Friends of Ours

Mob Buster Elie Honig Joins NJ Crime Office

Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig brought down more than a 100 mobsters during his nine years with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, and now the 37-year-old is heading the criminal division of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office where he intends "to root out public corruption" in the Garden State as reported by Christopher Baxter for The Star-Ledger:

His triumphs include Genovese acting boss Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello, who was reported to have been watching The Godfather: Part III when he was arrested at his Long Island home by federal agents in 2005. He pleaded guilty to racketeering charges a year later.  Honig also won murder convictions against New Jersey mobster and Genovese captain Angelo Prisco and former Genovese acting boss Arthur Nigro, who were both sentenced to life in prison.

The crooked politicians in Dirty Jersey are forewarned.

Genovese Capo Anthony Palumbo Gets 10 Years

Last August Anthony "Tony D" Palumbo, a reputed acting Genovese capo who allegedly takes care of the family's New Jersey rackets, pleaded guilty to a 1992 racketeering conspiracy to take out reputed Russian hitman Monya Elson, and today Manhattan federal judge Richard Holwell sentenced him to the statutory maximum of ten years for the crime as reported by Chris Dolmetsch for Bloomberg.

The Russian lived to see another day after Genovese higherups refused to sign on to Palumbo's plans, and Palumbo's defense lawyer argued that since the plot never was carried to completion a lesser sentence was in order.  Not so said Judge Holwell:  "There is strong evidence that Mr. Palumbo is a long-term member of an organized-crime family."  Indeed, prosecutor Avi Weitzman said Palumbo "also instigated the 1992 murder of Genovese associate Angelo Sangiuolo by complaining to the late mob boss Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante that Sangiuolo had been ripping off Palumbo's gambling operations in The Bronx" as reported by Bruce Golding for the New York Post.

If the 62-year-old Palumbo wants a reduction in sentence, then he can drop a dime to the FBI on his friends.

Judge Holwell further rejected a request to delay Palumbo's surrender until Monday which would have allowed the gangster to celebrate Mother's Day with his mom who celebrates her 91st birthday next week as reported by CBS New York:  "'No Mother's Day,' said the judge finally. 'You have to draw the line somewhere.'"

Further coverage:

FBI Press Release

Mobster Cries Witch Hunt, Gets 10 Years by Adam Klasfeld for Courthouse News Service

"Mobster for Genovese Crime Family Gets 10 Years For 'Murder Conspiracy' Involving a Hitman for the Russian Mob" by Allan Lengel for Tickle The Wire

The Life And Times Of Michael Sparfven

In Providence, RI Michael Sparfven is making a new life for himself after testifying against reputed Genovese capo Angelo Prisco who was convicted last April in a NYC federal court for the 1992 murder of Angelo Sangiuolo, and Richard Salit provides the back story on Sparfven for The Providence Journal:

Michael Sparfven's ticket out of FCI Edgefield arrived one spring day in 2008 when New York mobster Angelo Prisco landed on Unit B-2 of the medium-security federal prison in South Carolina. Any Italians here? asked Prisco, a longtime captain in the infamous Genovese crime family. Anyone from up north? An inmate pointed at Sparfven, whose days as a charming, jet-setting CEO were bookended by stints in prison for fraud. He wasn't Italian, but he was from Rhode Island. A dropout from East Providence High School, he was comfortable with Mafia types and quickly struck up a friendship with Prisco. One day, according to court records, Prisco told Sparfven that he had arranged a hit on his mobster cousin in 1992. The feds were onto him and Prisco said he would have to rub out some witnesses. Sparfven secretly took notes and then tipped off federal agents.

Anthony Palumbo Charged In 1992 Murder Plot

Anthony "Tony D." Palumbo, a reputed acting capo in the Genovese crime family who has been out on bond since getting hit with racketeering charges in February 2009, has been newly-indicted for allegedly "conspiring to have Angelo Sangiuolo whacked for robbing Palumbo's gambling joints in the Bronx" as reported by Bruce Golding for the New York Post:

Sangiuolo -- whose hit was allegedly sanctioned by then-Genovese boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante -- was later lured to his death by his first cousin Angelo Prisco, a Genovese captain who was sentenced to life last year after triggerman John Leto turned rat and testified against him. The remaining suspected member of the hit team -- alleged getaway driver Paul "Doc" Gaccione -- was arrested in April and charged with murder.

Alleged Getaway Driver Arrested In Genovese Hit

The feds have arrested Paul "Doc" Gaccione for allegedly serving as the getaway driver following the 1992 rubout of Genovese capo Angelo Sangiuolo as reported by Rocco Parascandola and John Lauinger for the Daily News:

Gaccione is charged with being the getaway driver for triggerman John (Johnny Balls) Leto, who was convicted of the killing last year. Sangiuolo's cousin, Genovese capo Angelo Prisco, arranged the hit after learning Sangiuolo had knocked off at least four Bronx gambling operations run by the crime family, law enforcement sources said.

Last August Prisco was sentenced to life in prison following his conviction for his role in the Prisco murder and a host of other charges, and the press release from the United States Attorney's Office stated:

Prisco was "made," or inducted, as a member of the Genovese Organized Crime Family in the late 1970s, and was later promoted to the supervisory position of captain. In his capacity as a captain, Prisco supervised, oversaw, and profited from the criminal activities of his own crew of Genovese Family Soldiers and associates, which operated in the New York City area and in New Jersey. On June 2, 1992, Prisco arranged the murder of his first cousin, Angelo Sangiuolo. Prisco received the order to kill Sangiuolo from Vincent Gigante, a/k/a "The Chin," who was then the boss of the Genovese Organized Crime Family. Gigante ordered the murder because Sangiuolo had been stealing from another Genovese Organized Crime Family soldier, Anthony Palumbo. Prisco assigned two of his own crew members, John Leto, a/k/a "Johnny Balls," and Paul Gaccione a/k/a "Doc," to carry out the murder. Priso then devised a plan to lure Sangiuolo to Prisco's Bronx, New York, social club. After Sangiuolo arrived, Prisco told him to get into a van with Leto and Gaccione, on the pretense that Leto and Gaccione would help Sangiuolo with a problem Sangiuolo was having with another person. Inside the van, Leto shot Sangiuolo numerous times, killing him, then left his body in the back of the van in the parking lot of a Bronx McDonald's. Prisco then picked up Leto at the McDonald's, and went with him to dispose of the murder weapon.