Michael Persico released on $5M bail

Accused racketeer Michael Persico was released May 16 on $5 million bail, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. The 53-year-old son of imprisoned Colombo Crime Family boss Carmine "the Snake" Persico, Michael Persico was charged in Brooklyn federal court March 8 of extorting a construction company into hiring a mob-controlled trucking firm to help remove debris from the site of the 2001 World Trade Center bombing. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. Judge Carol Amon approved the release on several conditions. Persico must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. He may not leave his Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, home aside from driving his daughters to school. His telephone conversations will be monitored by the FBI. And he is prohibited from contact with a list of underworld figures.

Kerik begins four-year prison sentence

Bernard B. Kerik, 54-year-old former commissioner of the New York Police Department, on May 17 began a four-year prison term at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland, according to a story by Sam Dolnick of the New York Times. Kerik (left) pleaded guilty in 2009 to eight felony charges. He was indicted back in November 2007 on charges that he concealed favors he received while employed as a New York City official. Apartment renovations valued at $165,000 were provided to him by a construction company government officials linked with the Gambino Crime Family. Kerik admitted tax fraud, making a false statement on a loan application, and lying to White House officials while being interviewed for the position of Homeland Security Department chief for the George W. Bush Administration.

Kerik's pre-scandal autobiography:
The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice

Chicago hit man Aleman dies at 71

Convicted Chicago underworld hit man Harry Aleman died May 15 at the prison infirmary of Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg, Illinois, according to stories by Andrew L. Wang of the Chicago Tribune and Robert Herguth of the Chicago Sun Times. Aleman was 71.

Regarded as a chief enforcer for the mob in 1970s Chicago, Aleman (left) was suspected of involvement in 20 or more murders. However, he was convicted only of the Sept. 27, 1972, shotgun murder of Teamsters union steward William Logan. It took many years for prosecutors to win that conviction. Aleman was acquitted of the murder in 1977. An informant later revealed that trial Judge Frank Wilson had been bribed. Wilson apparently took his own life during the ensuing investigation in 1990. The bribery accusation cleared the way for a second trial though defense attorneys argued it exposed Aleman to double-jeopardy (a second prosecution on a charge for which he had already been tried and found not guilty). Prosecutors successfully argued that Aleman faced no actual jeopardy in the first trial because of the bribery of the judge. Aleman was convicted of the Logan murder in 1997. Judge Michael Toomin sentenced him to a prison sentence of 100 to 300 years.

During his underworld career, Aleman was feared throughout the Midwest. Retired reporter John Drummond, who covered Aleman's murder trials, told the Tribune, "You were in trouble if you looked in your rearview mirror and saw Harry Aleman."

Read about the Chicago Outfit:
Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob
Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone
The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America
Mr. Capone: The Real - and complete - story of Al Capone

Genovese-linked DeLutro gets 20 years

John "Wizzie" DeLutro, 33, of New Dorp, NY, was sentenced May 14 to 20 years in prison for his role in the April 29, 2008, slaying of 43-year-old jeweler Louis Antonelli, according to a story by Frank Donnelly of the Staten Island Advance. DeLutro has been linked with the Genovese Crime Family.

There are five other defendants in the murder case. DeLutro was the first to be sentenced. Others include shooter Charles Santiago, 27, of Grant City; accomplice Joseph Gencarelli, 27, of Grant City; lookout and Genovese Family associate Anthony Pica, 31, of Bay Terrace; and 74-year-old Anthony "Tico" Antico. Except for Antico who has not yet been tried, the defendants have pleaded guilty or have been found guilty at trial.

A reputed capodecina in the Genovese organization, Antico is scheduled for trial in Brooklyn federal court this summer. His criminal history dates back to 1955 and includes convictions for attempted robbery and racketeering. Antico is serving time in federal prison for intimidating a witness. Prosecutors are seeking to impanel an anonymous jury for his trial.

Feds mull expense of executing Basciano

Brooklyn federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis has suggested that pursuing the death penalty against former Bonanno crime boss Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano could be prohibitively expensive, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News. Basciano, 50, is already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Federal prosecutors are preparing for a racketeering murder case that could cost Basciano his life. But the cost to the taxpayer was on Garaufis' mind: "To date, Basciano's defense has required the expenditure of over $3 million of public funds for legal fees and ancillary expenses. The possibility of a death sentence ensures that these costs will grow substantially." Basciano is awaiting trial for the 2004 murder of mob associate Randolph Pizzolo.

