Friends of Ours

Bonanno Bust On Staten Island

It's not a good morning for the Bonanno family.

FBI and DEA agents have busted several high-ranking members including Vincent "Vinny TV" Badalamenti and Anthony "TG" Graziano who allegedly serve on the family's ruling administration as boss and consigliere, respectively, as reported by Mitchel Maddux for the New York Post.  Others arrested include reputed capo Nicholas "Nicky Mouth" Santoro and reputed soldiers Vito Balsamo and Anthony Calabrese, and alleged Gambino associate James LaForte.

The charges were based in part on the dirt dished to the feds by Hector "Junior" Pagan. Junior is the former husband of Mob Wives reality star Renee Graziano who, in turn, is the daughter of TG Graziano.

A sealed indictment against the five defendants in Brooklyn federal court variously lays out "a host of extortion charges, including a shakedown over the pizza recipe used at Brooklyn;s famed L & B Spumoni Gardens, along with loansharking and marijuana charges" as reported by John Marzulli for the Daily News.

The 68-year-old Santoro previously served fifteen years in prison on a racketeering conviction after legendary undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone a/k/a Donnie Brasco infiltrated the Bonnano family as reported by WABC.

In announcing today's charges the FBI in its press release explained that mobsters by definition are recidivists:  "for example . . . Santora allegedly participated in his charged crimes following his prior conviction and incarceration, and while released on supervised release, and Graziano allegedly committed his charged crimes within weeks of being released to a federal halfway house."

It's funny because all five defendants live on Staten Island as reported by Frank Donnelly for The Staten Island Advance.

FL Cops: Organized Crime Behind Insurance Fraud

Staged accidents and phony claims cost "Florida drivers nearly an extra billion dollars a year in their personal injury protection insurance rates," and Gov. Rick Scott aims to squelch the racket as reported by Dave Heller for WTSP:  "police blame drivers in organized crime groups for staging accidents and then running up medical bills to the $10,000 limit allowed by the state's no-fault law."

Yesterday Governor Scott backed a House proposal "which would require people injured in auto accidents to be treated in an emergency room within 72 hours of the incident" as reported by Tia Mitchell for The Miami Herald:  "House Bill 119 also caps attorneys fees and would no longer allow chiropractors or massage therapists to perform follow-up care."

Colombo Mobster Plays Sympathy Card

A federal judge gave reputed Colombo mobster Scott Fappiano no prison time on an extortion conviction because she felt bad he previously had served 21 years on a wrongful rape conviction as reported by John Marzulli for the Daily News: 

Defense lawyer Harlan Protass said that while Fappiano was serving time for the rape conviction, he was assaulted by guards and inmates, stabbed with a razor blade, slammed in the face with a pipe and watched another prisoner burned to death. "He witnessed things no human being should see," Protass said. "He has a tremendous fear of going back to prison."

Apparently Fappiano's purported fear was not so great to keep him from the mob life.

In any event, Judge Kiyo Matsumoto "said Fappiano's experience as an innocent man who endured the horrors of prison played a 'very significant' role in her decision to not send Fappiano back to jail" as reported by Mitchel Maddux for the New York Post.

Feds Bust Indian Gang On Racketeering Charges

On Wednesday the feds brought a racketeering indictment against twenty-four suspected members of the Native Mob in Minnesota, and in the course of executing arrest warrants put the state's prison system on lockdown as reported by Nicole Norfleet and Paul Walsh for Minneapolis Star Tribune:

To make sure word about the arrests didn't get out from within the state's prisons, there was a 25-hour lockdown of Minnesota's inmates from Tuesday morning through Wednesday, Department of Corrections spokesman John Schadl said. During the lockdown, inmates were confined to their cells and no incoming or outgoing phone calls to prisoners nor visitors were allowed.

The Native Mob is an Indian gang which has chapters in multiple cities throughout Minnesota, and its activities allegedly include murder, assault, drug trafficking and robbery.

Coke Delivery Seized At United Nations

A Mexican drug cartel has delivered 16 kilos in cocaine bricks to the United Nations via "a white bag evidently masquerading as a diplomatic pouch" as reported by The Associated Press:

UN undersecretary general for safety and security, Gregory B Starr, said the drugs were actually stashed in two bags that were stamped with the sky-blue UN logo of a world map in an apparent effort to disguise them as diplomatic pouches, which are not supposed to be inspected. Inside the bag, the drugs were hidden in hollowed-out notebooks, he added.

