Jersey - Blog 2.0 - Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org
2024-03-29T07:28:39Z
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The DeCavalcante Crime Family: "The Sopranos... Is that supposed to be us?"
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-decavalcante-crime-family
2020-09-21T15:30:48.000Z
2020-09-21T15:30:48.000Z
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<div><p><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9236976073,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236976073,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9236976073?profile=original" width="600" /></a>First Boss</span>: Filippo "Phil" Amari<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Primary activities</span>: Extortion, gambling, drugs, loansharking, union corruption, prostitution.<br /> <strong>Boss</strong>: ?</p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:large;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">PROFILES</span></span>:<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">BOSSES</span>:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-jersey-mob-boss-francesco-guarraci-dies-at-age-61">Francesco Guarraci</a> (dead, natural causes)<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/turncoat-mobster-once-again">Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo</a> (flipped)<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-jersey-decavalcante-family-boss-john-riggi-dies">John "The Eagle" Riggi</a> (dead, natural causes)<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/decavalcante-boss-john-damato">John D'Amato</a> (whacked)<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">CAPTAINS:</span><br /> <br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/profile-of-decavalcante-crime-family-capo-charles-stango">Charles Stango</a> (prison)<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/decavalcante-capo-francesco">Francesco Polizzi</a> (dead, natural causes)<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">SOLDIERS:</span><br /> <br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-sopranos-is-that-supposed-to-be-us-profile-of-decavalcante-ma">Joseph "Tin Ear" Sclafani</a> (freedom)<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/i-chopped-him-up-so-bad-profile-of-decavalcante-mafia-family-sol">Anthony Capo</a> (flipped, dead)<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">ARTICLES</span>:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/what-happened-to-tony-soprano-series-creator-david-chase-reveals">What happened to Tony Soprano?</a> Series creator David Chase reveals New Jersey mob boss’ fate<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/alleged-new-jersey-mobster-admits-gun-and-coke-were-his">Alleged New Jersey mobster admits gun and coke were his</a><br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-jersey-decavalcante-mafia-family-mobsters-hit-with-drug-charg">DeCavalcante Mafia family mobsters hit with drug charges</a><br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mafia-author-shares-dark-stories-behind-garden-state-gangland-the">Mafia author shares dark stories behind Garden State Gangland:</a> The Rise of the Mob in New Jersey<br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-jersey-mafia-capo-gets-10-years-for-plans-to-whack-crime-fami">New Jersey Mafia capo gets 10 years for plans to whack rival</a><br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/decavalcante-crime-family-capo-admits-planning-mob-rival-s-murder">DeCavalcante family capo admits planning mob rival’s murder</a><br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/two-decavalcante-family-mobsters-admit-distributing-cocaine">Two Decavalcante family mobsters admit distributing cocaine</a><br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/will-historic-mob-bust-really">Will Historic Mob Bust Really Go Down As Historic?</a><br /> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/turncoat-mobster-once-again">Turncoat Mobster Once Again Involved in Dirty Business</a></div>
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WATCH: Philadelphia Mafia boss Joe Ligambi celebrates his 80th birthday
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/watch-philadelphia-mafia-boss-joe-ligambi-celebrates-his-80th-bir
2019-08-09T10:30:00.000Z
2019-08-09T10:30:00.000Z
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<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/watch-philadelphia-mafia-boss-joe-ligambi-celebrates-his-80th-bir" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237129497,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237129497?profile=original" /></a>By Gangsters Inc. Editors</p>
<p>Never a dull moment in the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-bruno-crime-family" target="_blank">Philadelphia underworld</a>. Retired Mafia boss <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Ligambi" target="_blank">Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi</a> received a big surprise party in honor of his 80<sup>th</sup> birthday attended by all the usual suspects. Looking back at the decades that past, it’s quite an achievement that Ligambi lived long enough to celebrate this special birthday.</p>
<p>Mob reporters George Anastasia and Dave Schratwieser discuss Ligambi’s party and will also talk about <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-bruno-crime-family" target="_blank">Philly Mafia</a> boss <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Merlino" target="_blank">Joseph Merlino</a>’s big break on his prison sentence, a government informant who got outed in a South Jersey <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Drugs" target="_blank">drug case</a> and <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Fraud" target="_blank">housing scam</a>, and Philadelphia mob capo <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Angelina" target="_blank">Marty Angelina</a> who got a grand jury subpoena. What do state investigators want to know from him?</p>
<p><strong>Dave and George will look into it in the new Mob Talk which you can watch below:</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0VXByh_vUI8?wmode=opaque" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
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Genovese and Gambino Mobsters in Garbage Bust
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/genovese-and-gambino-mobsters-in-garbage-bust
2013-01-17T16:24:03.000Z
2013-01-17T16:24:03.000Z
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<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/genovese-and-gambino-mobsters-in-garbage-bust"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237022695,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237022695?profile=original" width="521" /></a><em>“I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype. And it's offensive. (…) There is no Mafia.”</em> - <strong>Tony Soprano</strong></p>
