He left his life as a Mafia don decades ago, disappeared into the federal witness protection program, and was living quietly in Atlanta as Richard Parker, an unassuming octogenarian who loved to read and exercise.But Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme’s past caught up with him Wednesday, when he was arrested at a Connecticut hotel and escorted to a Boston courthouse in handcuffs to face a new charge for an old crime: the 1993 murder of a witness during a federal investigation.
It was deja vu for Salemme, a contemporary of James “Whitey” Bulger’s who will turn 83 this month. Arriving in court, he smiled slightly when he spotted Fred Wyshak, the veteran prosecutor who helped send him to prison twice before, seated at the prosecution table and quipped, “Hey, Fred, fancy seeing you here!”
His casual demeanor belied the severity of the charge, which allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
Salemme, who served as boss of the New England Mafia in the 1990s, is charged with the May 10, 1993, slaying of South Boston nightclub manager Steven A. DiSarro, whose remains were discovered in March by investigators acting on a tip. DiSarro was buried in a Providence lot owned by a man facing federal drug charges.
Salemme denies he killed DiSarro and “is ready to fight this case tooth and nail,” Salemme’s attorney, Steven Boozang, said after the court hearing. “This is old stuff that has been dredged up from the past, but he’ll face it head-on as he always has.”
The murder in question stretches back more than two decades, to a time when the mob in New England was being battered by federal prosecutions. DiSarro was 43 when he vanished 23 years ago and was presumed murdered.
The recent discovery of his remains let his family finally lay him to rest. “We buried him this weekend and had a small ceremony,” DiSarro’s son, Nick, said during a brief telephone interview Wednesday. “I am really glad that there is progress and they are moving forward. I’m looking forward to finding out the details.”
The magistrate judge granted a request by the prosecution to keep an FBI affidavit filed in support of Salemme’s arrest under seal.
While Salemme is charged with murdering a witness, authorities have not disclosed whether DiSarro was cooperating with authorities when he vanished, or whether investigators were planning to call him as a witness during a federal investigation that was underway in 1993 against Salemme and his son, Frank.
DiSarro had acquired The Channel, a now-defunct nightclub, between 1990 and 1991 and Salemme and his son had a hidden interest in the club, according to court filings by the government in prior cases.
The new charge against Salemme marks the first time anyone has been charged with DiSarro’s murder. However, Salemme pleaded guilty in 2008 to lying and obstruction of justice for denying any knowledge about DiSarro’s death and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Salemme also spent 15 years in prison for attempting to kill an Everett lawyer in 1968 by planting dynamite in his car. The lawyer lost a leg in the explosion.
After his release, Salemme was being groomed to take over as mob boss, igniting a war with a renegade faction. He survived after being shot by rival gangsters outside a Saugus pancake house in 1989 and was indicted on federal racketeering charges in 1995 along with others, including Bulger, gangster Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, and Rhode Island mobster Robert “Bobby” DeLuca.
In 1999, after learning that Bulger and Flemmi were longtime FBI informants, Salemme agreed to cooperate with authorities against the pair and their handler, retired FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr. In exchange he served only eight years in prison and was admitted to the federal witness protection program.
In 2003, Flemmi began cooperating with authorities and claimed he walked in on the murder of DiSarro at Salemme’s estranged wife’s home in 1993, according to a US Drug Enforcement Administration report filed in federal court in Boston. He claimed that Salemme’s son, Frank, was strangling DiSarro, while Salemme, his brother John Salemme, and another man, Paul Weadick, watched.
Flemmi said Salemme was concerned about DiSarro’s friendship with a man who was cooperating in the federal investigation targeting Salemme and his son. He also told investigators that Salemme later told him DeLuca was present when they buried DiSarro.
Salemme’s son Frank died in 1995.
Salemme was kicked out of the witness protection program in 2004 when he was charged with lying about DiSarro’s killing but was allowed back into the program in 2009 after finishing his sentence.
Court filings indicated that Salemme was using the name Richard Parker while in Georgia.
He was living “a healthy lifestyle,” exercised as much as possible, and was a voracious reader, Boozang said.“He’s a guy that learned his lesson,” Boozang said. “He paid his debt to society. For 21 years he hasn’t been in trouble.”But, Nick DiSarro said, “None of that takes away the fact that he murdered someone.”
Dressed in a short-sleeved navy blue polo shirt and olive green khakis when he appeared in court Wednesday, the gray haired former Mafia don was slightly tanned and looked fit and trim. When told to rise, he took a few moments to get to his feet.
US Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell ordered Salemme held without bail pending the resolution of the case. The prosecutor said Salemme had a history of fleeing to avoid charges and recently fled Atlanta, where he was in the witness protection program, and was captured in Connecticut.
Salemme did not challenge the government’s request to hold him without bail. However, Boozang insisted that Salemme was not in hiding, but rather, “He was on his way back to answer any charges that might have been coming forth.”
Thanks to Shelley Murphy.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Is the anti-mafia movement is in trouble?
FEW people are more respected by the majority of Italians than those who fight their country’s powerful organised crime syndicates. There are four such gangs: the eponymous Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra of Campania (the region around Naples), the Ndrangheta from Calabria (the "toe" of the Italian "boot") and the lesser-known Sacra Corona Unita in Puglia on the Adriatic coast. Members of the so-called anti-mafia include police, prosecutors and judges; campaigning local journalists; businesspeople who refuse to pay the pizzo (slang for protection money); and the members of voluntary organisations such as Libera. Founded by a priest, Don Luigi Ciotti, Libera specialises in the exploitation of land and other resources confiscated from mafia bosses, often in the face of intimidation from the jailed bosses’ associates. For the past eight months, however, several prosecutors in Italy’s southern badlands and parliament’s standing commission on organised crime have been probing the mafias’ supposed adversaries. Why?
Civil society anti-mafia groups have burgeoned since the murders in 1992 of the Sicilian Mafia’s most formidable opponents, the magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Not all such groups are as irreproachable as Libera. Some exist merely to enhance the prestige of their founders. They also offer access to public funds that can be misappropriated. In January, the head of a women’s group in Calabria was given a four-year jail sentence for spending the cash on herself. Among other things, she bought a car. A senior prosecutor in Sicily has emphasised that these are isolated cases. But the head of the parliamentary commission, Rosy Bindi, believes they are symptomatic of a movement that has lost its original purpose. The mafia has changed, becoming more business-oriented, less violent and visible: it kills less to earn more. But, says Ms Bindi, the civil society groups remain focused on the sort of trigger-happy mobsters responsible for the 1992 assassinations.
What really caused alarm, however, was the suspension last year of a judge in a uniquely responsible and influential position. Silvana Saguto presided over a court in Palermo that decides who should take over companies seized from the Sicilian Mafia. Administering the mobsters’ former businesses provides lucrative opportunities for lawyers. Ms Saguto, who denies wrongdoing, is accused of accepting bribes and favours that influenced her decisions. Other cases have raised concern. A businessman feted as a champion of legality was convicted last October of practising the mafia’s own speciality, extortion. A renowned local journalist, celebrated for his denunciations of the mobsters’ activities, faces similar allegations, while the head of the bosses’ union in Sicily is also under investigation, accused of steering contracts towards firms in the grip of the Mafia. Both men deny wrongdoing.
In the short term, the unmasking of phoney do-gooders gives cheer to organised criminals. It will no doubt deter some members of the public from donating to anti-mafia groups (many benefit from a system whereby Italians can give a small percentage of their taxes to recognised charities). And it reinforces the cynical view of the mobsters that their adversaries are no better than them. In the longer term, however, the drive to purge the anti-mafia movement of undesirable elements should help restore public confidence. Meanwhile, stricter rules have been written into a bill going through parliament to ensure that judges cannot favour their cronies when deciding who should administer the mafias’ seized assets. The bill has been approved by the lower house Chamber of Deputies and is currently in the Senate. But because of Italy’s unwieldy legislative procedures, there is no guarantee it will reach the statute book.
Thanks to J.H..
