Founding Member of Latin Kings Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison #NewYork #LatinKings

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Diego Mateo, a/k/a “Casa,” was sentenced to 27 years in prison in connection with his participation in the Black Mob set of the Latin Kings and their distribution of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Mateo pled guilty on February 23, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed the sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For two decades, Mateo ran the largest and most violent set of the Latin Kings in the New York area. He recruited hundreds of young men into his gang and used them to run a massive drug operation that committed countless acts of violence. Today’s sentencing — along with the other significant sentences that have been imposed in this case — proves that gang life is not glamorous and will lead to years in prison.”

According to public filings and statements made in court:

• The Black Mob is a New York-based set, or “tribe,” of the nationwide Latin Kings gang. In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of the Black Mob committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and crack; committed robberies; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.
• Mateo was the highest-ranking member of the Black Mob. He founded the gang in 2002 and then grew the Black Mob into the largest Latin Kings set in the New York area with a power base built on massive amounts of drug trafficking and a reputation for violence. Prior to the instant prosecution, the Black Mob had approximately 300 members. The fear and power wielded by the Black Mob amplified Mateo’s own personal reputation, making him, at one point, the highest-ranking Latin King in the entire East Coast. As the leader of the Black Mob, Mateo oversaw the Black Mob’s operations and also ordered and participated in acts of violence and narcotics trafficking. This violence included multiple arsons and a November 18, 2012, shooting at a gang rival’s funeral that was ordered by Mateo. Three of the deceased’s family members were shot.
• In December 2019, 17 members and associates of the Black Mob were charged with racketeering offenses, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses. In April 2021, seven additional members and associates of the gang were charged, including Mateo. The defendants in this case have included the entire senior leadership of the gang and its most violent members. 
• Mateo pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics. In connection with his guilty plea, Mateo further stipulated to his involvement in multiple acts of violence: the November 18, 2012, shooting at a gang rival’s funeral and a 2016 arson of a commercial wedding venue in Connecticut.

In addition to the prison term, Mateo, 46, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.

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El Jefe: The Stalking of Chapo Guzman #ElChapo

El Jefe: The Stalking of Chapo Guzman.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is the most legendary of Mexican narcos. As leader of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, he was one of the most dangerous men in the world. His fearless climb to power, his brutality, his charm, his taste for luxury, his penchant for disguise, his multiple dramatic prison escapes, his unlikely encounter with Sean Penn―all of these burnished the image of the world's most famous outlaw.

He was finally captured by U.S. and Mexican law enforcement in a daring operation years in the making. Here is that entire epic story―from El Chapo's humble origins to his conviction in a Brooklyn courthouse. Longtime New York Times criminal justice reporter Alan Feuer's coverage of his trial was some of the most riveting journalism of recent years.

Feuer’s mastery of the complex facts of the case, his unparalleled access to confidential sources in law enforcement, and his powerful understanding of disturbing larger themes―what this one man's life says about drugs, walls, class, money, Mexico, and the United States―will ensure that El Jefe is the one book to read about “El Chapo.”

The definitive account of the rise and fall of the ultimate narco, "El Chapo," from New York Times reporter Alan Feuer, whose coverage of his trial went viral.

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Mafia Nickname Traditions

In size, wealth and influence, today's Cosa Nostra doesn't match the Mafia of days gone by. However, there's one area in which modern Mafiosi are upholding a proud tradition of organized crime tradition nicknames.

Here are a few recent examples of Mafia nicknames and the inspiration for them, along with some names from the past, according to Mob historians and federal court records:

Mikey Y. - for Michael Yannotti, a convicted associate of the Gambino family. Easier than saying his last name.

Mikey Scars - for Michael DiLeonardo, an acknowledged Gambino family member and government witness. From scars he received in a childhood accident.

Vinny Gorgeous - for Vincent Basciano, an acknowledged Bonanno family member. He owned a hair salon in the Bronx, N.Y.

Richie from the Bronx - for Richard Martino, a convicted Gambino family member. Apparently used to distinguish him from the many other Richies involved with the Mob.

Good Lookin' Sal - for Salvatore Vitale, an acknowledged Bonanno family member and government witness. Court records indicate he came up with the name himself and urged underlings to use it.

Louie Bagels - for Louis Daidone, a convicted member of the Lucchese family. He owned a bagel shop in Queens, N.Y.

Gaspipe - for Anthony Casso, an acknowledged Lucchese member and government witness. Referred to his tool of choice for his work as a Mob enforcer.

Tony Ducks - for Anthony Corallo, convicted member of the Lucchese family. He was known for his ability to duck subpoena servers.

