisor to the family in some capacity esp if his current health conditions have been somewhat exaggerated which has been common over the years when it comes to aging mobsters. Although the feds still consider him to be the official underboss of the NY Mafia family his days as one of the high-ranking leaders within the organization are clearly behind him.

In a lifestyle filled with so much violence and treachery, it is remarkable that a man who holds so many mafia secrets and certainly created his share of enemies has survived this long. No doubt about it Franzese has been and always will be a New York Mafia and organized crime legend!

The ongoing saga between the feds and alleged Philadelphia mafia boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino has had its share of twist and turns along the way.

But according to recent reports from veteran investigative reporter Dave Schratwieser who closely follows the Philly mafia the feds case against Merlino may be in jeopardy of falling completely apart. There is some speculation that the Feds could drop the case before it even makes it into a courtroom according to Schratwieser. Merlino reportedly turned down a plea deal which would have sent him to prison for between 1-2 years a drastically smaller sentence than he was originally facing. He has since been preparing for trial including the recent hiring of John Meringolo a high-profile defense attorney.

“Joseph Merlino”

Skinny Joey was busted along with 40 other alleged mafia members and associates on various crimes associated with what the Feds labeled as the East Coast LCN Enterprise. The Feds claimed that Merlino along with Pasquale (Patsy) Parrello and Eugene (Rooster) O’Nofrio both capos in the New York mafia were leaders of the organized crime enterprise. A probe into potential misconduct by two FBI agents and a supervisory agent involving the handling of a cooperating witness and evidence he collected led prosecutors to change the direction of the case. The Department of Justice agreed to over plea deals to the defendants letting them plead to lesser crimes by dropping the more damaging racketeering conspiracy charge. The 40 other defendants in the case have all reportedly agreed to plea offers except for Joey.

Merlino decided to play hard to get and take the Feds to trial instead of taking their plea offer and admitting to any wrongdoing. The majority of the evidence against him seems to have been collected by the cooperating witness in question and could very well be compromised. If the case goes to trial Joey could potentially be facing 20 years behind bars but as speculation continues to mount it seems like his gamble could very well pay off and in a big way. It now seems like the chances of him walking away scot-free have increased dramatically over the last few months. What was once considered to be a major blow against Cosa Nostra from Philly to New York has turned out to be nothing of the sort.

The murder of former Purple Gang leader Michael Meldish is an integral piece of the recent racketeering indictments against the hierarchy of the Lucchese crime family.

According to the indictment, the mafia hit is specifically being charged as a murder in aid of racketeering along with various other charges as part of a long-running racketeering conspiracy by the Lucchese family. High ranking members of the Cosa Nostra family charged with the Meldish murder include acting boss Matthew Madonna and underboss Steven Crea along with capo Steven Crea Jr, soldier Christopher Londonio, and mob associate Terrence Caldwell. Even though the indictment doesn’t supply a reason for the murder sources familiar with the case believe it was linked to a breach of old school mafia protocol.

“Matthew Madonna and Michael Meldish”

When Meldish was found shot to death back in 2013 there were several theories as to who had killed him and why. The 62-year-old mobster was a stone cold killer believed to have carried out or been a part of at least 10 hits in the 1970’s and 80’s according to law enforcement. The Purple Gang terrorized the city for a couple of decades controlling a large part of the drug trade in Harlem and the Bronx. The crew was affiliated with several New York Mafia families including the Lucchese family giving Meldish a certain standing in the world of organized crime. But by the late 1980s, the gang’s power and influence had dwindled and it more or less evaporated although Meldish remained an associate of the Lucchese family according to reports.

Details surrounding the murder began to take shape when Christopher Londonio and Terrence Caldwell were indicted by federal prosecutors for their roles in the hit. According to sources familiar with the case including GanglandNews Meldish was warned to stop fooling around with the girlfriend of Bonanno family boss Michael Mancuso. He refused to heed those warnings leading to him being harshly beaten in public by Bonanno family mobster Ernest Aiello the year before he was brutally killed. The NYPD’s Organized Crime Investigation Division got wind of the altercation and paid Madonna a visit warning him against any retaliation which could trigger a war between the mafia families. Madonna seemingly agreed although Meldish remained hell bent on revenge and decided to take matters into his own hands according to sources which likely sealed his fate.