<p>By David Amoruso</p>
<p>Thirty-two members and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, and Lucchese crime families were hit with various racketeering charges yesterday, all related to the waste hauling business in New York and New Jersey. Showing once more the resilience of the American Mafia.</p>
<p>For decades the mob has been in a free fall. Going from an all-powerful entity that controlled organized crime across the United States to a rat infested dysfunctional group with aging members and a lack of smart new ones. With each bust prosecutors claimed the Mafia had been finished. Its control over a certain industry ended. Yet new incidents continued to prove both authorities and the media wrong.</p>
<p>Though La Cosa Nostra has been weakened, it is still up to its old tricks. They are still corrupting <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814742734/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gangstersinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0814742734" target="_blank">unions</a>, still extorting the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/genovese-mobsters-extorting-feast-of-san-gennaro">Feast of San Gennaro</a>, and still involved in waste management. Yes, garbage has remained a moneymaker for the beleaguered gangsters.</p>
<p>According to the indictment, the mobsters charged yesterday, “worked together to control various waste disposal businesses in the New York City metropolitan area and multiple counties in New Jersey.” The Waste Disposal Enterprise, as authorities call it, was a criminal organization members of which engaged in crimes including extortion, loansharking, mail and wire fraud, and stolen property offenses.</p>
<p>“The operation of the Waste Disposal Enterprise was coordinated by and among factions of the La Cosa Nostra families through the use of “sit-downs” to determine which faction would control a particular waste disposal company and established the financial terms upon which control of that company could be transferred from one faction to another in return for payment,” the indictment states.</p>
<p>The mobsters avoided any official connection to the waste disposal businesses they controlled because they were either officially banned from the waste hauling industry, or unlikely to be granted the necessary licenses required to do business because of their affiliations with organized crime. So they simply hid themselves behind waste disposal businesses that were officially owned and operated by clean front men, who were able to obtain the necessary licenses because they had no known affiliations with organized crime.</p>
<p>Now in control over these waste disposal businesses, the gangsters dictated which trash pick-up stops that a particular hauling company could use and extorted payments in exchange for protection by individuals associated with organized crime. By asserting and enforcing purported “property rights” over the trash pick-up routes, the wiseguys excluded any competitor that might offer lower prices or better service, in effect imposing a criminal tax on businesses and communities. Separately, some of the front men were also committing crimes, including stealing property of competing waste disposal businesses and defrauding businesses of their customers.</p>
<p>Mobsters involved in this Waste Disposal Enterprise were, allegedly, a <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-genovese-crime-family">Genovese Crime Family</a> crew based principally in Lodi, New Jersey, named the “Lodi Crew”, which included Genovese Family soldiers Anthony Pucciarello and Peter Leconte, as well as Genovese Family associates Anthony Cardinalle, Howard Ross, and Frank Oliver. These men took over from Genovese associate Carmine Franco and immediately demanded monthly protection payments as well as a 90 percent share of the business.</p>
<p>Another Genovese crew led by Genovese soldiers Dominick “Pepe” Pietranico and Joseph Sarcinella and a <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/gambino-crime-family-overview">Gambino family</a> crew including Gambino soldier Anthony Bazzini and associate Scott Fappiano were also involved.</p>
<p>Fappiano is probably the most surprising name on the list. He was freed in 2006 after having served 22 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit. In 2011 he was first arrested in a <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/will-historic-mob-bust-really">huge mob takedown</a> that saw 127 men in handcuffs on various racketeering charges. Fappiano, then hooked up to the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-colombo-crime-family">Colombo Crime Family</a>, got off with a slap of the wrist, reported the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/reputed-mob-associate-scott-fappiano-served-21-years-wrongful-conviction-light-sentence-shakedown-article-1.1011987" target="_blank">New York Daily News</a>, as he was sentenced to time served, one month, in that case.</p>
<p>Now he is back behind bars after joining the Gambino Family in this latest endeavor. And he probably didn’t even need the money as he received $2 million in a settlement after having sued the state due to his wrongful conviction.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say the aforementioned mafiosi were all involved in the extortion of a waste hauling business owner who became a cooperating witness and will now be the government’s most important weapon against this latest mafia comeback.</p>
<p>Whether or not the mob’s influence over the garbage industry has been eradicated has yet to be seen, but this indictment will at least keep everyone on their toes.</p>
<p><strong>Takedown: Interested in reading more about the Mafia’s involvement in the garbage industry? Then we highly recommend the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425192997/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gangstersinc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0425192997" target="_blank">Takedown</a>: The Fall of the Last Mafia Empire by Rick Cowan and Douglas Century.</strong></p>
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Nicky Scarfo Junior Following in Daddy's Footsteps
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/nicky-scarfo-junior-following-in-daddy-s-footsteps
2011-11-07T15:30:00.000Z
2011-11-07T15:30:00.000Z
