Gotti pleads not guilty in Tampa court

John A. "Junior" Gotti pleaded not guilty this afternoon to murder and racketeering charges in Tampa federal court, according to stories from the Associated Press and Reuters news services.

The 44-year-old Gotti, dressed in a blue prison jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles, did not speak during his 5-minute hearing. His attorney Charles Carnesi entered the plea for him.

Prosecutors say Gotti led a crew of the Gambino Crime Family operating in Florida. He has been charged with trafficking in cocaine and with participating in three racketeering-related murders between 1988 and 1991.

Gotti was previously convicted of racketeering and served time in prison. Since then, he has avoided conviction in three major racketeering trials in New York City. He has stated that he left the crime family years ago.

No date has yet been set for the trial.

Gotti arrives for Tampa arraignment

After traveling a circuitous route in the custody of federal authorities, John A. "Junior" Gotti (right) arrived in Tampa, Florida, yesterday and was scheduled for arraignment in Tampa federal court this afternoon, according to a story by Elaine Silvestrini of the Tampa Tribune.

Gotti was arrested Aug. 5 in New York on federal charges filed in Florida. He is accused of participating in Gambino Crime Family murders of George Grosso, Louis DiBono and Bruce John Gotterup. He is also charged of cocaine trafficking.

Gotti's attorney Charles Carnesi intends to seek a change of venue. He hopes to have his client's trial moved to New York, where Gotti in recent years has three times avoided conviction on racketeering-related charges.

Fanny Gotti dies at age 96

Philomena "Fanny" Gotti, mother of the late Gambino Crime Family boss John J. "Teflon Don" Gotti and grandmother of John A. "Junior" Gotti, died Tuesday night at her Long Island home at the age of 96, according to a report by WNBC-TV New York.

Philomena Gotti was born in Naples, Italy, where she married. The Gottis entered the U.S. in the 1920s, settling first in the Bronx and later in East New York, Brooklyn. She resided in Valley Stream, NY, at the time of her death.

She had more than a dozen children (WNBC reported she had 13, while Newsday said 16). In addition to John J. Gotti, four other sons were also linked to organized crime. Gene and Peter Gotti are serving extended prison sentences for racketeering convictions. Richard V. Gotti was jailed in 2003 for racketeering and other crimes. Vincent Gotti is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in connection with the FBI's crackdown on the Gambino organization, according to the television report. (John J. and Peter Gotti shown at right.)

Broke 'Nose' gets two years in prison

A Brooklyn federal judge yesterday sentenced John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico (left), 72, to two years in prison and a $4,000 fine for extorting money from a Staten Island cement plant, according to stories by the Associated Press and by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

According to defense attorney Elizabeth Macedonio, "the Nose" is still broke. The attorney stated that her client has no assets and suffers from many health problems. She disputed prosectors' contention that D'Amico was a leader of the Gambino Crime Family. Macedonio and members of the D'Amico family asked Judge Jack Weinstein for a lenient sentence.

The two year sentence was within recommended guidelines for extortion.

D'Amico was among the 62 people rounded up by federal authorities in February. D'Amico, reputed acting boss of the Gambino clan, pleaded guilty May 28 to shaking down the cement company for $100,000.

Feds draw fire for handling of Gambino case

A sweeping federal case against 62 alleged members and associates of the Gambino Crime Family has so far resulted in 60 plea deals and one dismissal, according to a story by Tom Hays published in Newsday.

Two of the pleas were entered yesterday. "Little Nick" Corozzo (left), 68, reputed lieutenant in the crime family, pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 26, 1996, slaying of an underworld rival. He could face 12 years or more in prison when sentenced. Vincent DeConiglio's guilty plea to lesser charges could result in a year or more behind bars.

Prosecutors say that Corozzo was part of a three-man committee formed in 1994 to assist John A. "Junior" Gotti in running the Gambino Crime Family during his father's imprisonment. John J. Gotti died in prison in 2002.

One defendant remains of the 62 arrested on Feb. 7. Charles Carneglia (shown on the New York Post cover at right), 62, has said he intends to go to trial and to testify on his own behalf, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. He is charged in connection with five killings.

