Lucchese betting ring arraignment

Thirty-four people, including leading figures from Lucchese Crime Family operations in New Jersey, were arraigned July 28 for racketeeing, money laundering, gambling and other offenses, according to a story by Peggy Wright of the Daily Record. The defendants all pleaded not guilty. The charges stemmed from an investigation of an international sports gambling enterprise that hauled in $2.2 billion in wagers over a 15-month period.
    The indictments against the 34 were returned in May. The defendants included Martin Taccetta, 59, of East Hanover NJ. Tacceta, currently serving a life prison sentence on a 1993 racketeering conviction, is believed to have been the New Jersey commander of the Lucchese organization. Taccetta was released from prison in 2004 after a successful legal appeal and allegedly became involved in the gambling operation during his time out of prison. The New Jersey State Supreme Court returned him to prison to serve out his sentence. He was charged July 28 with conspiracy and promotion of gambling.

    Other defendants are Ralph V. Perna (right), 64, of East Hanover, reputed top Lucchese capodecina in the Garden State; James Furfaro, Jr., 30, of Parsippany; and Alfonso "Tic" Cataldo, 68, of Florham Park. Perna is accused of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the gambling enterprise allegedly managed by his three sons, Joseph M. Perna, 40, John G. Perna, 32, and Ralph M. Perna, 38.

    Related post: NJ charges 34 with gambling, racketeering

Wiretaps capture Lucchese-Bloods alliance

A New Jersey case against 34 reputed underworld figures is based on hundreds of wiretapped conversations, some of which illustrate an alliance between the Lucchese Crime Family and the Nine Trey Gangster set of the Bloods street gang, according to a story by George Anastasia of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
    During the course of Operation Heat, investigators tracked and recorded at least a dozen conversations between imprisoned Nine Trey leader Edwin Spears and reputed mobsters Joseph Perna, 40, and Michael Cetta, 41. The groups are alleged to have cooperated on the smuggling of drugs and prepaid cellphones into East Jersey State Prison. Portions of the recorded conversations were presented in a 195-page investigative affidavit that is part of the pending criminal case.

NJ charges 34 with gambling, racketeering

A New Jersey crackdown on the Lucchese Crime Family resulted in the mid-May indictment of 34 reputed members of associates of that criminal organization, according to reports by the Associated Press, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Morris County Daily Record. The indictment charges the men with racketeering, illegal gambling, money laundering and other crimes.

The state investigation began almost four years ago with a probe into illegal gambling. New Jersey officials estimate that the gambling ring generated $2.2 billion in a 15-month period. Wagers were funneled through Internet websites to a wire room in Costa Rica.

Most of those named in the indictment were arrested in mid-December 2007.

Two of the accused are Joseph DiNapoli, 74, of Scarsdale, NY, and Matthew Madonna, 74, of Seldon, NY. Prosecutors say those men comprise two-thirds of the leadership panel ruling the Lucchese Crime Family. Also indicted were Ralph V. Perna (right), 64, of East Hanover, NJ, and Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., 44, of Ventnor, NJ. Authorities say Perna has been the leader of the Lucchese clan within New Jersey since 2007, when Scarfo was deposed. Scarfo, who was not arrested in the 2007 raids, was arrested on a warrant in Egg Harbor Township after the recent indictment.

As the indictments were announced, New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow noted a growing alliance between the Lucchese organization and street gangs. She noted that Lucchese members had a working relationship with the Nine Trey Gangsters set of the Bloods to smuggle drugs and cellphones into East Jersey State Prison.

NJ bust links Lucchese clan to Bloods street gang

Mid-December arrests of Lucchese Crime Family members and associates revealed an underworld alliance between the Mafia organization and the Bloods street gang, according to a press release from the New Jersey Attorney General.

The release dated Dec. 18 announced the arrests of 27 individuals, including top-ranked members of the Lucchese family, for allegedly running a lucrative gambling operation that used extortion and violence to collect on debts. The ring is believed to have dealt with $2.2 billion in bets through a 15-month period. Those arrested included two of the three men believed by authorities to be serving on a ruling panel of the crime family, Joseph DiNapoli, 72, of Scarsdale, NY; and Matthew Madonna, 72, of Seldon, NY. (According to published reports, the third member of the ruling panel - and perhaps its senior member - is Aniello Migliore, former underboss to Antonio Corallo.) Also arrested was Ralph V. Perna, 61, of East Hanover, NJ. Authorities claim Perna (left) is a top capo for the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese clan. Perna's three sons were arrested with him.

Attorney General Anne Milgram noted, "We have disrupted the highest echelon of the Lucchese organized crime family in both New York and New Jersey... We also broke up an alarming alliance between the Lucchese crime family and the Bloods street gang to smuggle heroin, cocaine, marijuana and cell phones into East Jersey State Prison through an allegedly corrupt prison guard."

The smuggling scheme allegedly involved corrections officer Michael T. Bruinton, 43; Lucchese leaders and members of the Nine Trey Gangster set of the Bloods street gang.

The Attorney General's Office released the following list of defendants and charges:

• Joseph DiNapoli, 72, Scarsdale, N.Y. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Matthew Madonna, 72, of Seldon, N.Y. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Ralph V. Perna, 61, East Hanover. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Joseph M. Perna, 38, Wyckoff. Promoting gambling, money laundering, racketeering, extortion (second degree), aggravated assault (second degree), conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree) and bribery (second degree).


• John G. Perna, 30, West Caldwell. Promoting gambling, money laundering, racketeering, extortion (second degree) and aggravated assault (second degree).


• Ralph M. Perna, 35, West Caldwell. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Martin Tacetta, 56, East Hanover. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Michael A. Cetta, 41, Wyckoff. Promoting gambling, money laundering, racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree) and bribery (second degree).


• John V. Mangrella, 65, Clifton. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Alfonso “Tic” Cataldo, 65, Florham Park. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Antonio “Curly” Russo, 70, Bloomingdale. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Elliot Porco, 45, Bronx, N.Y. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Gianni Lacovo, 32, Elmwood Park. Promoting gambling, money laundering, racketeering, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault (second degree), and criminal usury (second degree).


• James Furfaro Jr., 28, Parsippany. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• John N. Turi, 28, Clifton. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Michael T. Ramuno III, 33, Philadelphia. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Robert A. Romano, 29, Brick. Promoting gambling, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault (second degree) and racketeering.


• Ron Scrips, 44, Staten Island, N.Y. Promoting gambling, money laundering and racketeering.


• Samuel A. Juliano, 62, Glen Ridge. Racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree), bribery (second degree) and money laundering (third degree).


• Edwin B. Spears, 33, Northern State Prison. Racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree), bribery (second degree) and money laundering (third degree).


• Michael T. Bruinton, 43, Ringoes. Racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree), bribery (second degree) and money laundering (third degree).


• Dwayne E. Spears, 28, Neptune. Racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree), bribery (second degree) and money laundering (third degree).


• Francine Hightower, 50, Tinton Falls. Racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree), bribery (second degree) and money laundering (third degree).


• Kristen A. Gilliam, 24, Farmingdale. Racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin (second degree), bribery (second degree) and money laundering (third degree).

See also: Smalley, Suzanne, "Unholy Alliance," Newsweek Web Exclusive, Dec. 21, 2007.