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<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nicky-scarfo-junior-following-in-daddy-s-footsteps"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237013063,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237013063?profile=original" width="500" /></a>By David Amoruso<br /> <br /> Growing up as the son of Philadelphia mobster <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nicodemo-little-nicky-scarfo-boss-of-the-philadelphia-crime-famil">“Little Nicky” Scarfo</a>, it was pretty clear that Nicodemo Scarfo “Junior” would have a hard time avoiding the notoriety that came with the family name. For better or worse he began following in his father’s footsteps over twenty years ago. Looking at his past and present it is safe to say his decision hasn’t really brought him much happiness. But then again, who are we to decide?<br /> <br /> When his father had become boss of the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-bruno-crime-family">Philadelphia crime family</a>, Nicky Junior slowly but surely moved towards a life of crime. Wherever he went doors opened and he was greeted with smiles and respect. What a life, he must have thought. He was barely out of school or people were already treating him as a man. The only problem was: it was all fake. <br /> <br /> As soon as his father was sent to prison for what amounted to life on various racketeering convictions, the respect and smiles had disappeared. Though, <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nicodemo-little-nicky-scarfo-boss-of-the-philadelphia-crime-famil">Scarfo Senior</a> still held sway over the crime family by using his son as a messenger between himself and men who remained loyal to him, it was too little to hold on to power. <br /> <br /> This was best illustrated on Halloween night in 1989. That evening, Nicky Junior and two of his friends were enjoying a meal at Dante & Luigi’s in South Philadelphia. As the three men are eating, a man wearing a Halloween mask and carrying a trick-or-trick bag, walks up to the table, pulls out a Mac-10 semi-automatic machine pistol and opens fire. Bullets hit Junior in the neck, chest and arm, but all miss vital organs and within days of the attack, he walks out of the hospital alive and relatively well.<br /> <br /> No one has ever been charged with the hit attempt but informants and sources within law enforcement claim the masked man was <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/philly-mob-boss-joey-merlino-goes-to-hollywood">Joseph Merlino</a>, son of Salvatore “Chuckie” Merlino. Chuckie Merlino served as underboss for Scarfo Sr. only to be demoted by him because of his alcohol abuse. It is an interesting anecdote that can be added as a motive, though the real reason for the attack was probably to send a message to the imprisoned mob boss that he no longer was in control of the crime family. <br /> <br /> That message was received loud and clear as Scarfo sent his son to New Jersey to stay with the only men still loyal to him. The move proved to be disastrous as Nicky Junior’s bodyguard, <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/philadelphia-capo-george">George Fresolone</a>, turned out to be an informant. Fresolone recorded numerous incriminating talks between himself and the boss’s son resulting in a racketeering conviction that sent Nicky to state prison for a total of four years and seven months. <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9237013091,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237013091,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237013091?profile=original" width="200" /></a>With both father and son in prison and their crime family beyond their control, the elderly Scarfo sought the help of a fellow inmate who happened to be the boss of a major New York mob family. <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/profile-lucchese-crime-family-boss-vittorio-vic-amuso">Vittorio Amuso</a> and <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nicodemo-little-nicky-scarfo-boss-of-the-philadelphia-crime-famil">Nicky Scarfo</a> had become close while doing time together and Scarfo asked Amuso if he could put his son on record with the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-lucchese-crime-family">Lucchese Family</a>. Being on record as a Lucchese associate offered Nicky Junior (right) some protection from Merlino and his Philadelphia crew. <br /> <br /> In 2000, some protection turned into full protection when Scarfo Junior became a fully fledged member of the Lucchese Family. He could now rely on the muscle of the New York family to keep him safe from his enemies in Philly. But his membership did not offer him any protection from law enforcement as he was convicted of illegal gambling in 2002 and sent to prison for 33 months. When Nicky Junior was released from prison, he quickly got involved in a scheme that would prove to be a huge cash cow for him. <br /> <br /> Law enforcement has been warning the public about how La Cosa Nostra is branching out into so called white collar crimes such as internet fraud and “boiler rooms” which net the mafia millions of dollars. After having been to prison for bread and butter mob crimes like gambling, Scarfo eagerly dived into the new world of corporate crime. Seeing how all those bosses on Wall Street managed to swindle the world out of billions without going to prison, he must’ve thought it was the newest easy way to riches. <br /> <br /> Together with Salvatore Pelullo and twelve others Scarfo allegedly devised a plan to take over FirstPlus Financial Group, a publicly traded company located in Texas, and to replace its existing board of directors and management with individuals who would serve at the direction of Scarfo and Pelullo. By using threats of violence and lawsuits the men succeeded in taking control of the company in June of 2007. <br /> <br /> According to the indictment: “Accordingly, on or about June 7, 2007, to control the Enterprise's affairs, members and associates of Scarfo and Pelullo caused FirstPlus Financial Group's (FPFG) existing board of directors to appoint additional new members, who had been selected by the Scarfo-Pelullo Enterprise. Following the appointment of these new board members, the Enterprise caused the original board members to resign. The newly constituted board of directors then appointed certain executive officers who served at the direction of the Enterprise.” <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9237013286,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237013286,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237013286?profile=original" width="250" /></a>The takeover continued as planned: “These "figurehead" FPFG board members (hereafter "figurehead board") and executive officers conducted transactions designed to benefit the Enterprise while concealing the roles of defendants PELULLO and SCARFO in controlling FPFG. The figurehead board served to "rubber stamp" the directives of PELULLO and SCARFO and made the board's decisions appear to be independent and legitimate to conceal the involvement and control of PELULLO and SCARFO in creating these directives, as well as their illicit purposes. PELULLO used his direct control of the figurehead board to approve transactions that were designed to personally benefit members and associates of the Scarfo-Pelullo Enterprise to the detriment of the FPFG shareholders.”