Court tosses three 2003 racketeering convictions

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Manhattan has rejected the 2003 racketeering convictions of three men accused of ties to the DeCavalcante Crime Family of New Jersey and it has ordered that the defendants be given new trials, according to a story by John Eligon of the New York Times.

Giuseppe Schifilliti, Philip Abramo and Stefano Vitabile were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder and murder conspiracy charges. They were the only defendants - out of more than 20 arrested in a crackdown on the DeCavalcante Family - who went to trial. Most of the others accepted plea deals.

Plea deals were at the heart of the appeals court rejection of the guilty verdicts. During the trial of Schifilliti, Abramo and Vitabile, prosecutors introduced as evidence statements given by eight alleged co-conspirators who had taken plea deals. A Supreme Court decision in 2004 made such statements inadmissible as evidence.

Schifilliti, 70, was reputed to have been a powerful lieutenant of the DeCavalcante organization. He reportedly became a made member of the crime family in the mid-1970s, when the organization was run by Simone "Sam the Plumber" DeCavalcante (died of natural causes in 1997). Some sources indicate that Vitabile, 72, served in the position of consigliere for the crime family and possibly was named acting boss for a time. Like Schifilliti, Abramo, 63, reputedly served as a lieutenant in the family.

FBI doubles reward for Bulger information

Two million dollars is now offered for information leading to the arrest of fugitive New England gang boss James "Whitey" Bulger, according to a news release from the FBI's Boston field office. With announcement of the reward - just doubled from $1 million - the FBI is circulating new "age enhanced" photos of Bulger.

(Watch video.)

Bulger, formerly leader of a Boston-area Irish gang, has been in hiding since his racketeering indictment early in 1995. He was also charged on Sept. 28, 2000, with participating in 19 murders during the 1970s and 1980s.

Authorities say Bulger cooperated in FBI investigations of his Italian underworld rivals while continuing his own criminal career.

Seven Bonanno members and associates charged

Federal prosecutors yesterday announced indictments against seven suspected members and associates of the Bonanno Crime Family, according to stories by Christine Hauser of the New York Times and Scott Shifrel and Ethan Rouen of the New York Daily News and a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern Division of New York.

John "Big John" Contello, 55, of Brooklyn; Vincent "Vinny Bionics" Disario, 47, of Manhattan; and Michael Carucci, 38, of Staten Island, were arrested early yesterday morning in New York City for racketeering and conspiracy. Their indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn federal court. The three men could face 20 years in prison if convicted. Contello is alleged to be an acting captain within the Bonanno organization. Prosecutors say that Disario is a Bonanno soldier. Authorities did not state what relationship, if any, Carucci had to the Bonanno organization.

Gerald "Gerry" Chilli (right), 74, of Graniteville, Staten Island, also alleged to be a captain in the crime family, was charged with extortion. He was already in federal custody in Florida on unrelated charges. According to a Feb. 3, 2005, story by ABC-10 in Miami, Chilli was arrested following a 14-month undercover investigation of Bonanno operations in Florida. At that time, Chilli was charged with violating probation, as well as racketeering conspiracy, dealing in stolen property, bookmaking, money laundering and possession of illegal slot machines. Chilli had been out of prison for two years when he was arrested in 2005. During his incarceration for earlier crimes, he was convicted of running a fraudulent credit card ring from behind bars. Federal authorities investigated Chilli in the wake of the Feb. 28, 1989, murder of DEA Special Agent Everett E. Hatcher. Chilli was not charged in that case. (Chilli associate Costabile Farace was believed responsible for the killing. Farace's body was found on a Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, street on Nov. 18, 1989. Police believe was shot to death by members of the Bonanno crime family.)

George Miller, 68, alleged Bonanno associate, was arrested near the Canadian border on racketeering charges related to the collection of unlawful debts. Chilli and Miller also could be sentenced to 20 years if convicted.

Richard Cendali, 40, of Annadale, Staten Island, was arrested and charged with running an illegal gambling racket. Indicted on a similar offense but not yet apprehended was Anthony Zeni, 46, of Manhattan and Brooklyn addresses. Authorities believe Zeni is in Florida. Cendali and Zeni, reputed Bonanno associates, according to the Staten Island Advance, could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.

Contello, Disario, Carucci and Cendali all pleaded not guilty at arraignment hearings yesterday afternoon. Contello, Carucci and Cendali were released on bail amounts between $250,000 and $500,000. Disario was held without bail. A hearing for Miller is scheduled today.

Gotti pleads not guilty in Tampa court

John A. "Junior" Gotti pleaded not guilty this afternoon to murder and racketeering charges in Tampa federal court, according to stories from the Associated Press and Reuters news services.

The 44-year-old Gotti, dressed in a blue prison jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles, did not speak during his 5-minute hearing. His attorney Charles Carnesi entered the plea for him.

Prosecutors say Gotti led a crew of the Gambino Crime Family operating in Florida. He has been charged with trafficking in cocaine and with participating in three racketeering-related murders between 1988 and 1991.

