The Mafia no longer has any influence on the waterfront according to officials from the International Longshoremen’s Association.

But the Waterfront Commission continues to bring forth cases against ILA members with alleged ties to organized crime. According to the commission in just the past year, they have uncovered longshoremen with connections to the Colombo crime family and the Genovese crime family of the New York Mafia. In the most recent case, the commission took action against longshoreman Frank Ferrara costing him his $355,000 a year job on the New Jersey docks. After a three year investigation, the commission found that Ferrara had longtime ties to the Genovese family.

According to their findings, Ferrara had a personal connection with Andrew Gigante the son of late New York Mafia boss Vincent (Chin) Gigante and Genovese mobster Pasquale (Patty) Falcetti. The feds have long considered Andrew to be an associate of the Genovese family. He was convicted along with his father back in 2002 in a Waterfront labor racketeering case. Administrative law judge Michael Zidonik noted that ILA members were barred from associating with Andrew Gigante.

Judge Zidonik said “A reasonable objective observer could believe that the association with Gigante, and his blood ties to the crime family and its’ waterfront criminal domain, could influence (Ferrara) in his capacity as a registered longshoreman. Circumstantial and direct evidence shows that he knew very well that his friends Pasquale Falcetti, Sr. and Andrew Gigante were tied to organized crime and waterfront corruption. He chose to remain associated with them.”

Falcetti was convicted of embezzling ILA funds back in 2003 and has also done time for loansharking. The judge then noted that FBI-tapped phone calls between Falcetti and Ferrara, coupled with tape-recorded jailhouse calls between Falcetti and his son about Frankie Cheech, reveals two men with sincere regard to each other. Saying this further warranted Ferrara’s removal from the piers. He added that because Ferrara “remained good friends with this soldier of organized crime, a reasonable objective person may question (Ferrara’s) loyalty to his work as opposed to Falcetti, a made member of the mafia family closely associate with waterfront corruption.”

Ferrara’s attorney claimed in a written response that the Waterfront Commission had been overzealous in its charge. He said that at no time has his client ever been accused of any sort of wrongdoing saying “In Frank Ferrara’s nearly forty-year career, there has never been a single report of cargo missing from any of the thousands of containers that Frank Ferrara has come into contact.” He called the allegations of Ferrara’s association to Cosa Nostra irresponsible and is challenging the Commission’s findings via appeals court.

The International Longshoremen’s Association has also attacked the Waterfront Commission recently calling it an outdated agency that manufactures fantasy crime and treats decent working people like criminals. The ILA union lobbied elected officials in New York and New Jersey to do away with the Commission saying it had outlived its purpose. The New Jersey legislature even voted last year to withdraw from the agency but the Commission took them to court over the decision. A U.S. District Judge issued an injunction preventing the state from acting pending more hearings citing continued Mafia influence and a need to reform corrupt hiring practices at the port.

While many of the recent cases haven’t targeted any known mobsters it seems clear to the Commission that the mob’s influence remains through carefully placed associations. The former head of the federal Organized Crime Task Force in New Jersey Robert Stewart agrees with the Commission saying “You’re not seeing anything. There’s no bodies. But that suggests a higher level of ability to work.” Waterfront Commission director Walter Arsenault volunteered a 15-page list of ‘made’ men from the seven Mafia families in New York and New Jersey, who he said all had relatives at the port during a June legislative committee hearing.

He said “You can’t throw a stone at the port without hitting the son, the daughter, the son-in-law, the nephew, the cousin, the godson of a ‘made’ guy” according to the NJcom report. “It’s like Whack-a-Mole,” he said, the arcade game that players seldom beat.

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A new 32-count racketeering indictment from the feds took down members and associates of two New York Mafia families.

In total two alleged made members of the Colombo crime family along with a made guy from the Gambino crime family were charged in Brooklyn Federal Court along with suspected mob associates. The alleged mobsters were hit with various charges including acts of extortion, extortionate collection, money laundering and illegal gambling. The defendants are all from Brooklyn and have been running their criminal enterprises there and in Staten Island among other places since 2010 according to the authorities. NYPD Police Commissioner James O’Neill said the Mafia may be diminished but it is not dead.

The Colombo family made guys were identified as Jerry “Fat Jerry” Ciauri and Vito “The Mask” Difalco along with Anthony “Anthony Suits” Licata from the Gambino family. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue said: “This investigation shows that members of Cosa Nostra continue to prey on members of our community, enriching themselves and their criminal network by making extortionate loans and using threats of violence to collect.” He also said rooting out traditional organized crime remained a high priority for his office and other law enforcement partners.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney said, “As alleged in the indictment, these defendants instilled fear in the hearts of their victims through threats of violence.” The feds claim they extended extortionate loans to multiple victims and used extortionate means to collect those debts when debtors fell behind on payments. Among the evidence collected during the investigation were wiretapped telephone conversations in which multiple threats of violence were made according to prosecutors.

All of the accused pleaded not guilty to the various crime on Wednesday and will be back in court on August 7th. Difalco, Ciauri, and Licata the alleged made men in the case are all being held without bail. If convicted they could each be facing up to 20 years behind bars. Loan sharking has long been a stable and extremely profitable racket for the New York Mafia and Mob families elsewhere. The full indictment can be seen here.

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Eugene (Rooster) Onofrio an alleged captain in the Genovese crime family was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars.