<br /> <br /> In layman’s terms: Scarfo (left) and Pelullo had managed to put in place a puppet board that did as they wanted. And the thing they wanted was money, lots of it. By using the company to buy other companies owned by Scarfo and co at inflated prices, the group fleeced shareholders out of at least 12 million dollars, authorities allege. <br /> <br /> The money was spent in various ways but with one similar goal: to make life good for those that spent it. “Proceeds of the scheme were used to finance a lavish lifestyle that included luxury automobiles, a yacht, a luxury home for Scarfo, trips abroad, mortgage and rental payments, and jewelry as well as recurring monthly expenses.”<br /> <br /> But when your name is Nicodemo Scarfo, your father is doing life in prison after having littered the streets of Philadelphia with dead bodies, and you yourself have compiled quite an impressive criminal record, it doesn’t take law enforcement long to figure out you haven’t turned into a successful legitimate boardroom executive in just a few years after getting out of prison. <br /> <br /> After a two year investigation, on November 1, 2011, Nicky Scarfo Junior and thirteen others were arrested on Federal racketeering charges. When the case goes to trial, Scarfo will realize once more that he continues to follow in his father’s footsteps. Maybe even in such a way that in the not so distant future, their feet will face each other as they share a prison cell.</p>
<p>Scarfo Jr. was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sentenced to 30 years in prison on July 28, 2015. His associate, Salvatore Pelullo, also received a 30-year term.</p>
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The Lucchese New Jersey Faction
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-lucchese-new-jersey
2010-11-26T11:00:00.000Z
2010-11-26T11:00:00.000Z
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<div><p>By David Amoruso<br /><br /> The Lucchese Crime Family's New Jersey faction was once among the most powerful in the state. They operated from Bergen County through Essex County, Morris County, Passaic County and Union County, to Sussex County. Their criminal business included illegal gambling, loansharking, drug trafficking, cigarette smuggling, fraud, extortion, and anything else that made a fast buck. In the 1980s the faction was headed by Lucchese capo Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo, and his second in command Michael Taccetta.<br /> <br /> Accetturo led a charming mob life until Vittorio Amuso and Anthony Casso became the new leaders of the Luccheses. Amuso and Casso demanded 50% of the New Jersey faction's earnings. Accetturo refused this "proposition." As a result Amuso and Casso labeled Accetturo a rat, stripped him of his capo rank, and put out a murder contract on him and his son Anthony Jr. By now Amuso and Casso had made a name for themselves as crazy killers, so when they summoned the entire Jersey faction to come to New York, only half the crew's members showed up. Once there they decided it was smarter to leave immediately. When they also refused to attend several other meetings Casso and Amuso put out a contract on the entire faction.<br /> <br /> Lucchese troops went hunting for the outlawed mobsters. The Jersey crew went into hiding, Accetturo spent most of this time in jail on a contempt charge. One Accetturo soldier was shot, but survived. No other Jersey members were killed or even wounded during the one sided war.<br /> <br /> In 1993 Anthony Accetturo was convicted on racketeering charges. After he found out a trusted underling had given photos of his wife to rival mobsters he decided to cooperate with the government. Of course the fact that he could spend the next thirty years in prison was a huge motivation as well. With the flipping of Accetturo, several other crew members did the same, others were convicted. The times of the powerful Lucchese Jersey crew were history.</p>
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Whack Out on Willie Moretti
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/whack-out-on-willie-moretti
2010-11-18T12:36:28.000Z
2010-11-18T12:36:28.000Z
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10663251668?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=300"></div><div><p>By Thom L. Jones for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc</a>.<br /> <br /> <img style="float:right;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236996881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" />He went to church every Sunday in Deal, New Jersey, with his wife and three daughters. The kids in the neighbourhood called him 'cump.' He had a home there on five acres, where he raised prize ducks, that was valued at $400,000. By to-days standards, many millions. He was short and squat with thinning hair, brushed straight back and whenever you see a photo of him, he's wearing the most hideous, hand-painted silk ties.<br /> <br /> One of a kind was Willie (right).<br /> <br /> Then one day, in October 1951, he arranged to have lunch with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, but before he could keep that appointment, he had another, with four guys in Joe's Elbow Room at 793 Palisades Avenue in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Dino and Jerry never got to sit with the man that day. His other friends shot him a number of times and left him sprawled on his back, on the floor, dead and bleeding, sporting another awful tie.<br /> <br /> He was a best friend to Frank Costello, who had been his best man at his wedding and a godfather to at least one of his children, led a gang of really tough guys, 60 at least, in the Garden State, with a lock on gambling that had made him and Frank very rich, was allegedly the under boss of the mob Frank controlled, now called the Genovese Family, never carried less than $2000 in his money roll, drove the best cars money could buy.<br /> <br /> So why did it all go horribly wrong that crisp, clean morning of October 4th?<br /> <br /> There was a rumour going around that he'd gone a little off his mind, more than a little really, because of the damage done by syphilis that he'd contacted in his younger days, and that he had to be put down before he did irreparable damage to Cosa Nostra, babbling away at the Kefauver Hearings, telling reporters little tit-bits of information, that kept stirring the pot on organized crime in New Jersey. That wasn't the reason of course. As always in the Mafia, what you see and hear is not what you necessarily get. Willie had to go because Vito Genovese was sick of waiting to take back the family he'd left in Frank's hands in 1937, when he did a runner to Italy to avoid a murder rap. He'd been back four years, and now, he was ready to make his move.