A federal prosecutor in Chicago says more indictments may be coming in the investigation of a bomb allegedly set off to scare a company out of competing with organized crime in the video gaming business.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Markus Funk told U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman today that the government may add several defendants to the two already charged in the February 2003 bombing.
The blast ripped apart the offices of C & S Coin Operated Amusements in the Chicago suburb of Berwyn.
Prosecutors say the mob has long had a monopoly on the $13 million a year video gaming business in Chicago's western suburbs. And authorities say it bombed the C & S offices to let the company know that it wouldn't be allowed to horn in on the illegal profits.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
8 Members of the Lucchese Crime Family Arrested on Illegal Gambling and Narcotics Charges
FBI agents arrested eight members of New York's Luchese organized crime family Monday on illegal gambling and narcotics charges, the federal prosecutor said.
An acting "capo" in the Luchese family and seven others were nabbed, US Attorney Michael Garcia said.
Anthony Croce, the man described as the capo, faces a maximum sentence of five years prison if convicted on the gambling charges.
Three others face heavier sentences of between five and 40 years if convicted on cocaine distribution charges, the prosecutor said.
New York's five mafia crime families -- the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese -- have taken big hits in the last decade as veteran leaders died and turncoats helped the authorities make strings of arrests.
This August, New York police arrested the alleged former capo of the Gambinos, John "Junior" Gotti. He is due to be tried in Florida on racketeering charges.
An acting "capo" in the Luchese family and seven others were nabbed, US Attorney Michael Garcia said.
Anthony Croce, the man described as the capo, faces a maximum sentence of five years prison if convicted on the gambling charges.
Three others face heavier sentences of between five and 40 years if convicted on cocaine distribution charges, the prosecutor said.
New York's five mafia crime families -- the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese -- have taken big hits in the last decade as veteran leaders died and turncoats helped the authorities make strings of arrests.
This August, New York police arrested the alleged former capo of the Gambinos, John "Junior" Gotti. He is due to be tried in Florida on racketeering charges.
"Made" Mob Members Dwindle in Ranks
The ranks of the traditional "La Cosa Nostra" have been dwindling here in Rhode Island over the years. So much so, the face of the modern mob bust, like we saw last week, is a diverse cross-section of society.
The "Operation Mobbed Up" sweep netted two dozen people and crushed an alleged criminal syndicate run out of the Valley Street Flea Market. Among those arrested were several with ties to the Patriarca Crime Family.
In organized crime's heyday in Rhode Island, when Raymond L.S. Patriarca ran the show, investigators kept tabs on at least 22 "made" members of the New England crime family.
Rhode Island State Police Col. Brendan Doherty, a veteran mob investigator, tells Target 12 that right now, "There are about eight or nine people we allege are inducted members." Of those, some are what he calls "retired."
In fact, in the "Mobbed Up" bust from November 17, not a single defendant is a member of the Patriarca crime family. State Police say several -- including infamous mob muscleman, Gerald Tillinghast, and aging, wheelchair-bound Nicholas "Nicky" Pari -- are mob associates.
"The fact that a large group of associates was arrested and a made member was not arrested is not a reflection on the New England LCN," says Jeffrey Sallet, a supervisory special agent with the FBI's Organized Crime Unit in New England. He told Target 12 the LCN -- La Cosa Nostra, "our thing" -- has not "made" a lot of people, and many are mere associates.
The boss of a crime family approves letting in new members. Law enforcement sources tell Target 12 the head of the New England crime family is 80-year-old Luigi "Babyshanks" Manocchio. Sources say Manocchio keeps his inner circle small. Those men who've been identified by law enforcement sources as capo regime under Manocchio include:
* Robert "Bobby" Deluca, whom sources say is keeping a low profile after serving ten years on gambling charges. His parole is set to expire in 2009.
* Edward Lato, who recently escaped gambling charges after a State Police sting in 2006. Lato was released from federal prison earlier this year after a probation violation.
* Joseph Achille, who two years ago served a year at the ACI on a conspiracy charge.
Two longtime reputed mobsters are currently in prison: Capo regime Matthew "Matty" Gugliemetti -- serving time at Ft. Dix for drug violations -- and the infamous 67-year-old mobster, Anthony "The Saint" St. Laurent. He is serving five years for an attempted shakedown of two men over gambling debts.
So far the inner circle has come up clean in this latest round of organized crime-related busts. Col. Doherty says it may just be a new face to old crimes: "It's not quite as organized anymore. We have a lot of renegade factions out there."
