New England Organized Crime » Gambino

83-Year-Old Reputed Mobster Wants Probation Lifted

fdvent1 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:40:09 +0000

Jerome Brancato, an 83-year-old reputed soldier in the Gambino crime family, once close to the Gotti family has asked a judge to end his probation early so he can start enjoying his vacation home in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Brancato wants to spend time in Florida and visit his brother in Canada. But the rules of his federal probation keep him from traveling outside the New York City metropolitan area. Once a trusted lieutenant to Peter Gotti – the Dapper Don’s brother – Brancato continued living a wiseguy’s life well into the autumn of his life, authorities say. Back in 2009 at the spry age of 80, Brancato went away for yet another stint in a federal prison. To buttress his argument for early termination from probation, Brancato cites a litany of health issues that he says would be eased by life under the Florida sun. But federal probation officers oppose the request, citing his three “convictions for criminal activities associated with the Gambino crime family – two of which transpired” while he was on probation, they allege in court papers. Brooklyn federal Judge Jack Weinstein has not ruled on the issue yet. Source: nypost.com addGooglePlusOne(13023, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/83-year-old-reputed-mobster-wants-probation-lifted/"); Related posts: Prison Inmate: [...] Related posts:

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Feds Bust Five Alleged Bonanno Family Mobsters

fdvent1 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:11:33 +0000

A joint investigation between the DEA and FBI culminated in the arrest of five high-ranking members of the Bonanno crime family, who were charged with racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling and drug distribution, officials said. The five alleged gangsters include “made” Bonanno member Vincent Badalamenti, a.k.a. “Vinny TV, and Nicholas “Nicky Mouth” Santora, who previously did 15 years in prison after undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone—dubbed “Donnie Brasco”—infiltrated the family by posing as a gangster in the late 1970s. Also arrested were Bonanno crime family members Anthony “TG” Graziano, alleged captain Vito Balsamo, and alleged foot soldier Anthony Calabrese. Investigators say they caught Graziano on tape when he was in prison telling an informant to get money from an extortion victim and “open him up” in necessary. As it happens, the recording was made by DEA informant Hector Pagan, who is the boyfriend of “Mob Wives” star Renee Graziano—TG is her father and Pagan wore a wire to record the conversations. After learning yesterday that her father was charged anew in an indictment against the Bonanno crime family Renee Graziano apparently "had a panic attack, collapsed, and had trouble breathing . . . and was rushed via ambulance to the hospital" [...] Related posts:

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“Dapper Don” Grandson arrested – for “driving with tinted windows”

fdvent1 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:40:01 +0000

John “Dapper Don” Gotti's grandson Carmine Agnello Jr., was arrested yesterday for allegedly driving with tinted windows and a suspended license. The 25-year-old former reality star was caught around 3pm in Queens, New York. Sources say they noticed a car was missing its front plates and had tinted windows. When officers stopped Agnello they discovered that he was allegedly driving on a suspended licence and he was taken to a precinct in Jamaica, Queens. Hours later, a friend came by the precinct to pick him up. Source: dailymail.co.uk addGooglePlusOne(12971, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/dapper-don-grandson-arrested-for-driving-with-tinted-windows/"); Related posts: Carmine Gotti Dont Like Teflon Don Branding Carmine Agnello Jr., 24-year-old grandson of the late Gambino crime... Gotti Biopic Pins Four More Murders On Dapper Don The screenplay for Junior’s “Gotti: In the Shadow of My... Victoria Gotti Pays Feds in Forfeiture Case Victoria Gotti has paid the Feds $2.6 million to... Related posts:

