Philly mob boss Steven Mazzone off to big house again
Steven Mazzone, 59, underboss of the Philly mob, pleaded guilty in Sept to racketeering, loansharking, and gambling charges. He will spend the next 5 years in the federal pen. A smoking gun for prosecutors came from a 2015 wiretap of a mafia induction ceremony, where Mazzone coached new members on their intimidation tactics and encouraged them to grow the business. Mazzone was sentenced to 9 years for a similar conviction in 2000.
Steven 'Handsome Stevie' Mazzone, has been a top gangster in the Philly crime family since the 1990s and the No. 2 man since 2011.
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9 New York mobsters busted for racketeering/money laundering
For a decade, families visited a small coffee shop in suburban Long Island for pastries and gelato. Most were unaware of the longstanding gambling operation playing out just feet away from them: a secret underground gambling den in the store. Several across the island and in Queens served as a front for two of New York’s oldest crime families. The Long Island coffee shop alone typically earned them more than $10k per week. When other gambling clubs threatened their turf, Nassau County detective Hector Rosario, 49, offered to conduct police raids on the rival clubs in exchange for payments. 9 members and associates of the Genovese and Bonanno clans, and the cop, were charged in a racketeering case.
Carmelo Polito
The Gran Caffe was opened around May 2012 and members of the two clans agreed on a profit split. The pattern was similar at the other fronts, which included Sal’s Shoe Repair in Merrick, N.Y., and La Nazionale Soccer Club in Queens.
Bonanno capo Anthony Pipitone
Genovese family capo Carmelo Polito, 63, threatened and extorted money from a man who lost several thousand dollars in bets, saying he would break the man’s face in a taped October 2019 call.
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Anthony 'the Ant' Spilotro
Anthony John Spilotro, nicknamed 'The Ant', was an American mobster and enforcer for the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas during the 1970s and 1980s. He managed the Outfit's illegal casino profits with Frank Rosenthal. Spilotro eventually ran afoul of his organized crime bosses who disapproved of his handling of their Las Vegas affairs. They arranged his murder in 1986.
Spilotro was the leader of the "Hole in the Wall Gang", which he formed in Las Vegas.
Frank Cullotta, a former mobster turned government witness died of COVID-19 this year at 81. Cullotta arrived in Vegas in 1979 after he killed an associate. Cullotta joined the Hole in the Wall gang, which gained entry by drilling through walls and ceilings.
While in prison, Cullotta agreed to testify against Spilotro, who was indicted for conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
In 1981, Cullotta and five others were busted after a robbery and charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, attempted grand larceny and possession of burglary tools. Cullotta was given immunity, but served eight years in prison before being paroled into witness protection when Spilotro was acquitted in 1984.
Spilotro and his brother Michael disappeared June 14, 1986. On June 22, their bodies were found, one on top of the other and clad only in undershorts, buried under 5 feet of wet dirt in a muddy grave. At the time of his death the FBI suspected Spilotro was responsible for at least 22 murders.
Chicago mob capo Joey “The Clown” Lombardo died in prison at age 90 last year. He was serving a life sentence after being convicted in the Operation Family Secrets trial in 2007. Operation Family Secrets took down mob boss James Marcello and decimated The Outfit. The prosecution’s star witness was Nicholas Calabrese, a hit man who took the stand against his brother to spell out the crimes, one by one. The jury heard explicit details on 18 unsolved killings, including the beating death and burial of Tony 'The Ant' Spilotro.
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John Gotti the 'Teflon Don'
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York. Gotti rose quickly in the Gambino ranks, becoming one of the crime family's biggest earners. At the age of 24, Gotti Jr. became "made".
Gotti was a protege of Gambino underboss Aniello Dellacroce. After an FBI indictment of members of Gotti's crew for selling drugs, Gotti knew he and his brother would be killed by Paul Castellano.
Gotti organized the murder of Castellano in December 1985 and took over the family shortly thereafter.
This left Gotti as the boss of the most powerful crime family in America, which made hundreds of millions a year from construction, hijacking, loan sharking, gambling, extortion and other criminal activities. Gotti survived numerous legal cases unscathed. Witnesses developed cases of what the press called "I forgotti", and with every acquittal it added to his reputation. The American media dubbed Gotti "The Teflon Don" due to the failure of any charges to stick.
On Dec 11, 1990, FBI agents and cops raided the Ravenite Social Club, arresting Gotti, Sammy Gravano and Frank Locascio. Gotti was charged with five murders (Castellano and Bilotti, Robert DiBernardo, Liborio Milito and Louis Dibono,) conspiracy to murder Gaetano "Corky" Vastola, loansharking, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, bribery and tax evasion.
Killer Sammy Gravano turned rat. On April 2, 1992, Gotti was found guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to life without parole.
Sammy Gravano
In 1998 Gotti was diagnosed with throat cancer. The condition returned in 2000. Gotti died on June 10, 2002 at the age of 61. The former boss's 7,000-square-foot mansion fell into disrepair.
The home is located in Old Westbury, New York, and hasn’t been occupied since 2016 when it was raided by federal agents.
Last photo of John Gotti
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Chicago mob boss Mike 'Fat Boy' Sarno denied release
Chicago mob boss Mike "Fat Boy" Sarno will be given a deal he can't refuse: he will remain in prison. Sarno's attorney said his client fell victim to a justice system that views the Chicago mob as Hollywood.