Gotti was previously convicted of racketeering and served time in prison. Since then, he has avoided conviction in three major racketeering trials in New York City. He has stated that he left the crime family years ago.

No date has yet been set for the trial.

Gotti arrives for Tampa arraignment

After traveling a circuitous route in the custody of federal authorities, John A. "Junior" Gotti (right) arrived in Tampa, Florida, yesterday and was scheduled for arraignment in Tampa federal court this afternoon, according to a story by Elaine Silvestrini of the Tampa Tribune.

Gotti was arrested Aug. 5 in New York on federal charges filed in Florida. He is accused of participating in Gambino Crime Family murders of George Grosso, Louis DiBono and Bruce John Gotterup. He is also charged of cocaine trafficking.

Gotti's attorney Charles Carnesi intends to seek a change of venue. He hopes to have his client's trial moved to New York, where Gotti in recent years has three times avoided conviction on racketeering-related charges.

Two participated in Bronx gambling ring

John Caggiano, 59-year-old reputed associate of the Genovese Crime Family, and codefendant Douglas Maleton, 60, admitted Tuesday to participating in a gambling operation at a wholesale produce market at Hunts Point in the Bronx, according to reports by John Eligon of the New York Times and Barbara Ross of the New York Daily News.

Caggiano, son-in-law of former Genovese acting boss Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo, pleaded guilty to running the ring. He faces 1.5 to 4 years in prison plus a $176,000 fine when he is sentenced on Nov. 3. Maleton admitted being a runner for the numbers and sports betting ring. He is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 10 to a year in prison and a $591 fine.

Caggiano, Maleton and nine other men were arrested in November 2006 and charged with participating in the ring. Authorities said the operation generated $200,000 a year in profits. Ten of the initial defendants have pleaded guilty. Robert Russo, alleged leader of the ring, maintains his innocence and is scheduled to go to trial next month.

Fanny Gotti dies at age 96

Philomena "Fanny" Gotti, mother of the late Gambino Crime Family boss John J. "Teflon Don" Gotti and grandmother of John A. "Junior" Gotti, died Tuesday night at her Long Island home at the age of 96, according to a report by WNBC-TV New York.

Philomena Gotti was born in Naples, Italy, where she married. The Gottis entered the U.S. in the 1920s, settling first in the Bronx and later in East New York, Brooklyn. She resided in Valley Stream, NY, at the time of her death.

She had more than a dozen children (WNBC reported she had 13, while Newsday said 16). In addition to John J. Gotti, four other sons were also linked to organized crime. Gene and Peter Gotti are serving extended prison sentences for racketeering convictions. Richard V. Gotti was jailed in 2003 for racketeering and other crimes. Vincent Gotti is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in connection with the FBI's crackdown on the Gambino organization, according to the television report. (John J. and Peter Gotti shown at right.)

Colorado men suspected in gangland slaying

William Silvi, 40, and his brother-in-law, Daniel Tunks, 34, both of Colorado Springs, were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of conspiring in the May 20 murder of a 64-year-old New Yorker with ties to the Mafia, according to a story by Carlyn Ray Mitchell of the Colorado Springs Gazette.

William Marcucci of the Bronx, NY, was shot to death in Saddle Brook, NJ. His body, with a single bullet wound behind its left ear, was found in Marcucci's Cadillac outside a Bennigan's restaurant.

The New Jersey newspaper, The Record, reported that Marcucci "was a Genovese Crime Family associate who had a role in the organization's bookmaking operations."

Silvi and Tunks were arrested as they left their home at 734 E. Costilla Street. Colorado Springs Police said yesterday that Silvi could have had a financial motive for allegedly hiring his brother-in-law to kill Marcucci.

Coluccio extradited to Italy

Giuseppe Coluccio (left), reputed leader in the 'Ndrangheta criminal society, was returned to Italian soil yesterday, according to stories by the Associated Press and AGI news agencies.

Coluccio, convicted in absentia of drug, weapons and conspiracy charges, was a fugitive since 2005. He was arrested Aug. 7 near Toronto, Canada, and was flown to Rome's Ciampino Airport yesterday morning.

The 'Ndrangheta is a Mafia-like criminal organization based in Calabria, the southernmost region of the Italian mainland.

Murder victim might have been called to stand

Court documents link a murdered Staten Island restauranteur with the Bonanno Crime Family, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. While there is no indication that the late Frank Fresca was cooperating with authorities, the News reports that he might have been called on to testify about the crime family's involvement in his restaurant.

Papers filed this week by federal prosecutors indicate that the Fresca's by the Bay restaurant on Staten Island (right) operated under the protection of reputed Bonanno soldier Gino Galestro and his associates.

Galestro (left), who will turn 40 later this month, pleaded guilty Aug. 1 to ordering the killing of Bonanno associate Robert McKelvey on the grounds of the Kreischer Mansion on Staten Island. Galestro was indicted for ordering that murder and for other racketeering-related crimes back in May 2006. Joseph "Joe Black" Young, reportedly a former bouncer at Fresca's by the Bay restaurant, is accused of stabbing and drowing McKelvey and is scheduled to come to trial soon.

