Feds bust alleged Genovese boss

Danny Leo, 65, reputed acting boss of the Genovese Crime Family, was arrested at his Rockleigh NJ home this morning, according to a story by WABC-TV in New York. He is scheduled for arraignment on extortion charges in Manhattan federal court today.

Authorities say Leo recently took over command of the crime family formerly led by Vincent "the Chin" Gigante. Leo's only known arrest occurred in 1980, when he was charged with criminal contempt for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigation of illegal activity in East Harlem and the Bronx, NY.

Law enforcement officials first mentioned Leo as the new boss of the Genovese clan at the end of November. New York Sun columnist Jerry Capeci shared the information through his Gang Land column on Nov. 30. Jeane MacIntosh and Kati Cornell followed with a story in the New York Post the following day.

Leo is believed to have associated himself with East Harlem's Purple Gang in the 1970s. That organization served as a minor league for a number of later Genovese and Lucchese Crime Family members.

Related MobNews post:

• Authorities say NJ man leads Genovese family 12-05-07

97-year-old mobster gets 6 months house arrest

Albert "Chinky" Facchiano, 97, was sentenced today to serve six months house arrest followed by 18 months of probation, according to an AP story by Curt Anderson.

Facchiano pleaded guilty in February to racketeering-related offenses in Florida and in New York. Law enforcement officials say he is a longtime soldier in the Genovese Crime Family.

He faced a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison. Due to his advanced age and to medical problems, the court decided to confine Facchiano to his Florida condominium. He is permitted to leave the home only for doctor visits and other necessary travel.

Press reports indicate that Facchiano's first arrest, back in 1932, coincided with Charlie "Lucky" Luciano's rise to power in the American Mafia.

He was one of six members of a Florida-based wing of the Genovese Family to be arrested last summer. The group's acknowledged leader, 73-year-old Renaldi Ruggiero, was sentenced to 14 years in prison earlier this month.

Related MobNews posts:

• Miami mob boss gets 14 years 05-15-07
• South Florida racketeers get jail time 04-06-07
• '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

Panzuto agrees to extradition

Gennaro Panzuto, 32, held in custody in the UK, has agreed to be extradited to his native Italy for trial, according to a report in the Lancashire Evening Post. Italian officials have charged Panzuto with running a criminal organization known as the Pincirillo clan in Naples. UK and Italian police tracked him to Lancashire, where he was arrested last week. He is scheduled to be returned to Italy in about 10 days.

Related MobNews post:

• Reputed mob chief arrested in UK 05-24-07

Rizzuto may serve his time near Canada border

A U.S. judge has recommended that Vito Rizzuto, reputed boss of the Mafia in Montreal and confessed accomplice in the 1981 murders of three Bonanno capos, serve his 10-year prison sentence in an upstate New York institution, according to a CBC News report.

Rizzuto (right), 61, was officially sentenced today, though prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a 10-year prison term as part of his plea bargain earlier this month. He pleaded guilty May 4 to participating in the assassinations of Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera, Philip "Philly Lucky" Giaccone and Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato. He said his role in the hit was to shout "It's a hold up!" to cause a gathering of Bonanno mobsters at a Brooklyn social club to momentarily freeze.

Judge Nicholas Garaufis recommended that Rizzuto be placed in Ray Brook medium-security prison near the Canadian border. Prison officials will have the final say in his placement.

Related MobNews posts:

• Rizzuto pleads guilty to 1981 slayings 05-04-07
• Attorney: Rizzuto won't flip 04-03-07
• Rizzuto, dozens more, arrested in Canada mob sweep 11-26-06
• No parole for Canada mob turncoat Simard 10-22-2006
• Canada's Musitanos up for parole today 10-04-2006
• Fugitive mobsters known to be in Toronto 09-22-2006
• Canada's 'godfather' deported 08-18-2006
• Thug-boxer deported from Canada 08-16-2006
• Canada court clears way for Rizzuto extradition 07-22-2006
• Few contenders for Toronto mob boss title 07-21-2006
• Rizzuto extradition decision due Friday 07-17-2006

NJ man arrested as Gambino leader

Andrew Merola, 40, of East Hanover NJ, was arrested May 21 and charged with supervising organized criminal activities, with racketeering and with theft by extortion, according to a story by Kareem Fahim of the New York Times.