Civil society anti-mafia groups have burgeoned since the murders in 1992 of the Sicilian Mafia’s most formidable opponents, the magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Not all such groups are as irreproachable as Libera. Some exist merely to enhance the prestige of their founders. They also offer access to public funds that can be misappropriated. In January, the head of a women’s group in Calabria was given a four-year jail sentence for spending the cash on herself. Among other things, she bought a car. A senior prosecutor in Sicily has emphasised that these are isolated cases. But the head of the parliamentary commission, Rosy Bindi, believes they are symptomatic of a movement that has lost its original purpose. The mafia has changed, becoming more business-oriented, less violent and visible: it kills less to earn more. But, says Ms Bindi, the civil society groups remain focused on the sort of trigger-happy mobsters responsible for the 1992 assassinations.
What really caused alarm, however, was the suspension last year of a judge in a uniquely responsible and influential position. Silvana Saguto presided over a court in Palermo that decides who should take over companies seized from the Sicilian Mafia. Administering the mobsters’ former businesses provides lucrative opportunities for lawyers. Ms Saguto, who denies wrongdoing, is accused of accepting bribes and favours that influenced her decisions. Other cases have raised concern. A businessman feted as a champion of legality was convicted last October of practising the mafia’s own speciality, extortion. A renowned local journalist, celebrated for his denunciations of the mobsters’ activities, faces similar allegations, while the head of the bosses’ union in Sicily is also under investigation, accused of steering contracts towards firms in the grip of the Mafia. Both men deny wrongdoing.
In the short term, the unmasking of phoney do-gooders gives cheer to organised criminals. It will no doubt deter some members of the public from donating to anti-mafia groups (many benefit from a system whereby Italians can give a small percentage of their taxes to recognised charities). And it reinforces the cynical view of the mobsters that their adversaries are no better than them. In the longer term, however, the drive to purge the anti-mafia movement of undesirable elements should help restore public confidence. Meanwhile, stricter rules have been written into a bill going through parliament to ensure that judges cannot favour their cronies when deciding who should administer the mafias’ seized assets. The bill has been approved by the lower house Chamber of Deputies and is currently in the Senate. But because of Italy’s unwieldy legislative procedures, there is no guarantee it will reach the statute book.
Thanks to J.H..
Chicago's Gangs Out of Control, Give City Worst Day for Homicides in Over a Decade
Michael Lucas, 61, was sitting on his front stoop in Chicago’s Burnside neighborhood, watching his 3-year-old grandnephew play in the afternoon sun, when without warning two men ran toward the house and opened fire on him.
One shot struck Lucas. As the men advanced up the sidewalk, they pushed Lucas’s grandnephew out of the way and shot Lucas three more times, family members said. The attackers fled in a red SUV, and Lucas died on the stoop from gunshot wounds to the neck and head.
Lucas was one of 19 people shot on Monday — nine of them fatally — in what the Chicago Tribune has called the city’s deadliest day in more than a decade.
Chicago has experienced a surge in violence in the past year, much of it concentrated on the city’s South Side, where Lucas lived. A staggering 2,500 people have been shot in the city since the beginning of the year, more than in any year at this point since the 1990s. There have been at least 426 homicides in 2016, far more than in New York, which has three times Chicago’s population.
Monday marked the most homicides Chicago has seen in a single day since July 5, 2003, when 10 people were killed, according to the Tribune.
The Chicago Police Department hasn’t offered an official response to the day’s violence. A spokesman for the department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Lucas, a father of three and grandfather of seven, was shot at about 1:20 p.m., according to police, who said he didn’t appear to be the intended target. His family members described him as a jack of all trades and a handyman who played blues guitar and liked to drink beer on his front porch.“Pops wasn’t a bad person,” Lucas’s son Carl told WGN. “He never did nothing to nobody.”
Lucas’s grandnephew wasn’t harmed in the shooting, relatives said.
Across town in Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood, a 10-year-old boy wasn’t as lucky. Fifth-grader Tavon Tanner was playing with his twin sister on the front porch of their home around 10 p.m. when someone on the street fired nine shots, with at least one round striking the boy in the back, the Tribune reported.
Tanner’s mother, Mellanie Washington, said the boy staggered through the front door, gasping for air and yelling, “I can’t breathe.” His sister held his hand and told him, “Twin don’t leave me” over and over, according to Washington.
Tanner was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where doctors removed his spleen and operated on his kidneys and other organs, leaving a bullet inside, Washington said. He remained in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, the Tribune reported.
Earlier in the evening in the same part of the city two other people were shot and killed.
Irell Mitchell, 22, was playing basketball in a park in North Lawndale when someone shot at him from a passing car, DNAinfo reported. He died in the hospital from gunshot wounds to the arm and back, police said.
Mitchell’s godfather, Ken Owens, said he had moved out of the neighborhood, but often came back to shoot hoops with his friends.“I know every time this happens, everyone starts saying ‘Oh, he was a good kid,’ ” Owens said. “But in this case it’s true — he really was a good kid.”
Less than two hours earlier and one mile away, John Hosey Jr., 28, was shot while he was driving, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Police said he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Other parts of the city weren’t spared the violence either. On Chicago’s Far South Side, a drive-by shooting left one man dead and two others critically injured. Police said Anthony Hatchett, 44, was standing on the sidewalk when someone opened fire out of the window of a passing blue van. Hatchett died in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the head. A 28-year-old and a 30-year-old were struck as well and taken to the hospital, where they were listed in critical condition.
And in West Town, near Chicago’s North Side, a 25-year-old father died after being shot in his car. William Villa was in his SUV stopped at a red light when another vehicle pulled up next to him and someone inside shot him in his head, killing him, according to police, who said Villa was a known gang member.
Law enforcement agencies in metropolitan areas around the country say they’ve seen upticks in homicides and other violent crimes over this point last year. More than two-dozen police departments in large U.S. cities reported that as of June 2016 homicides were up over the first half of last year — in some cases by dozens, according to a Washington Post analysis of law enforcement data.
Orlando led the pack, with a 712 percent increase over last year — a figure driven up dramatically by the Pulse nightclub mass shooting that claimed the lives of 49 clubgoers in June.
Chicago, however, saw the biggest increase in the raw number of homicides. In the first half of 2016, the city counted 316 killings, up from 211 at the same time last year. At this rate, the city could pass 600 homicides by the end of the year, more than any year since 2003, The Post reported.
News of Monday’s violence fell hard on Rev. Tim Williams, who said he knew Irell Mitchell and Tavon Tanner, two of the victims from the West Side shootings.
Williams told the Tribune that he was a mentor to Mitchell through church and had gone to visit his family in the hospital. He said he returned home to see Tanner, who lives next door to him, playing outside, kicking a gate in front of his house. Moments later, bullets hit Tanner in the back.
Williams said his mother had just come inside from choir rehearsal when the shots rang out.“I walked her to the bedroom and then pa-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta,” Williams told the Tribune. “That could have been my momma.”
Thanks to Derek Hawkins.
One shot struck Lucas. As the men advanced up the sidewalk, they pushed Lucas’s grandnephew out of the way and shot Lucas three more times, family members said. The attackers fled in a red SUV, and Lucas died on the stoop from gunshot wounds to the neck and head.
Lucas was one of 19 people shot on Monday — nine of them fatally — in what the Chicago Tribune has called the city’s deadliest day in more than a decade.
Chicago has experienced a surge in violence in the past year, much of it concentrated on the city’s South Side, where Lucas lived. A staggering 2,500 people have been shot in the city since the beginning of the year, more than in any year at this point since the 1990s. There have been at least 426 homicides in 2016, far more than in New York, which has three times Chicago’s population.
Monday marked the most homicides Chicago has seen in a single day since July 5, 2003, when 10 people were killed, according to the Tribune.
The Chicago Police Department hasn’t offered an official response to the day’s violence. A spokesman for the department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Lucas, a father of three and grandfather of seven, was shot at about 1:20 p.m., according to police, who said he didn’t appear to be the intended target. His family members described him as a jack of all trades and a handyman who played blues guitar and liked to drink beer on his front porch.“Pops wasn’t a bad person,” Lucas’s son Carl told WGN. “He never did nothing to nobody.”
Lucas’s grandnephew wasn’t harmed in the shooting, relatives said.
Across town in Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood, a 10-year-old boy wasn’t as lucky. Fifth-grader Tavon Tanner was playing with his twin sister on the front porch of their home around 10 p.m. when someone on the street fired nine shots, with at least one round striking the boy in the back, the Tribune reported.
