florida - Blog - Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org
2024-03-28T21:41:14Z
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/feed/tag/florida
Florida Bloods gang boss gets over 16 years in prison for drug and firearm offenses
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/florida-bloods-gang-boss-gets-over-16-years-in-prison-for-drug-an
2023-09-01T05:36:58.000Z
2023-09-01T05:36:58.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12214950460?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A Florida Bloods gang boss was sentenced to almost 17 years in prison on Monday. 36-year-old Antonio Eugene Brutton (photo above) had pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana.</p>
<p>Brutton sold more than 100 grams of methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential source on two separate occasions in 2021. On a third occasion in October 2022, law enforcement located more than 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of fentanyl, 250 grams of heroin, and approximately 5 kilograms of marijuana during a search of Brutton’s residence.</p>
<p>Two firearms were also located within the residence as well as nearly $30,000 in cash. Brutton has multiple prior state felony convictions including the sale of cocaine. So he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.</p>
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Florida Fruit Town Brims gang boss said gun was his girlfriend’s, now gets 6 years
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/florida-fruit-town-brims-gang-boss-said-gun-was-his-girlfriend-s
2023-05-09T13:00:50.000Z
2023-05-09T13:00:50.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11073561673?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>One of the highest ranking members of the Fruit Town Brims gang in Florida was sentenced to 6 years in prison last week. 31-year-old Michael Hankerson received the sentence for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Hankerson to forfeit firearms and ammunition. He had been found guilty on December 3, 2022.</p>
<p>According to court documents, in May 2022, investigators developed information that a known member of the Fruit Town Brims gang, who had been wanted on felony warrants from Alachua County for more than a month, was living in Hankerson’s residence in Poinciana. Hankerson was known to be a high-ranking member of the Fruit Town Brims gang.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/robert-lee-ward-the-florida-drug-boss-who-ordered-fbi-informant-i" target="_blank"><strong>Robert Lee Ward, the Florida drug boss who ordered FBI informant in his organization killed and continued biz</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>On May 10, 2022, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force entered the residence to arrest the fugitive. As they searched the house for the fugitive, they spotted a firearm with an attached large drum magazine in plain view in the master bedroom. Hankerson, who had previously been convicted of robbery and served a five-year prison sentence, is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The task force officers informed agents from the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) of their observations.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/u-s-marshals-arrest-over-84-000-fugitives-in-2021" target="_blank"><strong>U.S. Marshals arrest over 84,000 fugitives in 2021</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Me and my girlfriend</strong></span></p>
<p>After obtaining a warrant to search Hankerson’s residence, FDLE investigators searched the house and found multiple firearms and various types of ammunition. The firearm that had been seen in the master bedroom, a CZ Scorpion Evo 3 semi-automatic with a 50-round drum magazine attached, was loaded with 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition.</p>
<p>Investigators also recovered parts of a disassembled AR-15 style pistol in the house. When assembled, the pistol—which had been painted and its serial number obliterated—was functional and capable of firing .223 caliber ammunition. 97 rounds of ammunition were recovered during the search, including 9mm ammunition, .223 caliber ammunition, and 12-gauge shotgun shells.</p>
<p>Hankerson admitted to investigators that he was the highest-ranking member of the Brims gang in Florida. He also admitted that he had spray-painted the components to the AR-15 style firearm. He claimed that the CZ Scorpion firearm belonged to his girlfriend, who was not a convicted felon, but investigators obtained other evidence indicating Hankerson had acquired the firearm and was its true owner.</p>
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Philadelphia Mafia boss Joey Merlino poses for photo with former President Donald Trump
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/philadelphia-mafia-boss-joey-merlino-poses-for-photo-with-former
2023-01-23T18:47:37.000Z
2023-01-23T18:47:37.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10947173676?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By David Amoruso for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>Philadelphia Mafia family boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino has friends in high places… Well, he posed for a picture with someone who moves in high places. None other than former President of the United States Donald Trump stood next to Merlino as both men gave a thumbs up to the photographer snapping the picture.</p>
<p>The photo was released by the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/donald-trump-joey-merlino-philadelphia-mob-photo-golf-club-20230123.html" target="_blank">Philadelphia Inquirer</a>, which received it from an anonymous source. It reports that the picture was taken at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course this month. The third man is a friend of Merlino, the source told the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/donald-trump-joey-merlino-philadelphia-mob-photo-golf-club-20230123.html" target="_blank">Inquirer</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Hating snitches</strong></span></p>