Onofrio plead guilty to charges of loan sharking and peddling untaxed cigarettes. Rooster was busted back in 2016 along with 45 other Mafia members and associates in the East Coast LCN Enterprise case. According to the feds mobsters from the Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, and Bonanno families of the New York Mafia and the Philadelphia mafia were involved in the newly formed enterprise. Onofrio was one of the higher profiled names along with fellow Genovese family captain Pasquale “Patsy” Parrello and alleged Philly mafia boss Joey Merlino.

“Eugene Onofrio”

The case was heralded as a major strike against Cosa Nostra but that was short lived. An internal probe into alleged wrongdoings by the feds crippled the case. Prosecutors decided to offer the defendant’s plea deals to lesser crimes throwing out the major charge of racketeering. Patsy and Rooster both agreed to plea offers although Onofrio ultimately got the better deal as Parrello ended up with a seven-year sentence.

Merlino decided to be the only defendant to challenge the case in court leading to a hung jury. The feds decided the outcome was worth a retrial which lead to Merlino coping a plea to a minor gambling charge instead of risking it and is currently awaiting sentencing. Rooster was captured on secret conversations by an undercover informant talking about his loan sharking business. He was talking about collecting on a 30k mafia loan when he said: “What do I got to do with him?” Onofrio, of East Haven, Conn., asked. “Do you have to take his eyes out?”

But defense attorney Thomas Nooter argued that Rooster was nothing more than an old man on social security talking tough trying to boost his reputation. Nooter told Judge Richard Sullivan “It was like he was living the glory days back when there was a Genovese crime family.” The defense also claimed that the undercover rat had persuaded the 76-year-old Onofrio to return to his former life of organized crime.

But the judge wasn’t buying it stating that witnesses tabbed the mobster as an acting captain on the Genovese family. He also made note of Roosters long wrap sheet with dated all the way back to the 1970s. Sullivan said, “It’s not like Al Pacino in ‘The Godfather III’ — ‘Oh, every time I’m out, they pull me back in’.” He said the longtime mobster had a number of wake up calls over the years that were not heeded. Rooster wasn’t very talkative after being sentenced simply telling the judge “You won’t see me again.”

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The feds hit various mobsters in the Lucchese crime family with a huge racketeering case last year that included the 2013 murder of former Purple Gang leader Michael Meldish.

Among those charged in the Meldish hit were former street boss Matthew (Matty) Madonna, underboss Steven (Wonder Boy) Crea Sr., Captain Steven Crea Jr., soldier Chris Londonio, and associate Terrence Caldwell. According to the report Meldish was shot to death sitting in the front seat of his car in a section of Brooklyn. There are several theories as to exactly why the 62-year-old Meldish was killed but according to the feds, it was sanctioned by the Lucchese family hierarchy.

“Steven Crea Jr.”

New defense attorney’s for Steven Crea Jr. claim the feds are playing fast and loose with the truth when it comes to their client. Crea wants to be released on bail and his new lawyers have taken dead aim at what they claim are fabricated stories used by the feds to keep him behind bars. According to newly filed court documents the attorney’s claim prosecutors failed to alert the judge that their star witness against Crea had concocted an earlier story about the Meldish murder during a bail hearing back in January.

The witness identified as Frank Pasqua III according to a recent Ganglandnews report apparently lied to the feds at least once. Pasqua was a drug dealer and part of a Mafia crew that ran with the younger Crea and his father according to the prosecutors. But he originally told them back in 2015 that it was his father Frank Pasqua Jr. that killed Meldish while he stood just a few feet away. He then admitted he made up that story and now claims that Crea Jr told him the hit on Meldish was sanctioned by the Lucchese crime family.

This is not the only phony story that has surfaced and prosecutors were warned by the judge back in January to be very careful about claims they were making in an effort to keep Crea behind bars. They noted that “the government has indicated that (Pasqua III) is its principal witness against Crea with respect to the Meldish murder” but failed to alert the court about his false account of the murder. The defense attorneys also claim that that Pasqua III is what they called a “stone-cold junkie” who “routinely beat his wife in front of their children” and who was “also physically abusive to his mom.”

“It is difficult to fathom how the government can justify its failure to inform the Court of this crucial evidence” at Crea’s bail hearing in January, “particularly in light of the Court’s clear directive” to be “very careful, and if careful means that you can’t make the showing, so be it,” wrote defense lawyers. The judge ordered that Crea remain behind bars after the January bail hearing but did warn prosecutors that going forward everything should be double and triple checked for representation was made. A fourth bail hearing has now been scheduled and prosecutors have been ordered to respond to Crea’s motion.

If the feds are using inaccurate claims in an effort to keep Crea off the streets one has to wonder if the evidence they have will stand up in court. Perhaps this development could filter down and affect the case against the other Lucchese family mobsters being charged as well. When it comes to cases against the Mafia the feds aren’t exactly batting .1000 of late. If they are indeed playing fast and loose with the truth during a bail hearing it’s not a stretch to consider the fact they may be in other parts of the case as well.

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Reputed Bonanno family consigliere John “Porky” Zancocchio was granted his release after claiming that prison food was killing him.

The 60-year-old mobster was indicted back in January along with other alleged members of the New York Mafia on various charges including racketeering conspiracy previously reported here. He was released on $1 million bail but was put on home confinement although it only took a month for the Bonanno crime family wiseguy to screw it up. In February he violated his bail restrictions by visiting various Staten Island locations without permission from the court.