Tanner’s mother, Mellanie Washington, said the boy staggered through the front door, gasping for air and yelling, “I can’t breathe.” His sister held his hand and told him, “Twin don’t leave me” over and over, according to Washington.
Tanner was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where doctors removed his spleen and operated on his kidneys and other organs, leaving a bullet inside, Washington said. He remained in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, the Tribune reported.
Earlier in the evening in the same part of the city two other people were shot and killed.
Irell Mitchell, 22, was playing basketball in a park in North Lawndale when someone shot at him from a passing car, DNAinfo reported. He died in the hospital from gunshot wounds to the arm and back, police said.
Mitchell’s godfather, Ken Owens, said he had moved out of the neighborhood, but often came back to shoot hoops with his friends.“I know every time this happens, everyone starts saying ‘Oh, he was a good kid,’ ” Owens said. “But in this case it’s true — he really was a good kid.”
Less than two hours earlier and one mile away, John Hosey Jr., 28, was shot while he was driving, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Police said he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Other parts of the city weren’t spared the violence either. On Chicago’s Far South Side, a drive-by shooting left one man dead and two others critically injured. Police said Anthony Hatchett, 44, was standing on the sidewalk when someone opened fire out of the window of a passing blue van. Hatchett died in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the head. A 28-year-old and a 30-year-old were struck as well and taken to the hospital, where they were listed in critical condition.
And in West Town, near Chicago’s North Side, a 25-year-old father died after being shot in his car. William Villa was in his SUV stopped at a red light when another vehicle pulled up next to him and someone inside shot him in his head, killing him, according to police, who said Villa was a known gang member.
Law enforcement agencies in metropolitan areas around the country say they’ve seen upticks in homicides and other violent crimes over this point last year. More than two-dozen police departments in large U.S. cities reported that as of June 2016 homicides were up over the first half of last year — in some cases by dozens, according to a Washington Post analysis of law enforcement data.
Orlando led the pack, with a 712 percent increase over last year — a figure driven up dramatically by the Pulse nightclub mass shooting that claimed the lives of 49 clubgoers in June.
Chicago, however, saw the biggest increase in the raw number of homicides. In the first half of 2016, the city counted 316 killings, up from 211 at the same time last year. At this rate, the city could pass 600 homicides by the end of the year, more than any year since 2003, The Post reported.
News of Monday’s violence fell hard on Rev. Tim Williams, who said he knew Irell Mitchell and Tavon Tanner, two of the victims from the West Side shootings.
Williams told the Tribune that he was a mentor to Mitchell through church and had gone to visit his family in the hospital. He said he returned home to see Tanner, who lives next door to him, playing outside, kicking a gate in front of his house. Moments later, bullets hit Tanner in the back.
Williams said his mother had just come inside from choir rehearsal when the shots rang out.“I walked her to the bedroom and then pa-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta,” Williams told the Tribune. “That could have been my momma.”
Thanks to Derek Hawkins.
Monday, August 08, 2016
Putin's Number 1 Enemy - Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice
A New York Times bestseller: “[Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice] does for investing in Russia and the former Soviet Union what Liar’s Poker did for our understanding of Salomon Brothers
, Wall Street, and the mortgage-backed securities business in the 1980s. Browder’s business saga meshes well with the story of corruption and murder in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, making Red Notice an early candidate for any list of the year’s best books” (Fortune).
This is a story about an accidental activist. Bill Browder started out his adult life as the Wall Street maverick whose instincts led him to Russia just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, where he made his fortune.
Along the way he exposed corruption, and when he did, he barely escaped with his life. His Russian lawyer wasn’t so lucky: he ended up in jail, where he was tortured to death. That changed Browder forever. He saw the murderous heart of the Putin regime and has spent the last half decade on a campaign to expose it. Because of that, he became Putin’s number one enemy, especially after Browder succeeded in having a law passed in the United States that punishes a list of Russians implicated in the lawyer’s murder. Putin famously retaliated with a law that bans Americans from adopting Russian orphans.
A financial caper, a crime thriller, and a political crusade, Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice, is the story of one man taking on overpowering odds to change the world, and also the story of how, without intending to, he found meaning in his life.
, Wall Street, and the mortgage-backed securities business in the 1980s. Browder’s business saga meshes well with the story of corruption and murder in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, making Red Notice an early candidate for any list of the year’s best books” (Fortune).This is a story about an accidental activist. Bill Browder started out his adult life as the Wall Street maverick whose instincts led him to Russia just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, where he made his fortune.
Along the way he exposed corruption, and when he did, he barely escaped with his life. His Russian lawyer wasn’t so lucky: he ended up in jail, where he was tortured to death. That changed Browder forever. He saw the murderous heart of the Putin regime and has spent the last half decade on a campaign to expose it. Because of that, he became Putin’s number one enemy, especially after Browder succeeded in having a law passed in the United States that punishes a list of Russians implicated in the lawyer’s murder. Putin famously retaliated with a law that bans Americans from adopting Russian orphans.
A financial caper, a crime thriller, and a political crusade, Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice, is the story of one man taking on overpowering odds to change the world, and also the story of how, without intending to, he found meaning in his life.
Friday, August 05, 2016
Full Details on the Wide-Ranging Racketeering Charges against 46 Leaders, Members, and Associates of the East Coast Enterprise
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), William J. Bratton, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and James A. McCarty, Acting District Attorney for Westchester County, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging 46 defendants for their alleged roles in a sprawling and long-running racketeering conspiracy composed of leaders, members, and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia Organized Crime Families of La Cosa Nostra (“LCN”), who worked together to engage in a multitude of criminal activities throughout the East Coast of the United States between Springfield, Massachusetts, and Southern Florida (the “East Coast LCN Enterprise” or the “Enterprise”). The defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy, arson, illegal trafficking in firearms, and conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering.
Thirty-nine of the defendants charged were taken into custody. During the arrests, law enforcement officers recovered, among other items, three handguns, a shotgun, gambling paraphernalia, and more than $30,000 in cash.
Two defendants, CONRAD IANNIELLO and PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” were already in federal custody on other charges. Another defendant, JOHN LEMBO, was already in custody on state charges and will be transferred to federal custody. Six defendants, JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” PASQUALE CAPOLONGO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat C.,” a/k/a “Mustache Pat,” a/k/a “Fish,” FRANK TRAPANI, a/k/a “Harpo,” CARMINE GALLO, CRAIG BAGON, BRADLEY SIRKIN, a/k/a “Brad,” were arrested this morning in Florida, and will be presented in federal court in West Palm Beach later today. Two defendants, FRANCESCO DEPERGOLA, a/k/a “Frank,” and RALPH SANTANIELLO were arrested this morning in Massachusetts, where they face additional federal charges, and will be presented in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts later today. All other defendants arrested today will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judges Barbara Moses, Frank Maas, and Gabriel W. Gorenstein this afternoon. Two defendants, NICHOLAS DEVITO, a/k/a “Nicky,” and ANTHONY CIRILLO, surrendered today. One defendant, HAROLD THOMAS, a/k/a “Harry,” is expected to surrender in the next few days. Three defendants, ANTHONY CAMISA, a/k/a “Anthony the Kid,” LAURENCE KEITH ALLEN, a/k/a “Keith Allen,” and WAYNE KREISBERG remain at large. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Richard J. Sullivan.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Today’s charges against 46 men, including powerful leaders, members and associates of five different La Cosa Nostra families, demonstrate that the mob remains a scourge on this city and around the country. From loansharking and illegal gambling, to credit card and health care fraud, and even firearms trafficking, today’s mafia is fully diversified in its boundless search for illegal profits. And as alleged, threatening to assault, maim and kill people who get in the way of their criminal schemes remains the go-to play in the mob’s playbook.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said: “The indictment reads like an old school mafia novel, where extortion, illegal gambling, arson and threats to ‘whack’ someone are carried out along with some modern-day crimes of credit card skimming. But the 40-plus arrests of mob associates, soldiers, capos, and a boss this morning show this isn’t fiction. As alleged, Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, and Bonanno LCN crime families are still carrying out their criminal activities from Mulberry Street here in New York City to areas of Springfield, Massachusetts. The FBI, working with our task force partners from the New York Police Department, are just as steadfast investigating and rooting out organized crime as wise guys are to bringing it our streets. We thank all our partners on this multi-year investigation, including the FBI field offices from New Haven, Newark, Miami and Boston for their assistance with operations.”
NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton said: “The charges applied today to these 46 individuals deal a significant blow to La Cosa Nostra, which the NYPD is committed to putting out of business. As alleged, in typical mob fashion, the rackets ran from Springfield to South Florida and left no scheme behind. These mobsters seemed to use every scheme known to us, from arson, to shake-downs, violence, health care fraud, and even untaxed cigarettes to keep the racket going. I want to thank my friends Preet Bharara and Diego Rodriguez for their work at the Justice Department and FBI for making today’s case possible and their collaborative efforts during my tenure as Commissioner of the NYPD.”
Westchester County Acting District Attorney James A. McCarty said: “I want to congratulate the prosecutors and investigators whose combined efforts resulted in today’s indictment. Those charged with these crimes believe they can commit them at will, undetected and without consequence. These dedicated members of law enforcement through their actions, have made it clear that those individuals who commit these crimes will be rooted out.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment[1], which was filed in Manhattan federal court, and other publicly filed documents:
The instant charges are the culmination of a multi-year joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), FBI-NYPD Organized Crime Task Force, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and this Office. The evidence includes thousands of hours of consensual recordings obtained by a cooperating witness (“CW-1”) and an FBI Special Agent working in an undercover capacity (“UC-1”). CW-1 worked under PASQUALE PARRELLO, a/k/a “Patsy,” believed to be a Genovese Capo in charge of a crew based out of a restaurant that bears his name in the Bronx, New York (Pasquale’s Rigoletto, hereinafter “Rigoletto”). At one point, with PARRELLO’S approval, CW-1 began working under JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” believed to be the Boss of the Philadelphia Crime Family, who resided in southern Florida for part of the year. UC-1 worked under EUGENE O’NOFRIO, a/k/a “Rooster,” a Genovese Acting Capo in charge of crews on Mulberry Street in New York, New York, and Springfield, Massachusetts. As evidenced by the consensual recordings made by CW-1 and UC-1, the myriad criminal schemes pursued by PARRELLO, MERLINO, O’NOFRIO, and their underlings were in many respects intertwined.
The Enterprise charged in the Indictment is composed of leaders, members, and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia Crime Families of LCN, who worked together and coordinated with each other to engage in a multitude of criminal activities throughout the East Coast of the United States, including in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Bronx and Manhattan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Southern Florida. The members of the Enterprise have been involved in gambling, extortionate collection of loans, other extortion activities, arson, conspiracies to commit assaults in aid of racketeering, trafficking in unstamped and cigarettes, gun trafficking, access device fraud, and health care fraud. The members of the Enterprise include, but are not limited to, PASQUALE PARRELLO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat,” JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” EUGENE O’NOFRIO, a/k/a “Rooster,” CONRAD IANNIELLO, ISRAEL TORRES, a/k/a “Buddy,” ANTHONY ZINZI, a/k/a “Anthony Boy,” ANTHONY VAZZANO, a/k/a “Tony the Wig,” a/k/a “Muscles,” ALEX CONIGLIARO, FRANK BARBONE, RALPH BALSAMO, PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” JOHN SPIRITO, a/k/a “Johnny Joe,” VINCENT CASABLANCA, a/k/a “Vinny,” MARCO MINUTO, PAUL CASSANO, a/k/a “Paul Cassone,” DANIEL MARINO, JR., a/k/a “Danny,” JOHN LEMBO, a/k/a “Johnny,” MITCHELL FUSCO, a/k/a “Mitch,” REYNOLD ALBERTI, a/k/a “Randy,” VINCENT TERRACCIANO, a/k/a “Big Vinny,” JOSEPH TOMANELLI, a/k/a “Joe,” AGOSTINO CAMACHO, a/k/a “Augie,” NICHOLAS DEVITO, a/k/a “Nicky,” ANTHONY CASSETTA, a/k/a “Tony the Cripple,” NICHOLAS VUOLO, a/k/a “Nicky the Wig,” BRADFORD WEDRA, MICHAEL POLI, a/k/a “Mike Polio,” PASQUALE CAPOLONGO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat C.,” a/k/a “Mustache Pat,” a/k/a “Fish,” ANTHONY DEPALMA, a/k/a “Harpo,” a/k/a “Harp,” JOHN TOGNINO, a/k/a “Tugboat,” MARK MAIUZZO, a/k/a “Stymie,” JOSEPH DIMARCO, HAROLD THOMAS, a/k/a “Harry,” RICHARD LACAVA, a/k/a “Richie,” VINCENT THOMAS, a/k/a “Vinny,” ANTHONY CAMISA, a/k/a “Anthony the Kid,” FRANK TRAPANI, a/k/a “Harpo,” ANTHONY CIRILLO, CARMINE GALLO, JOSEPH FALCO, a/k/a “Joe Cub,” FRANCESCO DEPERGOLA, a/k/a “Frank,” RALPH SANTANIELLO, LAURENCE KEITH ALLEN, a/k/a “Keith Allen,” CRAIG BAGON, BRADLEY SIRKIN, a/k/a “Brad,” and WAYNE KREISBERG, the defendants.
To protect and expand the Enterprise’s business and criminal operations, members and associates of the Enterprise assaulted, threatened to assault, and destroyed the property of people who engaged in activity that jeopardized: (i) the power and criminal activities of the Enterprise and the power and criminal activities of their respective LCN Families; (ii) the power of leaders of the Enterprise; and (iii) the flow of criminal proceeds to the leaders of the Enterprise. Members and associates of the Enterprise promoted a climate of fear in the community through threats of economic harm and violence, as well as actual violence, including assault and arson. Members and associates of the Enterprise generated or attempted to generate income for the Enterprise through firearms trafficking, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, health care fraud, credit card fraud, selling untaxed cigarettes, making extortionate extensions of credit, and other offenses. Members and associates of the Enterprise at times engaged in criminal conduct or coordinated their criminal activities with leaders, members, and associates of their respective LCN Families. At other times, members and associates of the Enterprise met with leaders, members, and associates of their respective LCN Families to resolve disputes over their criminal activities.
Enterprise members PASQUALE PARRELLO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat,” JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” and EUGENE O’NOFRIO, a/k/a “Rooster,” the defendants, supervised and controlled other members of the Enterprise engaged in illegal schemes, including those that were the objects of the conspiracy. At various times, members and associates of the Enterprise (including those who are leaders, members, and associates of different LCN families) met, coordinated, and worked together with PARRELLO, MERLINO, and O’NOFRIO, and each other, as well as other members and associates of their respective LCN Families, to engage in criminal activity.
To avoid law enforcement scrutiny, members and associates of the Enterprise conducted meetings surreptitiously, typically using coded language to make arrangements for meetings, and meeting at rest stops along highways and at restaurants.
Certain members and associates of the Enterprise engaged in and conspired to engage in the following violent crimes:
Arson of Vehicle Belonging to Victim-1
In early 2011, an individual (“Victim-1”) operated an illegal gambling establishment on Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers, New York, which was around the corner from a similar establishment (the “Yonkers Club”) run by ANTHONY ZINZI, a/k/a “Anthony Boy,” and other associates of the charged Enterprise. ZINZI and others paid PARRELLO tribute from the profits from the Yonkers Club.
While PARRELLO was on federal supervision stemming from a federal conviction in this Court, the Yonkers Club struggled. Indeed, Victim-1’s club was more successful than the Yonkers Club. ZINZI suggested to other members of the conspiracy that they light Victim-1’s vehicle on fire while it was outside of Victim-1’s club. Then, on or about March 7, 2011, co-defendant MARK MAIUZZO, a/k/a “Stymie,” and others not charged in the above-referenced Indictment located Victim-1’s vehicle, poured gasoline into the vehicle, and lit it on fire.
Conspiracy to Assault and Assault of Victim-2
On or about June 5 and 6, 2011, PARRELLO ordered ZINZI and Ronald “The Beast” Mastrovincenzo (now deceased) to assault a panhandler (“Victim-2”) in the area of Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road, Bronx, New York. ZINZI and Mastrovincenzo enlisted the help of ISRAEL TORRES, a/k/a “Buddy,” and others. Victim-2 had been bothering some female customers in the parking lot nearby Rigoletto, and these women complained to PARRELLO.