"I think he's another Italian American that's a victim of the RICO Act". Sarno was sentenced to 25 years in 2012 for racketeering. Undercover tapes that federal investigators had made referred to "the Large Guy"—a reference to Sarno's large size. In his younger days, Sarno was being groomed for big things in the Chicago Outfit. Sarno was a powerful mobster in the Chicago Outfit, along with Joseph Andriacchi, Al Tornabene, Frank "Toots" Caruso, Marco D'Amico and John DiFronzo.
In the early 90s, he went away for racketeering, gambling and extortion. When he got out, his influence grew with a partnership with the Outlaws.
Rocco and his family were put into witness protection.
“The Sopranos” took inspiration from the DeCavalcantes. The DeCavalcantes were taken down in 2015 by New Jersey cop Giovanni Rocco. 'Giovanni Gatto' Rocco posed as a biker to snare capo Charlie 'The Hat' Stango and others. Rocco spent three years working his way up the ranks and collecting evidence to convict a dozen gangsters.
Charlie 'The Hat' Stango
New Jersey mob boss John Riggi died in 2015 aged 90.
The downfall of the DeCavalcante family began in 1998, when associate Ralph Guarino became an FBI rat to avoid a long prison sentence after a heist of $1.6m from the World Trade Center. Between 1999-2005, about 45 were jailed, including the family's consigliere and seven capos. In March 2017 Stango was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder. In 2016, Anthony Stango Jr. was sentenced to 6 years in prison. With the final fall of the DeCavalcante family, New York's five families took over many of the rackets in New Jersey.
Eugene 'Boobsie' Castelle tries, tries again
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That appears to be the mantra of Staten Island mobster Eugene 'Boobsie' Castelle. He's taking another stab at early release, his third. This time he's blaming his lawyer.
Eugene 'Boobsie' Castelle
A judge denied the bid of Staten Island mobster Eugene 'Boobsie' Castelle to cut his prison sentence, saying the wise guy has only himself to blame for refusing a plea deal and opting for trial. The soldier for the Luchese family tried to claim he misunderstood the deal. He decided the plea deal he rejected was what we wanted all along. Castelle faces between 30 to 40 months behind bars on a gambling charge. He is currently free on a $1m bond.
The mobster tried to claim a threat from Covid in jail. That claim was dismissed. Castelle was convicted in 2019 for racketeering conspiracy and running an illegal gambling house. In 2008, he had completed an 88-month sentence for racketeering conspiracy.
He was sentenced to 77 months in a federal penitentary, a three-year supervised release, $100k fine and forfeiture of $188,955 in criminal proceeds. Along with getting a conviction against Boobsie the feds also showcased the inner working of the Lucchese family. The fed's snitch John Pennisi took the stand and testified about the crime family's inner workings and acting boss Michael DeSantis.
John Pennisi even recorded a mob initiation ceremony.
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Dominic Taddeo escapes, lassoed, pleads guilty
Infamous mob assassin Dominic Taddeo, 64, who murdered three gangland rivals in the ’80s Rochester Mafia War, was arrested 4 days after he escaped from federal custody in Florida. Taddeo pleaded guilty and is looking at an additional 5 years in the big house.
About to be released to a halfway house, the killer went for a medical appointment on March 28 and never returned.
A judge denied Dominic Taddeo's bid for compassionate release in 2021. Taddeo has been imprisoned the past three decades for murder and other crimes. He’s scheduled to be released in two years.
In 1982 and 1983 contract killer Taddeo fatally shot three men — Nicholas Mastrodonato, Gerald Pelusio, and Dino Tortatice. Taddeo also attempted to whack former Rochester Mafia captain Thomas Marotta, twice.
Joseph Sullivan was responsible for about 20 of the murders in the Rochester Mafia War.
Crowds cheered as the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City was demolished on February 17, 2021. The oceanfront eyesore bearing the name of the former US president is a memory.
In 1982, a member of Philadelphia’s mafia was standing between Trump and land for a parking lot at his Trump Plaza casino hotel. Trump bought a nightclub owned by Salvatore 'Salvie' Testa. 'Le Bistro' had been purchased by Testa and partner Frank Narducci Jr. Both men had sad fates, Testa was whacked in 1984 weeks after a dispute with mob boss Nicky Scarfo. Narducci, who transferred his stake in the club to Testa in 1982, was sentenced to life in prison in 1989 for his role in a mob murder. Le Bistro, which had been vacant for years after the owners were denied a liquor license, was purchased from the mobster for $1.1m.
The transaction went through a third party so Trump's name wouldn't be revealed.
A secretary of Trump’s lawyer was shown as the purchaser. After the sale, the property was transferred to Trump. The Trump Plaza went bankrupt and was shuttered in 2014.
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'Albanian Gangster’ actor enlisted Genovese mobsters to collect debt
A Queens bookie who once acted in a movie called 'Albanian Gangster' was arrested along with two Genovese mobsters he allegedly hired to collect a debt.
The trio, including an 84-year-old Genovese capo, was charged for the extortion scheme against an Italian restaurant owner.
Luan Bexheti, 49, soldier Joseph Celso, 49, and greyhair wiseguy Anthony 'Rom' Romanello are in the chit.
Spilotro was the leader of the "Hole in the Wall Gang", which he formed in Las Vegas.