Zancocchio was granted permission to attend the wake and burial of his aunt in Staten Island. Once it ended instead of returning home as ordered he decided to stop by the bar at the Bella Mama Rose restaurant. He is the alleged co-owner the bar along with fellow Cosa Nostra wiseguy Frank Camuso a capo in the Gambino family. The very next day he took a trip to a Staten Island bakery called Denino and greeted several people according to the feds. Visting these places after a funeral was a family tradition according to his daughter. But the judge wasn’t buying it and revoked the Bonanno family mobsters bail.

He was sent to the Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center but says since his stay there is damaging his already poor health. According to his lawyer, he suffers from various ailments including chronic diabetes and thyroid issues. His health issues require him to get a special diet and exercise which he has been unable to get while in jail. The judge agreed to release Porky so he could seek a healthier diet although he ordered him to wear a GPS-tracking device. Getting released on a food-related defense is an odd one even for the Mafia.

So it seems like the longtime Bonanno family loanshark and bookmaker who was once Pete Rose’s bookie will be able to dine more favorably at least for the time being. If convicted he could be facing a long stretch behind bars regardless of the food!

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John “Johnny T” Tortora a reputed mobster in the Genovese family charged for his role in a mafia hit that took place over twenty years ago.

The 61-year-old is facing conspiracy to commit racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering and murder for hire charges. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he is accused of hiring others to kill Richard Ortiz “in order to further the goals of the Genovese Crime Family.” Prosecutors also claim the Veteran Cosa Nostra member was also involved in drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and extortion.

The then 29-year-old Ortiz was found stabbed to death after an argument with men inside a Yonker bar. According to the indictment, Tortora was responsible for Ortiz’s murder although no further details were released. Ortiz’s family has long believed he was killed by the New York Mafia as retaliation for his suspected role as a police informant. There has been no information to date as to whether or not Ortiz was actually working with law enforcement.

In a court statement prosecutors said “From in or about 1997 up to and including in or about 2018, Tortora, an associate and later a member of the Genovese Crime Family, along with other members and associates of La Cosa Nostra, committed a wide range of crimes, including murder, extortion, gambling, and narcotics trafficking. In particular, he hired others to kill Richard Ortiz in order to further the goals of the Genovese Family. As a result, on November 11, 1997, Ortiz was brutally stabbed multiple times, causing his death.”

Tortora was arrested on various charges by the feds back in 2001 along with other alleged members and associates of the Genovese family including capo Pasquale “Patsy” Parrello. The feds built the case against the NY Mafia family with the help of an undercover NYPD detective who infiltrated the mafia posing as an owner of a trucking company. He was only convicted of a misdemeanor in that case and was sentenced to 24 months of probation.

But if convicted on the charges in this indictment the veteran mobster is facing life in prison and potentially the death penalty. He was ordered to be held without bail after a hearing in Manhattan federal court. The United States Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said “This arrest for the 1997 murder of Mr. Ortiz demonstrates the resolve and commitment of law enforcement to hold those accountable for their actions and serves as a warning to all members of organized crime including the Mafia engaging in violent criminal activity in our communities. We will continue to work with our federal partners to aggressively target alleged criminals and criminal enterprises operating in our City.”

Tortora’s lawyer said his client unequivocally denies the allegations against him and he did not know Ortiz or order to have him killed. “Apparently the government has acquired a person who, maybe to benefit himself, has cast aspersions on my client.” The indictment in its entirety can be found here.

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Recent Court transcripts seemingly identify the current captain of the Genovese crime family crew operating in Springfield Massachusetts.

The Springfield mafia crew has been dismantled from the top down due to recent indictments and convictions. During sentencing of 76-year-old Genovese family capo Eugene “Rooster” Onofrio last month where he was sentenced to 30 months in prison more information was made public. Prosecutors submitted transcripts of a conversation between Onofrio and J.R. Rubeo a mafia snitch discussing mob affairs in Springfield. Rubeo was the key informant in the East Coast LCN case that led to the arrest of 45 members and associate of the New York Mafia and the alleged boss of the Philly Mafia.

“Eugene Onofrio and Ralph Santaniello”

In the transcript, Onofrio identified himself as the current Captain of the mafia in Springfield. He had already been linked to the Cosa Nostra crew through the testimony of an undercover FBI agent that served as his driver for a time. According to the agent’s testimony, he once drove Rooster to a meeting at a pizza shop where he arranged a $30,000 mob loan. He did so with the help of Ralph Santaniello and Francesco “Frank” Depergola both alleged Springfield mobsters.

Both Santaniello and Depergola were caught up in the recent mafia sting along with Rooster and in a separate case with for shaking down a local tow company owner. They are now both behind bars after Santaniello was sentenced to 60 months and Depergola to 38 months. This new evidence from the feds along with other recent reports seemingly shows that Santaniello was likely running the day to day operations along with fellow mobster Albert Calvanese and reporting to their capo Onofrio. At least before he was busted.

Transcript from FBI Wiretap Conversation:

Onofrio: “Everything’s shut down.”

Rubeo: “He (apparently referring to Danny Leo alleged Genovese family boss) doesn’t put anyone up.”

Onofrio: “Yeah he does.”

Rubeo: “Never.”

Onofrio: “I do.”

Rubeo: “He don’t.”