<p>Merlino is a known supporter of Trump. Especially after Trump said in 2018 that “flipping almost ought to be illegal” when his lawyer, Michael Cohen, decided to testify against him.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ & WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/philly-underboss-crazy-phil-leonetti-talks-about-hanging-out-with" target="_blank"><strong>Philly underboss “Crazy Phil” Leonetti talks about hanging out with Meyer Lansky, calls Merlino a “lowlife”</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>“Skinny Joey” knows all about “flipping” as he came across quite a few rats in his day. He himself, however, remains a loyal adherent to omerta, the code of silence. Though he seems to have taken a step back from mob business, leaving the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-bruno-crime-family" target="_blank">Philly crime family</a> in the hands of his former associates.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Breach of security</strong></span></p>
<p>The fact that a man like Merlino, with a serious criminal record dating back decades, could pose for a photo with the former President is a worrying sign. Did Trump know Merlino? Are they friends? And if not, how did Merlino get this close to the former POTUS? This can be considered a serious security breach.</p>
<p>Access to the former President, who at the time of the photograph had just announced he would run again, offers a lot of opportunities to anyone looking to make a big score. Whether it’s to get his hands on some top secret documents or get a casino license. If you know a guy who can make it happen, it all works out.</p>
<p>The question now is: Does Joey Merlino know that guy?</p>
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Florida drug trafficker faces up to life in prison for trafficking meth from Mexico into US
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/florida-drug-trafficker-faces-up-to-life-in-prison-for-traffickin
2023-01-11T10:37:28.000Z
2023-01-11T10:37:28.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10929020664?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A federal jury has found 27-year-old Uriel Fajardo-Albarran guilty of one count of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.</p>
<p>According to evidence presented during the three-day trial, Fajardo-Albarran received large amounts of methamphetamine from sources in Mexico, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia. He then transported the methamphetamine to Florida where he used lower-level dealers to distribute multiple kilograms of the substance each week for approximately two years. Fajardo-Albarran organized the network of distribution after taking over for a supplier who had previously been convicted and sentenced to federal prison.</p>
<p>This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Gainesville Resident Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.</p>
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Film producer runs out of money so goes back to old job: robbing banks
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/film-producer-runs-out-of-money-so-goes-back-to-old-job-robbing-b
2023-01-10T06:33:27.000Z
2023-01-10T06:33:27.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10928322481?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A Baltimore bank robber had an interesting excuse for his criminal activities: raising funds to finish filming the movie he was producing. 54-year-old Nacoe Ray Brown was convicted of robbing three banks in the Baltimore area in 2001. After a federal jury convicted him of the robberies, he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. In 2020, Brown was granted an early release from prison and looked set on turning legit.</p>
<p>On June 28, 2022, while visiting Florida, Brown robbed the McCoy Federal Credit Union in Belle Isle. Wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, a surgical style facemask, and plastic gloves, Brown passed a note to the teller threatening that he had a gun and demanding money. He fled the bank with $4,296 in stolen cash.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10928322491,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10928322491?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em><strong>Photo: Surveillance cameras captured Brown as he appeared to the teller during the robbery.</strong></em></p>
<p>A witness watched Brown flee the bank and enter a nearby gas station where he had a change of clothes staged. The witness reported this to the Belle Isle Police Department, who quickly responded and located Brown at a hotel where he was staying. Police recovered the demand note and the stolen cash from Brown’s bag. They also recovered the disguise he had discarded in the restroom of the gas station.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/video/us-marine-became-successful-bank-robber-shares-experiences" target="_blank"><strong>US Marine became successful bank robber, shares experiences</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>After Brown was arrested, he told authorities that he committed the bank robbery because he was filming a movie in Florida and had run out of money to pay for the production.</p>
<p>He pleaded guilty last week to bank robbery and to violating the terms of his supervised release and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery offense and up to 3 years’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.</p>
<ul>