ZINZI, TORRES, Mastrovincenzo, and others, on PARRELLO’s orders to “break” Victim-2’s knees, went looking for Victim-2. Eventually, Victim-2 was beaten by Mastrovincenzo and CW-1 (prior to CW-1’s cooperation with the Government). A New York State wiretap revealed that after the beating, Mastrovincenzo told ZINZI, in sum and substance: “[r]emember the old days in the neighborhood when we used to play baseball? . . . A ball game like that was done.” After the beating, TORRES and ZINZI helped Mastrovincenzo and CW-1 in hiding and disposing of evidence.
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-1
PASQUALE CAPOLONGO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat C.,” a/k/a “Mustache Pat,” a/k/a “Fish,” a Luchese associate and longtime bookmaker, placed large bets on behalf of several “professional gamblers,” to help conceal their status as professionals. CAPOLONGO also placed bets himself as a gambler. In 2011, CW-1 gave CAPOLONGO access to gambling accounts controlled by individuals known as bookmakers so that CAPOLONGO could place bets on those accounts on behalf of professional gamblers. In turn, CW-1 received approximately 10 percent of the winnings and was also responsible to the bookmaker for the losses. As part of this arrangement, in late 2011, CAPOLONGO obtained betting accounts on Victim-1’s book through CW-1. In December 2011, CAPOLONGO, on behalf of his bettors, won approximately $30,000 from sports wagers CAPOLONGO placed in Victim-1’s book. Victim-1 refused to pay CAPOLONGO.
On or about December 12, 2011, CW-1 met with PARRELLO and explained that CAPOLONGO won approximately $30,000 on sports wagers and that CW-1 was unable to collect because Victim-1 was refusing to pay despite CW-1’s affiliation with PARRELLO. CW-1 asked PARRELLO to intervene on his behalf and sought assistance in collecting the approximately $30,000 debt from Victim-1. PARRELLO agreed to help collect the debt.
Between about December 2011 and March 2014, PARRELLO sent ZINZI, TORRES, VINCENT TERRACCIANO, a/k/a “Big Vinny,” and others to threaten and intimidate Victim-1, and collect the money for the debt. On one such occasion, PARRELLO told them: “You get Buddy [TORRES] and let Buddy go there and choke him [Victim-1], choke him. I want Buddy to choke him, choke him, actually choke the motherfucker…and tell him, ‘Listen to me…next time I’m not gonna stop choking… I’m gonna kill you.’”
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-3
Victim-3 was working as a bookmaker and had accounts with defendant JOHN TOGNINO, a/k/a “Tugboat,” who worked under by ALEX CONIGLIARO. CONIGLIARO suspected that Victim-3 had allowed professional bettors to place bets and, as a result of their winning bets, CONIGLIARO owed approximately $400,000 to the winning bettors.
On or about February 21, 2012, PARRELLO summoned Victim-3 to Rigoletto. There, CONIGLIARO, PARRELLO, and IANNIELLO confronted Victim-3 in a small room in the basement of the restaurant, threatening and intimidating him. Ultimately, CONIGLIARO refused to pay the money owed.
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-4
An unindicted co-conspirator (“CC-1”) operated a gambling club in the Bronx, New York. CC-1 was affiliated with PARRELLO, and, from in or about 2012 to in or about 2013, CC-1 paid PARRELLO approximately $500 per week in tribute in connection with the Bronx gambling club. Another individual, Victim-4, owed tens of thousands of dollars to CC-1. PARRELLO directed CW-1 to find Victim-4 to collect the money. TORRES and co-defendant JOHN SPIRITO, a/k/a “Johnny Joe,” a made member of the Bonanno family, tried to get a picture of Victim-4. The plan was to identify Victim-4, bring Victim-4 to an isolated area, and confront Victim-4 about the debt.
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-5
Victim-5 was a gambler who gave CW-1 access to gambling accounts. As a result, Victim-5 incurred a debt that he did not pay. At the same time, Victim-5 separately owed money to defendants VINCENT CASABLANCA, a/k/a “Vinny,” and PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” members of the Luchese and Bonanno crime families, respectively. PARRELLO worked with others, including members of the Genovese and Bonanno crime families, to ensure that Victim-5 paid the debt. Among other things, PARRELLO stated, in a recorded conversation, that members of PARRELLO’s crew should:
[C]ut his [Victim-5’s] fuckin’ tire. That way he has to change the tire. So then you know you can catch up with him. Give him a flat. Take the air out of the tire, whatever the fuck you got to do. Then you catch up with him because then he’s there, ya know, he’s got to get it fixed, he can’t go nowhere, and then you surround the mother fucker. That’s how yous do it.
PARRELLO further stated, “go ahead, get this motherfucker. Don’t make a mistake. Get your fuckin’ money.” Co-defendant ZINZI provided an icepick to use to slash the tire of Victim-5’s car in order to carry out PARRELLO’s order. Eventually, Victim-5 agreed to make weekly payments on Victim-5’s outstanding debt.
Conspiracy to Assault Victim-6
On or about January 22, 2013, Genovese associate and defendant ANTHONY VAZZANO, a/k/a “Tony the Wig,” a/k/a “Muscles,” was stabbed in the neck by Victim-6 during an altercation at a bar in the Bronx, New York (the “Bar”). VAZZANO was at the Bar with Mastrovincenzo and others when the stabbing occurred. After that, associates of PARRELLO’s crew, including Mastrovincenzo and TORRES, among others, at PARRELLO’s direction, agreed to assault Victim-6 in retaliation for the stabbing. During one such conversation, TORRES stated that they would “whack” and “maim this mother fucker [Victim-6].” PARRELLO instructed Mastrovincenzo to “keep the pipes handy and pipe him, pipe him, over here [gesturing to the knees], not on his head.”
Gun Trafficking
Between about January and March 2012, MITCHELL FUSCO, a/k/a “Mitch,” sold eleven firearms on three separate dates to CW-1. Mastrovincenzo also sold guns to CW-1 and the Enterprise, including six firearms on five separate occasions between 2012 and 2013. During a June 27, 2012 consensually recorded conversation, PARRELLO asked CW-1 if the guns were “clean” and directed CW-1 to “get some nines.”
On or about August 20, 2012, CW-1 met with Mastrovincenzo and ZINZI. During this recorded meeting, Mastrovincenzo asked CW-1 and ZINZI how many guns he should get, and ZINZI told Mastrovincenzo, “at least a hundred.”
Additional Criminal Activity
In addition to the violent crimes described above, members and associates also conspired to, and in some cases did, work together and coordinate with each other to perpetrate a number of other crimes.
a. Loansharking. Members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise, including, but not limited to, PARRELLO, O’NOFRIO, HAROLD THOMAS, VINCENT THOMAS, a/k/a “Vinny,” FRANCESCO DEPERGOLA, a/k/a “Frank,” and RALPH SANTANIELLO, the defendants regularly made and took extortionate loans (“loansharking”) as part of the business of the East Coast LCN Enterprise. In connection with one such loan, HAROLD THOMAS said to AGOSTINO CAMACHO, a/k/a “Augie,” who owed an outstanding debt to HAROLD THOMAS: “If you don’t have my money the first of the month you will never hear another sound I give you [my] word on that. . . . If you miss don’t call me. You’ve had enough breaks. I’ve just given you the biggest break in your life. . . . [I]n about a minute I’m going to go over to the car and take the fucking pistol and I’m going to kill you.”
b. Gambling. Illegal gambling was a significant part of the regular course of business of certain members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise. Dozens of members of the Enterprise engaged in two different types of illegal gambling activities as a way to generate money for the Enterprise: (1) casino-style club gambling and (2) sports gambling.
i. Casino-Style Club Gambling. At various times relevant to the Indictment, PARRELLO, TORRES, ZINZI, VAZZANO, CAMACHO, and MAIUZZO, a/k/a “Stymie,” the defendants operated the above-mentioned Yonkers Club. Several nights a week, the Yonkers Club held poker tournaments, dice tournaments, and took bets on horse races. The owners of the Yonkers Club (the “House”) took a percentage of the gambling proceeds. Additionally, the Yonkers Club generated profits through the installation of illegal poker machines.