Onofrio: “I already put a guy up from Springfield, Mass. … You know, Springfield was given to me.”

Rubeo: “Yeah, you told me.”

Onofrio: “I got four, five guys up there. One I love to death.”

Rubeo: “Why don’t you move me up there? Can I make money?”

Onofrio: (I already got enough guys) “I know he is a gangster, I know he’s got balls, he’s got heart. He, his name is already in. When they open up, I’m definitely putting him in, because I can’t travel from New Haven to Springfield all the time.”

 

It is believed that the person Onofrio was referring to as “one I love to death” and had put up for membership was Ralph Santaniello. The undercover FBI agent in the East Coast LCN Case identified the 51-year-old Santaniello as a “proposed member” of the Genovese family in court records according to a MassLive report  by crime reporter Stephanie Barry. The agent also noted that at the time that Rooster said the NY Mafia families books were closed. This all seems to be strongly corroborated by the Rubeo conversation transcripts.

If this new information is accurate then the entire hierarchy of the crew has recently been taken off the streets and it remains unclear as to just how active the historic mafia crew is today. The Genovese family may not be ready to lose their grip on Western Massachusetts just yet but things certainly have taken another turn for the worse.

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Bonanno family captain Ronald Giallanzo has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

According to prosecutors, the 48-year-old New York Mafia captain ran an illegal gambling and extortion racket from 1998 to 2017. He plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy back in March. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended Giallanzo also known as “Ronnie G” be sentenced to just over seven years the judge wasn’t so lenient. He was hit with 12 years for the extortion scheme and 2 more years for violating his supervised release. His long rap sheet and multiple stints behind bars seemingly played a part in the judge’s decision.

“Ronald (Ronnie G) Giallanzo”

He will also be forced to forfeit $1.25 million dollars and sell his mansion in Howard Beach because it was built by ill-gotten gains. He will also have to pay restitution to five loansharking victims in the amount of $268,000 according to the NY Post report. The feds were fixated on making sure that the Bonanno crime family wiseguy would lose the luxurious home he had renovated with the cash he made from his mafia status.

(Giallanzo Howard Beach Mansion)

Giallanzo is the nephew of Bonanno family captain Vincent Asaro who has been tied for years to the infamous Lufthansa heist. Asaro was able to beat the rap on the Lufthansa charges at trial but was sent to prison last year for an arson attack. Judge Dora Irizarry told Giallanzo before sentencing “You threatened to have people beaten with bats, you had them beaten with pipes, it’s like in the movies. But this isn’t a movie.”

Prosecutor Lindsay Gerdes called the Cosa Nostra mobster a “puppeteer,” who despite prison time hadn’t learned his lesson. After being hit with such a stiff sentence perhaps this time will do the trick although it seems highly unlikely! The old saying a leopard never changes its spots seems to fit often fit when it comes to mobsters.

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Prosecutors have rounded up various Mafia turncoats to testify at the upcoming Lucchese family racketeering trial.

According to court filings, they plan to have former Bonanno family capo Peter (Petey B.S.) Lovaglio, former Genovese family associate Anthony Zoccolillo, and former Lucchese family associates Joseph Foti and Robert Spinelli take the stand. Alleged mobsters which include Joseph (Big Joe) Datello, John (Big John) Castellucci, and associates Victor Bruno and Carmine (Spanish Carmine) Garcia are facing various charges as part of a 17-year racketeering enterprise. They were part of a massive Mob bust last year that targeted members and associates of the New York Mafia family.

High ranking Lucchese crime family mobsters including street boss Matthew Madonna and underboss Steven Crea Sr. are set to stand trial next year. Both mobsters along with Crea’s son Steven Crea Jr. and others have been charged in the 2013 murder of former Purple Gang leader Michael Meldish. While the Cosa Nostra wiseguys in the upcoming trial have not been charged in the Meldish murder prosecutors want to use limited evidence lined to it in an effort to prove a racketeering conspiracy. According to a Gangland report mob rat Robert Spinelli recorded discussion he had about the Meldish slaying and other NY Mafia business with Datello and Garcia and the feds want to be able to use them.

But as is usually the case these mob turncoats come with some baggage and it will be interesting to see how they stand up on the stand in this particular case. While Zoccolillo has already proven to be an effective witness for the feds in the past Lovaglio has proven to be just the opposite so far. Both Spinelli and Foti also have checked pasts which could turn out to be a challenge for prosecutors once they take the stand. While prosecutors will surely offer up other bits of evidence the testimonies from these former wiseguys will likely play a key role in whether or not the feds get a win.

Defense lawyers will surely challenge many of the request being made by prosecutors leading up to trial which is set to begin on October 1st. So far nine of the Lucchese family mobsters and associates among those originally indicted have copped plea deals or have agreed to plead guilty before trial.

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Gene Gotti the brother of infamous Gambino crime family godfather John Gotti is set to be released after 29 years behind bars.

According to the reports Gotti will be released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Pollock, La. on September 15th. The 71-year-old mobster was convicted in the early 1980s of running an extensive heroin operation with pals John Carneglia and Angelo Ruggiero. The trio was captured by an FBI bug in Ruggiero’s home talking about drug deals along with other mob business. The recording of Gene and his Cosa Nostra pals set in motion the death of then boss “Big Paul” Castellano.