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Dark Web drug dealer sentenced to 16 years in prison
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/dark-web-drug-dealer-sentenced-to-16-years-in-prison
2022-12-01T19:00:00.000Z
2022-12-01T19:00:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10899169078?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A drug dealer operating in the digital underworld was sent to prison this week. 29-year-old Anton Peck, of Boca Raton, Florida, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Peck previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. </p>
<p>According to court records, between May 2021 and May 2022, Peck distributed narcotics from various <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/organized-crime-in-the-cyber-era" target="_blank">dark web markets</a> using the vendor profile “Syntropy.” After the transactions were carried out using cryptocurrency, Peck and co-conspirators Kevin Fusco and Vincent Banner mailed parcels containing fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine to cities around the country using the United States Postal Service.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/online-drug-lords-and-cyber-whackings" target="_blank"><strong>Silk Road: Online Drug Lords and Cyber-whackings</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Law enforcement agents were able to recover kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin from business and storage locations in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and New York City. Peck, the leader of the operation, obtained bulk amounts of narcotics, advertised them using the Syntropy vendor profile, orchestrated distribution, and collected customer payments. He possessed a list of more than 6,000 customers living in every part of the U.S.</p>
<p>On November 4, 2022, Fusco, 34, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to 11 years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine. Banner, 31, of Boynton Beach, Fla., is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2023, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin. </p>
<ul>
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Tampa Bloods boss gets no likes, sentenced to almost 4 years in prison after posing with gun on Instagram
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/tampa-bloods-boss-gets-no-likes-sentenced-to-almost-4-years-in-pr
2022-09-08T15:57:58.000Z
2022-09-08T15:57:58.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10806743265?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By David Amoruso for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>Gangsters work in the shadows. Why? Because if they ply their trade in the spotlights then they are bound to end up in prison. Any attention a criminal puts on himself will bring him nothing but trouble. A leader of the Bloods gang found that out when he earned almost 4 years in prison after posing on Instagram.</p>
<p>27-year-old Devin Kelly, of Tampa, Florida, is a member of the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/street-gangs" target="_blank">Bloods street gang</a> and held a leadership position in the group. He has been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/sex-money-murder-the-violent-rise-and-fall-of-deadly-bronx-gang-i"><strong>Sex Money Murder: The violent rise and fall of Bronx gang ingrained in New York underworld’s history</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Because of that he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Going live on Instagram</strong></span></p>
<p>Of course, rules are meant to be broken, especially for a gangster. So the law didn’t stop Kelly on July 2, 2021, when he and buddy Keyshawn Watts, also a convicted felon, held and displayed a rifle during an Instagram live video for all to see.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/prison-bars-couldn-t-stop-powerful-godfathers-of-united-blood-nat"><strong>Prison bars couldn’t stop powerful Bloods Godfathers</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>We can only hope the video got them laid, because after sharing it they were definitely fucked.</p>
<p>One week later, investigators searched Kelly’s residence and seized a Ruger AR .556 caliber rifle and an extended magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had features that matched those of the rifle observed by investigators on the Instagram live video. Kelly admitted that the rifle was the same firearm he had displayed on the video.</p>
<p>On April 19, he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Last week, September 1, he was sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison</p>
<p>Watts pleaded guilty as well and will be sentenced on October 4, 2022.</p>
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Rochester Mafia hitman pleads guilty to escape from halfway house when he had less than 1 year to serve
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/rochester-mafia-hitman-pleads-guilty-to-escape-from-halfway-house
2022-05-20T18:35:52.000Z
2022-05-20T18:35:52.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10503541474?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By David Amoruso for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>Imagine being locked up since the early 1990s. As 2022 rolls around you are nearing the end of your sentence and stay at a halfway house. Just one more year to go. Would you do the year or would you make a run for it and become a wanted man? Rochester mob hitman Dominic Taddeo felt the fugitive lifestyle was the best choice for him.</p>