A few months later near the location where Meldish was assaulted he orchestrated the attempted murder of Bonanno family soldier Enzo Stagno sources say. He did so without the okay of Lucchese family leaders which lead to reports of Madonna bad mouthing Meldish for disrespecting him by disobeying orders a few months later. Sources say Madonna and the Lucchese family hierarchy had enough and the two-man hit team of Londonio and Caldwell was ordered to take Meldish out. This shows that even though the modern day American Mafia isn’t as violent as it once was a breach of mob protocol such as this can still be a death sentence.

Vincent Asaro an alleged member of the Bonanno crime family pleaded guilty to ordering an arson attack back in 2012.

The 82-year-old mobster ordered a mafia associate to set fire to the car of a motorist who had cut him off while driving in Howard Beach. When talking about the incident in court Mr. Asaro said: “I made arrangements with this person to take care of it and it was done.” A three man crew which included John J. Gotti the namesake grandson of former New York Mafia boss John Gotti carried out the arson attack. Gotti also pleaded guilty to arson charges and admitted to his role as the driver of the getaway car.

“Vincent Asaro”

In a court memo from March that opposed bail for the Asaro prosecutors claimed that his criminal activities had not slowed with age. They also maintained that he has been a prominent member of the Bonanno family for more than 30 years. Both men are due back in court on Oct. 24 for sentencing and face up to 20 years behind bars for their crimes. Another co-defendant in the case Matthew “Fat Matt” Rullan also plead guilty and according to court documents was responsible for setting the vehicle ablaze. Gotti is already serving an eight-year prison term for a previous conviction for running an extensive illegal drug ring.

“John Gotti”

Federal Judge Allyne Ross also offered Asaro a chance to change lawyers since his current attorney Elizabeth Macedonio also represents his nephew and fellow mobster Ronald Giallanzo in a separate case. The judge noted that having a lawyer that also represents other wiseguys could make it dangerous for Asaro to potentially become a government witness. She warned that since both he and Giallanzo were both part of the same organized crime family that it had the potential to cause a conflict of interest. But the veteran mafioso clearly informed the court that he was no rat and would never cooperate against his nephew or anyone for that matter maintaining the long held Cosa Nostra code of silence.

Asaro was able to beat 2015 charges for his alleged role in the infamous Lufthansa robbery at Kennedy Airport but wasn’t so lucky this time around.

When it comes to a mafia movie dream team it doesn’t get any better than Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and famed filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

This iconic group is now set to team up in Scorsese’s new mob film called “The Irishman” according to new reports. There have been rumors of Pesci coming out of retirement to reunite with DeNiro and Scorsese on the project but he reportedly turned down the role multiple times. But it seems they finally made him an offer he couldn’t refuse and he is in final negotiations to join the project according to DigitalTrends. If all the deals are finalized as expected filming on The Irishman is set to begin in and around New York in July.

The movie is based on a novel by Charles Brandt called “I Heard You Paint Houses” which supposedly tells the true story of the disappearance of labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Brandt was the lawyers for hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran and the story is based on his deathbed confession. According to reports, DeNiro is set to play the role of Sheeran with Pacino playing the role of Hoffa. Pesci is expected to play the role of Mafia boss Russell Bufalino who was suspected of playing a role in Hoffa’s disappearance. There have also been reports of Harvey Keitel being added to play the role of Philadelphia Mafia boss Angelo Bruno along with Bobby Cannavale who would play the role of New York Mafia boss Crazy Joe Gallo.

The rights to finance and distribute the film were purchased by Netflix and they plan to give it a theatrical run of some sorts so that it qualifies for the Academy Awards according to reports. This has definitely been a highly anticipated project by fans of the mafia genre and would certainly make a huge splash if everything goes to plan. When it comes to new mafia movies this may be the last time we see this kind of compilation of talent! If filming begins this month it is expected to run through December and it is still unknown as to when the movie would be ready to release.