U.S. attorneys in Brooklyn have been criticized for a broad attack against the criminal organization, which has resulted in few extended prison sentences. The defendant with the highest reputed rank in the crime family, acting boss John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico, could be sentenced to less than two years in prison after pleading guilty to extorting $100,000 from a cement company. His attorney said prosecutors' willingness to cut short-sentence deals showed "a lack of evidence and quality of evidence."

Some note, however, that the approach might have profoundly shaken the crime family. "It disrupts the family and creates an environment of insecurity," said one former prosecutor. "They essentially took out an entire organization in one fell swoop."

Cefalu sentenced to 2 years for extortion

Domenico Cefalu, alleged acting underboss of the Gambino Crime Family, was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for extorting money from a cement company, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Cefalu, 61, was sentenced by Judge Jack Weinstein in Brooklyn federal court. Prosecutors asked for a sentence that would reflect Cefalu's alleged high rank in the crime family. Defense attorney Joseph Ryan contested the prosecution's portrayal of Cefalu's lofty status, noting that he had worked as a $42,000 a year bakery supply salesman, drove a 1999 sedan and lost his apartment in Bay Ridge after his February arrest. Ryan said Cefalu will be forced to move in with his elderly mother when he is released from prison.

Judge Weinstein settled on a sentence that was just three months more than the 21-month minimum.

NJ extortion case dropped, evidence lacking

Federal prosecutors have dropped an extortion case against Anthony Delvescovo, director of tunnel operations for Schiavone Construction Co., according to a story published in the New York Daily News.

A motion filed by the prosecutors indicated, "There is presently insufficient evidence to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

Delvescovo was one of 62 people rounded up in February for alleged ties to the Gambino Crime Family. He pleaded not guilty to a charge that he extorted money from a trucking company owner. Delvescovo's defense attorney said his client was "wrongly accused on insufficient evidence."

Report: Alite turns on old pal Gotti

John Alite, who shared a 25-year friendship with John A. "Junior" Gotti, will be the government's key witness in its latest case against the former Gambino Crime Family boss, according to a story by John Marzulli and Tracy O'Connor of the New York Daily News.

The story indicates that Alite, after serving two prison terms, is hoping to avoid a third by testifying against his old friend.

Alite served three years in prison starting in 1995 when he was found to be in possession of a handgun. A previous conviction for aggravated assault made it illegal for him to carry a firearm. He was later sentenced to three months behind bars when he was found to be helping inmate Antonio Parlavecchio smuggle his semen out of prison in order to impregnate Parlavecchio's wife.

In 2004, criminal charges were lodged against Alite and other members of a Gambino crew based in the Tampa, Florida, area. Alite's trial was delayed. He was in Brazil and fought extradition to the U.S.

In 2006, he reportedly communicated with the St. Petersburg (FL) Times while held in a Rio de Janeiro lockup. The conversation should have been a clue to Gotti and associates that Alite was preparing to aid prosecutors: "I've lost everything," Alite lamented. "...Am I bitter? Yeah, I'm bitter. Who wouldn't be?... Was I friends with John Gotti? Yes. Am I friends with him now? No."

Gotti was arrested at his New York home yesterday on federal charges related to three murders and an alleged Florida drug trafficking operation. Three federal racketeering cases against Gotti in 2005 and 2006 ended in mistrials.

Gotti faces federal murder and drug charges

John A. "Junior" Gotti, who three times won mistrials on racketeering charges, was arrested again today for racketeering offenses, including possession with intent to distribute 5 kg or more of a "substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine," and the murders of George Grosso, Louis DiBono and Bruce John Gotterup, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

(See press conference video hosted by WNBC-TV New York.)

The latest charges against Gotti, 44, grew out of a Tampa, Florida, investigation into an arm of the Gambino Crime Family - including Ronald 'Ronnie One Arm" Trucchio and John Alite - that had been active in that community. Trucchio and several others were convicted in 2006. Alite is awaiting trial. He was in Brazil when the others went to trial and had to be extradited.