<br /> <br /> Then again maybe there was an even more basic reason Willie got the clip that morning. Some sources claim he had reneged on a drug deal, and the party of the first part decided he no longer needed the party of the second part.<br /> <br /> Quarico Moretti grew up in East Harlem on East 108th Street, just up the block from Frank Costello who became one of his closest friends. His first, probably his only, legitimate job, was delivering milk for 25 cents a week. He tried his hand at prize-fighting but at 5'4'' he wasn't big enough or heavy enough to go anywhere there, so he got into crime like so many of his peers, and found he was really good at that. At some stage during this period of his life, people started calling him Willie Moore, a knick-name he came to use more and more often himself. He became so well established and trusted in the mob, that he was sent to meet and escort back to New York, Joe Bonanno, when he landed illegally in America The Federal Bureau of Narcotics kept tabs on Willie, and he was listed by them in 1931 as a major narcotics violator, with his own ID number: 138-A. By the time the Castellammarese War was under way, he was 36 years old and a seasoned veteran of the New York underworld. Along with Frank and Vito and big Al and little Tommy Luchese, he backed Masseria, then changed sides when the momentum shifted.<br /> <br /> After the dust settled, he moved over to New Jersey and started what was to become one of the biggest gambling and sports betting operations in the state. He worked in conjunction with Longy Zwillman and Anthony Sabio aka 'Chicago Fats'.<br /> <br /> In 1944, Joe Doto, another major player in the crime family then run by Charley Luciano, upped and left Brooklyn and moved across the Hudson and joined them. They creamed huge revenues from the numbers business and bookies working for them in factories, at the ports and offices in Bergen County, the New York wide spread wire system and the illegal casinos and 'sawdust' dice barns they set up in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Moretti expanded into legitimate areas: laundries, cigarette vending companies, trucking companies, wherever there seemed good opportunities to launder money.<br /> <br /> He was a consummate gambler, to the point that he converted his family room in the big house down in Deal into a sports betting room, and would often hosts groups of other gamblers who would spend the day betting on horses and sports events.<br /> <br /> Willie was a man of respect in every sense, important enough to attend the mob convention in May 1929 at Atlantic City, and fly down to Havana, Cuba to meet up with Lucky Luciano at the Hotel Nacional, having been one of the twenty or so senior mob figures who waved Lucky goodbye when he was deported on February 2nd, 1946 from New York. No doubt, if he'd lived long enough, the cops would have caught him running his chubby little legs off, through the woods at Apalachin.<br /> <br /> That morning, Thursday, October 4th., Willie drove himself to the restaurant, parking his new, cream coloured Packard convertible outside the building. His chauffer, Harry Shepherd, had been loaned out to one of Willie's associates, Albert Anastasia, who'd claimed his own driver was sick, and he had to go for an X Ray appointment that morning to St. Mary's Hospital up in Passaic. He'd make sure he stayed there until the afternoon, thereby setting up the perfect alibi.<br /> <br /> As Willie stepped from his car, a man came out of the restaurant. They shook hands, and went inside. There, three other men were waiting. According to the waitress on duty that day, Dorothy Novack, the group chatted awhile in Italian at a table by the window, then asked to see the menu. She went into the kitchen, and a moment later heard gun shots. Smart woman, she waited awhile, and when she came out, found Willie dead on the floor, lying next to one of the tables. It was 11.25 am.<br /> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236996890,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p>
<p><br /> <br /> The cops arrived, and the dicks wandered around, taking a few photos, smoking, chatting to themselves. They seemed more interested in the re-play on a radio, of the historic baseball pennant match fought out the day before, between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers, than the corpse they had come to inspect and evaluate. He was after all, just another guinea. Gone.<br /> <br /> There was a cafe sign above the body, advertising the special of the day: Chicken in the Rough-$1.50<br /> <br /> Willie lay in quiet repose on the black and white lino floor. His left arm was crooked, thick, ham fist holding onto his heart long stilled; his ankles neatly crossed, a hint of sock showing, his eyes closed to the violence of that final moment, as his killers shot him, face on, a mark of respect- he had the right to see what was happening- the blood pooling out from under his shattered head, one of those awful ties, soaked in red, crumpled over the shoulder of his open jacket. They killed him with respect because it was to be seen as an act of pity, putting a sick lion to sleep. It wasn't of course. Imprudent as he may have been, Willie died to satisfy ambition, or maybe revenge, rather than to ameliorate a sad case of loose lips.<br /> <br /> The cops never caught the guys who did it, which in mob killings is almost a given. They found a couple of fedoras, carelessly left on tables by the gang, and one of them was traced to a dry cleaners on 6th Avenue in Manhattan, which interestingly enough, lay just across the street from the apartment of the brother of one John 'Johnny Roberts' Robilotto, a guy well know to the cops.<br /> <br /> Forty seven year old Johnny Roberts was originally sponsored into the Luciano organization by Tony Bender, a shifty, double-dealing crew boss, close to Vito Genovese, but Costello vetoed him on the grounds his brother was a cop. Albert Anastasia took a liking to him and worked him into his own family. Johnny was therefore a big supporter of Big Al; probably when Al said 'jump' Johnny would have said 'how high?' <br /> <br /> In due course, the police arrested one Joseph Li Calsi and charged him and Robilotto, but the evidence against them didn't stack up, and they were subsequently released. So did Johnny kill Willie and if so, why would Albert A. sanction this? He was supposedly a close friend and ally of Frank Costello, hated Genovese with a vengeance and logically would have done nothing to help him in his attempt to dethrone Frank, which the killing of Moretti would surely have helped along.<br /> <br /> But Al had gone to all that trouble to establish an alibi so must have known what was going down that morning. Did 'The Commission' ratify it, as has been supposed. Who knows? Maybe they did, maybe not. If they did, then surely Frank Costello had to be one who voted against the motion, but got lost in the numbers.