A 24-year-old man who has been charged with shooting to death a reputed New York mob boss earlier this year thought he was under the influence of QAnon, pro-Trump Internet postings about the president supposedly battling a cabal of liberal elites, his lawyer wrote in a recent submission to New York state court.
Prosecutors have charged Anthony Comello with murder over the fatal shooting Francesco Cali, the alleged leader of the Gambino crime family who was gunned down outside of his Staten Island home in March. But in a new court filing, Comello's attorney argues that he became so engrossed with unsupported QAnon theories that on the night of Cali's death, he was acting under a delusion, which included that Democratic politicians, celebrities and people associated with organized crime were part of the "deep state," according to Comello's lawyer. He wrote that his client believed he was on a mission "to save the American way of life."
"Beginning with the election of President Donald Trump in November 2016, Anthony Comello's family began to notice changes to his personality," attorney Robert Gottlieb wrote. "Mr. Comello's support for QAnon went beyond mere participation in a radical political organization, it evolved into a delusional obsession."
When Comello arrived at Cali's home, according to the filing, the plan was to stage a citizen's arrest of Cali, not shoot him. But after a heated exchange with Cali, Comello says the alleged mob boss made a "furtive action with his hand," which made Comello afraid for his life. He then reached into his pickup truck, grabbed a gun and fired at Cali, killing him.
"Because of his self-perceived status in QAnon, Mr. Comello became certain that he was enjoying the protection of President Trump himself, and that he had the president's full support," Gottlieb wrote to the court.
The details contained in the filing are part of Comello's planned "mental disease or defect" defense, Gottlieb said.
News of Cali's death ignited speculation about a possible restart of duels among New York's Mafia families. The New York Daily News reported shortly after Cali's death that investigators initially suspected an underling of Cali, or someone who had a beef with him.
But neither theory turned out to be true, and what really happened, according to Comello's lawyer, was even stranger: Comello carried out his violent act as a way of fighting against the deep state to "expose the entire conspiracy and ensure that every criminal is brought to justice," the filing says.
At a court hearing shortly after his arrest, Comello held up his palms, which had ink scribbling of MAGA, for Make America Great Again, and the letter Q, possibly a QAnon symbol.
Comello had a history of bizarre stunts, according to the filing. He attempted to arrest New York Mayor Bill de Blasio at his official residence, Gracie Mansion, but was thwarted by police. In another instance, Comello went to a federal district courthouse in Manhattan, believing that U.S. Reps. Maxine Waters and Adam Schiff were there. His lawyer said he planned to "arrest and detain" the two Democrats from California. He then went to a U.S. Marshals Service office nearby "but was unsuccessful in securing their assistance in his attempt to arrest both representatives."
A spokesman for the Staten Island District Attorney's Office declined to comment to NPR about the filing.
Thanks to Bobby Allyn.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Union Leader with Reputed Mob Ties “The only reason I’m standing here today is because my name is John Matassa.” Federal Judge “You pled guilty to a felony...That’s why you’re here"
Five months after he pleaded guilty to embezzlement, a onetime union leader with reputed mob ties told a federal judge, “The only reason I’m standing here today is because my name is John Matassa.”
Matassa faced sentencing Monday, more than two years after being hit with a 10-count federal indictment. He explained that he’d been targeted by the U.S. Department of Labor. But U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly saw things differently.
“You pled guilty to a felony to avoid going to trial,” Kennelly said. “That’s why you’re here right now. Not because your name is John Matassa.”
Then, the judge handed Matassa a six-month prison sentence and added six months of home confinement. The case stemmed from Matassa’s job as the secretary-treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Kennelly described that organization as “the weirdest union that I’ve ever seen.” He repeatedly mentioned that it collected barely enough dues to pay Matassa’s salary and expenses.
Matassa admitted last February to an embezzlement scheme in which he began in 2013 to split his weekly paycheck from the union with his wife. Prosecutors said she became the union’s highest-paid employee — despite not actually working for it. Matassa’s attorneys said she helped him do his job.
In 2014 and 2015, Matassa raised his wife’s salary without the approval of the union’s president or its executive board. Meanwhile, Matassa had applied for old-age insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration in 2013.