Reputed Bonanno crime family mobster Anthony “Skinny” Santoro was denied parole according to recent reports.

Santoro was part of a nine man Bonanno family crew busted back in 2013 that also included Vito Badamo, Nicholas Santora, and Ernest Aiello. The quartet was charged with attempted grand larceny and enterprise corruption which included drug trafficking, loansharking, and illegal gambling. After a three-month long state trial ended in a mistrial due to juror dissonance Santoro, Aiello, and Badamo coped to plea deals. Santoro was sentenced to four to eight years behind bars but was credited with the time he had spent behind bars awaiting trial making him eligible for parole this month.

“Anthony Santoro”

According to prosecutors Santoro was a key member of the New York mafia family and held sway over illegal gambling and drug rackets. A series of wire tap calls captured what prosecutors claimed was Santoro using mafia slang in reference to gambling and drug trafficking activities. He was setting drug prices and was in control of the opening and closing of lucrative illegal gambling accounts according to the state’s case. Both Aiello and Badamo also coped plea deals but the case against alleged Bonanno family capo Nicholas Santora is still pending.

Santoro is not eligible for parole again until December of next year according to the Silive report. He also plead guilty in a federal case to running an illegal gambling business in Connecticut on behalf of the organized crime family that is still pending. He was sentenced to eight months behind bars but was hit with the state charges before he could do that time.

Reputed Philadelphia mafia boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino and Genovese crime family capo Eugene “Rooster” Onofrio continue to fight charges from last years East Coast LCN Enterprise racketeering case.

According to the feds, both men were leaders of the newly formed Cosa Nostra enterprise that operated up and down the east coast and included members from four of the five New York Mafia families. Both mobsters have turned down plea offers and are seemingly headed to trial prompting Onofrio to try and distance himself from Merlino. Onofrio has asked the judge to be tried separately because he is worried that Skinny Joey’s reputation could potentially prejudice a jury against him.

“Joey Merlino”

But prosecutors believe the two wiseguys should be tried together and released details of a 2014 recorded conversation between the two in an effort to strengthen their case according to a NY Post report. According to the feds, the secretly recorded conversation captured Merlino talking to Onofrio about how to best to whack someone. Merlino boasted “It’s easy to kill somebody,” with Onofrio agreeing “It’s simple” according to newly filed court documents. Merlino explained his method saying “You’re my friend, you trust me, I tell you, ‘Listen, drive me home right now,’ get you in the car, I shoot you in the f—king’ head, and it’s over with,” according to the feds.

As of now, the trial is scheduled to begin in January of next year but this saga has had plenty of twists and turns so things could definitely change moving forward. The once heralded case that was supposed to be a huge blow to organized crime has fallen on hard times after an internal investigation into the potential mishandling of a cooperating witness and evidence was exposed prompting prosecutors to offer plea deals to all defendants.  The majority of the case against Merlino seems to revolve around evidence collected by the cooperating witness in question which could lead to it all being compromised.  There seems to be a more than average chance for Skinny Joey Merlino to come out on top at trial.

Michael Persico the son of legendary Colombo crime family boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico was sentenced to five years behind bars on loansharking charges.

Prosecutors believed that Persico deserved at least three years in prison according to federal guidelines after pleading guilty to the loansharking charge but Judge Dora Irizarry hit the mafia scion with an even harsher sentence. The judge factored in uncharged acts including Persico’s link to the 1993 mob hit of Joseph Scopo that took place during a bloody Colombo family war according to the NY Daily News report. The Judge told Persico that the Scopo hit was “part of protecting your family and your family’s role in the Colombo crime family.”

“Michael Persico”

She also said that she believed that prosecutors had proven Persico’s role in the murder by “more than a preponderance of the evidence” along with other criminal acts. Michael now 60 years old will join his older brother and one-time acting boss Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico behind bars. Carmine is currently serving a 139-year sentence while Allie Boy is serving a life sentence. The feds still consider Carmine to hold the rank of the official boss from behind bars and extended family ties and loyalties have allowed the Persico’s to maintain their grip on the Cosa Nostra family. Could the Perisco families influence finally be losing steam and potentially coming to an end opening up the possibility of a new era of leaders?

