Mob Takedown By Feds
CBS News Investigative producer Pat Milton wrote this story for CBSNews.com.
Nine suspected mobsters, including a reputed acting boss, were arrested Wednesday on charges ranging from murder, extortion, and racketeering as part of a takedown of the Colombo organized crime family, federal officials said.
In addition to those arrested by FBI in early morning raids, including one in Los Angeles, three suspects were charged who are already behind bars for other crimes.
The 17-count federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn charged the 12 defendants with a variety of charges capping a three-year investigation into the Colombo crime family. Three of the suspects are accused of four homicides dating back to the early 1990s.
The latest indictment comes on the heels of a CBS Evening News two-part series which examined the explosive growth of non-traditional organized crime families including the Asian and Russian mob.
Colombo family acting boss Thomas Gioeli, 55, is charged with the murders of two men in 1992 as part of a bloody Colombo family war which pitted two factions of the Colombo family against each other in a violent struggle for control of the family, authorities said. Colombo captain, Dino Calabro, 41 was also charged with the double murder of the two men, John Minerva and Michael Imbergamo.
In addition, Calabro was charged with the murder of an armored truck guard in 1992. Carlos Pagan, the armored guard was shot during a botched robbery attempt by Calabro and others as he and a co-worker were delivering money to a check-cashing store in Brooklyn.
The indictment documents the Colombo family's "brazen use of violence, including murder to earn money seek revenge and obstruct justice,'' authorities said.
"Our most powerful strategy in countering organized crime families is to effect a vertical takedown of the organization,'' said Mark Mershon, head of the New York FBI office.
"The very serious charges hold accountable the leadership soldiers, and associates who constitute a key component of the Colombo family,'' Mershon said.
In addition to acting boss Gioeli, the indictment charges John "Sonny" Franzese, the Colombo family underboss, who is currently in prison, Joseph "Joey Caves" Competiello, 36, a Colombo soldier and nine other Colombo family members and associates. If convicted, Gioeli, Calabro and Competiello face life imprisonment. The other defendants, if convicted face from five years to 40 years in prison.
It is the second mob bust in a week in New York.
Last Thursday a reputed Gambino family captain surrendered to the FBI on charges he ordered a decades-old gangland hit that took the life of an innocent by-stander.
Nicholas "Little Nick,'' Corozzo, had fled his Long Island home last February during a big FBI roundup of 62 suspected mafia members and associates. He was held without bail on murder, extortion and racketeering charges.
"The message could not be any clearer, we will not rest until the violent scourge of organized crime is eliminated,'' said Benton Campbell, U.S. Attorney for New York's Eastern District.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. Nine suspected mobsters, including a reputed acting boss, were arrested Wednesday on charges ranging from murder, extortion, and racketeering as part of a takedown of the Colombo organized crime family, federal officials said.
In addition to those arrested by FBI in early morning raids, including one in Los Angeles, three suspects were charged who are already behind bars for other crimes.
The 17-count federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn charged the 12 defendants with a variety of charges capping a three-year investigation into the Colombo crime family. Three of the suspects are accused of four homicides dating back to the early 1990s.
The latest indictment comes on the heels of a CBS Evening News two-part series which examined the explosive growth of non-traditional organized crime families including the Asian and Russian mob.
Colombo family acting boss Thomas Gioeli, 55, is charged with the murders of two men in 1992 as part of a bloody Colombo family war which pitted two factions of the Colombo family against each other in a violent struggle for control of the family, authorities said. Colombo captain, Dino Calabro, 41 was also charged with the double murder of the two men, John Minerva and Michael Imbergamo.
In addition, Calabro was charged with the murder of an armored truck guard in 1992. Carlos Pagan, the armored guard was shot during a botched robbery attempt by Calabro and others as he and a co-worker were delivering money to a check-cashing store in Brooklyn.
The indictment documents the Colombo family's "brazen use of violence, including murder to earn money seek revenge and obstruct justice,'' authorities said.
"Our most powerful strategy in countering organized crime families is to effect a vertical takedown of the organization,'' said Mark Mershon, head of the New York FBI office.
"The very serious charges hold accountable the leadership soldiers, and associates who constitute a key component of the Colombo family,'' Mershon said.
In addition to acting boss Gioeli, the indictment charges John "Sonny" Franzese, the Colombo family underboss, who is currently in prison, Joseph "Joey Caves" Competiello, 36, a Colombo soldier and nine other Colombo family members and associates. If convicted, Gioeli, Calabro and Competiello face life imprisonment. The other defendants, if convicted face from five years to 40 years in prison.
It is the second mob bust in a week in New York.
Last Thursday a reputed Gambino family captain surrendered to the FBI on charges he ordered a decades-old gangland hit that took the life of an innocent by-stander.
Nicholas "Little Nick,'' Corozzo, had fled his Long Island home last February during a big FBI roundup of 62 suspected mafia members and associates. He was held without bail on murder, extortion and racketeering charges.
"The message could not be any clearer, we will not rest until the violent scourge of organized crime is eliminated,'' said Benton Campbell, U.S. Attorney for New York's Eastern District.
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I saw the writing on the wall about railroads just as you did. I bought stock in CSX and it''s doing very well.
Are you saying if the Democrats win my railroad stock won''t keep gaining value? why? I haven''t heard Obama or anyone else say they have a plan to do anything about oil prices. Other than bring a few oil executives in for meaningless questions every few months.
I think railroads will still be a safe and profitable investment well into the next administration.
Did you check in the White House? There are loads of organized criminals there, violating the contitution, murdering/maiming soldiers, and extorting and stealing trillions in cash from the tax payer, and this is just the tip of the ice berg.
Oh boy! More stereotypical ITALIAN mafioso!
These **small** fish are taking a fall to make us think that the Mafia only exists in the crime families of New York City and to make us think that the FBI is actually doing something about organized crime. What a theatre!
In Europe, the media brainwashes us about the Russian mafia and the Vietnamese mafia. Always stereotypes.
When will the FBI do something about the International Mafia that coordinates all of these smaller groups? (Answer: Never)
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Posted by anon00
When is the FBI going after the Big crime syndicates.
& get the big Fisk like.."Cheney the Cheese" "Rummie Rumfeld the Enforcer" "Bush the mMnkey"
Go for it Tony..no sleeping withe the fishies
Oh boy! More stereotypical ITALIAN mafioso!
These **small** fish are taking a fall to make us think that the Mafia only exists in the crime families of New York City and to make us think that the FBI is actually doing something about organized crime. What a theatre!
In Europe, the media brainwashes us about the Russian mafia and the Vietnamese mafia. Always stereotypes.
When will the FBI do something about the International Mafia that coordinates all of these smaller groups? (Answer: Never)
Posted by anon00 at 04:14 AM : Jun 05, 2008
This is well said. THANKS
And it should be the strategy for taking down Washington DC corruption, from the top down.
For those of you Catholic boys reading this who are engaged in thuggery or white collar crimes, please stop and start serving others anonomously. Start doing good deeds. Do them so only the Father can see them. Salvation can happen for the worst person.
Lucifer uses a tried and true way of attacking us with "divide and conquer." His only problem is that although he may divide Christians, he won''t ever conquer us. Perserverance works. Run the race with perservance. Even if you are a flawed sinner like myself, don''t break away. Keep serving others inspite of your flaws. Try and seek out serving the least of our brothers if you can. Here is a great true story about service to the least of our brother:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1107
http://worldreports.org/news