Restaurant Impresario Fails to Disclose Connection to Mobster

High-flying restaurant impresario Giuseppe Cipriani repeatedly omitted in his state liquor-license applications the involvement of a convicted Colombo crime-family associate in his hotspots, documents obtained by The Post show.

He also failed to list his father, Arrigo Cipriani, on numerous license applications, omissions that could lead to new criminal charges against the son.

The State Liquor Authority is examining Cipriani's failure to put down ex-con Dennis Pappas as a top executive on applications for any of the family's five famed New York restaurants, as it determines whether to yank Cipriani's licenses to sell booze. Not disclosing a senior manager, particularly one with a criminal past, "would be a very serious violation," said SLA spokesman Bill Crowley.

On the applications, reviewed by The Post, Giuseppe Cipriani, 42, president of Cipriani USA, claims to be the only owner and executive at the firm's opulent eateries and banquet halls.

In papers submitted to the SLA in 2004 for the restaurant at 200 Fifth Ave., for example, Cipriani says he has 100 percent ownership and adds, "Giuseppe Cipriani is the sole officer, director and shareholder."

But the application doesn't square with an April 2003 lease agreement Pappas signed with the restaurant in which Pappas describes himself as "CEO."

Nor does it match testimony Pappas gave in May, when at his sentencing for insurance fraud, he told a judge he had managerial control over the Ciprianis' New York operations between 2000 and 2006, reported only to Giuseppe Cipriani, hired workers, oversaw construction projects and got paid $900,000.

A reputed mob moneyman now doing time for duping insurance companies out of $1.5 million in fake disability claims, Pappas was convicted by the feds of RICO charges in 1998 for his legal work for the Colombos. He was also charged in 2006 with falsifying an application for a cabaret license for the Ciprianis' Rainbow Room by not disclosing his criminal past to the city's Department of Consumer Affairs.

The SLA is already looking to pull the Cipriani licenses after the felony conviction of patriarch Arrigo Cipriani, 75, who admitted in July he and Cipriani USA dodged $10 million in taxes.

Convicted felons are barred from holding liquor licenses unless they get a rare special permission from the court or Probation Department.

On the license applications, Giuseppe Cipriani also fails to mention the involvement of Arrigo, who heads a parent company that controls the family's New York operation.

The new documents could mean further legal trouble for Giuseppe, who also copped to helping the firm evade the taxes.

Thanks to Brad Hamilton and Susan Edelman

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Petey Cap Hits a 7 and Craps Out as He Heads Up the River

It's snake eyes for Hudson County gambling racketeer Peter "Petey Cap" Caporino, who is on his way up the river after being sentenced to an unlucky seven years in prison today, officials said.

Caporino ran illegal numbers and sports betting rackets for more than 40 years and was an FBI informant for two decades.

Helping the feds got him off the hook but he just couldn't give up the business he operated out of the Character Club, on Monroe Street in Hoboken. A portion of his take was passed up the chain to Genovese crime family bosses, law enforcement officials said.

"We are gratified that this book has reached it's final chapter," said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio.

In 2002, Caporino pleaded guilty to money laundering involving illegal gambling proceeds and was sentenced to five years in prison. That sentence was suspended when he agreed to wear a wire for the FBI and help prosecute 15 reputed Genovese associates.

Caporino could have walked away but he didn't -- and things spiraled from there.
In June, he was arrested at his Hasbrouck Heights home and charged with leading an organized crime network, promoting gambling and possession of gambling records.

On Aug. 16 last year, he was arrested in Hoboken by Jersey City police and charged with promoting gambling and possession of gambling records, officials said. Following this arrest, the feds washed their hands of Caporino and DeFazio reinstated the five year suspended sentence.

Caporino was given seven years today by state Superior Judge Peter Vazquez, sitting in Jersey City, for leading an organized crime network, and five years for promoting gambling. Under the terms of the plea deal, the terms will run concurrently.

The sweep that netted Caporino in June also resulted in the arrest of his wife, Ann Caporino, 68, on the charge of possession of gambling records. The charge against her was dropped as part of his plea deal.

Thanks to Michaelangelo Conte

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Chicago Mob Family Secrets Infamous Locations Map

I have been procrastinating creating a map of various Chicago Outfit infamous locations . Mark Konkol created such a map for the Family Secrets Trial along with an accompanying article.

Since Mark gave me a headstart, now seems like a good time to piggyback upon his efforts and expand the map to include both Family Secrets and other infamous and historical Chicago Mob locations. You can find the current results here. As with most of my efforts, this will be a work in progress. Feel free to submit your ideas for additional locations that should be included.

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Mob Trial Judge Helps Jury Define 'Intimidation'

The jury in the Family Secrets mob trial is taking it easy. On Thursday, the 12 men and women told the judge they will not deliberate tomorrow.

