Hold the poles! Is a Sopranos movie in the works?
The real-life manager of the strip club that fronted for the Bada Bing on HBO's "The Sopranos" thinks there might be. Satin Dolls manager Nick D'Urso says he's holding off on renovations to the strip club in Lodi, N.J., after getting a tip that a movie would be made. He wouldn't name the tipster.
An HBO spokeswoman says there's no truth to the rumor that plans are in the works for a film about Tony Soprano and his mob crew.
As first reported in The Record of Bergen County, D'Urso says he'll wait until after the summer to renovate in case the tip pans out.
Satin Dolls has already auctioned off its bronze-colored stripper poles and replaced them.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Nicholas Corozzo: Wanted by the FBI
Nicholas Corozzo is wanted by the FBI for EXTORTION; EXTORTION CONSPIRACY; ILLEGAL GAMBLING; MONEY LAUNDERING; MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY; RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY; CONSPIRACY TO MURDER; and MURDER.
Nicholas Corozzo is wanted for his alleged participation in a variety of illegal activities, including racketeering, extortion, and murder. Corozzo has been a member of the Gambino Crime Family since the early 1980s, and reportedly became a capodecina in the family in 1992. He has been charged with ordering the January 26, 1996, murder of a man who had robbed marijuana from Corozzo's crew and who was also thought to have participated in the murder of a Corozzo crew member. This individual was killed along with another man who was with the primary victim at the time.
On February 6, 2008, a warrant was issued for Corozzo in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, charging him with extortion, extortion conspiracy, illegal gambling, money laundering, money laundering conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to murder, and murder. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI, the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, the New York Police Department, and the United States Department of Labor.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS
Nicholas Corozzo is wanted for his alleged participation in a variety of illegal activities, including racketeering, extortion, and murder. Corozzo has been a member of the Gambino Crime Family since the early 1980s, and reportedly became a capodecina in the family in 1992. He has been charged with ordering the January 26, 1996, murder of a man who had robbed marijuana from Corozzo's crew and who was also thought to have participated in the murder of a Corozzo crew member. This individual was killed along with another man who was with the primary victim at the time.
On February 6, 2008, a warrant was issued for Corozzo in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, charging him with extortion, extortion conspiracy, illegal gambling, money laundering, money laundering conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to murder, and murder. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI, the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, the New York Police Department, and the United States Department of Labor.
DESCRIPTION
| Date of Birth Used: | March 17, 1940 | Hair: | Gray |
| Place of Birth: | Brooklyn, New York | Eyes: | Brown |
| Height: | 5'5" | Sex: | Male |
| Weight: | 170 pounds | Race: | White |
| NCIC: | W5938496320 | Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Unknown | ||
| Scars and Marks: | None known | ||
| Remarks: | Corozzo may wear glasses. | ||
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Reward Offered on Murder Case from Mob Burial Ground
Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
and John E. Zaruba, DuPage County Sheriff, are asking for the public's help in solving the 1997 murder of ROBERT CHARLES CRUZ. In appealing to the public for help, they have also announced that a reward of up to $10,000 was being offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime.
CRUZ, age 50, was last seen in Kildeer, Illinois on December 4, 1997. His body was unearthed by a construction crew working on a site in unincorporated DuPage County on March 20, 2007. He had been shot twice in the head and wrapped in a roll of carpet. The site where CRUZ' body was discovered was just yards away from an area where two other bodies were found in 1988, in what became known as the "Mob Burial Ground".
CRUZ was released from prison in Arizona in 1995. He had a lengthy criminal record and was a known associate of members of the Chicago LCN and other criminal elements. It is possible that this association led to his death, although no claims of responsibility have ever been received by law enforcement.
Anyone having any information about CRUZ' murder is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700
and John E. Zaruba, DuPage County Sheriff, are asking for the public's help in solving the 1997 murder of ROBERT CHARLES CRUZ. In appealing to the public for help, they have also announced that a reward of up to $10,000 was being offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime.CRUZ, age 50, was last seen in Kildeer, Illinois on December 4, 1997. His body was unearthed by a construction crew working on a site in unincorporated DuPage County on March 20, 2007. He had been shot twice in the head and wrapped in a roll of carpet. The site where CRUZ' body was discovered was just yards away from an area where two other bodies were found in 1988, in what became known as the "Mob Burial Ground".
