Son of jailed mob boss Carmine "The Snake" Persico indicted for ordering hit
Michael Persico, outside court last year, has long groomed a reputation as a legit businessman who owns a limousine service and a restaurant.
The son of jailed mob boss Carmine "The Snake" Persico was indicted Thursday for ordering the 12th and final killing in the bloody Colombo family mob wars.
Michael Persico, 54, was indicted in Brooklyn Federal Court along with two associates for taking out rival mafioso Joseph Scopo in 1993.
The younger Persico has no prior convictions and has long groomed a reputation as a legit businessman who owns a limousine service and a restaurant.
His first arrest came last year, when he was accused of racketeering involving debris removal contracts at Ground Zero. He was released on a $5 million bail package.
The new indictment says he went after Scopo because he sided with the Orena faction of the Colombos.
"Persico also arranged the firearms to be used in the Scopo murder," prosecutors charged in court papers.
Wiseguy John Pappa was convicted in May 1999 of taking out Scopo as he left a car outside his Ozone Park, Queens, home - as well as three other mob hits. The Scopo murder was carried out to "secure the power of the Persico family," court documents say.
Secret recordings made by a Mafia turncoat who claimed to be in a nearby car when Scopo was gunned down tied Michael Persico to the murder, court papers said.
In the car with the informant, the feds claim, were Persico's co-defendants, Francis "B.F." Guerra, and Persico's cousin Theodore "Skinny Teddy" Persico.
Guerra is also charged with killing Michael Devine in 1992 with a coup de grace bullet to the groin for dating the wife of acting boss Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico.
Alphonse, Michael Persico's brother, was in prison at the time. Alphonse and Carmine Persico are serving life sentences.
Guerra's lawyer, Gerard McMahon, claimed the government's snitch is Anthony "Big Anthony" Russo, who flipped six months ago, and blamed him for making up lies to save himself.
"He gives them the one guy they don't have," the lawyer said. "[Guerra] has nothing to hide on these murders."
Michael Persico's lawyer did not return requests for comment. While Theodore Persico is incarcerated, prosecutors will ask to remand Guerra and Michael Persico in a hearing scheduled for next week.
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