Sallet tells Target 12 New England has the distinction of having the only crime family in the country with an active boss still on the street and not behind bars.
Thanks to Target 12
The "Operation Mobbed Up" sweep netted two dozen people and crushed an alleged criminal syndicate run out of the Valley Street Flea Market. Among those arrested were several with ties to the Patriarca Crime Family.
In organized crime's heyday in Rhode Island, when Raymond L.S. Patriarca ran the show, investigators kept tabs on at least 22 "made" members of the New England crime family.
Rhode Island State Police Col. Brendan Doherty, a veteran mob investigator, tells Target 12 that right now, "There are about eight or nine people we allege are inducted members." Of those, some are what he calls "retired."
In fact, in the "Mobbed Up" bust from November 17, not a single defendant is a member of the Patriarca crime family. State Police say several -- including infamous mob muscleman, Gerald Tillinghast, and aging, wheelchair-bound Nicholas "Nicky" Pari -- are mob associates.
"The fact that a large group of associates was arrested and a made member was not arrested is not a reflection on the New England LCN," says Jeffrey Sallet, a supervisory special agent with the FBI's Organized Crime Unit in New England. He told Target 12 the LCN -- La Cosa Nostra, "our thing" -- has not "made" a lot of people, and many are mere associates.
The boss of a crime family approves letting in new members. Law enforcement sources tell Target 12 the head of the New England crime family is 80-year-old Luigi "Babyshanks" Manocchio. Sources say Manocchio keeps his inner circle small. Those men who've been identified by law enforcement sources as capo regime under Manocchio include:
* Robert "Bobby" Deluca, whom sources say is keeping a low profile after serving ten years on gambling charges. His parole is set to expire in 2009.
* Edward Lato, who recently escaped gambling charges after a State Police sting in 2006. Lato was released from federal prison earlier this year after a probation violation.
* Joseph Achille, who two years ago served a year at the ACI on a conspiracy charge.
Two longtime reputed mobsters are currently in prison: Capo regime Matthew "Matty" Gugliemetti -- serving time at Ft. Dix for drug violations -- and the infamous 67-year-old mobster, Anthony "The Saint" St. Laurent. He is serving five years for an attempted shakedown of two men over gambling debts.
So far the inner circle has come up clean in this latest round of organized crime-related busts. Col. Doherty says it may just be a new face to old crimes: "It's not quite as organized anymore. We have a lot of renegade factions out there."
Sallet tells Target 12 New England has the distinction of having the only crime family in the country with an active boss still on the street and not behind bars.
Thanks to Target 12
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Holiday Savings from On the Spot Journal for U.S. Subscribers
Subscribe, renew, or extend your subscription to OTSJ between now and January 3, 2009 at our special 20% Holiday Discount. Or purchase a gift subscription for only $37.50 (a 25% savings). Owing to our extensive printing and mailing costs these discounts are only being offered within the continental U.S.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE STEAL AT THIS PRICE AND ESSENTIAL READING FOR ANYONE WITH A SERIOUS INTEREST IN HISTORICAL CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND IF YOU'RE ON THIS MAILING LIST YOU'RE SOMEONE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN "MADE" AS HAVING SUCH AN INTEREST. AND YOU'VE LIKELY GOT COLLEAGUES YOU COULD PASS THIS OFFER ON TO WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
COMING SOON IN ON THE SPOT JOURNAL:
Eastern State Penitentiary: A Bastion of Solitude
by Gregory A. Peduto
The Capture of Waxey Gordon
by John Conway
Roy Gardner: Last of the Old West Badmen
by Robert E. Bates
The Last Days of the Brady Gang
by Richard Shaw
Whiskey Women, Moonshining Mamas, and Bootlegging Babes
by Kate Clabough
Plus Officer Memorials, News & Events, Book Reviews, etc.
And much more, including our FBI Centennial issue!
At long last: A true-crime journal by a writer and long-time researcher with a phenomenal memory who locates and evaluates original sources instead of repeating the mistakes perpetuated in books that are based on earlier books. His contributors are scrutinized for accuracy, and into his clutches have been falling more and more descendants of prominent outlaws and gangsters, all pleased by his nonjudgmental accounts of their family's black sheep who are as much a part of history as...well, let's say J. Edgar Hoover, whose G-men brought them down.
-- William J. Helmer, author or coauthor of The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar, Dillinger: The Untold Story, Public Enemies, Baby Face Nelson, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and The Complete Public Enemy Almanac.