While some of the other New York Mafia families have found a way to stabilize themselves at least to some extent under new administrations over the last few years the Colombo’s have seemingly found it to be a bit more difficult and remain one of the weaker organized crime family in the city.

Reputed Gambino crime family soldier John “Johnny G” Gammarano has passed away according to a recent report.

According to the feds, he became a made member of the mafia back in the 1980s and held the rank of acting capo in the Gambino family at various times during his long career in organized crime. Gammarano was reportedly one of the three men inside Sparks Steak House back in 1985 when former Gambino family boss Paul Castellano was assassinated. In early 1990’s he was indicted along with 16 other alleged mobsters including reputed Gambino family capo Joseph (JoJo) Corozzo and former New Orleans mafia boss Anthony S. Carollo in a video poker based racketeering scheme.

“John Gammarano”

His name surfaced again in the testimony of former Gambino capo Michael “Mikey Scars” DiLeonardo during the John A. “Junior” Gotti racketeering trial. According to DiLeonardo, Gotti planned to whack Gammarano, capo Daniel Marino, and associate Joseph Watts over a beef in the Cosa Nostra families lucrative construction rackets. DiLeonardo testified that Gotti believed the mob trio has been skimming cash from the rackets since the 1990s and had set a meeting to discuss the matter with plans on killing them if he wasn’t satisfied with their explanation. He said he stocked a Bensonhurst apartment with body bags and instructed a pair of gunmen to hide in a bedroom and make a move if Gotti gave the signal but the hit never went down.

The men arrived in a limo accompanied by a civilian according to DiLeonardo so there was no way the hit could have gone down. During the meeting, Watts explained that he was given carte blanche when it came to construction and had permission to do it from the “Dapper Don” John Gotti. DiLeonardo said Junior took Watts word for it and he was satisfied at that point. Although maybe Gotti never completely forgave the three mobsters because he reportedly detailed crimes that they committed during a secret proffer session with the feds in 2005 when he was making a failed bid to get out from under racketeering charges.

The death of Gammarano leaves one less link back to a historic era of the Gambino family and the NY mafia.

The New York Mafia has undergone plenty of change over the last few decades but the Perisco families control of the Colombo crime family has remained.

Colombo family boss Carmine Persico has been able to maintain his grip on the Cosa Nostra family since he took control back in the 1970s even though he has spent much of his life behind bars. Loyal underlings and deep families ties have allowed Carmine to remain the official boss of the family for approx forty years but could the Persico era finally be coming to an end. Some of the NY Mafia families have enjoyed a bit of a resurgence over the last few years under new leaderships aided by a decrease in FBI scrutiny due to the fight against terrorism. But the Colombo family has seemingly been unable to take advantage of these developments and remains the weakest of the five families.

“Carmine Persico”

The future of the Colombo family may hinge on its ability to break away from the past and bring about an end to the reign of the Persico family. Carmine also known as “Junior” or “The Snake” was in his prime as a mafia boss when he was sentenced to 100 years behind bars after being convicted in the infamous Mafia Commission trail back in 1986. The then 56-year-old mobster had already been the boss of the family for about 14 years and was gaining in power and influence. When he went to prison he invoked his right to retain the title of boss in an effort to make sure he not only maintained control but that lucrative family profits continued to be kicked up to him. He needed someone on the streets he could trust so be immediately appointed his older brother Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico to acting boss.

But Allie Boy’s reign would be a short one because he skipped bail on loansharking charges a year after being promoted. Carmine wanted to keep a blood relative atop the family but his son Alphonse “Little Allie Boy” Persico has been convicted in the Colombo Trial in 1986 so he named capo Victor “Little Vic” Orena as acting boss. Orena’s appointment was only intended to be a temporary one until Allie Boy was paroled and was able to take the reigns. But by 1990 Orena’s loyalty to Persico had deteriorated and he believed the family was missing out on lucrative opportunities under Persico. He decided to make a move to take control of the family using his ties to the powerful Gambino family and then boss John Gotti. But in an effort to avoid bloodshed the Commission refused to recognize him as the new boss.