The latest Gotti indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Tampa and sealed on July 24.

Gotti was arrested this morning at his home at Oyster Bay, Long Island, and he was taken to Manhattan federal court for a hearing of the charges, according to a report by WNBC-TV. Gotti faces a possible life prison sentence if convicted of the charges against him.

An attorney representing Gotti, Seth Ginsberg, told the press, "We're confident that there is no strength to the allegations and that he will prevail once again." Ginsberg said he expected Gotti to be transported to Tampa for arraignment.

Gotti has admitted to participating in the leadership of the Gambino Crime Family once bossed by his father John J. Gotti. "Junior" Gotti pleaded guilty to racketeering offenses - bribery, extortion, fraud and gambling - back in 1999. He served his time and was released in 2005. The younger Gotti insists that he left the Mafia life years ago - beyond the statute of limitations for more recent federal racketeering charges. Three trials between September 2005 and September 2006, which involved accusations that Gotti ordered the kidnapping of radio personality Curtis Sliwa, ended in mistrials.

The murder conspiracy charges could present a more difficult problem for Gotti and his attorneys, as the statute of limitations will afford no protection.

George Grosso was killed Dec. 29, 1998, in Queens, NY. Louis DiBono, Gambino soldier and construction contractor, was found shot to death inside of a Cadillac sedan at the World Trade Center in early October 1990. He had been shot seven times - four times to the head. John J. Gotti was convicted of ordering that killing. Bruce John Gotterup was killed Nov. 20, 1991, at the Boardwalk at the Rockaways in Queens.

In addition to the charges against Gotti, the Tampa-based prosecutors revealed related charges against alleged Gotti associates John A. Burke, 47, now imprisoned in New York; James V. Cadicamo (right), 33, of Tampa; David D'Arpino, 33, of Howard Beach, NY; Michael D. Finnerty, 43, of Oceanside, NY; and Guy T. Peden, of Wantagh, NY.

Other coverage:

• Booth, Jenny, "Alleged Mafia boss John 'Junior' Gotti up in court on murder charges," TimesOnline (UK).
  
• Dienst, Jonathan, "FBI: 'Junior' Gotti arrested in connection with mob hits," WNBC-TV.
  
• Blumenthal, Mitchell L., and William K. Rashbaum, "Gotti arrested in murder conspiracy," New York Times.


• Rashbaum, William K. and Mitchell L. Blumenthal, "Gotti arrested in murder conspiracy," International Herald Tribune.


• East, Chip, "Gotti Jr. indicted for murder conspiracy," USAToday.

Nick Corozzo admits gambling

Nicholas Corozzo, reputed lieutenant in the Gambino Crime Family, pleaded guilty July 30 to running a Queens NY-based gambling ring, according to a story published by the New York Daily News. Corozzo, 68, faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced in December. Corozzo was among the scores of alleged Gambino members and associates rounded up in February.

Three face federal murder charges

Thomas Dono, 34, Letterio "Lenny" DeCarlo, 47, and Edmund "Eddie" Boyle, 43, were charged Wednesday with the 1998 killing of a suspected informant, according to reports in the New York Daily News and Newsday.

According to prosecutors, the three men killed Frank Hydell outside a Staten Island, NY, strip club because they feared he would reveal what he knew of the 1997 slaying of construction foreman Frank Parasole at a Brooklyn social club. The prosecutors say Dono, DeCarlo and Boyle are associates of the Gambino Crime Family.

Hydell was shot in the head and chest at midnight April 27, 1998, outside of Scarlet's club.

Dono was arrested early Tuesday. DeCarlo and Boyle are in federal prison on unrelated charges.

JoJo Corozzo reaches plea deal

Federal prosecutors on June 6 dropped drug-trafficking charges against the reputed consigliere of the Gambino Crime Family and permitted him to plead guilty instead to an extortion charge, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo (right), 66, reached the plea deal in New York shortly after his brother, Nicholas Corozzo, turned himself in to authorities at the end of May. Authorities believe Nicholas is a leader of the Gambino clan. He is charged with extorting money from construction companies, running illegal gambling and ordering a 1996 mob hit in which an innocent bystander was killed. Prosecutors labeled Nicholas a fugitive from justice after February raids against suspected Gambino members and associates.