Law enforcement officials say Merola (whose name was legally changed from Knapik) has been an important figure in the Gambino Crime Family and has worked closely with an ally in the Lucchese Crime Family on racketeering ventures.

Investigators have linked Merola to corruption in Springfield-based Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Newark-based Local 1153 of Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA). Two union officials were also arested this week.

Through their influence with Local 825, Merola and his Lucchese Family ally allegedly arranged for a $20,000 bribe from a construction company. Prosecutors have charged Martin Taccetta with membership in the Lucchese clan and with engaging in racketeering with Merola. Taccetta is the brother of imprisoned Lucchese bigshot Michael Taccetta. (Martin and Michael Tacchetta shown at right.) Martin's recent racketeering conviction was overturned, and he is awaiting retrial.

Union officials John Cataldo of Nutley NJ and Joseph Manzella of West Orange NJ were arrested. According to a story in the Daily Record, Cataldo was an organizer for Operating Engineers Local 825, and Manzella was a business agent for LIUNA Local 1153.

"Both men basically surrendered their control of the unions to Andrew Merola of East Hanover, New Jersey, a known soldier of the Gambino Crime Family," said Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.

Merola is also accused of supervising gambling rings in northern New Jersey and New York State. Those were allegedly run by Merola underlings Ralph Cicalese and Kyle Ragusa. Cicalese is a former investigator of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Before his name change, Knapik was reportedly jailed for almost four years in the 1990s for theft by deception and for distributing a controlled substance.

Genovese capo ordered assault on contractor

Angelo Prisco, 67, pleaded guilty in Newark, NJ, last week to authorizing an assault on an electrical contractor who was competing with a contractor allied to Prisco, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

The U.S. Attorney's Office identified Prisco as a capo in the Genovese Crime Family. Prosecutors charged that contractor John Capelli of the Bronx, NY, paid Prisco $2,500 for authorizing an assault on his competitor. Prisco reportedly passed the assignment along to Michael Visconti, who involved an associate already secretly cooperating with the FBI.

Prisco is likely to serve five years in prison. At the time of his arrest, he was on parole for a state arson conviction and on supervised release for a federal extortion conviction.

Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates

Nicholas Calabrese, former Chicago mobster and key witness to the upcoming Family Secrets trial, last week acknowledged participation in at least 14 mob murders, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The 64-year-old Calabrese pleaded guilty to the killings in U.S. District Court on May 18. Under a plea deal, county prosecutors will not try him for the murders and he will not face any charges as a result of his Family Secrets trial testimony. He is expected to serve at least 24 years in prison, but the U.S. Attorney's Office could recommend a shorter sentence if Calabrese is especially helpful in the upcoming trial.

At his hearing before Judge James Zagel, Calabrese admitted to participating in a racketeering conspiracy known as the Chicago Outfit, which engaged in murders, loansharking and extortion.

When the Family Secrets trial opens next month, Calabrese is expected to testify against his brother, Frank Calabrese Sr.

Nicholas Calabrese claims to have been present for the 1986 murders of brothers Tony (left) and Michael Spilotro. James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, 64, who the Sun-Times calls Chicago's "top mob boss," has been charged with participation in the Spilotro killings.

Nicholas Calabrese's cooperation with authorities followed that of Frank Calabrese's son, Frank Jr. Nicholas was linked by DNA and other evidence to the murder of John Fecarotta. Investigators believe Fecarotta was eliminated for failing to permanently dispose of the Spilotro corpses. Rather than take the fall for the Fecarotta killing alone, Nicholas Calabrese began supplying information on his underworld associates.