CRUZ was released from prison in Arizona in 1995. He had a lengthy criminal record and was a known associate of members of the Chicago LCN and other criminal elements. It is possible that this association led to his death, although no claims of responsibility have ever been received by law enforcement.
Anyone having any information about CRUZ' murder is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700
Did Chicago Go Easy on a Mob Connected City Vendor? African-American Politicians Say Yes
African-American politicians accused the Daley Administration on Thursday of giving a “slap on the wrist” to James Duff, head of a mob-connected family that became the poster child for minority business fraud in Chicago.
Instead of barring James Duff and his two co-defendants from ever doing business with the city -- as recommended by Inspector General David Hoffman -- newly-appointed Chief Procurement Officer Montel Gayles chose a three-year ban.
Hoffman strongly disagreed -- and African-American politicians sided with him.
White members of the Duff family fraudulently obtained $100 million in janitorial contracts earmarked for minorities and women through their company, Windy City Maintenance.
“If you can commit a $100 million fraud and get a three-year slap on the wrist, the next fraud may be $200 million with the precedent being established by the Duff’s that you get to come back and play. It might even be something that encourages fraud,” said U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.).
“To restore public trust, a more stringent penalty is needed — not only for the Duff’s, but for other companies that might take advantage. To do otherwise is to support a cycle of, ‘Let me get mine. After a few years off, I get to come back and participate again.’ That stinks of insider dealing.”
Ald. Ed Smith (28th) agreed that James Duff “should be made to pay severely — by never doing business with the city again.”
“As big as it is, they should have been an open-arms company sensitive to minority business. They should have tried to help minorities. Instead, they ripped them off. It was a disgrace.They should be made to pay for that much more severely than three years,” Smith said.
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) condemned the three-year penalty as “an incomprehensible slap on the wrist. What exactly do you have to do, then, to be barred permanently? If this isn’t sufficient cause, what is?”
Gayles could not be reached for comment. In arguing for a lifetime penalty, Hoffman cited a de-barment rule issued by the Department of Procurement Services in December, 2005.
At the time, Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey had been brought in to clean up the mess caused by the Duff scandal and other minority business fraud.
The rule states, “The period of de-barment may be for a stated period of time or -- if no duration is set at the time of the debarment -- indefinitely. Periods of de-barment may be imposed concurrently or consecutively.”
“They had the discretion … to go as high as they wanted to … The crimes to which Mr. Duff pleaded were very broad — including racketeering and money laundering. There’s no ordinance that restricts a de-barment period based on those convictions,” Hoffman said.
He added, “If contractors who commit serious misconduct are allowed to come back and compete for taxpayer-funded contracts, it becomes very hard to enforce a system of integrity.”
It’s not the first time City Hall has treated the Duff’s with kid gloves.
On New Year’s Eve, 1999, Corporation Counsel Mara Georges concluded that men ran Windy City and stripped the company of women’s business enterprise (WBE) status, which gave the company a leg up on city contracts. But, Georges insisted there was no evidence of fraud because ownership of the company evolved when Patricia Green -- Duff’s mother -- gradually withdrew from the company.
Six years later, James Duff pleaded guilty to engineering a $100 million fraud.
He is expected to be released from a South Dakota federal prison in 2014. He will become eligible to do business with the city in 2011.
Terrence Dolan, who was convicted with Duff, has already served his time and now works at a Hinsdale janitorial firm. Duff co-defendant William Stratton remains in a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. He is expected to be released in 2010.
Thanks to Fran Spielman
Instead of barring James Duff and his two co-defendants from ever doing business with the city -- as recommended by Inspector General David Hoffman -- newly-appointed Chief Procurement Officer Montel Gayles chose a three-year ban.
Hoffman strongly disagreed -- and African-American politicians sided with him.