<p>Taddeo pleaded guilty on Tuesday to an <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/rochester-mafia-family-hitman-escapes-from-federal-custody-in-flo" target="_blank">escape</a> from a federal halfway house in Orlando, Florida, at a time, March of this year, when he had less than a year to serve. He vanished after leaving the house for a scheduled medical appointment and made headlines in the United States.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/the-gunman-a-mafia-story" target="_blank"><strong>The Gunman. A Mafia Story</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>It is not every day that a bona fide Mafia assassin escapes from custody and becomes a wanted fugitive after all. He “made his bones” during a volatile period in the Rochester underworld and eventually pleaded guilty to several gangland murders.</p>
<p>It took authorities just one week to capture their runaway prey. Taddeo was <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/rochester-mafia-family-hitman-caught-after-escaping-from-federal" target="_blank">arrested</a> in Miami. His failed escape means he now faces 5 extra years in prison when he is sentenced.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Institutionalized</strong></span></p>
<p>The question on everyone’s mind is: Why did he do this?! Only he knows.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-time-i-hurt-mobster-henry-hill-s-feelings" target="_blank"><strong>The Time I Hurt Mobster Henry Hill’s Feelings</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Did he have some business to attend to that couldn’t wait? Was it worth risking 5 more years behind bars for? Or did he fear being out and about? At 63 years and after several decades behind bars, he is alien to our current society. With smartphones and social media dominating people’s lives how is he supposed to fit in?</p>
<p>Perhaps, he felt a cell would be a better fit. Institutionalized, it is called. Maybe he will share his reasons one of these days, now that he has the entire nation’s attention. </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/293YCA1Llko" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
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“Tony Pep” – Profile of Gambino Mafia family capo Anthony Trentacosta
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/tony-pep-profile-of-gambino-mafia-family-capo-anthony-trentacosta
2022-04-18T12:41:54.000Z
2022-04-18T12:41:54.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10398657886?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By David Amoruso for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>Anthony “Tony Pep” Trentacosta had a quiet, but very successful career in La Cosa Nostra. He rose to a leadership position within the Gambino crime family and made a ton of money in the process. Moving from New York to Atlanta to Florida, he always tried to keep a low profile and stay one step ahead of the feds.</p>
<p>Born on September 12, 1940, Anthony Trentacosta grew up in Brooklyn and Ozone Park, Queens. It was in Ozone Park that he became close to <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-boss-john-gotti-sr" target="_blank">John Gotti</a>, the charismatic mobster destined to take over one of New York’s five Mafia families.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Hail King Gotti</strong></span></p>
<p>Gotti succeeded when he orchestrated the assassination of <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-crime-family-overview" target="_blank">Gambino family</a> boss <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-boss-paul-castellano" target="_blank">Paul Castellano</a> in 1985. Castellano was shot to death in December that year around dinner time in front of Sparks Steak House in Midtown Manhattan as bystanders watched in horror. His underboss, Thomas Bilotti, was gunned down as well.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: “You gotta get it out” – </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/you-gotta-get-it-out-gambino-mafia-family-consigliere-frank-locas" target="_blank"><strong>Gambino Mafia family consigliere Frank Locascio passes away while doing life in prison</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>As the two mob leaders lay dead, Gotti drove by to get a closer look at how his men had executed his orders – and rivals.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Earning millions</strong></span></p>
<p>By that point, Trentacosta had a rap sheet that included convictions for armed robbery, bookmaking, burglary, receiving stolen property, and criminal contempt. With Gotti at the helm, Trentacosta began his rise within the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-crime-family-overview" target="_blank">Gambino family</a>. He became a “made” guy, an initiated member of La Cosa Nostra, after having acquired a reputation as an earner.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/interview-john-gotti-jr-sits-down-with-gangsters-inc" target="_blank"><strong>INTERVIEW: John Gotti Jr. sits down with Gangsters Inc.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>He lived up to that reputation. In the late 1980s, he shook down gas stations that were selling gas without paying state and federal excise taxes. Three-to-four cents a gallon went into the pockets of Trentacosta and the Gambinos, which added up to millions of dollars.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Low profile</strong></span></p>
<p>With money in the bank, Trentacosta felt the need to keep a low(er) profile. This would be difficult in New York City where John Gotti was on the front page of newspapers and strutting around the city loud and proud. So, he asked his boss if he could set up shop in Atlanta, Georgia.</p>
<p>Gotti gave Trentacosta his blessing, making “Tony Pep” the first made guy operating out of Atlanta.</p>
<p>Once there, he bought a lavish home in Cumming, an exclusive Atlanta suburb, and invested in a bunch of businesses: real estate, a moving and storage company, and a nightclub.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Hidden in Atlanta, a capo in Florida</strong></span></p>