A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino (Berkley True Crime)

No added jail time for former Gotti crew member

Michael Finnerty, ex-member of a Gambino Crime Family crew once led by John A. "Junior" Gotti, will serve no additional jail time for crimes he committed as a youth, according to a story by Alison Gendar and Corky Siemaszko of the New York Daily News.

Finnerty became a government informant and aided in the unsuccessful prosecutions of Gotti. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Honig said Finnerty, now a father of three, was sincerely "humiliated by the crimes he committed... I don't see any purpose sending him to jail." Manhattan federal Judge Denise Cote agreed and sentenced Finnerty to time already served, three years' probation and a $12,500 fine.

Finnerty pleaded guilty to numerous offenses in September 2009 and faced a possible sentence of six additional years in prison.

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.

Ninety-three-year-old mobster indicted again

Ninety-three-year-old John "Sonny" Franzese, currently preparing for trial on racketeering charges, has been indicted again, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

The latest indictment charges the reputed Colombo Crime Family underboss with attempting to extort money from the Hustler and Penthouse strip clubs. According to prosecutors, Franzese personally went to the clubs along with younger henchmen and offered the club owners protection against other criminal organizations.

Franzese has been imprisoned a number of times. His current parole continues until he is 102. While he awaits trial, he is free on $1 million bail.

After his May 6 arraignment on the extortion charges, Franzese was asked how he felt about the prospect of spending his last days behind bars. "Who cares?" he said. "I gotta die someplace."

Commission finds Merlino firm free of mob links

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission approved a license May 5 for the Bayshore Rebar Inc. firm to work on Atlantic City casino projects, according to a story by the Press of Atlantic City. The company had been banned from casino work for 21 years, due to the belief that the Merlino family, which runs the company, was involved with organized crime. In ending the ban, the commission announced that Bayshore Rebar was free of mob influence.

Joseph N. Merlino, who runs the company, is the cousin of jailed Philadelphia Mafia boss Joseph S. "Skinny Joey" Merlino and the son of the late Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino, a high-ranking mobster. However, Joseph N. Merlino successfully proved that he had severed all contact with relatives linked to organized crime.

'Mafia Son' bookreading May 17

"Mafia Son" author Sandra Harmon will appear at the Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza (400 W. 43rd St., 2nd floor, at 9th Ave.) in New York at 7:30 p.m., Monday, May 17, 2010, to read from her book and answer audience questions. "Mafia Son" is the story of Gregory Scarpa Jr., Colombo crime family capo and government informant.

Anastasio dies at 81, apparent suicide

Ten days before the scheduled start of a two and a half year prison sentence, 81-year-old Anthony "Todo" Anastasio died of apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to a story by John Marzulli and Jonathon Lemire of the New York Daily News.

The nephew of legendary crime boss Albert Anastasia, Gambino Crime Family soldier Anastasio was supposed to report to authorities on May 10 to start his sentence for racketeering, extortion and arson. At 7 a.m. on April 30, his wife found him dead in the kitchen of their Dyker Heights home. A .22-caliber handgun, two shell casings and a handwritten note were found nearby.

Police believe Anastasio decided to end his life rather than face prison. They say he fired two bullets into his heart.

He was convicted in October 2009 of extorting a trucking company and a bakery in Brooklyn, as well as of ordering an arson fire at a Dunkin' Donuts establishment. He faced a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Anastasio was to be held at a facility just a few hours from his home. Investigators say the elderly racketeer was in generally good health.

After the disappearance of his predecessor in 1951, Albert Anastasia rose to the position of boss of the organization later known as the Gambino Family. Anastasia was murdered in a barber's chair in 1957.

Gambino prostitution ring busted

Prosecutors state that the Mafia hit "a new low" when members engaged in an interstate sex trafficking ring involving underage girls, according to a story by Alison Gendar and Rich Schapiro of the New York Daily News.