“Gene Gotti”

John Gotti ordered the 1985 assassination of Big Paul in part to save his brother’s life. Castellano had imposed a penalty of death for anyone from the New York Mafia family who was caught dealing drugs. He like his predecessor Carlo Gambino was worried that lengthy drug convictions would offer an incentive for wiseguys to flip on the families hierarchy. Not only had Gene and his mafia pals break the rule but they were caught discussing it on tape.

Big Paul pressed the Gotti faction to turn the tapes they got from prosecutors over to him. But John knew it would likely lead to his brother along with other being whacked by Castellano. So they delayed and offered excuses and ended up whacking out Big Paul 10 days before Christmas outside of a Midtown Steakhouse in 1985. It forever changed the direction of the powerful organized crime family.

While Gene is often referred to as the brother of the Teflon Don he himself is a legit wiseguy through and through. Gene rejected a plea deal that would have likely only called for him to spend about 7 years behind bars because his brother and his boss said no. John didn’t believe in making deals and it cost Gene 20+ years more behind bars. While it was becoming popular for mobsters to make deals with the government Gene remained loyal to his brother and the NY Mafia, he kept quiet and did his time.

Now he is returning to the streets but the Mafia is nothing like it once was. The Gotti’s only hangout in Ozone Park, Queens the Bergin Hunt & Fish Club is long gone along with the Gotti families influence in the Gambino family. While it’s clear that Gene has the reputation for being a valued mobster its unclear as to whether or not he would fit in with today’s Gambino family leaders. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Gene Gotti whether its retirement or entry back into the world of the American Mafia.

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Michael Mancuso the alleged boss of the Bonanno crime family has been moved into a Brooklyn halfway house according to recent reports.

Mancuso was sentenced to 15 years behind bar’s back in 2008 after pleading guilty in the murder of Mafia associate Randolph Pizzolo. He ordered the 2004 mob hit on Pizzolo which was carried out by Bonanno family soldier Anthony “Ace” Aiello who also plead guilty and was sent to prison for 30 years. Michael also known as “The Nose” has a projected release date of March 2019 but is already a step closer to being back on the streets.

“Michael “The Nose” Mancuso”

The once powerful Cosa Nostra family has taken its share of bumps and bruises over the last few years.  It’s current acting boss and official underboss Joseph Cammarano Jr. is himself awaiting trial as previously reported here. Mancuso has remained atop the crime families hierarchy while away although its unclear as to whether or not he has the backing of all the families remaining factions. It will be interesting to see what happens if anything within the New York Mafia families leadership structure once he is back on streets free and clear.

Michael Mancuso was reportedly pegged as the new official boss of the family while behind bars somewhere around 2012-2013. He is the first mobster in the Bonanno family to hold the title of official boss since Joseph Massino turned rat in 2004. His rise to the top of the NY Mafia family happened when the Bonanno’s were in disarray. Massino had flipped and acting boss Vincent Basciano was himself behind bars looking at a life sentence. Who exactly backed Mancuso’s appointment to the top spot is still unclear.

Questions remain as to whether or not he holds full sway over the families operations. Does he have the power and charisma needed to remain the boss of the beleaguered family? It may be a case of really having no one else for the job at least for now. Even though the family isn’t what it once was the top spot still comes with monetary benefits and for mobsters, that’s always the bottom line.  So the situation will definitely be worth keeping an eye on.

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Reputed Lucchese family mobster Vincent Bruno faces up to 15 years behind bars after pleading guilty to murder in aid of a racketeering conspiracy.

The 34-year-old wiseguy was among 19 alleged mobsters and associates arrested in a 2017 investigation targeting the Lucchese crime family. The mafia sweep also netted the feds the New York Mafia families acting boss Matthew Madonna and underboss Steven Crea Sr. among other high ranking members. According to prosecutors, Bruno was part of a murder plot that targeted a member of the Bonanno crime family.

Prosecutors allege a dispute between the Lucchese family and Bonanno family members at a Bronx social club led to the 2012 murder plot. They claim that the elder Crea ordered his son and crime family captain Steven Crea Jr. to whack a mafia associate he felt had offended him. Crea Jr then passed the order on to fellow mobster Paul “Paulie Roast Beef” Cassano. He and Bruno attempted to locate the associate in question to whack him but failed. The crime families would eventually settle the dispute before the hit could be carried out.

Since the indictments against the Lucchese family has been unsealed ten of the nineteen defendants have pled guilty. In a statement, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said “Bruno’s attempt to murder a man at the behest of his mob superiors has ended where it should: With Bruno behind bars. We will continue to work with the FBI and our other partners in law enforcement to stamp out the remnants of Cosa Nostra.” Both Crea Sr. and Jr. have been charged with murder along with other crimes and are scheduled to go to trial in 2019.

The Lucchese family trial will likely be one of the biggest mafia trials of the year to hit White Plains Federal Court. According to previous a report, two notable mob turncoats Anthony Zoccolillo and Peter (Petey B.S) Lovaglio are set to take the stand and testify against the NY Mafia wiseguys.

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Carmine Persico the alleged boss of the Colombo crime family has lost another battle in his fight for release from prison.

Carmine also known as “Junior” was found guilty in both the Colombo family trial and the famous Mafia Commission Trial in the 1980s. Last month marked the aging NY Mafia bosses 33rd birthday behind bars as he continues to serve his 139-year sentence. The now 85-year-old mobster is said to be blind in one eye and suffering from various medical problems including heart and kidney disease along with emphysema. But Warden Andrew Mansukhani sent Persico a birthday letter that didn’t exactly have the Cosa Nostra leader celebrating.

