Feds want Corozzo off Scarpaci case

Charging that attorney Joseph Corozzo is "house counsel" for the Gambino Crime Family, federal prosecutors have questioned Corozzo's suitability as defense attorney for accused Gambino associate Michael Scarpaci, according to a story by Alison Gendar of the New York Daily News.
    Prosecutors noted that Corozzo suddenly assumed the role of defense counsel following a two-day late-April release of Scarpaci to attend his daughter's baptism.They questioned whether Corozzo, son of reputed Gambino consigliere Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo and nepgew of reputed capodecina Nicholas "Nicky" Corozzo, was being forced upon Scarpaci by members of the crime family. The temporary release may have been interpreted as a sign that Scarpaci was poised to cooperate with authorities, the prosecutors explained, and a defense attorney may have been imposed upon him to keep him in line.
    Corozzo responded by stating that he is being paid for his defense work by Scarpaci alone. "The government will always try to disrupt the defense any way they can," he said.
    Scarpaci, 34, is charged with running gambling operations for the Gambino Crime Family and with extorting payments from loan customers and businesses.

'Little Nick' goes away for 13+ years

A federal judge in Brooklyn has sentenced Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo, 69, to 13 and a half years in prison for the 1996 killing of Lucchese Crime Family associate Robert Arena that also left an innocent bystander dead, according to stories by the UPI and Newsday.

Corozzo (left), reputedly a high-level lieutenant in the Gambino Crime Family, admitted to ordering the Arena killing and to racketeering. He was sentenced April 17.

Last week, prosecutors attempted to restrict Corozzo's activities while in prison. They hoped to keep him from interacting with other mobsters or with family members linked to organized crime. Judge Jack Weinstein turned down the request, saying it would require prison officials to isolate Corozzo and/or place him in a penitentiary far from his family.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Plea deals offered to 60 New York mob defendants

Federal prosecutors have offered plea deals to all but two of the 62 people arrested in Feb. 7 raids directed against alleged members of the Gambino Crime Family, according to stories by the Associated Press and John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. Only Charles Carneglia and Nicholas Corozzo were excluded.

Reputed Gambino Family lieutenant Corozzo remains at large. He is charged with racketeering-related murder. He was also indicted for extortion and gambling offenses. Carneglia, reputed soldier in the crime family, is accused of five killings through three decades. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Letters containing the plea offers were passed out to defendants at yesterday's hearing in Brooklyn's federal court. A complete list of defendants in the case, as assembled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, is shown below:

JOSEPH AGATE, Age: 60	VINCENT AMARANTE, Age: 60	JEROME BRANCATO, Age: 76
THOMAS CACCIOPOLI, Age: 58	FRANK CALI, Age: 42	NICHOLAS CALVO, Age: 52
CHARLES CARNEGLIA, Age: 61	JOSEPH CASIERE, Age: 72	MARIO CASSARINO, Age: 42
DOMENICO CEFALU, Age: 61	JOSEPH CHIRICO, Age: 63	JOSEPH COROZZO, Age: 66
NICHOLAS COROZZO, Age: 67	GINO CRACOLICI, Age: 56	JOHN D’AMICO, Age: 73
SARAH DAURIA, Age: 33	VINCENT DECONGILIO, Age:	ANTHONY DELVESCOVO Age: 51
LEONARD DIMARIA, Age: 66	VINCENT DONNIS, Age: 38	VINCENT DRAGONETTI, Age: 43
ROBERT EPIFANIA, Age: 60	CODY FARRELL, Age: 29	RUSSELL FERRISI, Age: 41 :
LOUIS FILIPPELLI, Age: 41	RONALD FLAM, Age: 35	JOSEPH GAGGI, Age: 45
ABID GHANI, Age: 42	ANTHONY GIAMMARINO, Age: 56	RICHARD G. GOTTI, Age: 40
VINCENT GOTTI, Age: 55	ERNEST GRILLO, Age: 51	CHRISTOPHER HOWARD, Age:
STEVEN IARIA, Age: 43	EDDIE JAMES, Age: 49	JOHN KASGORGIS, Age:
WILLIAM KILGANNON, Age: 49	MICHAEL KING, Age: 41	ANTHONY LICATA, Age: 39
LOUIS MOSCA, Age: 62	LANCE MOSKOWITZ, Age:54	ANTHONY O’DONNELL, Age: 43
JAMES OUTERIE, Age: 54	VINCENT PACELLI, Age: 64	JOHN PISANO, Age: 49
TODD POLAKOFF, Age: 30	GUILIO POMPONIO, Age: 45	RICHARD RANIERI, Age: 51
JOHN REGIS, Age: 27	JERRY ROMANO, Age: 49	ANGELO RUGGIERO, JR., Age: 35
STEVEN SABELLA, Age: 41	ANTHONY SCIBELLI, Age: 57	AUGUSTUS SCLAFANI, Age: 67
JOSEPH SCOPO, Age: 31	WILLIAM SCOTTO, Age: 40	EDWARD SOBOL, Age: 41
JOSEPH SPINNATO, Age: 42	MICHAEL URCIUOLI, Age: 46	FRANK VASSALLO, Age: 38
TARA VEGA, Age: 35	ARTHUR ZAGARI, Age: 60