Those benefits would have been reduced if he made too much money. However, as a result of the arrangement with his wife, Matassa collected $75,108 in insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, according to his plea agreement.
The charges against Matassa followed a long career in which his name notably surfaced during the 2009 trial of John Ambrose, a deputy U.S. marshal who leaked details about mob hitman Nicholas Calabrese.
Calabrese became a key cooperator with federal investigators and was under the protection of the marshals. Matassa allegedly functioned as a go-between for the information that eventually made its way to then-imprisoned Chicago mob boss, James “Little Jimmy” Marcello.
Thanks to Jon Seidel.
Matassa faced sentencing Monday, more than two years after being hit with a 10-count federal indictment. He explained that he’d been targeted by the U.S. Department of Labor. But U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly saw things differently.
“You pled guilty to a felony to avoid going to trial,” Kennelly said. “That’s why you’re here right now. Not because your name is John Matassa.”
Then, the judge handed Matassa a six-month prison sentence and added six months of home confinement. The case stemmed from Matassa’s job as the secretary-treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Kennelly described that organization as “the weirdest union that I’ve ever seen.” He repeatedly mentioned that it collected barely enough dues to pay Matassa’s salary and expenses.
Matassa admitted last February to an embezzlement scheme in which he began in 2013 to split his weekly paycheck from the union with his wife. Prosecutors said she became the union’s highest-paid employee — despite not actually working for it. Matassa’s attorneys said she helped him do his job.
In 2014 and 2015, Matassa raised his wife’s salary without the approval of the union’s president or its executive board. Meanwhile, Matassa had applied for old-age insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration in 2013.
Those benefits would have been reduced if he made too much money. However, as a result of the arrangement with his wife, Matassa collected $75,108 in insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, according to his plea agreement.
The charges against Matassa followed a long career in which his name notably surfaced during the 2009 trial of John Ambrose, a deputy U.S. marshal who leaked details about mob hitman Nicholas Calabrese.
Calabrese became a key cooperator with federal investigators and was under the protection of the marshals. Matassa allegedly functioned as a go-between for the information that eventually made its way to then-imprisoned Chicago mob boss, James “Little Jimmy” Marcello.
Thanks to Jon Seidel.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
LBJ: The Mastermind of the JFK Assassination
The explosive true story of how a deranged Lyndon Johnson conspired to murder the President of the United States
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LBJ: The Mastermind of the JFK Assassination, aims to prove that Vice President Johnson played an active role in the assassination of President Kennedy and that he began planning his takeover of the US presidency even before being named the vice-presidential nominee in 1960. Lyndon B. Johnson’s flawed personality and character traits, formed as a child, grew unchecked for the rest of his life as he suffered severe bouts of manic-depressive illness. He successfully hid this disorder from the public as he bartered, stole, and finessed his way through the corridors of power on Capitol Hill, though it’s recorded that some of his aides knew of his struggle with bipolar disorder.
After years of researching Johnson and the JFK assassination, Phillip F. Nelson conclusively shows that LBJ had an active role in JFK’s assassination, and he includes newly-uncovered photographic evidence proving that Johnson knew when and where Kennedy’s assassination would take place. Nelson’s careful and meticulous research has led him to uncover secrets from one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in our country’s history.
.LBJ: The Mastermind of the JFK Assassination, aims to prove that Vice President Johnson played an active role in the assassination of President Kennedy and that he began planning his takeover of the US presidency even before being named the vice-presidential nominee in 1960. Lyndon B. Johnson’s flawed personality and character traits, formed as a child, grew unchecked for the rest of his life as he suffered severe bouts of manic-depressive illness. He successfully hid this disorder from the public as he bartered, stole, and finessed his way through the corridors of power on Capitol Hill, though it’s recorded that some of his aides knew of his struggle with bipolar disorder.