Fresca, 66, was shot seven times outside of his restaurant just after midnight on July 30.

Broke 'Nose' gets two years in prison

A Brooklyn federal judge yesterday sentenced John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico (left), 72, to two years in prison and a $4,000 fine for extorting money from a Staten Island cement plant, according to stories by the Associated Press and by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

According to defense attorney Elizabeth Macedonio, "the Nose" is still broke. The attorney stated that her client has no assets and suffers from many health problems. She disputed prosectors' contention that D'Amico was a leader of the Gambino Crime Family. Macedonio and members of the D'Amico family asked Judge Jack Weinstein for a lenient sentence.

The two year sentence was within recommended guidelines for extortion.

D'Amico was among the 62 people rounded up by federal authorities in February. D'Amico, reputed acting boss of the Gambino clan, pleaded guilty May 28 to shaking down the cement company for $100,000.

FBI tape labels "Cheese Man" as Mafia head

FBI recordings seem to point to Carmen "the Cheeseman" DiNunzio (right), 51, as the head of the Mafia in the Boston area and as the prime underworld authority behind a scheme to defraud administrators of the "Big Dig" project, according to a story by Laurel J. Sweet of the Boston Herald.

Andrew Marino, a contractor who has been indicted in connection with the scheme, was reportedly unaware he was being recorded as he spoke with a federal informant. According to the FBI, Marino identified "the Cheeseman" as "the guy in the North End - the head of the ... organization" and as "the head of [the] Mafia."

When the two men discussed an individual who was not trustworthy, Marino said the "rat" would be dealt with: "They'll kill him, dude. This ain't ... regular hoodlum that's setting this up. This is the Cheesman."

Marino refused to refer to DiNunzio by name: "You'll know his name if I said it, but nobody says his name."

Federal prosecutors have identified the Cheesman as DiNunzio, who has operated a cheese shop on the North End's Endicott Street. They say DiNunzio has served as underboss of the New England Mafia since about 2003.

In a different audio tape, DiNunzio identified himself as "the Cheeseman" to an undercover FBI agent: "I'm the Cheeseman... You ask anybody about me. We straighten out a lot of beefs, a lot of things."

DiNunzio was arrested May 2, the result of the FBI's "Big Dig" sting operation. He, Marino and Anthony J. D'Amore were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in a federally funded program. The group allegedly offered bribes in order to win a contract to provide fill for the Big Dig underground highway project. The men allegedly planned to provide substandard fill to the project.

DiNunzio is under house arrest. He also awaits trial on extortion and gambling charges.

Italian jails aren't as much fun as they used to be

Flouting many years of tradition, the conservative Italian government of Silvio Berlusconi (left) seems intent on making prison an unpleasant experience.

According to a story by Nick Pisa of the UK Telegraph, the Berlusconi administration has been cracking down on prison privileges formerly extended to convicted Mafiosi. Among the measures recently instituted, inmates are prohibited from singing. Officials noted the possibility that convicted crime bosses could communicate orders through their songs.

Prison socializing has also been curtailed. It is common for Mafiosi deemed dangerous to be locked in their cells for 23 hours each day and to have only limited exposure to family, friends and attorneys. The government has a list of 570 prisoners it feels are threats to society.

"We have evidence that in the past orders and messages were passed on and we have also stopped them mixing with each other as well. They will spend the majority of their day alone in their cells," Justice Minister Angelino Alfano said.

FBI involved in Vegas mob museum

FBI agents past and present have become involved in the planning for the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, according to a story by Sam Skolnik of the Las Vegas Sun.

Ellen Knowlton, former special agent in charge of the local FBI office, leads a non-profit group working with Las Vegas on the project. Sitting Bureau officials are reviewing the plans to ensure that accurate portrayals of mobsters and crimefighters.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman (left), a former attorney for accused racketeers, has been the major force behind the museum proposal.

Genovese associates charged with killing, robbery

Two alleged associates of the Genovese Crime Family and a third man were charged Thursday in Brooklyn federal court with robbery and murder, according to a story by Tom Hays of Newsday. Anthony Pica, Christopher Prince and Charles Santiago pleaded not guilty to the crimes. They are being held without bail.

U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell said Pica and Prince were members of a robbery crew controlled by the Genovese Family.

According to the indictment, the defendants targeted jeweler Louis Antonelli on April 29, expecting him to be in possession of valuable jewelry. The indictment states that Pica and Prince identified Antonelli and alerted Santiago and a fourth unnamed accomplice when the jeweler exited a basement storage area below a restaurant on Staten Island. Santiago and the unnamed man confronted Antonelli. Santiago is charged with shooting the jeweler to death. The attackers then fled without any jewelry, said the indictment.

Antonelli's bodyguard, retired police Sgt. Jason Aiello, was inside the restaurant at the time of the attack. He was questioned by police but not charged. Aiello began behaving erratically. On July 22, police heard that Aiello was armed and possibly holding his family hostage. Officers approached Aiello and attempted to handcuff him, but he pulled a gun and fled. He reportedly shot in the direction of police a total of eight times. Officers shot him to death.