Pair of Genovese associates plead guilty to running gambling operation
Mobsters nicknamed “Tugboat” and “Tony the Wig” pleaded guilty on Friday as part of a massive deal with the feds that will have dozens of accused Mafiosi copping pleas in the coming weeks.
Anthony “Tony the Wig” Vazzano and John “Tugboat” Tognino, both Genovese family associates, pleaded guilty Friday to running illegal gambling operations, including the Yonkers Club in the Bronx, which held illegal poker tournaments, dice tournaments and took bets on horse races.
Under the deal hashed out with Manhattan federal prosecutors, a whopping 37 out of 46 accused mobsters are expected to plead guilty by May 19. Among them is Arthur Avenue restaurateur and reputed Genovese capo Pasquale “Pasty” Parrello, sources told The Post.
Under the deal, the feds agreed to remove charges of racketeering, which carry up to 20 years in the slammer. As an added sweetener, the feds vowed to advocate for significantly reduced sentences if the 37 enter their pleas by May 19.
Pasquale “Pasty” Parrello
The feds’ case against the accused mobsters, who span four of the five major Mafia crime families, started to show signs of crumbling in March when the feds warned the judge — in a sealed letter — that two FBI agents and a supervising agent were being probed over their interactions with a key witness.
In the letter, prosecutors said they were investigating a failure by the agents to archive debriefings with cooperating witness John Rubio, a Genovese associate who wore a wire against his cronies.
Vazzano is slated to be sentenced on Sept. 8. He now faces between 6 and 14 months in prison — down from a previous maximum of 20 years.
Tognino will be sentenced on Sept. 7. He now faces closer to 4 months to 12 months in prison, also down from a maximum of 20 years.
https://nypost.com/2017/05/05/mobsters-plead-guilty-as-part-of-massive-deal-with-the-feds/
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