Genovese Captain cops to racketeering, extortion and gambling charges
A GENOVESE GEEZER hit the daily double Tuesday, pleading guilty to illegal gambling and winning permission from a federal judge to hang out with a mobbed-up pal who runs the famed Parkside Restaurant in Queens.
Reputed capo Anthony (Rom) Romanello, 74, got lucky when a cooperating witness for the feds had a heart attack over the weekend while prosecutors were prepping him for the gangster’s trial, which was to begin this week.
After Judge Leo Glasser adjourned the trial, prosecutors offered Romanello a deal — dropping a serious firearm charge that carried a mandatory five-year sentence. For copping to gambling and conspiracy, Romanello faces only 10 to 16 months in prison.
The judge also lifted the restriction on Romanello associating with childhood friend Anthony (Tough Tony) Federici who owns Parkside and is also a reputed Genovese capo.
Defense lawyers Gerald McMahon and Mathew Mari had contended that the feds were really gunning for Federici and prosecuted Romanello to pressure him into flipping.
A mob associate was secretly taped blabbing that Federici had bestowed his illicit rackets on Romanello in a move to withdraw from the mob because the restaurateur was making so much legitimate money from real estate and the Parkside. Romanello ran a social club on Corona Ave. adjacent to Parkside.
“He loves that restaurant,’ associate Thomas Cafaro said, according to transcript of the recording. “He buys a certain kind of meat, it’s gotta be cut a certain way.”
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall honored Federici with a citation in 2004 for community service. Romanello, of Franklin Square, L.I., is free on $750,000 bail and will be sentenced on April 13.
Reputed capo Anthony (Rom) Romanello, 74, got lucky when a cooperating witness for the feds had a heart attack over the weekend while prosecutors were prepping him for the gangster’s trial, which was to begin this week.
After Judge Leo Glasser adjourned the trial, prosecutors offered Romanello a deal — dropping a serious firearm charge that carried a mandatory five-year sentence. For copping to gambling and conspiracy, Romanello faces only 10 to 16 months in prison.
The judge also lifted the restriction on Romanello associating with childhood friend Anthony (Tough Tony) Federici who owns Parkside and is also a reputed Genovese capo.
Defense lawyers Gerald McMahon and Mathew Mari had contended that the feds were really gunning for Federici and prosecuted Romanello to pressure him into flipping.
A mob associate was secretly taped blabbing that Federici had bestowed his illicit rackets on Romanello in a move to withdraw from the mob because the restaurateur was making so much legitimate money from real estate and the Parkside. Romanello ran a social club on Corona Ave. adjacent to Parkside.
“He loves that restaurant,’ associate Thomas Cafaro said, according to transcript of the recording. “He buys a certain kind of meat, it’s gotta be cut a certain way.”
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall honored Federici with a citation in 2004 for community service. Romanello, of Franklin Square, L.I., is free on $750,000 bail and will be sentenced on April 13.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/genovese-wiseguy-anthony-romanello-lucks-cops-gambling-rap-feds-article-1.1004303#ixzz1j7Wr9JZg
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