<p>Though far away from the New York spotlight, he still made frequent trips to his higherups there and in Florida. By now, John Gotti was locked up for life, but his brother Peter had stepped up to replace him. Such is the circle of life in “the life”; Mobsters die or go to prison and other wiseguys replace them. Business has to continue as usual.</p>
<p>To make for a smooth transition, bosses tend to promote trusted underlings to these sudden job openings. Though operating all the way in Atlanta, Trentacosta was still among the Mafiosi most trusted by the Gottis.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10398660285,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="174" alt="10398660285?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>No surprise then, that they asked him to replace capo Anthony “Fat Andy” Ruggiano (left) upon his death in March of 1999. They needed someone like Trentacosta to run Ruggiano’s South Florida crew.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: "I'm funny how?" - <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-capo-robert-bisaccia" target="_blank">Profile of Gambino crime family capo Robert Bisaccia</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Just when Trentacosta thought he was out (in the shadows), they pulled him back in(to the sunshine). As captain of a Gambino mob crew in Florida, he had the FBI’s full attention. It took them little over a year to hit him and members of his crew with indictments.</p>
<p>In late September of 2000, prosecutors charged Trentacosta with racketeering for leading a crew that murdered a stripper, committed bank fraud, extortion and obstruction of justice in South Florida from 1994 to 2000.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/a-funeral-in-brooklyn" target="_blank"><strong>A Funeral in Brooklyn</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10398660464,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="10398660464?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a>In December of 2001, after a month-long trial in which Trentacosta (right) admitted being a member of the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-crime-family-overview" target="_blank">Gambino crime family</a> – a flagrant breach of mob protocol at the time – the jury found him guilty of racketeering conspiracy, but acquitted him of involvement in the murder of a stripper.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/franky-boy-is-gone-the-killing-of-a-mafia-boss" target="_blank"><strong>Franky Boy is Gone: The Killing of a Mafia Boss</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>He was eventually sentenced to 8 years in prison and never saw freedom again. He passed away on December 25, 2005.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-crime-family-overview">Gambino crime family section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
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</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Robert Lee Ward, the Florida drug boss who ordered FBI informant in his organization killed and continued biz
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/robert-lee-ward-the-florida-drug-boss-who-ordered-fbi-informant-i
2022-02-27T08:08:25.000Z
2022-02-27T08:08:25.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10157775301?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By David Amoruso for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>The drug underworld is a treacherous place. Deadly rivals, sophisticated investigators, and unpredictable addicts could all end any lucrative operation. The biggest threat could also come from within; a snitch looking to get out of a bind. Fort Myers drug boss Robert Lee Ward managed to deal with that issue, but the fallout was still too much for him.</p>
<p>53-year-old Ward (photo above) led a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Fort Myers, Florida, located around 130 miles under Tampa. He had a connection in Miami that routinely supplied his organization with kilos of coke. Ward’s men then sold the drugs in Fort Myers and Panama City.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10157782696,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10157782696?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em><strong>Photo: Downtown Fort Myers © By Ebyabe - own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10208376">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10208376</a></strong></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The snitch</strong></span></p>
<p>This went on successfully for over a decade without any problems from law enforcement. Not that they weren’t trying to bring Ward down. In 2012, the FBI managed to get Kristopher Smith, a member of Ward’s organization, to cooperate in the investigation against his boss.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/video-how-cuban-mob-boss-battle-s-desire-for-revenge-drove-him-of" target="_blank"><strong>How Cuban mob boss Battle’s desire for revenge drove him off the deep end</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Usually, this is game over for the FBI’s target. The snitch gathers evidence and the feds build their case. But not this time. Ward found out about the rat on his ship and immediately took action.</p>
