South Florida racketeers get jail time

Three South Florida men accused of working in league with the New York-based Genovese Crime Family were sentenced March 30 to prison terms and supervised release, according to an AP account published in the Gainesville FL Sun.

Mitchell Wiessman, 54, was sentenced to 97 months (about eight years) in prison and a subsequent two-year substance abuse program. Joseph Dennis Colasacco, 55, will serve 73 months (about six years) before heading into two years of anger management courses. Charles Steinberg, 31, has two years of gambling counseling to look forward to as he serves his 41 months (nearly three and a half years) in prison.

The three men pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. Wiessman and Colasacco were facing possible 100-year terms if convicted after trial on the charges against them.

Wiessman, Colasacco and Steinberg were arrested in June 2006 along with four other men, including a reputed Genovese soldier, 96-year-old Albert "Chinky" Facchiano, and a reputed local capo, Renaldi Ruggiero, 73. The other men charged in the case were Clement Santoro of New York and Francis J. O'Donnell of Cooper City, FL. All the defendants reached plea arrangements. Ruggiero's plea deal included his acknowledgement that he served as a capo in the Genovese organization.

Related MobNews posts:

• 'Chinky' Facchiano, 96, pleads guilty 02-28-07
• Ruggiero admits to being Genovese capo 02-02-07
• Facchiano indicted in two states 01-04-07
• Guilty plea from Fla. Genovese associate 12-30-06
• Florida Mafia case based on wiretaps 08-16-06
• Four Floridians held without bail 07-08-06
• Feds break up Florida arm of Genovese family 07-01-06

Facchiano indicted in two states

New York and Florida racketeering indictments against Albert "Chinky" Facchiano, 96, are the focus of an article by Curt Anderson of the Associated Press.
Facchiano is believed to have been a Genovese Crime Family soldier for decades. His police record stretches back to an arrest during the Great Depression.
More recently, law enforcement officials say Facchiano was part of a Genovese family arm operating in south Florida. In late June, he was formally charged in Fort Lauderdale - along with reputed Genovese lieutenant Renaldi "Ray" Ruggiero, 72, and five other men - with extortion, money-laundering and other crimes.
In New York, he faces a similar list of charges, plus an accusation that he attempted to locate and intimidate a government witness in 2005.
One defendant in the Florida case, Charles Steinberg, 31, pleaded guilty in December and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Related MobNews items:

• Guilty plea from Fla. Genovese associate 12-30-2006
• Florida Mafia case based on wiretaps 08-16-2006
• Four Floridians held without bail 07-08-2006
• Feds break up Florida arm of Genovese family 07-01-2006