Friends of Ours

Judge Weighs Bail For Reputed Mob Boss

At a bail hearing yesterday in Brooklyn federal court prosecutors fleshed out their extortion allegations against reputed Bonanno boss Vincent "Vinny TV" Badalamenti who was busted last month after Hector "Junior" Pagan wore a wire for investigators as reported by Mitchel Maddux for the New York Post.

Vinny TV's lawyer Ronald Fischetti apparently was offended when Team America claimed his client "had weighed going on the lam" as reported by John Marzulli for the Daily News:  "'I don't know where U.S. attorneys come from today, this is ridiculous,' Fischetti said."

The man who helped land Vinny TV in his current predicament is the ex-husband of Mob Wives reality star Renee Graziano, and Pagan's cooperation with the feds also resulted in the arrest of her father reputed Bonanno consigliere Anthony "TG" Graziano.

Last Friday defense lawyers asked the government to disclose further information about Pagan's alleged role in the July 2010 robbery and murder of Lucchese associate James Donovan before turning state's evidence as reported by Mitchel Maddux for the New York Post.

Hector Betrays; Renee Cries

The drama never ends for this chick.

Mob Wives reality star Renee Graziano broke down into tears yesterday as she spoke about her ex-husband Hector Pagan who ratted out her papa Anthony "TG" Graziano while the former love birds otherwise "were discussing a reconciliation" as reported by Mitchel Maddux for the New York Post:  "the impromptu drama took place after she watched her wiseguy dad led out of court by US Marshals and whisked off to a detention center to await trial on racketeering charges."

Just last month Renee apparently "had a panic attack, collapsed, and had trouble breathing . . . and was rushed via ambulance to the hospital" upon learning that Papa Graziano, the reputed Bonanno consigliere, had been charged based on Pagan's cooperation as then reported by Jethro Nededog for The Hollywood Reporter.

Poor Renee.  Didn't she know you can't trust a mobster?

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 six 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.  Badalamente, the reputed boss, is "charged with shaking down several restaurants and bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn and also allegedly 'took over' a bar on Coney Island Avenue after its owner failed to pay back a debt" as reported by Mitchel Maddux for the New York Post.

Some of the defendants are well-known to law enforcement.  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.

Indeed, 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 5 of the 6 defendants live on Staten Island as reported by Frank Donnelly for The Staten Island Advance.

UPDATE:  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" as reported by Jethro Nededog for The Hollywood Reporter.  Such a delicate flower.

Mob Wives Reality Show Gets Dose Of Real Life

Hector "Junior" Pagan, the former husband of Mob Wives reality star Renee Graziano, "has been wearing a wire for the FBI" as reported by Michael Starr for the New York Post:

His first victim was no less than Bonanno crime family capo Anthony Graziano — the father of Renee and show creator Jennifer Graziano.  * * * The tape reportedly caught the elder Graziano instructing Pagan to collect a $150,000 loanshark debt from an unidentified man.

No word on whether Mob Wives will be re-titled Reality Bites:  "in the first episode of the new season, set to begin Jan. 1, Pagan is shown pacing outside the federal courthouse in downtown Brooklyn, telling Renee via cellphone that he had been offered a deal by prosecutors on an earlier arrest."

Feds: Bonanno Consigliere's Former Son-In-Law Stuck Up Family Card Game

Only in Staten Island.

The feds have arrested Hector Pagan Jr., the former son-in-law of reputed Bonanno consigliere Anthony "T.G." or "the Little Guy" Graziano, for allegedly sticking up a card game run by the crime family as reported by John Marzulli for the Daily News:  "'Pagan threatened one of the victims by pointing his gun directly at one of the victim’s legs,' U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Al Gyenes stated in the complaint."

Pagan was once married to Mob Wives reality star Rene Graziano.

Meanwhile, Rene's father T.G. "has been tossed back in federal prison on extortion charges, just a few months after he was released from a halfway house and placed under house arrest" for allegedly "attempting to collect a years-old loansharking debt" as reported by John M. Annese for the Staten Island Advance.

The arrests of Pagan and Graziano were pursuant to an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.