On the Spot Journal is a fascinating, informative true crime periodical for anyone who is intrigued by the "Public Enemy Era", when roving gangs of bank robbers and bootleggers criss-crossed America's landscape. The Journal's articles cover a vast range of topics, from the adventures of John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd to the early years of the Mafia. With its copious illustrations, Rick and Linda Mattix have done a wonderful job of creating an accessible yet detailed contribution to criminal history. As the underworld flip side of The Bonfire of the Vanities, On The Spot is a crucial resource for all those who are interested in the not-too-long ago era of bathtub gin, flappers, Tommyguns, and irresistible lawlessness.
-- Daniel Waugh, author of Egan's Rats: The Untold Story of the Prohibition-Era Gang that ruled St. Louis
On the Spot Journal is both an educational and fun resource on the early days of crime and crime prevention. The only one like it of its kind. The only thing more fun than contributing to it is reading it.
-- Patrick Downey, author of Gangster City: History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935 and Bad Seeds in the Big Apple: Bandits, Killers & Chaos in New York City 1920-1940
On the Spot certainly is. The articles are almost as good as being there when the incidents described took place. The magazine is a veritable history of crime in the United States with emphasis on organized crime and the John Dillinger era. I would recommend that every true crime fan subscribe at once. The articles are great, authentic and in luscious detail. The photos are a great addition to the text.
-- Arthur J. Bilek
Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice, Loyola University and author of The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee
SUBSCRIBE NOW -- DON'T MISS A SINGLE ACTION-PACKED ISSUE OF THE ONLY MAGAZINE IN AMERICA DEVOTED TO CRIME AND CRIME CONTROL IN THE CLASSIC GANGSTER ERA!
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE STEAL AT THIS PRICE AND ESSENTIAL READING FOR ANYONE WITH A SERIOUS INTEREST IN HISTORICAL CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND IF YOU'RE ON THIS MAILING LIST YOU'RE SOMEONE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN "MADE" AS HAVING SUCH AN INTEREST. AND YOU'VE LIKELY GOT COLLEAGUES YOU COULD PASS THIS OFFER ON TO WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.COMING SOON IN ON THE SPOT JOURNAL:
Eastern State Penitentiary: A Bastion of Solitude
by Gregory A. Peduto
The Capture of Waxey Gordon
by John Conway
Roy Gardner: Last of the Old West Badmen
by Robert E. Bates
The Last Days of the Brady Gang
by Richard Shaw
Whiskey Women, Moonshining Mamas, and Bootlegging Babes
by Kate Clabough
Plus Officer Memorials, News & Events, Book Reviews, etc.
And much more, including our FBI Centennial issue!
At long last: A true-crime journal by a writer and long-time researcher with a phenomenal memory who locates and evaluates original sources instead of repeating the mistakes perpetuated in books that are based on earlier books. His contributors are scrutinized for accuracy, and into his clutches have been falling more and more descendants of prominent outlaws and gangsters, all pleased by his nonjudgmental accounts of their family's black sheep who are as much a part of history as...well, let's say J. Edgar Hoover, whose G-men brought them down.
-- William J. Helmer, author or coauthor of The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar, Dillinger: The Untold Story, Public Enemies, Baby Face Nelson, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and The Complete Public Enemy Almanac.
On the Spot Journal is a fascinating, informative true crime periodical for anyone who is intrigued by the "Public Enemy Era", when roving gangs of bank robbers and bootleggers criss-crossed America's landscape. The Journal's articles cover a vast range of topics, from the adventures of John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd to the early years of the Mafia. With its copious illustrations, Rick and Linda Mattix have done a wonderful job of creating an accessible yet detailed contribution to criminal history. As the underworld flip side of The Bonfire of the Vanities, On The Spot is a crucial resource for all those who are interested in the not-too-long ago era of bathtub gin, flappers, Tommyguns, and irresistible lawlessness.
-- Daniel Waugh, author of Egan's Rats: The Untold Story of the Prohibition-Era Gang that ruled St. Louis
On the Spot Journal is both an educational and fun resource on the early days of crime and crime prevention. The only one like it of its kind. The only thing more fun than contributing to it is reading it.
-- Patrick Downey, author of Gangster City: History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935 and Bad Seeds in the Big Apple: Bandits, Killers & Chaos in New York City 1920-1940
On the Spot certainly is. The articles are almost as good as being there when the incidents described took place. The magazine is a veritable history of crime in the United States with emphasis on organized crime and the John Dillinger era. I would recommend that every true crime fan subscribe at once. The articles are great, authentic and in luscious detail. The photos are a great addition to the text.