In late April 2005, 14 alleged Chicago Outfit members were indicted for racketeering conspiracy as a result of the Family Secrets investigation. Federal prosecutors linked defendants, including "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, Frank "Gumba" Saladino and Paul "the Indian" Schiro, with 18 murders dating back to 1970.

Related MobNews posts:

• 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

See also:

• U.S. Grand Jury Indictments in Family Secrets Case
• The American Mafia website article on Spilotro
• LasVegasNOW: Former wiseguys talk about Spilotro murders

Organized crime linked to Serbian assassination

Paramilitary police officers and members of the Zemun gang - linked to organized crime - were convicted and sentenced this week for the March 2003 assassination of reformist Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, according to a story by Nicholas Wood of the New York Times.

Milorad Ulemek, former leader of the country's top paramilitary unit, and his former deputy Zvezdan Jovanovic each were sentenced to 40 years in prison for their roles in the killing. Ten other associates received sentences between eight and 35 years.

Djindjic helped topple the Slobodan Milosevic regime in 2000. He was allegedly targeted by allies of the late Milosevic.

Reputed mob chief arrested in UK

Extradition proceedings against reputed Italian underworld leader Gennaro Panzuto, 32, begin in a London magistrate's court today, according to a report by BBC News. Italy filed a warrant of extradition with the UK in order to prosecute Panzuto for alleged organized criminal offenses.

After a cooperative effort by Italian and UK police agencies, Panzuto (right) was arrested last week in Lancashire, UK, according to a report on the Manchester.com website.

He has been charged with association with a criminal network and firearms crimes. He is also reportedly suspected of involvement in four organized crime murders in Italy, of extortion and of establishing businesses in Manchester and London to launder underworld funds. An initial review of the extradition papers was held on May 17.

Vittorio Pisano, a law enforcement official from Naples, Italy, stated that Panzuto was the head of the Pincirillo underworld clan of southern Italy, taking over that group from his uncles upon their arrests two years ago. The Pincirillos have battled the Missos clan in Naples for months. Police attribute 20 killings to the feud.

Sicilian mobsters return to power in NYC

Drug-trafficking Sicilian mobsters are returning to positions of influence in the New York City underworld, according to a story by Murray Weiss of the New York Post.

Weiss notes that some of the immigrant gangsters jailed in the Pizza Connection drug case have recently been released. He explains that investigators fear Sicilian bigshots like Rosario, John and Joseph Gambino will reassemble their criminal empires.

The three Gambino brothers are related to the late crime boss Carlo Gambino. Joseph Gambino (right) has been deported back to Sicily.

Miami mob boss gets 14 years

Renaldi "Ray" Ruggiero has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, according to reports by CBS-4 in Miami and the Miami Herald. As part of a February plea deal, Ruggiero stated he was guilty of racketeering conspiracy and acknowledged being the leader of the Genovese Crime Family wing in South Florida.

The 73-year-old's sentence also includes two years of supervised release, a $25,000 fine and a forfeiture of $10,000 that was seized by the government.

Ruggiero and six other men were arrested in June 2006, charged with various racketeering offenses, including extortion, robbery, money-laundering and possession of stolen property. The U.S. Attorney's case was supported by wiretaps of thousands of telephone calls by the group.

Five other defendants pleaded guilty to single racketeering conspiracy counts and received sentences between three-and-a-half years and eight years. The one defendant still awaiting sentencing is 97-year-old Albert "Chinky" Facchiano. He was charged in Florida and New York State and pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to tampering with a witness. Facchiano is scheduled for sentencing the end of this month.

Related MobNews posts:

• South Florida racketeers get jail time 04-06-07
• '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

Split verdict in Pizzonia-DiConiglio case

A federal jury in Brooklyn found a reputed Gambino Crime Family captain guilty of plotting to murder Thomas and Rosemarie Uva in 1992, according to a story by Anthony M. DeStefano of Newsday.

