More than 100 Gangsters including Colombo Crime Boss Rounded Up
The feds staged a massive Mafia roundup Thursday, arresting 127 suspected gangsters from the city's five mob families - along with hoods from New Jersey and Rhode Island - on charges ranging from racketeering and extortion to murder.
Federal agents launched the largest one-day crackdown on organized crime in FBI history before dawn.
By noon, Fort Hamilton was packed with Genovese, Gambino, DeCavalcante, Colombo, Bonanno and Lucchese gangsters who were hauled there in handcuffs for processing.
"Some of these men were involved in classic mob murders," said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. "Some were senseless murders."
In one case, said Holder, two of the owners of the Shamrock Bar in the Woodhaven section of Queens were shot and killed in 1981 "over a spilled drink."
Suspected Gambino family capo Bartolemeo Vernace has been charged with killing the bar owners, John D'Agnese, 22, and Richie Godkin, 35, the feds said.
Janice Fedarcyk, who heads the FBI's New York office, said their year-long probe was aided by turncoat mobsters more interested in cutting deals than honoring the mob code.
"The vow of silence that is part of the oath of 'omerta' is more myth than reality today," she said.
Also among those nabbed were:
* Reputed Colombo capo Anthony Russo, who is charged with the 1993 gangland killing of then-underboss Joseph Scopo during the crime family's civil war.
* Andrew (Mush) Russo, 76, alleged street boss of Colombo Family.
**Richard Fusco, 74, alleged Colombo family consigliere.
* Joseph (JoJo) Corozzo, 69, reputed Gambino family consigliere.
* Benjamin Castellazzo, 73, believed to be a Colombo family underboss.
* Luigi Manocchio, 83, suspected former boss in the New England mob, who was arrested in Ft. Lauderdale.
The suspects are charged with a slew of crimes -including five murders - in 16 indictments unsealed in Broooklyn Federal Court.
At least two rogue lawmen were also arrested:
** Retired NYPD officer Dominic Caramanica, a reputed Genovese crime associate who is charged with threatening an unidentified debtor to the mob.
** Robert Dito, a former Suffolk County Emergency Service cop who is accused of tipping off illegal gambling clubs about planned police raids.
An 800-strong army of federal agents carried out the takedowns across four states. One arrest was made in Italy, Holder said.
They were acting on information gleaned by informants who recorded thousands of incriminating conversations.
Court papers revealed the Colombo family was especially riddled with rats, to the point that the feds nearly infiltrated a secretive mob induction ceremony for four wannabe wiseguys last month.
The feds were undone when the mobsters made the G-men tailing them and Anthony Russo canceled the event.
"The whole thing is dead," disappointed wannabe wiseguy Ilario Sessa was taped saying. "It came from Anthony (Russo)."
Holder said it was too early to say the mob is dead.
"Today's arrests mark an important and encouraging step forward," he said. "The reality is that our battle against organized crime enterprises is far from over."
The FBI's monster mobster bust Thursday unveiled a treaure trove of amazing mafia monikers. Consider these gems that were stripped from the pages of the 16 indictments filed in Brooklyn Federal court:
*"Tony Bagels"
*"Vito Love"
*"The Claw"
*"Baby Fat"
*"Jimmy Gooch"
*"Mush"
*"Johnny Cash"
*"The Beard"
*"Johnny Pizza"
*"Nighthawk."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/the_mob/2011/01/20/2011-01-20_mafia_bust_nets_more_than_100_members_of_organized_crime_in_sweeping_crackdown.html
Federal agents launched the largest one-day crackdown on organized crime in FBI history before dawn.
By noon, Fort Hamilton was packed with Genovese, Gambino, DeCavalcante, Colombo, Bonanno and Lucchese gangsters who were hauled there in handcuffs for processing.
"Some of these men were involved in classic mob murders," said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. "Some were senseless murders."
In one case, said Holder, two of the owners of the Shamrock Bar in the Woodhaven section of Queens were shot and killed in 1981 "over a spilled drink."
Suspected Gambino family capo Bartolemeo Vernace has been charged with killing the bar owners, John D'Agnese, 22, and Richie Godkin, 35, the feds said.
Janice Fedarcyk, who heads the FBI's New York office, said their year-long probe was aided by turncoat mobsters more interested in cutting deals than honoring the mob code.
"The vow of silence that is part of the oath of 'omerta' is more myth than reality today," she said.
Also among those nabbed were:
* Reputed Colombo capo Anthony Russo, who is charged with the 1993 gangland killing of then-underboss Joseph Scopo during the crime family's civil war.
* Andrew (Mush) Russo, 76, alleged street boss of Colombo Family.
**Richard Fusco, 74, alleged Colombo family consigliere.
* Joseph (JoJo) Corozzo, 69, reputed Gambino family consigliere.
* Benjamin Castellazzo, 73, believed to be a Colombo family underboss.
* Luigi Manocchio, 83, suspected former boss in the New England mob, who was arrested in Ft. Lauderdale.
The suspects are charged with a slew of crimes -including five murders - in 16 indictments unsealed in Broooklyn Federal Court.
At least two rogue lawmen were also arrested:
** Retired NYPD officer Dominic Caramanica, a reputed Genovese crime associate who is charged with threatening an unidentified debtor to the mob.
** Robert Dito, a former Suffolk County Emergency Service cop who is accused of tipping off illegal gambling clubs about planned police raids.
An 800-strong army of federal agents carried out the takedowns across four states. One arrest was made in Italy, Holder said.
They were acting on information gleaned by informants who recorded thousands of incriminating conversations.
Court papers revealed the Colombo family was especially riddled with rats, to the point that the feds nearly infiltrated a secretive mob induction ceremony for four wannabe wiseguys last month.
The feds were undone when the mobsters made the G-men tailing them and Anthony Russo canceled the event.
"The whole thing is dead," disappointed wannabe wiseguy Ilario Sessa was taped saying. "It came from Anthony (Russo)."
Holder said it was too early to say the mob is dead.
"Today's arrests mark an important and encouraging step forward," he said. "The reality is that our battle against organized crime enterprises is far from over."
The FBI's monster mobster bust Thursday unveiled a treaure trove of amazing mafia monikers. Consider these gems that were stripped from the pages of the 16 indictments filed in Brooklyn Federal court:
*"Tony Bagels"
*"Vito Love"
*"The Claw"
*"Baby Fat"
*"Jimmy Gooch"
*"Mush"
*"Johnny Cash"
*"The Beard"
*"Johnny Pizza"
*"Nighthawk."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/the_mob/2011/01/20/2011-01-20_mafia_bust_nets_more_than_100_members_of_organized_crime_in_sweeping_crackdown.html
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