Joseph Corozzo admitted extorting money from a Staten Island cement company. He could be sentenced to as little as 37 months in prison for the offense. The dismissed drug-trafficking charges carried the possibility of life in prison.

Two more Gambino guilty pleas

Frank Cali, 43, and Leonard DiMaria, 67, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court yesterday to extortion-related charges, according to a story by Anthony M. DeStefano of Newsday. The two men were arrested in February along with dozens of others suspected of involvement in the Gambino Crime Family. Roughly half of the 60-plus defendants have reached plea deals.

Cali admitted to conspiring to extort money from a trucker working at a Staten Island NASCAR construction site. Prosecutors believe he is an acting "captain" in the Gambino criminal organization and also close to members of the Mafia in Sicily. He could get up to 24 months in prison when sentenced in September.

DiMaria admitted to conspiring to extort money from contractor/trucker Joseph Vollaro. Vollaro, a former mob associate, cooperated with investigators in the case. DiMaria, now ailing but once considered a powerhouse in the Gambino clan, faces up to five years in prison.

In a story by Murray Weiss last August, the New York Post called Cali a Gambino "ambassador to Sicilian mobsters" and linked him to the Inzerillo Mafia clan. That information was apparently obtained through Sicilian wiretaps. Authorities at the time still hadn't precisely identified Cali. In February, the New York Daily News reported that the Frank Cali arrested in the Gambino raids was linked with Sicily's Inzerillo Crime Family. The Italian Repubblica reported that Cali was born in New York on March 26, 1965, as Francesco Paolo Augusto Cali. His father, who has no criminal record, was an immigrant to New York who maintained a residence in Palermo. Cali married into the Inzerillo family. The Inzerillos had fled to New Jersey during the 1980s Mafia wars in Sicily. In 2003, much of the family returned to Sicily and became influential in the underworld there.

Nick Corozzo turns himself in

Nicholas Corozzo, brother of reputed Gambino Crime Family consigliere "JoJo" Corozzo and fugitive since a federal indictment of suspected crime family members and associates in February, has turned himself in to police, according to a story by Tom Hays of the Associated Press.

Corozzo has been charged with extorting money from construction companies, running illegal gambling and ordering a 1996 mob hit in which an innocent bystander was killed.

Alleged Gambino leaders make a deal

John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico and Domenico "Italian Dom" Cefalu, reputed leaders of the Gambino Crime Family, have agreed to plead guilty to a single count of extortion, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. Through their plea deal, each could spend less than two years in prison.

Prosecutors say D'Amico (left), 71, is the acting boss and Cefalu, 61, the acting underboss of the Gambino clan. Those two men and reputed Gambino consigliere Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo, 66, appeared to be the main targets of early February's FBI arrests of dozens of suspected Mafia members and associates. Corozzo also appears close to reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.

The D'Amico deal was made possible, according to defense attorney Elizabeth Macedonio, when prosecutors agreed to allow D'Amico to plead guilty to extortion rather than racketeering, which carries a tougher penalty. D'Amico and Cefalu admitted to extorting $100,000 from Staten Island cement company owner Joseph Vollaro. Vollaro later assisted the government's case.

Sixty-two people were indicted on federal charges in February. More than two dozen others were charged in related New York State matters.

D'Amico was recently in the New York newspapers as he hoped to win his release on $2 million bail in order to return to his $71,000 a year job as a sales representative for the Big Geyser beverage distribution company in Queens. D'Amico has worked for the company since 1991, according to a story by Tom Robbins of the Village Voice. The company also reportedly employs Matthew Madonna, 72, a reputed big shot in the Lucchese Crime Family, according to stories in the Daily News and the Village Voice.