Fourteen alleged members of the Gambino Crime Family were named in an indictment charging a host of crimes, including loansharking, extortion and murder. The indictment also charges alleged Gambino soldier Thomas Orefice with devising a scheme to advertise teenage girls for prostitution on Internet site craigslist. Orefice's crew members allegedly drove the girls to appointments in New York and New Jersey and took half of their $200-per-session payments.

One of those charged in the indictment with racketeering offenses was reputed Gambino boss Daniel Marino. Marino is charged with conspiring with then boss John J. Gotti and Salvatore Gravano in the 1989 murder of suspected turncoat Thomas Spinelli. Marino is also charged with the 1989 murder of his own nephew Frank Hydell, also suspected of supplying information to federal investigators.

Jersey man linked to 1992 mob killing

A New Jersey man was charged April 19 with involvement in a 1992 Mafia killing, according to a story by Rocco Parascandola and John Lauinger of the New York Daily News. Paul "Doc" Gaccione is charged with participating in the June 1992 murder of Genovese Crime Family associate Angelo Sangiuolo. John "Johnny Balls" Leto was convicted last year of performing the killing. Authorities say the mob hit was arranged by Sangiuolo's cousin, Genovese capodecina Angelo Prisco, after Sangiuolo was found to be stealing money from Genovese gambling dens in the Bronx, NY. Vincent "the Chin" Gigante, then boss of the Genovese Family, is believed to have approved the hit.

Sangiuolo was lured to a Bronx social club. Prosecutors say Gaccione then drove Sangiuolo and Leto in a van to a McDonald's restaurant parking lot in Pelham Bay beneath elevated train tracks. Sangiuolo was in the front passenger seat with Leto behind him. As the train roared overhead, Leto shot Sangiuolo to death. Prisco reportedly picked Gaccione and Leto up at the McDonalds.

Prisco was sentenced to life in prison after a federal conviction last year.

Capozzi recaptured after two days

After eluding authorities for more than two days, escaped prisoner Derek Capozzi was found at 5:45 p.m., Saturday, April 17, in Versailles, Kentucky, according to a story by Jack Brammer and Ryan Alessi of the Lexington Kentucky Herald-Leader. Capozzi, exhausted and hungry, was found lying on railroad tracks behind a Versailles stair factory. Capozzi escaped April 15 from a prison van.

New Jersey's 'Eagle' Gatto dies at 65

Genovese Crime Family lieutenant Joseph "the Eagle" Gatto died April 9 in Hackensack, NJ, according to a story by Justo Bautista of the Bergen County Record. He was 65. The cause of Gatto's death was not made public.

A native of Paterson, NJ, Gatto was the son of the late Louis "Streaky" Gatto, a Genovese crew leader and manager of lucrative gambling rackets in northern New Jersey. The younger Gatto reportedly inherited those rackets when his father was convicted of racketeering and murder conspiracy and sentenced to 65 years in prison in June 1991. "Streaky" Gatto was reportedly friendly with late Genovese boss Vincent "the Chin" Gigante. Joseph Gatto's brother Louis Jr. died in federal prison in 2000. Their father "Streaky" died in prison in 2002 after suffering with prostate cancer.

Gatto was convicted of gambling and loansharking in 1999. He was sentenced to serve 61 months in prison. He was paroled from Ray Brook Federal Prison in upstate New York in October 2003, after serving 53 months of the sentence.In 2003, the New Jersey Commission of Investigation identified Joseph Gatto as a capodecina of one of the five larger crews of the Genovese Crime Family in New Jersey.

Gatto and 43 alleged accomplices were arrested in December 2004. They were charged with racketeering and gambling charges as a result of a state and local police investigation dubbed Operation Jersey Boyz. According to authorities, the group ran a massive offshore gambling operation that generated millions of dollars for the Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno and Gambino crime families of the New York area. As they raided the operation, police seized 25 firearms and $1.3 million in cash. (One of those arrested in connection with the case was Frank Lagano, 67, of Tenafly, NJ. Lagano was shot to death in April 2007 outside a diner he owned in East Brunswick. Police believe the murder was a mob hit.)

As the Jersey Boyz arrests were made, Gatto was charged with violating the terms of his parole.
While prosecutors said Gatto controlled the Catalina Sports wire room in Costa Rica, a grand jury refused to indict him in the case last year. Problems in the Jersey Boyz case dated back to 2005, as prosecutors were criticized for their handling of informants.