Former NYPD officers nabbed in Gambino bust

Two former New York police officers were among the scores of people arrested in Feb. 7 raids against the Gambino Crime Family, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Ronald Flam, 35, is charged with participating in a bookmaking ring, which included reputed Gambino bigshots Nicholas Corozzo and Leonard DiMaria. Frank Vassallo, 38, is charged with operating illegal Joker Poker machines in partnership with reputed Gambino soldier Vincent Dragonetti.

Flam worked in the 63rd Precinct for less than two years. Vassallo was a detective in the 83rd Precinct before retiring ona disability pension.

Mob-linked businessman flipped for feds

Joseph Vollaro, owner of Staten Island trucking and cement companies, secretly recorded conversations related to the leadership of the Gambino Crime Family for years, according to stories by Barry Paddock and John Marzulli of the New York Daily News and William K. Rashbaum of the New York Times.

Vollaro (left), 42, agreed to cooperate with state and federal law enforcement after he was arrested several years ago on drug charges. He wore a hidden recording device during meetings with reputed Gambino Family lieutenant Nicholas Corozzo, whom he met while in prison on an extortion charge in the late 1990s. Over two years, Vollaro made tribute payments estimated at $400,000 from his businesses to Gambino gangsters.

Evidence acquired through Vollaro's undercover work aided authorities in their early February move against 62 accused mobsters and associates. Just days before the arrests, Vollaro disappeared from his Staten Island home. He is now reportedly under federal protection.

Corozzo slipped away when the arrests went down. His brother, reputed Gambino consigliere Joseph Corozzo, was arrested along with reputed acting boss John D'Amico and dozens of others linked to the crime family.

Scores arrested in Mafia raids in U.S., Italy

A crackdown on organized crime on both sides of the Atlantic yesterday resulted in more than 80 arrests, according to a report by Julian Gavaghan of the U.K.'s Daily Mail. The FBI made 62 arrests in New York and New Jersey. Twenty more arrests were made in the Sicilian capital city of Palermo. The coordinated raids were part of an operation named, "Old Bridge."

Authorities in both countries claim that the Mafia has been trying to strengthen its trans-Atlantic ties and work on cooperative ventures, including money-laundering and narcotics smuggling.

A report by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News indicated that the New York-based Gambino Crime Family was the focus of the law enforcement action. Authorities say they are charging the family's acting boss John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico (left), underboss Dominic "Italian Dom" Cefalu and consigliere Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo with racketeering offenses, including murder and extortion. Also arrested was alleged family "street boss" Francesco Cali.

Nicholas "Little Nicky" Corozzo, Joseph's brother and alleged member of the organization's ruling committee during John A. Gotti's tenure as acting boss, was charged but remained at large, according to a story by William K. Rashbaum of the New York Times. Gotti relatives Vincent Gotti and Richard G. Gotti also face charges.

Charges are outlined in a 170-page federal indictment filed in New York. According to the indictment, several men linked to the Bonanno and Genovese Crime Families were also charged, as were a number of individuals in the construction industry and connected with locals of the Teamsters and Laborers unions.

"It is simply wrong to suggest that La Cosa Nostra... is no longer a threat to public safety or the economic vitality of New York City," said Mark J. Mershon, director of the FBI's New York office.

Murder accusations are related to the deaths of court officer Albert Gelb in March 1976, Michael Cotillo in November 1977, Salvatore Puma in July 1983, Louis DiBono in October 1990, Jose Delgado Rivera in December 1990, Robert Arena and Thomas Maranga in January 1996.

Gelb, who once arrested Gambino soldier Charles Carneglia, was shot to death four days before he was scheduled to testify against Carneglia. Carneglia is charged with committing five of the seven murders noted in the indictment.

The indictment also charges the defendants with gambling, loansharking, mail fraud, securities fraud, misuse of union funds and other offenses.

See also: Video from Newsday.com