Orena began to seek approval to take over from inside his own family but consigliere Carmine Sessa alerted Periso to the ongoing coup. Persico ordered a hit on Orena that was eventually botched leading to the start of the third bloody Colombo family war. By the time the war ended in the early 1990s at least 12 members had turned informant including high profile mobsters like Sessa mostly in an effort to save their own lives. When the dust had settled more than 58 members and associates including 42 from the Persico faction and 16 from the Orena faction were behind bars including Orena himself who was convicted on RICO charges and himself sentenced to 100 years. Carmine’s fight to keep control of the organized crime family almost led to it being dissolved by the Mafia commission.

Little Allie Boy eventually took over as boss after being paroled in 1995 and Carmine once again had the blood relative he wanted in control on the streets. But his reign ended after ordering the murder of then underboss William “Wild Bill” Cutolo because he had supported Orena during the war. Cutolo’s son would agree to wear a wire for the feds in an effort to seek revenge and collected enough evidence to send Little Allie Boy and underboss John “Jackie” DeRoss to prison for life on RICO charges. The family would go on to appoint several street bosses including Joel “Joe Waverly” Cacace, Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli, Ralph F. DeLeo, and Andrew “Andy Mush” Russo over the years. But the family has been unable to recover from the damage done by Persico’s efforts to keep control and stay atop the power structure.

Many believe that the Persico family era needs to come to an end for the Colombo family to have any chance to recover and begin to rebuild. The recent conviction of Carmine’s son Michael Persico took yet another of those loyal to the longtime mafia boss off the streets signaling what may finally be the beginning of an end for the Persico’s. Carmine is now 83 years old and although he has recently petitioned to be released from prison it seems unlikely that he gets out while he is still alive. It is unclear as to how much influence he actually has on the day to day operations of the crime family today with so many of his family members and loyalist behind bars now but one thing seems clear the youngest of the New York Mafia families needs to turn the page at some point and that point may be sooner rather than later if it plans to survive.

The latest New York mafia bust targeted members of the Lucchese crime family including the families current hierarchy.

Nineteen mobsters and associates including alleged acting street boss Matthew (Matty) Madonna, underboss Steven (Stevie Wonder) Crea Sr., and consigliere Joseph DiNapoli were arrested. They were hit with a slew of racketeering charges including the murder of former Purple Gang leader and NY Mafia associate Michael Meldish. According to the indictment Madonna, Crea Sr. and his son Steven (Stevie Junior) Crea Jr. are charged with ordering the 2013 hit on Meldish. At a bail hearing in June, prosecutors described Crea Jr. as a powerful captain who supervised two crew members soldier Christopher Londonio and associate Terrence Caldwell in the murder of Meldish.

“Steven Crea and Matthew Madonna”

During the bail hearing, prosecutors also made note of a key witness who’s undercover work was a crucial part of this massive indictment against the Cosa Nostra family. According to a Ganglandnews report, the witness is believed to be a turncoat mob associate named Robert Spinelli. According to sources he had been working for the feds since 2012 and recorded hundreds of conversations with Lucchese family mobsters and could testify to first-hand knowledge that Crea Jr was personally involved in planning the Meldish murder. The former Purple Gang leader feel out of favor with Lucchese family leaders and was ultimately killed because he was viewed as being a liability to the family. Spinelli at one time served as a messenger for boss Vic Amuso which garnered him access to high ranking members of the organized crime family before falling out of favor due to his prolonged drug abuse according to gangland sources.

Spinelli was part of a five man hit team back in 1992 tasked with killing the sister of a turncoat mob capo Peter (Fat Pete) Chiodo in an effort to convince him not to testify against Amuso. The hit failed but the attack on the mother of three and an innocent family member marked a low point in the history of the American mafia. Prosecutors noted this attack along with the attempted murder of Chiodo at Crea Jr.’s bail hearing in an effort to prove the Lucchese families violent nature and history made them a threat to witnesses. They also stated they had evidence that Crea Jr had also supervised a plot to kill a Bonanno family associate who had disrespect his father.