ii. Sports Gambling. At various times relevant to the Indictment, multiple members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise operated several gambling operations as a way to enrich the Enterprise. Members of the Enterprise, playing different roles in the sports gambling operations, utilized gambling websites based in the United States and abroad to keep track of wagers and proceeds.
c. Cigarettes. Receiving, causing others to receive, and profiting from the purchase of contraband cigarettes was part of the regular business of certain members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise, including, but not limited to, PARRELLO, O’NOFRIO, TORRES, ZINZI, VAZZANO, SPIRITO, CASABLANCA, REYNOLD ALBERTI, a/k/a “Randy,” TERRACCIANO, JOSEPH TOMANELLI, a/k/a “Joe,” CAMACHO, NICHOLAS DEVITO, a/k/a “Nicky,” NICHOLAS VUOLO, a/k/a “Nicky the Wig,” BRADFORD WEDRA, HAROLD THOMAS, RICHARD LACAVA, a/k/a “Richie,” and VINCENT THOMAS, the defendants. At various times relevant to the Indictment, these defendants obtained, caused others to obtain, and profited from the obtaining of, hundreds of cases of contraband cigarettes, which did not bear a stamp evincing payment of applicable cigarette taxes, with a street value of more than approximately $3 million.
d. Credit Card Fraud Conspiracy. In or around 2012, PARRELLO, TORRES, PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” JOHN LEMBO, a/k/a “Johnny,” and ALBERTI, the defendants, and others known and unknown, conspired to obtain and use a credit card “skimmer” — a small device that captures and retains unwitting credit card owners’ personal identifying information — to steal credit card information and use the information to create new fraudulent credit cards which could, in turn, be used to make unauthorized purchases.
e. Health Care Fraud. At various times relevant to the Indictment, PARRELLO, MERLINO, RALPH BALSAMO, CAMACHO, DEVITO, MICHAEL POLI, a/k/a “Mike Polio,” CARMINE GALLO, BRAD SIRKIN, a/k/a “Brad,” and WAYNE KREISBERG, the defendants, were involved in a scheme targeting providers of health insurance (the “Victim Insurers”), by causing, and causing others to cause, corrupt doctors to issue unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for expensive compound cream (“Prescription Compound Cream”) that were then billed to the Victim Insurers. Had the Victim Insurers known the fraudulent nature of the scheme — that wrongful kickbacks were paid to doctors to write, and to patients to request and receive, unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for the Prescription Compound Cream — the Victim Insurers would not have issued reimbursements for the Prescription Compound Cream.
Mr. Bharara praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case. He thanked the NYPD for their assistance. Mr. Bharara also noted that the investigation is continuing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Kramer, Abigail Kurland, Jessica Lonergan, and Jonathan Rebold, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Abinanti of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, are in charge of the prosecution. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
Thirty-nine of the defendants charged were taken into custody. During the arrests, law enforcement officers recovered, among other items, three handguns, a shotgun, gambling paraphernalia, and more than $30,000 in cash.
Two defendants, CONRAD IANNIELLO and PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” were already in federal custody on other charges. Another defendant, JOHN LEMBO, was already in custody on state charges and will be transferred to federal custody. Six defendants, JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” PASQUALE CAPOLONGO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat C.,” a/k/a “Mustache Pat,” a/k/a “Fish,” FRANK TRAPANI, a/k/a “Harpo,” CARMINE GALLO, CRAIG BAGON, BRADLEY SIRKIN, a/k/a “Brad,” were arrested this morning in Florida, and will be presented in federal court in West Palm Beach later today. Two defendants, FRANCESCO DEPERGOLA, a/k/a “Frank,” and RALPH SANTANIELLO were arrested this morning in Massachusetts, where they face additional federal charges, and will be presented in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts later today. All other defendants arrested today will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judges Barbara Moses, Frank Maas, and Gabriel W. Gorenstein this afternoon. Two defendants, NICHOLAS DEVITO, a/k/a “Nicky,” and ANTHONY CIRILLO, surrendered today. One defendant, HAROLD THOMAS, a/k/a “Harry,” is expected to surrender in the next few days. Three defendants, ANTHONY CAMISA, a/k/a “Anthony the Kid,” LAURENCE KEITH ALLEN, a/k/a “Keith Allen,” and WAYNE KREISBERG remain at large. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Richard J. Sullivan.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Today’s charges against 46 men, including powerful leaders, members and associates of five different La Cosa Nostra families, demonstrate that the mob remains a scourge on this city and around the country. From loansharking and illegal gambling, to credit card and health care fraud, and even firearms trafficking, today’s mafia is fully diversified in its boundless search for illegal profits. And as alleged, threatening to assault, maim and kill people who get in the way of their criminal schemes remains the go-to play in the mob’s playbook.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said: “The indictment reads like an old school mafia novel, where extortion, illegal gambling, arson and threats to ‘whack’ someone are carried out along with some modern-day crimes of credit card skimming. But the 40-plus arrests of mob associates, soldiers, capos, and a boss this morning show this isn’t fiction. As alleged, Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, and Bonanno LCN crime families are still carrying out their criminal activities from Mulberry Street here in New York City to areas of Springfield, Massachusetts. The FBI, working with our task force partners from the New York Police Department, are just as steadfast investigating and rooting out organized crime as wise guys are to bringing it our streets. We thank all our partners on this multi-year investigation, including the FBI field offices from New Haven, Newark, Miami and Boston for their assistance with operations.”
NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton said: “The charges applied today to these 46 individuals deal a significant blow to La Cosa Nostra, which the NYPD is committed to putting out of business. As alleged, in typical mob fashion, the rackets ran from Springfield to South Florida and left no scheme behind. These mobsters seemed to use every scheme known to us, from arson, to shake-downs, violence, health care fraud, and even untaxed cigarettes to keep the racket going. I want to thank my friends Preet Bharara and Diego Rodriguez for their work at the Justice Department and FBI for making today’s case possible and their collaborative efforts during my tenure as Commissioner of the NYPD.”
Westchester County Acting District Attorney James A. McCarty said: “I want to congratulate the prosecutors and investigators whose combined efforts resulted in today’s indictment. Those charged with these crimes believe they can commit them at will, undetected and without consequence. These dedicated members of law enforcement through their actions, have made it clear that those individuals who commit these crimes will be rooted out.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment[1], which was filed in Manhattan federal court, and other publicly filed documents:
The instant charges are the culmination of a multi-year joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), FBI-NYPD Organized Crime Task Force, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and this Office. The evidence includes thousands of hours of consensual recordings obtained by a cooperating witness (“CW-1”) and an FBI Special Agent working in an undercover capacity (“UC-1”). CW-1 worked under PASQUALE PARRELLO, a/k/a “Patsy,” believed to be a Genovese Capo in charge of a crew based out of a restaurant that bears his name in the Bronx, New York (Pasquale’s Rigoletto, hereinafter “Rigoletto”). At one point, with PARRELLO’S approval, CW-1 began working under JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” believed to be the Boss of the Philadelphia Crime Family, who resided in southern Florida for part of the year. UC-1 worked under EUGENE O’NOFRIO, a/k/a “Rooster,” a Genovese Acting Capo in charge of crews on Mulberry Street in New York, New York, and Springfield, Massachusetts. As evidenced by the consensual recordings made by CW-1 and UC-1, the myriad criminal schemes pursued by PARRELLO, MERLINO, O’NOFRIO, and their underlings were in many respects intertwined.