After years of researching Johnson and the JFK assassination, Phillip F. Nelson conclusively shows that LBJ had an active role in JFK’s assassination, and he includes newly-uncovered photographic evidence proving that Johnson knew when and where Kennedy’s assassination would take place. Nelson’s careful and meticulous research has led him to uncover secrets from one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in our country’s history.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Job Opening for Intelligence Specialist in Key West for the @USArmy to Fight #OrganizedCrime
The United States government is a massive employer, and is always looking for qualified candidates to fill a wide variety of open employment positions in locations across the country. Below you’ll find a Qualification Summary for an active, open job listing from the Department of the Army. The opening is for an Intelligence Specialist in Key West, Florida
Intelligence Specialist – Key West, Florida
Joint Activities, Department of the Army
Job ID: 117253
Start Date: 07/08/2019
End Date: 07/15/2019
If you’d like to submit a resume or apply for this position, please contact Premier Veterans at abjobs@premierveterans.com.
Qualification Summary
Who May Apply:
Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. 10-Point Other Veterans? Rating 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans 5-Point Veterans’ Preference Current Army Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Employee Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current DoD Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Employee (non-Army)Current Permanent Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Interchange Agreement Disabled Veteran w/ a Service-Connected Disability, More than 10%, Less than 30%Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer Prior Federal Service Employee United States Citizen Applying to a DCIPS Position Army DCIPS positions apply Veteran’s Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one (1) year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized Experience: specialized experience is defined as experience with 1.) performing all-source intelligence analysis, reporting and/or production related to counter narco-terrorist and/or counter-transnational organized crime activities AND 2.) coordinating with local, state, federal, and/or foreign governments involved in tactical intelligence operations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level in the federal service (GG/GS-12). Creditable experience may include previous military experience, experience gained in the private sector or in another government agency as long as it was at a level at least equivalent to the next lower band in the series. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
All-Source Intelligence Analysis Oral Communication Planning and Evaluating Progressively responsible experience is that which has included intelligence-related research, analysis, collections and /or operations. This experience should have included intelligence analysis and/or production, intelligence collection and/or operations, counterintelligence, or threat support directly related to the position to be filled.This experience should demonstrate: Knowledge of intelligence processes, cycle and organizations; Knowledge of and/or ability to use research tools such as library holdings, photographs, statistics, graphics and maps; Knowledge of the systems, procedures and methods of analyzing, compiling, reporting and disseminating intelligence data; and/or Knowledge of organization(s) for and methods of collecting and analyzing intelligence data.
Intelligence Specialist – Key West, Florida
Joint Activities, Department of the Army
Job ID: 117253
Start Date: 07/08/2019
End Date: 07/15/2019
If you’d like to submit a resume or apply for this position, please contact Premier Veterans at abjobs@premierveterans.com.
Qualification Summary
Who May Apply:
Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. 10-Point Other Veterans? Rating 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans 5-Point Veterans’ Preference Current Army Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Employee Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current DoD Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Employee (non-Army)Current Permanent Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Interchange Agreement Disabled Veteran w/ a Service-Connected Disability, More than 10%, Less than 30%Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer Prior Federal Service Employee United States Citizen Applying to a DCIPS Position Army DCIPS positions apply Veteran’s Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one (1) year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized Experience: specialized experience is defined as experience with 1.) performing all-source intelligence analysis, reporting and/or production related to counter narco-terrorist and/or counter-transnational organized crime activities AND 2.) coordinating with local, state, federal, and/or foreign governments involved in tactical intelligence operations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level in the federal service (GG/GS-12). Creditable experience may include previous military experience, experience gained in the private sector or in another government agency as long as it was at a level at least equivalent to the next lower band in the series. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
All-Source Intelligence Analysis Oral Communication Planning and Evaluating Progressively responsible experience is that which has included intelligence-related research, analysis, collections and /or operations. This experience should have included intelligence analysis and/or production, intelligence collection and/or operations, counterintelligence, or threat support directly related to the position to be filled.This experience should demonstrate: Knowledge of intelligence processes, cycle and organizations; Knowledge of and/or ability to use research tools such as library holdings, photographs, statistics, graphics and maps; Knowledge of the systems, procedures and methods of analyzing, compiling, reporting and disseminating intelligence data; and/or Knowledge of organization(s) for and methods of collecting and analyzing intelligence data.
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