Apparently the drug smugglers really do want to turn Mexico into a narco state.

Outfit Mobster Arthur Rachel Is Convicted

After a two-day racketeering trial reputed Outfit mobster Arthur "the Brain" Rachel has been convicted by a federal judge in Chicago, IL "for conspiring to rob an armored car at a suburban bank and to break into the home of late mob boss Angelo 'The Hook' LaPietra" as reported by Ann Pistone and Chuck Goudie for WLS.

Rachel had waived his right to a jury trial, and the 73-year-old now faces life in prison.

Co-defendants Jerry Scalise and Robert Pullia pleaded guilty earlier this month for their roles in the plots.

Scalise and Rachel previously were convicted for stealing the 45-carat Marlborough diamond in 1980 from a London jewelry store.  The jewel has never been recovered.

The three men will be sentenced in May.

The geriatric crew went out not with a bang but a whimper.

Gay Bashing Mobster Anthony Capo Is Dead

Anthony Capo, the DeCavalcante soldier who infamously whacked boss John "Johnny Boy" D'Amato over his homosexuality and later became a federal witness against his crime family, has died of a heart attack at the age of 52 as reported by the New York Post:  "'Nobody's going to respect us if we have a gay homosexual boss sitting down discussing La Cosa Nostra business,' Capo said."

Given how much LCN business historically has been gay business it's ironic that a mob boss was whacked for actually being gay.

Of course, D'Amato hasn't been the only wise guy to like guys.

In 2009 former reputed Gambino hitman Robert Mormando came of the closet.

American Dream Goes Bust For Indian Immigrant Who Laundered Millions For Mexican Cartel

Perfume kingpin Vikram Datta has been sentenced to twenty years in prison after a federal jury in New York, NY convicted him of laundering nearly $20 million for the Sinaloa cartel as reported by Robert Gearty for the Daily News.  

Datta laundered the drug money through a black market peso exchange as reported by Julian Aguilar for The Texas Tribune:

The peso exchange is used when illegal drugs are sold in the United States, and the proceeds, in American dollars, are smuggled back into Mexico or Colombia, where they are exchanged for pesos at a discounted rate.

Peso-exchange businesses then use the dollars to buy products in the United States — in Datta's case, millions of dollars worth of perfume — and have them shipped to purchasers in Mexico or Colombia, where they are sold, earning additional revenue for the criminals involved.

A year in prison for every $1 million laundered?  That sounds about right.  Plus the judge ordered Datta to forfeit his property and $40 million.

Previous coverage:

"In Laredo, Was a Criminal Enterprise Bathed in Sweet Perfume?" by Julian Aguilar for The Texas Tribune

Mexican Mafia Bust In San Diego

The feds charged 117 suspected gang members and associates for their alleged roles in trafficking drugs and weapons on turf throughout San Diego, CA under the control of the Mexican Mafia to whom they paid tribute as reported by Richard Marosi for the Los Angeles Times:  "the Mexican Mafia has ties with thousands of gang members in Southern California, authorities said." 

Among those arrested were reputed high ranking Mexican Mafia leaders Rudy Espudo and Salvadore Colabella as reported by KGTV.

The investigation involved wire intercepts on more than 60 telephones which captured about 100,000 conversations.

Read more:

FBI Press release

Mexican Army Whacks Sinaloa Lieutenant

Chalk one up for the good guys.

In a daring helicopter raid Mexican security forces killed Luis Alberto Cabrera Sarabia who ran drug operations in the northern states of Durango and Chihuahua for Sinaloa boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as reported by BBC News:  "the Sinaloa cartel controls much of the flow of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines into the United States via air, land and sea, and is believed to have links in as many as 50 countries."

Although El Chapo or Shorty and his Sinaloa cartel long has been the top dog among Mexico's drug cartels the rival Los Zetas is nipping at his heels as reported by BBC News: a "report by US security firm Stratfor says the Zetas now operate in more than half of all Mexican states," and "Stratfor says the Zetas' brutal violence seems to have given the gang an advantage over the Sinaloa cartel, which prefers to bribe people."