-- Arthur J. Bilek
Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice, Loyola University and author of The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee
SUBSCRIBE NOW -- DON'T MISS A SINGLE ACTION-PACKED ISSUE OF THE ONLY MAGAZINE IN AMERICA DEVOTED TO CRIME AND CRIME CONTROL IN THE CLASSIC GANGSTER ERA!
Recession Leads to Boom Time for Mob Loan Sharks
The worldwide economic downturn has opened the door for loan sharks to burrow ever deeper into Italy's vulnerable economy by preying on businesses that need quick cash and credit, according to a new report by a respected trade group.
Confesercenti, a business association that has tracked Mafia income for the past 15 years, found that the credit crunch has a particularly sinister side in a country of 58 million people that struggles with four large Mafia gangs -- the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita -- and other criminal enterprises.
In the past year, 180,000 firms in an economy dominated by small businesses apparently have succumbed to loan sharks, in part because they no longer can qualify for bank loans, according to a report released last week in Milan. "Shop owners are really falling into the trap," said Marco Venturi, head of the association that produced "Crime's Hold on Business."
"This is dangerous. Once you get into loan sharking, you can never really free yourself," Venturi said. "The rates are always increasing. It is debt adding upon debt."
Rome is the nation's biggest loan shark market, Venturi said, and cooperation with criminality is part of the unfortunate times. Italy—like the other 14 European countries that use the euro — has officially fallen into recession, and criminal gangs are poised to take full advantage.
Criminal groups account for about 6 percent of Italy's gross domestic product. The loan-shark business generates an estimated $60 million a year for all criminal enterprises. Major Mafia gangs reap about $15 million from the high-risk credit deals—but they also are "actively" trying to expand that role by seeking more borrowers, Venturi added.
Venturi said researchers found that some strapped-for-cash business owners promise to pay out as much as 500 percent interest to secure a loan. The minimum interest demanded by organized crime is about 30 percent, he said.
One of the most common Mafia demands on small businesses is for protection money—known as pizzo—which pulls in about $8 billion annually, the report said. But increasingly, organized crime is trying to squeeze financial cuts from tourism, the health-care industry, meat and food producers and any kind of business-related service, including a mobile phone provider.
The economic downturn is a loan shark's dream, Venturi said. Small-business owners see their livelihoods at great risk because of the financial crisis and are willing to do anything to avoid losing the family business, he said.
"The reality is Italy depends on its small businesses for vitality," Venturi said. "Now they are falling into the grip of criminals."
Thanks to Christine Spolar
Confesercenti, a business association that has tracked Mafia income for the past 15 years, found that the credit crunch has a particularly sinister side in a country of 58 million people that struggles with four large Mafia gangs -- the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita -- and other criminal enterprises.
In the past year, 180,000 firms in an economy dominated by small businesses apparently have succumbed to loan sharks, in part because they no longer can qualify for bank loans, according to a report released last week in Milan. "Shop owners are really falling into the trap," said Marco Venturi, head of the association that produced "Crime's Hold on Business."
"This is dangerous. Once you get into loan sharking, you can never really free yourself," Venturi said. "The rates are always increasing. It is debt adding upon debt."
Rome is the nation's biggest loan shark market, Venturi said, and cooperation with criminality is part of the unfortunate times. Italy—like the other 14 European countries that use the euro — has officially fallen into recession, and criminal gangs are poised to take full advantage.
Criminal groups account for about 6 percent of Italy's gross domestic product. The loan-shark business generates an estimated $60 million a year for all criminal enterprises. Major Mafia gangs reap about $15 million from the high-risk credit deals—but they also are "actively" trying to expand that role by seeking more borrowers, Venturi added.
Venturi said researchers found that some strapped-for-cash business owners promise to pay out as much as 500 percent interest to secure a loan. The minimum interest demanded by organized crime is about 30 percent, he said.
One of the most common Mafia demands on small businesses is for protection money—known as pizzo—which pulls in about $8 billion annually, the report said. But increasingly, organized crime is trying to squeeze financial cuts from tourism, the health-care industry, meat and food producers and any kind of business-related service, including a mobile phone provider.
The economic downturn is a loan shark's dream, Venturi said. Small-business owners see their livelihoods at great risk because of the financial crisis and are willing to do anything to avoid losing the family business, he said.
"The reality is Italy depends on its small businesses for vitality," Venturi said. "Now they are falling into the grip of criminals."
Thanks to Christine Spolar
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