<p>He asked James Broomfield to kill Smith. Broomfield agreed to kill Smith in exchange for $30,000. Ward provided Broomfield with a loaded firearm and told him where to locate Smith. On January 7, 2013, Broomfield and another individual followed Smith and his girlfriend as they drove to their son’s school in Fort Myers.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-kingpin-freeway-rick-ross-moving-tons-of-cocaine-with-a-nod" target="_blank">Drug kingpin “Freeway” Rick Ross</a>: Moving tons of cocaine with a nod of approval from the Reagan White House</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Smith remained in the vehicle while his girlfriend entered the school to deliver lunch to their son, who attended first grade at the school. Broomfield and his accomplice parked their vehicle behind the informant’s car. Broomfield then ran up to the car and shot Smith several times, killing him.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Selling cocaine like hot cakes, 200K in a Tampa storage unit</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10157783294,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="10157783294?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a>After that, it was business as usual. Cocaine was sold around the clock. But the feds were still watching. They weren’t done with Ward (right) yet. They persuaded more individuals to join their team and help them make a case against Ward.</p>
<p>Several confidential informants made multiple purchases of cocaine from Ward’s dealers. One informant who had purchased cocaine from Ward was relocated by investigators after they learned of a threat against his life. </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: Living the high life and driving a Maserati – </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/living-the-high-life-and-driving-a-maserati-profile-of-chicago-dr" target="_blank"><strong>Profile of Chicago drug boss Levaughn “Sweet Bobby” Collins</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>In February 2014, investigators obtained a search warrant for a storage unit in Tampa that Ward had rented. Investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash hidden inside the storage unit. It was more proof of Ward’s success right under the nose of the FBI.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Feds always get their target</strong></span></p>
<p>After that it took four more years, but the FBI got their man. On November 27, 2018, Ward was indicted on drug charges and ordering the death of a federal informant. A federal jury found him guilty this week on these charges.</p>
<p>He faces a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison.</p>
<p>In the end, the FBI had the last laugh. That, too, is business as usual.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> or <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/black-organized-crime">Black organized crime</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
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</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Former Trafficante crime family mobster charged with pilfering $3.8 million in Medicare fraud
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/former-trafficante-crime-family-mobster-charged-with-pilfering-3
2021-10-15T08:08:08.000Z
2021-10-15T08:08:08.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9703595900?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A former soldier in Florida’s Trafficante Mafia family was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program. Prosecutors allege 70-year-old John Mamone stole around $3.8 million by submitting phony bills to Medicare for knee, shoulder and wrist braces.</p>
<p>Mamone pleaded not guilty last week and was released on bond, the <a href="https://eu.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2021/10/11/medicare-fraud-charges-filed-against-john-mamone-former-mob-soldier/5998192001/" target="_blank">Palm Beach Post reports</a>. His two sons also face charges in this case. Originally from New Jersey, Mamone got his start with the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-genovese-crime-family" target="_blank">Genovese family</a> before moving to Florida and becoming part of the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/santo-trafficante-building-the-family-business">Trafficante family</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/when-the-american-government-asked-the-mafia-for-a-favor-the-assa" target="_blank">When the American government asked the Mafia for a favor</a>:The assassination of Fidel Castro</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>He quickly became an integral part of the Tampa family. “He wasn’t a captain or a high-ranking member, but he certainly had some pull,” Tampa mob expert and author <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/spotlight-on-tampa-mafia-with-tour-and-magazine">Scott Deitche</a> told the <a href="https://eu.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2021/10/11/medicare-fraud-charges-filed-against-john-mamone-former-mob-soldier/5998192001/" target="_blank">Palm Beach Post</a>.</p>
<p>Mamone disappeared into the witness protection program almost two decades ago, after becoming a witness against his colleagues in the Mafia, a wide variety of them, including members of the Trafficante, <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-crime-family-overview" target="_blank">Gambino</a>, <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-colombo-crime-family" target="_blank">Colombo</a>, and <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-bonanno-crime-family" target="_blank">Bonanno</a> families. Each family had an operation going in Florida.</p>
<p><strong><em>Read the entire story about Mamone’s life of crime and current legal troubles written by Jane Musgrave in the <a href="https://eu.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2021/10/11/medicare-fraud-charges-filed-against-john-mamone-former-mob-soldier/5998192001/" target="_blank">Palm Beach Post</a>.</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
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</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>