Genovese Family 'Delmonico crew' busted

Seven alleged members of a Garrison, NY, based Genovese Crime Family crew were charged Feb. 12 with racketeering offenses, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a story by Timothy O'Connor of the Journal News.

Federal prosecutors say the arrests broke up the "Delmonico Crew," formerly led by Charles "Chuck Tourine" Delmonico who died in December of natural causes at age 81. Six alleged crew members were arrested Feb. 12, as a federal indictment was unsealed. They were Arthur Tassiello, 65, of Queens; Patrick O'Sullivan, 63, of Garrison; Joseph Belinsky, 75, of the Bronx; James Patrick Ryan, 61, of Manhattan; John Stavern, 62, of Valley Stream; and Joseph Cattaneo, 60, of Manhasset. Arthur Tassiello's brother Thomas Tassiello, 61, of Manhattan, was also charged. He was already in custody, the result of a Feb. 4 arrest of 13 suspected Genovese Crime Family members and associates.

William Donovan, also charged in the federal indictment, remains at large.

An 11-count indictment charges the group with racketeering, loansharking, interstate transportation of stolen property and illegal gambling. Thomas Tassiello was previously charged with assuming an ownership interest in a Manhattan bar after its owner failed to keep up interest payments on $100,000 worth of underworld loans.

Feds charge 13 suspected Mafiosi

The former acting boss of the Genovese Crime Family and a dozen underworld associates were charged yesterday with racketeering-related crimes, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Daniel Leo (left), former Genovese acting boss, and 11 other people were charged in a 38-count indictment charging violent extortion of individuals and businesses, loansharking, narcotics trafficking and illegal gambling. Federal prosecutors say Leo became acting boss of the family in about 2005 and supervised a crew engaged in loansharking and the operation of an illegal gambling operation. According to the prosecutors, Leo placed longtime Genovese soldier Anthony Palumbo in charge of the crime family's New Jersey operations in 2006.

A separate indictment charged Genovese Crime Family associate Thomas Tassiello with racketeering, extortion and other offenses. Prosecutors say Tassiello took an ownership interest in a Manhattan bar after its owner failed to keep up interest payments on $100,000 of loans.

Tassiello, Anthony Palumbo, 59, of New York City; Rocco Petrozza, 49, of Pompton Lakes NJ; Patsy Aversa, 67, of Wood Ridge NJ; Joseph Petullo, 30, of Fairfield NJ; and Arthur Boland, 62, of White Plains NY, were arrested yesterday morning at their homes. Felice Masullo, 37, of Brooklyn NY; Anthony Masullo, 33, of Middle Village NY; and Angelo Masullo, 39, of Maspeth NY, were expected to surrender during the day. Daniel Leo, Joseph Leo, Charles Salzano and Vincent Cotona were already in federal custody on other charges.