The Enterprise charged in the Indictment is composed of leaders, members, and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia Crime Families of LCN, who worked together and coordinated with each other to engage in a multitude of criminal activities throughout the East Coast of the United States, including in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Bronx and Manhattan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Southern Florida. The members of the Enterprise have been involved in gambling, extortionate collection of loans, other extortion activities, arson, conspiracies to commit assaults in aid of racketeering, trafficking in unstamped and cigarettes, gun trafficking, access device fraud, and health care fraud. The members of the Enterprise include, but are not limited to, PASQUALE PARRELLO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat,” JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” EUGENE O’NOFRIO, a/k/a “Rooster,” CONRAD IANNIELLO, ISRAEL TORRES, a/k/a “Buddy,” ANTHONY ZINZI, a/k/a “Anthony Boy,” ANTHONY VAZZANO, a/k/a “Tony the Wig,” a/k/a “Muscles,” ALEX CONIGLIARO, FRANK BARBONE, RALPH BALSAMO, PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” JOHN SPIRITO, a/k/a “Johnny Joe,” VINCENT CASABLANCA, a/k/a “Vinny,” MARCO MINUTO, PAUL CASSANO, a/k/a “Paul Cassone,” DANIEL MARINO, JR., a/k/a “Danny,” JOHN LEMBO, a/k/a “Johnny,” MITCHELL FUSCO, a/k/a “Mitch,” REYNOLD ALBERTI, a/k/a “Randy,” VINCENT TERRACCIANO, a/k/a “Big Vinny,” JOSEPH TOMANELLI, a/k/a “Joe,” AGOSTINO CAMACHO, a/k/a “Augie,” NICHOLAS DEVITO, a/k/a “Nicky,” ANTHONY CASSETTA, a/k/a “Tony the Cripple,” NICHOLAS VUOLO, a/k/a “Nicky the Wig,” BRADFORD WEDRA, MICHAEL POLI, a/k/a “Mike Polio,” PASQUALE CAPOLONGO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat C.,” a/k/a “Mustache Pat,” a/k/a “Fish,” ANTHONY DEPALMA, a/k/a “Harpo,” a/k/a “Harp,” JOHN TOGNINO, a/k/a “Tugboat,” MARK MAIUZZO, a/k/a “Stymie,” JOSEPH DIMARCO, HAROLD THOMAS, a/k/a “Harry,” RICHARD LACAVA, a/k/a “Richie,” VINCENT THOMAS, a/k/a “Vinny,” ANTHONY CAMISA, a/k/a “Anthony the Kid,” FRANK TRAPANI, a/k/a “Harpo,” ANTHONY CIRILLO, CARMINE GALLO, JOSEPH FALCO, a/k/a “Joe Cub,” FRANCESCO DEPERGOLA, a/k/a “Frank,” RALPH SANTANIELLO, LAURENCE KEITH ALLEN, a/k/a “Keith Allen,” CRAIG BAGON, BRADLEY SIRKIN, a/k/a “Brad,” and WAYNE KREISBERG, the defendants.
To protect and expand the Enterprise’s business and criminal operations, members and associates of the Enterprise assaulted, threatened to assault, and destroyed the property of people who engaged in activity that jeopardized: (i) the power and criminal activities of the Enterprise and the power and criminal activities of their respective LCN Families; (ii) the power of leaders of the Enterprise; and (iii) the flow of criminal proceeds to the leaders of the Enterprise. Members and associates of the Enterprise promoted a climate of fear in the community through threats of economic harm and violence, as well as actual violence, including assault and arson. Members and associates of the Enterprise generated or attempted to generate income for the Enterprise through firearms trafficking, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, health care fraud, credit card fraud, selling untaxed cigarettes, making extortionate extensions of credit, and other offenses. Members and associates of the Enterprise at times engaged in criminal conduct or coordinated their criminal activities with leaders, members, and associates of their respective LCN Families. At other times, members and associates of the Enterprise met with leaders, members, and associates of their respective LCN Families to resolve disputes over their criminal activities.
Enterprise members PASQUALE PARRELLO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat,” JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” and EUGENE O’NOFRIO, a/k/a “Rooster,” the defendants, supervised and controlled other members of the Enterprise engaged in illegal schemes, including those that were the objects of the conspiracy. At various times, members and associates of the Enterprise (including those who are leaders, members, and associates of different LCN families) met, coordinated, and worked together with PARRELLO, MERLINO, and O’NOFRIO, and each other, as well as other members and associates of their respective LCN Families, to engage in criminal activity.
To avoid law enforcement scrutiny, members and associates of the Enterprise conducted meetings surreptitiously, typically using coded language to make arrangements for meetings, and meeting at rest stops along highways and at restaurants.
Certain members and associates of the Enterprise engaged in and conspired to engage in the following violent crimes:
Arson of Vehicle Belonging to Victim-1
In early 2011, an individual (“Victim-1”) operated an illegal gambling establishment on Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers, New York, which was around the corner from a similar establishment (the “Yonkers Club”) run by ANTHONY ZINZI, a/k/a “Anthony Boy,” and other associates of the charged Enterprise. ZINZI and others paid PARRELLO tribute from the profits from the Yonkers Club.
While PARRELLO was on federal supervision stemming from a federal conviction in this Court, the Yonkers Club struggled. Indeed, Victim-1’s club was more successful than the Yonkers Club. ZINZI suggested to other members of the conspiracy that they light Victim-1’s vehicle on fire while it was outside of Victim-1’s club. Then, on or about March 7, 2011, co-defendant MARK MAIUZZO, a/k/a “Stymie,” and others not charged in the above-referenced Indictment located Victim-1’s vehicle, poured gasoline into the vehicle, and lit it on fire.
Conspiracy to Assault and Assault of Victim-2
On or about June 5 and 6, 2011, PARRELLO ordered ZINZI and Ronald “The Beast” Mastrovincenzo (now deceased) to assault a panhandler (“Victim-2”) in the area of Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road, Bronx, New York. ZINZI and Mastrovincenzo enlisted the help of ISRAEL TORRES, a/k/a “Buddy,” and others. Victim-2 had been bothering some female customers in the parking lot nearby Rigoletto, and these women complained to PARRELLO.
ZINZI, TORRES, Mastrovincenzo, and others, on PARRELLO’s orders to “break” Victim-2’s knees, went looking for Victim-2. Eventually, Victim-2 was beaten by Mastrovincenzo and CW-1 (prior to CW-1’s cooperation with the Government). A New York State wiretap revealed that after the beating, Mastrovincenzo told ZINZI, in sum and substance: “[r]emember the old days in the neighborhood when we used to play baseball? . . . A ball game like that was done.” After the beating, TORRES and ZINZI helped Mastrovincenzo and CW-1 in hiding and disposing of evidence.
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-1
PASQUALE CAPOLONGO, a/k/a “Patsy,” a/k/a “Pat C.,” a/k/a “Mustache Pat,” a/k/a “Fish,” a Luchese associate and longtime bookmaker, placed large bets on behalf of several “professional gamblers,” to help conceal their status as professionals. CAPOLONGO also placed bets himself as a gambler. In 2011, CW-1 gave CAPOLONGO access to gambling accounts controlled by individuals known as bookmakers so that CAPOLONGO could place bets on those accounts on behalf of professional gamblers. In turn, CW-1 received approximately 10 percent of the winnings and was also responsible to the bookmaker for the losses. As part of this arrangement, in late 2011, CAPOLONGO obtained betting accounts on Victim-1’s book through CW-1. In December 2011, CAPOLONGO, on behalf of his bettors, won approximately $30,000 from sports wagers CAPOLONGO placed in Victim-1’s book. Victim-1 refused to pay CAPOLONGO.
On or about December 12, 2011, CW-1 met with PARRELLO and explained that CAPOLONGO won approximately $30,000 on sports wagers and that CW-1 was unable to collect because Victim-1 was refusing to pay despite CW-1’s affiliation with PARRELLO. CW-1 asked PARRELLO to intervene on his behalf and sought assistance in collecting the approximately $30,000 debt from Victim-1. PARRELLO agreed to help collect the debt.
Between about December 2011 and March 2014, PARRELLO sent ZINZI, TORRES, VINCENT TERRACCIANO, a/k/a “Big Vinny,” and others to threaten and intimidate Victim-1, and collect the money for the debt. On one such occasion, PARRELLO told them: “You get Buddy [TORRES] and let Buddy go there and choke him [Victim-1], choke him. I want Buddy to choke him, choke him, actually choke the motherfucker…and tell him, ‘Listen to me…next time I’m not gonna stop choking… I’m gonna kill you.’”
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-3
Victim-3 was working as a bookmaker and had accounts with defendant JOHN TOGNINO, a/k/a “Tugboat,” who worked under by ALEX CONIGLIARO. CONIGLIARO suspected that Victim-3 had allowed professional bettors to place bets and, as a result of their winning bets, CONIGLIARO owed approximately $400,000 to the winning bettors.