Drug Cartels Exploit Inspection Waivers On Border

Wonder how the Mexican drug cartels smuggle $50 billion in product over the United States border each year?  Much of it is waved through by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The so-called border security agency is issuing passes to daily commuters from Mexico into the United States which exempts them from vehicle checks at the crossing as reported by Emily Smith for CNN.  Although the passes only are issued to those who pass "a rigorous background check" -- for whatever that's worth -- the drug cartels can either scrounge up a clean applicant as a cooperative front or plant their load in the exempted vehicle of a coerced or perhaps unwitting mule.

The drug cartels long have smuggled their illicit product in rail cars and semi-trailers which have received inspection waivers at the border under the North American Free Trade Act.

The Mexican drug cartels also are using U.S. exports into Mexico as a cover by which to launder their money as reported by Tracy Wilkinson and Ken Ellingwood for the Los Angeles Times:

Instead of smuggling the money the old-fashioned way, by simply carrying it south in bags and trucks, teams of money launderers working for cartels use dollars to purchase a commodity, and then export the commodity to Mexico or Colombia. Paperwork is generated that gives a patina of propriety. Drug money is given the appearance of legitimate proceeds from a trade transaction.

The U.S. global trade and open border policies are working out really well for the Mexican drug cartels.

Closing Arguments In Outfit Case

Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers have submitted their closing arguments in the racketeering trial against reputed Chicago Outfit mobster Arthur Rachel who "is charged with conspiring to rob an armored truck and the former home of deceased mob boss Angelo 'the Hook' LaPietra" as reported by Ann Pistone and Chuck Goudie for WLS.

Jerry Scalise and Robert Pullia pleaded guilty earlier this month for their roles in the plots.

Rachel waived his right to a jury trial, and the verdict will be rendered by the judge on Thursday morning.

Baby Shacks Will Appeal Bail Denial

It looks like Luigi "Baby Shacks" Manocchio gets to appeal his bail denial after all as reported byTim White for WPRI:  "U.S. District Court Judge William Smith gave Manocchio's lawyers the green light to file an appeal with the First Circuit despite missing a 14-day deadline to get the paperwork in." 

Judge Smith is such a mensch.

The reputed former boss of the Patriarca crime family and several co-defendants are charged with extorting protection payments from strip clubs and others in Providence, RI, and trial is scheduled for April 23.

Weekly Gang Roundup

***  Lawyers make opening arguments in triple murder trial of alleged MS-13 member Edwin Ramos who is charged with gunning down a father and two young sons whom he mistakenly believed were rival gangsters in San Francisco, CA: 

The killings sparked public outrage over the city's sanctuary policy because Ramos, an illegal immigrant, was never turned over for deportation despite a felony arrest as a juvenile. The city has since closed that policy loophole.

***  17-year-old alleged MS-13 member is charged as an adult with multiple gang murders including a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl.

***  Reputed MS-13 clique leader charged with murder of two teen boys in Long Island, NY.

***  District Attorney moves for an injunction to hobble reputed Cucamonga Kings members in San Bernardino County, CA:  "authorities described the Cucamonga Kings as a Latino criminal street gang with about 200 members who range from teenagers to men in their late 50s."

***  Officials promise to get tough on rising gang violence in Chattanooga, TN.

***  The LRGP Crew is busted on drug trafficking charges in Buffalo, NY.

***  43 suspected degenerates from two rival gangs busted in Brooklyn, NY for their alleged roles in a turf war after boasting of their violent exploits on Facebook and Twitter:

In the last 18 months, the gangs were responsible for 6 homicides and 32 shooting episodes, most in or around Brownsville, that left 38 people wounded, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said.  ***  Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes said gang members would go out of their way to beat up and intimidate younger children, often 13 or 14, to indoctrinate them in who controlled what turf.

Mobster Weeps At Sentencing

Thomas Fiore led a Bonanno crew in South Florida, and last Friday the big shot was sentenced "to 12 years and seven months in federal prison" after admitting "to orchestrating a series of crimes, including soliciting the murder of a former business associate and torching his Royal Palm Beach gym in 2007" as reported by Paula McMahon for The Orlando Sentinel:  "Fiore cried in court as his lawyer Phil Horowitz asked for a 10-year prison term so Fiore would have some hope of release before his parents, who are in their 80s, die."

Related coverage:

Bonanno Crew Busted In South Florida