<br /> <br /> It's complicated, as are most mob politics. Everyone involved is long dead and the mob don't keep minutes, so all we have is hypothesis, a dangerous quicksand to navigate when dealing with Cosa Nostra lore.<br /> <br /> Some sources claim there was an 'open' contract out on Willie, so anyone could kill him if and when the opportunity arose. But for Anastasia to go to the trouble arranging that alibi, indicates that he knew the killing was going down that morning.<br /> <br /> Did Al hope to move in and take over Willie's very lucrative operations. Hardly. There's was Willie's brother Salavator 'Solly' the right bower, to contend with and 'Johnny Caboos' the left bower, Willie's trusted number two. Both tough guys, and don't forget the heavy hitters in the crew who respected and supported the boss. How would they react? Another theory that went around, was that Anastasia, worried about Moretti's behaviour insofar as it might impact on his own safety, had him killed before Willie killed him. But why would Willie lend a guy his driver, then kill him?<br /> <br /> The other thing that’s worth some thought is just who were the guys Willie had arranged to meet and for why? He was a busy man, pushed for time. He had this big lunch date with two of America's top movie stars, so this detour into Cliffside Park had to be important. What was it about? He surely knew one, if not all of the men waiting for him. What was so important that morning that couldn't wait until another day?<br /> <br /> Shifting sands, broken mirrors, circles going nowhere.<br /> <br /> The thing that is intriguing is why would gunmen from another mob be used? There were plenty of tough guys in the family over in Harlem and down on the west side. In the Gambino Family, there was a long history of bosses getting killed by their own guys-Mangano, Anastasia, Castellano. It makes more sense to use your own troops surely, easier to control and manage.<br /> <br /> It's a puzzle, and it's logical to suppose the missing pieces will stay just that.<br /> <br /> They gave him a funeral on October 9th. fit for the king of Bergen County- over 5000 people attending either the ceremony or internment- as his family and friends travelling in 75 cars, buried him in a $5000 coffin inside a sepulchre in Saint Michaels Cemetery, on South Main Street, in Hackensack. It sits there to-day, squat and gray, with a cross on the roof, towering over the tombstones that stretch away on all sides.<br /> <br /> In life, Willie Moore never towered over anyone. He's made up for it now.<br /> <br /> The place where Willie got whacked is still a place where you can go to eat. The building, on the corner of Palisade and Marion Avenue, was bought and renovated by the Esposito family from Amalfi, Italy, who turned it, sometime in the 1980's, into the Villa Amalfi, one of the better Italian restaurants in this part of New Jersey. There's music and good food, friendly service and the only thing that gets whacked there to-day is the steak.<br /> </p>
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Profile: DeCavalcante crime family boss John D'Amato
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/decavalcante-boss-john-damato
2010-11-10T20:07:56.000Z
2010-11-10T20:07:56.000Z
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<p><br /> By Luca <br /><br /> You could be easily forgiven for not mentioning John D’Amato in the same breath as Carlo Gambino or Carlos Marcello. Truth is he won’t go down as one of the most powerful nor successful mob bosses of all time. But the former DeCalvacante Godfather led an intriguing life, one that led to his death in 1992. Here’s the story.<br /> <br /> Sam ‘Sam the plumber’ DeCalvacante certainly didn’t have a name that reflected his profession. Don of the New Jersey crime family based in Newark and Elizabeth, he presided over the families activities such as loan sharking, money laundering, extortion, waste management, hijacking, drug trafficking and the other usual mob crimes. The Crime Family was eventually given his name. By 1989, the Feds busted then boss John ‘the eagle’ Riggi on racketeering charges. All of a sudden the position for family Godfather was vacant and underboss John ‘Johnny Boy’ D’Amato self-appointed himself as Riggi’s successor. Forget that he was unpopular amongst the family and that there was no formal gathering to discuss it, D’Amato threw himself into the seat which had that been done in NY or Chicago, a baseball bat to the head would have been the response. But ‘Johnny Boy’ had a trump card only few could match at the time. He had become close with Gambino boss John Gotti and with those sort of friends, no one in Elizabeth even dreamt of challenging D’Amato. Stefano Vitabile, the wise consiglieri remained advisor to D’Amato, Anthony Capo a childhood friend was the muscle that D’Amato would call upon, but the biggest of them all was later acting boss, Vincent ‘Vinny Ocean’ Palermo who was a big player in the seafood industry at the Fulton Fish Market where the mob has capitalised on for decades. He also ran the strip joint ‘Wiggles’ which was a big money earner as well as stock ‘pump and dump’ operations. Giacomo Amari was the underboss while the family also had Anthony Rotondo and Pino Schiffilliti as the main capos.<br /> <br /> John D’Amato was seen as a wild, womanising character so it was only normal for him to have one or two goomarahs by his side. One particular woman (Mrs X) was swept by D’Amato’s charisma and confidence that when he’d ask her to jump, her reply would be’ how high?’ He was beginning to spend less time on the streets and more in Mrs X’s pants. This was not going down well with his family. By 1990 he had picked up a gambling habit that was beginning to influence his lifestyle and decisions. His laidback lifestyle invited the feds to increase their surveillance. He was fast picking up comparisons with his mentor John Gotti in NY with his swashbuckling habits and personality. Eventually the pressure and heat from the FBI began to mount on D’Amato and he was beginning to show it with his paranoia. When Gotti got busted in the early 90s this only made things worse for Johnny Boy. By now he was visiting Mrs X regularly for assurance often asking her ‘if she would take a bullet for him’. In October 1992 he left Mrs X’s house only never to return. Weeks, months and then a year went by, word on the street was that he had become the big fish in the Feds investigation. In reality, he had become fish bait.<br /> <br /> In 1991, Mrs X confessed to Anthony Capo about D’Amato’s strange habits and experiences. She recounted several times when she’d caught Johnny Boy having oral sex with other men. Capo was furious. At first he didn’t want to believe it, but when it sunk in he knew something had to be done. Organising a meeting with capos Phil Abramo, Schifilitti, Rotondo and consiglieri Stefano Vitabile, with Riggi in prison it was left to Vitabile for the final decision. He approved to get D’Amato whacked, not even counselling their NY cousins such was the extremity of Johnny Boy’s actions. Homosexuality was uncalled for in the mob and to have a fairy Godfather was beyond embarrassing. Locating D’Amato was easy, when Capo picked him up in his car little did Johnny Boy know that it would be his last ride. 5 shots and there ended the life of DeCalvacante boss John D’Amato. In April 2003 the case was opened for the murder of D’Amato. Riggi was the main plotter according to law enforcement agents, but after Vinny Ocean, Capo and Rotondo turned government-informants and spilled the beans, Vitabile and Schifilliti were convicted and sentenced to life in jail.<br /> </p>