FBI busts alleged racketeers in New Jersey

Federal law enforcement agents today took the wraps off an indictment charging nearly two dozen New Jersey men with racketeering, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

Ten of those charged with being made members or associates of the Gambino and Lucchese Crime Families were arrested this morning. Among those arrested, according to the press release, was Andrew Merola, 41, of East Hanover. Merola was identified as the lead defendant in the case. He is alleged to be the supervisor of the Gambino Crime Family's crew in New Jersey.

Also arrested was Ralph Cicalese, 55, of Roseland, alleged to be Merola's "right-hand man" with responsibility for gambling rackets. The indictment also named Martin Tacetta, 56, of East Hanover, as a racket partner of Merola. Tacetta is alleged to be a member of the Lucchese Family.

A total of 23 people were charged in the indictment, which was dated last Friday but kept sealed until this morning's arrests. The defendants are: Merola, Cicalese, Tacetta, Charles Muccigrosso, Kyle Ragusa, John Tizio, Gennaro Forte, Justin Cerrato, Charles Russo, Vincent Derogatis, Eric Maione, Christopher Doscher, Anthony Marra, Edward Deak, Michael Urgola, Joseph Manzella, John Cataldo, Jonathan Lanza, Paul Lanza, Joseph Schepisi, India Fugate and Vincent Fichera. An indictment is a formal accusation, but it is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent.

Peter Gotti asks for reduced sentence

Citing medical concerns, convicted racketeer Peter Gotti has asked a Brooklyn federal judge to reduce his prison term, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Gotti (right), 68, former acting boss of the Gambino Crime Family, was sentenced to 112 months for racketeering and money-laundering. Judge Frederic Block explained that he considered Gotti's physical condition when he sentenced him in 2004. Block is considering the request.

It is not clear how a reduction in the sentence will help Gotti. He is serving a concurrent 25-year sentence imposed by a Manhattan federal court. That term will not expire until after the ex-gang boss's 92nd birthday.

Judge: JoJo Corozzo needs a new lawyer

Brooklyn federal Judge Jack Weinstein decided March 27 that reputed Gambino Crime Family consigliere Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo cannot be represented at trial by his lawyer son, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Weinstein heard testimony from Salvatore Romano, a former Mafia associate, before he disqualified Joseph Corozzo Jr. from serving as his father's counsel in an upcoming racketeering trial. Many expected to hear additional testimony from Lewis Kasman, who had been like an adopted son to late Gambino boss John J. Gotti before flipping to the side of law enforcement. However, Weinstein made that unnecessary.

Gotti family insider Kasman set to testify

Lewis Kasman, 51, is scheduled to testify tomorrow in a hearing related to racketeering charges against reputed Gambino Crime Family consigliere Joseph Corozzo Sr., according to stories by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News and Alan Feuer of the New York Times. Kasman (right) was a Gambino insider, considered to be the adopted son of the family's late boss John J. Gotti.

The hearing is to determine whether Corozzo Sr. should be permitted to use his son Joseph Corozzo Jr. as his defense counsel in an upcoming racketeering trial. Prosecutors indicated that Kasman will testify about his knowledge of Corozzo criminal activity.

Kasman could not become a "made" member of the Mafia because he is not Italian. Still officials note he was very close to John Gotti and to a number of members of the Gambino Family. Kasman reportedly taped his conversations with racketeers beginning in 2005 and has provided additional information to federal investigators.

Corozzo Sr. was named, along with scores of other defendants, in a recent federal indictment against alleged leaders, members and associates of the Gambino organization. Prosecutors say he is the consigliere, or third in command, of the organization. They have accused the younger Mr. Corozzo of serving as house counsel to the crime family. Corozzo Jr. is not facing charges in connection with the racketeering case.

'Nose' broke: D'Amico can't pay lawyer

John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico cannot pay his attorney, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Yesterday, attorney Robert Blossner told a Brooklyn federal judge, "He's been unable in any manner at all to meet any financial obligations to me."

Investigators say D'Amico, acting boss of the Gambino Crime Family, is a longtime gambler and could be out of cash. D'Amico might be eligible for a public defender as he faces charges of racketeering and extortion.