“Carmine (Junior) Persico”

The letter from Mansukhani told the aging mobster that a medical team confirmed that he was able to perform his activities on daily living and was able to ambulate independently without difficulties according to a Ganglandnews report. It let Persico know that he would continue his stay at the federal Bureau of Prisons hospital in Butner, North Carolina.

The warden confirmed that Junior did suffer from “chronic medical conditions related to (the) aging process” but he did not have any “deteriorating mental or physical health that has substantially diminished his ability to function in a correctional facility.” So the fight to get him released due to current health seems like a long shot at least for now.

Persico’s lawyers also claim they have supplied the court with proof via FBI documents that he was not the boss of the Colombo family years ago when they said he was. They also don’t believe that prosecutors have any evidence proving that he is a mafia boss today either but they still want him to die in prison.

He was granted a mandatory parole hearing recently but it was canceled on the day it was scheduled to happen. His lawyers plan to appeal the decision as they continue to fight to get out of prison while he is still alive.

The feds maintain that Carmine Persico is still the official boss of the New York Mafia family and has been since the 1970s. Internal wars and federal indictments have plagued the dysfunctional organized crime family for years some of which can be attributed to Carmine’s efforts to keep himself and his family in power. His son Alphonse Persico and former Colombo acting boss is also behind bars serving a life sentence along with other members of the Persico family.

Those loyal to Carmine and the Persico family seem to be dwindling as previously detailed here, although the organization has to date been unable to break free and move into a post-Persico era.

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Lucchese crime family soldier Joseph Datello also known as “Joey Glasses” agreed to a plea deal for a failed mafia hit back in 2016.

According to the feds, the 67-year-old mobster was captured on wiretaps discussing a falling out he had with a business partner named Sean Richard. According to the transcripts, Richard left the aging wiseguy hung out to dry on a $200,000 mob loan the two had racked up. Prosecutors said that Joey Glasses was worried about getting clipped over the debt. Then to make things even worse Richard decided to turn state’s evidence on his fellow wiseguys according to the feds.

“Joseph (Joey Glasses) Datello”

Prosecutors said that back in 2016 Dantello learned that Richard was living in New Hampshire and decided to take care of the problem himself. He went there and lay in wait to kill his old business pal. But he failed in his mission and was charged with the failed hit last year. His efforts to exterminate a rat will now put him behind bars for several years. Joseph Datello is expected to be sentenced to anywhere from 14 to 17 years as part of his plea agreement.

The New York Mafia has been known to shy away from attempting to kill known turncoats over the last few years. Likely it is an effort to avoid the added law enforcement pressure such an act would ultimately lead to. But as we see here there are always exceptions to the rule when it comes to Cosa Nostra.

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The current resurgence of the Gambino crime family is in large part due to the rise of mobster Frank Cali.

When it comes to the Gambino family the first name that comes to mind for many is still John Gotti something Cali probably hopes remains that way. The 53-year-old wiseguy has been described as being unassuming and low key the polar opposite of the Dapper Don. The Gambino family was once the most powerful of the New York Mafia families and it could be again. The Gotti era brought with it unnecessary attention and exposure leading to a steep decline in the families power and influence. But the current hierarchy has quietly established the family and has steadily rebuilt its ranks.

“Frank (Franky Boy) Cali”

Francesco Paolo Augusto Calì was born and raised in New York by His parents both of whom are natives of Palermo, Sicily. Frank is part of the Mafia families now dominate Sicilian faction. He is the nephew-in-law of John Gambino and the great-nephew of Bonanno mobsters Vito Bonventre and Giovanni Bonventre. According to authorities, Cali is a member of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra along with being a made man in the NY Mafia. He has close ties through marriage to the Inzerillo family in Palermo. In 2003 a Sicilian mobster that traveled to NY was caught on wiretap telling his boss back in Italy “He’s our friend and he is everything over there”, in reference to Cali.

Cali also known as “Franky Boy” began to rise through the ranks of the NY crime family becoming an acting capo after Jackie D’Amico was promoted to street boss in 2005. He was a big earner and was considered by many to be a rising star within the American Mafia and continued to increase his stock within the Gambino family. His ascension was slowed some in 2008 when he was part of a massive mob bust called “Operation Old Bridge” that took down over 60 mobsters and associates. The investigation exposed a drug trafficking partnership between the Gambino’s and the Sicilian Mafia in Italy. Prosecutors claimed that Cali was the Gambino’s ambassador to the Sicilian mobsters and the go-between for the two organizations.

Frank was hit with various charges but ended up pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy and was sentenced to 16 months behind bars. He was released in 2009 and stepped back in as a major part of the Sicilian faction which now has a grip on the Cosa Nostra family. His low key old-school approach to doing business has allowed him to avoid any additional run-ins with law enforcement over the last few years. The powerful Sicilian faction that Cali is a part of also includes Domenico “Italian Dom” Cefalù, Lorenzo Mannino, and John Gambino before he passed away in 2017 among others, they have avoided the exposure and media attention that the Gambino’s became known for during Gotti’s reign.