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Profile of DeCavalcante crime family capo Francesco Polizzi
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/decavalcante-capo-francesco
2010-11-10T20:00:00.000Z
2010-11-10T20:00:00.000Z
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<p><br /> By Maarten Anthonissen<br /><br /> Francesco Polizzi never was a very important figure in the world of American wiseguys. A typical soldier who climbed the ladder and became a capo. His income, and that of his whole crew, came from typical mob rackets; loansharking, gambling, extortion, and especially drugs. But eventhough he won't get a place in the fictitious wiseguy hall of fame, Frank Polizzi will have a lot of influence on the status of convicted criminals, in the entire US, both now and in the future. Strange, because Polizzi wasn't even a member of one of the five New York Families. He was a member of the DeCavalcante Crime Family from New Jersey, which for decades was seen as the little brother of the New York Families. It is the only La Cosa Nostra group operating in New Jersey which was founded and has its headquarters there. The DeCavalcante Family, named after their boss Simone "Sam the Plumber" DeCavalcante, is an autonomous family. But they need authorization from New York for certain operations. They couldnt make any new members without an OK from all New York Families. From FBI wiretaps it became clear New York wiseguys even laughed at their New Jersey counterparts. One of the often used comments was: "You can't make an appointment with members of the DeCavalcante Family before 17:00h. Because that's the time they get home from work." It was a fact that many DeCavalcante wiseguys held a steady, front job. Many times they worked as a representative of a union or as a consultant at a construction or garbagehauling firm.<br /> <br /> It is no wonder there is so much competition in New Jersey. It may be a small state, but it is the most densely populated one in the US. And, as a figure of speech, within walking distance of New York. When construction in New York was drying up, the mob started eyeing New Jersey. Both the airport and Port Newark, where cargo ships came and went, grew enormously in the twentieth century. All mob families wanted a piece of the pie. The DeCavalcante Family was sandwiched between the New York Families and the violent Philadelphia Family. And that's only Italian organized crime, not to mention all the other groups. But this growth in business opportunities gave LCN and the DeCavalcantes in particular enormous possibilities.<br /> <br /> Frank Polizzi tried to get in on the action. Since the 1950s he had climbed the ranks of the DeCavalcante Family and by the 1980s he was a respected capo. A large percentage of his income came from trafficking heroin. Through the ports, large quantities of heroin were shipped into New Jersey from Sicily and Corsica. It took a while before the FBI could make a case, but eventually they succeeded, and brought the famous Pizza Connection trial in the 1980s.<br /> <br /> After a heated trial, which included hilarious testimony from Polizzi's wife, Francesco Polizzi was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He had just turned 52. Polizzi's crew and rackets were divided among other capos. These consisted mostly of front companies, a loansharking operation, and a sports betting operation. The biggest source of income (drugs) had been busted by the feds. The drugmoney was laundered through a string of pizza parlors. Such a business is ideal to launder money because it only deals in cash payments, and production costs are hard to trace. (In The Sopranos Tony Soprano also used a string of snackbars owned by a frontman to launder money - Season 2, episode 3.) During this time, mid 80s, the DeCavalcante Family made enough money to cover the losses caused by the Pizza Connection bust. In prison Polizzi had healthproblems. In the prison hospital they determined Polizzi had lung cancer. THe cancer was aggressive, and it didn't look like he would have long to live. According to several medical reports which were given to the presiding judge Frank Polizzi had a maximum of 6 months. His lawyers pressured the judge, and in 1995 Polizzi was released from prison. After serving less than 8 of his 20 year sentence.<br /> <br /> But back home Polizzi miraciously recovered. After several months he picked up his old life. His old crew was reassembled, and Polizzi got his share of the rackets again. The FBI noticed that the judge had made a big mistake. Because all of the convictions against Polizzi were dropped, the feds had to start a whole new investigation, to indict him again. The FBI unit which focussed on the DeCavalcantes in the 90s used all their powers (This was before 9/11, when terrorism wasn't a high priority.)<br /> <br /> The feds were never able to indict Polizzi again. He died on Christmas eve 2002, surrounded by his family. Six years after being released because had less than 6 months to live. One of the last conversations of Polizzi the feds taped made clear what a real gangster Polizzi was. During an informal conversation with other DeCavalcante wiseguys, Polizzi complained about rats. It was his opinion that not only should the rat pay for his treason, so should his family. "Just like in Sicily!" Polizzi said.<br /> <br /> Frank Polizzi got six years of freedom. Since then most courts are more cautious with releasing "dying" mobsters or gangleaders. John Gotti for instance didnt even get one day outside the prison walls, no matter how sick he was. Recently an exception was made when Genovese capo Buster Ardito got permission to live out the last weeks of his life at home. Ardito was 87, and was in the final stages of pancreatic cancer, and was awaiting trial.<br /> <br /> It's clear you really have to be dying to get released on medical reasons. All thanks to Frank Polizzi and his marvellous recovery.<br /> </p>
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Turncoat Mobster Once Again Involved in Dirty Business
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/turncoat-mobster-once-again
2010-11-10T18:19:42.000Z
2010-11-10T18:19:42.000Z