On or about February 21, 2012, PARRELLO summoned Victim-3 to Rigoletto. There, CONIGLIARO, PARRELLO, and IANNIELLO confronted Victim-3 in a small room in the basement of the restaurant, threatening and intimidating him. Ultimately, CONIGLIARO refused to pay the money owed.
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-4
An unindicted co-conspirator (“CC-1”) operated a gambling club in the Bronx, New York. CC-1 was affiliated with PARRELLO, and, from in or about 2012 to in or about 2013, CC-1 paid PARRELLO approximately $500 per week in tribute in connection with the Bronx gambling club. Another individual, Victim-4, owed tens of thousands of dollars to CC-1. PARRELLO directed CW-1 to find Victim-4 to collect the money. TORRES and co-defendant JOHN SPIRITO, a/k/a “Johnny Joe,” a made member of the Bonanno family, tried to get a picture of Victim-4. The plan was to identify Victim-4, bring Victim-4 to an isolated area, and confront Victim-4 about the debt.
Conspiracy to Extort Victim-5
Victim-5 was a gambler who gave CW-1 access to gambling accounts. As a result, Victim-5 incurred a debt that he did not pay. At the same time, Victim-5 separately owed money to defendants VINCENT CASABLANCA, a/k/a “Vinny,” and PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” members of the Luchese and Bonanno crime families, respectively. PARRELLO worked with others, including members of the Genovese and Bonanno crime families, to ensure that Victim-5 paid the debt. Among other things, PARRELLO stated, in a recorded conversation, that members of PARRELLO’s crew should:
[C]ut his [Victim-5’s] fuckin’ tire. That way he has to change the tire. So then you know you can catch up with him. Give him a flat. Take the air out of the tire, whatever the fuck you got to do. Then you catch up with him because then he’s there, ya know, he’s got to get it fixed, he can’t go nowhere, and then you surround the mother fucker. That’s how yous do it.
PARRELLO further stated, “go ahead, get this motherfucker. Don’t make a mistake. Get your fuckin’ money.” Co-defendant ZINZI provided an icepick to use to slash the tire of Victim-5’s car in order to carry out PARRELLO’s order. Eventually, Victim-5 agreed to make weekly payments on Victim-5’s outstanding debt.
Conspiracy to Assault Victim-6
On or about January 22, 2013, Genovese associate and defendant ANTHONY VAZZANO, a/k/a “Tony the Wig,” a/k/a “Muscles,” was stabbed in the neck by Victim-6 during an altercation at a bar in the Bronx, New York (the “Bar”). VAZZANO was at the Bar with Mastrovincenzo and others when the stabbing occurred. After that, associates of PARRELLO’s crew, including Mastrovincenzo and TORRES, among others, at PARRELLO’s direction, agreed to assault Victim-6 in retaliation for the stabbing. During one such conversation, TORRES stated that they would “whack” and “maim this mother fucker [Victim-6].” PARRELLO instructed Mastrovincenzo to “keep the pipes handy and pipe him, pipe him, over here [gesturing to the knees], not on his head.”
Gun Trafficking
Between about January and March 2012, MITCHELL FUSCO, a/k/a “Mitch,” sold eleven firearms on three separate dates to CW-1. Mastrovincenzo also sold guns to CW-1 and the Enterprise, including six firearms on five separate occasions between 2012 and 2013. During a June 27, 2012 consensually recorded conversation, PARRELLO asked CW-1 if the guns were “clean” and directed CW-1 to “get some nines.”
On or about August 20, 2012, CW-1 met with Mastrovincenzo and ZINZI. During this recorded meeting, Mastrovincenzo asked CW-1 and ZINZI how many guns he should get, and ZINZI told Mastrovincenzo, “at least a hundred.”
Additional Criminal Activity
In addition to the violent crimes described above, members and associates also conspired to, and in some cases did, work together and coordinate with each other to perpetrate a number of other crimes.
a. Loansharking. Members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise, including, but not limited to, PARRELLO, O’NOFRIO, HAROLD THOMAS, VINCENT THOMAS, a/k/a “Vinny,” FRANCESCO DEPERGOLA, a/k/a “Frank,” and RALPH SANTANIELLO, the defendants regularly made and took extortionate loans (“loansharking”) as part of the business of the East Coast LCN Enterprise. In connection with one such loan, HAROLD THOMAS said to AGOSTINO CAMACHO, a/k/a “Augie,” who owed an outstanding debt to HAROLD THOMAS: “If you don’t have my money the first of the month you will never hear another sound I give you [my] word on that. . . . If you miss don’t call me. You’ve had enough breaks. I’ve just given you the biggest break in your life. . . . [I]n about a minute I’m going to go over to the car and take the fucking pistol and I’m going to kill you.”
b. Gambling. Illegal gambling was a significant part of the regular course of business of certain members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise. Dozens of members of the Enterprise engaged in two different types of illegal gambling activities as a way to generate money for the Enterprise: (1) casino-style club gambling and (2) sports gambling.
i. Casino-Style Club Gambling. At various times relevant to the Indictment, PARRELLO, TORRES, ZINZI, VAZZANO, CAMACHO, and MAIUZZO, a/k/a “Stymie,” the defendants operated the above-mentioned Yonkers Club. Several nights a week, the Yonkers Club held poker tournaments, dice tournaments, and took bets on horse races. The owners of the Yonkers Club (the “House”) took a percentage of the gambling proceeds. Additionally, the Yonkers Club generated profits through the installation of illegal poker machines.
ii. Sports Gambling. At various times relevant to the Indictment, multiple members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise operated several gambling operations as a way to enrich the Enterprise. Members of the Enterprise, playing different roles in the sports gambling operations, utilized gambling websites based in the United States and abroad to keep track of wagers and proceeds.
c. Cigarettes. Receiving, causing others to receive, and profiting from the purchase of contraband cigarettes was part of the regular business of certain members of the East Coast LCN Enterprise, including, but not limited to, PARRELLO, O’NOFRIO, TORRES, ZINZI, VAZZANO, SPIRITO, CASABLANCA, REYNOLD ALBERTI, a/k/a “Randy,” TERRACCIANO, JOSEPH TOMANELLI, a/k/a “Joe,” CAMACHO, NICHOLAS DEVITO, a/k/a “Nicky,” NICHOLAS VUOLO, a/k/a “Nicky the Wig,” BRADFORD WEDRA, HAROLD THOMAS, RICHARD LACAVA, a/k/a “Richie,” and VINCENT THOMAS, the defendants. At various times relevant to the Indictment, these defendants obtained, caused others to obtain, and profited from the obtaining of, hundreds of cases of contraband cigarettes, which did not bear a stamp evincing payment of applicable cigarette taxes, with a street value of more than approximately $3 million.
d. Credit Card Fraud Conspiracy. In or around 2012, PARRELLO, TORRES, PASQUALE MAIORINO, a/k/a “Patty Boy,” JOHN LEMBO, a/k/a “Johnny,” and ALBERTI, the defendants, and others known and unknown, conspired to obtain and use a credit card “skimmer” — a small device that captures and retains unwitting credit card owners’ personal identifying information — to steal credit card information and use the information to create new fraudulent credit cards which could, in turn, be used to make unauthorized purchases.
e. Health Care Fraud. At various times relevant to the Indictment, PARRELLO, MERLINO, RALPH BALSAMO, CAMACHO, DEVITO, MICHAEL POLI, a/k/a “Mike Polio,” CARMINE GALLO, BRAD SIRKIN, a/k/a “Brad,” and WAYNE KREISBERG, the defendants, were involved in a scheme targeting providers of health insurance (the “Victim Insurers”), by causing, and causing others to cause, corrupt doctors to issue unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for expensive compound cream (“Prescription Compound Cream”) that were then billed to the Victim Insurers. Had the Victim Insurers known the fraudulent nature of the scheme — that wrongful kickbacks were paid to doctors to write, and to patients to request and receive, unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for the Prescription Compound Cream — the Victim Insurers would not have issued reimbursements for the Prescription Compound Cream.
Mr. Bharara praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case. He thanked the NYPD for their assistance. Mr. Bharara also noted that the investigation is continuing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Kramer, Abigail Kurland, Jessica Lonergan, and Jonathan Rebold, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Abinanti of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, are in charge of the prosecution. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
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