Although Crea Jr has no prior arrest his actions established that he was a danger to the community and he should be detained claimed prosecutors. The judge agreed and the previous ruling to deny the Younger Crea bail was upheld. It will be interesting to see what other information Spanelli has provided the feds with against other key mobsters involved in this case.

Longtime Genovese crime family mobster Venero “Benny Eggs” Mangano passed away at the age of 95.

According to the feds, Mangano was one of the New York mafia families senior leaders on the streets holding the rank of underboss. The 95-year-old mobster who got the nickname “Benny Eggs” because of an egg business run by his mother was one of the most respected members of organized crime in NY. He was a war veteran serving as a bomber tail gunner for the US Army Air Corps in Europe during World War II. It was after he returned from the war when he joined up with a mafia crew in Greenwich Village that would eventually be run by Vincent “The Chin” Gigante. Both mobsters would rise through the ranks of the Cosa Nostra family with Gigante eventually taking over as boss with Mangano serving as his right-hand man.

Mangano operated for years out of a social club on Thompson street and controlled several mob rackets including the families extremely lucrative piece of the window replacement scam. Four of the five NY mafia families controlled a cartel of window replacement companies from the 70’s into the 1990’s that held sway over $150 million dollars in contracts from the New York City Housing Authority. The mob’s influence in the local Iron Workers Union allowed them to control the industry and to charge a mafia tax of $1-$2 on almost every window replacement both public and private throughout New York. A mob associate turned rat helped the feds take down the mob’s window replacement scheme in 1990 after a two-year investigation.

Several mobsters including Mangano were indicted and he was later sentenced to more than 15 years behind bars. While he was behind bars in 1997 the feds called on him to testify against the Genovese family boss Chin Gigante but he refused saying “What do you want to do, shoot me?” and “Shoot me, but I’m not going to answer any questions”. He was put on the witness stand but he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer any questions holding firm to the mob’s oath of silence. The aging mafioso was released from prison in 2006 but the long prison term had taken its toll and he was lucky to have survived after multiple heart attacks and emergency operations. Gigante had been convicted in that 1997 trial and it was rumored that Mangano could have taken over as boss of the Genovese family after his release.

But it doesn’t seem like that ever came to pass perhaps because of his poor health or the fact that Gigante continued to run the family from behind bars for several more years according to the feds. Even with his health fading he would take over as the families underboss and served on a rotating panel of veterans overseeing control of the Genovese family according to various sources.

Brooklyn federal judge Dora Irizarry continued to take a hard line with reputed Colombo crime family mobster Michael Persico refusing to let him stay out on bail during his appeal.

Irizarry hit the New York mafia scion with a five-year sentence for a loan sharking conviction a month ago even though the suggested federal guidelines was approximately three years. The judge ordered the 60-year-old mobster to report to prison on October 20 according to a NY Daily News report. Michael will join his 84-year-old father Colombo family boss Carmine (The Snake) Persico and his brother Alphonse (Allie Boy) Persico behind bars. Carmine is serving a 139-year sentence after being convicted in the infamous Mafia Commission Trial back in the 80’s while Allie Boy is serving a life sentence.

“Michael Persico”

Persico has been out on $5 million bond since back in 2010 and prosecutors argued against his efforts to stay out during his appeal. Judge Irizarry agreed with prosecutors saying that Persico’s conviction qualified as a crime of violence and that he posed a danger to the community. She noted that the court concluded that Persico in addition to loan sharking had directed the commission of and participated in a murder. This was in reference to Persico’s role in uncharged crimes including his connection to the 1993 murder of former Colombo family underboss Joseph Scopo. During his sentencing, the judge said the Scopo murder was “part of protecting your family and your family’s role in the Colombo crime family.”

The Persico families deep roots in Cosa Nostra particularly the Colombo family has definitely come at a cost.