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<div><p>By David Amoruso<br /><br /> <img style="float:right;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236976881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" />DeCavalcante mobster Vincent “Vinny Ocean” Palermo (photo right) disappeared into the witness protection program at the turn of the millennium after giving testimony about mob rackets in New Jersey and New York. Like all criminals who decide to cooperate, he hoped to get a second chance at life. But it seems he is up to his old tricks again.<br /> <br /> As an Acting Boss of the DeCavalcante Crime Family Palermo knew where a lot of the mob’s bodies were buried. He quickly became a government witness after he was arrested in 1999. As part of his cooperation agreement, he admitted taking part in four murders and a long list of mob crimes such as loan sharking and extortion. His defection helped bring down the leadership of the New Jersey crime family.<br /> <br /> When Palermo and his family entered the witness protection program they did not come empty handed. During his life of crime he had made millions. He owned a $2 million dollar mansion in Long Island, and had a considerable amount of cash stashed away. After serving two years in prison for four murders, Palermo was released, given a new name, and relocated to Houston, Texas.<br /> <br /> <img style="float:left;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236976667,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" />Palermo (photo left) was able to keep his whereabouts hidden for seven years. But this past week NBC’s Houston affiliate Local 2 decided to turn on the spotlight and point it at Vincent Cabella, formerly known as Vincent Palermo. Local 2 talked to numerous sources and found out the former mob boss owned the Penthouse Club and All-Star Men's Club in Houston. Palermo knows all about strip clubs since he ran one in Queens during his days as a mobster.<br /> <br /> Strip clubs are never a squeaky clean business, but local authorities claim that prostitution and drug dealing took place at the two strip clubs owned by Palermo. Between January 2006 and August 2007, Houston police launched seven sting operation, which provided sufficient evidence of these crimes. The Penthouse Club was eventually forced to close for one year.<br /> <br /> Despite his dirty laundry being aired in both his new home town and old mob stomping grounds Palermo does not seem fazed. In a short interview outside his gated mansion he told reporters that everybody already knew who he really was because of an A&E special.<br /> <br /> With so many mobsters entering the witness protection program these stories will become more and more frequent. “Sammy the Bull” Gravano (photo right) was another former mobster who couldn’t lay low. His whole neighborhood also knew who he was when he moved in next door. And just like Palermo, Gravano, too, could not stay away from the fast and easy money that crime could provide. He and his son Gerard ran a very successful ecstasy ring. In May 2001 he pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and received a twenty year sentence.<br /> <br /> It is interesting to note that Palermo gave testimony about several talks he had with fellow mobsters when news of Gravano’s luxurious life in Arizona became known. According to Palermo, several mafiosi were thinking about changing the mob’s rule about not harming a turncoat mobster’s relatives. Instead, DeCavalcante mobsters Frank Polizzi and Jake Amari told him, “we should do what they do in Italy…kill the whole family.”<br /> <br /> With “Vinny Ocean” Palermo’s secret identity and hideaway blown, those old talks with mob hit men are sure to haunt him. Haunt him when he watches A&E, when he drives away from his Houston home, and when he goes to sleep at night. <br /> </p>
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"I'm funny how?" - Profile of Gambino crime family capo Robert Bisaccia
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gambino-capo-robert-bisaccia
2010-11-05T17:00:00.000Z
2010-11-05T17:00:00.000Z
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<p><br /> By David Amoruso<br /> <br /> When you ask people about their favorite scene in the classic mob movie Goodfellas, a lot will answer they loved the "You think I'm funny? I'm funny how?" scene. The scene illustrates perfectly how mobsters could go from having a casual dinner where they are laughing, to cold blooded intimidation and perhaps murder, back to joking around. Joe Pesci based his performance on a childhood friend, who by then had become one of New Jersey's most vicious wiseguys. His name is Robert Bisaccia.<br /> <br /> Robert Bisaccia was born on April 17, 1935. His criminal record dates back to 1958 and by the 1970s he was considered a ruthless mobster connected to the Gambino Crime Family. Around 1984, authorities say, he was made a captain in the Gambino Family, and given the task of running the family's New Jersey faction. That faction was involved in gambling, loansharking, drugs, and labor racketeering.<br /> <br /> By the 1980s John Gotti was the new boss and he and Bisaccia got along just fine. According to turncoat Gambino underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, Gotti selected Bisaccia to be the shooter in a hit because he found him "nervy" and good with a gun. Gotti was not disappointed. The victim was found with five bullet holes, one of those between the eyes.<br /> <br /> <img style="float:right;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236987884,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" />In April of 1989 Bisaccia and his crew were arrested and hit with various racketeering charges. Bisaccia was charged with conspiring to burglarize the northern offices of the New Jersey Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force and destroy the evidence against his crew by setting the building on fire. In 1993 he and his crew were found guilty. Bobby Cabert was sentenced to 40 years in prison, which later was reduced. But thanks to the testimony of Gravano Bisaccia was sentenced to life for the murder Gotti had ordered years back.<br /> <br /> According to former mob associate Steve Lenehan a lot of people were relieved when Bisaccia went away. "No one said it out loud, but when they gave him 40 years almost everyone, including his own crew said good riddance." Bisaccia was known as a degenerate gambler who would try and get money from anybody. And he didn't mind if you or your feelings were hurt along the way.<br /> <br /> Robert Bisaccia didn't have a lot of good qualities. He lied, robbed, stole, and murdered his way through life. But when it was time to pay the price, that's just what he did. He stood up and went to prison to serve a life sentence. On November 30, 2008 he died of cancer at a federal prison hospital in North Carolina at age 73. </p>
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