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Mafia Cops Get Long-Distance Appeal

fdvent1 — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:03:38 +0000

The Mafia cops, ex-NYPD detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa returned to Brooklyn Federal Court on Thursday by telephone from separate federal pens for the latest appeal of their convictions. Judge Jack Weinstein, who had sentenced Eppolito and Caracappa to life in prison for multiple murders and passing information to the Lucchese crime family, said it wasn’t necessary for them to attend in person. The appeal contends that trial counsel Bruce Cutler failed to call then-Luchese underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso as a defense witness to rebut the government’s allegations because Casso would have implicated Cutler’s most famous client, the late Gambino boss John Gotti, in a slew of crimes. “The whole thing is pretty much a dead horse,” Weinstein said. “Casso was a loose cannon. There isn’t an attorney worth his salt who would have called Casso.” Source: nydailynews.com addGooglePlusOne(12862, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/mafia-cops-get-long-distance-appeal/"); Related posts: NYC agrees to record settlement to man framed by Mafia cop The city of New York on Thursday agreed to pay... Judge Denies “Skinny Dom’s” Early Release Request Gambino captain Dominick “Skinny Dom” Pizzonia, who worked for the... Armando “Mr Mom” Rea Gets Break Bonanno-crime family soldier Armando “Mondo” Rea, 59, during sentencing for... Related posts:

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John Gotti: Draft Dodger?

fdvent1 — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:52:08 +0000

Was the late Godfather John Gotti a draft dodger? His status with the military is included in 1,580 pages of FBI files on Gotti from 1964 to 1995, archived on a CD-ROM by the website paperlessarchives.com. Gotti, nicknamed the “Dapper Don” was the boss of the Gambino crime family. The files point out that Gotti was drafted in 1963 in Brooklyn, but did not appear for induction. The FBI searched for Gotti for two years, eventually making contact on November 10, 1965, when the future crime boss appeared at the Kings County Court House for a hearing related to a grand larceny auto. Gotti told authorities he was unaware of the draft status. He reported to the selective service board the next day, but was never inducted into the armed forces due to his criminal record, the files show. Source: ticklethewire.com addGooglePlusOne(12860, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/john-gotti-draft-dodger/"); Related posts: John Gotti celebrates Christmas dinner without Jurors from latest trial None of the jurors took up John A. (Junior) Gotti... Sylvester Stallone and Gotti Jr Partnership Sylvester Stallone is in serious talks with John Gotti Jr.... Gotti Junior says its time to move on – become true crime writer ? John Gotti Jr.will tell how [...] Related posts:

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Steven Seagal Lawsuit Over Unpaid Debt

fdvent1 — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:42:05 +0000

Martial arts actor Steven Seagal has been sued for allegedly failing to pay $500,000 to film producer and former business partner Julius Nasso. The executive claims in court papers Seagal failed to pay him two installment payments of $50,000 each last year and claims he made “numerous attempts” to collect the money. Seagal, 59, agreed to pay to the cash to dissolve their film-production companies in 2007. The deal also required the actor to seek a pardon for Nasso, who was convicted in 2003 for trying to extort the money from the actor with the help of Mafia muscle According to the New York Times his Manhattan federal court suit demands payment of the unpaid $100,000 plus 10 percent interest for ‘breach of settlement agreement.’ In 2002 Nasso sued Seagal for $60 million claiming he backed out on four planned action films but the star claimed he walked because the violent movies were at odds with his Buddhist religious belief. However he would later testify that after breaking ties with Nasso he was shaken down by soliders from the Gambino mafia family in the back room of a Brooklyn steakhouse. He said a reputed mob captain told him he would [...] Related posts:

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Reputed Mafia Henchman Spatola Dies

fdvent1 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:01:42 +0000

Reputed Mafia turncoat and henchman of the Messina Denaro family, Rosario Spatola, has died. He had been due to give evidence via video-link at the Rostagno murder trial today. Palermo Deputy Prosecutor, Franco Del Bene, relayed the news during the hearing at the Trapani Assise Court. Mauro Rostagno, a journalist and sociologist, was murdered on 26th September 1988. Spatola was heavily involved in heroin trafficking in the late 1970's with the Gambino crime family according to Giovanni Falcone, who was the investigating magistrate. He later became Palermo’s largest building contractor and biggest taxpayer of Sicily, thanks to his close relationship with Christian Democrat politician Vito Ciancimino. By 1982, their holdings in Palermo alone were estimated to be worth around US$ 1 billion. Source: agi.it addGooglePlusOne(12747, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/reputed-mafia-henchman-spatola-dies/"); Related posts: The Goodbye Extortion Tourist Map Germany has put out a map for its countrymen visiting... 282 Million Dollars in Assets Seized from Reputed Mafia Builder More than 200 million euros ($282 million US) worth of... The Pope Disappoints Some On Cosa Nostra At a Sunday mass in Palermo, Sicily Pope Benedict XVI... Related posts:

