Cicale: 'Gorgeous' ordered 2004 murder

Dominick Cicale, former lieutenant in the Bonanno Crime Family, testified yesterday that acting Bonanno bosses Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano and Michael Mancuso ordered the November 2004 murder of Randolph Pizzolo, according to a story by Anthony M. DeStefano published on AM New York.

Pizzolo was shot to death after Basciano (right) was arrested on racketeering charges. Cicale testified that Mancuso, standing in for Basciano as boss, approved the hit, while Bonanno soldier Anthony Aiello carried it out. The murder was called for, Cicale said, because of Pizzolo's indiscrete talk and actions.

Basciano, 47, is now on trial for the February 2001 racketeering murder of Frank Santoro in the Bronx. A capital murder trial on the Pizzolo murder is scheduled for next year. Mancuso and Aiello face racketeering trials, which include the Pizzolo murder charge.

Cicale noted that Basciano's personal involvement in the murder of Santoro left the mob bigshot with a bad bruise on his jaw, the result of a shotgun recoil, according to a story by Stefanie Cohen of the New York Post. Cicale said he, Basciano and another mobster drove up to Santoro as he was walking his dog on Feb. 15, 2001. Cicale and Basciano shot the man in the street.

That hit was ordered by Basciano because he learned that Santoro, a drug addict, planned to kidnap one of Basciano's children for ransom.

Cicale, 40, was an acting crew leader in the Bonanno clan. During cross examination, he acknowledged lying at times to avoid going to jail.

In earlier testimony, Cicale explained that Basciano was paranoid that an underworld associate might be working with law enforcement, accoridng to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. During a meeting with the boss in 2004, he demanded that underlings strip down to their underwear so he could be sure none were wearing a "wire."

Related MobNews posts:

• 'Gorgeous' back in court 06-19-07
• Basciano could face death penalty 04-03-07
• Basciano says poker buddies set him up 01-09-07
• Feds: Montagna is new top man for Bonannos 11-15-06
• 'Gorgeous' wants a new judge 11-02-06
• Not a hit-list, just a lucky charm 09-24-06
• Feds investigate Basciano plot against judge 09-20-06
• 'Gorgeous' complains to the management 08-29-06
• Feds: Gotti Jr. contemplated false testimony 06-15-06
• Vinny Gorgeous guilty of racketeering 05-10-06

Colombo got no-show job for pal

Four months after a federal mistrial on racketeering charges, Anthony Colombo pleaded guilty Tuesday to setting friend Philip Dioguardi up with a no-show job at EDP Construction from 1999 to 2000, according to a story by Kati Cornell of the New York Post.

Through a plea bargain, Colombo could be sentenced up to 18 months for defrauding the Manhattan-based construction firm.

EDP owner Dominick Forti claimed that he also paid a $600 a month salary and $24,000 in bonuses to Colombo's wife Carol, who did not in fact work for him. Forti said he did so fearing the wrath of Colombo, son of the late mob boss Joe Colombo.

Secrets: Shakedown video and the Clown's driver

Jurors in Chicago's Family Secrets trial on Tuesday were shown a videotape of an Outfit "street tax" collector at work. Frank "the German" Schweis, whose case was severed from the current trial because he is ill, was shown trying to persuade adult-bookstore owner William "Red" Wemette to pay the $1,100 a month tax, according to a story by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune.

Cooperating with authorities, Wemette told Schweis (right) that an underworld competitor was already taking protection payments from him. Schweis suggested that no one would dare to compete with the Outfit. He recalled one competitor who was eliminated: "Lumbo made it real [expletive] clear to him."

Prosecutors say "Lumbo" is a nickname for Family Secrets defendant Joseph Lombardo.

On Wednesday, the jury heard from a former driver for Lombardo (left). Alva Johnson Rodgers, 78, was brought into the Outfit in 1973 after helping Chicago gangster Marshall Caifano in a successful legal appeal. Rodgers, a habitual criminal, and Caifano once shared a cell in Atlanta federal prison, according to a Coen story in the Tribune.

Rodgers recalled when Lombardo was promoted over Caifano within the Outfit. Rodgers then went to work as Lombardo's driver. Soon after, Rodgers and Caifano started a peep-show business in Chicago and moved to monopolize the porn industry in the city under Outfit control.

Prosecutors on Wednesday also played an audio tape of Lombardo threatening the life of a casino owner who failed to pay back a loan.

Related MobNews posts:

• 'Secrets' witness provides Outfit history 06-26-07
• Opening statements at 'Secrets' trial 06-21-07
• Chicago 'Secrets' trial opens 06-19-07
• Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial 06-18-07
• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07
• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07
• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07