Phil Lucky - for Philip Giaccone, a convicted Gambino family member. The name was unintentionally ironic; he was assassinated by a rival.

Kid Blast - for Albert Gallo, a convicted member of the Gambino family. He was known for enjoying parties.

Nicky Eye Glasses - for Nicholas Marangello, a convicted member of the Bonanno family. His glasses were very thick.

Jackie Nose - for John D'Amico, a convicted Gambino family member. Self-explanatory.

The Chin - for Vincent Gigante, a convicted member of the Genovese family. From "Cinzini," the nickname his mother gave him.

Patty the Pig - for Patrick DeFilippo, accused in a federal indictment of being a member of the Bonanno family. This was the pre-diet nickname for a Bronx man who used to weigh roughly 300 pounds.

Patty from the Bronx - DeFilippo's post-diet nickname.

Dapper Don - for John Gotti for his expensive clothes and personality in front of news cameras.

Teflon Don - later for John Gotti after three high-profile trials in the 1980s resulted in his acquittal, though it was later revealed that the trials had been tainted by jury tampering, juror misconduct and witness intimidation.

Junior - for John Gotti Jr, son of John Gotti. Also called Teflon Jr. & Deadlock Don after 3 trials on racketeering and kidnapping charges all ended in hung juries.

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4 Former Commonwealth Edison Executives and Associates Found Guilty of Conspiring To Influence and Reward Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan #ComEd4 #Corruption #TheChicagoWay

A federal jury has found four former Commonwealth Edison (“ComEd”) executives and associates guilty on all counts charged, including conspiring to influence and reward Mike Madigan, the former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, in order to assist with the passage of legislation favorable to the electric utility company, in addition to multiple bribery and record falsification charges.

The jury found the following defendants guilty of all charges:

• MICHAEL McCLAIN, 75, of Quincy, who worked as a lobbyist and consultant for ComEd after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1970s and early 1980s.
• ANNE PRAMAGGIORE, 64, of Barrington, who served as CEO of ComEd from 2012 to 2018, and later served as a senior executive at an affiliate of Exelon Corp., of which ComEd was a subsidiary.
• JOHN HOOKER, 74, of Chicago, who served as ComEd’s executive vice president of legislative and external affairs from 2009 to 2012, after which he worked as an external lobbyist for ComEd.
• JAY DOHERTY, 69, of Chicago, who owned Jay D. Doherty & Associates, which performed consulting services for ComEd from approximately 2011 to 2019.

Sentencing dates have not been set. 

• Count 1, charging the conspiracy, has a possible punishment of up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 
• Counts 2, 5, 6, and 8, charging bribery, have a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 
• Counts 3, 4, 7, and 9, charging record falsification, have a possible punishment of up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

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The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'

In The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin', author Bill Zehme presents a masterful assembly of the most personal details and gorgeous minutiae of Frank Sinatra's way of livingmatters of the heart and heartbreak, friendship and leadership, drinking and cavorting, brawling and wooing, tuxedos and snap-brimsall crafted from rare interviews with Sinatra himself as well as many other intimates, including Tony Bennett, Don Rickles, Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis, and Robert Wagner, in addition to daughters Nancy and Tina Sinatra.


Capturing the timeless romance and classic style of the fifties and the loose sixties, The Way You Wear Your Hat is a stunning exploration of the Sinatra mystique.

Frank Sinatra is that rare American icon whose lifestyle has walked hand-in-hand with his art, the one impossible without the other. Like Elvis, he has seemed intent on living out the dreams his songs inspire, capturing the American public's imagination along the way.

Sinatra's irresistibly romantic sensibility is the subject of this effusive book by Zehme, coauthor of memoirs by Jay Leno and Regis Philbin. Sinatra, who is famous for his hatred of the press, allowed Zehme to ask him a number of questions about his philosophy of life, such as ""How stiff should a stiff drink be?"" and ""What is the most important thing to look for in a woman?"" Zehme sprinkles the questions and Sinatra's frank answers throughout chapters with titles like ""Broads,"" ""Pallies"" and ""Ring-a-Ding-Ding."" The result is a charming, entertaining look at Sinatra's life (which only incidentally involves music here) in the guise of a straight man's guide to living well.

The book begins in a rush, with a Sinatra epigram (""Let's start the action!""); the final chapters deal with family, heartbreak and aging. Zehme does here what other, music-centered biographies of Sinatra do not do: he suggests the pattern behind something as seemingly unpredictable as the events of a man's life. Zehme seems to say that, no matter what has befallen him, Sinatra has acted and reacted his way.

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