Dominick Pizzonia, 65, remains in prison as his attorney appeals the jury verdict. Because he was also convicted of running a gambling enterprise, he could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy.

The jury did not convict Pizzonia of actual participation in the Uva murders, of participation in the June 1988 killing of Frank Boccia, or of two counts of extortion. Pizzonia's co-defendant in the Boccia slaying, Alfred DiConiglio, 77, was found not guilty.

Related MobNews posts:

• Pizzonia / Diconiglio trial update 05-08-07
• Court hears of Boccia slaying in 1988 05-01-07
• Two to stand trial for Uva, Boccia slayings 04-10-07
• Gotti lawyers want to exclude Uva evidence from trial 06-28-06
• Gotti tapes link him & dad to Uva murders 06-23-06

TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial

A video report by investigative reporter George Knapp of KLAS-Las Vegas summarizes the U.S. government's case against the Chicago Outfit in the upcoming "Family Secrets" trial.

The trial was originally scheduled to begin today, but it has been delayed two weeks.

Fourteen defendants - including reputed mob boss "Joey the Clown" Lombardo - have been charged with numerous crimes, including the 1986 murders of Vegas gangster Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro (left) and his brother Michael. The killings were made famous in the movie "Casino."

Related MobNews posts:

• 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

See also:

• U.S. Grand Jury Indictments in Family Secrets Case
• The American Mafia website article on Spilotro
• LasVegasNOW: Former wiseguys talk about Spilotro murders

Franzese, 90, arrested for parole violation

Federal agents on Wednesday arrested John "Sonny" Franzese, 90, charging him with his fifth parole violation in the last 25 years, according to an AP story by Larry McShane.

The arrest occurred at Franzese's regularly scheduled visit with his probation officer. The FBI reported that he had been associating with known mobsters.

Federal agents believe the 90-year-old Franzese, reputed longtime Colombo Crime Family capo, recently became the family's underboss. Franzese was convicted of bank robbery and sent off to a lengthy prison sentence in the late 1960s. He was first paroled in 1978 but violated parole four years later.

Canada nabs Giordano after 5 months

After a five-month search, Canadian authorities arrested reputed Montreal Mafia lieutenant Lorenzo Giordano, 44, on May 8, according to a story in yesterday's Montreal Gazette.

Giordano was wanted in connection with Operation Colisee, in which more than 90 arrests were made last November. He was arrested while working out in a Toronto gym. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit criminal acts of extortion and gambling as well as attempted murder.

He is scheduled to make a court appearance on May 23.

On Nov. 23, the Ottawa Citizen reported that Giordano was an "aggressive lieutenant in the Rizzuto organization." He was questioned in the 2005 murder of John Zanthoudakis, CEO of Norshield Financial Group. He has been named as a suspect in the murder of another man in Montreal on April 18, 2004.

The Montreal Crime Family was believed to have been led by Vito Rizzuto, recently convicted in New York of participating in the slaying of three Bonanno Crime Family bigshots. Last November, Rizzuto's father Nicolo Rizzuto, 82, was among those arrested.

Related MobNews posts:

• Rizzuto pleads guilty to 1981 slayings 05-04-07
• Attorney: Rizzuto won't flip 04-03-07
• Rizzuto, dozens more, arrested in Canada mob sweep 11-26-06
• No parole for Canada mob turncoat Simard 10-22-2006
• Canada's Musitanos up for parole today 10-04-2006
• Fugitive mobsters known to be in Toronto 09-22-2006
• Canada's 'godfather' deported 08-18-2006
• Thug-boxer deported from Canada 08-16-2006
• Canada court clears way for Rizzuto extradition 07-22-2006
• Few contenders for Toronto mob boss title 07-21-2006
• Rizzuto extradition decision due Friday 07-17-2006