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U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney |
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| FOR IMMETIDATE RELEASE OCTOBER 19, 2000 |
CONTACT: | U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE MARVIN SMILON, HERBERT HADAD PUBIC INFORMATION OFFICE (212) 637-2600
DAVID N. KELLEY
FBI
NYPD
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MARY JO WHITE, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, BARRY W. MAWN, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the FBI, and New York City Police Commissioner BERNARD B. KERIK announced today the unsealing of a 12-count Indictment filed in Manhattan federal court charging 12 defendants, including virtually the entire ruling hierarchy of the Decavalcante Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra, with wide-ranging racketeering and other charges relating to five murders, conspiracies to murder eight other individuals, securities fraud, loansharking, gambling, extortion, and obstruction of justice.
The Indictment, representing the culmination of a three-year investigation, charges GIOVANNI RIGGI, a/k/a "John Riggi," who is incarcerated and the alleged boss of the Family, STEFANO VITABILE, who is the alleged "consigliere" or counselor of the Family, as well as two alleged members of the Family�s three-member "ruling panel" �- GIROLAMO PALERMO and CHARLES MAJURI -- who allegedly served as acting bosses in the absence of the jailed RIGGI.
The Indictment also charges two alleged "capos" or captains, PHILIP ABRAMO and FRANCESCO POLIZZI, who are alleged to have controlled a crew of soldiers and associates and directly supervised their criminal activities. In addition, the Indictment charges three alleged soldiers, LOUIS CONSALVO, GREGORY RAGO, and ANTHONY MANNARINO, as well as three alleged associates, FRANK D�AMATO, BERNARD NiCASTRO, and FRANK SCARABINO, with the commission of various criminal activities in connection with the Decavalcante Family.
The third alleged member of Ruling Panel, VINCENT PALERMO, and two alleged capos, ANTHONY ROTUNDO and JOSEPH GIACOBBE, were previously charged in connection with three indictments filed on December 2, 1999, along with 35 defendants, including members and associates of the Decavalcante Family and four other La Cosa Nostra families.
The Indictment unsealed today charges that the Decavalcante Family is an organized criminal group based in New Jersey that operates several crews in New York. The Indictment charges that the Decavalcante family engaged in a widespread pattern of racketeering including 16 separate acts of racketeering, such as murders and conspiracies to commit murder, extortion, loansharking, the operation of an illegal bookmaking network, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The defendants are also alleged to have engaged in their racketeering activities with members and associates of other New York-based organized crime families.
Of the 12 defendants charged in the indictment, 11 were arrested today and one is still being sought.
The charges grew out of a three-year investigation by the United States Attorney�s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, and the Department of Labor, Office of Labor Racketeering.
The indictment charges the following individuals with racketeering activity as summarized below:
(1) GIOVANNI RIGGI, a/k/a "John Riggi," a/k/a "Uncle John," a/k/a "The Eagle", the Boss of the Decavalcante LCN Family. Although RIGGI has been incarcerated since 1990, the indictment alleges that he has continued in his position as Boss of the Decavalcante LCN Family and has continued to direct its criminal operations from his prison cell by sending out messages to other members of the Decavalcante LCN Family, including (among other things) orders that individuals be killed, dictates relating to the Decavalcante LCN Family�s internal organization, and instructions relating to the Decavalcante LCN Family�s use of its long-held control over certain unions to extort "kickbacks" from numerous contractors in the construction industry. Among RIGGI�s criminal activities were participation in three homicides, two additional conspiracies to murder, the extortion of money from various businesses, and the obstruction of justice (through, among other things, conspiring with members of other LCN Families to bribe a member of the jury which heard his 1990 District of New Jersey racketeering prosecution, acquitting him on the major charges).
(2) GIROLAMO PALERMO, a/k/a "Jimmy Palermo," an acting Boss on the ruling panel of the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among PALERMO�s criminal activities were participation in two conspiracies to commit murder and the extortion of money from various businesses.
(3) CHARLES MAJURI, an acting Boss on the ruling panel of the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among MAJURI�s criminal activities were participation in a conspiracy to murder, the collection of extortionate extensions of credit ("loansharking"), an illegal bookmaking business, and the extortion of money from various businesses.
(4) STEFANO VITABILE, a/k/a "Steve Vitabile," the Consigliere or counselor of the Decavalcante LCN Family. VITABILE�s criminal activities included participation in two homicides, numerous conspiracies to murder, and the extortion of money from various businesses.
(5) PHILIP ABRAMO, a Capo in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among ABRAMO�s criminal activities were participation in three homicides, two conspiracies to murder, a conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and loansharking.
(6) FRANCESCO POLIZZI, a/k/a "Frank Polizzi," a Capo in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among POLIZZI�s criminal activities were participation in three conspiracies to commit murder and loansharking.
(7) LOUIS CONSALVO, a/k/a "Louie Eggs," a Soldier in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among CONSALVO�s criminal activities were participation in a homicide, loansharking, the operation of an illegal bookmaking business and a conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
(8) GREGORY RAGO, a Soldier in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among RAGO�S criminal activities were participation in a homicide, loansharking and the operation of an illegal bookmaking business.
(9) FRANK D�AMATO, an Associate in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among D�AMATO�s criminal activities were participation in loansharking and the operation of an illegal bookmaking business.
(10) BERNARD NiCASTRO, an Associate in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among NiCASTRO�S criminal activities were participation in a homicide and loansharking.
(11) FRANK SCARABINO, a/k/a "Franky the Beast," an Associate in the Decavalcante LCN Family. Among SCARABINO�s criminal activities were participation in a homicide, two conspiracies to murder, loansharking and the operation of an illegal bookmaking business.
(12) ANTHONY MANNARINO, a/k/a "Marshmallow," an alleged soldier in a crew based in Florida, with obstruction of justice.
The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture to the United States of approximately $20 million, representing the proceeds of the alleged acts of racketeering, including the homes of the racketeering defendants as substitute assets.
The defendants are scheduled to be presented before United States Chief Magistrate Judge FRANK MAAS in Manhattan Federal court today.
Ms. WHITE stated, "The Decavalcante Organized Crime Family is one of the oldest and most entrenched La Cosa Nostra Families in the nation. These charges represent the first time that the Decavalcante Family�s top leadership has been charged with such broad racketeering activity, including numerous acts of violence. In our continuing effort to eradicate the corrupt influence of all of La Cosa Nostra throughout the metropolitan area, the effect of this prosecution will be to dismantle the leadership of the Decavalcante Family and significantly diminish the Family�s power base in New York and New Jersey."
Mr. MAWN stated: �The arrests of the Boss, the Acting Bosses, the Consiglieri and several powerful Capos, will have a crippling effect on the Decavalcante Family�s ability to operate. The effects of this investigation will not be limited just to the Decavalcante Family but also to several of the New York-based organized crime families with which the Decavalcante dealt. The fallout from this investigation will not be limited to this one organized crime family.�
Commissioner KERIK stated: �This investigation effectively wipes out the CEO and Board of Directors of the Decavalcante crime family and stands as testament to the intensive coordination and cooperation that exists between the agencies represented here today. Too often the movies and TV end up glorifying the actions of organized crime figures to the point of making them likeable characters. The truth is, there is nothing likeable about murder, racketeering and extortion and thanks to these dedicated law enforcement professionals, today that message was delivered loud and clear.�
Ms. WHITE praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including both the New York and New Jersey Field Offices, the New York City Police Department, and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor Racketeering, in this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys JOHN M. HILLEBRECHT and LISA P. KOROLOGOS are in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant United States Attorney BARBARA A. WARD is in charge of the forfeiture aspect of case.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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