CBS 2's John "Bulldog" Drummond reports, the jury worked about six hours today. There was a flurry of activity at the Dirksen Federal Building, however, when the jury sent a note to Judge James Zagel asking for a definition of the term "intimidation."

One of the biggest victims of intimidation was local pizza king James Stolfe, chief executive of Connie's. Prosecutors contend that defendant Frank Calabrese Sr. shook down Stolfe for more than $200,000 over a 20-year period. And the government argues that other defendants, including Joey "the Clown" Lombardo, were also not pikers in extorting victims.

Five defendants in the case are accused of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy including 18 murders, illegal gambling, loan sharking and extortion.

The defendants' lawyers were summoned to the courthouse to iron out what the word "intimidation" means to the jury. But it was Zagel who became a local Funk and Wagnalls and crafted what is intimidation.

"An act of intimidation occurs when a person communicates to an individual a threat to inflict physical harm to an individual or to propert," Zagel said.

The jury will resume deliberations on Monday.

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America's Most Wanted on The Chicago Syndicate

Dominic Lyde & Derrick Benjamin: Deputies in South Carolina have arrested five suspects in one major armored car robbery – with proceeds to the tune of nearly $10 million. But they say two other suspects are still on the run, and nearly $5 million is still missing. Only one of the suspects is older than 22. So what did they do with all that cash? They blew their loot on tattoos, cars and strippers. What else?

Richard Goldberg: Notorious accused pedophile Richard Goldberg is back in the U.S. The FBI Top Tenner was picked up north of the border and now Canadian authorities have deported him and turned him over to U.S. officials. Goldberg faces charges of molesting six young girls and producing child pornography.

Jon Schillaci: A family offered Jon Schillaci a new chance at life after he was released from prison in November 1999, but this registered sex offender paid their kindness with a parent’s worst nightmare. New Hampshire police say as soon as he moved into their home, he was back to his old perverted ways.

Joseph Duran: Police in Vacaville , Calif. are on the lookout for an 18-year-old suspect in the shooting of one of his former friends. Cops say that Joseph Stanley Duran shot and killed 19-year-old Angelo Hurst during a drive-by shooting on June 20, 2007. Authorities tell AMW that Hurst wasn’t the intended target—Duran was aiming for someone else and Hurst was simply caught in the crosshairs in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, Duran’s on the rune and cops are hoping that AMW viewers can help to pinpoint his whereabouts.

David Atwood: On February 24, 2005 David Atwood was released on parole, after serving ten years for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy. After his release, cops say it didn’t take long for Atwood to become a repeat offender. He has been on the rune since allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted yet another child.

Pablo Castro: Cops in New York are trying to track down convicted felon Pablo Castro. They say the Colombian national has snuck into the U.S. and is recruiting day laborers to burglarize affluent homes. Connected to more than 20 crimes, cops say Castro could be laying low in New York or hiding out in New Jersey.

Rizwan Chuadhary: It's Christmas Eve in East Brunswick , NJ , and a woman and her 9-year-old son are on their way to church. Minutes later, police say Rizwan Chaudhary plows into their minivan at 91 miles an hour, killing the young boy -- now authorities hope to put Chaudhary on a collision course with justice.

Raven Jeffries: In August 2006, 7-year-old Raven Jeffries was playing outside of her home in Detroit , Mich. , when her brother says he stepped away from her for just a moment. Just days after her disappearance, police say that her burned body was found in a field in a neighboring town. Now, AMW is teaming up with Pauley Perrette from the hit crime drama NCIS to help solve the case.

Shannon Paulk: At around 2:30 p.m., two of Shannon's friends were on a walk through the trailer park, when they saw Shannon talking to an unfamiliar man. Nearby was a white, four-door car, with red clay mud on the back. They went up to talk to Shannon , but she didn't introduce them to the newcomer, so they figured she didn't really know him very well. The girls talked briefly, then parted ways. When Shannon's friends passed by again half an hour later, Shannon , the mysterious man, and the car were all gone. Shannon was never seen again. Now, this Saturday night, AMW is teaming up with Pauley Perrette, the star of the prime time crime drama NCIS, to help investigators solve Shannon ’s murder as well as the murder of Raven Jeffries.

Camille Cleverley: Investigators tell AMW that a questionable ATM purchase made with missing BYU student Camille Cleverley's ATM card may help in ascertaining what happened to the missing 22-year-old. Cops say that around 11 a.m. on August 31, the day after Camille was last seen, her ATM card was used to purchase two bottles of juice and some doughnuts. Unfortunately, the convenience store's security cameras were not operational when the transaction was made and subsequent police interviews with the cashier have not yielded a positive identification of exactly who used Camille's card to make the purchase. Tune in this Saturday night to help us put the clues together and bring Camille home.

Jelmo Kirkland: The Citgo gas station in Miami Gardens , Fla. was full of people on January 20, 2007, but police say that didn't stop a man known as "Skeebo" from pulling out a gun and opening fire on a car. Now, this week we’ll try to track him down and put him behind bars.

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