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“Mob Wives” Star Rizzo Tells How She’s Affiliated With The Life

fdvent1 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:30:41 +0000

Ramona Rizzo is one of the two new members to join the cast of Mob Wives for season two, and during the Jan. 8 episode, fans watched Ramona as she allied with her “cousin” Karen Gravano and fought with Drita D’avanzo. Well, it turns out Ramona has a strong family tie to the lifestyle. She opens up to HollywoodLife.com exclusively about her family history — and reveals to us how she knows her best friend Karen. “I had somebody by the name of ‘Lefty Guns’ Ruggiero, who was my grandfather,” Ramona tells us. “The movie Donnie Brasco was based on his life. The only person I’m willing to speak about is my grandfather. We’re the real deal.” Ramona’s grandfather Benjamin Ruggiero was a “soldier” in the Bonanno crime family. He was notorious for his friendship with FBI undercover agent Joseph “Donnie Brasco” Pistone, who infiltrated the family for six years. “I was extremely close with my grandfather,” Ramona tells us. “His going away affected me really bad. When I was making my communion, that’s when things started going on.” Ramona’s family tried to keep its affiliation with the lifestyle a secret from her. “My grandfather went to jail for 13 [...] Related posts:

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Love May Be Lost on Mobster

fdvent1 — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:19:33 +0000

The lawyer for reputed Gambino crime-family associate Vito “Vito Love’’ Cortesiano wants a Brooklyn federal judge to bar any mention of his client’s moniker from his upcoming racketeering trial. The lawyer, J. Patten Brown III, argues in court documents that “the only reason the government wants to include” alleged mobsters’ colorful nicknames at trial is to indicate to the jury “that people who use aliases are inherently untrustworthy and engaged in questionable activities.” Brown argues that Cortesiano’s nickname only creates prejudice in the eyes of a jury and is “improper.” Prosecutors say Cortesiano has a close relationship with Bartolomeo Vernace, a Gambino captain who sits on the crime family’s ruling panel. Source: nypost.com addGooglePlusOne(12165, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/love-may-be-lost-on-mobster/"); Related posts: Defense in “Hit” Case Asks for Mistrial A lawyer for a man accused of a botched Bronx... Trial for Alleged Purple Gang Hitman The widow of a Bronx man killed by an accused... Hitman Says He Didn’t Do It A jury in Bronx, NY last spring convicted reputed mob... Related posts:

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Lawyer Exposes South Florida Corruption

fdvent1 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:56:37 +0000

Attorney Scott Rothstein was convicted of running a 1.2 billion Ponzi scheme which involved using his law firm as a front to sell phony legal settlements to investors. During a deposition he alleged pervasive public corruption and organized crime in South Florida. "We were involved in public corruption with politicians," said Rothstein in transcripts of his Dec. 14 testimony released early Friday evening. "We were involved in public corruption with law enforcement. We were involved in activities with mob-related individuals. We were involved in activities involving the physical threats of other individuals. We were involved in the public corruption side of purchasing of political positions. We were involved in the manipulation of the judiciary." The feds won't let Rothstein publicly name names: "a federal prosecutor sitting through the deposition prevented the disbarred attorney from answering the questions," and "that could be an indication that federal authorities believed Rothstein's answers could jeopardize ongoing investigations." Rothstein was sentenced to fifty years in prison but likely will get a reduction based on his cooperation with the FBI in a sting which resulted in the bust of Miami Beach, FL wine merchant Roberto Settineri whom U.S. and Italian authorities suspect is an intermediary between [...] Related posts:

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