According to reports they have reinfused the family with zips (mobsters from the old country) that are more interested in making money then they are in making headlines. They continue to control traditional and modern-day mob rackets including a heavy presence in drug trafficking. One law enforcement source when talking about Cali said: “no one ever sees him.” So the question often asked today is whether or not Frank Cali is currently the boss/street boss of the crime family.

Well, that remains unclear as reports of his current position in the family differ. Dom Cefalu who reportedly took control around 2011 may still hold the top spot and there are other veteran wiseguys within the hierarchy like Mannino which could also fit. There have even been reports that Cali had turned down a chance to take over back in 2013 perhaps in an effort to avoid additional attention. While the feds still list Peter Gotti as the official boss it’s clear he holds the rank only on their charts and in name only.

One thing seems clear that regardless of the official rank that Cali currently holds he is the driving force within the family and is primed to lead the Gambino’s for years to come and possibly back to being the most powerful American mafia family in the country. Well if he can continue to avoid the feds who most certainly are keeping as close an eye on him as ever along with the rest of the rebuilding organized crime family.

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Sylvester Zottola a reputed Bonanno crime family mobster was gunned down while waiting in his SUV for an order at McDonald’s in the Bronx.

According to reports, he was waiting for his coffee order around 5 p.m. when he was blocked in by another vehicle. A hitman stepped out and fired five shots hitting Zottola in the chest, shoulder, and head. The 71-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. The Bonanno family associate was known to be feuding with someone although it’s still unclear as to who and why.

“Sylvester Zottola (left) sits with Vincent Basciano”

Sylvester’s 41-year-old son Salvatore Zottola was the victim of an attempted hit back in July that was caught on video (can be seen here) and made headlines. A gunman pulled up and shot him multiple times in front of the families Bronx mansion and left him for dead. Somehow Salvatore avoided any life-threatening wounds and survived the attempted assassination. The hit on Sylvester’s son may have been a message to the old man who had already survived several assassination attempts over last year.

Both Sylvester and Salvatore refused to cooperate with authorities during the investigation into their attempted murders. Sylvester Zottola has long-standing ties to the Bonanno family and former boss Vincent Basciano. The Zottola’s supplied and serviced Joker Poker machines to mafia controlled locations in the 1990s and 2000s according to court documents. While it seems quite possible these attacks could be linked to his Cosa Nostra ties authorities have not found or made public any evidence linking the two or made any arrest so far.

Federal investigators took over the case earlier this year but the United States Attorney’s Office had no comment about the assassination or the current investigation.  It will be interesting to see if this has anything to do with the New York Mafia family or if it was something else.

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According to reports an arrest has been made in the murder of 71-year-old Bonanno family mobster Sylvester Zottola.

Authorities have charged 34-year-old Bloods gang member Bushawn “Shelz” Shelton with conspiring to murder Sylvester and his son Salvatore Zottola. The case against Shelton was aided by a cooperating witness who claimed he was paid by Shelton to serve as a hitman and kill Zottola’s son. He plead guilty to various crimes including murder for hire conspiracy. The feds were able to corroborate the witnesses story with physical evidence that included video surveillance and phone records etc.

“Bushawn Shelton”

Authorities believe the shooting of the younger Zottola in July was carried out in an effort to lure his dad out in the open so he could be killed. He was attacked outside his families compound in The Bronx and shot several times but somehow he avoided being killed. The elder Zottola had survived previous attempts on his life before being murdered on October 4th. He was shot multiple times while waiting for coffee at Bronx McDonald’s as previously reported on here.

The hits on the Zottola’s may have been ordered by Albanian mobsters according to source from a recent NY Post report. It seems the Albanians may be making a move to take control of the illegal gambling operation involving Video Poker machines that the Zottola family ran. Sylvester Zottola an associate of the Bonanno crime family had close ties to former boss Vincent Basciano. It’s unclear as to what ties remained between the Cosa Nostra family and the Zottola’s after Basciano went away for life.

If Zottola was still under the Bonanno flag and was still kicking up to someone this could be seen as a blatant attack against their interest. It will be interesting to see what steps if any are taken by the New York Mafia family in the form of retaliation if this was indeed the case. The investigation is ongoing but this new information certainly adds an interesting twist which if accurate could mean more violence is on the way. It would be kind of conflict that the American Mafia has tried to avoid over the last decade or so.

The Bonanno family has certainly had its share of instability over the last few years. Much of the mafia families current administration is either behind bars and or under indictment. Perhaps the Albanian mobsters saw this as an opportunity to make a move on a lucrative racket while the NY Mafia family was unstable and wavering. Either that or after Basciano was sent to prison for life Sylvester Zottola decided to venture out on his own and was no longer under the protection of the mafia.

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Joey Merlino plead guilty to a gambling-related charge back in April after the feds failed to get a conviction in the East Coast LCN Enterprise case.

A hung jury allowed the alleged Philadelphia mafia boss to walk free but as the feds moved for a retrial a plea deal was reached calling for Joey to plead guilty to the lesser charge of using a cell phone to place a bet. Reports that the jury in the first trial was closer to a conviction then they were an acquittal likely played a large part in the flamboyant mobster’s willingness to make a deal. If he went to trial again and was convicted of the various charges that included health care fraud he could have been facing up to 10 years in prison. This is the first time that Merlino has ever plead guilty to any crime but under the circumstances, it certainly seemed like the safer play.

“Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino”

According to the details of his plea deal he was now only facing a maximum sentence of 24 months behind bars. Federal prosecutors wanted him in jail for the whole two years although Merlino’s defense team asked for a lesser sentence and home detention. Prosecutor ended up winning out as Joey Merlino was sentenced today in New York to the maximum 24 months and will surrender to the federal bureau of prisons in 45 days.

The feds highly publicized Cosa Nostra case was plagued by internal problems shortly after the indictments were unsealed forcing prosecutors to negotiate plea deals with the majority of the 46 defendants. Members of multiple New York Mafia families and Merlino from Philly mob family were allegedly running an organized crime enterprise that operated up and down the East Coast.

Will be interesting to see if this has any impact on Merlino’s status within the mafia in Philadelphia. Although there has been some debate as to exactly what his current status within the crime family actually is. Various sources including law enforcement maintain he is still the boss running the family from his new home down in Florida. A recent report based on information from an informant indicated that mobster Michael “Mikey Lance” Lancelotti has taken a prominent role within the family and maybe the current acting or street boss.

So with Joey Merlino sentenced the books are closed on this case now the question is what comes next. This is definitely not the outcome the feds had in mind when this indictment was announced so its clear Merlino will still have a target on his back. With rumors floating around for months now of the feds OC task force trying to build a new case in the City of Brotherly Love Skinny Joey could find himself right back in the middle of the mafia news cycle sooner rather than later.

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Vincent Zito a 77-year-old loan shark with reported links to the New York Mafia was found assassinated in his Sheepshead Bay home on Friday.

According to police sources, he was shot two times behind the head in an apparent mafia style execution. Zito’s body was found by his grandson after returning home from school. Authorities reported that a pistol was recovered at the scene that may end up being the murder weapon. Police didn’t find any sign of a forced entry leading to the possibility that it was someone Zito knew. There are reportedly security cameras at the home which may offer additional evidence once examined.

“Vincent Zito residence”

Police have said they believe there is a Cosa Nostra connection but it’s unclear as to what NY Mafia family he was affiliated with. His older brother Anthony Zito has previously been linked to the Lucchese crime family. There have been unsubstantiated reports that Vincent may also have ties to the Lucchese family. Anthony was jailed for extortion in 1971 and later identified in a court case as a partner of former Lucchese family boss Vittorio “Little Vic” Amuso. Vincent also had past arrest for loan sharking.

While family members and those close to Vincent Zito remembered him as a kind-hearted old man. A neighbor of Zito’s had a different opinion calling him a snake and a schemer according to the NY Post report. He said that Zito wasn’t a “good guy” in the neighborhood. The investigation into Zito’s death is ongoing and we will update once more information is available.

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Members and associates of the Bonanno and Gambino families of the New York Mafia were busted last year on drug trafficking, loansharking and firearms charges in a joint U.S.-Canada operation.

During the investigation called “Project OTremens” a confidential informant secretly video and audio recorded his 2015 induction into the Bonanno crime family. According to the indictment Vincent (Enzo) Morena, an Italian born mafia informant was inducted into the Cosa Nostra family by acting captain Damiano Zummo. The fact that the ceremony took place in Canada and that the Canadain side of the investigation led to the arrest of alleged Todaro crime family members in Hamilton has led to some interesting questions. Just how active is the Buffalo Mafia family and what are the current ties between Buffalo, New York, and Canadian mafia families. A U.S. Attorney called the operation an extraordinary achievement for law enforcement.

In a recorded conversation Zummo told Morena “The reason why we’re here, you’re gonna be an official member of the Bonanno family. Everybody approved it, so from this day forward, you’re a member of the Bonanno family. Congratulations.” Also charged in the indictment was Gambino crime family soldier Paul Semplice and NY mafia associate and enforcer Paul Ragusa. The 56-year-old Semplice was captured on several audio recording made by Morena. According to authorities, Semplice is part of the Gambino families Sicilian faction.

During one of the recorded conversations, Semplice talked about having a special relationship with powerful Sicilian faction capo Lorenzo Mannino. He linked Mannino to his loansharking operation saying they were like brothers and expanding on how much the racket was bringing in and how he kicked up some of the profits from the $200,000 he has on the streets. Prosecutors also maintain Semplice is connected to other Gambino family members and associates from both New York and around the world. They claim he introduced Morena to a boss and underboss from Italy known by the defendant to be Gambino guys.

Semplice was charged with three counts of loansharking and was facing up to 20 years behind bars. According to the details of his plea deal he is now facing between 30-37 months behind bars. He has also agreed to forfeit 35 grand in loansharking profits as stated in a recent Ganglandnews report. Ragusa was charged with being a felon in possession of nine firearms, including three automatic assault rifles and one silencer. According to prosecutors bought the arsenal of guns from Morena. He was facing a mandatory of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison under the Armed Career Criminal Act.

According to his plea deal, he is now facing between 92 and 115 months behind bars. Zummo was charged with cocaine trafficking conspiracy and money laundering and is reportedly working with feds on a possible plea agreement. If convicted he would be facing a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars. Zummo’s cousin Salvatore Russo himself a New York Mafia associate was also part of the cocaine trafficking conspiracy and is facing the minimum 10 years and life maximum. The entire indictment can be found here.

More information on the Canadian side of the Project OTremens investigation and the possible links between the Buffalo Mafia or Todaro Family, the New York Mafia, and Mafia in Canada can be found here.

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