White members of the Duff family fraudulently obtained $100 million in janitorial contracts earmarked for minorities and women through their company, Windy City Maintenance.
“If you can commit a $100 million fraud and get a three-year slap on the wrist, the next fraud may be $200 million with the precedent being established by the Duff’s that you get to come back and play. It might even be something that encourages fraud,” said U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.).
“To restore public trust, a more stringent penalty is needed — not only for the Duff’s, but for other companies that might take advantage. To do otherwise is to support a cycle of, ‘Let me get mine. After a few years off, I get to come back and participate again.’ That stinks of insider dealing.”
Ald. Ed Smith (28th) agreed that James Duff “should be made to pay severely — by never doing business with the city again.”
“As big as it is, they should have been an open-arms company sensitive to minority business. They should have tried to help minorities. Instead, they ripped them off. It was a disgrace.They should be made to pay for that much more severely than three years,” Smith said.
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) condemned the three-year penalty as “an incomprehensible slap on the wrist. What exactly do you have to do, then, to be barred permanently? If this isn’t sufficient cause, what is?”
Gayles could not be reached for comment. In arguing for a lifetime penalty, Hoffman cited a de-barment rule issued by the Department of Procurement Services in December, 2005.
At the time, Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey had been brought in to clean up the mess caused by the Duff scandal and other minority business fraud.
The rule states, “The period of de-barment may be for a stated period of time or -- if no duration is set at the time of the debarment -- indefinitely. Periods of de-barment may be imposed concurrently or consecutively.”
“They had the discretion … to go as high as they wanted to … The crimes to which Mr. Duff pleaded were very broad — including racketeering and money laundering. There’s no ordinance that restricts a de-barment period based on those convictions,” Hoffman said.
He added, “If contractors who commit serious misconduct are allowed to come back and compete for taxpayer-funded contracts, it becomes very hard to enforce a system of integrity.”
It’s not the first time City Hall has treated the Duff’s with kid gloves.
On New Year’s Eve, 1999, Corporation Counsel Mara Georges concluded that men ran Windy City and stripped the company of women’s business enterprise (WBE) status, which gave the company a leg up on city contracts. But, Georges insisted there was no evidence of fraud because ownership of the company evolved when Patricia Green -- Duff’s mother -- gradually withdrew from the company.
Six years later, James Duff pleaded guilty to engineering a $100 million fraud.
He is expected to be released from a South Dakota federal prison in 2014. He will become eligible to do business with the city in 2011.
Terrence Dolan, who was convicted with Duff, has already served his time and now works at a Hinsdale janitorial firm. Duff co-defendant William Stratton remains in a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. He is expected to be released in 2010.
Thanks to Fran Spielman
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Lawsuit Claims Illinois Attorney General Office Falsely Accused Ex-Parole Board Member of Trading Vote on Mob Hit Man Harry Aleman
A former Illinois parole board member has filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Lisa Madigan and other state officials, alleging they falsely accused him of trading his vote to free a notorious mob hit man.
A Sangamon County judge cleared Victor Brooks last year of charges he voted to free Harry Aleman in 2002 in exchange for help landing Brooks' son a job as a singer in Las Vegas. Former Corrections Department executive Ron Matrisciano was also cleared of related charges.
Brooks contends Madigan, her assistants, state police officials or former colleagues on the Prisoner Review Board wrongly accused him or provided false information to investigators. He is seeking more than $2 million, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
A Madigan spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday. Aleman remains in prison serving 100 to 300 years for killing a Teamsters official.
A Sangamon County judge cleared Victor Brooks last year of charges he voted to free Harry Aleman in 2002 in exchange for help landing Brooks' son a job as a singer in Las Vegas. Former Corrections Department executive Ron Matrisciano was also cleared of related charges.
Brooks contends Madigan, her assistants, state police officials or former colleagues on the Prisoner Review Board wrongly accused him or provided false information to investigators. He is seeking more than $2 million, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
A Madigan spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday. Aleman remains in prison serving 100 to 300 years for killing a Teamsters official.
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